In this episode, Master Gardener Volunteers Jean and Tim chat with Joe Behn of Behn's Best Perennials in Malden Bridge, NY. Joe has been our guest multiple times before, on episodes 9, 65 and 66. On these prior occasions, we delved into the world of perennials, as Joe is a respected wholesaler of perennials to the landscaping world. This time, we spoke to him during his winter hiatus and he described his life as being “me in my pajamas, accompanied by the dogs".

For a change of perspective, Joe was asked to provide a topic other than growing and/or selecting perennials. He suggested talking about a style of gardening that goes in and out of style... making garden rooms. This is an almost inevitable response to the ever-present challenge of deer. Joe explained that the core idea of garden rooms was making walls and fences around “rooms” where deer could not penetrate. This would make it possible to garden with plants the deer would usually wipe out in one visit. Hardscaping was one focus of a wide-ranging conversation, with ideas flying fast and furious. Joe has strong opinions about the idea that a fence should be beautiful on both sides as well as impermeable to deer and other freeloaders.The conversation then ranged from plant selection, to space demands of a smaller garden, to the value of hardscaping for simplifying maintenance. And, as usual, Jean and Tim had many questions for Joe about their own gardens and plant shopping. Enjoy!

Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas Guest: Joe Behn

Photo by: National Park Service Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Tim Kennelty, Amy Meadow, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski, Jean Thomas

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In this episode, Jamie Purinton chats with Tim and Jean about some of the finer points of being a landscape architect. A landscape architect is more than a designer. To be a licensed RLA (registered landscape architect), there is an intense educational requirement followed by a lengthy internship, and culminating a three-day exam! This is because the landscape architect must be expert in engineering aspects of structures, grading, drainage and topology as well as all the design skills and plant expertise found in a landscape designer. In fact, she considers the plants to be “icing on the cake.”

As you might expect, the size of the projects she is involved in can be pretty big. And so can the size of the issues she must address. Public health and environment must be considered, as well as future consequences of climate change. She has worked on many public gardens and waterfront projects, and closer to home, the Mountain Top Arboretum.

The Mountain Top projects spanned several years and included work with partnerships with many of our former guests on the podcast (episode list below). Some of her favorite projects included building a bird-attracting garden and an amphitheater, with a prevailing emphasis on native plants. She states that of the many facets of her job, she has no particular favorite because it is the “pulling it together” that gives her the most satisfaction.

She advises her clients to step away from a rush to manipulate the landscape, and observe what is already there. She says the High Line in New York City is an influence on many people,. There is growing appreciation of habitat among her clients, even to the point where she is planning to shift her work emphasis from larger “public” projects to individuals.

Her two books express her philosophy well. “The Voices of the Land” is a collection of essays, and “Landscape Narratives: Design Practices for Telling Stories,” with M. Poettinger. The latter has become a respected textbook. So if you're curious about how large scale projects can be carried out with minimal intrusion to the environment and ecology, join Tim and Jean and listen in to this episode.

Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas

Guest: Jamie Purinton, RLA

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden,Tim Kennelty, Amy Meadow, Xandra Powers,Jean Thomas

The Thomas Cole National Historic Site is a National Historic Landmark that includes the former home, also known as Cedar Grove, and the studio of painter Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School of American painting. Located in the village of Catskill, NY, Thomas Cole lived and worked there between 1833 until his death in 1848. In 1965, the property was declared a National Historic Landmark and designated a National Historic Site in 1999. It is also considered an affiliated area of the National Park Service.

Cedar Grove, a Federal Era house, was restored and opened to the public in 2001. Aided by historical photographs, sketches, and a painting, Cole's 'New Studio', originally built in 1846 and demolished in 1973, was reconstructed and reopened to the public in 2016. It currently is used for traveling exhibitions that change periodically. The house and the studio are open for tours, events and workshops throughout the year. Three years later, in partnership with the Olana State Historic Site and the New York State Bridge Authority, the Hudson River Skywalk was opened, creating a pedestrian walkway across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge connecting Olana with the Thomas Cole Historic Site. There is also the Mawignack Preserve, a park along the Catskill Creek that is operated by the Greene Land Trust, which contains signage about Thomas Cole as it was one of his favorite places to paint.

This was all possible through a dedicated team of volunteers led by Elizabeth Jacks, an Executive director of the site for over two decades. She joins the Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley to talk about how the site’s history and how it has evolved thanks to the many partnerships that have been formed over time. During her tenure, Betsy expanded the campus from one building to six and grew the organization's operating budget tenfold. She emphasizes that historic sites are actually for the living, to help us all better understand the past and how history has helped to shape how we see the world today.

Hosts: Annie Scibienski and Taly Hahn

Guest: Elizabeth Jacks

Photo by: Teresa Golden

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Taly Hahn, Tim Kennelty, Amy Meadow, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski, Robin Smith, Jean Thomas

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