In November, you many choices as to how to deal with your garden. In the old days, we would cut everything down and haul the debris to the compost pile (or, bag it and put it on the curb). In today’s sustainable garden, the process is quite a bit different. Learn which plant are best to leave up for birds and pollinators, especially our native tunnel nesting bees. Learn which plants are best cut down. Explore the possibility of chopping up and returning your debris to the garden directly! Many plants self sow and offer us welcome free gifts. Others will take over the garden if we are not careful. In my own gardens, I gather lots of seed and move it new areas that I am trying to make into wild, habitat gardens. Winter sowing is another option for sowing seeds that need a chill period (stratification). The final chore is to tuck in bulbs for succession of bloom from February till July.

SPEAKER: Nancy DuBrule-Clemente

Nancy DuBrule-Clemente is the founder of Natureworks, an organic garden center and landscape design/installation service in Northford, CT. Founded in 1983, Natureworks has been gardening organically since its inception. The retail store is located on a mere acre of land and is in a house built in 1900 that was formerly a schoolhouse. The store is surrounded by organic demonstration gardens. Education is an important mission of Natureworks. Information is shared through the weekly email sent to thousands  of people and an on-line presence on social media (Facebook and Instagram). Classes are held at the garden center in the teaching tent during the growing season and at off-site venues in the winter months.

Nancy has written for many publications and is a regular guest speaker at the CT Flower and Garden Show, plant conferences, and local garden clubs.  She is the co-author, with Marny Smith, of the 1995 Rodale Press book A Country Garden for Your Back Yard. She is also the author of the self-published book Succession of Bloom in the Perennial Garden published in 2004.

Nancy is a former board member and president of N.O.F.A., the Northeast Organic Farming and Gardening Association of CT. She teaches at their Organic Landcare Certification Course each year. Nancy is also a board member of the CT Nurseryman’s Association which give scholarships to CT Horticulture students.