Brings Asian Traditions to Opening Night Party
by Carol Stocker
On Friday, June 21, Newport’s summer season will officially begin with the 18th annual Newport Flower Show Opening Night Party from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. This year’s theme, Jade: Eastern Obsession will blend gardens, Eastern treasures and traditions at Rosecliff, capturing the simple yet stunning beauty of this exotic part of the world.

The Opening Night Party will offer guests an opportunity to discover the mysteries of the East through “Zen-full” floral, horticultural and garden displays. While enjoying Asian-inspired food, guests can roam freely through the Oceanside Boutiques and Gardeners’ Marketplace. The evening will be filled with entertaining surprises including Asian music and dancing.

The show continues Saturday and Sunday with floral exhibits, horticultural entries, photography and children’s programs, displayed throughout the rooms and on the grounds of Rosecliff, as well as expansive front lawn garden designs. The free lecture series returns as well, offering advice and demonstrations by noted plant experts.

This year’s special guests headlining Luncheon Lectures on Friday and Saturday of the Newport Flower Show include floral designer Hitomi Gilliam, showcasing her designs inspired by Ikebana and the Zen appreciation of nature; and landscape architect Harriet Henderson, sharing her experiences in the Far East and how Western gardens are influenced by Eastern designs. These two Luncheon Lectures are separately ticketed events requiring advance reservations. Tickets for the Luncheon are $80 per person. Lecture-only tickets are available for $40. The Lecture Luncheon series is sponsored by National Trust Insurance Services.

The Newport Flower Show will be open to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 21, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, June 22 23. Advance sale and Preservation Society member admission tickets are $18 per person. Tickets sold at the door will be $25 on Friday, $23 on Saturday or Sunday.

For more information and to purchase tickets for the Newport Flower Show, visit www.NewportFlowerShow.org, or call (401) 847-1000.

Bartlett Tree Experts returns as Presenting Sponsor of the Newport Flower Show, which benefits The Preservation Society of Newport County. The show is also sponsored by National Trust Insurance Services, Brooks Brothers, Porsche of Warwick, Northern Trust, BankNewport, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Southern New England, Atria Senior Living, United Airlines, Aardvark Antiques Restoration, East Coast Wholesale Flowers, Water’s Edge Flowers and Four Roses Bourbon.

All proceeds from the Newport Flower Show benefit the ongoing landscape restoration efforts of The Preservation Society of Newport County, a private non-profit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes and decorative arts. Its 11 historic properties—seven of them National Historic Landmarks—span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.

First, ask yourself a few key questions: Do you have full sun or shade? A rooftop spot or ground-level garden?

“Determine your climate: Rooftops can be hot, ground-level gardens, humid,” explained Cangialosi. If you’ve got shade, buying the pretty flowers that require full sun means they won’t live to see July.

“Look at drainage,” she added. Make sure liquid has a way to escape when watering plants or if it rains. “Plants don’t like their roots wet — it’s like sitting in a wet diaper,” she says. Once you have a proper drainage system in place, then you can shop and plant. (For tips on how to do drainage right, see the next tip.)

Skip the pricey planters

If you’re in the market for a container garden, the costs can add up quickly, with planters running into the hundreds of dollars. Luckily, there’s a cheaper (and chic) option.

“You can definitely skimp and get the less-expensive pots. IKEA has great options — but you have to augment slightly,” said Cangialosi.

This brings us back to drainage. Cangialosi suggests drilling holes in the bottom of pots that don’t come with them, or placing a pot within a pot, with gravel between the two, so the water overage has a place to go.

Invest in perennials

Perennial plants come back each year, while annuals are yours to enjoy for just one season. That’s why buying the latter is an amateur gardener mistake.

“Perennials are roughly the same price as annuals, but you’ll have them year after year,” explained Cangialosi.

In fact, she says, they can return for anywhere from six to 20 years, which is a far better return on your botanical investment.

Bonus: You’ll save time and money.

“If you put enough plants in, they’ll fill your space nicely, and you won’t even have to weed as often,” she said.

Check out more money-saving gardening tips here.

More from LearnVest:

• Fresh Flavors: Growing An Herb Garden
• 10 Dinner Party Shortcuts From the Pros
• 9 Summer Canning Recipes Made Simple

This post originally appeared on LearnVest.com on June 6 and was written by Maureen Dempsey. It is republished here with permission from LearnVest.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow.

Now the frosts have gone, there’s no better time to plant small salad crops.
These can be in containers, hanging baskets or even among your flowers.

The great thing about planting small or plug plants is that any tricky seed
sowing has been done for you. All you are using are mini versions of the
final product. There’s nothing easier than small plants of lettuce Cancan (a
variety you can cut a few leaves from and come back for more later) or the
deep red, oak-leafed lettuce Rushmoor – both will thrive anywhere sunny.

Make sure there’s plenty of compost or organic matter in the soil. Keep the
plants watered in dry spells and guard against slugs and snails. In a month
you will be picking fresh leaves. The only problem? They’re so tasty, they
may never make it to the kitchen. It is deeply satisfying to nibble on a
handful as you wander the garden.

But not all tasty greenery is in the form of lettuce – nasturtium foliage has
a strong peppery taste and looks fantastic in hanging baskets and sprawling
over walls. The flowers are a terrific garnish in salads. Now is the perfect
time to plant them and you can also pop a few seeds into existing pots for
later in the season.

If you haven’t got a plot dedicated to veg – and your name is way down the
allotment waiting list – try growing a few edible crops in among your
herbaceous perennials and shrubs.

If the border is hot and sunny then plant herbs. Rosemary is a tough plant and
adores dry, sun-baked situations. Wild rocket becomes stronger tasting as
the temperature rises. Young plants are a great way to try out a wide range
of herbs.

You can, of course, mix and match herbs, young vegetables and your existing
plants to create a true cottage garden – one that supplies both blooms and
food for the house. There few rules to growing your own vegetables.

Once you’ve tasted your home-grown crops there will be no turning back.
Vegetables will soon appear in all your containers and hanging baskets,
squeezed into gaps in your borders and whole portions of the garden will be
turned over to their cultivation. Grow what you like to eat and trial as
many new varieties as you can.

*Next week: the ultimate city garden

More gardening ideas from this series:

Garden
structures: how to create arches and pergolas

Make
your garden patio an ideal retreat

Unearth
Your Summer Garden homepage

Waitrose Garden:

For even more ideas and tips, as well as advice on how to get the most from
your crops, visit waitrosegarden.com

Chicago Heights residents interested in the secrets of gardening,Dr. Jim O’Donnell will share his tips with the Union Street Art Gallery on Wednesday, June 19. The free event is open to the public.

From 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, attendees will be welcomed into O’Donnell’s gardening circle to learn some of his gardening secrets. Attendees are encouraged to preregister for the event with the gallery.

For more information or to preregister, call 708-754-2601.

• Do you know about an important upcoming deadline? Share it in the comments below and we’ll consider including it in our next Last Chance article.
• Post your own events and announcements.

Chicago Heights residents interested in the secrets of gardening,Dr. Jim O’Donnell will share his tips with the Union Street Art Gallery on Wednesday, June 19. The free event is open to the public.

From 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, attendees will be welcomed into O’Donnell’s gardening circle to learn some of his gardening secrets. Attendees are encouraged to preregister for the event with the gallery.

For more information or to preregister, call 708-754-2601.

• Do you know about an important upcoming deadline? Share it in the comments below and we’ll consider including it in our next Last Chance article.
• Post your own events and announcements.

Chicago Heights residents interested in the secrets of gardening,Dr. Jim O’Donnell will share his tips with the Union Street Art Gallery on Wednesday, June 19. The free event is open to the public.

From 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, attendees will be welcomed into O’Donnell’s gardening circle to learn some of his gardening secrets. Attendees are encouraged to preregister for the event with the gallery.

For more information or to preregister, call 708-754-2601.

• Do you know about an important upcoming deadline? Share it in the comments below and we’ll consider including it in our next Last Chance article.
• Post your own events and announcements.

Chicago Heights residents interested in the secrets of gardening,Dr. Jim O’Donnell will share his tips with the Union Street Art Gallery on Wednesday, June 19. The free event is open to the public.

From 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, attendees will be welcomed into O’Donnell’s gardening circle to learn some of his gardening secrets. Attendees are encouraged to preregister for the event with the gallery.

For more information or to preregister, call 708-754-2601.

• Do you know about an important upcoming deadline? Share it in the comments below and we’ll consider including it in our next Last Chance article.
• Post your own events and announcements.

Chicago Heights residents interested in the secrets of gardening,Dr. Jim O’Donnell will share his tips with the Union Street Art Gallery on Wednesday, June 19. The free event is open to the public.

From 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, attendees will be welcomed into O’Donnell’s gardening circle to learn some of his gardening secrets. Attendees are encouraged to preregister for the event with the gallery.

For more information or to preregister, call 708-754-2601.

• Do you know about an important upcoming deadline? Share it in the comments below and we’ll consider including it in our next Last Chance article.
• Post your own events and announcements.

Chicago Heights residents interested in the secrets of gardening,Dr. Jim O’Donnell will share his tips with the Union Street Art Gallery on Wednesday, June 19. The free event is open to the public.

From 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, attendees will be welcomed into O’Donnell’s gardening circle to learn some of his gardening secrets. Attendees are encouraged to preregister for the event with the gallery.

For more information or to preregister, call 708-754-2601.

• Do you know about an important upcoming deadline? Share it in the comments below and we’ll consider including it in our next Last Chance article.
• Post your own events and announcements.

Chicago Heights residents interested in the secrets of gardening,Dr. Jim O’Donnell will share his tips with the Union Street Art Gallery on Wednesday, June 19. The free event is open to the public.

From 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, attendees will be welcomed into O’Donnell’s gardening circle to learn some of his gardening secrets. Attendees are encouraged to preregister for the event with the gallery.

For more information or to preregister, call 708-754-2601.

• Do you know about an important upcoming deadline? Share it in the comments below and we’ll consider including it in our next Last Chance article.
• Post your own events and announcements.