2023 Smart Growth Summit
Autumn Landscaping Resources
Autumn Landscaping. Plant Something and Chill
It’s taken a full year to feel like our Firefly Gallery is mostly resettled. Tending to that treasure has left both Synchronicity and my gardens sorely neglected.
Fortunately, things are falling into place and there’s still time to tend to these passions! I am grateful to those who encourage me to get back to writing already, and am delighted to report that autumn is a GREAT time for gardening!
On Leaving the Leaves
To explain why this is so beneficial, let’s start with another post from deeply knowledegable local expert Anthony Marinello of Dropseed Natives, “Leave the Leaves!”
This is rapidly becoming a very mainstream concept.
Here’s a piece from Homeserve.com, “Rake It or Leave It? Here’s Why You May Just Wanna Leave Your Leaves Where They Fall,” one from the USDA, and even one in Good Housekeeping.
Here’s an article from James Doubek for NPR on the subject.
Environmental groups have been saying this for years. Here’s the National Wildlife Federation on why.
And one from The Xerces Society: “Leave the leaves.”
BTW the Xerces Society is interesting. It’s really focused on saving invertebrates. Their work is deeply fundamental and yet applied at our level in the food chain, so it’s also really helpful! Their Facebook page is a wealth of basic, excellent advice.
…There are tips on winter cleanup, saving seeds, a beautiful sight of Monarch Butterflies migrating….
I learned about them from Long Island Native Plant Group on Facebook, a great community of incredibly knowledgeable and helpful folks who think about our local ecoscapes all year long
…but I digress…
…I was talking about leaving the leaves…
Well, Most of Them Anyway
The movement to leave the leaves is really important, but should be taken with a little common sense.
It also remains important to keep the driveway clear, as well as stone patios and pathways, assuming you wish to preserve them. The same goes for grass (though a thin layer of leaves may be mowed quite healthfully), which also likes to be aerated from time to time.
On my property, I’m dealing with invasive Norway Maples that I’m working to eradicate and replace with native trees as quickly as I can afford to do so. With them, I have found raking the leaves is fairly important as they seem particularly smother-y and slow to break down. As I am working to reduce their spread, I also want to be able to get their whirlybirds up in the spring!
As such, my approach isn’t so different from what these folks at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have to say, or The Spruce, here.
So, I do continue to rake a bit….mindfully….
Consider Losing the Lawn
Of course, while lawn health is among the biggest reasons to still rake, folks such as those from Re-Wild Long Island (an incredible collaboration of Long Island experts) suggest you consider doing away with your lawn instead.
This powerful opinion piece in the New York Times suggests you’d best “Kill your lawn before it kills you.”
On the West Coast, this has become a serious affair. Alternatives such as Xeriscaping, which focuses on minimizing water use, have become very popular. There, many factors including severe ongoing drought are coming together to prove that fighting the ecosystem for the sake of grass isn’t worth the trouble.
Related practices are gaining popularity across the country as communities come to realize that tending their own yard is a great way to nurture a healthier environment.
I’m not quite ready to ditch my lawn myself. However, I am committed to neither watering nor fertilizing nor spraying it with chemicals, and to doing all I can to maximize the ecological value of my property.
Here’s a nice piece from Brooklyn Greenways on why native plants are so important.
I am deeply inspired by projects like these “Rewilding Long Island” examples featured on the Rewild Long Island website.
See these 12 Inspiring ideas for a lawn-free landscape from porch.com, and some more on Houzz.
Check them all out and then go, tread lightly into winter, and dream of the upcoming spring.
(BTW: You can find resources for that here … it’s never too early to start planning!)
Shop Local! Wit & Whim
Photo of Wit and Whim’s storefront by Katheryn Laible
We thought we were entering the new site of Rosie’s Vintage, but ended up discovering Wit & Whim — another local treasure — instead! Inside we found a rare collection of unique and creative delights, and a sweet dog named Damien.
The proprietor, Jacquelyn gave us a lovely tour. Check it out!
Autumn Landscaping Resources
Autumn Landscaping. Sorry I'm Late!
This year, what with all the all at our gallery, every other plan I had went out the window.
Both Synchronicity and my gardens were sorely neglected.
I am thus late with this article and still struggling to accomplish basic fall cleanup.
Fortunately, while I still have important work to do, I am comforted by a whole host of experts who now recommend taking it easy on the leaf removal.
On Leaving the Leaves
This is rapidly becoming a very mainstream concept.
Here’s a piece from Homeserve.com, “Rake It or Leave It? Here’s Why You May Just Wanna Leave Your Leaves Where They Fall,” one from the USDA, and even one in Good Housekeeping.
Here’s an article from James Doubek for NPR on the subject.
Environmental groups have been saying this for years. Here’s the National Wildlife Federation on why.
And one from The Xerces Society: “Leave the leaves.”
BTW, I just discovered the Xerces Society, which is focused on saving invertebrates. Their work is deeply fundamental and yet applied at our level in the food chain, so it’s really helpful! Their Facebook page is a wealth of basic, excellent advice.
…There are tips on winter cleanup, saving seeds, a beautiful sight of Monarch Butterflies migrating….
I learned about them from Long Island Native Plant Group on Facebook, a great community of incredibly knowledgeable and helpful folks who think about our local ecoscapes all year long
…but I digress…
…I was talking about leaving the leaves…
Well, Most of Them Anyway
The movement to leave the leaves is really important, but should be taken with a little common sense.
It also remains important to keep the driveway clear, as well as stone patios and pathways, assuming you wish to preserve them. The same goes for grass (though a thin layer of leaves may be mowed quite healthfully), which also likes to be aerated from time to time.
On my property, I’m dealing with invasive Norway Maples that I’m working to eradicate and replace with native trees as quickly as I can afford to do so. With them, I have found raking the leaves is fairly important as they seem particularly smother-y and slow to break down. As I am working to reduce their spread, I also want to be able to get their whirlybirds up in the spring!
As such, my approach isn’t so different from what Soil Seed and Garden.com says here, or The Spruce, here.
So, I do continue to rake a bit….mindfully….
Consider Losing the Lawn
Of course, while lawn health is among the biggest reasons to still rake, folks such as those from Re-Wild Long Island (an incredible collaboration of Long Island experts) suggest you consider doing away with your lawn instead.
This powerful opinion piece in the New York Times suggests you’d best “Kill your lawn before it kills you.”
On the West Coast, this has become a serious affair. Alternatives such as Xeriscaping, which focuses on minimizing water use, have become very popular. There, many factors including severe ongoing drought are coming together to prove that fighting the ecosystem for the sake of grass isn’t worth the trouble.
Related practices are gaining popularity across the country as communities come to realize that tending their own yard is a great way to nurture a healthier environment.
I’m not quite ready to ditch my lawn myself. However, I am committed to neither watering nor fertilizing nor spraying it with chemicals, and to doing all I can to maximize the ecological value of my property.
Here’s a nice piece from Brooklyn Greenways on why native plants are so important.
I am deeply inspired by projects like these “Rewilding Long Island” examples featured on the Rewild Long Island website.
See these 12 Inspiring ideas for a lawn-free landscape from porch.com, and some more on Houzz.
Check them all out and then go, tread lightly into winter, and dream of the upcoming spring.
(BTW: You can find resources for that here … it’s never too early to start planning!)
Synchronicity Open Doors Reception Featuring Lionel Chitty
Join us for our first ever “Open Doors Reception”
This will be an evening of networking, light refreshments and good fun. It will be held at The Firefly Artists Gallery in the beautiful historic village of Northport, home of the Engeman Theater, excellent restaurants, lovely shops and a gorgeous park and harbor.
The shops mostly close around 6pm but a few of us, like our neighbors at Artisan House, like to stay open.
What: Synchronicity Open Doors Reception
Honoring: Lionel Chitty as nominated by Lois Howes
When: Thursday, May 26th at 6pm
Where: The Firefly Artists, 162 Main St., Northport
Please RSVP: to katelaible@gmail.com Space is limited!
A Little Bit About Lionel
Here, we will celebrate community and make good connections with a special focus on our friend Lionel Chitty.
Lionel is now the Executive Director of the Nassau County Office of Minority Affairs and, by the way, just found out he’s also about to receive a much cooler honor than this. Stay tuned!!!
When I met Lionel, He lived out east, worked out west and was deeply involved in the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce. I met him through Vision Long Island, who reaches out to and builds community with local business folk across Long Island.
One of the very first things Lionel Chitty ever told me was that he was about to prepare me to never forget his name.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Go for it,” I chuckled dubiously.
“Lionel Richie.
Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang.”
…and that sums up a good little bit of what I love about this guy.
Lois Howes
Vision may have been where Lionel met Lois, whom I just call “The Queen of Freeport” to keep things simple. She’s a wonderful local travel agent who was involved with the Chamber…and the Arts Council…and a few other things here and there…She perhaps got most deeply involved with Vision as a champion of the “Friends of Freeport,” a community organization that, a decade later, is still gathering neighbors to assist neighbors in recovering from Superstorm Sandy.
We’re looking forward to this being a first of many lovely evenings bringing people together at a beautiful place in the name of human connection.
Hope you can pop in! Please RSVP ASAP as space is limited. Have a wonderful day!
Native Garden and Ecolandscaping Resources
A few years ago now, I started reaching out to friends and collecting resources that we are pleased to share with you!
Continue readingPrelude to The Next Chapter: Popup at the HAC!
It was a pleasure to finally meet, Mallory Braun, champion of an endeavor to make sure Huntington doesn’t go too long without an iconic bookstore.
Continue readingA Local Independent Bookstore Closes, Three New Ones Open!
“At the End of a Chapter, Turning the Page: Thank you for 44 Years” by Katheryn Laible
As I look at the list of favorite shops that you dear readers have suggested, there is one entry I still can’t quite bring myself to remove: The once deep and starstruck haven that was Book Revue. My heart still aches at how quickly it emptied. It hurt even more to be right out front as someone began to pull the “Thank You for 44 Years of Business” sign from the window.
There is good news, tho! While Huntington’s incredible, beloved, local independent bookstore is now but a memory, former staff member Mallory Braun is determined to write “The Next Chapter.”
With passionate fanfare, she and so many lovers of this amazing, some would say sacred, place have rallied to make it happen. Even Kurt Vonnegut and Henry Miller – knowingly or not! – have been involved!
The Next Chapter
I have never met Mallory but hear VERY good things. That she managed to raise the $250,000 needed to follow in the Klein Brothers’ footsteps is a Christmas present from and for the whole Town. Passing the $200,000 mark on Richard Klein’s birthday was another poetic gift. They had wonderful raffle prizes and a kickin’ band at the very cool Industry Makers the night I got to contribute my little bit. While I deeply appreciated the loud, live music, I sure wish I could have heard what the band’s name was!!!
Proverbial sugar plums dance through my head as I dream of Mallory boldly carrying that glorious banner forward. It’s hard to wait, tho! It doesn’t feel quite like Christmas without Book Revue and I’m eager to see how this manifests. Fortunately, my grieving impatience eases a bit as I smile to see another haven for bibliophiles, this one a used bookstore, pop up in East Northport!
The Dog-Eared Bard’s Book Shop
The Dog-Eared Bard’s Book Shop was created by folks who have been running literary events throughout the Island for over a decade. Among activities, they publish a “Bard’s Annual” poetry collection for which they’ve fittingly hosted events at the Walt Whitman Birthplace. I look forward to sharing the next time they seek submissions. They are now hosting “First Friday Poetry Readings.” On January 7th they will feature Robert Savino. I believe they also offer literary alternatives to the Superbowl.
If your own shelves are running over, please know they gladly welcome donations of used books!
This is NOT Book Revue. It does seem to be something wonderful in its own right, tho, and also elicits faded memories of the earliest stacks of that legendary store… It would have sufficed for now….
But then..Lo! What did my wondering eyes behold, but a third new independent bookstore!!!
Theodore’s Bookshop
The kids and I recently popped into the barely-a-month-old “Theodore’s Bookshop“ on Audrey Avenue in Oyster Bay. Founded by former US Congressman and Huntington Town Councilman Steve Israel, the shop pays deep homage to the former President and local resident Theodore Roosevelt, as well as to Steve’s love for history and current affairs. Here, he can bring all sides together with pop culture, classic literature, children’s books and other standard bookshop fare. There’s also a healthy dose of folks we’ve dearly missed since Book Revue closed. It seems to work!
Said Steve, “I served 16 years in Congress and it was a place where people would draw battle lines. I got tired of that. I wanted to create a place that would be of value to the community. We have books that are conservative. We have books that are progressive. We have books in the middle. I just wanted to create a platform for respectful discourse and the pursuit of curiosity, and a place that is just serving the community in which I live.”
You can see the rest of my mini-interview with Steve Israel and a few images from his shop below.
There Will Only Ever Be One, But Still…
It’s still not Book Revue, but it’s a unique and lovely assortment Steve and his new “family of book lovers” are crafting that does pay deep homage to that bit of history, too. I look forward to seeing how the Dog-Eared Bard grows in it’s own way. I still can’t wait for Mallory to get rolling, and know that I’m still coming to terms with the fact that her endeavor — no matter how wonderful — will never be Book Revue, either.
Still, the idea has been planted that maybe…just maybe…some great spirits never really die, but live on in all so inspired.
At least that seems to be the case for three new unique and personal local independent bookstores on Long Island.
More or less just in time for the holidays.
I am grateful. Thanks!
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Call to Artists: The Snowball Effect
CALL TO ARTISTS! Deadline to Apply is 12/20 for this January show at The Firefly Artists. The theme is winter-inspired works. The term “Snowball Effect” also speaks to the momentum of creative manifestation….so let us know about your inspiration and/or process by sharing a brief paragraph or early sketch as well!
Continue readingFirefly Lights – 11/21
Come to our community-oriented gallery created by and for local artists at 162 Main St, Northport. We’re open Tues-Thurs 11am-6pm, Fri and Sat 11am-8pm and Sun 11am-5pm. There is ALWAYS something new on the wall, and often being created on site! Send Katie an email if you’d like to meet up down there!
Like elves themselves, Fireflies are planning all sorts of wonderful things for the Holidays. We can’t wait to share! Visit our beautiful new website, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for emerging details.
Now’s the Time! We don’t wish to rush things, but if you want to ask an artist to make something special. NOW is the time to order it! Come on in, see what strikes your fancy and ask to be put in touch with the artist!
Welcome New Firefly Diana Anton! Diana Anton’s work “reflects the process of its making,” yielding beautiful, enigmatic pieces. Check out her Website. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Better, come see at the Firefly!
Firefly Friends & Family Exhibition We reserved our beautiful upstairs Darcy Arts Center for the Fireflies for the holidays, and invited them to invite other artists to join them! Some are freshly emerging creators whom Fireflies are encouraging to get their work out there. Others are established artists whom they’ve invited in. All together, it’s marvelous!
Exhibition Date: November 12 – December 31
Reception: December 4th, 3-5pm
Masks are warmly welcomed (we have some beautiful ones for sale!) and required for those not vaccinated.
We’ve Been Nominated “LI’s Best Gallery” in the annual “Bethpage Best of LI” contest! One of our Fireflies, Kirk Larsen, has been nominated as well! You can vote for both of us – and other great local treasures – EVERY DAY between now and December 5th!
Here’s the link To VOTE for The Firefly Artists
Here’s the link To VOTE for Kirk Larsen
Jewelry Making with Rachel Kalina! Want to make a very special gift? Or do the holidays just make you want to hit something with a hammer? Perhaps both? Rachel Kalina of The Wood & Watch is here for you!!!
She can guide in stamping a phrase onto metal for a very special token, or help you commence your own full-on jewelry smithing adventure. See her work on Instagram @thewoodandwatch. Inquire further by emailing thewoodandwatch@gmail.com
We’re being honored! with a “Special Citation for a Business Award by the NYS Art Teacher’s Association (NYSATA). It’s all Beth’s fault, really, what with all she does to keep teaching teachers and advancing young artists, supporting NYSATA and so much else. Her and all those other amazing teachers we get to call our own…Grateful…
More classes, holiday events and specials are coming! Check our website and social media often!!