New York State Fair 2010

You know it's the end of the summer when the New York State Fair is in progress.  We took our annual trip on a rainy Saturday morning.  My husband and I have different memories of going to the fair when we were young.  His as a competitor showing the animals he raised and bunking in the 4H dormitory for a week.  And me spending time with my family and friends taking in all the exhibits and experiencing the different sights, sounds, smells and taste.

I have always admired the dedication it takes to raise and train an animal for show.

Our friend, Emma Foster took 4th place showing her Red Angus beef cow.

And of course we have to visit the sheep barn.  My favorite black Corriedale sheep are being shown.  Sheep are judged on age, width, height, breed, characteristic and balance.

Look at the horns on this Merino ram.  I wouldn't want to get in the pen with him.

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These goats look like they are saying...They went that way.

Piglets are always a big attraction.

Wool fibers are judged on the characteristic of the breed type.

Then spun and dyed in beautiful colors.

The butter sculpter is a must see and one of the my favorites.

This sand sculpter of the Beatles was a big attraction.  To think this beautiful work of art can disappear with a just a little air.

All you need is love!

And then their is the food!  It always amazes me the new food ideas they come up with each year. Like deep fried Oreos, Kangaroo Bobs and Gator Bites.  The famous Dinosaur Bar-B-Q is one of the great places you can experience unbelievable food. 

You can find floral and grain competitions along with sampling honey and maple syrup in the Horticulture building.

Skaneateles Garden Club member, Linda Merrill Arthur won second place with this floral arrangement.  Congrats Linda!

The 6 horse hitch competition is always a treat. 

Another State Fair has come and gone and the summer is quickly slipping away.  Bring on the color of fall. 

wordless wednesday

Preparing lavender for the winter months

I have been invited to speak at the New York State Fair again this year.  The subject of course: The Love of Lavender.  I will be going over the different varieties, how to grow, care and harvesting of the fragrant herb. 
After going over my notes and completing the harvesting of the last of our varieties (Buena Vista) I thought now would be a good time to go over pruning lavender again.

The number one question we receive is when and how to prune lavender.  It is now August and it's time to make sure the lavender plants are prepared for the winter. Trimming  and cutting out dead wood in early spring after the first flush of green will promote a healthy late spring/early summer flowering.  If you prune in the spring, those same plants will need to be pruned again in the fall and well before the risk of a frost. A shaping of the plants into smaller mounds will keep the plants compact for a cold winter and more able to be fully covered with snow. We are in growing zone 6 and if you are in a warmer area without severe winters, pruning may be done when it fits your schedule or when the flowering is complete.

Lavenders that are not kept well pruned will become very woody and spread over time. They will fall open and show a wide-open space in the middle with long woody stems. Not very visually pleasing. Sometimes you can severely trim back these plants in the spring so that new growth is forced from the bottom. Depending on how old the plant is, it may or may not work.

The key to pruning is to start when the plant is young and still in the pot. Pinch the new growth in order to encourage lateral branch formation and even cut off the flower buds in the first year to ensure a larger plant and abundant spikes for the following season (this is a primary consideration if you are a commercial grower).
REMEMBER:  The last cutting on sage, lavender, or oregano should be made late August or early September.

This Royal Velvet lavender plant was planted this spring and ready the winter snow.

I would love to meet you at the Fair.  You can visit me on Thursday, September 2nd at 1:00 and 3:00 in the Horticulture Building.

wordless wednesday

The last of the lavender for this year will be harvested today.

And the last weekend for the Lavender Market.

Open Saturday and Sunday 9 -3. 

wordless wednesday