Marie Zambotti leads a tour of her gardens for members of the Bud ‘n Bloom Garden Club.
It has been a very busy and educational summer for the Bud ‘n Bloom Garden Club. In July, they visited the organic “Farm to Table” Gardens on Temple Street in Fredonia.
Wendall Magitti is the owner and gardener. A small property produces large quantities of vegetables. The group of ladies toured the beds full of rich, nutritious, organic produce she sells at the Fredonia Farmers Market and CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) customers on Saturdays. Some of its product lines include three varieties of cabbage, Asian long eggplants, various tomatoes and peppers, green beans, cucumbers and lettuce.
All his gardens are fenced and covered with cloth to protect them from deer damage and winter and cold weather. They are opened every morning and restored every evening. Many rows are combined with green onions and/or basil to deter deer and insects.
He shared many gardening tips with the club. It does not pull tomato and bean plants, for example, at the end of the growing season. Instead, it cuts them to keep nutrients in the soil. He also cuts carrots and other plant waste and uses them for compost. He loosens the soil with a pitchfork rather than plowing the rows to save crops and keep weed seeds from coming to the surface.
She can be found selling her organic produce on Barker Common every Saturday in the spring. They move indoors when the weather cools down.
After the tour, the ladies went to the Big Dipper on Central Avenue in Dunkirk for ice cream and a date. Michelle Twitchell, on behalf of the Village of Fredonia, sent a letter of thanks to the Club for planting flowers in pots surrounding the fountains in the parks, near the Village Hall and around the memorials in the parks.
In August, the Garden Club was invited on an early morning tour of Marie and David Zambotti’s colorful Brocton gardens. Soft, much-needed rain could not stop the group. After the new driveway and patio, the ladies gathered under the covered patio and relaxed on the outdoor wicker patio sectional couch and matching chairs. On the table covered with white linen were homemade muffins, coffee cake, three kinds of berries, juice, coffee and tea. White and peach hydrangea flowers filled a vase with matching china and napkins in the center of the table.
The view from the patio enjoying their breakfast was mesmerizing. With a row of pine trees as a backdrop, the Zambotti gardens bloomed with an assortment of colorful hostas, lilies, rudbeckias and ferns. Seven baskets of bright pink New Guinea impatiens hung from matching shepherd’s hooks accented the green leaves beneath them. A collection of hummingbird feeders, bird feeders and garden decor added to the look.
At the edge of the patio, 10 baskets of giant pink, white and fuchsia petunias were nestled alongside pots of green and burgundy coleus and other greenery.
The group toured the front and side gardens using umbrellas. Red mandevilla plants and spikes adorned the edge of the patio area during the walk.
In front of the gray two-level house, a large collection of sun-loving late summer flowers has been painted. Pink and white hibiscus; purple butterfly bush; pink, whimsical anemones and lemon yellow and pink dahlias were some of the highlights.
There were newly landscaped garden areas to the front and side of the house. All of the new plantings were selected from the list of deer dislikes. Decorative rocks added to the design.
To the rear of the property was a suitable two storey “playhouse” Designed and built by David. The lower floor is used for storage, and the second floor has bedrooms for Zambotti’s grandchildren. “Sleep over.” A white patio wraps around the upper level with an added slider for entertaining access “playhouse.”
The early morning breakfast tour was a delightful sensory experience despite the continuous rain.
The next meeting will take place in September. Club members were to meet at the Zambotti home at 9:30 a.m. to drive. They dined at Lakeshore Hydroponics, Stan’s Garden Center and Skunk and Goat Restaurant.
Members are reminded to start collecting milkweed pots for a craft event at Nancy Kohler’s home in October.