SPRING HAS SPRUNG
One way or the other, with a detour through heat, another through frost, spring has definitely made it to Cricket Hill.
Thousands of daffodils, hundreds of tulips - a few with deer-provided flat-top haircuts! - and all the other bulbs join the Forsythia. This one has golden variegated leaves…so once it starts blooming, it looks like it’s blooming all season! Aptly named “Golden Times”.
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ICE BEAUTY at Cricket Hill
Winter provides many unexpected delights for the Garden-Watcher! A unique combination of precipitation, temperature change and light gave us some breathtaking glimpses of fairyland.
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FROST - Fall’s First
The gardens were still going strong until the first frost hit October 29. This is about 6 weeks later than “the way it used to be”, and a tangible sign we deserve the upgrade from 5 to 6 of our Hardiness Zone, i.e. it’s warmer. Taking advantage of this, we are adding to the late season display in the Gardens at Cricket Hill Farm… might as well enjoy it! Visitors to the farm next year will see the results of this year’s transplants and addition to stock of fall bloomers.
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CRICKET HILL BARBECUE - 21st Annual Event
Another perfect day! Good fun and great food for all Cricket Hill’s friends and families. Games and a treasure hunt for kids, a hotly contested horseshoes return match, walks down to the lake. Tours through the gardens. Beautiful flower arrangements taken away in the Silent Auction along with lots of other goodies. As always, 2 important highlights: the Horse Demos - first, a 6-member drill team, the Cricket Hill Cowgirls, delighted the audience with an ambitious routine developed that week in camp and flawlessly performed - see below in their final line-up. And a pas-de-trois celebrating the start of the football season performed by Beth Anne, Stephanie and Laura. Also eagerly awaited is the BBQ presentation of the coveted “Golden Fork Award”! Pictured below is Paddy Rossbach, 2006 recipient, passing the perpetual prize to Krys Schrom, recognizing all her work on behalf of Cricket Hill Academy!
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PLANT SALE - Hudson Bush Plant & Garden Exchange
This sale is held annually at Clermont State Historic Site in Germantown NY. A lovely spot under the trees right on the Hudson, worth the trip, even if there weren’t a plant sale! This was Cricket Hill’s third time at this event, all plant sales benefitting the Academy Scholarship Fund. Those who couldn’t make it on this busy Memorial Day weekend lucked out…extra plants were available at the farm; some people are ordering the special ones right out of the garden!
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CRICKET HILL BARBECUE - 20th Anniversary
The weather held up its end of the bargain - as it generally does - for a grand day! The 20th anniversary celebration of Cricket Hill’s Labor Day weekend barbeque! The arena was decorated with farm-grown cut flowers and large plants. Special plants garnishing each picnic table were favors to be taken home. Many of the 150 attendees toured the gardens, at their September finest.
The horsey entertainment included a Quadrille to music presented by the Horsemanship campers, a Pas de Trois of three of our young riders, and of course, the highly regarded Pony Rides!
The Awards Ceremony highlighted the passing of the coveted Fork d’Or from Sarah Morgan to Paddy Rossbach. Four Snyder “children”, visiting from all over the Eastern seaboard, commemorated growing up at Cricket Hill Farm with the original song, “A Boy from Ancramdale”.
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GARDEN TOUR - Garden Conservancy Open Days at Cricket Hill
This day was chosen for the oriental lilies and the meadow perennials and grasses. Everything was in full swing! Visitors came from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts as well as Millerton, Copake, and Pine Plains! We had several repeat visitors who were interested in how to manage seasonal change in the garden and so, wanted to compare what they’d seen in July or the previous September. The visitors were quite experienced, knew all the most common plants, and had more questions about garden design and the very unusual specimens.
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GARDEN TOUR - Garden Conservancy Open Days at Cricket Hill
A beautiful sunny day greeted the 70+ visitors. Iris were still glorious, with the daylilies and lilies just starting. The Orchard Meadow was already in full swing as seen in the picture below.
Plants for Sale included the Maxim Strawberries, a special variety from Holland with up to 3″ tasty berries, already well fruited and ripening in their pots. A group from nearby Pine Plains took home some of these and other tempting plants, all grown in the gardens at Cricket Hill. Proceeds benefit the Academy Scholarship Fund.
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