Local Master Gardener Kimberly Sevilla answers your questions!

What are some things I can do to enjoy my garden year-round, and to save heirloom and favorite plants?

It’s still a little warm outside and in a few weeks it will be the perfect time to sow your fall and winter crops. Until then, you can prepare your favorite plants for gardening all year long by taking cuttings for next season. Taking them now will ensure that the plants are actively growing and have not started to slow down, you will get better results than if you take them later in the season. Cuttings are a great way to propagate plants and to extend your season. It is also a great way to share your plants with friends and family.

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North Brooklyn’s garden experts share their tips for greening your home

By Meghan Cass

It’s springtime in Brooklyn and outdoor spaces are getting all the love. But if you aren’t one of the few blessed with a rooftop or yard, then the time is ripe to cultivate your own indoor container garden. Often considered inferior to open-air efforts, indoor gardens have their own advantages. “You can keep tropical plants alive indoors all year, and even force bulbs like tulips and paper-whites to bloom in the off-season,” says Grace Martinelli, owner of Graceful Gardens on Driggs Avenue.

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Brooklyn Grows
with Kimberly Sevilla

Help, tomatoes abound! What do I do?
Yep, it’s been a bumper year for tomatoes, and anyone lucky enough to have grown their own, no doubt have plenty, but for everyone else, the Farmers Market is the next best thing.

What do you do with all those tomatoes? Can them! Canning tomatoes is easy and they last a long time. You don’t need much in terms of special equipment, and by wintertime, they make wonderful housewarming gifts. This recipe makes a rich, canned tomato that can be crushed for sauce or eaten as is, they are delicious.

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Help, it’s hot as hell, and my plants need water… and I want to go away to the beach this weekend, what can I do?

Brooklyn Grows with Kimberly Sevilla

Yup, it’s hot, and when it’s hot, we perspire, and plants transpire. The key to successful gardening is keeping our plants well hydrated, and there are several ways we can achieve this without the need to water them every day; this includes self-watering planters, plant sitters, soil engineering, additives and drip irrigation systems.

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