“Bark And Branches” To Close Out LongHouse’s Guided Tours With Horticulturist Holger Winenga

LongHouse Reserve’s final guided tour of the season with Horticulturist Holger Winenga, Bark and Branches, will be held on Saturday, November 23 from 12:30 to 2 p.m.

“As a surprise we will have several fall-blooming witch hazels in full flower,” Winenga shared.

Winenga, who was born in Leer, Germany, developed an interest in horticulture at an early age. During his youth, he spent his summer vacations assisting his great uncle, Ernst Pagels, a nurseryman in Leer. After he graduated high school, he went on to study and complete an apprenticeship at Georg Arends Perennial Nursery in Wuppertal, Germany, graduating with a bachelor’s degree. Holger moved to the US in 1990, and eventually founded his own landscape company, Garden Treasure Nursery in East Hampton. As the nursery continued to expand, in 2003 it relocated to a 10-acre agricultural reserve in Sagaponack, where the nursery grows over 200,000-gallon perennial pots per year.

Bark and Branches will highlight the stunning LongHouse trees, honing in on the 16 acre reserve and sculpture garden’s wide variety, and their bark and branches, of course.

After that, you’ll have to wait until next year to join Winenga on a scenic stroll. “The next walk will be on February 28th 2020,Winter Blooming Shrubs and Bulbs at LongHouse, focusing on the Chinese and hybrid witch hazels that will be in full display at that time in our Golden Path,” Winenga said. “Plus some very early blooming bulbs like Winter Aconite and Snowdrops.”

The garden guru advises that winter is actually the ideal time to prepare your outdoor oasis for the spring by doing things like cutting branches to pruning out dead wood and removing the heads of invasive plants.

He also notes that there are even ways to make the winter landscape a little less bleak. “I come to think of all the people that can’t wait to escape the winter and travel South,” Winenga said. “The winters can feel really long out on the East End when you don’t get away. So to shorten this time, you can plant your garden with winter blooming witch hazels, winter hazels and very early blooming bulbs and hellebores.”

Following the Winter Blooms Walk on February 15, Winenga will also lead a Joyous Daffodils Walk on March 21 (this event has been postponed), and Late Spring Bulbs and Early Blooming Perennials on April 18.

“Some shrubs and trees also have beautiful bark when they mature. Like the cinnamon color of The Crape myrtle variety ‘Natchez’. Or the multi-colored bark of Stewartia pseudocamellia on mature specimen,” Winenga added. “Not much into planting? Then come to visit the LongHouse Reserve instead.”

Walks will take place at 12:30 p.m. and the tours are open to the public.

“These garden walks are part of ‘The Seven Seasons of LongHouse’ and will focus on seasonal interests year around in the garden,” Winenga shared. “The Hamptons are not Memorial Day to Labor Day anymore! And neither should be our gardens!”

Admission is free for members and $20 for non-members.

LongHouse Reserve is located at 133 Hands Creek Road in East Hampton. For more information, call 631-329-3568 or visit www.longhouse.org.