The Hampton Library’s Geri Bauer Gallery will host a dynamic event on Saturday, February 18th, from 3 to 5 p.m., called Native Plants: A Double Feature. The evening will feature both an art show opening celebration and a Peconic Estuary Program Talk. Oil paintings of Sag Harbor landscape designer and artist Muriel Hanson Falborn will line the walls. Each painting incorporates vibrant native plants in home landscape and garden settings.
The artist’s special series is entitled Native Plants: Your Yard’s Beautiful Friends, and will be on exhibit at the Bridgehampton-based library through Friday, March 31st. Additional floral still life pieces from Falborn will also be on display.
Falborn is an ardent East End environmentalist who studied the arts at C.W. Post. Her work has appeared in shows throughout the East End and other Long Island locales. Most recently, Falborn was featured at Kramoris Gallery in Sag Harbor.
“Native plants have been an important focus of Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt (FLPG) since 2005 when it initiated a 40-acre grassland restoration project at Vineyard Field in Bridgehampton, where widespread invasive species have been removed so that native plants can reestablish themselves and provide habitat for grassland birds and other animal, bird, and insect life supported by native plant communities,” explained Sandra Ferguson, Vice President of Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt.
At 4 p.m., Hampton Library will welcome Peconic Estuary Program representatives who will talk about incorporating native plants in home gardens and yards using grants from the PEP Home Rewards Program. By installing native plant gardens and rain gardens, as well as using rain barrels to catch rainwater, homeowners can earn up to $500 to offset expenses in the Peconic Estuary watershed area. This talk will teach participants how to apply for this program.
The free exhibit and talk is co-sponsored by Hampton Library, Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt, and the Peconic Estuary Program. Refreshments will be served.
The Hampton Library is located at 2478 Main Street in Bridgehampton. For more information, call 631-537-0015 or visit www.hamptonlibrary.org.