Garden Resources
Welcome to the Garden Resources page, where you can find useful information and links to help you grow your own food, flowers, and herbs in the Perinton Community Garden. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced gardener, you will find something here to inspire, educate, and support you in your gardening journey. From seeds and transplants to garden supplies and books, from local farms and YouTube channels to conservation and invertebrates, from planting and harvesting to companion planting and the Three Sisters, we have gathered a variety of resources for you to explore and enjoy. We hope you find this page helpful and we invite you to share your feedback and suggestions with us. Happy gardening!
- Cornell Cooperative Extension – Gardening Helpline: A free service that provides answers to your gardening questions, such as plant identification, pest and disease management, soil health, and more.
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which perennial plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature, displayed as 10-degree F zones and 5-degree F half zones.
Seeds & Transplants: A list of local, regional, and national sources for organic seeds and transplants, as well as tips on how to start your own seeds indoors or outdoors.
- Chelsea Green Publishing, Inc: A leading publisher of books on sustainable living, organic gardening, permaculture, homesteading, and more.
- Four Season Farms: A year-round organic farm in Maine, run by Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch, pioneers of cold-climate gardening and authors of several books on the topic.
- Jean-Martin Fortier: A farmer and author from Quebec, Canada, who runs a profitable small-scale organic farm using low-tech methods and minimal machinery.
- Clay Bottom Farm: A micro-farm in Indiana, run by Ben Hartman and Rachel Hershberger, who apply the principles of lean manufacturing to eliminate waste and increase efficiency in their farming operations.
- Never Sink Farm: A highly productive no-till farm in New York, run by Conor Crickmore, who shares his techniques and tools for growing vegetables without tilling, weeding, or spraying.
- Never Sink Farm: Conor Crickmore’s YouTube channel, where he posts videos on various aspects of no-till farming, such as bed preparation, irrigation, pest control, harvesting, and marketing.
- Roots and Refuge: Jess and Jeremiah Sowards’ YouTube channel, where they document their journey of turning their suburban backyard into a homestead and growing food for their family and community.
- James Prigioni: A YouTube channel that showcases the creation and maintenance of a food forest, a permaculture system that mimics a natural forest and produces abundant food with minimal inputs.
- Fruition Seeds: Petra and Matthew’s YouTube channel, where they share their passion and knowledge for growing organic seeds and plants in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
- The Farmers Table: Jess Sowards, Roots and Refuge farm, cooking channel, where she makes homemade meals and snacks, ‘pantry’ items and shows you how to preserve food items.
- Epic Gardening: Kevin Espiritus’ YouTube channel on urban gardening.
- Hollis and Nancy’s Homestead: 15 acre homestead in Florida focusing on container gardening, raised bed gardening, fruit trees, cooking and more
- Finger Lakes PRISM – Spotted Lanternfly: A website that provides information and resources on how to identify, report, and control the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect that poses a serious threat to agriculture and natural ecosystems in the Finger Lakes region.
- The Cornell Lab – eBird: A website and app that allows you to record and share your bird observations, as well as explore data and maps of bird distribution and abundance around the world.
- Bug Guide: A website that helps you identify, learn about, and appreciate the insects, spiders, and other arthropods of North America.
- Cornell – Tick Biology: A website that provides information on the life cycle, behavior, and ecology of ticks, as well as how to prevent and manage tick bites and tick-borne diseases.
- Cornell – Managing Ticks in the Landscape: A website that offers research-based strategies and recommendations for reducing tick populations and exposure in your yard and garden.
- Cornell – Protecting Yourself from Ticks: A website that gives practical advice on how to avoid, repel, and remove ticks, as well as what to do if you develop symptoms of a tick-borne illness.
- National Park Service – What is a pollinator?: A website that explains what pollinators are, why they are important, and how you can help them thrive in your garden and beyond.
- Cornell – Pollinator Network: A website that connects you to the latest research, news, events, and resources on pollinators and pollinator-friendly gardening in New York State.
- Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: A website that promotes the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats, through science, education, advocacy, and applied research.
- Cornell (Monroe County) – Pollinator Friendly Gardens: A website that provides tips and guidelines on how to create and maintain gardens that attract and support a diversity of pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and more.
- Amazon – Maxspace Greenhouse Hoops: A set of six durable and flexible hoops that can be used to create a low tunnel or mini greenhouse over your garden beds, protecting your plants from frost, wind, pests, and more.
- Vermi-green LLC – Organic Compost: A local company that produces high-quality organic compost from food scraps and yard waste, and delivers it to your doorstep or garden site.
- Farmers Friend – Silage Tarp: A heavy-duty plastic tarp that can be used to cover your garden beds, suppressing weeds, retaining moisture, and improving soil health.
- Fruition Seeds – Spring Steel Wire Hoops: A set of ten sturdy and reusable hoops that can be used to support floating row covers, insect netting, or shade cloth over your garden beds, creating a microclimate that enhances plant growth and protection.
- Fruition Seeds – Floating Row Cover: A lightweight and breathable fabric that can be draped over your garden beds, providing frost protection, pest exclusion, and moisture retention, without blocking light or air.
- Gardener’s Supply Company – Bird-Safe Woven Bird Netting: A mesh netting that can be used to cover your garden beds, preventing birds from eating your seeds, seedlings, fruits, and vegetables, while allowing pollinators and beneficial insects to pass through.
- Amazon – Seed Mats: Seed mats are used to increase germination by maintaining a temperature range ideal for seeds.
- Amazon – Barrina LED Grow Lights: LED grow lights provide indoor plants with full-spectrum sunlight replacement.
- Garden Netting Fine Mesh: Transparent mesh material that has sunlight transmittance and helps protect plants from pests.
- National Park Service – The Three Sisters: A website that describes the traditional Native American practice of planting corn, beans, and squash together, creating a mutually beneficial relationship that enhances soil fertility, pest resistance, and crop yield.
- Fruition Seeds – Guide to Companion Planting
- Fruition Seeds – Plant Now: A website that helps you plan your planting schedule based on your location, frost dates, and crop preferences, as well as provides tips and tutorials on how to sow, transplant, and care for your plants.
- Fruition Seeds – Harvesting Scapes: A website that shows you how to harvest garlic scapes, the curly flower stalks that emerge from hardneck garlic varieties, and how to use them in your cooking or preserve them for later.
- Fruition Seeds: Q&Q: 7 Keys for Seed Staring and Common Mistakes to Avoid – Video from Fruition Seeds on starting seeds (what materials, tips on when to start) and common mistakes to avoid.
- Fruition Seeds: 8 Seeds to Direct Sow in the Cold – Information on cold hardy seeds to plant in early spring.
- Fruition Seeds: Starting Seeds with Ease – step by step instructions for starting seeds indoors, easy approaches to thin, pot up, harden off and transplant, strategies for successful sowing all season long, and easy solutions to common seed mistakes
- Fruition Seeds: Rise and Shine ebook PDF – Everything you need to start seeds successfully at home with easy to follow instructions and insightful tips.
Welcome to the 2024-2025 growing season. Thank you for being a member of the Town of Perinton Community Garden!
