Judy talks about what it means to garden sustainably with Nancy Ballek of Ballek’s Garden Center in East Haddam, CT. Ballek shares her considerable knowledge of plants, soil, and pollinators plus her long history and attachment to the CT. River Valley. Ballek’s family dates back to the 1660s on the farm that today houses greenhouses and provides over 10,000 varieties of herbs, annuals, perennials, and tropical plants.
Ballek looks at what it means to maintain a healthy soil, how that impacts water quality, and why native plants are an important tool in our sustainability basket. She also features several of the native plants that she particularly loves and recommends to her customers.
Sustainability isn’t just an idea for the Ballek family: by investing in solar energy, all the center’s electricity and hot water needs are met by the sun.
Connecticut Sea Grant’s Judy Preston, who is the Long Island Sound Study Outreach Coordinator for Connecticut, is on the air and on online streaming! Judy is the host of a new radio show on the iCRV internet radio station in the CT River Valley. The “Gardening for Good” show strives to make connections between good gardening practices and protecting local streams and Long Island Sound.