Author Archives: vickstersvine

A miracle emerges

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The life cycle of all living things is a miracle. That’s a given. Just ask any newborn’s mother or, better yet, ask her grandmother. (Hey, I resemble that remark!) But there is just something about a newly emerged butterfly – it can truly make your day. As I shared in my previous post, the new chrysalis of an Eastern black swallowtail butterfly is a wonderful bright lime green. However, as it matured over its 10 days in this metamorphic state, it turned to a wonderful mixture of browns and grays. Yet, when it emerges the butterfly sports a complete changed body shape ornamented with jet-black wings with jeweltone bling. How cool! My sleeping husband was not as thrilled with this miracle. At least not until he was fully awake.

Getting Ready for the Fair

Please be sure to stop in the Coliseum Building at the Montgomery County Fair for the Federation of Garden Clubs’ Flower Show. There will be two floral-friendly competitions during the run of the fair August 31 through September 5. Anyone living in Montgomery County (and any county adjoining Montgomery County) is invited to exhibit in both shows: Wednesday, August 31 and then Saturday, September 3. Entries are accepted Tuesday, Aug. 30 from 6-9 pm and 7-9 am on Wednesday, Aug. 31. Second show entries are accepted Friday, Sept. 2 from 6-9 pm and 7-9 am on Saturday, Sept. 3. There are still openings in some of the floral design classes. Check out the schedule HERE.

Educational Opportunities

A-List Perennials

You may not be on Hollywood’s A-List but your home can gain some real star power with colorful perennials. Jennifer Radcliff from Natorps (in Cinci) will be the featured speaker at this Saturday’s 10 am fall seminar event at Knollwood Garden Center’s in Beavercreek. Learn about 15 great perennials that would be a highlight in any garden.

Trees in Your Home Landscape

One of the biggest assets to your property might just be a tree. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry is holding an event in Cincinnati on September 14 that might be of interest: The Urban Tree Canopy Forum: Future of Urban Forestry. Cost is $25 for the day, includes morning refreshments and lunch. International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) CEUs and American Planning Association (APA) AICP CM credits are available.  HERE is a link to the event’s brochure.

Sales Alert

Knollwood Garden Center

All of the Beavercreek Sidewalk Sale items that were on sale 50% off have now been reduced another 50%!

All the area garden centers have something on sale right now. Support your local garden center!

Wait and see

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Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly caterpillar

As long as I can remember I’ve had an infatuation with insects. Particularly, butterflies and moths. Last week, I discovered an Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly caterpillar that had consumed everything edible on a dill plant that was a volunteer. (I left it in place specifically because I knew it to be a host plant for the black swallowtails.) I brought it in and foraged for another host plant substitute: parsley, which I had in abundance elsewhere.

Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly chrysalis

The next morning I discovered 2 more caterpillars sadly moping on the bare dill stems. I brought them into the nursery for protection. Fast forward: The first caterpillar’s transformation to its chrysalis happened last Sunday, the second caterpillar transformed overnight last night, the third is getting ready and ‘assuming the pose’ so it won’t be long. Now it’s just a waiting game!

If you aren’t familiar with the life cycle of butterflies, HERE is 2-second lesson.

Speaking about insects, I’m saddened to report that Shelby (OH) County to the north of Dayton, has joined the ranks of Ohio counties affected by the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). The USDA has confirmed the presences of EAB at Lake Loramie Park and the City of Sidney.

Educational opportunities

Volunteer Naturalist Training

Are you interested in becoming trained in the field of Ohio Natural Resources and sharing your knowledge with others? The Greene County Extension has the 2011 Fall Training Classes starting September 9 and running through November 4. Call the Extension office at 937-372-9971 or visit http://greene.osu.edu.

Trees in Your Home Landscape

The Greene County Master Gardeners are offering a tree workshop on Saturday, September 10 at the Peace Lutheran Church (3530 Dayton Xenia Rd, Beavercreek OH). Keynote speakers include Thais Reiff, a Greene Co. Master Gardener and insect specialist; Steve Foltz, director of Horticulture at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden; and Wendi Van Buren, Professional Urban Forester with the Division of Forestry of the ODNR. Read more HERE.

Compost classes being offered

The City of Dayton’s Department of Public Works is partnering with Five Rivers MetroParks to sponsor four backyard compost classes at four different Dayton-area locations. Dates are Aug. 22, Sept. 7, Sept. 22 and Sept. 25. An added bonus is that each participant will receive a a Free Garden Earth compost bin. To register or obtain more information, contact Melody Frock, Div. of Street Maintenance, at 937-333-4808. Classes are limited to 60 participants.

Midwest Birding Symposium

One of the things on my life ‘bucket list’ is attending the Midwest Birding Symposium. This year the symposium will be September 15-22 at Lakeside, OH. With over 22 fantastic speakers, this is the birding event of the year! Check it out HERE.

Your vote counts

The Litte Miami River Keepers, a local 501(c)3 organization committed to protecting and preserving the Little Miami River (one of America’s most wild and scenic natural resources, is in the running for a grant from Tom’s of Maine. Check it out HERE and support their cause with your vote.

It’s almost fair time!

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The bounty to be had!

As a kid, the final ‘hurrah’ of summer was looking forward to attending the Montgomery County Fair which is held annually over Labor Day weekend. I was a member of the Lads & Lassies 4-H club in Centerville which was led by the Mr. & Mrs. Seth Furnace who farmed on Social Row Road. Yes, Virginia, Centerville/Washington Township had 4-H clubs! Reflecting back, none of the ‘hip’ people at Centerville were in the club…… apparently, raising and showing (and eating) meat rabbits and showing flower/vegetable garden entries further cemented my ‘square peg’ high school persona……. Oh, well.

A 2010 fair Best of Show winner by Joni Duncan.

Well, 40-ahem or so years have passed and this year I am the chair for the 2011 Montgomery County Fair Flower Shows (Wednesday, August 31 and Saturday, September 3). Anyone in Montgomery County and any adjoining county may exhibit. Check out the complete flower show schedule HERE.

An informational meeting on entering the fair will be held 10 am, Monday, August 15 at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark .

Reservations are only required for the artistic arranging classes. Call Barbara Warner to enter those classes at 937-890-3313. Contact Susan Keck at 937-278-3154 to secure an exhibitors number and to schedule a volunteer stint as a flower show hostess.

The Montgomery County Fair Flower Show, sponsored by the Montgomery County Agricultural Society and produced by the Garden Club Federation of Dayton and Vicinity, is looking for some knowledgeable volunteers. Specifically, the Federation is looking for a few volunteers for Classification/Placement duties.

Classification personnel are one of the tools a flower show needs for quality control and plant identification. Armed with handbooks and catalogs it is their assignment to verify that the horticulture specimens entered for competition are properly identified and entered in the correct class.

Continuing with the Classification’s goals, Placement personnel further enforce the quality control and identification of the specimens being entered as they make their way to being judged by an accredited Ohio Association of Garden Clubs, Inc. flower show judge.

Classification personnel are needed for 6-9 pm Tuesday, August 30; 7-9 am Wednesday, August 31; 6-9 pm Friday, September 2 and 7-9 am Saturday, September 3.  Placement personnel are needed for the same times as above with the exception that they are needed a bit longer: 7-11 am on Wednesday and Saturday.

Those interested in volunteering to help are asked to contact the show’s Classification/Placement Chair , Jan Vomacka at 937-885-0636, for more information and shift availabilities.

Vacation recovery

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One of the poolside visitors.

It’s always fun to escape from the everyday routine and last week was no exception. Our vacation to Hilton Head Island, SC offered a whole ‘nother natural world to discover. Dragonflies were abundant as well as birds that we don’t see ’round these parts. A highlight for me was a Swallow-tailed Kite, a black and white raptor, not the kite with a string you fly on the beach! However now that I am home, there are lots of educational opportunities and sales events to report on so let’s get to it.

Who says snakes aren't cute? This one is about 8" long. Note the moss for a size reference.

Educational Opportunities

Vegetable Seminar, Saturday, August 6

Knollwood Garden Center is featuring Rich Pearson of Five Rivers MetroParks this Saturday, August 6th at 9:30 am. He will offer tips on how to keep your mid-summer gardens producing at their best and what to do with the great produce to save it for future use. Such as: freezing, drying, freezer salsa, refrigerator pickles (no canning!) and more.

Any one up for Bug Bingo? Saturday, August 6

Bring the kids out to Koogler Wetland/Prairie Reserve from 10-11:30 am, Saturday, August 6, in Beavercreek Township to learn about insects while playing Bug Bingo! Under the direction of Beaver Creek Wetlands Association (BCWA) Trustee Chris Simmons, tromp through the prairie shaking bugs from the wildflowers onto catching sheets and get a closer look-see in magnifier boxes. Volunteers will assist with identification. Those who successfully complete their Bug Bingo card will proceed to the “Edible Entomology” station, where they can create an insect from tasty treats. They can eat their creation if they can identify the basic parts of an insect.

Nets, collection boxes, identification guides, and treats provided. Dress appropriately – long pants and closed-toe shoes are recommended.  Koogler Wetland/Prairie Reserve is located on the southeast corner of Beaver Valley and New Germany-Trebein Roads.  Please contact BCWA at 937-320-9042 or by E-mail at admin@beavercreekwetlands.org for more information.

Men’s program offered this Saturday, August 6

Not slighting the men (after last post’s note on a Women’s Day event) Siebenthaler’s Nursery is offering a Men’s Morning, Saturday, August 6 from 8-9:30 am at the Centerville Garden Center ONLY. Men can enjoy breakfast cooked on the grill and hear helpful lawn tips from Len Dunaway of Green Velvet Sod Farm. Robert and Jeff Siebenthaler will discuss the latest Emerald Ash Borer news. This program is also free, but you need to make a reservation. Register by contacting Laurie Fanning at: lauriefanning@siebenthaler.com; 937-434-1326 or 937-427-4110.

Dr. Doug Tallamy to speak Sunday, August 7

The Greater Cincinnati Master Gardener Association is offering “A Case for Native Gardening: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants” and is presenting Dr. Doug Tallamy, author of Bringing Back Nature for two speaking engagements on August 7. Tickets and more information can be found HERE.

Attracting Pollinators – Tuesday, August 9

The guest speaker for the 7 pm, Tuesday, August 9 meeting of the Miami Valley Hosta Society which meets at Cox Arboretum is Barbara Bloetscher, Ohio State University. For over 20 years she has had a close association with OSU and now serves as diagnostician for environmental and nutritional problems on agronomic crops and turfgrass. She also is the State Entomologist/Apiarist at the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Her specialty is turfgrass but she also is a recognized expert in identifying weed and herbicide injury on crops and ornamentals. The event is free.

Cincinnati Zoo’s Plant Trials Day – Thursday, September 1

Just what is a Plant Trials Day? It is a day for people who love plants! It is a view of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens Trials, including annuals, perennials, grasses, bamboo, shrubs, vines and trees. Industry professionals in these categories will be sharing their best new varieties. Featured speakers include: Jim Nau, Manager of The Gardens at Ball at Ball Horticultural Company; Bill Hendricks, President of Klyn Nurseries with one of the largest selections of plants anywhere in the country and Paul Cappiello, Executive Director of Yew Dell Botanical Gardens and Coauthor of the Book “Dogwoods”. The event is $45 and lasts all day and includes a catered lunch and reception and a Silent Auction for rare and outstanding plants. Find more information HERE.

Appalachian Forest School

If you are serious about learning more of the natural world around you, check out this branch of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System HERE. Upcoming in-depth on-site schools include Butterflies of the Forest Heartland (August 22-26) and Trees of the Eastern Forest (September 18-23).

Sales Alerts

Grandma’s Gardens and Nursery: Sunset Specials from 6-8 pm, now through August 5. Aug. 2: Buy one shrub, get 2nd 50% off; Aug. 3: All gallon and larger perennials, buy two, get one free; Aug. 4: Half off one regular tree planting fee; Aug. 5: 30% off regular priced in-stock fountain. Now through August 14: all daylilies and Asiatic lilies are 30% off.

Knollwood Garden Center: 20% Off all trees and shrubs, 25% off all perennials (gallons, $12.99 & up), 50% off all quart-sized perennials ($6.59 & up). Groundcovers not included. Fountains and furniture 30% off.

Siebenthaler’s: Siebenthaler’s 61st Annual Tree & Nursery Sale is scheduled for September 24th & 25th and October 1st & 2nd.


Scrambled eggs anyone?

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At first glance it looked like someone had spilled scrambled eggs under my neighbor’s tree. It was brilliant yellow in color and upon closer inspection had a furry look about it. Dusk was nearly upon me and because I’m not a big fan of taking pictures with flash, I waited until morning to get these photos. By that time the beautiful yellow color had already dulled to a pale beige. And it had grown. Exponentially!

It turns out to be one of the prettier varieties of slime mold, something akin to fungus. That is, if you can call slime mold pretty. Fuligo septica is also commonly called scrambled egg slim and also dog vomit. Eeeeewwwwweeeee. I like calling it scrambled egg slime better.

If you are one of the millions upon millions of home gardeners who spread bark mulch in your beds, you’ve probably run into this common fungus-like sight. Without getting too scientific, a bunch of spores grow and form a fast-growing amoeba-like spongy mass while in search of non-living organic nutrients found in mulch.

It doesn’t take long, even a day or so, before it turns brown and crusty. If you don’t like what you see, turn it over and cover with fresh mulch. It turns out that the presence of slime mold is actually a good thing; showing that organic matter is doing what it should be doing.

Calling all ladies

Siebenthaler’s Nursery’s annual Ladies’ Night will be held Thursday, August 4 from 6-8 pm. This event will be held at their Beavercreek location (2074 Beaver Valley Rd., Beavercreek, OH 45434). Join The Cake Chronicles author Jayne B. Robinson as she finds sweet hope in this crazy world. Cake and sparkling wine will be served. Call 937-434-3126,  937-426-4110 or stop in either location to reserve your spot.

Get ready for the county fair flower show

Mark your calendars now for the Montgomery County Fair’s Flower Show! The flower show is sponsored by the Montgomery County Agricultural Society and produced by the Federation of Garden Clubs of Dayton and Vicinity. There are two days of floral-friendly competition: Wednesday, August 31 and Saturday, September 3. Volunteers are needed in many capacities: helping to process entries, getting entries sorted and placed in preparation for judging, hostessing during the hours the fair is open, set-up and more. Don’t forget to enter your own specimens! There is no fee to exhibit. Download the flower show schedule HERE to learn more about entering and contact details. An informational briefing will be held on Monday, August 15 at 10am at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark.

Sales alerts

If you are still in the market for slipping in a few more plants, be sure to visit your local garden center or nursery for some great deals. Examples: Knollwood Garden Center’s trees and shrubs are 20% off, birdbaths are 25% off, quart-sized perennials are 50% off and 10″ plastic hanging baskets are $10 off. Grandma’s Garden Center has 4″ annuals buy-one-get-one-free and wooden raised garden bed kits are 40% off . You’ll find similar savings all over the area this month.

The making of black gold

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I think my fascination with worms began years ago when my grandfather taught me how to fish at his cottage at Kiser Lake (OH). As a pre-teen I also cared for redworms and nightcrawlers at his produce stand. Now as a warped adult I raise worms in my laundry room. Hmmmmm…… Just when you thought I couldn’t get any weirder!

I am proud to confess that I make compost indoors with red wigglers worms (Eisenia foetida), a process officially named Vermiculture. These are not your backyard kind of worms and will not tolerate cold temperatures which is why they are kept inside. Unlike their vagabond cousins the nightcrawler (whose main goal in captivity is to escape a worm bin) my red wigglers are quite content to consume my kitchen scraps and give me wonderful compost in return. Photos of my recent compost harvest are featured below. To visit a good place to learn more about Vermicomposting, go HERE.

Worm bin is dumped out on a table outdoors (out of direct sunlight) and sorted into smaller piles.

Because they don't like light, worms will move to the bottom center of each pile. As they do, I peel back the compost a little at a time. I check the piles every 15 minutes or so.

This is an egg cocoon. It may hold 1-4 worm eggs.

As I'm working on peeling back the worm-free compost from the piles (takes a couple of hours) I also prepare the worm bin by hand-tearing newspaper and moistening the worm's new bedding. I throw in a handful of garden soil to add grit.

Eventually I consolidate the smaller piles into one large pile. At some point, there are more worms than compost.

The worms get moved back into the worm bin with the new bedding. Add kitchen scraps for food, cover with more bedding and my work is done.

Native plants available Saturday

There will be many vendors at the Native Plant Society’s annual conference this weekend at the Bergamo Center in Beavercreek. The vendors will be open to the public this Saturday, July 9 from 9 am to 4 pm. Find out more about the conference HERE.

Rain barrel workshop this Saturday

The Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Greene County Master Gardeners are offering a do-it-yourself water barrel workshop Saturday, July 9 from 9:30 am to 12 noon at the Greene County Extension Office (100 Fairground Rd., Xenia OH). The workshop is free and open to the public however, if you want to make a barrel and join the workshop, they will provide barrels, materials and guidance for putting them together for a fee of $35 per barrel. There are a maximum of 25 barrels available.  Call the extension office at 937-372-4478 for information.

Lions, tigers and bears – oh, my!

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Asian Long-horned Beetle

As if the Ohio invasion of the Emerald Ash Borer wasn’t enough, the Asian Longhorned Beetle may be the next critter to endanger Ohio forests. As the name indicates, this destructive invasive is from east Asian countries and has apparently been hitch-hiking across the U.S. in shipping crates and pallets. Already, eradication efforts are underway in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York and it appears to have been successfully eradicated in Chicago. While the Emerald Ash Borer’s tree-du-jour are ash trees, the ALB grows, reproduces in, and kills deciduous hardwood trees such as ALL types of maples (sugar, silver, red, Norway and box elder), birches, horse chestnuts, poplars, willows, elms, ashes (Those poor ash trees can’t cut a break!) AND even our buckeyes!

On June 9, an alert landowner noticed three damaged maple trees on his property a few miles from the Village of Bethel in Tate Township, Clermont County, east of Cincinnati, OH. On Friday, June 17, 2011, the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) confirmed that an Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) (ALB) infestation was found. Consequently, Ohio Governor Kasich signed an Executive Order restricting the movement of hardwood logs, firewood, stumps, roots, and branches out of Tate Township. This is the first ALB infestation found in Ohio. USDA APHIS has responded with personnel on the scene to assess the extent of the infestation and to develop and implement a management plan.

ALB exit hole

Let me introduce you to this new pest: ALB have bodies about an inch long, are shiny black and have bright white spots. Each adult has a pair of curved, black-and-white striped antennae that are even longer than the body. Adults emerge from trees during May, June and July. They feed on plant shoots for a few days and then mate. After mating, females chew roughly oval pits in the bark of host trees, where they lay eggs. When the eggs hatch, the white grub-like larvae bore into the wood. Larvae mature inside the tree until they become adults and chew round, 3/8 inch (nearly dime-sized) exit holes in trunks and branches, from which they emerge. This life cycle produces new adults every year, rather than every 2-4 years like most other longhorned beetles. The ALB can fly hundreds of feet, perhaps farther when assisted by the wind.

What can you do if you think you’ve found one of these? Obviously, you would want to capture a specimen to be sure. A special toll-free telephone number has been established by the ODA for Ohioans to report suspected ALB infestations or suspiciously large black and white beetles with really long black-and-white striped antennae. The number is: 855-252-6450. The USDA APHIS has several YouTube videos that may also help in your CSI work. Check them out HERE.

Sales alert

Ever’s Country Gardens, a fifth generation family-owned and operated grower north of Lebanon, OH, has all of their annuals and perennials on sale for 50% off. Trees and shrubs are 25% off. They are located just north of the St. Rt. 48 bypass at: 1815 U.S. 42 north, Lebanon, OH, 45036. Phone: 513-932-3914.

I found figs

I was down at Jungle Jim’s International Food Market in Fairfield, OH yesterday and they had hundreds (yes, hundreds) of brown Turkey figs for sale in about a 2 gallon pots. They were about three feet tall and many had figs. The prices were $24.99, down from $29.99. If you have never visited Jungle Jim’s – it’s a hoot. I came home with foods from Greece, Macedonia, Italy and closer to home: Durango, Colorado. The fresh peaches from South Carolina are scrumptious!

On the road and back

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Design by Joni Duncan

Which comes first? Growing beautiful plants and flowers and then learning to create floral designs or creating floral designs and then learning to grow beautiful plants and flowers? Whatever the case, lovers of either avenue of gardening found a heaven on Earth last weekend in Boston, MA, where the World Association of Floral Arrangers (WAFA) held their World Flower Show. The event featured hundreds of exhibitors from 30 member countries. The show is held once every three years and, until this year, had never been held in the U.S. The 2014 show will be in Dublin, Ireland.

Honorary (not judged) entry from Kenya. Design is about 6 feet tall.

The Ohio Association of Garden Clubs (OAGC) took the opportunity to travel by bus to Boston to visit this incredible event. One of OAGC’s members, Joni Duncan of Beavercreek, OH, was an exhibitor. Her entry was in one of the 30 classes (with a maximum of 20 entries in each class) and featured commissioned glass pieces by Dayton glass artist Jim Kahle. Though she was not one of the top three in her class of 20, she did a fantastic job and said that learned much from the experience. Kudos!

Miniature design about 5" tall.

If you would like to see hundreds more photos that I took at the flower show and our trip, go HERE.

Good deal

Chris Carpenter of Beyond the Greenhouse in Springboro has a surplus of 4.5″ annuals (many are Proven Winners) that she is selling for only $2 beginning tomorrow, June 23 through Saturday, June 25. Additionally, 4″ pots of blue or white Wave petunias will be $1. Location of sale is 821 W. Spring Valley Rd. in Centerville (near W. Spring Valley and Paragon Rd.) Hours are 9 am to 4 pm on Thursday and Friday and from 9 am to noon on Saturday.

Garden Tour for the Cure

There will be a special 8-home garden tour in the Brookville/Clayton area to benefit Breast Cancer Research this Saturday, June 25 from 10 am to 4 pm. Tour tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at the Design Crew Salon (442 Wolf Creek Pike, Brookville) or at any of the participating gardens. Contact Mary Thomas at 937-397-4599 for more information.

Awaiting to be seen

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Gray Tree Frog

A friend’s facebook status recently said, “…beauty awaits when you are ready, only to be missed when you’re not.” True. So true. Such is the case as my splotchy, amphibious friend pictured here. Mind you, I’m rarely out of bed before 7 am. None the less, this was my reward for doing some last minute pre-vacation gardening at 6:30 am. Even before having my morning coffee! The cute Gray Tree Frog was perched in the crease of a daylily leaf and apparently thought he was hidden. Ohio’s gray tree frogs are masters at changing colors and may be found in many shades of gray or even browns and greens. It is a bit unusual that this one strayed so far from source of water. I’ve never seen one in my yard before so I’m even more grateful to have met this little guy. You can listen to and read more about Ohio’s tree frogs HERE.

House Finches

Another such find was this not-so-hidden nest of House Finches. The nest was built in plain sight in a wreath hanging on a front door. They fledged the next day. House finches are not native to the Eastern United States. It is reported that in 1940 they were captured illegally in California by New York pet dealers and fearing prosecution, the birds were released on Long Island.

There’s an app for that

Ever since I was young, I have enjoyed books with facts and photos. Our family’s World Book Encyclopedias were well used by the time I left home. I grew up with the Golden Book field guides and continue collecting field guides of all sorts. Apparently I’m showing my age here because I often prefer holding the ‘written word’ in my hand rather than heading to the computer. That being said, it is interesting to see some of the exciting new trends in nature identification resources.

Thanks to my son, I have discovered that there is a Smartphone app to help identify trees. Simply by photographing a leaf, the app called Leafsnap instantly searches a growing library of leaf images amassed by the Smithsonian Institution. In seconds it returns a likely species identification, high-resolution photographs and information on the tree’s flowers, fruit, seeds and bark. Users make the final identification and share their findings with the app’s growing database to help map the population of trees one mobile phone at a time.

Leafsnap debuted in May, covering all the trees in New York’s Central Park and Washington’s Rock Creek Park. The iPhone and iPad app has been downloaded more than 150,000 times in the first month, and its creators expect it to continue to grow as it expands to Android phones. By this summer, it will include all the trees of the Northeast and eventually will cover all the trees of North America. I’m thinking this is one more thing to help rationalize the purchase of an iPad. 🙂

Gettin’ a little figgy with it

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Brown Turkey Fig

You can put what I currently know about figs in a thimble. Growing up eating the less expensive generic Fig Newtons, I pretty much thought all figs came in graham covered slabs. I couldn’t have identified one in its natural form to save my life. Well, now I have a reason to immerse myself in fig research because I’m going to be a fig mamma. I picked up my $8 four-foot tall Brown Turkey fig plant while on my North/South Carolina in April (much to Keith’s chagrin) and it has about 20 little bitty figs. Does anyone have any culture input they can give me for growing one in Ohio?

Go local

One of the great things about summer is the opportunity to buy products that are locally grown or produced. Here in the Centerville area the Centerville Farmers Market just opened at its new 2011 location: Centerville Shopping Center (northeast corner of South Main St./Spring Valley Rd.) Open from 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm on each Thursday through mid-October, there is plenty of parking to be found. Post a comment to include other area farmers markets you have discovered.

Native Plant Conference offering 1 day registration price

The July 8-10 Midwest Native Plant Society is now offering a 1-day (Saturday only) registration price of $90 for its annual native plant conference at Bergamo. It is not listed on the site’s home page so you’ll have to click on the registration link for this discount. I attended the first one and had no idea that this was a national event. If you have any interest in learning more about growing native plants, this is the place to be.

Periodic Cicadas again? Already?

Viner Angie in Bellbrook reported hearing some periodic cicadas singing again. Having quite the deluge of cicadas in 2004, she probably wasn’t looking forward to another influx. Ironically, I had heard one yesterday as well over by Normandy Park in Centerville. Without looking into its beady little eyes and getting a positive ID, I’m not sure which species we heard. You can learn more about brood XIX at this link and even make a report if you’ve identified them in your neck of the woods.

Nature pics from the yard

Mourning Cloak butterfly

My attempt to attract and keep the orioles to the yard failed. Here, you see my attempt to attract them: a grapefruit half that had grape jelly in the cup. It is mounted on top of the shepherd’s hook of my birdfeeder. Ironically, in its spoiled state, it attracted the mourning cloak butterfly who likes to sip on rotting fruit or scat. When its wings open it is about 3-4″ wide.

This next picture is not for the squeemish. Viewer beware. It is a picture of a spider on the inside of my kitchen window who was having breakfast on a Crane Fly. If you can stand it, click on the photo to make it larger. The spider was on the inside of the screen. The fly was on the outside. How weird is that? Not all spiders resort to spinning webs to catch their food. Many, as this example demonstrates, catch their victims on the prowl. I love the cute (yes, I said cute) jumping spiders. Up close, they look like a sort of an oogly teddy bear…….sort of. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife has a wonderful field guide for Spiders of Ohio though with this back lighting, I can’t tell which spider this is.

Breakfast at Vickster's