Category Archives: gardening

Wildlife in the city

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IMG_0315You’ve seen them in some communities: giant flower pots planted to spiff up the sidewalks of urban areas. So it was in one of these giant flower pots decorating Montgomery Avenue in Pleasant Ridge (Cincinnati), OH I spied a good sized Garden Spider, Argiope aurantia, only inches from the crazy drivers.

I have childhood memories of large Garden Spiders around the barn at my great aunt Betty’s farm outside Springboro. Couple that memory with the scent of Sweet Annie growing around the pen that used to hold hogs in years past. Those memories are probably 50-55 years old and yet still clear as a bell.

It was fun introducing the two Cinci G-kids to the wonder of the Garden Spider, what with her lovely white woven ZZZZZZ coursing vertically in her web. I always hope they behold the wild world of flora and fauna with wonder – and not fear. Respect. Not fear.

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Shopping time!

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Garden clubs know the good stuff when they see it and are adept at sharing the news of such things. Two examples are the spring club fundraisers for the Here and There Garden Club and the New Neighbors Garden Club. Both are clubs with members from the South Dayton area. Either club would be more than happy to help you get your green thumb on. Sale information is found below.

Here and There Garden Club Caladium Sale

Here and There Garden Club recently celebrated their 80th year and are offering Caladium bulbs for sale. Long prized for their colorful summer displays, caladiums make a visual splash in containers and garden beds alike. Bulbs are #1 size bulbs and are offered $1/each.

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New Neighbors Garden Club Posy Power Sale

New Neighbors Garden Club is offering the wonderful organic soil amendment Posy Power for sale. The .65 cubic foot bag, when spread 1-inch thick, covers about 9 square feet. It loosens heavy soils, binds sandy soils, increases soil’s water holding capacity and promotes soil aeration. Who wouldn’t like that? Sale information is below.

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Resurrected love

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Over my lifetime, I’ve killed hundreds, no, thousands of plants. Houseplants in particular. The plants I grow outside are lucky. Most are better off letting Mother Nature nurture them through the growing season. My dear African violets aren’t so lucky. Their lives depend on me, of all people, to keep them alive. I’m grateful when they reward me with their beauty.

Looking back, I remember growing African violets in my college apartment and also being the subject of a written assignment. Well, it has been a long spell between those 1970s college days at The Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute but my African violet interest has come back to life. Don’t ask me how many I have. I pick up a couple more every month at our African violet club meeting. And of course, my motherly instincts kick in when I have to rip out suckers. I CAN’T throw them away; I HAVE to pot them – which only exacerbates the overpopulation problem!

Here are a few of the cuties on the shelves (6 four-foot light fixtures) at the moment.

 

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Jolly Orchid (miniature)

 

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Amour Elite (standard)

 

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Paula’s PB and J (standard)

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I lost the name for this one – I call him Fred. (miniature)

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Jolly Gala (miniature)