Tag Archives: dayton

Oregon Historic District Garden Tour

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The Oregon Historic District Society will present its annual Summer Solstice Garden Tour of nine distinctive private gardens on the first day of summer, Saturday June 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. As Dayton’s oldest historic district, the Oregon District is a rich mix of historic and contemporary homes, with architecture ranging from the mid-1800s to modern.

The garden tour will begin at the gazebo at Newcom Founders Park at Green and Brown Streets near downtown Dayton. Tickets for the self-guided tour cost $10 per person, and proceeds benefit the non-profit Oregon Historic District Society, which is involved in historic preservation efforts.

Desserts from Buttercream Lane Bakery and beverages will be available for sale at the gazebo, as will decorative potted plants. A master gardener will be on hand to answer questions about gardening. The tour will be held rain or shine. Fifth Street businesses and restaurants will be open during the day, including Lily’s Bistro, which will offer half-price appetizers to tour participants who bring in their admission map.

The gardens on tour demonstrate how much can be done with urban gardening spaces, ranging from small to large gardens tucked alongside and behind historic homes, including the Victorian mansion built in 1877 by John Balsley, a brick home built in 1845 with a lush garden filled with art, and an Italianate home built in 1881 with a summer kitchen in the narrow back yard. For more details and garden photos, please visit http://www.oregondistrict.org.

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Short and sweet

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I’m shooting out this time-sensitive information on items that may be of interest.

Open Garden and Hosta Sale

Glenda’s Gardens is having an Open Garden and Hosta sale. Glenda and her husband Gene Woggaman are members of the Miami Valley Hosta Society and their lovely home is a paradise to behold.

glenda

Hosta Society Bus Trip

The Miami Valley Hosta Society’s annual bus trip is coming up Saturday, June 22 through Sunday, June 23 and features touring gardens in the Kalamazoo & Grand Rapids, Michigan area. The bus will depart from Miller Lane (North Dayton area) 7 am Saturday and tour four private gardens with a shopping stop at ROMENCE GARDEN CENTER in Portage, Michigan. Sunday’s highlights include touring three private gardens and visit the FREDERICK MEIJER GARDENS AND SCULPTURE PARK (admission and tram ride included) in Grand Rapids, Mich. Afternoon shopping stop at ARROWHEAD ALPINES (Rare Plants for Obsessive Gardeners), Fowlerville, Michigan.

MEMBER COST: $150 double occupancy, $200 single occupancy. NON-MEMBER COST: $175 double occupancy, $225 single occupancy. REGISTRATION DEADLINE: June 6, 2013. Click REGISTRATION BROCHURE for more info.

Greene County Master Gardeners 

“Garden Secrets Made Easy”, sponsored by the Greene County Master Gardeners, will be held June 6 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm at the Xenia Church of the Nazarene (1204 W. Second St., Xenia OH 45385). Speakers will include: Pam Bennett, “Top Performing, Low Maintenance Annuals”; Dr. Laura Deeter, “Garden Design and Garden Maintenance” and Susan Liechty “Not Your Grandma’s Herb Garden.  Advance registration is $40 ($35 for Master Gardeners) and includes lunch. A full registration brochure can be found HERE.

Porterbrook’s Final Native Plant Sale

Sadly I report that the PORTERBROOK NATIVE PLANTS  will be closing in 2013. Their 13th and final Open House will be held May 26 through June 9 located in southeast Ohio in Racine, Ohio (Meigs County). Racine is about a 3 hour scenic drive from the south Dayton area. Dr. Porter has been a convention speaker and vendor for The Ohio Association of Garden Clubs and has been ethically collecting seed from native plants in Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia to propagate at the nursery since 1995. All of the plants are organically grown. There will be a wide selection of native grasses and sedges, as well as a limited supply of our American chestnut tree.

The push for a BIG PULL

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Garlic Mustard

Garlic Mustard

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) – you may be related to my beloved brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower – but I LIKE YOU NOT! You are just as hated as the obnoxious Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) which I successfully eradicated from my yard last year. So there! You just think you can wander into our lands and choke out and out-compete our native plants and wildflowers with your aggressive growing manners. Well some of us have had it and we’re not going to take it any more. In fact, YOU are now on the hit list.

lonicera

Honeysuckle invasion

Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm and Five Rivers MetroParks are working together to remove garlic mustard at Aullwood Garden MetroPark, the fomer home of Marie Aull. Marie was known as the Dayton (OH) area’s beloved naturalist and conservationist. In 1956 the gift of her land to the Audubon Society resulted in the creation of the Midwest’s first nature center, Aullwood Center and Farm. In 1977 her home and gardens were given to what is now known as Five Rivers MetroParks. She passed away in 2002 at the age of 105.

As in other areas of our state, invasives plants are overtaking the land. Garlic Mustard and Lesser Celandine (formerly Ranunculas ficaria now known as Ficaria verna) are running rampant. Ohio’s Former First Lady Hope Taft is asking for help.

Lesser Celandine

Lesser Celandine

On Tuesday, May 21, volunteers are needed for a BIG PULL. Learn how you can help research the best methods to remove garlic mustard, lesser celandine and other non-native invasives. There will be two work shifts. The first shift runs 9:30 am to noon, the second shift runs from 1-3:00 pm. Pack a lunch. Bonus: volunteers will get a special tour of Marie Aull’s home! Cookies and water will be provided.

The group is also looking for about 20 people to ‘adopt a plot’ and monitor (look at it and take a photo of it and describe what you see) what happens in it about 3 times over the growing season.

Marie Aull's home

Marie Aull’s home

For more information or to register for The BIG Pull, please contact Hope Taft, ohiohoper@yahoo.com, (937) 848-2993 with your name, address, email and phone number and garden club. Last day to register is May 14.

Mrs. Taft is also available to give a short presentation on this topic and the value of removing invasive species for a club meeting.

Be sure to visit the EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES tab at the top of the page.

Heads Up

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I don’t know what it is, but lately I seem to have an interest in watching the sky. No matter that I’m going 65 mph (or a little over) on the freeway or standing in a parking lot – I whip out my camera and take a picture. There is no time to stage or drive to a better spot – just get the image on the camera. Last week we had a spectacular showing in the evening sky. Just look at the first photo below. The photo doesn’t do it justice. Here are some other sky scenes from this past year.

Be sure to check the EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES tab at the top of the page.

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Second flower show winners

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The 2012 Montgomery County Fair Flower Show wrapped up its second and final flower show held during the run of fair in Dayton, Ohio. The Garden Club Federation of Dayton and Vicinity would like to thank all those who helped make it a success – especially considering the difficult drought this summer.

BEST OF SHOW AWARDS

Best of Show – Section 1 (Roses): John Adams

Best of Show – Section 2-6 (All Other Cut Specimens): John Adams

Best of Show – Section 7 (Container-Grown Plants): Dale Rodgers

Best of Show – Section 8 Cacti/Succulents: John Adams

Best of Show – Section 9 (Junior Horticulture): Michelle Keck

Best of Show – Section 12 (Adult Artistic): Joni Duncan

Best of Show – Section 14 (Junior Artistic): Lilly Svisco

OTHER AWARDS

Judge’s Award of Distinction – Adult Horticulture: Jan Vomacka

Green Thumb Award – Adult Horticulture (for Cultural Perfection from Sections 1-6): Jan Vomacka

Container Growers Award – Adult Horticulture (for Cultural Perfection From Sections 7-8): Barbara Warner

Judge’s Award of Distinction – Adult Artistic: Babs Sabick

Green Thumb Award – Junior Horticulture (Horticultural Excellence of a Junior Exhibit): Ben Zink

And the winners are……

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The 160th Montgomery County Fair (Dayton, OH) is now underway running August 29-September 3, 2012. The Garden Club Federation of Dayton and Vicinity (‘like’ us on Facebook) produces two flower shows during the run of the fair. The first flower show was held Wednesday, August 29 and the winners are noted below. Reminder to exhibitors: the first show entries will be released at 5 pm, Friday, August 31.

Anyone who is a Federation member or is a resident of Butler, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble or Warren Counties is eligible to enter these flower shows. Entries for the second show on Saturday, September 1, will be accepted from 6-9 pm, August 31 and 7-9 am, September 1. There are no entry fees and no premiums will be given. You’ll just win beautiful ribbons, maybe some big rosettes and be the envy of your green (and brown) thumbed friends. Check out the complete flower show schedule and exhibitor rules HERE. The second show entries will be released at 5 pm, Monday, September 3. We hope to see you there!

BEST OF SHOW AWARDS

Best of Show – Section 1 (Roses): Ed Marrinan

Best of Show – Sections 2-6 (All Other Cut Specimens): Jean Beecher

Best of Show – Section 7 (Container Grown Plants): Caralynn Appenzeller

Best of Show – Section 8 (cacti/succulents): Nancy Denlinger

Best of Show – Section 9 (Junior Horticulture): Grace Hansford, age 6

Best of Show – Section 10 (Artistic Special Class): Joni Duncan

Best of Show – Section 11 (Adult Artistic): Louise Bennett

Best of Show – Section 13 (Junior Artistic): Rachel Dalyrmple

OTHER AWARDS

Judge’s Award of Distinction – Adult Horticulture: Marcia Heil

Green Thumb Award – Adult Horticulture (for Horticultural Excellence in Sections 1-6): Caralynn Appenzeller

Container Grower Award – Adult Horticulture (for Cultural Perfection in Sections 7-8): John Adams

Judge’s Award of Distinction – Adult Artistic: Babs Sabick

Green Thumb Award – Junior Horticulture (for horticultural excellence from Section 9): Rebekah Hansford, age 13

Long time no see

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Two months have flown by since my last post. Volleyball season finished (hubby coaches, I photograph), the backyard honeysuckle fencerow was removed and replanted and then…..there was a hospital visit. Emergency. Come to think of it, I’ve accompanied two people to emergency, lately. The first was when I drove to the hospital like a mad woman with dear hubby in tow. Let’s just say that our huge ‘Skyline’ locust tree didn’t like being limbed up and took out the chainsaw operator AND the ladder upon which said operator was standing with vengeance. End result? Over $8K in medical charges and a broken bone in his face. He is so very lucky it wasn’t worse. The second opportunity to visit another emergency room was when I accompanied my mom in the squad car after she suffered a heart attack at church. She’s home resting and will recover with time and new meds. And if she listens to her doctor. Easier said than done!

Hummingbird nest

Miracles abound. Take, for instance, the vengeful locust tree. She now is protecting a miniature cup woven with fluffy down and held together with spider webs; she holds a hummingbird nest in her branches. I discovered the location this past Sunday by following a female who was gathering fluff from my nesting material cage. If only the nest was closer to the ground – it sits about 10-12′ above my head.

Nesting Material Cage

The American goldfinches are just now getting into the nest-making mode and are also making a dent in the fluffy stuff. Check out one of the dispensers sold at your local Wild Birds Unlimited store. Nesting birds will thank you.

Sales alerts

Seasonal sales going on: Check out your local garden center/nursery for some fantastic sales. As they say at my favorite place to eat (Hot Head Burritos), “Get out and get you some!” Some of the sales/discounts going on that I am aware of are:

Knollwood Garden Center – 25% off store wide and 50% off select items.

Grandma’s Gardens –  vegetable plants, flats of annuals, flowering almonds, fruit trees and 1.75″ caliper ‘Sargentina’ crabapples are 50% off;  2.5″ caliper ‘Bosque’ elm trees and 5-6′ ‘Autumn Brilliance’ serviceberrys  are 30% off; 4″ annuals, tropicals and in-stock azaleas are 25% off; variegated red twig dogwood (reg. $29.99) are now $19.99; $7.99 1-gallon perennials of the week include ‘Walker’s Low’ Catmint and Blue Star Creeper

Siebenthaler’s Garden Center – all annuals, herbs, vegetables and tropicals are 30% off.

Some things to crow about

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Hear ye, hear ye: Plant sales abound!

Hey bidder, bidder, bidder

The Miami Valley Hosta Society Plant Auction will be Tuesday, May 8. Preview starts at 6 pm, bidding starts at 6:30 pm. Polen Farm (5099 Bigger Rd., Kettering OH 45440). Open to the public. The Auction features more than plants. There will be garden art, books, tools and gardening paraphernalia too. Rare & unusual hostas, other hearty plant specimens. Contact  Gary Althaus at gjalt@aol.com or 937-833-3271 for more info.

I was thinking. I know that is a scary thought but check it out. If you are a quilter, perhaps you’ve heard of a Quilt Shop Hop; a day of shopping at various quilt or fabric shops. What if we did something like this with area Garden Centers or Greenhouses? I was thinking of just doing one to three stops in a day; you are going to need room in the car for plants! Leave me your thoughts or shop hop suggestions in the Comments section below.

Sales alerts (Remember to check the “Events” tab for more)

Greene County Master Gardener Plant Sale: Saturday, May 5, 9 am to 1 pm. Greene County Extension Office, 1000 Fairgrounds Rd., Xenia OH 45385)

Meadow View Growers:  Marigolds are on sale, Friday, May 4th thru Sunday, May 6th. Marigold flats will be buy 1 flat get 1 flat half off.

Spring Valley Gardens: Wave petunia sale. Some colors are $2.29 a 3.5″ pot. Zonal geraniums in 4″ pots are $3.99 through May 9. (1395 U.S. 42 S, Xenia OH 45385. 937-372-3943

Siebenthaler’s: 6-pack Wave petunias are 25% off through May 6.

Grandma’s Gardens: 25% off Roses, Tropicals, Flowering Shrubs and Pottery. Flowering hanging baskets are $5 off through May 13.

Knollwood Garden Center: Geraniums are on sale through May 9. 4.5″ pots are $3.99. (Excludes ivy geraniums.)

Stocklager’s Greenhouse & Garden Center: Check the Life + Neighbors section of your Thursday, May 3 issue of the Dayton Daily Newspaper for a 20% off coupon! Valid through May 31.

Anniversary Tree

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Every spring I look forward to seeing my beautiful pink buckeye tree (Aesculus x hybrida) bloom. I remember purchasing it as a commemoration of our 20th wedding anniversary. It was just a little guy back then. It is about 15 feet tall and every branch tip is capped off with these gorgeous floral clumps – perfect celebration for our 35th anniversary!

Buckeye bloom close-up.

Though I haven’t seen the hummingbirds yet, these blossoms seem right up their alley.

The honeysuckle eradication and fence row clean up had great progress yesterday. We rented a commercial rototiller and went to work trying to mix up and level out some of the wonderful soil that’s been in hiding under those invasive shrub-trees. Having long served as my 100′ long ‘compost pile’ (read that: dumping ground), many treasures were found: a stray tennis ball, numerous plastic plant name tags and even a buried Time Warner cable which is now in TWO pieces. Darn thing! Thankfully, no neighbors were affected as it was an old wire laid who knows how many years ago. I refuse to credit the rototiller-ing to my back that went out later yesterday…… Here is what we look like now. Our back yard property line lies somewhere in the freshly turned soil but now it looks like it goes on forever!

Sales Opps

April 21-29: Stockslagers Greenhouse and Garden Center. Hanging basket and geranium sale.

April 26-28: Knollwood Garden Center Impatiens Flat Sale. $12.99 (save $6)

April 27-29: Meadow View Growers Petunia sale. Buy 1, get 1 half off.

April 27-29: Grandma’s Gardens Flat Sale. Impatiens and Begonias are $11.99

Saturday, April 28: Cox Arboretum Wildflower and Native Plant Sale, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (6733 Springboro Pike). Wildflowers and native plants propagated or rescued from areas slated for development. Info: (937) 434-9005, http://www.metroparks.org/Parks/CoxArboretum.

Saturday-Sunday, May 5 & 6: Wegerzyn Mayfair Plant Sale, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 5 and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 6. Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton. Perennials, annuals, herbs, landscape plants, vegetables, hanging baskets. Benefits the Wegerzyn Gardens Foundation. Info: (937) 277-6545, http://www.metroparks.org/Parks/WegerzynGarden.

Saturday, June 23, MEEC Native Plant Sale, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Marianist Environmental Education Center (MEEC) at Mount St. John (Bergamo), 4435 E. Patterson Road, Dayton. All plants are indigenous to the region and cultivated on site by volunteers. Funds support restoration work. Advance orders encouraged. Info and advance order catalog: meec.udayton.edu

Saturday, May 12: Here & There Garden Club Plant Sale. May 12, from 9 am to 1 pm. 5200 Bigger Road, Kettering, OH 45440

Saturday, May 19, Our Homes Garden Club Plant Sale, 9 am to 3 pm at the Vandalia Historical Society (336 E. Alkaline Springs Rd., Vandalia, Ohio 45377

Sunday, Marvin’s Organic Gardens, Noon – 6pm. Mother’s Day Sale and Congo Fundraiser –  Marvin’s will offer a lecture on “Edible Landscapes” discussing the many ways you can create an attractive landscape including delicious edibles. Who says you can’t have your landscape and eat it too? Not Marvin! All purchases made will support Marvin’s sustainable gardening and medical efforts in Central Africa, with 5% of all sales funding their Congo Mission.

Check out this website

A product of The Ohio State University’s Extension and updated weekly during the growing season, the Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine contains some fantastic news and updates for gardeners in the Ohio area. Be sure to check it out here: http://bygl.osu.edu/

Great Southern Ohio Events

May 12, 2012 – A Late Spring Natural History Hike, sponsored by the Ohio Historical Society (OHS), will take place at Fort Hill, home of southern Ohio’s largest piece of mature forest and preserved Hopewell earthworks complex. Join OHS senior curator of natural history Bob Glotzhober on this guided nature hike along Fort Hill’s Gorge Trail. Find out about the plants and wildflower of Fort Hill, the geology of the gorge, and the six natural arches that can be found in the park. FREE. See details here: http://arcofappalachia.org/events/ohs-fh-program.html.

May 20, 2012 – Exploring the Earthworks of Fort Hill, co-sponsored with Hopewell Culture National Historical Park and the Heartland Earthworks Conservancy. This day-hike will explore the Hopewell earthworks of Fort Hill, including a guided tour with National Park Service ranger Bruce Lombardo to see both the well-known earthen enclosure on the hilltop, and the almost unknown Circle Earthwork. A catered picnic lunch will be followed by a talk by leading archaeological researcher Dr. Jarrod Burks. $15/person includes lunch. See more details here: http://arcofappalachia.org/events/exploring-fort-hill.html.

Spring Fever

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Things are hopping all over. I’m just going to jot it all down and let you sort through it.

Sales Alerts

Knollwood Garden Center (Beavercreek) is having their spring edition of Ladies’ Night Out this Tuesday, April 17 from 6-8 pm. Featured: a taste of wine (from Brunings Wine Cellar, courtesy of Knollwood), a few spring garden nibbles, and lots of informal demonstrations.  Did you know Knollwood offers seniors 60 years and older a 10% off  regularly priced items every day! The OAGC (Ohio Association of Garden Clubs) Foundation, a 501(c)3 charity, will have their fantastic Challenge Quilt on-site for viewing. This winner for this fundraising raffle will be drawn at the OAGC convention in June. Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. It only takes one ticket to win!

Now for a limited time, Knollwood has 1.5 cubic foot bags of Osmocote Potting Soil with a great rebate! For use in any container or pot, it is a light, rich mix including sphagnum peat and perlite as well as Osmocote fertilizer! Sold for $9.99 a bag, with the $5.00 Mail-In rebate it’s only $4.99. Use your rebate form for up to 4 bags, or $20; just ask for the form at the checkout counter when purchasing. While supplies last.

Grandma’s Gardens & Landscape(South of Centerville)is having their Perennial Spring Party now through April 22, offering all quart, gallon and larger perennials at 25% off. Buy 10 or more quart and larger perennials and automatically become a Perennial Club Member on the spot. That will give you 20% off all future regular priced perennials. No fees, no expiration. Flower tree and shade trees are also on sale at 25% off through April 22. See store for details.

Educational Events

The Greene County Master Gardeners will present Thais Reiff and Jerry Mahan, Wednesday, April 18, 7-8 pm for a program  “Saving Ohio’s Ash Trees – Emerald Ash Borer Treatment Options”. This presentation for homeowners will be on the Emerald Ash Borer at the Greene County Extension Office, 100 Fairground Road, Xenia. Check out the flyer HERE.

The Ohio Invasive Plant Council (OIPC) is presenting a free workshop (lunch is included), “Aliens Among Us – An Introduction to Invasive Plants in Ohio” at the Dawes Arboretum (7770 Jacksontown Rd., Newark OH 43056) on April 26th, from 9:30am-4pm. Check out the flyer HERE. Dawes Arboretum is about 2 hours from the Dayton area and WELL worth the drive.

The Midwest Native Plant Symposium‘s registration is now open. The event will be held July 27-29 right in our backyard at Bergamo Center in Beavercreek. Top notch speakers and vendors are the highlights. Check out the flyer HERE.