Tag Archives: gardening

No snow? No problem – Snowdrops are here!

Posted on by
1

Galanthus nivalis - Snowdrop

An early blooming harbinger of spring is the lovely Galanthus nivalis,  commonly known as a snowdrop. These European native perennial bulbs are in the Amaryllis family. Another common name of milkflower may find its origin in the translation of Galanthus: ‘Gala’ is Greek for ‘milk’ and ‘anthos’ is Greek for ‘flower’.

Snowdrops can be easily propagated by bulb offsets and lend themselves to beautiful displays when used in a naturalized, woodsy location. As is often the case with spring blooming bulbs, the time to purchase them is going to be in the fall – so you might as well start making your fall shopping list now. A great place to check out your bulb needs is at Brent and Becky’s Bulbs (link in the shopping list in the right column. Be sure to select ‘The Ohio Association of Garden Clubs” from the pull down fundraising menu.)

Gardening at the Governor’s Residence

Would you like to join a group that really needs your help? It will give you the opportunity to learn about Ohio history and native plants. You’ll make new friends and make a difference…. Curious? You are invited to join the Friends of the Ohio Governor’s Residence and Heritage Garden and become a Docent, Garden Guide or Governor’s Gardener.

Docents and guides give tours on Tuesdays and gardeners work in the Heritage Garden on Wednesdays (April through October.) Training is provided; a volunteer training session will be held March 28 so sign up soon! For more docent and guide information: Mary Mairose, marymairose@governor.ohio.gov. For more Governor’s Gardener information: Hope Taft, ohiohoper@yahoo.com

Educational Opportunities

Knollwood Garden Center in Beavercreek:

Saturday, February 18: Terrarium Workshop ‘Tiny and Terrific’-10am: At this free seminar, learn how to make a terrarium. After the demonstration, feel free to make your own!  Bring your own container or find one in the store. Planting medium is provided for a $7 fee. Plants can be purchased at the workshop. Registration is required. Call 426-0861.

Meadowview Growers in New Carlisle:

Saturday, March 3: Kid’s Club-10:00 am: Discover the “Lost World” garden. Create a mini garden that any dinosaur would love to roam through. All materials supplied. Cost is $5.00 due at time of registration. Register by Feb. 27. Call 937-845-0093.
What’s New in Annuals and Perennials 2012-10:00 am: This colorful power point presentation will give you a birds-eye view of Meadow View’s newest offerings for spring 2012. Cost is $5.00 due at time of registration. Register by Feb. 27.
Raised Beds and Rain Barrels- 2:00 pm: Learn the advantages and ease of gardening in raised beds and see with a step-by-step instruction on how to build a rain barrel. Cost is $5.00 due at time of registration. Register by Feb. 27.
Saturday, March 10th:  “Bark, Buds, and Leaves; The Beauty of Trees”- 10:00 am- Join Chris Jensen from Wegerzyn Metro Park for an exciting discussion on the glorious nature of trees. Cost is $5.00 due at time of registration. Register by March 2.
“Garden Art-Create a Glass Totem”- 10:00 am- “Repurpose” your old glassware into a unique piece of garden art in this hands-on-workshop. Comb the cupboards, thrift stores, and garage sales for the perfect piece. This project has been featured in ‘Birds and Bloom” and “Garden Gate” magazines. Bring your own glass or purchase pieces during the workshop. Fee is $20.00. A $10.00 deposit is due upon registration. Register by March 2.
“Create a Miniature Garden”- 2:00 pm- Miniature gardening is the latest trend. Create the perfect replica of a real or fantasy world on a miniature scale. Cost is based on materials used. Deposit of $10.00 is due at time of registration. Please register by March 2.

 

Think again about this mild weather

Posted on by
Reply

Asian Longhorned Beetle

Though the weather has been a wonderful breath of fresh air – literally, it may hurt us in the long-run. Lacking a deep freeze in temperatures, a mild winter won’t kill many of our insect pests. I hope you like bugs. If things don’t change soon, we’re sure to be in for a long fight in our yards and gardens this summer.

One of the insects already on the radar is a monster (body 1 to 1.5 inches long)…….and it is a bigger threat to the trees in our communities than the emerald ash borer: it is the Asian longhorned beetle. The Ohio State University (OSU) Extension’s Joe Boggs gives an excellent educational video presentation about the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) to help us know what to look for and what to do if we suspect we have an infected tree on our property. Check out the video CLICK HERE. 

The Ohio ALB infestation was found in 2011 in Clermont County, east of Cincinnati. As of late December over 5000 trees have been identified as infested and 1100 infested trees have already been removed. Unlike the emerald ash borer (EAB), it has multiple host trees – like more than 12 kinds! Yikes! Like EAB it will eventually kill its host trees. ALB is a lazy, bad flier, so we have a much better chance of eradicating it, unlike EAB.

Take the time to watch Joe’s 45 minute video and learn about ALB, where it came from, what species it eats, how to identify it, and the potential impacts it could have in Ohio. Early detection is the key, so the more people that are aware of identifying this species, the more likely we are to catch them quickly and eradicate them. It is so important to have more people aware and looking for the early signs. Learn more abuot ALB by heading to www.beetlebusters.info

Educational Opportunities

Be sure to check out the EVENTS CALENDAR tab at the top of the page to stay informed on other educational opportunities and events.

Starting with Native Plants – Three Perspectives – Feb. 4, 10am to 12pm

Learn from the experiences (and mistakes) of three people who are already using Native plants in their landscapes. Tim Sisson, President of the Western Wildlife Corridor, will share large acre habitat restoration experience. The Western Wildlife Corridor preserves land along the Ohio River in its natural state. Sandy Holt will share what she learned in her attempt to build a bird friendly, woodland backyard on two acres of a previous farm. Mary Janet Edwards will speak about design principles and incorporating natives in a more traditional design. Mary Janet runs a garden design business called “Garden Beauty for You, LLC”. Bring your questions and ideas for our panel to discuss. Directions: Civic Garden Center, 2715 Reading Rd Cincinnati, OH 45206. CGC is between Oak and Taft on the grounds of the Hauck Botanic Garden. Parking is available off Oak St by the CGC & in the medical center lot on the north side of Oak plus spaces is open behind the building along the paved paths.

Siebenthaler Sunday Seminar Schedule

Flowers in January?

Posted on by
Reply

Helleborus spp.

It’s hard to believe that anything in our Miami Valley gardens would be thinking about growing let alone blooming in January yet a stroll around the garden proved just that. Today’s spotlight is on the plucky group of perennials in the Helleborus genus which are also known as Hellebores or the Lenten Rose.

If the perk of having something bloom in your garden in late winter/early spring isn’t enough to entice growing these beauties, perhaps knowing that many of the cultivars have leathery, evergreen foliage will. The Hellebores are truly a sight for sore eyes on a day like today!

Educational Opportunities

Montgomery County Master Gardener Classes Gear Up

Do you love to garden?  Would you like to learn new skills and meet others who share your horticultural interests? Applications are currently being accepted for the 2012 Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program.  Classes meet every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 6 through May 8, 2012, at the extension office at Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 1001 South Main Street, Dayton.

Training provides 50 hours of classroom instruction provided by OSU professors, county extension agents and other experts.  Topics cover a broad range of subjects, including plant propagation, herbaceous and woody ornamentals, trees and lawns, soils and fertilizers, fruits and vegetables, herbs, pest management and more.

Participants must attend one of several volunteer orientation sessions scheduled for February 7 – 9, 2012.  They also must pass a background check before entering the program and volunteer 50 hours of horticultural service to the community after completing the classroom instruction to become a certified Master Gardener Volunteer.  The class fee is $150.

For more information, please contact Clare Thorn, Program Assistant, Horticulture, at (937) 224-9654.  Applications and other required forms are available on line at www.montgomery.osu.edu.  The deadline for application is January 30, 2012.

Birds of a feather

Posted on by
Reply

Snowy Owl, Hardin County, OH

Were you one of the lucky few who caught a glimpse the glorious Snowy Owl in nearby Hardin County north of Bellefontaine (OH)? If not, our Viner friend Roger Garber put his new camera lens to work and has shared a wonderful shot for you. Snowy Owls, normally residents of the Arctic north, have been spotted much, much farther south of their native range. This unusual visitation is called an irruption and may be the result of inadequate food sources, primarily lemmings, that may have driven some owls this far south.

Sadly, it was reported today on the Ohio Ornithological Society’s Facebook page that our local avian media star was found dead today perhaps a victim of starvation. Take a listen to Jim McCormac, a biologist with ODNR’s Division of Wildlife, who was interviewed on  NPR’s All Things Considered by Melissa Block HERE.

The Harry Potter fan in me says, “Hedwig, we hardly knew ye….”

Pileated Woodpecker

I always enjoy feeding the birds in my backyard. Suet is a great way to attract many birds. Imagine my excitement spotting this pileated woodpecker. Thank goodness the feeder had a tail prop or else this guy would have been left hanging!

Educational Opportunities

Yes, it’s that time again! WHOOOOO HOOOOOO! The seminars, conferences and symposiums are gearing up.

Adams County Amish Bird Symposium – Saturday, March 3

This daylong celebration of birds features speakers, vendors and activities at the Wheat Ridge Amish Community Building, West Union (OH). Speakers include Harvey B. Webster, Cleveland Museum of Natural History; author Geoff Hill, Auburn University professor; Chris Gilkey, Wildlife Officer; Jim McCormac, Division of Wildlife; and Kimberly Kaufman Black Swamp Bird Observatory. Amish lunch included. Find registration information HERE.

Wildlife Diversity Conference – Wednesday, March 7

Wildlife Diversity: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Held at the huge Shriner’s Complex in Columbus, this event is awesome. Speakers are among the best in their field. Worms, Freshwater Mussel Restoration, Aquatic Invasive Species, Lake Erie Pelagic Bird Survey, Wildlife Orphans, Wetland Restoration & Small Mammal Community Structure and Beavers/Porcupines and Fishers. All in one day! Read more/register HERE.

Hosta College – Friday/Saturday, March 16 & 17

One of the most anticipated events of the spring is the American Hosta Society Great Lakes Region’s Hosta College in Piqua (OH). This year the date is Friday-Saturday, March 16 & 17. Check it all out HERE. Early class registration for Miami Valley Hosta Society members opens 12 midnight January 13. Non-member registration opens January 25 at midnight.

Which color to choose?

Posted on by
2

One of the prettiest sights of the holiday season just might be a greenhouse growing range of poinsettias at their peak. Joel Poinsett, ambassador to Mexico in the 1820s, is generally credited with introducing the poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) to the U.S. He had the foresight to bring specimens back to his South Carolina greenhouse. In Mexico, its native home, the poinsettia is a perennial shrub that can grow to ten feet! The beautiful red, white, pink and variegated bracts are not flowers at all, just colorful leaves. The true flowers of the poinsettia are located in the center of the bracts at the tip of each stem; they are those little tiny yellow blobs that can easily be overlooked.

Many say that the poinsettia is poisonous. Though the plant leaves and stems do ooze a milky, white sap when broken, the toxins which contain diterpene esters, vary by variety. An Ohio State University study reported that, if ingested, the plant may only cause some stomach discomfort. The sap may cause some skin irritation and you definitely don’t want to get it in your eyes. Ok. Call me a chicken, but I’m not going to test the validity of this report. It would be wise to keep them out of the reach of children and pets.

There are hundreds of different colored varieties on the market right now. If you frequent a quality garden center, they should even have the varieties noted by name. Say you’ve seen blue poinsettias in the stores? You can’t blame the sightings of blue poinsettias on that eggnog you’ve been drinking. Here’s the scoop on the behind-the-scene magic!

The grower will take one naturally grown white poinsettia, some commercial plant dye and spray until the desired color is reached. Blue, pink, burgundy, orange, yellow…. For purple, just spray the blue dye on a naturally grown red poinsettia. I learned something really neat: the dye can be used on other plants such as Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’.

Start with a white poinsettia...

... choose your color...

... spray with dye ...

... and, tada! A blue poinsettia.

My Landreth seed catalog is here

As I mentioned a while back, the D. Landreth Seed Company, the oldest seed company in the U.S. (since 1784!), is in financial troubles. The company is not out of the woods yet but the sale of their 2012 catalog goes a long way to preserve its future. I ordered 4 and should have ordered more. It’s WAY more than a seed catalog – it’s U.S. agriculture history in your hand. If you haven’t ordered your catalog yet, you’d better get on the ball before they sell out. Check their website out HERE.

Yipppeee! It's here!

Vacation recovery

Posted on by
Reply

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.


The making of black gold

Posted on by
2

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.

On the road and back

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Think all flowers smell good? Think again!

Posted on by
2

Amorphophallus titanum

What is nearly six-feet tall, smells like rotting flesh and, yet, is drawing in the crowds like a horticultural version of Justin Bieber? Ok, maybe that’s a bit over the top… but still! An Amorphophallus titanum is came into bloom last Saturday at The Ohio State University’s greenhouse in Columbus, Ohio and is really charming the crowds. This rare plant from the Indonesian rain forest is a sight,and smell to remember. The bloom’s fragrance is its key to attracting the right pollinators. I grow a smaller version called Amorphophallus konjac. Not into using the Latin name? My friends and family affectionately call the plants Mr. Stinky or Harry Butler after the Dayton-TV personality who gave me my first plant.  You can see a time-lapse video of the voodoo lily in Columbus opening HERE.

Here's my shopping cart and the damage I did. Errr, I mean the treasures I found.

Knollwood’s 2nd Ladies’ Night Out

Knollwood Garden Center Beavercreek, OH) held their second Ladies’ Night Out tonight. The first was back in December and judging by all the cars in the parking lot it must have been a success because I had to park out in the ‘back 40’! Bruning’s Wine Cellar and Christopher’s Restaurant & Catering were on site to please the crowd and Knollwood staff was at the beck and call. It was a pleasurable way to get a jump on spring.

Sales Alerts

The record setting rains in southern Ohio are causing many businesses to retool their spring sales. Grandma’s Gardens, south of Centerville, is extending their $11.99 sale on flats of impatiens and begonias through Sunday, May 1. Yippee! Check with your local garden center as their publicized sales may also have been extended.

Tragic Nest Cam News

If you have checked out some of the nest cam links I have listed on the right, you may have visited the bald eagle nest cam located at the  Norfolk (VA) Botanical Garden. Sadly, Viner Barb passed along word that a jet landing at Norfolk International Airport struck and killed the female eagle early this morning. To the relief of many on-line viewers, the male returned to the nest with a fish early this evening. Only time will tell what happens next.

Happy 226th Birthday, John James Audubon (1785-1851)

Please visit HERE to read about the amazing life of John Jame Audubon. I can’t do him justice in a short post. He overcame adversity (illegitimate son of a French sea captain) and exemplifies the spirit of young America. Mr. Audubon, you made the world a better place!

Happy Earth Day

Posted on by
Reply

The first Earth Day ‘teach-in’ in 1970 saw 20 million environmental supporters gather all across the U.S. By 1990, participation had grown to over 180 nations. The brainchild of U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, Earth Day was modeled after the anti-Vietnam war protests, called ‘teach-ins’. By the end of 1970, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency was born.

I can remember my youthful zeal in support of one of those first Earth Days: I decided to boycot the morning school bus ride and rode my bike instead. It was a rainy day and I took my faithful steed, a rehabbed English 3-speed with no fenders. Any experienced bike rider will know water and no fenders aren’t a good combination and should be having a good chuckle about now. I tried my darndest to avoid running over the earthworms on the road and my legs, feet and backside ended up being soaked. So much for making a statement. I never claimed to be a fashionista.

Emerald Ash Borer program

Thais Reiff, Greene County Master Gardener EAB Specialist, will be give a free program, “Emerald Ash Borer for Homeowners”, on Wednesday, April 27th at 6:30 pm at the Greene County Extension Office (100 Fairground Rd. in Xenia OH 45385.) For more info, call 937-372-9971 or email the extension office at greenemgv@gmail.com.

Schnormeier Gardens - Gambier, OH

Schnormeier Garden Tour

June 1-5 is your once-a-year opportunity to tour 75 acres of exquisite gardens nestled in the rolling hills of Central Ohio.  Schnormeier Gardens of Gambier, Ohio, has a distinct Asian flavor and features a variety of plantings rich in color and texture accented by larger boulders, stone walls, waterfalls, unique sculptures and structures.

Ted and Ann Schnormeier will open their spectacular private gardens to the public from Wednesday, June 1 through Sunday, June 5, 2011 from 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is free. The gardens are rarely open to the public, and this Open House represents the only opportunity this year to visit and enjoy this remarkable site.

Sales alerts

May Fair Plant Sale 2011: 10 am to 4 pm, April 30 and 12-3 pm, May 1. Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark (1301 E. Siebenthaler, Dayton OH) Features perennials, annuals and herbs. http://www.metroparks.org/plantsales

Wildflower and Native Plant Sale: 10 am to 2 pm, April 30.Cox Arboretum & Gardens MetroPark (6733 Springboro Pike, Dayton OH) http://www.metroparks.org/plantsales

$10 rebate on Osmocote: Purchase Osmocote’s 3 lb. container of Outdoor & Indoor Plant Food and get $10 back with a mail-in rebate offer. Check it out HERE.

$10 off $50 order from Burpee: Just shop at http://www.burpee.com and enter coupon code HORT5 at the check-out.

Spring Hill Nursery: Thanks to a tip from Viner Nancy, she reports that the mail-order garden center business located in Tipp City (110 West Elm St., Tipp City, OH 45371) often offers over-run sales on various items. This week’s feature is their $.99 sale.