Friday, February 26, 2010

Dayton "Dirt" - February 26, 2010

We’re wrapping up the end of February with a seminar tomorrow by Michelle Riley of Eberhardt Landscaping. Michelle is a graduate of Kent State University with a triple associate degree in landscape design, turf grass and arboriculture. (seminar has been cancelled as of 2-26-10)

She’ll speak on the relationships of trees as they relate to our past presidents and on the importance of trees to our environment as to one similar to a program called "Why Trees Matter" put on by the Ohio Research and Development Center in Wooster, Ohio.
I remember in grade school in Norton about being taught about the Civilian Conservation Core camps set up during Franklin Roosevelt’s administration for the purpose of putting young unemployed men back to work by planting millions (eventually 2 billion) of trees to combat soil erosion by wind and water because of the mowed down forests and plowed up prairies. In fact, lines of trees were planted as windbreaks after the outbreak of the Dust Bowl in the 1930's that blew tons of precious topsoil away.

In Norton, many willows were cut down by property owners along a small creek which resulted in enormous soil erosion of the property owner’s yards. Yes, trees do indeed matter.

Michelle is quite knowledgeable and I’m sure the program will be most worthwhile.

Tom

Friday, February 19, 2010

Dayton "Dirt" - February 19, 2010

We made it over the hump of winter! Temperatures will (on average) be on the rise giving us a preview soon of a glorious spring.

Megan Vance will be our guest speaker in the Owl Barn on Saturday at 12 noon. Megan has her own business called Suzanne Jardin Garden Design so that with all her background in design and planting, Megan is an expert in shade gardening especially with perennials. Megan was our guest last year when she spoke on container gardening and new perennials for 2009. I do well remember that she is very entertaining.
During the seminar I will press Megan closely to classify the different types of shade that plants require or have to deal with as all shade is not created equal.

I want to personally thank Bill Bauman of Bauman’s Orchards in Rittman for all his expertise on fruit trees. Bill’s family has been in the orchard business for about 60 years in which the results of their labor and knowledge have turned Bauman’s orchards into a favorite destination for many of us in the Summit, Medina and Wayne counties during the harvest season.

I’ve got my questions listed for Megan tomorrow and you be sure to have all yours ready so you can fire away as soon as she gives the signal for a question and answer period.

See you tomorrow,
Tom

Friday, February 12, 2010

Dayton "Dirt" - February 12, 2010

I think everyone enjoyed the herb seminar last week and now it’s time to move on to small fruit. It seems that so many of our seminars center around eating and food but so what?

Planting and growing fresh vegetables and fruits is a large part of why we garden and the other at least as important part of gardening is pleasure. I always knew a fair amount about small fruits but did I ever get an education when I started studying the updates.

So many varieties of strawberries, blueberries, rhubarb, raspberries, blackberries, etc. are available, it just boggles the mind. For me it’s like studying in school again on what’s going so that I can pass on everything to all of you.
About the same time last year I spoke to you about blueberries and I will touch on this subject again although this seminar will be an expanded one covering more of the small fruit realm.

Almost everyone has enough space for these small fruits in their yard and another fact about them that makes them so great is that they are perennial members of the garden that continue to grow and develop to provide a harvest year after year after year.

Hope you can come tomorrow!

Tom

Monday, February 8, 2010

Dayton "Dirt" - February 5, 2010

It didn’t take long for January to fly by and already I can tell the days are getting longer. I figure that by the time we get by Washington’s birthday, the rough weather (at least sub zero temperatures) is over.

Saturday, February 6th at 12 noon is the start of our next seminar of the use of herbs in our lives for fragrance, fitness and flavor. If you’re satisfied with bland tasting food or the fast food garbage that’s out there, you won’t be interested in this seminar. However, herbs seem to be the catalyst resulting in good food becoming great food!

The fitness part comes into maintaining and enhancing our health through the use of antioxidants, vitamins and such. I’m sure the seminar won’t tout the medicinal aspects of herbs as that in something only a physician could advise you to use them correctly as some if used incorrectly can be harmful.

The fragrance of herbs is well known from that of lavender, the subject of last weeks seminar, to Sweet Woodruff, Rosemary, Thyme and so on.

Don’t forget next week that I will be giving a seminar on the planting and growing of small fruits with a side about fruit trees such as there selection, pollination and such.

See you tomorrow at the seminar.

Tom

P.S. Remember the seminars are held in the new "Owl Barn".