Dayton "Dirt" - January 27, 2012

This past week completed another year of the nursery trade show in Columbus at the Convention center. The show consists of a multitude of vendors displaying their wares that include everything from trees and shrubs, tropical plants, greenhouses, wheelbarrows, lawnmowers .... I think you get the picture.

The seminars that were held are quite informative with subjects such as growing and propagation, marketing, insect and disease research and so on. The convention is an opportunity for me to investigate new products and speak with many business people and professors to find out the latest in the horticulture industry.

Our first seminar on trees and shrubs for the home landscape is just about a week away so that I’ve been brushing up on some of the trees that I don’t know enough about.

Our winter seminars are usually well attended as there’s not much gardeners can do outside in the winter beside shovel snow here in northern Ohio. Then too, where else can you get an hour and a half of an educational seminar with decent refreshments for $5.00!

I well remember our January 27th seminar in 2007 as the wind began howling and the temperature dropped quickly. That winter was uncanny in that up until that January 27th, the weather was more like early spring. The whole night the winds howled at 40 miles per hour as temperatures dropped to 4º F below zero! Hopefully we won’t see that kind of “change of seasons” this year but we’re not out of the woods yet.

See you at the seminar on the 4th of February.

Tom