Dayton "Dirt" - May 30, 2014

Wow! The official last frost free day for northern Ohio! While northern Ohio “shivers” sometimes in May, the Ohio city named for the French Queen Marie Antoinette, Marietta is like a different world as the spring weather is 2 or even 3 weeks ahead of our northern climate only about 150 miles to the north. The rhododendrons in the botanical garden to the north fared well even after the nasty winter as they are coming into their peek bloom with shades of purple, red, white and pink. Especially impressive is a small rhododendron I planted last fall called Pohola’s Daughter that was bred in Finland that did have some foliage burn but now is coming out with strong growth! The nursery for the past week to 10 days has been a bit messy with scattered plants and even weeds as it has been quite difficult to keep up with the sudden rush of the late spring and still accomplish all the other chores such as potting plants, trimming, etc. This week though has seen a big push to bring out many plants now ready for sale along with roundup to kill the weeds in the gravel beds and a general clean up. This summer will bring some major construction for a new greenhouse in order to produce more flowers and a whole slew of vegetable plants for next spring. The idea is to produce 4" potted vegetable plants for sale with a drop in price and to offer more varieties that our suppliers will not grow. The new greenhouse of course will be fitted with the self watering tables and a boiler system for heating in order to keep the plant’s roots warm which they seem to love. The above greenhouse systems go along with our view of saving water and energy in the “Waste not, Want not” mode. Remember too that when you buy our flowers and vegetable plants that we stopped using the neonicotinoid insecticide for insect control as there is some evidence these insecticides contribute to Colony Collapse Disorder of honey bees so necessary for pollinating many of our favorite fruits, vegetables and flowers. Protecting bees, water, air, soil and in general the land sometimes takes a back seat to other concerns of our day. It reminds me of what Wangari Maathai used to tell the border guards when she was the Environmental minister of Kenya as she said to them that when they are guarding the border, they should have a gun in one hand and a tree in the other. If the land literally washes away beneath your feet, what are you protecting? Food for thought! Tom