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SAVE THE DATE: DCMGA Annual Plant Sale - July 19 and 20
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Welcome!
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DCMGA News and Events ...
DCMGA News and Events ...
HOHMAN GARDEN TOUR
JUNE 2025
June 29 saw around 40 MGVs at Larry Hohman's home in the countryside north-west of Delaware on another exceptionally warm day. Bearing the heat was worth it as we strolled through Larry's expansive gardens. His horticultural focus is on daylilies and he has about 100 identified species and another 30 or so that have yet to be identified. Interspersed are hostas, shrubs and trees (many of which came from the DCMGA Plant Sale), and whimsical garden ornaments. Just to keep him on his toes, he also has four goats. Larry's education was on the growing and dividing of daylilies. Thank, Larry, for a lovely afternoon!
HECKMAN GARDEN TOUR
JUNE 2025
On June 22 forty-five DCMGA members and guests attended Craig Heck-man’s English Garden Tour. We thank all of those that braved the unseasonably hot weather to attend and view the lovely gardens and land-scape features including a Koi pond, wall rock garden, vegetable raised bed garden, and patio garden area. It was simply beautiful! A special thanks to Craig, his wife Linda and the tour team who all worked hard to prepare the gardens to share with you. Together as DCMGA members we made this event a great SUCCESS!
Native Plant Propagation Committee
June 2025
Last August, over some adult beverages, the NPP Steering Committee members met to debrief the 2024 plant sale - what went the way we hoped, what went awry, what we wanted to do for next year’s sale, and what we never wanted to do again. This month, all that planning gets to play out at the 2025 plant sale. Don’t you want to be part of it and see what the answers to those same questions might be at this year’s debrief? We still have slots to fill, so you can sign up via DCMGA's July Newsletter.
To all of you who have been watering through the crazy hot June, we say THANK YOU! The plants look great and that is because of your dedication. There are still a few weeks to go, so if you want to be a hero, you can sign up to water via DCMGA's July Newsletter.
Our next big ask is for you to spread the word that there will be native plants galore at the sale this year. There are about 1300 plants and almost 50 different species in our inventory. There should be something for everybody.
Finally, I hope you will add the annual NPP social gathering to your calendar. We will meet at the Buettner Farm, 21600 Delaware County Line Road at 6:30 on August 14th. Details and a sign up later, but I am giving you the heads up now to save the date.
See you at the plant sale!
DCMGA Recent Education Events
June 2025
Susan Leichty discussed the Top Twelve Herbs at a well-attended lecture at Source Point on May 1, 2025, and will return in the fall with a session on herb preservation.
Connie Emerson spoke about Potted Potential: Container Gardening at the Marion County Library on May 3, 2025. Attendees learned how to create a thriving container garden whether in a small space or as an addition to existing beds.
Erica Gagen, Dennis Julien and Susan Alexander were on hand at Gallant Farm for Let’s Plant the Garden on May 10, 2025. Unfortunately, attendance was limited due to competing activities at a very busy time of year.
Terri Litchfield was welcomed as the speaker for the Powell Garden Club on 5/22/2025 with the topic Exploring Natives: Keystone Plants and Container Species.
Life on a Leaf was hosted at Shale Hollow Park Nature Center on 6/9/2025 by Nora Hiland, Donna Reynolds, Terri Litchfield and Carol Champa. The important role of oak trees was highlighted using Terri’s tree and its inhabitants.
Cathy Pickrel, Jon Kerr and Nora Hiland gave a walk and talk program on 6/21/2025 at Deer Haven Park called “What’s that Plant? They reviewed ecosystems and biodiversity then walked in the woods and prairie. The program lasted one hour and had 16 participants from elementary school age through high school, college, adults and senior citizens. It was quite successful. Good questions were posed, and attendees left with smiles on their faces. (submitted by Nora)
The 12th Annual Olentangy RiverFest was held at Mingo Park on 6/21/2025. Jon Kerr, Susan DeVol, Gretta Kumpf and Susan Alexander discussed the benefits of native plants and encouraged attendees to incorporate natives into their gardens and landscapes. Thank you to the NPP group for loaning us several representative plants and their profiles to highlight for our visitors. It also proved to be a good opportunity to promote our upcoming plant sale, and network with others in related fields who stopped by our table.
DCMGA Adult Public Education Committee
June 2025
Thank you to all who volunteered for the adult public education events over the past few months! We will be looking for volunteers on Sign Up Genius for some of our future activities including the Pollinator Festival, ArborFest and Liberty Library Plant Swap Ask a Master Gardener.
Upcoming Events:
Life on a Leaf with Nora Hiland, Donna Reynolds, Terri Litchfield and Carol Champa at Shale Hollow Park Nature Center from 10 am – 1 pm on 7/9/2025 and 8/9/2025
Pollinator Festival at Deer Haven Park on 8/23/2025
Rain Gardens with Nora Hiland at Source Point on 9/1/2025 at 1 pm
ArborFest at Alum Creek Park in Westerville on 9/20/2025 from 10 am – 2 pm
Seed Saving with Cathy Pickrel at Marion County Public Library on 9/24/2025 at 6 pm as an introduction to their new Seed Library.
Liberty Library's annual Plant Swap on 9/20/2025 at 2 pm will have speakers Nora Hiland, discussing the Removal of Invasive Plants, and Cynthia Buettner, presenting Garden Design Using Ohio Native Plants: Sustainable and Beautiful Landscapes. In conjunction with the Plant Swap, on those Saturday afternoons, DCMGA assistance has been requested in hosting Ask A Master Gardener for attendees.
Grace Clinic Gardens
June 2025
The Grace Clinic Project is very proud to share the gardens at the Grace Clinic, 40 S. Franklin St., Delaware, OH. These gardens grow vegetables for those who visit the free clinic, which is open:
Monday mornings: 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (CLOSED 5th Monday of the month)
Wednesday evenings: 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
First & Third Thursday of the month: 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
There are containers in the box outside the back of the clinic if you need them for smaller items. They should not impact weighing.
Get Ready for Delaware County Fair
June 2025
We're pleased to announce that Dale Miller will give another presentation this summer on how to exhibit your produce at the Fair. Join us at Miller’s Country Gardens in Delaware, Ohio on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 7:00 PM. More details will follow soon.
We're also introducing a new award this year: the Open Farm Produce Best of Show. This honor will go to the top exhibit across all Open Farm Produce categories, chosen by the judge.
While there are no new produce categories this year, we’ve made a few updates in our section of the 2025 Exhibitor Guide. The updated Guide is available on:
The Delaware County Fair website under the “Get Involved” tab
Our Open Farm Produce website: Link to our Website
Please note the entry deadlines have changed this year:
Regular entry deadline: August 15
Late entry deadline (with late fee): August 22
Exhibit drop-off times for 2025:
Friday before the Fair 9/12/25: 5:00–8:00 PM
Saturday* first day of the Fair 9/13/25: 9:00–11:00 AM
Exhibit pick-up times for 2025:
Saturday* last day of the Fair 9/20/25: 7:00–9:00 PM
Sunday day after the Fair 9/21/25: 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
* - Please note that dropping off on Saturday, September 13 or picking up on Saturday, September 20 requires Fair entry fee or ticket.
Check out the helpful video from last year featuring the Open Farm Produce judge, Dale Miller. He shares tips on when and how to plant crops for your exhibit at the Fair. Link to Video.
Also helpful are the handouts from his presentation. Link to Handouts.
Litchfield Open Garden Tour
July 2025
Terri and Randy Litchfield are again opening their garden to friends near and far on Saturday, July 5, 2025 from 9am to 4pm.
Therapeutic Gardening
June 2025
Our friends at The Avalon of Lewis Center had a fabulous morning learning about Rosemary, Basil and Thyme with our DCMG herb specialist Susan Liechty. Smelling the herbs was great, but tasting the fabulous herbal treats was the best! Our herbal extravaganza included Lemon Thyme muffins, rosemary watermelon popsicles, strawberry basil lemonade and strawberry cookies. After all, “Life is short, eat dessert first!”
Don't miss touring these MGs' gardens!
Don't miss touring these MGs' gardens!
July 2025
Sunday, July 13
Connie Emerson's Container Garden
2-4 pm, Education at 3pm
Address: 275 Electric Avenue, Westerville, Ohio
Ample parking space available. Handicapped parking space available.
Water and light refreshments will be provided. Shade will provide an escape, if needed, from the warm temperatures.
Open to current DCMGA members only.
Educational Series
Educational Series
Upcoming Education Events
Upcoming Education Events
All programs in this series will be held starting at 6:15 pm at the Byxbe Campus,1610 State Rte 521, Delaware, OH 43015, and will last for one hour.
July 8, 2025 (Open to General Public)
Produce Preservation. Megan Taylor, FCS/4-H Educator - Union County, will share various techniques to prevent spoilage, extend shelf life, and maintain quality of fresh produce
August 12 (Open to General Public)
Invasive Plants. Carrie Brown, ANR Educator - Fairfield County, will introduce us to non-native plants in Ohio’s natural habitats with discussions on spread, control and alternative plants.
September 9 (MG Members Only)
Natives Program for 2026. Terri Litchfield will introduce the 2026 Expert Level training on natives.
October 14 (Open to General Public)
TBD
Previous Educational Events
April 8 ( MG Members Only)
GAP Training (Good Agricultural Practices). This training aims to educate growers and gardeners on best management practices to minimize food safety risks and address pre- and post-harvest practices.
May 13, 2025 (Open to General Public)
Drought: How do I repair my lawn after last year’s drought? Dr. Tyler Carr, Asst. Professor of Turfgrass Science, The Ohio State University. Dr. Carr will take us through what inputs you need to safeguard against future drought situations?
Follow-Up Information from Dr. Carr
Get Yourself Ready
Get Yourself Ready
It's Tick Season!
May 2025
The ticks are out there and looking for us and our pets! As of today, I have had 7 ticks crawling (not attached) on me! Should you find an attached tick, you can request that the tick be tested for pathogens through OSU (see side panel). The fee for this is $49.99 per tick.
If you'd like to watch the Zoom recording titled Protecting You, Your Family, and Your Animals from Ticks, provided by OSU,
click here This webinar gives you much-needed, detailed information on how to identify the different tick varieties, what pathogens they can transmit to humans and animals, and how to reduce the risk of being bitten by a tick.
Terri Litchfield has provided a home-made tick repellent that she finds effective (please check for any allergies you or others may have to the ingredients before using). This also works on dogs and horses.
DIRECTIONS
Pour into a glass bottle with sprayer attachment:
1 tablespoon vodka or witch hazel
40 drops of rose geranium essential oil
Add:
1/3 cup distilled water
Shake, shake and then shake again.
Spray on your clothes and/or skin; reapply when smell begins to dissipate.
For a large spray bottle, use 3 ounces of vodka or witch hazel, 2 1/2 tablespoons rose geranium oil, and 2 cups distilled water.
We Need You
We Need You
Looking for Volunteers
Looking for Volunteers
SignUp Genius is NOW LIVE. MG Volunteers, if you haven't received a notification about individual sign ups, make sure you look at the Member Only Page for all the available volunteer opportunities and slots that need filled and look often...it's being updated weekly. Plant Sale link has been added. Click Here.
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DCMGA Annual Plant Sale - July 19 and 20
DCMGA Annual Plant Sale - July 19 and 20
The 2025 Plant Sale will be held on Saturday, July 19 (9am to 4pm), and Sunday, July 20 (9am to 3pm), in the Delaware County Fair's Swine Barn.
The Plant Sale is supported by generous donations of perennials, annuals, vegetables, herbs, trees and shrubs from our local nurseries, as well as our own Master Gardener Volunteers' gardens. We also receive donations from local businesses for our raffle and gently-used gardening items from our Master Gardener Volunteers for our Garden Treasures area.
Our sincere THANK YOU to all our sponsors this year!
From Our Friends at Scioto Gardens
From Our Friends at Scioto Gardens
April 2025
Here's a special calendar from Scioto Gardens, which every gardener will want to know about.
Scioto Gardens is located at 2870 Curve Road, Delaware.
Warning about Seeds Sent by Mail
Warning about Seeds Sent by Mail
April 2025
Please read this important article from Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine about a scam that is sending unsolicited seed packets that appear in your mailbox (not your email box):
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