In the
Garden Patch

DCMGA Therapeutic Garden Team Fall Activities

October 2023

Monday, October 23 was a beautiful fall day for the raised bed clean up and pumpkin activities at the Avalon of Lewis Center. Our group cleared the four raised beds in no time at all.  We are already envisioning a Sensory, Pollinator, Cut Flower, and Pizza garden for next year, and we look forward to input from the residents during the planning process. Theresa Eddy, Lifestyle Enrichment Director is excited that we want to bring their greenhouse to life! Relationships are developing and our attendance is growing. 

This month, our group of 14 enjoyed crafting their own pumpkins, followed by a ring toss game with prizes and “stump the residents.” There was no stumping them! These previous gardeners really know their pumpkin facts!  Pumpkins are a fruit and are 90% water, but they were all  surprised to learn that canned pumpkin purée is made with Dickinson pumpkin/squash and other brands are a mixture of winter squash, like Butternut, Hubbard, Boston Marrow and Golden Delicious. It’s not the classic orange pumpkin everyone thinks of which is a good thing because the others are more flavorful! Our friends enjoyed the fruits of their labor with some homemade “Dickinson Pumpkin” cookies.

Stratford Ecological Center Harvest Festival

October 2023

Stratford's Harvest Festival was drizzly and cloudy, but lots of fun nonetheless!  Gretta Kumpf and Susan DeVol hosted a table that provided information on Soils, Compost, and Mulch.  At least 70 adults and children stopped by the table.  

Note:  children's parents approved the use of their child's photo on our website

October Weeds Class Held at Stratford Ecological Center

October 2023

The Advanced Master Gardeners Weed Specialization class met on October 12 at the Stratford Ecological Center.  This month we were joined by two Stratford volunteers.  The theme of the day was how to eat, medicate, and kill people with weeds (huh?!?). 

The morning began, though, with a final exam, requiring us to identify at least 30 of 37 weeds.   Thanks to Nancy Reynold's design (and pity for us), she included little hints in the descriptions of many weeds.  I think that almost everyone got all 37 of the weeds correctly Identified!

Abbe Turner led us off with information about foraging for food - specifically in the weed patch.  Abbe demonstrated how to make an appetizer of goat cheese with pink cosmos petals and shared other dishes and drinks that she had made with weeds,  flowers, and mushrooms. They were quite delicious!

Heather Colyer of Stratford Ecological Center shared her knowledge of the medicinal properties of ten common weeds.  Much of the information was gathered from Native Americans, who had an extensive pharmacy growing wild around them (I wonder who "volunteered" to test all those weeds).   Who knew that the dandelion could do so much!   

Susan DeVol then shared her research on which weeds in Ohio could kill people.  This was followed by a video on an garden in England that is full of killer plants:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oCWAiqL0i0

Lunch was especially fun, with participants bringing samples of food and drinks made with weeds.   Most were quite tasty while others...not so much.   For some reason, the Autumn Olive wine seemed to be a hit (oops!  let's hope no one got picked up for drunk weeding!).  We want to thank Kathy Blevins, OSUE worker of the week, for helping plate up the foods.

November 9 is the final Weeds Specialization class.   

DCMGA Volunteers Work with Students at Schultz Elementary School 

October 2023

On October 5, Jeanne Engelking, Nikki Sparks, Stephanie Merick, and Gretta Kumpf assisted the 5th grade students of Mrs Kristin Wilder with planting 11 flats of native plants.  The plants were placed In the school's water retention area near the playground and helped the students connect their gardening experience to their curriculum.  

This was the second phase of their work to create a prairie landscape consisting of Ohio native plants.  Phase one occurred in the spring of 2023.  

The volunteers agreed that it was a great day to work In the garden, and nature capped off the day by  providing an evening rain shower.  Gretta said the students were engaged and excited about the process. 

Westerville Arborfest and Delaware County Master Gardeners

September 2023

Saturday, September 23, was a beautiful day for those visiting the Westerville ArborFest!  Many exhibitors (both old and new) were there to greet them, Including DCMGA.  

Susan Alexander and Jon Kerr met many adults and children and provided answers to numerous questions on trees.    While the parents were talking, the children were happily engaged in hammering black walnut nuts to find the hidden fruits Inside (or just because hammering them is fun!).   

This is the fifth year DCMGA has hosted a table at the event.

(Note:  parents gave permission for child's photo to be displayed on our website)

Delaware County Master Gardeners Are at The Delaware County Fair

September 2023

DCMGA has made an even greater presence this year at the Delaware County Fair, with a booth in the Merchants Building as well as a table in the Junior Fair tent.    

This year's theme is all about the bugs that are bugging you:  spotted lantern fly, bag worms, cabbage worms,  tent caterpillars, and  tomato hornworm, to name just a few.

Master Gardeners were available to answer questions from the many visitors to the booth.  We talked about vegetables, flowers, flowers for shade, bugs, planned gardens, fertilizers, soils, how to become a Master Gardener, and many more topics.  

Larry Hohman (seen with Master Gardener Pam Foster) and his team set up a great display!  Also featured are Master Gardener Gretta Kumpf and Intern Kevin Kelly.  

Delaware County MGVs Judge 4-H Vegetables

September 2023

Gretta Kumpf and Susan DeVol spent a delightful Saturday morning at the Delaware County Fair's 4-H building with a large group of youths who spent the year planting and growing vegetables, fruits, nuts, and sunflowers.  Their ages ranged from six to 19  and their experience varied from first year gardeners to those who have grown more vegetables in their short lives than Susan has!  A third judge helped keep the youth moving  through the process.  

The youngsters were evaluated on the marketability of their produce, their presentation, the size and condition of the vegetables, and  whether they completed their program booklet and community projects.  Each vegetable was graded between an A and C (thankfully, no Cs were given) and special effort was awarded with an Outstanding ribbon.    

The three judges then reviewed the vegetables as a whole and selected the Best of Show In nine categories:  Best Vegetable Exhibit, Largest Pumpkin, Best Seed Picture, Best Decorated Pumpkin, Largest Sunflower Head, Tallest Sunflower, Best Garden Display, Best Fruit or Nut Exhibit, and Best Vegetable Exhibitor.  

The judges were exhausted at the conclusion and the  kids seemed to be exuberant.  So, it was judged that a great time was had by all!

(Note:  parents of children gave permission to have their photos displayed on our website)

August MGV Advanced Certification Program - Weeds 

August 2023

This month, we again met at Stratford Ecological Center.  In the morning session, Tim McDermott from OSUE taught weed management in vegetable gardens and we were fortunate to have a beautiful day outside as he talked about the impact of weeds in pasture management.  He emphasized the important principles of IPM (Integrated Pest Management), which is a sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks. Cover crops, crop rotation, and the importance of reading labels (if utilizing chemical controls) were all key takeaways.

The afternoon topic was about climate change and the impact on weed management, taught by Dr. Aaron Wilson from OSUE and Debra Knapke.   Dr. Wilson, the State Climatologist of Ohio, presented several fascinating timelapse satellite images illustrating the interconnectedness of global weather systems. From an agricultural standpoint, increased temperatures can mean lower food productivity, reduced quality, and increased weed pressure.

Debra led us through discussions of changes observed in our own gardens, including the opportunity to grow more warm weather plants (crepe myrtle, etc.), weed pressure, and changes in insect emergence.  Debra shared the CSR Theory (competitors, stress-tolerators, and ruderals), a model for classifying plants within a framework of adaptability to various stresses and environments, which can prove useful in determining which plants - in our discussion, weeds - may perform well as environmental stresses change.

Many thanks to our presenters this month for sharing their knowledge and expertise on these important topics.

Delaware County Master Gardener Plant Sale 

July 2023

We held our 17th Annual DCMGA Plant Sale July 22-23 in the Sheep and Swine Barn at the Delaware County Fairgrounds and it was our most successful sale ever!

Thank you to everyone who attended. It was so fun to see repeat customers as well as meeting first-time buyers. The funds we raise are for education and beautification projects in our county.

We are so grateful to our donors including 1st Impressions Landscape & Garden Center, Ach Nursery, Champion Feed & Pet Supply, Dannaher Nursery, Groovy Plants Ranch, Hoover Gardens, HyR-Brix, Leaves for Wildlife, Lettuce Work Nursery, Millcreek Gardens, Miller’s County Gardens, Natives in Harmony, Oakland Nursery, Price Organics, Sambuca’s Greenhouse, Scioto Gardens Nursery, Strader’s Garden Center, and Thorsen’s Greenhouse.

We appreciate everyone who helped make our sale a tremendous success, including our Master Gardener Volunteers who worked tirelessly planting and tending to the native plants, and also donating a wonderful and wide selection of their own plants, shrubs, bulbs and trees.

We'll see you again next July!

July MGV Advanced Certification Program - Weeds 

July 2023

This month, we met at Highbanks Metro Park and our theme was Weeds in Woodlands and Public Lands.  We learned about invasive species, including Tree of Heaven, Japanese Honeysuckle, Japanese Barberry, Autumn Olive, Privet, Multiflora Rose, and Asiatic Bittersweet to name just a few. We went on two walks and our instructors helped us to identify many of these common species found in Ohio.

We learned that an invasive species is an introduced organism that negatively alters its new environment. Although their spread can have benefical aspects, invasive species adversely affect the invaded habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. Invasive species can be a plant, animal, pest, insect, disease, virus, fungus, etc. 

Many thanks to our presenters: Rebecah Troutman from the Holden Arboretum Forests and Gardens, Adam Komar from ODNR/Forestry and Carrie Jagger from OSUE.

DCMGA Therapeutic Garden Team host garden tour

July 2023

On July 8, volunteers from the Delaware County Master Gardener therapeutic gardening team hosted a small garden tour at Diane Harris' home for a few of the residents from Storypoint in Powell. 

It was a beautiful morning to stroll through her gardens touching, smelling and learning about her flowers and vegetables.  Our tour included a surprise visit from the darn rabbit who wreaked havoc while she was out of town. With many seating areas throughout her gardens, the residents were able to sit and watch the bees and birds feast on nectar while we enjoyed delicious treats of lemon lavender popsicles, pineapple cake, cucumber water and lemonade. 

The ladies ended their visit with a hand sugar scrub before heading home. But before leavin, they all agreed to come back in the fall. We've already heard that more want to come. 

Master Gardeners Present Weeds Grab and Go Kit at Olentangy River Fest

June 2023

Nancy Traub, Gretta Kumpf, Susan DeVol, and Jon Kerr presented their newly created Weeds Grab and Go Kit at the Olentangy River Fest In Delaware on Saturday, June 10.   Close to 200 people visited the display and the foursome answered many questions about weeds.  Children had fun using one of five matching games created by Gretta and Illustrated by Master Gardener Patti Sharpe.  Included in the visitors was Gretta's son, daughter-in-law and granddaughters, which was a treat for all.  The tri-fold board, sadly, became a bi-fold board when a sharp wind sent It toppling.   

Another Successful Advanced Master Gardener - Weeds Class

June 2023

Master Gardeners are always ready to learn more about the plants - even weeds!  This month was focused on weed botany and using a weed key to identify weeds.  

Nancy Reynolds used samples of weeds collected at Price Farms Organics, Delaware, to determine the various leaf margins, shapes, and arrangements.  She then had the class break into groups and use Weeds of the Northeast to name five different weeds.  Truth be told, some of us had some difficulties.  Who knew the difference between a lanceolate and a linear shape!  Stratford Ecological Center again hosted this event.

Dividing Houseplants Workshop

September 2022

On September 29, Delaware County Master Gardeners held an interactive workshop on dividing houseplants at SourcePoint in Delaware.  Nora Hiland led the hands-on activity where participants learned how to separate and repot their plants for their continued enjoyment at home.

Class began with removing the plants from their pots.  The group then cleaned the pots and washed the plants, making sure to remove all of the soil.  Soil mix was discussed as well as how to prepare the soil for planting.  Watering and fertilizing instructions were given before our happy indoor gardeners headed home with their newly invigorated plants.

Autumn Arborfest 2022

September 2022

This is the fourth year DCMGA has participated in the Autumn Arborfest held at Alum Creek Park North in Westerville. This was the best year so far,  thanks to the City of Westerville bringing in more organizations and nurseries for the event.  Susan Alexander, Susan DeVol and Susan Logan were available to answer really interesting questions from the public. Susan Schmidt dropped by for a visit too! Do you sense a Susan theme? 

The Trees Grab and Go Box Committee developed the display, which was well received and generated lots of questions from attendees.  Children were engaged with leaf rubbings and the "Whack a Walnut" game.  What’s that, you ask?  Well, a walnut or hickory nut is placed in a shallow divot on a thick plank and kids hit the nut with a hammer.   Not exactly educational, but it sure was fun!

It was a fun day dedicated to all things trees. Remember, if you have any tree or garden related questions,  submit them here. We're always happy to help!

DCMGA Hosts Booth at Delaware County Fair

September 2022

The Delaware County Fair had another great year! Once again, our Delaware County Master Gardeners hosted a booth in the Merchant building with over 1000 adults and hundreds of children visiting throughout the week.  

Visitors learned about ways to attract and provide habitats for pollinators, including the use of plants native to Ohio.  Master Gardeners also answered questions about lawn care, vegetable gardening, creating meadow gardens, and other topics.  Those who stopped by the booth were given vegetable seeds for next year's produce and children received labels for their insulated water mugs or tablets.    

Kenny Cummins Wins 2nd place for Best Home Landscaping!

September 2022

Delaware County Master Gardener Kenny Cummins won 2nd place for Best Home Landscaping in the 2022 Columbus Dispatch Backyard Garden Awards. Her garden was one of over 300 entries. Kenny's garden is named "Shaded Serenity." In her entry description, Kenny reflects:

Creating a garden in full shade in our back woods has been quite a challenge and has taken several years.  For color and texture I used various hostas, ferns, astilbe, brunnera, bleeding heart, coral bell and several ground covers. For additional color I added impatiens to the log, the heart shaped stone bed and the inverted tree trunk along with a few coleus and caladiums.

Exotic Invasive Plants Workshop

Gayle O’Sullivan August 2022

Dig it up, throw it out!  That was the not so subtle theme of Nora Hiland’s open to the public Exotic Invasive Plants presentation at the Powell Parks and Recreation facility. Some of us sat quiet and guilty in our seats as the integrity of our landscaping was ruthlessly attacked.  Yes, I do have a burning bush and I may have one or two barberry, luckily the wintercreeper died on its own. In my defense, they were planted long before my Master Gardening days. I heard others mumbling about the miscanthus or Callery Pears gracing their yards. In this case, some of the choir definitely needed a little preaching.

We learned where these pesky invasive plants came from, some intentionally, others as hitchhikers.  Some started with good intentions like the original sterile Callery Pear that then ran amuck as cross pollination created super power fertile trees. Nora told us about the clogged waterways, deformed tadpoles, elimination of native plant food sources for our wildlife, and so many more devastating environmental consequences of these exotic invasive plants.

Some of the most heinous of Ohio’s invasive species were passed around the classroom - Tree of Heaven, Callery pear, Honeysuckle, Barberry (green and red leaf), Privet, Wintercreeper and Chinese Silver Grass. The better for us to be able to identify these thugs of our woodlands, meadows and forests.

Nora ended the workshop with a walk outside along a short treed hillside.  Canadian Thistle (which is not from Canada), honeysuckle, miscanthus, and the ever present Callery pear – all present and accounted for.  Dig it up, tear it out!

Thank you Nora for such an entertaining and informative workshop.  And thank you Gina Kolp for inviting Delaware County Master Gardeners to Powell Parks and Recreation to spread the word to try to stop the spread of these dangerous invaders to our Ohio landscape.        

Shale Meadows Elementary School Summer Workshop and Garden

Gayle O’Sullivan Summer 2022

Students have been running through sprinklers this summer while Master Gardener Karen Rissmeyer has been busy at Olentangy’s Shale Meadows’ Monarch garden.  Appropriately, the monarch is the mascot of Shale Meadows.  Karen has been digging milkweed out of her yard, her friends’ yards, even roadside ditches under construction (with the help of Jennie Arbona, third grade SMES teacher) to transplant this monarch caterpillar food source into the school’s namesake garden. 

In true “Give a Mouse a Cookie” fashion, this all began with a January visit where Karen taught third graders to sow milkweed into milk jugs as a winter seed sowing project. The milk jug seedlings were joined by black-eyed susans, anise hyssop, zinnias and stiff goldenrod. Soon they all grew into beautiful blooms, along with a healthy crop of oxalis/wood sorrel, honeyvine milkweed, crab grass and flower of an hour weed.

Marshalling the troops, Karen asked principal Greta Gnagy to send out a Shale Meadows all-parent alert and 12 families signed up to tend the garden over the summer months. Karen held a “This is a weed, this is not a weed, this is how to physically remove it” family workshop for all the volunteers, where they also learned a little bit about monarchs and the plants in the garden.

The Monarch garden is an ever changing learning adventure and will be incorporated into Shale Meadows’ school curriculum.  Thank you Karen for sharing your love of gardening and monarchs. By gifting this unique outdoor learning space to your little buddies, you have given them the gift to personally observe and experience the wonder of nature and of all of its cycles.

Gardening for Specialist Bees and Other Pollinators

Terri Litchfield June 2022

Nora Hiland and Terri Litchfield presented a program on June 18 to an audience at Stratford Ecological Center as part of a day of activities in anticipation of National Pollinator Week, June 20-26. They were asked to focus on gardening for specialist bees with content suitable for a range of gardeners, from beginner to experienced. 

Specialist bees, most of which are native bees and don’t include honeybees which are a non-native species, usually rely on one or two plant genera when collecting pollen for provisioning their nests. If these plants aren’t in the landscape, these specialist bees will not find a home there. Gardening for specialist bees helps bring diversity to the landscape and provides resources needed to sustain populations of these native bees.

The presentation included examples of fifteen native plants upon which certain species of native bees are dependent. Spring-, summer-, and fall-blooming plants were included to demonstrate that different bee species require these pollen resources at different times through the gardening season. 

Want to learn more? The basis for the presentation was the Guide to Ohio Specialist Bees. This resource page was provided to participants as well.

Master Gardener Plant Swap

Gayle O’Sullivan
May 2022

Could we have gotten a more beautiful May evening to mingle, talk shop and swap out unloved plants for plants that we hope to love?  Our annual (we hope!) Master Gardener Plant Swap was blessed with sunny skies and warm breezes. Cars lined up in the Stratford parking lot with trunks popped open overflowing with plants of all stripes.  Shasta daisies, hosta, canna and iris tubers, a plethora of native plants and even an arborvitae or two – it was a treasure hunt for plant lovers, and it was free!

A HUGE thank you to Nikki Sparks and Jan Irwin for planning such a wonderful evening for us all.  Even those who didn’t take home any new treasures got to enjoy the simple pleasure of being together, reconnecting and making new gardening friends.

Guided Wildflower Walk at Gallant Woods Park

Charlotte Niceswanger
May 2022

Sunday, May 1st was a beautiful day for a guided Wild Flower Walk through Gallant Woods Park with Master Gardeners Susan DeVol and Charlotte Niceswanger.

Introductions were exchanged at the Acorn Loop Pavilion. Armed with our cell phones and prepared to scan the QR codes on the Wildflower Signs, we set off on the Acorn Trail. There were a few surprises along the way. The group identified an emerald ash borer who traveled along the path with us, discovered a few morel mushrooms and learned about 10 different wildflowers including wild violets, phlox and May apples.

What should have been one loop on the Acorn Trail turned in to two loops because our group was so engaged that we lost track of where we were!

We were so fortunate to meet a Girl Scout Troop leader and her daughter who shared with us their plans to build a pollinator garden this summer on a plot of land approved by their neighborhood association in Lewis Center. Needless to say we had an attentive audience grateful to learn about all of the resources available through the Delaware County Master Gardener Association. We parted ways excited and encouraged by everyone’s interest and with a few more steps than originally planned.

OWU Arboretum Tree Trek Guided Walk for MGs   

Gayle O’Sullivan
April 2022

What a gorgeous Saturday morning we spent on the beautiful Ohio Wesleyan University Campus with three very special Student Environmental Ambassadors. Delaware County Master Gardeners arranged for a private tour of OWU’s Jane Decker Arboretum, a living laboratory for learning about plant identification and diversity, arboriculture, landscape design, and ecology. With over 105 species of trees and woody plants from temperate regions around the world, the Arboretum is a hidden treasure on campus.

The Ginkgos, Fall Witch Hazels, Horse Chestnuts, Dogwoods, Sweetbay Magnolias, Maples, Oaks and Hickories were magnificent, but it was our student tour guides that were the true treasures.  Carly, Isa and SK – you were so warm and welcoming, we felt like we were visiting family.  You were kind enough to give us a tour of your greenhouses and herbarium and answer all our random questions about your research and campus life. Carly, I was amazed to hear about your “CRISPR” gene editing experiments – exciting frontiers!  And good luck to you, Isa, as your studies take you to LSU.  

A special thank you to Barb Wiehe, Jane Decker Arboretum Director, for arranging our delightful tour. And on the weekend before Finals week, Thank You SK, Carly and Isa for spending the morning with us and sharing the natural beauty of your campus.

April 9th Seminar, Maximizing Ecological Diversity in your Ohio Garden and Beyond 

Gayle O’Sullivan and Charlotte Niceswanger
April 2022

Naturalist Julie Zickefoose and botanist Jim McCormac presented a visually stunning program for Delaware County Master Gardener’s sell-out audience on April 9th at The Barn in Waldo.  Snow may have been threatening, but we all enjoyed the sunshine and stories that Julie and Jim brought.

Through artistry, photography and videos, we were able to follow Julie's transformation in her meadows and gardens near Marietta, Ohio. We took a trip through Ohio's Flora and Fauna with Jim McCormac, visiting his favorite spots for birding: Magee Marsh, Maumee Bay, Lake Kelso, Hocking Hills, Huffman Prairie, Shawnee State Forest and Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. We ended the day with Julie's story “Saving Jemima: Life and Love with a Hard-Luck Jay” which was an emotional journey of finding grace and redemption and bonding with a wild bird. Her words of wisdom for living with a wild creature are true for all of us, “Listen, it tells you what you need to know if you just listen”. 

A special THANK YOU to Laura Rosenheck, Craig Shuneson, Connie Emerson, Jim Cline, Sandy Schaadt and Charlotte Niceswanger for planning, organizing, promoting and implementing this complex, major presentation over months of hard work and covid uncertainty. You pulled together a multitude of moving pieces, all while smiling. What a great day you gave our attendees!  I talked to many of our audience members (young to old) and all were smiling on their way out.  

Registration ran seamlessly and everyone was greeted with a smiling Steve, Dottie, Jon and Jim. Connie and her crew (Nancy and Regina) decorated our space beautifully, “whimsical” is how Julie Z described the centerpieces, and Connie also went above and beyond to welcome our speakers and make them feel so valued. Craig and Laura reacted quickly to fix any “glitches” (screen, audio equipment) that popped up. Sue and Regina kept an eye on the audience and helped with handouts, welcomes and information and everyone helped with cleanup.

It was the perfect day to be captivated, transformed and inspired to do what we can to attract and preserve these wonderful birds in our own backyards. Thank you Julie and Jim for introducing us to your feathered friends.

Ohio Wesleyan University Early Childhood Center

Gayle O’Sullivan
April 2022 

Preschoolers, parents, grandparents, teachers, and Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) students led by OWU Junior Myles Steed, braved a cold, windy and damp April day to plant a veggie garden in newly built raised beds that were installed at the Ohio Wesleyan University Early Childhood Center. The garden was the idea of Myles, a pre-med major who volunteers at the Center (https://www.owu.edu/news-media/details/a-dose-of-doing-good/). The materials for the garden were donated by parents and community members. The children planted a variety of seeds and several dozen earthworms with enthusiasm and great abandon.  Center Director, Kellie Hall, is organizing the families to care for and harvest the produce throughout the school’s summer break. Master Gardener Intern, Cynthia Buettner, is serving as support and consultant for the project.

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Fun Gardening Activities at SourcePoint and Powell Parks & Rec

Gayle O’Sullivan and Nora Hiland
March 2022   

Gardening 101, with a heavy emphasis on “fun gardening activities” was our topic at three free-to-the-public classes this March.  Gayle and Nora (Delaware County Master Gardener Volunteers) journeyed to Powell Parks and Recreation’s Adventure Park while snowflakes scattered, then to Delaware’s senior center SourcePoint between heavy rainstorms. Will Spring never arrive?

Judging by the questions, the smiles, and the hugs we received after our presentation, our audience enjoyed the class as much as we did.  Irreverent – yes; packed with basic information – yes; lively, beautiful slides – check; take home activity – yup!  

Our listeners learned about Cutting Flowers and how to make them last, Milk Jug Greenhouses (with a Zone 6 Winter Seed Sowing Guide), Teepee Shelters of Scarlet Runner Beans, Sensory Gardens, Laundry Basket Potatoes (a very popular idea with our audience), Seed Tapes and Windowsill Microgreens.  We ran out of time for Pizza Gardens, but participants took home a “Container Vegetable Varieties” sheet to help them plan “Pizza in a Pot”.  

We all made vegetable seed tapes and the brave tasted microgreen arugula, sage, basil or a mix of kale, cabbage, mustard and kohlrabi.  Demonstrations for Teepees, Potato Baskets, Greenhouse Milk Jugs, Seed Tapes and Windowsill microgreens kept the class on its toes. (Thank you Nora!)

Luckily, Nora and I could answer our more obscure audience “Stump the Master Gardener” questions:

• Is it safe to sleep with plants in your bedroom as they take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide when they “sleep”? Yes, it is a minimal amount of carbon dioxide.

• Do marigolds really deter pests?  The French marigold (even though it originates in Mexico) is much more potently-scented than the Aztec marigold.  This is often the species grown as an aromatic pest repellent.  Many hybridized marigolds have been bred to eliminate this strong repellent odor. 

• What makes a good microgreen seed?  Any leafy vegetable that you would eat, plus there are unusual seeds like popcorn, amaranth and even sunflower that are interesting microgreens. 

Our participants’ surveys were filled with wonderful ideas for future DCMGA programs and “feel good” comments:

“Your presentation was wonderful and full of useful information”; “Excellent presentation”; “Very nice open friendly environment, fun educational program”; “Presenters did a great job. I am going to try the milk jugs”; “Fantastic session!”

Thank you to Gina Kolp of Powell Parks and Recreation and Joan Pearse of SourcePoint Senior Center for allowing us to spread our basic “good news, fun gardening ideas”.  Now let’s get out in the garden and try them out!

-Gayle O’Sullivan

Sustainable Beauty: Gardening for Biodiversity

DCMGA Members Present at Cedar Bog Nature Preserve

Gayle O’Sullivan (3.12.2022)

A group of twenty or so individuals braved a very cold, wintery morning to hear Terri and Randy Litchfield speak about the importance of native plants in supporting biodiversity in home gardens. The setting was Cedar Bog Nature Preserve (website | Facebook), the first nature preserve in Ohio purchased with state money and considered by many to be Ohio’s premier natural area. This state nature preserve boasts the greatest plant diversity of any place in the state, harboring an amazing 40 percent of the rare and endangered plant species in Ohio.

The presentation highlighted a number of spring ephemerals which will be blooming next month, later blooming native plants, an example of a backyard conversion to mostly natives, and a brief photo-documentary of the insect life found in the garden after this conversion. The audience was engaged and several were inspired to make changes in their home landscapes. Using cardboard to smother lawn was familiar to one participant and the description of how this was accomplished encouraged him to follow through with this in his landscape. Another participant expressed appreciation for the spreadsheet of plants with growing conditions, flower color, height, spread, sun, and soil information as she is planning to do a major project in her yard but was having trouble getting started with the planning. This session was the first in their monthly series and the preserve manager was quite pleased with the interest shown in the presentation. 

Winter Seed Sowing at Stratford Ecological Center

Gayle O’Sullivan (2.12.2022)

What a great start to a dreary February weekend!  Regina and Barb enlightened and entertained a Sold-Out crowd of community gardeners hoping to get a head start on their spring planting of native plants and vegetables.  Thirty-seven hopeful gardeners (only nine of them Master Gardeners) drove up the winding road to Stratford Ecological Center, dreaming of blooming native plants and tasty tomatoes.  What they received was so much more.

Yes, everyone took home a beet seed tape, and two mini milk jug greenhouses, one planted with cabbage seeds, another with purple coneflower.  But it was the information and the “true plant” stories that Regina and Barb shared that were the true treasures of the morning.  Stratification, germination, what is a native plant and where can I purchase them, how to divide milk jug plants, which vegetables are best for milk jug sowing, what soil (not dirt) do I use … all these and more were presented. 

What we learned through the seed tape and milk jug sowing successes and failures of Regina and Barb were even more important:

Label, label, label – for you will forget what you have sown.

• Protect/contain your milk jug from strong winds, animals, enthusiastic children (that’s my contribution) – or it will be blown away, tipped over, or stepped on.

• Mist your seeds, don’t drown them – or they will float (and germinate) around the edges of your jug.

• Use single-ply toilet paper for your seed tape – but perhaps for nothing else.

• Ensure that the end of your seed tape is secured under soil – or birds and other curious wildlife will abscond with your toilet paper row of radish seeds.

The class was filled with laughter and excitement.  100% of participants enthusiastically gave Regina and Barb a “Do this Again!” rating and the surveys were filled with a very common theme:

“Loved it; Fun; Learned a Lot, Really Enjoyed it; Awesome Presenters; Educational; Fun; Outstanding Presenters; Fun Project; Easy to do at Home; Lots of Fun …”     I think we all get the message!

Thank you to Regina Lach and Barb Butt – our awesome speakers. And a big thank you to all the support team:  Nancy Freeland, Nora Hiland, Terri Litchfield, Randy Litchfield, Mary Sandberg, and Nancy Traub.

Shale Meadows Elementary School

Milkweed Milk Jugs and Monarchs
Karen Rissmeyer, Cynthia Buettner, Stephany Merick
January 5, 2022   

Karen Rissmeyer (Master Gardener class of 2021!) has initiated an exciting learning project at Shale Meadows Elementary School.  Karen, a newly retired educator from Olentangy Local School District, reached out to principal Greta Gnagy and teacher Mandy Robek of the Shale Meadow Monarchs to offer Master Gardener help to create a Monarch school garden and to teach students about the life cycle and food source for the Monarch butterfly.

After two years of schools restricting outside access to their students for health concerns, Master Gardeners were finally invited back into the classroom to share the science and fun of gardening – woohoo!

On Wednesday, January 5, three intrepid Master Gardeners (Karen and MG intern helpers Cynthia Buettner and Stephany Merick) arrived at Shale Meadows Elementary school armed with milk jugs, milkweed seed, a handy dandy drill, duct tape and soil.  Their mission – to educate five third grade classes about monarchs, their migration, their host plant, and why creating a monarch waystation is helpful to the continuation of the species.  Karen led a discussion that taught the students about monarchs and also about milkweed, winter seed sowing, and reviewing the water cycle. As a retired teacher, Karen was more than ready to jump into leading the students in a game, simulation, and discussion that led up to the winter seed sowing activity. 

Students drilled milk jugs, filled them with potting soil and wet the soil.  Fluffy milkweed seeds were scattered in the soil (and possibly elsewhere) and gently misted.  Do-it-all duct tape sealed the cut edges of the jugs and they were ready to be put outside to stratify in the cold.  The student “Milkweed Crew” will watch over the jugs when they're out on the playground over the winter.  Karen taught the “Crew” what to watch for (moisture –too much, too little) and what to do to make their little seedlings healthy and happy.

Thank you to Greta Gnagy and Mandy Robek for giving us such delightful mini gardeners and for allowing us to share the wonder of Monarchs with your third graders.

And thank you to our creative and energetic intern MGs Karen Rissmeyer, Cynthia Buettner and Stephany Merick who are bringing the science of gardening back to our schools!

-Gayle O’Sullivan