Monthly Theme: Weeds, weeds, and more weeds!

How often have you looked at a plant sprouting in your flowerbed and said to yourself, “Is that a weed?”  I’ve even taken it a step further and tried the ‘wait and see’ technique where you let it grow only to determine later that it is indeed a weed, which has now taken over your flowerbed.  In this issue, we are going to identify three ordinary weeds found in Ohio (specifically in MY yard!) and methods to attempt to control them.  Next month, we will continue are discussion about common garden weeds.  Get your trusty weeder, knee pad, and let’s dig into it!.

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Monthly Theme: Fabulous Florida Flora!

I spent the month of February with my daughter in St. Petersburg, FL.  During my lunch breaks, I would walk my grand-dog, Sir Boddington.  The “Sir” is a handsome Hungarian Vizsla named after the amber-colored British beer Boddington.  Boddington is such a little gentleman that he patiently waited as I stopped to obverse and photograph the various flowering plants, vines, and trees while on our daily walks.

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MONTHLY THEME: OH, Ohio!!

As a native Ohioan, born in C-Town (Cleveland) many moons ago, I thought it would be fun to talk about everything Ohio.  Since 1904, the Ohio State Flower has been the Scarlet Carnation (dianthus caryophyllus). Legislature selected the red carnation to honor Ohio-born President William McKinley, who was assassinated in 1901.  For luck, McKinley wore a red carnation in the buttonhole of his jacket.  So much for the lucky theory!

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Monthly Theme: The Art of Flowers!

For this month, I wanted to combine two of my favorite things (not sugar and spice and everything nice – though those are also high on my list of desires) - flowers and artwork.

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MONTHLY THEME: Zinnias are natures easy-to-grow workhorses!

Zinnia is actually a genus (part of the Heliantheae tribe) of the Asteraceae family.  As you dream and ponder about next summer’s garden, consider planting the quick-growing, vibrate, and dependable zinnia.  Like people, they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.  So, read the seed package for plants that will work well in your garden space.  Zinnias are annuals, but worth the effort to sow some seeds in the spring.  The majority of my gardens are perennials, but there is always some extra room for those favorite annuals wherever a pop of color is needed.

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Monthly Theme: Edible Flowers – they are not just another pretty face!

You might be pleasantly surprised to learn how many edible flowers you have growing in your own yard right now.  In fact, while researching this topic, I discovered there are so many more edible flowers then I previously realized.  Since the list is too long to go into detail about each edible plant, I’ve selected ten to discuss and provided you a list of additional edible plants to explore on your own.  I’m sure this list doesn’t include all of the edible flowers, but it’s a good start.  I didn’t include edible herbs (almost every herb is edible), veggies (like squash or broad bean flowers), trees (like eating cherry or citrus tree blossoms) or weeds (such as dandelion or clover) - that’s a whole other blog!  Plus, I’m focusing on edible flowers that grow in Northeastern Ohio..

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Monthly Theme: Mulch, mulch, and MORE mulch!

Last week I finally finished moving 5 yards of mulch around my half acre lot.  Shovel by shovel, it took me 3-weeks and every spare minute of my time.  I even used my hour lunch break to move mulch.  As soon as the workday was over, I’d work outside until sundown.  On weekends, I worked from sunup to sundown.   Of course, being a Virgo, I go above and beyond.   Weeding meticulously on my hands and knees (like my mom used to do), fertilizing the plants, covering the soil with old newspaper, and finally applying the clean mulch (often spreading evenly by hand).

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MONTHLY THEME: Flora of New Zealand

In the New Zealand Māori language, I greet you with “Kia ora tatou,” which means “Hello everyone!”  Last month, my daughter and I were fortunate enough to visit the far away land of New Zealand.  The country is breathtakingly beautiful and a nature-lovers paradise.  Of course, I was intrigued by the flora and thought it would be fun to share some of my photos and new-found knowledge about the plant life we encountered.

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MONTHLY THEME: Great Big Home + Flower Show Review

To change things up, I thought it would be fun to review the 2023 Great Big Home + Flower Show presented by Carter at the I-X Center in Cleveland, OH.  Due to Coronavirus, the show was not hosted last year.  Personally, I haven’t been to the show for the past two-years.  So, I was really excited to return and see some flowers in bloom and hopefully spark my excitement for the upcoming gardening season.

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MONTHLY THEME: These are a few of my favorite things -- Christmas Plants

As we prepare and embrace (or brace ourselves) for another holiday season, I thought it would be interesting to briefly highlight four favorite Christmas plants. The four traditional plants I choose are the Christmas Cactus (genus Schlumbergera), Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), Norfolk pine (Araucaria heterophylla), and Christmas Holly (Ilex).

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MONTHLY THEME: Winterize Your Garden

Another growing season is quickly coming to an end. Sadly, it’s time to say goodbye to the brightly colored flowers growing in our yards and warm summer breezes drifting through the green leaves on our trees. Ready or not, it’s time to winterize your yard and put away your outdoor furniture and goofy yard art that won’t fare well over the harsh winter.

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MONTHLY THEME: An oldie, but a goodie!

This month’s featured flower is an oldie, but a goodie. Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) can be found in old and new gardens across the country. This hardy little plant is a crowd pleaser and has established its presence in gardens near and far.

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MONTHLY THEME: Gorgeous Ground Covers!

Are you tired of mowing that steep incline or narrow pathway? Does your yard have way too much grass? Instead of another bag of mulch under the Maple tree, how about a beautiful carpet of color from a hardy ground cover? Are you fed up with weed-whacking the grass under the fence or do you just want to reduce the time spent weeding? Wouldn’t it be nice to fill in that dirt between the stepping-stones with a vibrant ground cover? Let’s talk about ground covers this month and open up your options for new and decorative vegetation in your yard.

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MONTHLY THEME: Let’s Talk About Native Plants!

It’s finally SPRINGTIME in Ohio! The glorious time of the year when all gardeners rise up, dust off their garden gloves, dig out their gardening tools, and head outside to work in their gardens. This month let’s talk about plants that are native to Ohio.

Gardeners tend to be people who honor and appreciate nature, and more than likely are ecofriendly and concerned about biodiversity, which is why gardening trends like woodland, wildflower, prairie, and rain gardens are all the buzz.

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MONTHLY THEME: Winter Blues Varnish with Blueberries!

Don’t let the winter months make you blue – instead focus for a few minutes on growing and baking with blueberries! If you enjoy munching on blueberries half as much as I do, it will be worth your time to plant your own blueberry bushes in your yard. I planted my first two Jersey Highbush Blueberry bushes in 2008. I quickly learned I would need to plant another variety – so I added two Bluejay blueberry bushes in 2009. Also, I replaced one that died in 2020. However, one of the first bushes I planted, continues to be my best producer. I call her my ‘mama’ blueberry bush because she does all the hard work.

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MONTHLY THEME: Starry, starry night. Flaming flowers that brightly blaze…

Don McLean's song ‘Starry, starry night’ about Vincent van Gogh's life always makes me think of an aster. I wonder if McLean would mind if I added a verse to his song that said, ‘Starry, starry night asters bloom with such delight?’ If you haven’t already guessed, this month’s ‘star’ performer is the aster.

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MONTHLY THEME: I’m simply wild about WILD Geraniums!

This month’s feature plant is the Wild Geranium Geranium maculatum (genus Gernaium). In 2019, I introduced one small potted Wild Geranium plant to my yard and now I have a 3’ mounded circle. Mine are nestled next to my Lenton Rose Hellebores, Shasta Daisy’s Leucanthemum × superbum, and Bleeding Hearts Lamprocapnos spectabilis. The Wild Geranium is a native wildflower and can grow in full sun to shade. Of course, the more sun, the more flowers. It will survive in average soil, but thrive in richer soil (like the forest floors). Anyone can grow this plant – no need for a magical green thumb. You don’t even have to deadhead because the plants do not repeat bloom.

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MONTHLY THEME: You too CAN grow CANNA Lilies!

Anyone who knows me knows that I’ve grown Canna Lilies for over 20-years. My plants originally came from my Great Aunt Angie’s home in sunny Florida. She gave starter rhizomes to my mom who faithfully planted them for years and years. Mom gifted me some rhizomes and I have carried on the tradition. Since they are a tropical plant, they can’t survive our harsh Ohio winters. So, they have to be dug up and replanted yearly. I won’t lie – it’s a lot of work, but their beauty and grace are worth the effort. I believe the variety I grow are called Mr. President.

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MONTHLY THEME: Botanical names, common names, Latin names, regional names, which one is correct?!

I wanted to write this month about my Moonflower, Brugmansia, a lovely plant I started from seeds my son, Joshua, gave me years ago. However, once I started researching, I learned that I am not growing Brugmansia, but genus Datura! See, you can teach an old gardener new facts. The name Datura is from Sanskrit dhatūrao or thornapple. In fact, Datura is known by many names: Trumpet Flower, Floripondio, Jimsonweed, Devil's Trumpet, Indian Apple, Thornapples, and Horn of Plenty. Like so many other plants it gets confusing with the various names people recognize them by. Apparently, William Shakespeare was accurate when he wrote in Romeo and Juliet, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Plants are often named by their appearance, their medical benefits, their fragrance or even folklore.

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MARCH/APRIL THEME: Spring into Spring!

Plan and plot, dream and draft, envision and execute. With springtime just around the corner, my gardening brain is going a mile-a-minute. What should I plant? What should I transplant? I need to finally set up my rain barrel. Why didn’t my garlic grow? What should I remove from my landscape? My deck needs to be stained. This is the perfect time to visualize your landscape and implement a plan of action to make those dreams come true.

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