Monday night, while I was attending my Richland County Master Gardener club meeting, one of my friends told me about a weed he wanted to remove from his garden. From his description, it sounded like a young Giant Hogweed. This sparked a conversation about the importance of using caution when working with this plant. I […]
A Stroll Through the Garden
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Is purslane weed food or decorative accent?
Over the years, I’ve shared countless springs and summers with purslane, the so-called weed. Maybe you’ve spotted it too — one of my clients had so many purslane plants, their garden looked like a living green carpet. I even received an email from a reader, complete with a picture of their own purslane patch. Later […]
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Pecan trees can grow this far north
Maybe you’ve wondered about this too — how far north pecan trees can really thrive? In our area, we’re right at the edge of where pecan trees can grow, which makes every successful tree feel like a small victory. If you’ve ever tried growing plants at the edge of their comfort zone, you know how […]
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Check out these tips on pruning hydrangeas
Often folks will question why hydrangeas did not bear as many flowers as hoped over the years. Pruning might be one avenue to investigate. I have seen all kinds of hydrangeas over the years, and Grandma had one in her yard. Hydrangeas, for the most part, do not need much pruning of any kind. I […]
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Morel mushrooms are almost here
A friend of mine from church is an expert morel mushroom hunter. The temperatures have been going up and down, but I do remember 73 as a high last week, so we started our annual talk about looking for morels. My friend has shared a number of morels with me over the years. I believe […]
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Elderberries are ready to plant
To our reader who reached out for advice on this wonderful plant, I’m delighted you did! Growing elderberries in north central Ohio is something you can absolutely achieve with a little care. I remember having the same questions when I started. One thing to know: there are 20 to 30 related species of American Elder […]
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through Our Mohican Garden: Asparagus boys and girls are close to harvest
One of the cherished dishes in my family that grandma made for me was creamed asparagus over toast. This time of year, after she would have found some asparagus at one of the roadside stands, she would tell me that she would make some for me. I have loved asparagus since I was a kid. […]
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Magnolia season is here
A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I decided to shake the cob webs off and take some pictures of the flowers at Secrest Arboretum in Wooster. It felt good to get outside after being cooped up, and I’m sure many of you know that feeling when the weather finally invites you out. While […]
Posted inOutdoor
A Stroll through the Garden: Cannonball fungus attacking our walls
While I was actively working in a client’s flower bed, getting rid of the Canadian thistle a few years ago, I noticed these little black dots all over her garden walls. These dots were by her front door, on the hard surfaces of concrete blocks that formed a border for her beds. The south-facing wall […]
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Here’s how to prune forsythia
A reader reached out to share her question with me about her beautiful forsythia hedge surrounding a birdbath in her garden. As she cleaned the bird bath, she poured the diluted bleach water onto the forsythia, not realizing the impact it would have. Unfortunately, bleach doesn’t agree with forsythia, even if it does keep the […]