A few years back, I visited my mom and saw that the Franklin Tree I had given her was blooming. It had been growing there for several years. That year, the weather was good, so the blossoms lasted late into the season. The tree was a bargain, and I almost bought one for myself at […]
A Stroll Through the Garden
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Cabbage invaders are ready to attack
I got a call some time ago from a reader about this worm in his cabbage. I visited his home to take a look. Most of his cabbage and related crops had small holes in the leaves. He showed me the culprit: a green caterpillar about 1 to 2 inches long, with a thin line […]
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Violating seed-gathering principles can be dangerous
A while back, I got a strange call from a reader who has followed my column for a while. This person asked if I’d ever heard of Toxic Squash Syndrome. Apparently, they had food poisoning symptoms that lasted three or four days. I’ve had food poisoning myself, and for three days I felt so awful […]
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Can chicory be a coffee substitute?
Have you been driving along the road lately and noticed a blue flower that just seems to grow up through the gravel? Personally, I find this small flower attractive, and I think you will find my research interesting. A friend from church asked me about this flower and wondered about the value of this weed.
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: I heard it through the grapevine
A few years back, one of our readers reached out to me with a question: “How do youget rid of this vine in the picture of a lot she was trying to sell?” Her curiosity got me thinking — does this persistent vine really affect a property’s value?
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Iris is the goddess of the rainbow
A few years ago, I got an e-mail from reader who was frustrated that their irises just wouldn’t bloom. If you’ve ever looked at your own garden and wondered what went wrong, you’re not alone — I’ve been there too. Irises have been a part of my family’s flower beds for as long as I […]
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Pawpaws, Ohio’s state fruit tree, provides many uses
Pawpaws, Ohio’s state fruit tree, are interesting and have many uses. I notice that this tree stands out in all three seasons, though many people might not realize it. I enjoy living in Ohio, which is fascinating and offers many opportunities to enjoy. I see a three-season quality to this tree that most people will […]
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A Stroll Through the Garden: Grandma’s lilacs emphasize the importance of pruning
I received an email from one of our readers who has enjoyed my column for a number of years, and she asked whether she should prune her lilac now and how to do it properly. Lilac has been among one of my favorite flowers for as long as I can remember. The lilac growing on […]
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Giant hogweed creates toxins & surprises
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.
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.