ASHLAND — Last week, after being inside hibernating for too long, I was starting to look forward to some sunshine. On Inauguration Day, I saw some sunshine out the window, and it gave me some hope that the sun still existed, but it was cold. While on the radio program the week before, the radio […]
A Stroll Through the Garden
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Getting Amaryllis to rebloom is tricky
Earlier this month at church, a reader and a friend asked me if I could tell them how to get her Amaryllis to re-bloom. I have always loved Amaryllis, and one time, I bought a beautiful Amaryllis with white-and-red-mixed bloom. My parents had this massive bulb in my home when I was a kid, and […]
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Mind your wood ash
I hope all of you survived this last week’s cold and snow after New Year’s. A reader from the butcher shop in Jeromesville, asked an unusual question years ago. Concern filled her inquiry about throwing wood ash in her garden. She wondered whether the practice of spreading wood ash in the garden was something a […]
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Caring for hearty grasses doesn’t have to be tough
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was authored by Eric Larson. A few years ago, one of my readers asked me about dividing and cutting down a vigorous grass. This person has been growing Tiger grass here in Ohio for 20 years. He said that he did not cut back the grass that winter. There may be […]
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A Stroll Through the Garden: Junipers have a link to New Year’s celebrations
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was authored by Eric Larson. Junipers have long been considered among the symbols of the New Year, first with their evergreen nature. It is interesting to note that they are long-lived. What I discovered is that junipers are also a symbol of eternity. Side tales in the Bible don’t have a […]
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A Stroll Through the Garden: Poinsettias are more than pretty flowers
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was written by Eric Larson. When first introduced to the United States in 1825, poinsettias or Euphorbia pulcherrima were named “Painted Leaf” and “Mexican Fire Plant.” In 1822, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was ambassador to Mexico at the time, sent cuttings back to his plantation near Georgetown, S.C. Poinsett began his […]
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Eric Larson: A Stroll Through the Garden: Starting persimmon seeds can be difficult
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was authored by Eric Larson. A friend from church and a reader years ago asked me about how I would get a persimmon tree to grow from a seed that he collected? He asked me whether his backyard would be a good place for him to have one or if there […]
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A Stroll Through the Garden: Thanksgiving Cactus can return to bloom
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was written by Eric Larson. To get Thanksgiving Cactus, or Schlumbergia truncata, to rebloom is more straightforward than one may experience. A Master Gardener lecture I attended at the beginning of November refreshed my recollections of how to get Thanksgiving Cactus to rebloom. Any plant can rebloom if you can imitate […]
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A Stroll Through the Garden: The mystery of scented geraniums
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was authored by Eric Larson. A few years ago, a friend from church and a reader asked about unusual plants I may encounter. She asked me what I might find to overwinter in my home so that we could all enjoy the plants both winter and summer. My friend said I […]
Posted inLife and Culture
A Stroll Through the Garden: Are our bees endangered?
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was authored by Eric Larson. In 2014, I was initially asked the question in the headline above. So, I went to the home of a friend and a reader of our column. He took me to his established orchard. While there, he commented that he had seen some unusual things in […]