 Dayton
"Dirt"
Weekly Blog entries
by Tom Dayton
"Going Green" Blogs
2008-2009 Blog Archive
August 27, 2010
A week from today starts our annual fall sale for which many trees, shrubs
and perennials will be 50% off the list price.
It has been a little slower this summer probably
due to the high temperatures so that the fall sale selection will be better
than ever.
Do remember though that not everything will be on
sale as some items we buy and display for fall but are actually for next
spring's sales.
Look on the website to get an idea of current
inventory and the 50% off sale list about September 1st to take a look to
see if there is something that you would like at the 50% off savings.
The first four days of the sale will only be open
to our Garden Club members in order that they get first dibs on the stock.
After the four days, the sale will be open to
everyone although if you are not currently one of our Garden Club members,
you may sign up the same day and receive the 50% off discount.
Keep in mind that the inventory online is not
perpetual and sometimes changes rapidly even in one day so be sure to call
or e-mail ahead if there is some special item you want that is showing low
numbers in our inventory.
Hope to see you next weekend!
Tom
August 22, 2010
This week the construction starts on our new greenhouse that will enable us
to grow more annual flowers to stock our retail greenhouse next spring.
I became very frustrated as some plants were in short supply and the quality
on many declined as everyone tries to cut corners in the new economy. We
sent product back to our suppliers that was only marginally saleable. I was
so fed up in May that I decided to do something about it and take more
direct control of our supply by building the new greenhouse with heat
retention curtains which will enable us to start growing in mid January
without transferring large amounts of cash to the gas company!
The greenhouse will be more automated and should elevate the level of
quality of what we grow now as well as elevate the quantity so we are not at
the mercy of outside suppliers.
We're still tweaking the produce for sale in the Owl Barn Market to ensure
high quality and freshness as well as providing more variety as it comes out
of local farms. I'm looking forward to the apple crop that isn't far away
so that we can stock up on a kaleidoscope of various apples.
See you soon,
Tom
August 13, 2010
The middle of August is most likely the time when your pulling a lot from
your garden as far as the heat-loving vegetable group; that is tomatoes,
peppers, sweet corn, beans, cucumbers and squash.
One of the questions we have had periodically is if the our produce is
organic. My answer is no as we deal with a variety of farms including Amish
growers and all of them are not strictly organic.
At least one of our produce suppliers does have a GAP rating (Good
Agricultural Practices) that is certified by the State Department of
Agriculture.
These good practices include:
- control of soil erosion
- Minimal pesticide use
- Control of runoff water
- Low water usage from drip irrigation
These points are just some of the major ones that a farmer must satisfy
through rigorous inspection in order to be granted the GAP certification.
We will have some produce in the future that will be certified organic but I
must say that I don't think we wil be totally organic.
With our fall festival coming up on September 18th, I'm excited in that
we'll be able to showcase the new Owl Barn and all the bounty of surrounding
farms.
While Wolf Creek Gardens is still coming around, we will make even bigger
strides in late September and October in tweaking the plantings as we have a
small lull in the amount of projects that have to be done at the nursery.
One of the fall projects in Wolf Creek Gardens will be an addition to the
blueberry patch that I think will be open for limited picking next summer.
Tom
August 6, 2010
Shortly we'll begin construction on our new greenhouse to supply us with
small potted flowers and some earlier hanging baskets.
I was not pleased with some of the greenhouse product we received from some
of our vendors that have supplied us for 25 years or more.
The product was sometimes substandard quality or non-existent - another
result of the "new" economy.
The new greenhouse will not supply all of our needs but will greatly
supplement what we are able to grow now.
Since the growing year has been running ahead, please keep an eye on the
grubs waiting to destroy your lawn as the egg hatch from European Chafer and
Japanese Beetle is about to begin.
By the first of September, any grub infestation should be noticeable as the
grass will begin turning off color in patches and the soil will actually
lift up when the infestation is severe.
If you detect more than 3 grubs per square foot, apply a product such as
Dylox but do not apply "Grub-Ex" with the active ingredient imadocloprid or
Merit as it is too late.
Dylox is relatively safe and will do the job quickly once it has been
watered in.
Our fall festival is getting closer so make sure you mark your calendars for
the entertainment and hayrides to come!
See ya soon,
Tom
July 30, 2010
With August fast approaching, many of you should have produce coming out
your ears!
It has been a rough growing season though as some gardens have been attacked
by tomato blight and powdery mildew because of the extreme heat coupled with
exceptionally high humidity.
For the things you don't grow, I hope you'll come on over to the Owl Barn
Market as we have plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits in stock from local
farms.
I must admit that I am a little behind as we normally have all of our
cuttings of shrubs taken by now but a major "time-eater" occurred when our
main 25 horsepower pump failed so that we had to rely on the much smaller 10
hp electric pump.
Unfortunately, the new economy means less stocking of everything so that it
took about 3 1/2 weeks to get the replacement pump in order to water the
nursery stock properly with the heat.
Weeds, as always, are a pain but more so this year as I let some of them go
too long because I frankly did not want to have anyone, including myself,
pulling weeds in 90 degree plus weather coupled with high humidity.
Remember to use your Dayton Dollars by the end of August before they expire
as stock for many trees and shrubs, perennials and hard goods are quite
adequate for you to select an item you want.
Well, back to finishing the cuttings,
Tom
July 16, 2010
The long awaited opening of the Owl Barn Market is finally almost here.
I hope you’ll be able to come to our open house
tomorrow to take a look at all the locally grown produce from neighboring
farms as our emphasis is and will be to buy local in order to ensure
freshness and quality of fresh foods and to help your neighbors – local
farmers.
The Owl Barn will have related food goods such as
jams and jellies, some baked goods and an assortment of cooking utensils and
paraphernalia.
Lisa Merrick will be displaying some of her art
work including her well known works of framed pressed flowers from her own
garden.
The Owl Barn is a return to the produce market days
of the late 1960’s through the mid 1970’s when I sold produce from my garden
at my parents’ home in Norton.
A lot has changed since then about the products
available and the display of those products.
Again, locally grown fresh produce is the
emphasis of the Owl Barn Market and I think it will fill a void as its
location of just ¼ mile north of I-76 on Cleveland-Massillon Rd. will be a
convenient location for Norton, Barberton, Wadsworth, Copley and Fairlawn
residents.
The other void the market will fill will be the
freshness of the product. I was appalled by the sweet corn that was being
soil in the local grocery store a couple of weeks ago.
The sweet corn of course was not local because of
the early season; however, the dried up mess that the store offered as sweet
corn I would have been ashamed to sell!
Just make sure you e-mail the nursery or make it
known to one of the clerks if there is something we offer not to your liking
in case we goof.
Remember, if we don’t have all the produce you are
looking for, it may not be available yet as again our emphasis will be on
locally grown produce.
Hope to see you soon.
Tom
July 9, 2010
By now, many of you with blueberries have been picking a bumper crop at
least that’s the way it seems at the nursery.
Its getting close to the time that we’ll open the
Owl Barn Market so that we are feverishly getting ready although we have
been working on getting ready since last January.
We’re going to try to make the market something
special that you’ll want to visit for fresh local produce but also to see
what’s going on next.
Wolf Creek Gardens, adjacent to the market, will be open too and we’re
working hard to refine it into something special as well.
I’m anticipating a call from Chuck Seiberling
within a couple of weeks that the sweet corn is ready to pick and also a
call from Chuck’s niece Norma, who has titled herself as the chief flower
grower of Seiberling Farms and whose flower bounty we will stock in the Owl
Barn Market.
As time goes on, we’ll be sure to expand our
selection of produce and other goods but we don’t’ want to get in a rush to
do it all at once as we would rather do it right.
Keep an eye on our website for the opening day and
a chance to see what’s going on at the Owl Barn and nursery too.
Tom
July 2, 2010
Picnics, swimming, fishing, get togethers, fireworks and more conjure up
visions of the 4th of July.
That same week in 1776 in Philadelphia, it was hot
and muggy with all the delegates of the Continental Congress not on the same
page.
I can just imaging some of the heated arguments
that the gruff John Adams had with his fellow delegates.
Truly with the genius of men like Franklin,
Madison, Adams and Jefferson, its no wonder that the eighteenth century is
known as the “Age of Enlightenment”.
Don’t forget this is the last week that you can
plant heat loving successive crops such as sweet corn, cucumbers and squash.
The garden spiders will be out soon in full force
if they aren’t already and don’t you dare kill any of them as they’re doing
you a great favor by catching and eating insects harmful to the garden.
I remember reading a magazine in which a naturalist
was searching for a bat cave in Tennesee.
The visitor questioned a farmer about the bats to
which the farmer replied that those darned things were in such and such
location.
When the naturalist found the cave, he noticed
shells of insects on the floor by the thousands which were potato beetles.
When the Tennessee potato farmer found out about
the onslaught these beetles suffered from the bats, these bats then became
HIS bats!
Enjoy your weekend and the 4th.
Tom
June 25, 2010
I’m getting excited about my annual “shopping” trip
to Holland, Michigan to visit Walters Gardens that has 900 acres or more
under the cultivation of perennials.
It’s always a thrill to take a look at all the
facilities and growing fields to see what’s going on and especially what’s
new.
I remember my dad and I taking our first tour of
the nursery in 1982 when Dennis Walters gave us the tour.
Mr. Walters was so very friendly and kept asking us
after an hour of the tour if we had any more questions or wanted to see
more.
He did show us 20 acres of daylilies that were all
sold to the marketing company Wayside Gardens while inside this processing
building, workers were assembling bags with two oriental poppy roots in each
bag for a total of one million poppies!
Walters has a fantastic website too with color
photos and descriptions of most of their inventory.
After my tour and a little study, I’ll be able to
dream about all the new stuff for 2011 like the new Itoh peonies that have
colors of yellow, orange, pinks, reds and purples like the tree peonies only
they die down like garden peonies and can be grown in full sun!
I already ordered these plants last January to sell
in 2011!
Keep an eye on my blogs for the new developments…
Tom
June 18, 2010
The wet and rainy June has given way to abundant sunshine and heat so that
the flower and vegetable garden should be growing like mad as long as you
have well-drained soil.
A good idea is to give the vegetable garden a side
dress of garden fertilizer as all the rain has probably leached away much of
the nitrogen and potassium necessary for good growth as these components of
plant nutrients are not so stable in the soil although a soil with a
moderate amount of organic matter will retain nutrients such as these much
better than a sandy soil or other type that is devoid of organic matter.
Some timely “to-do’s” include:
1. Putting a preventative grub treatment on your
lawn now
2. Finish quickly trimming all spring blooming
plants such as Azalea, Viburnum & Rhododendron
3. Apply a slow release fertilizer to your lawn
4. Examine your lawn for insects such as sod
webworm and chinch bug
5. Plant successive crops of tomatoes, beans,
sweet corn, carrots, squash, cucumbers and winter potatoes
6. Spray or treat for Azalea lacebug if you
haven’t already (see our Azalea-Rhododendron care sheet)
7. Get ready to cover your blueberries as they get
ready to turn color
8. Keep powdery mildew and several other diseases
off the flower garden and vegetable garden with Bi-carb
9. Spray roses and vegetable garden with Neem Oil
to kill nymphs of several insects as it is organic but do not spray in the
day but in the evening as the product is deadly to honey bees.
With the onset of the summer solstice on June 21,
the perennial garden should be coming into its prime with foxgloves,
delphinium, shastas, harebells and more coming into fall color.
I just love summer in Ohio although I must confess
that I do like the spring even more.
Tom
June 11, 2010
Today would have been my mom & dad’s 61st wedding anniversary but
unfortunately, my dad passed away 6 years ago.
I remember this day (in 1972) also because
Hurricane Agnes was in the North Atlantic and was absorbed by a low pressure
cell over Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania which flooded the region and gave us
such cold rainy weather that about a thousand pepper plants I planted were
stunted and never did grow.
In fact, on June 15th, in Hartville, it
actually frosted and did damage to the truck farms in the area.
Remember on Saturday, June 12th at noon,
we’ll have the Rose Lady and Mimi Zak to touch on some rose highlights and
answer your questions. I think you’ll like the rose samples displayed from
Mimi’s magnificent rose garden.
Its back to work for me as all this rain has made
the garden grow but the weeds too!
Tom
June 4, 2010
While Memorial Day signals the commencement of
summer, there are still 3 weeks left until the summer solstice.
With the long warm days, our gardens seem to grow
wildly as compared with the slow start from the somewhat cold early May.
As I have said before, Memorial Day need not be the
end of the vegetable garden planting as successive crops can be planted to
keep the harvest going later in the summer and into fall.
An interesting book to read is American
Intensive Gardening by the Poisson family as it describes the family’s
trials and errors to create the most productive garden in the cooler New
England climate of New Hampshire.
Be sure to keep an eye on trees and shrubs you
planted early in spring.
Two simple rules are as follows:
1. Container grown plants – water twice weekly by
soaking thoroughly. A good rule of thumb is that for every “gallon” of the
container in which the plant was grown, give it at least that amount in
gallons in any one watering.
2. Balled and burlapped trees and shrubs – soak
thoroughly once weekly unless the plant is a Rhododendron or Azalea on of
the family I which case the watering frequency is twice each week.
Remember that rainfall counts as watering only if
you are sure that the rainy period resulted in one inch of rain or more in a
24 hour period.
Most importantly do bypass a softener when watering
your plants if you have a well because most softeners use a sodium exchange
type system which is not good for plants.
Although I don’t like hot weather, I still remember
shoveling snow in February and I can tell you I don’t miss the snow shovel
as this past winter was just a little tiring with the seemingly endless snow
storms.
Happy Growing,
Tom
May 28, 2010
This weekend, Memorial
Weekend, is the traditional weekend to decorate the graves of our departed
loved ones although for years the date was May 30th and known as Decoration
Day. Another tradition is that it’s the weekend to plant the garden and then
it’s done. I find this tradition a little strange as planting has gone on or
should have gone on in the garden at least since mid-April. The other side
of the coin is that planting can go on long after this weekend with
succession crops of sweet corn, beans, potatoes, cucumbers, peppers,
tomatoes, lettuce, beets, squash . . . I think you get the picture.
The succession crops can be planted up until about July 4th in most cases
although turnips, parsnips, carrots and kale can be planted in mid to late
August so that they can be harvested in late fall and even stored in the
ground as long as they have their crowns covered with straw to prevent
damage from a hard freeze.
By planting succession crops you’ll have more fresh produce to supplement
your diet as well as your family and be less dependant on food frequently
shipped from sources far away with a taste that might as well be like
chewing on cardboard in many instances.
Stop in and see what we have as we are still stocked fairly well although
I’m sure there may be some items out of stock until the next year.
Next month is perennial gardening month so be sure to take a look at our
perennial house when you stop by. Hopefully all or at least some of you
(garden club members) have received our late spring-summer newsletter, if
not, you should be getting it shortly.
Get Gardening!
Tom
May 21, 2010
This week for some is a good planting week for your vegetable garden and
annual flowers but still the watch word is just that "watch" as frost still
could occur. With the soil much warmer, seeds and plants should do just fine
unless we get an extended cold, wet period.
In 1972, Hurricane Agnes came up the east coast and
was absorbed by a low pressure cell centered over Pennsylvania. Wiles-Barre
and Scranton, Pennsylvania flooded severely and even here in Akron, Ohio it
was very cold, wet and rainey June 11th through June 15th. I remember well
the weather as I had 600 medium hot pepper plants on a somewhat sandy ground
which seemed to drain well. Nevertheless the plants were stunted and never
did grow well after things warmed back up to normal!
Our hanging baskets should be in their prime now as
we time them to look their best between Mother’s Day and last until Memorial
Day. It seems the 12" hanging baskets do well with the large soil volume to
keep the roots cool and of course allow room for roots to grow. Our larger
hanging baskets still have a charge of Osmocote slow release fertilizer to
carry them into summer; however, it’s a good idea to supplement this slow
release feed once weekly with a liquid fertilizer like Miracle Gro or
20-20-20.
Back to vegetable plants. Remember to not only
depend on heirloom varieties of plants as most are not disease resistant
like the hybrids are. Also, check into growing plants in an earthbox as this
system of growing vegetables is very productive and does not take up a lot
of room.
Happy Planting!
Tom
May 14, 2010
It’s about time to start putting out more tender plants but most of you know
that the weather is unpredictable and you still have to be careful. From
experience you may have noticed over the years what kind of micro climate
you have. In the city or an allotment, it will generally act like a zone 6
climatic zone which enables you in most years to plant now. I know in my own
case that the nursery seems much colder than the surrounding area and is
truly a climatic zone 5. My mother only lives two miles from the nursery and
a frost after mid May in most years is rare. When I see a prediction for an
overnight low of 40º F or lower, I know that in almost every case it will
frost at the nursery if the sky is clear and the air is still.
Be sure to come in to take a look at all our new
varieties of heirloom vegetable plants, strawberry plants, raspberry plants,
horseradish, fruit trees, elderberries and blueberry plants.
We’re in a high mode of production now with our
blueberry plants so we think you’ll be able to find about anything you want.
Say hello if you see me as I may not readily
acknowledge you because of my limited sleep!
Tom
May 7, 2010
May 9th is Mother’s Day and is nearing its 100th
year anniversary since it officially began with President Wilson’s blessing
1917. Almost all moms love flowers and I’m sure you’ll find something she’s
sure to like.
When you come in the front gate, you won’t be able
to not notice the 2300 red tulips that I planted last November called Ile de
France. These are a triumph tulip which is a group that blooms after the
late April Darwin types. The brilliant red I thought would contrast nicely
with the white post and rail fence. Even Claude Monet was inspired by the
tulip fields in Holland as he painted them with one of the classic Dutch
windmills in the background.
This week in May is our very peak of inventory and
spring bloom so that I’m sure the nursery will be to your liking. Remember,
the old fashioned lilac is on sale this week as an unadvertised special
along with the Miss Kim lilac. An advertised special for Azalea ‘Manderin
Lights’ I told you about in my last blog is now available as its getting
ready to burst forth with its flowers that will cover the plant in shades of
brilliant orange before the leaves fully come out.
Be sure to take a peak at the creeping phlox bed
below and to the north of the Owl Barn. Creeping Phlox is a perfect choice
for sloping (but also level) beds in full sun or part shade. Then between
the boulders, sedums have been coming to life that will eventually fill the
cracks and crevices of the extensive boulder wall.
Come take a look!
Tom
April 30, 2010
Its time to plant your favorite tree whether for shade or
ornamental value and we’ve got just the trees to get you started from a
small Weeping Pea Tree for your patio or a towering giant like the Eastern
White Pine in which the tallest one ever recorded was 227 feet in the state
of Maine! Planting a tree now is perfect while the soil
and weather is still cool and moist so that the root system can become well
established before the warm weather arrives.
Our flowering trees consist of Flowering Plums,
“non-messy” Flowering Crabapples, Golden Chain Tree, Japanese Lilac Tree,
Flowering Cherry and White Fringe Trees among many others.
Trees give height and a majestic quality to what would
be an otherwise boring landscape.
Could you imagine a street or your yard without trees
or flowers? Well, try this. The People’s Republic of China during Chairman
Mao’s tenure in 1966 actually banned the people from having flowers as they
considered them bourgeois!
With Earth Day just passed on April 22nd,
how fitting to plant your favorite tree that will grow and develop year
after year long after your new car is in the junk pile!
Plant a tree so that one day as your grandchildren
picnic under the shade of its branches that they could say “our grandparents
planted this tree for us.” It’s a tree that remembers our grandparents
names!
Happy Planting,
Tom Dayton
April 23, 2010
April 24th at noon, you’ll be getting an earful on
growing ericaceous plants (acid loving) in particular, rhododendron and
azaleas. I’ve been fascinated with these plants for over forty years because
of their bright flower colors, interesting and varied foliage patterns and
just their sheer beauty and majesty. I remember visiting David Leach of
Madison, Ohio in May of 1976 so that I could see some of his breeding
programs first hand and first and foremost to pick his brain.
I’ve learned a lot since then and will share as
much of my knowledge as I can with all of you at the seminar tomorrow.
Remember when I told you in my April 9th blog that shade from a tree as
compared to that of a building acts differently on turf grass? Well, it
works differently too on plants and I’ll be discussing that as well.
At the nursery we have a wide swath of varieties
all suited for Northeast Ohio as long as they get a few things they must
have.
Soon the nursery will be ablaze with the plants in
our sales area and in our natural woodland setting in our Wolf Creek
Gardens. I like the deciduous azaleas too as colors of bright yellows and
oranges that are not available in evergreen types, are plentiful in the
deciduous types. In fact, watch for our ads in the Trading Post, Westside
Leader and the Akron Beacon Journal later on as there will be a good sale on
the brilliant orange deciduous azalea aptly named, Mandarin Lights.
See you tomorrow,
Tom
April 16, 2010
Clematis is called the Queen of all flowering vines and for good reason. The
colors and patterns of these colors are so wide and varied due to the
constant on-going breeding programs from several breeders all around the
world..
Recently, the new Evison cultivars have been
introduced with beautiful new bicolor and enlarged stamens of the flower
that add even more beauty to this marvelous species.
On Saturday, Deborah Hardwick, a customer and
Clematis lover, will be telling us all about Clematis as far as the
selection and care so that you can learn to get the most enjoyment out of
these vines. Two of the new varieties we will be offering this year are
Rosemoor with its wine red flowers that appear on old and new wood and
Avant-Garde with its reddish petals and large pink contrasting stamens.
In her presentation you’ll learn to take complete
advantage of these beautiful vines to add yet another dimension to your
garden. See you at the seminar.
Tom
P.S. On Saturday, April 24th at 12 noon, I will be
hosting a seminar on the selection, cultivars and care on my long time
favorite plants - Rhododendrons and Azaleas. Hope to see you there.
April 9, 2010
Tomorrow, on Saturday, April 10th, Sam Wagner, who for years,
worked for the Greenview lawn fertilizer people will talk during a free
seminar on the do’s and dont’s of lawn care.
Sam will share his years of experience with us as
he has actually done what he is going to tell you on his own farm in Medina.
To those of you who do your own lawn care or want
to do your own lawn care, you’ll be able to pick up a lot of tips from Sam
that will eventually enable you to achieve that lush lawn with minimal work
and expense.
One question that almost everyone asks is, “How do
I grow grass in shade?”
What I have learned from experiments conducted at
Ohio State University is that tall fescue blends of grass perform best under
trees.
The experiments revealed what I always suspected
but did not know why that shade from a structure is different from that of a
tree because a tree will absorb the red light which “starves” the grass of
red light and only leaves it with more far red light. More specifically,
red light and far red light refer to the wave lengths of these two types of
light.
Conversely, a building does not absorb red light so
that the red light to far red light ratio is much higher which results in
grass growing just fine in the shade of a building as compared to under a
tree when the amount of shade in both cases is 90%.
We’ll talk about grass in shade and about a lot of
other good stuff at the seminar.
Please, we ask that you let us know if you are
coming as we are limited in seating and need to have enough refreshments on
hand.
The lawn seminar begins on Saturday, April 10th
at noon.
April 2, 2010
It’s so good to see April!
On Saturday, April 3, Tom Parry of Hudson, a Proven
Winners brand expert, will talk to us about Proven Winners plants. You see,
Tom is a salesman for a brokerage company that we and many other growers use
as our supplier of Proven Winners plants. Tom visits many greenhouses,
especially in Michigan and gets to look at all the production practices and
the exciting new introductions.
I’m jealous as I only get to see a fraction of what
he views so that he can tell his customers about it.
The other subject that he will be addressing is
“Water Wise Easy Irrigation” in order that you have less of a struggle to
keep your plants healthy and nice during those hot days of summer.
Later on, we’ll have many new Proven Winners
introductions such as the Pretty Much Picasso Petunia and the new vigorous
white Alyssum called Lobularia ‘Snow Princess’. Enough for now….you’ll just
have to wait and see…
Tom
March 26, 2010
On Saturday, March 27th at noon, I will
be giving another educational seminar on Mountain Laurels.
These delightful plants will extend the blooming
season of your landscape as they typically bloom May 15th through
June 15th with a kaleidoscope of color from their many and varied
flower colors of white, shades of pink, and shades of red in various
combinations.
Mountain Laurels, until established, can be
frustrating to grow so I’ll share all my knowledge with you so you too can
be successful.
Mountain Laurels are the perfect companion plant
for Rhododendrons and Azaleas and can fill in the missing details to your
shade landscape or foundation planting.
On another note, we’ve already received a lot of
our stock and have been pulling a lot out of our winter storage houses.
However, we won’t be set up fully on the outside
until about mid-April as the weather can still turn nasty.
More specifically, by nasty I don’t mean snow, but
bitter cold.
You see, there is new root growth now on the plants
in pots and a temperature below 20 degrees F with moderate wind would kill
much of that new root growth and set the plant back.
I have a good memory and the cold blast that I fear
in April happened April 5-8 in 1982 and again on April 8-10 just recently in
2007.
I’m sure everyone remembers the 2007 blast as that
happened Easter weekend and the temperature on that Saturday was a high of
about 35 degrees with 35 mile per hour winds, after a low that morning of
only 19 degrees!
Let’s hope we don’t have to experience that for a
while!
Tom
March 19, 2010
Tomorrow, March 20th at 12:00 noon, I will brief you on the
wherefores of green roofs.
Green roofs are in big time use in Europe,
especially Germany, as they are even mandated by local laws such as in the
city of Stuttgart.
There are many benefits to employing a green roof
during the construction of a structure as not only are they aesthetically
pleasing, they absorb runoff water, cool the building in summer and greatly
extend the life of the roof membrane.
On our new barn, we installed our green roof in
October of 2009 which created a buzz in Norton about what was on the roof!
Onlookers even pulled up into the driveway in front
of the structure to take a look with some turning around in the newly seeded
yard so they wouldn’t have to back out on the street!
During the seminar, we’ll take a good look at the
roof and I’ll explain its construction details (as long as it’s not pouring
down rain!)
Spring is here!
Tom
March 12, 2010
Remember Saturday March 13th that Joan Gangle will share her
knowledge with us on the culture of growing roses. Joan is from Copley and
is well known for her garden and by being a member of the Cuyahoga County
Master Gardeners.
I almost forgot to mention that the nursery is open
Monday through Saturday 8:30 am to 6:00 pm and closed on Sunday.
There is really not much to look at on the grounds
but that will change very soon as stock begins arriving and we start pulling
plants from our winter storage houses.
We’re still feverishly potting up annual flowers
and perennials to get ready when the greenhouses open at the end of April.
On Tuesday, March 16th at 6:30 pm, we’ll
learn about organic fertilizers and soils from the Espoma fertilizer
company. We’ve carried the Espoma line for quite a few years now and most
of our customers seem to enjoy using it as it is low in salts and easy on
soil microbes. You’ll be able to get a window into the differences of
supplying the nutrients plants need through the organic way vs. the chemical
fertilizer method. Bring your note pads as this seminar is bound to have
loads of interesting technical information.
Just think, it’s almost spring!
Tom
March 5, 2010
With March on the scene, the scoop at the nursery
is busy, busy, busy! Our roses and Endless Summer Hydrangeas are all
potted up and will be available sometime in the month of May. Another
hurried pace is due to the arrival of our small annual flowers that we
plant to make combination pots and hanging baskets.
Small perennial plants will be arriving by the
thousands. I’m particularly intrigued by all the new perennials for
2010. Its quite a problem to display all the new plants as we’re
introducing over 75 varieties.
Tomorrow, March 6th at noon, we’ll gain much from
Joyce Pelz’s insight on backyard bird feeding. This seminar will be timely
as the bluebirds return soon to Ohio and the hummingbirds return is not far
off.
You’ll note also that our seminars continue through
early spring as we have the place to do it with the addition of our owl
barn.
On Tuesday evening (March 9th) at 6:30
we’ll discuss the new “stuff” for 2010 and have tips on the use of Bamboo in
the landscape. This seminar is $5.00. As always though, we still ask that
you pre-register so that we can be sure enough seating and refreshments are
on hand.
Tom
February 26, 2010
We’re wrapping up the end of February with a seminar tomorrow by Michelle
Riley of Eberhardt Landscaping. Michelle is a graduate of Kent State
University with a triple associate degree in landscape design, turf grass
and arboriculture. She’ll speak on the relationships of trees as they relate
to our past presidents and on the importance of trees to our environment as
to one similar to a program called "Why Trees Matter" put on by the Ohio
Research and Development Center in Wooster, Ohio. (Michelle's seminar has
been cancelled as of 2-26-10)
I remember in grade school in Norton about being
taught about the Civilian Conservation Core camps set up during Franklin
Roosevelt’s administration for the purpose of putting young unemployed men
back to work by planting millions (eventually 2 billion) of trees to combat
soil erosion by wind and water because of the mowed down forests and plowed
up prairies. In fact, lines of trees were planted as windbreaks after the
outbreak of the Dust Bowl in the 1930's that blew tons of precious topsoil
away.
In Norton, many willows were cut down by property
owners along a small creek which resulted in enormous soil erosion of the
property owner’s yards. Yes, trees do indeed matter.
Michelle is quite knowledgeable and I’m sure the
program will be most worthwhile.
Tom
February 19, 2010
We made it over the hump of
winter! Temperatures will (on average) be on the rise giving us a preview
soon of a glorious spring.
Megan Vance will be our guest speaker in the Owl Barn on Saturday at 12
noon. Megan has her own business called Suzanne Jardin Garden Design so that
with all her background in design and planting, Megan is an expert in shade
gardening especially with perennials. Megan was our guest last year when she
spoke on container gardening and new perennials for 2009. I do well remember
that she is very entertaining.
During the seminar I will press Megan closely to classify the different
types of shade that plants require or have to deal with as all shade is not
created equal.
I want to personally thank Bill Bauman of Bauman’s Orchards in Rittman
for all his expertise on fruit trees. Bill’s family has been in the orchard
business for about 60 years in which the results of their labor and
knowledge have turned Bauman’s orchards into a favorite destination for many
of us in the Summit, Medina and Wayne counties during the harvest season.
I’ve got my questions listed for Megan tomorrow and you be sure to have
all yours ready so you can fire away as soon as she gives the signal for a
question and answer period.
See you tomorrow,
Tom
February 12, 2010 I think everyone enjoyed the herb seminar
last week and now it’s time to move on to small fruit. It seems that so many
of our seminars center around eating and food but so what?
Planting and growing fresh vegetables and fruits is a large part of why
we garden and the other at least as important part of gardening is pleasure.
I always knew a fair amount about small fruits but did I ever get an
education when I started studying the updates.
So many varieties of strawberries, blueberries, rhubarb, raspberries,
blackberries, etc. are available, it just boggles the mind. For me it’s like
studying in school again on what’s going so that I can pass on everything to
all of you.
About the same time last year I spoke to you about blueberries and I will
touch on this subject again although this seminar will be an expanded one
covering more of the small fruit realm.
Almost everyone has enough space for these small fruits in their yard and
another fact about them that makes them so great is that they are perennial
members of the garden that continue to grow and develop to provide a harvest
year after year after year.
Hope you can come tomorrow!
Tom
February 5, 2010 It didn’t take long for January to fly by and
already I can tell the days are getting longer. I figure that by the time we
get by Washington’s birthday, the rough weather (at least sub zero
temperatures) is over.
Saturday, February 6th at 12 noon is the start of our next
seminar of the use of herbs in our lives for fragrance, fitness and flavor.
If you’re satisfied with bland tasting food or the fast food garbage that’s
out there, you won’t be interested in this seminar. However, herbs seem to
be the catalyst resulting in good food becoming great food!
The fitness part comes into maintaining and enhancing our health through
the use of antioxidants, vitamins and such. I’m sure the seminar won’t tout
the medicinal aspects of herbs as that in something only a physician could
advise you to use them correctly as some if used incorrectly can be harmful.
The fragrance of herbs is well known from that of lavender, the subject
of last weeks seminar, to Sweet Woodruff, Rosemary, Thyme and so on.
Don’t forget next week that I will be giving a seminar on the planting
and growing of small fruits with a side about fruit trees such as there
selection, pollination and such.
See you tomorrow at the seminar.
Tom
P.S. Remember the seminars are held in the new "Owl Barn".
January 29, 2010
Tomorrow is the first in our series of winter seminars beginning
with the multiple uses of lavenders and how to grow them. This herb
(perennial) is not only versatile when harvested but is well known in the
perennial garden for its flowers and fragrance. I can remember the
lavender growing on the hillside of Provence, France when I stayed in a
small town above Nice called Vence. The only disappointment was that my
timing was off as none were noticeable as they were not in bloom.
Tomorrow, January 30th, is the first day of use of our new
barn that we call the "Owl Barn". This structure is a perfect place to hold
seminars in that it is heavily insulated and boasts an in floor heating
system powered by a small boiler. We have already had this system cranked up
to check it out and I must say that all those attending should be nice and
warm no matter the weather outside.
I hope you can come. The seminar begins at 12 noon and will include a
short break for refreshments. See you there.
Tom
January 22, 2010
Now we’re entering the coldest part of the winter and I pray that at least
3-4” of snow or more will blanket the ground through February which will
definitely help tender perennials overwinter well.
The first in our
series of winter seminars takes place on the 30th of this month
with Judy Byrne of Daybreak Lavender Farm.
Lavender is such a fascinating plant with its beautiful foliage and aromatic
leaves. We grow about 8 varieties including Munstead, Hidcote, Fred Boutin,
Lady, Vicenza, Provence, Blue Cushion and Coconut Ice.
Judy will be speaking on the best cultivation practices for lavender and its
many uses. She will be my guest next week on our radio program “Ready, Set,
Grow” on 1590AM WAKR on Saturday, January 23rd at 8:00 am.
I’ve been answering gardening questions on the radio program for almost 14
years now and I have learned a lot myself from our callers as to how they
solve various garden problems.
This coming week we’ll receive our shipment of primrose called Super Nova.
These primrose are a great improvement over the old Pacific types in that
they are just as hardy but the flowers are so much larger and colorful. I
hope to offer them in early spring as a potted plant to be enjoyed indoors
and then planted in the garden in some shade when the weather warms.
Primrose like cool temperatures (45-55 degrees) so that for us, they will be
ideal to grow in the greenhouse as we can keep the heating costs down.
I’ll look forward to seeing you at the seminars!
Tom
January 15, 2010
Even though we’re moved into the Owl Barn, we still have a lot of work to do
before you’re invited. We’re constructing counters, shelving, coating &
sealing the floor, hanging tapestries, hanging colorful photographs…
On a trip last summer
to Holland, Michigan, some extraordinary large framed photographs caught my
eye. I saw them in the window and just had to have them. One is a huge
photo of a daffodil called ‘Ice Follies’ with amazing detail. The second
framed photograph is one of the famed tulips of Holland, Michigan followed
by the glowing orange of an Oriental poppy with the black inner parts of the
flower contrasting with the robust orange.
The barn will be an ideal space to market the blueberries that we’ll be
planting next spring next to the lake area at the rear of the nursery. While
we’re not planning to market solely organic foods, the main focus for our
summer market will be on locally grown and locally preserved foods from
farms around this area.
The word local is broad by I have defined it to mean that our sources for
almost all products will come from a one hundred mile radius from the
nursery.
Other products available will be fresh cut flowers as well as potted flowers
from our own greenhouses and growing operations.
Before the farm market opens, the Owl Barn will serve as a display and
gathering space for educational seminars and flower shows. As time goes on,
we hope to make gradual changes to our business to achieve a higher level of
service, more varied but related products and a more pleasant atmosphere for
our customers to shop.
Back to work for me,
Tom
January 8, 2010
Don’t forget that birds get hungry too and must constantly eat to keep up
their 104 degree Farenheit body temperature. In lengthy studies, it does
not seem to harm birds to feed them as the myth about making them too
dependent on humans that can “giveth” and then later “taketh” away the food
source.
Periodically please
wash your bird feeders and use a bleach solution to kill any bacteria that
would be detrimental to the birds’ health.
We are closed for the winter but Copley Feed is an excellent source for all
your bird feeding needs.
Don’t forget too that I told you last year about staking up your cut
Christmas tree near the birds feeders to give them shelter and cover from
predatory birds and animals.
Check the trunks of your young trees that are less than two inches in
diameter for rabbit damage. It would be a good idea to place tree guards on
young trunks.
Also, if you sprayed your plants susceptible to deer damage in November, I
would recommend a re-spray of Liquid Fence with the advent of a January
thaw. Re-spraying with Wilt-Pruf or Freeze-Pruf would be a good idea too on
those broadleaf evergreens that can be susceptible to wind burn when cold
day winds accompanied by frozen soil take hold in winter.
I
must lecture you also about that perils of throwing salt-laden snow from
your sidewalk onto your landscape plants – don’t do it! Urea will work as a
safer ice-melter and you can pick it up at Copley Feed.
See you soon,
Tom
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