My first FSR

This week I got a chance to go to my first, but The Ohio state Universitiy's 50th, Farm Science Review. My husband and I farm, so I thought when I bought the tickets that I was in for another tractor show. What a delight I found waiting! In the center of the show, to my delight, was a beautiful garden.

We enjoyed touring the gardens, between other, more agricultural displays. The espalier-trained apple trees captured my husband's imagination and I found myself re-thinking my approach to trellising pumpkins when I saw how effectively the squash were supported.

I sat in on a presentation about identifying diseases in fruit plantings, hosted in the gazebo at the center of the gardens. The material was excellent, but I was delighted with the presenter having a whole host of examples. I took a few photos as they were passed around...

Here is an example of apple scab on leaves.

This is rust on apple.

Botrytis on brambles (raspberries & blackberries)

We also discussed fire blight in apples and roses, peach leaf curl and frost ring.

Downy mildew of apple

Throughout the three day event, gardening presentations were hosted by various speakers from around the state. Topics ranged from beekeeping to tree identification, and everything in between. 

In all, it was a great show. The people were friendly, the food was great, and the gardening topics were fantastic. If you get a chance next year, you should try it. It really was a great event. I know I will be going for years to come!

Wendy Wolpert
Delaware County Master Gardener

Fall Clematis

 

This plant is a gift to watch bloom every year and smells wonderful.

The Clematis ternifolia, also called the fleeceflower or Sweet Autumn Clematis.
It can climb up to thirty feet high and spread up to ten feet wide. The plant is
indigenous to Japan. It does best in full sun or partial shade and should be pruned
severely early in the spring. This Clematis blooms in late summer or early fall.
My Clematis really likes its’ home in my landscape

Dianne Gelinas
Delaware County Master Gardener

Gardening by the Moon

If you are here for the first time, welcome! As I wrote today in my article for the Delaware Gazette  here is a link gardening or planting by the moon or http://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/gardening/

While you are here, please enjoy our many other posts.

Stephen Jones
Delaware County Master Gardener

Any Size, Anywhere Edible Gardening

A review by Delaware County Master Gardener, Susan Liechty

 

Any Size, Anywhere Edible Gardening

By:  William Moss

The no yard, no time, no problem way to grow your own food

Whether you live in a condo, apartment, have a rooftop garden or postage size back yard, this book if for you.  William Moss teaches you to grow just about any edible in containers,  window boxes, small space and community gardens.

If you thought you could never grow vegetables, herbs and other edibles, this book will walk you step by step through.  I liked his chapter on time saving tips for all those folks who have downsized, moved or have reached a time in their lives that large garden spaces are out of their reach.  He explains how you can still grow your favorite vegetable or herb no matter where you live.

Moss lists his Top 10 Edibles for Containers and covers how to plant, grow and pick those gems.

Thank you to Cool Springs Press and Garden Writers Association for sharing this wonderful book.  It was a joy to read and even though I have wonderful space in which to grow my edibles, this book will be shared with those in my life who have small spaces or live in condos or apartments.

About the author

William Moss is wears many hats; he is the host of HGTV's Dig In, a writer for many publications, has made appearances on Good Morning America, QVC's Gardening Made Easy and CBS This Morning.  He is also a spokesman for the National Gardening Association and an instructor for the Chicago Botanic Garden, and much, much more. It's no wonder why his nickname is the "Garden Boss".

Available at your favorite book store.

Susan Liechty
Delaware County Master Gardener

Night Flight

In our household Friday night is a time to get out of the house and do something to inaugurate the weekend.  This past Friday evening was no different except that instead of a movie or an event downtown, we went to a local school to watch birds—chimney swifts to be exact.  We didn’t know exactly what to anticipate but were told the excitement would occur sometime between 7 and 8:30 PM.  By 7:30 the only activity was the human variety; people were milling about greeting each other and munching on snacks.  As dusk fell, one and then two and then a few more chimney swifts, commonly referred to as “cigars with wings,” started circling overhead. 

Gail Santner

Delaware County Master Gardener

Use it or lose it!

After the much-enjoyed cool down in our weather this week, I really started to switch gears and think about the holidays! Hard to believe but they will be here before we know it.  Because the holiday season is such a busy one, I try to prepare as much ahead of time as possible.  Taking advantage of my overflowing herb garden now will save me a lot of time and money at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It drives me crazy how expensive herbs are at the grocery store!  I make it in small very concentrated batches, and can always dilute it to make more when I use it. Hoping your herbs are still active and not frosted until Thanksgiving is quite a gamble, sometimes it works out. I prefer to have a sure bet.

The great things about this project are: no rules, no measurements, and it is so easy.  I use sage, rosemary, thyme, and basil.

Wash and dry your herbs (I use my salad spinner)

Add to blender or food processor with enough olive oil for the mixture to blend easily

Add two sticks of softened butter and combine

Add to air-tight freezer container, and cover with plastic wrap on the surface of the mixture.

And don’t forget to label! Take it from someone who has put unmarked containers in the freezer thinking “there’s no way I wouldn’t know what this is!” and later having no idea what it is.

 

Stephen Jones
Delaware County Master Gardener

 

 

Gold Rush!

One of my favorite things about living in Ohio is how rapidly the seasons seem to shift.  All of the sudden the cool nights and pleasant days of autumn feel so close. One surefire sign of the changing seasons are fields that ignite into golden worlds seemingly overnight.   We have the aptly named goldenrod (Solidago) to thank for this rush of color.  Goldenrod is a perennial wildflower that sometimes gets a bad reputation.  Because goldenrod and ragweed bloom at the same time, people confuse to which they are more allergic. Goldenrod has heavy pollen and is only pollinated by insects, whereas ragweed is pollinated by wind. Ragweed is a much stronger trigger to seasonal allergies because it is in the air.

I love the delicate blooms, especially when they are still a little green like this.

This is a field right on Taggart Road that photographs like an oil painting with that soft base of gold!

I also caught this photograph--yes, autumn is definitely on its' way! "The Birds", anyone?!

Stephen Jones
Delaware County Master Gardener

 

Checking in on the Community Garden!

A very exciting Master Gardener Project this year has been the Community Garden. Thus far this season over 160 pounds of fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs have been donated to the PIN (People In Need). Chaired by Susan Liechty with valuable help from Phyllis, Nancy R., Nora, Dagmar, Susan G, Pam, Jon, Dottie, Sue, Dianne, Cynde, and Connie Z.

the beautiful colors of Swiss Chard.

Tomatoes ripening on the vine.

A tiny bell pepper!

Basil blossoms making pollinating insects very happy. Often people forget herbs like basil, mint, and lavender are excellent in attracting valuable pollinating insects!

There are two very attractive structures at the garden. A gazebo to sit and enjoy the view, and a lovely little greenhouse to protect sensitive plants in the winter and to start seeds in the spring.

Stephen Jones
Delaware County Master Gardener

Checking in on the Commissioner's Office!

The Delaware County Master Gardeners began giving the landscaping at the County Commissioner’s Office a facelift earlier this year. I stopped by to check out the progress. It looks great! The project is chaired by Dianne Gelinas and co-chaired by Jim White. Chris Burger, Shirley Gibson, and Phyllis Hohe have all shared their talent and time! To plant the containers and clean the beds, Dianne, Jim, Shirley, and Chris were on hand. After the project finished, Phyllis and Chris have been a great help in maintaining and weeding. I helped out in the beginning with the easy things like choosing colors. Have a great weekend!

Stephen Jones

Delaware County Master Gardener

Here are some pictures of the progress:

I love the colors Dianne and Jim chose to work with in their plantings. Very unique and practical.

The second I saw the copper patina on the gutters and downspouts, I suggested aqua glazed clay pots to draw attention to them. The grass Dianne and Jim chose continues the color beautifully!

Much care was taken to preserve this beautiful heirloom rose bush. It's massive!

I couldn't resist a few shots of this building's gorgeous architecture. I particularly enjoy the masonry work over the front door with 'Free to All".

More Herbs, Less Salt Day

 

It's a day late but August 29th was More Herbs, Less Salt Day....yes there really is a special day just for that. Visit; www.dayoftheyear.com for all the events that take place throughout the year.

So for More Herb Day how can you get involved. Start cooking more at home where you can control your addition of salt. There is so much salt in pre-packaged products that making a similar version of your own at home can cut you salt intake by many shakes.

Adding herbs to your dishes are so easy. This time of year with the garden at your fingertips adding fresh herbs should be a daily ritual. When you make that BLT, add basil to your mayonnaise, add fresh oregano to pasta dishes or pizza. Even a delivered pizza can be enhanced by adding chopped oregano or basil to the top. Add whole parsley leaves to any salad for an added punch of flavor and vitamins. Take some of your bountiful herbs and make herb butter, herb salt or herb sugars for the winter months. You can also dry your herbs for that tasty addition to any dishes over the cold months.

Enjoy More Herbs, Less Salt everyday of the year, not just August 29th.

Susan Liechty

Delaware County Master Gardener

Oh deer!

About a month ago I first saw this beautiful little fawn from my window. All alone. I instantly panicked! Luckily before I marched outside to “save” Bambi, I did some research. At this time of year it is not uncommon to see fawns alone for extended periods of time.  Fawns are designed by nature to stay as safe as possible. They have virtually no odor for predators to track, their spots easily and effectively camouflage, and they are almost completely still.  Their mothers leave them alone in safe spots and return around dusk to pick them up from day care.

 

If the fawn exhibits behavior like crying or wandering and you feel it has been orphaned, call a professional such as someone from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

 

Stephen Jones

Delaware County Master Gardener

VERBENA CLEANER

In this day and age the mantra seems to be "natural good, synthetic bad". So I have been trying to kick my long-term Windex habit (have you ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding?!). Making a vinegar based cleanser is incredibly easy and inexpensive. Equal parts vinegar and water. Mix. Vinegar is antibacterial and the water assures it is gentle enough to use on all the same surfaces one would use a cleanser like Windex.

For a little something extra, I decided to infuse my vinegar with lemon verbena.  Lemon verbena is one of my very favorite herbs--it has a gorgeous lemony aroma and is very easy to grow. As I turn my attention to autumn, it is getting to be that time of year when I look in my garden and think "use it or lose it!" The lemon verbena lightly scents the vinegar, but very gently.  If you want a stronger lemon scent I suggest adding 1 Tablespoon of lemon rind.

1. Let the lemon verbena leaves infuse the vinegar for about two weeks. Make sure the leaves are completely submerged during this period because they could mold if exposed to the air.
2. Pour vinegar through fine sieve
3. Mix with equal parts water.

Stephen Jones
Delaware County Master Gardener

Robin's Egg Blue

Robin's Egg Blue has become a very popular shade in home decor in the past ten years. I found a broken robin's egg shell while gardening this past spring and thought I would match it up with my Pantone fan deck. With so many shades now labeled "Robin's Egg" I was curious which one was really robin's egg blue.

Stephen Jones
Delaware County Master Gardener