by GardenLover | Mar 6, 2014 | Spring countdown
By Debra Knapke
I’m Late, I’m Late!! Like the White Rabbit in Alice of Wonderland, I’m running around trying to catch up – already. Usually, Tony and I have ordered and received our seeds by now. What happened to the winter… oh, yeah, shoveling snow.
I just ordered some seeds from Renee’s Seeds, several new, to me. I can already imagine the flavors of summer and fall: baked sweet miniature Honey Nut winter squash with sautéed Darkibor kale on the side complemented with a salad made of Gala mache, Black Cherry tomatoes and heirloom mesclun greens.
My garden, several years ago. I look at this picture this time of the year
to remember and say to myself: soon, soon …
by GardenLover | Mar 5, 2014 | Spring countdown
By Teresa Woodard
Snow still remains in my backyard, but that doesn’t keep pussy willow shrubs from bursting their trademark fuzzy catkins along leafless branches.
While these willow shrubs are easily overlooked in the summer, they present an unmatched beauty in the Midwest’s stark winter landscapes. As spring approaches, their stem colors of red, yellow, blue and purple become more vivid. And, their tight buds give way to downy blooms among the season’s first. Their petal-less flowers, called “catkins”, appear in silver, yellow and black and provide vital food for bees and other insects waking from winter hibernation.
Willows (Salix) grow best in full sun, moist but well-drained soil and open spaces away from the competition of other plants. New willow plants initially need consistent watering to establish roots, 
but after a year they are fairly drought tolerant. Thankfully, willows are fast growers so there’s plenty of opportunities to cut stems to bring indoors each spring.
To learn more, visit the impressive willow collection at Chadwick Arboretum.
by GardenLover | Mar 4, 2014 | Spring countdown
By Teresa Woodard
Here’s another wonderful early bloomer — witch hazel (Hamamelis). I like to admire its diminutive blooms up close, so I clip branches to display indoors.
With its fragrant and colorful blossoms (ranging from red to yellow), witch hazel is a favorite shrub in Midwestern winter landscapes. They bloom anytime from December to March, depending on the season’s weather. Even better, they don’t require special feeding or fertilizer, and they’ll grow in most soil conditions.
To learn more, check out Debra Knapke’s previous post or visit a local arboretum to see these treasures in bloom. Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio, offers a great collection. Here are some snapshots from my visit.
by GardenLover | Mar 3, 2014 | Spring countdown
DESCENDANT – most of these organisms are either endangered or considered to be extinct in some or most of their native habitat. (From the Dayton Art Institute’s website)
By Debra Knapke
A dear friend invited us to see an inspiring exhibit at the Dayton Art Institute. The artistry of Isabella Kirkland beautifully displays the biodiversity of our world. She achingly shows us what we have lost and what we have threatened as well as invites us to gaze upon the species that have been recently discovered. It is difficult to describe the luminous quality of her work; please view the below pictures as the merest taste. If you want more, visit Isabella Kirkland’s website, where you can see her work and click on various species to see which ones we have lost and which ones we have gained.
A close-up of GONE – the species depicted in GONE are extinct mostly as a result of human colonization of the New world. (From QUEST’s sustainability website)
by GardenLover | Mar 2, 2014 | Spring countdown
By Debra Knapke
Peeking through this morning’s snow the diminutive snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) is being true to its name. Last year, at this time my snowdrops had been in bloom for 5 weeks and the leaves were 6-8” tall. This year they first bloomed last week and the leaves are 2-3” tall. … another promise that spring is coming.
by GardenLover | Mar 1, 2014 | Spring countdown
By Teresa Woodard
My teenage son Mark and I were thrilled to find these skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) peaking through the ice and snow at Prairie Oaks Metro Parks west of Columbus. It’s a sure sign of spring when the purple-green spathes of these earliest of Midwestern wildflowers emerge in marshes and wet woodlands. To learn more, check out this Outdoor Notebook item on skunk cabbage.
