Saturday Gardening Series 2015 

The Master Gardeners of Summit County cordially invite you to the 2015 edition of the Saturday Gardening Series.

 

With two full days of informative gardening presentations, the Saturday Gardening Series is a sure harbinger of Spring.

March 7th Presentations

   Jeanne Poremski, Master Gardener Volunteer.  Jeanne always played with plants and was conscripted to weed in the family vegetable plot when she was a teenager, the typical path to becoming a gardener.  The story took a curve after marriage when Jeanne had few resources for plants and planting and spent more time in the woods and fields of many states.  She credits the study of native plants for her success in horticulture and for opening up great opportunities in the fields of natural science.  She is an active member of the Western Pennsylvania Botanical Society, The Native Plant Society of NE Ohio, the Ohio Moss and Lichen Society, and is a volunteer for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, assisting the curator of botany in the field in the warm months and in the herbarium in the winter.  When she goes to work nine months of the year, it is to wield gardening tools in others’ gardens.

Jeanne will be sharing her hard-won experieince in A Thoughtful Approach to Gardening in the Shade.  What for some is a daunting challenge that appears drab, boring and uninteresting is to others  a delightful opportunity, an escape from the heat and a serene spot to rest the eye and soul.  A garden in the shade adds another dimension to the gardener's hobby.  He or she must observe light levels, water availability and soil quality and decide if they are assets or liabilities.   Best of all, it requires a new plant list--words from heaven.

  Bob Rensel, Cleveland Botanical Garden.  After 20 years working as a certified public accountant, Bob started a second career in 2005 as a gardener at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Bob manages the Gateway Garden in front of the building with its large beds for tulip and annual displays.  For six years Bob coordinated the Geis Terrace displays which included tropicals, aquatics and extensive four-season container arrangements. Bob also maintains the Japanese Garden at CBG.  Bob volunteers with fellow members of The Gardeners of Greater Cleveland club on community service projects at homeless shelters related to therapeutic garden design and installation.  Bob is certified in healthcare garden design from the Chicago Botanic Garden and conducts trainings for healthcare workers and others on the therapeutic value of nature.  Bob lives in Lakewood and serves on its Tree Task Force which is charged with enhancing the health of the community by maintaining and expanding the urban canopy.  

Bob's talk will be on Container gardening through the four seasons.  This talk will review the basics of successful container displays and provide ideas on plant selection, design concepts and creative arrangements that can provide color and interest year-round.

   Eric Barrett is an Assistant Professor and the OSU Extension Educator in Mahoning County. He completed a degree in Animal Sciences at Ohio State University and stayed to earn an MS degree in Agricultural Economics. His specialization is direct marketing and local foods.  Eric also works extensively with horticultural programs and with Master Gardener Volunteers.  His specialization in horticulture is offering simple solutions to improve the garden and reduce disease.  He is also a near-expert in the area of hydrangeas.   Eric regularly presents at state and national conferences, including workshops in Buffalo, Nashville, Kansas City, Charleston, SC, Las Vegas, Portland and beyond.  He has received several teaching awards, a local tourism award, an Ohio Fair Association Award and the OSU Extension State Achievement Award.  Eric grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Vincent, Ohio, where his family still raises grass fed beef, grows pumpkins and berries, and manages fall agritourism activities.

Eric will share the Basics of Backyard Fruit Production.  Learn how to get started, what mistakes to avoid and how to move forward to grow the best fruit possible in the easiest way.

   Carrie Elvey is a naturalist at the Wilderness Center in Wilmot Ohio.  Carrie spent her childhood wandering the woods, bringing frogs and snakes home in her pockets. Today, she has 20 years of experience sharing her love of the great outdoors. During and after her years as a Biology and secondary education major at Hiram College she spent a few years doing field work in Suriname, Trinidad, and Alaska and teaching inner city youth at the Manice Education Center, a residential outdoor school in Massachusetts. In 2000, Carrie returned to Holmes County and began work as a naturalist at The Wilderness Center, where she spends her days teaching and helping others to enjoy nature (and filling her pockets with frogs and snakes).

Carrie will present  Monarchs 101.  Go beyond the basic monarch life cycle you learned in school and delve into the biology and natural history of these incredible insects.

 March 14th Presentations

   Denise Ellsworth is the Program Director, Honeybee and Native Pollinator Education Ohio State Department of Entomology. She directs the honey bee and native pollinator education program through the Ohio State University Department of Entomology on the Wooster campus.  In this outreach position, Denise supports and teaches beekeepers, farmers, and gardeners through a variety of workshops, webinars, written materials and electronic resources.  She is also the past OSU Extension Educator for 17 years, and has trained many of the Summit County Master Gardeners during that period.  She has been an educator in many areas of entomology and horticulture, including plant pests, integrated pest management, plant identification, and botany.   Her Areas of Emphasis include Bee health and integrated pest management, Pollinator identification, conservation and habitat enhancement, Plant and insect phenology. She was also a Garden Writer, for the Akron Beacon Journal for 2 decades.

Denise will tell us about Gardening for pollinators.  Gardeners play a vital role in the development and conservation of habitat that benefits pollinators, including bees, birds and butterflies. This session will focus on the practical steps gardeners can take to create or enhance habitat, including plant selection and simple design elements. By creating a patchwork of garden spaces that provide food and shelter for pollinators, gardeners can positively impact the health and survival of these important creatures.

   Lee Paulson, Master Gardener Volunteer.  Lee  is married, lives in Doylestown and has two grown children and three grandchildren.   He has been a Master Gardener for the past 15 years.   When he is not playing in the dirt, or chasing his grandsons, he can be found riding his bike around the back roads of Wayne County.  He has participated in 18 Great Ohio Bicycle Adventures and 5 weeklong rides across the State of Iowa.  His horticultural interests include cannas, photography, invasive weeds, insects, dahlias, butterflies, tropical plants and heirloom vegetable gardening.   Every spring, Lee grows all of his flowers and vegetable plants from seed in a makeshift greenhouse in his basement. 

Lee will help you to Bring a Tropical Flair to Your Garden, Grow Cannas!  

Ann Brandt, Master Gardener Volunteer.  Ann is co-owner of Walnut Creek Seeds, LLC along with her husband Jay and father-in-law Dave Brandt.  She has been helping on the Brandt Family Farms in Carroll, Ohio for the past 20 years, mainly in their 12 acre farm market which the family ran up until 2013. She now spends most of her time on management and the use of cover crops in gardening. Ann was a chemist for Sherwin Williams for 9 years and is currently a Master Gardener for Summit County. She is, most importantly, a wife and the blessed mother of 4 wonderful children. 

Ann wil tell us all we need to know about the imoprtance of Cover Crops for Healthy Garden Soil.