A Stroll Through the Garden with Eric

Wood ash can be a bigger problem more wood in your fireplace 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, Ohio, 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 person should do.…

 Zebra Grass in late Fall still with stripes left on the blade A few years ago, one of my readers asked me about dividing and cutting down a vigorous grass. This writer 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 some confusion between Zebra grass and Tiger grass. Tiger grass is a tropical grass that cannot endure…

Juniper centerpiece with a candle for New Year’s Celebrations 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. Caves with junipers can help conceal whoever would be hiding inside Side tales in the Bible don’t have a…

Glyphosate being sprayed over a cover crop President-Elect Trump spoke last week about how Europe is not using pesticides like the United States. This talk should give us great hope for what Trump will address in laws that govern pesticides in the future. Trump pointed out that autism has grown substantially. In the United States, the Center for Disease Control announced that in the year 2000,…

Poinsettias in bloom with a single cutting per pot A few weeks ago, one of my friends at church asked me whether she could get her new poinsettias to come back into bloom. The color in this Poinsettia was spectacular. I told her, yes, but it can be a process to get the leaves to change to red. I asked her to lay out a plan and publish how my parents would do this in their greenhouse. She said…

These unripe persimmon still have leaves on the trees by Jim Nave 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 were special requirements for the persimmon tree? One of the questions I have in growing anything would be to ask…

Thanksgiving Cactus in vigorous bloom by Theresa Warner A few years ago, I got an e-mail from one of my readers about how to get a Thanksgiving Cactus to come back into bloom. This was one amongst many and I had another question in the past few weeks specifically about getting her Christmas Cactus to come back into bloom. To get Thanksgiving Cactus, or Schlumbergia truncata, to rebloom is more…

Deer can be found all over Ohio I spoke at a garden talk about gathering seeds last week and got a question about what I would recommend solving the damage she was experiencing from the deer in her neighborhood. As I went home from church last week, I also came close to hitting deer again. There is a well-worn deer trail along my usual route home. This time of year, one of our essential topics…

Big Laceleaf Hydrangea one of deer’s favorite plants to browse DEER FAVORITES IN TREES SHRUBS VINES   Deerproofing Your Yard & Garden          Common nameScientific nameNotes on how deer eat themColumn1Column2Column3AzaleaRhododendron sppBoth deciduous and evergreenApples Malus sppFruit and twigsAtlantic white cedarChamaecyparis thyoidesNeedles and shootsCamelliaCamellia sppBoth young and mature…

Deer resistant Lilac at Wolcott Lilac Garden in Kent Ohio DEER TOLERANT TREES AND SHRUBSWe acknowledge the Morton Arboretum, Holden Arboretum, and Ohio Landscapers Association for fundamental portion of the list we developed“The Book of Lists” by Susan McClure “Deer-Resistant Shrubs” by David Beaulieu, 10/23/2017 https://www.thespruce.com/deer-resistant-shrubs-2132574 “Landscape Plants that Are…

Mini-rototiller at local dealer Suppose you had asked me whether or not you should roto-till or no-till; I would not have hesitated to tell you that no-till is the best, “Period end of story.” I was asked that question recently by a reader and a friend again. As I have studied this issue over the years, I have changed my opinion. I have been reading releases about how sterile our soil is. The…

Wide selection of scented geranium is available Scented Geraniums require well-drained soil with total sun exposure. They can also tolerate shade. Drought tolerance is one of the qualities of scented geraniums, and they don’t do well with moist soil. Words of the wise are to monitor the soil frequently. It would be best to have a hot, humid climate to get the scented geranium to thrive.…

Rose scented geraniums in bloom 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 should discuss some plants I would see differently and something we might not expect. Scented geranium at Alta Greenhouse This past…

This Geranium is growing well in a greenhouse A friend from church recalled portions of this column I wrote over eight years ago. I originally wrote the column about how to overwinter Zonal Geraniums or Pelargonium x hortorum. When I was in the greenhouse business with my family, we had unusual clients. One client we had while we were renting plants was an upscale person. Our plant-sitting…

New Albany, Ohio (September 14, 2024) A couple sharing a taste test of pawpaw at the 26th annual “Pawpaw Festival” by Malichi Lackey Tom Hunt, the owner and manager of the Mohican Preservation Arboretum, told me last week that we are at the end of the season for Pawpaw. Pawpaw came on early this year.  Hunt said that drought did not affect fruit production. ALBANY, Ohio (Sept. 14, 2024) Fun at…

The drought has been brutal for many plants, including my roses. The rose shrubs in my front yard have not bloomed as well as I hoped. The roses I have are dark pink Rugosa Roses, and two shrub roses are still a good green. Climbing rose from Kingwood Don’t fertilize roses in the middle of September. Even when the number of blooms doesn’t match your expectations, there can be significant…

Bamboo mulch spread on soil to control weeds by Wes Super Happy Belated Bamboo Day!!! Last year was the first year I brought attention to this day, September 18th, designated World Bamboo Day. On September 18, 2009, during the 8th World Bamboo Congress, the participants declared September 18th World Bamboo Day. This day coincides with a renowned Nobel Laureate and India’s former president, Dr…