I am amazed at all of the great eco-friendly events taking place in and around our county. Delaware is hopping with educational and family-friendly happenings. Here is a snapshot of some local events coming up that you might want to consider attending:
Did you know there is no such thing as a shamrock plant, at least botanically speaking? There are, however, hundreds of varieties of clover. Almost any plant that has three clover shaped leaves and green is often called a shamrock.
Call them allotment gardens, victory gardens or community gardens, it’s all the same.
The summer breezes, fresh produce and dinners alfresco will soon be just a memory, but the taste of summer can stay with you well into the fall and winter months by making plans to preserve your herbal harvest. Imagine the fresh taste of basil, parsley and rosemary in the cold winter month of February. Sound good? Mark your calendar for Sept. 24 to attend an herbal program presented by the Delaware County Master Gardeners “Preserving your Herbal Harvest,” and learn of ways to savor the summer.
Good manners should be required in all aspects of our lives, including our yard and garden. Take a few moments to consider how your lawn or garden may affect your neighbor because most agree, “one man’s treasure is another man’s trash.”
The onset of summer brings a plethora of colors to the perennial garden bed. A few summer favorites stand out, like red roses, purple catmint, and yellow coreopsis. Perhaps no other perennial has as many diverse color selections as that of Hemerocallis, or daylily. Many people are familiar with the common orange “ditch lilies” or yellow “Stella d’oro,” These two well known daylilies are just the beginning of the rainbow for the home gardener. Almost any color one can imagine can be found in this easy care perennial. From pastel pinks and yellows to vibrant reds and purples, the home owner has an ever expanding palette. With more than 35,000 registered daylily cultivars, there are sure to be a few you might find suitable for your garden.
Tomatoes are probably the most popular “vegetable” grown in the home garden; however, this hasn’t always been true. While researchers have traced the tomato’s origin to the mountains of South America, the plant was introduced and grown in Europe more than 200 years before being grown in the United States.
Welcome to the Gazette’s new garden column. Instead of one writer, we have 12 contributors who will all write columns in their respective areas of expertise. Also, we would love to hear from you — if there is a topic you feel we need to cover, let us know by calling the Extension Office at 740–833-2030. This interactive approach allows the voice and perspective of the column to change. With so many different motivations for the modern gardener, we hope to encompass all of our readers’ interests. On our panel of contributors we have herb enthusiasts, long time vegetable growers, gourmet cooks, florists and a lawn care specialist among other very talented individuals.