One of the finest hardy geraniums in our estimation is Geranium sanguinium ‘John Elsley’. Refined and dignified, like its namesake, it provides great color now through midsummer…bright pink with a hint of purple. The
Michael Horvath was a landscape architect who immigrated from Hungary to New York and eventually to Cleveland where he became the City Forester in 1903. In that role he designed Wade Park and Rockefeller Park, among others. These two parks
Today I was invited by Paul Palagyi, Director, Lake Metroparks, to speak at the dedication of ‘Lake Erie Bluffs’ at the end of Lane Road and Blackmore Road in Perry Township. Other speakers included Congressman David Joyce, FrankPolivka, Lake Metroparks
A baby Cooper’s Hawk fell out of the nest in our Dawn Redwood behind the store! John Pogacnik, Lake Metroparks Biologist, stopped by and helped Mark get it back into the tree. The nest is about 70′ high, so we
Kris and I have been talking a lot about pollinators to anyone who will listen. Yesterday that resulted in an interview with local NPR…a story about bats! They do not function as pollinators around here (they do in the SW
We had a great time with Passport2Plants last weekend…seeing so many friends, old and new. The weather was great and everyone is anxious to get going in their garden and yard. People are looking for trees again. We had a
A lot of my musings in the past year have been in the form of blog posts for Lake County Visitors Bureau and, more recently, Lake County Historical Society.
Last spring I received a troubling email from John Pogacnik, long-time biologist with Lake Metroparks. John lives at the Lakeshore Reservation in North Perry, overlooking Lake Erie. He asked if I had noticed a problem with our local beech trees
Things are going crazy! The weather is great! Our lot is full of cars! Passport2Plants is in full swing! WKKY was broadcasting from our parking lot this morning and I had to go out and talk with the DJ, on-the-air.
In late-October I participated in an Immigration Reform Fly-in to Washington DC with six hundred representatives of business, law enforcement and clergy. I traveled with Bob Lyons, never an easy experience, and eight others from Ohio. We listened to speakers,
We returned last night from a weeklong camping trip with our boys on Turtle Island in the Lake George ‘Narrows’ in the Adirondack Mountains of up-state New York. We take our 19-foot bowrider along and
The Asclepius tuberosa, native to Ohio, have finished their show of orange blossoms in NE Ohio. I’ve traveled by a patch at the edge of Rt 2 in Painesville for years. This month I finally made the time to leave
The Ohio Chautauqua Festival was presented in Madison over the July 4th week. I got roped into helping Bob Endebrock, retired ODA inspector, put together a local nursery history display. It turned out great and I’m proud of being able
Immigration Reform is finally on center stage in Washington DC! I was involved in three different meetings trying to influence the result with our Ohio legislators.
First, we hosted Caryn Candisky, NE OHio Coordinator for Senator Rob Portman, at Sunleaf
Whoa! Where did the Spring go! The Milky Way Kousa is blooming outside my office…many of the Rhodys are done! But here we go into the Summer Perennial Season! Salvias! Dianthus! Thymes!
Spring is slowly sneaking up on us in NE Ohio! Two weeks ago…the spring peepers began their late-afternoon chorus. Today I noticed the Kingfisher is back. In addition to the big guy who patrols our middle pond, there is a
My brief career in Live TV began and ended today. I was an ‘auctioneer’ on our local Ideastream Public TV auction. My first appearance went okay…hawking some donated items before the camera. I was introduced as a representative of Ohio
Below is one of my rants that got published as a letter-to-the-editor in the News-Herald. So far it’s getting rave reviews from the check-out ladies at our local IGA.
Minimum Wage Debate
Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is championing a substantial