Plant Lovers’ Almanac: Jumping Juniper! Western trip is a real eye opener
Jim Chatfield
For the past month, I have migrated westward to Denver and back, visiting little 3-year-old granddaughter Junie and her parents. Snow and blue skies there, cottonwoods and aspens, apple trees in flower bud surviving the freezes, dandelions picked for her mama. Here are a few notes from the road trip back and what greeted us upon return to Northeast Ohio.
Junipers. It is truly remarkable how many junipers there are in this country. We have plenty here, in landscapes and increasingly as you go southward in Ohio, especially the eastern redcedar,
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Victory gardens, sometimes called war gardens, first gained popularity during World War I.
Before the United States entered the war in 1917, a food shortage emerged in Europe because much of the farm labor force was serving in the military. Americans, particularly those in suburban and urban areas, were encouraged to increase food production by using backyards, parks, church grounds, schoolyards and other places as vegetable gardens. Commercial crops were redirected to the military, and home victory gardens were a practical way for households to support the war effort and boost morale on the home front.
Victory garden production reached its peak during World War II when the U.S. began food rationing of canned goods to conserve and redirect tin to the war effort. Gardening information was printed and distributed by different government agencies and initiatives to increase food preservation were also promoted. By 1944, about 20 million victory gardens produced close to 40% o
Although Ohio weather can be pretty unpredictable, there s no doubt subtle signs of spring are already in the air.
The coming days will offer warmer temperatures, along with sunshine and showers. The backyard birds are chirping and upbeat. And even you may be feeling a little lighter as the seasons begin to shift, craving some time in nature and pops of color around your home. This is the time of the year where you get excited, but not too excited, about gardening, joked Jason Veil, curator at the Secrest Arboretum in Wooster.
As spring slowly starts to creep its way in, there are simple, proactive steps to take now to get your garden ready to thrive, local experts and long-time gardeners say.