Well, the “Meeting season” has finally wound down. Sooner or later we’ll be in the fields with all – or at least most – of the focus on getting the crop in the ground! However there are still things going on …

Our Master Gardeners will be holding the third of their 2018 Spring Gardening Seminar Series on Wednesday, April 17, at the Amos Library in Sidney, beginning at 6:30 p.m. This month’s topic is “Gardening in Small Spaces.” Master Gardener Mark Hipple will show how his 22 years of small-space gardening has paid off big time! There is no cost to attend, and reservations are not needed. Put us on your calendar and spend some time getting ideas for your gardening season!

On Wednesday, April 26, Auglaize County’s Jeff Stachler is holding a “Weed Identification and Management in the Home Garden and Landscape” program from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. He will review points to consider when identifying plants and then a “weed walk” will let you practice your skills. He’ll also address how to manage those weeds in your garden and landscape.

This program will be held at one of our Master Gardener’s residence: east of Wapak at 11607 Ashburn Road. Go east of Botkins on Botkins Road about four miles to Metz Road, which intersects from the left. Go north on Metz Road; at the county line this will turn into Ashburn Road. It’ll be about 2 miles north of there. Let me know by April 24 if you plan to attend.

There is a program at OSU Mansfield on Friday, April 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on managing conflicts with wildlife. While suburban areas and increased homesteads in rural areas can displace some wildlife, many species actually thrive in these areas. Viewing these species as they travel through your backyard can be enjoyable, but sometimes conflict arises—usually in the form of eaten plants, dug up bulbs, burrows under porches, or holes in the lawn. Fortunately, most wildlife damage can be managed with the right techniques and strategies.

At this program, The Good, The Bad and The Hungry: Managing Wildlife Conflict Around Your Home, you will learn to manage the damage that can occur living with a variety of species and the best strategies to lessen that damage. The cost for the workshop is $35 which includes lunch and materials. Pre-registration is required by April 23rd. You can find more information and registration links at http://woodlandstewards.osu.edu, under “Upcoming Classes.”

Ohio is home to around 500 different species of bees, including about a dozen species of bumble bees. Most landscapes with an assortment of flowers blooming through the season are likely to have ten or more species of bee visitors. The first step in bee conservation is recognizing and understanding the bees in our own backyards. Thanks to close-up photography, powerful binoculars, smartphone apps, and user-friendly field guides, anyone can learn to identify common bees.

Olivia Carril, co-author of the book Bees in Your Backyard, will be in Ohio in June to teach three day-long native bee workshops entitled “Bees in Your Backyard: Spotting, Collecting and Identifying Native Bees.” Each workshop includes hands-on bee identification as well as field experiences with plant and bee experts. Participants will learn about the Ohio Bee Atlas as a tool to contribute to a statewide bee inventory.

The workshop cost is $65 per person and includes lunch and handouts. Sessions run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Workshop locations and dates include Monday, June 4, at the Stratford Ecological

Center in Delaware; Tuesday, June 5, at The Dawes Arboretum in Newark; and Thursday, June 7, at The Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center in Minerva. To register for a workshop, visit http://go.osu.edu/gobees. For more information, contact Denise Ellsworth at [email protected].