‘Gardening’ is in the air

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Somehow, it feels like “gardening” is in the air! Maybe it’s the warmer temps, the sunshine, the urge to be outside, but I’m reading more and more about how it’s time to start, planning your garden, what veggies to grow, etc. I’ve even been thinking about some raised beds, myself!

It’s also time to start thinking about lawn care! Yes, I’ve heard of some mowing being done – not at our house, yet! The Shelby County Master Gardeners will be holding this month’s session of the 2019 Spring Gardening Series on Tuesday, April 16, at the Amos Memorial Public Library in Sidney. This month’s topic is Lawn Care, presented by OSU Extension Educator Denny Riethman from Mercer County.

Denny taught about Lawns at our Master Gardener Training a couple weeks ago, and is he good! This is a presentation you do not want to miss!! The program begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be finished by 8 p.m. There are refreshments and hand-outs; no charge for attending. Hope to see you there!

The OSU Extension Miami County will present a Cooking Class on Herbs on Tuesday, April 23. Participants will learn to identify herbs by their taste, discover edible flowers and weeds, and how herbs can be utilized in a healthy diet. The workshop will include easy cooking demonstrations and unique ways to utilize herbs. Each participant will receive a potted herb, recipes, and samples. See https://miami.osu.edu/events/herbs for details.

There is a really neat website that helps keep all of us up-to-date on what’s happening in that “horticulture world” of plants, insects, and diseases. Items are posted as our “experts” find new things happening … usually early spring through and into fall. We call it the BYGL (“beagle”) – Buckeye Yard and Garden Line – B Y G L. You can find this at bygl.osu.edu.

Just last week, Joe Boggs posted on Eastern Tent Caterpillars, Extrafloral Nectaries, and Ants and how they’re all inter-related. Last week there was also a post about “Magnificent Magnolias” with lots of picture depicting various colors and growth habits and one on the six-spotted tiger beetle.

In addition to reporting on what’s happening at various times, some of these “reporters” have a great sense of humor, which is reflected in their writing. For example, Boggs is one of the best, and in his article about the Eastern Tent Caterpillar, he was mentioning control methods and indicated that small nests could be eliminated digitally using “five-fingered ‘smash and/or smear’ techniques.” If you’re interested in some good writing as well as learning more about our environment, visit bygl.osu.edu and give it a try! You can even subscribe to receive a notification of what’s been posted each week …

OSU Extension in Highland County is working with a new festival to help spread knowledge about agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. This “Germinate International Film Fest” will feature a diverse range of films highlighting ag and rural communities!

The concept behind the Germinate International Film Fest is to provide a forum for open discussion about agricultural, environmental, and rural community development topics important to the public. This film festival will provide an opportunity to showcase the agricultural industry from the perspective of agricultural producers, researchers, and rural community members.

While the festival itself won’t be held until Aug. 16-17, they are looking for film submissions that highlight agriculture and food production. Film submissions will be accepted for the following categories, plus others: Short or Feature Documentaries; Short or Feature Narratives; Virtual Reality; Photography of Agriculture, Nature, the Environment, or Rural communities; Films produced by college and high school students.

The films will be selected based upon their ability to tell a compelling and logical story, as well as providing factual information about the topic being discussed. Filmmakers and photographers of all skill and expertise levels are encouraged to apply. Submissions are encouraged for all styles and methods of production, including but not limited to aerial cinematography, stop-motion, animation, and live action.

If you would like to submit a film or photograph, go to highland.osu.edu to get more information. The deadline to apply is June 30.

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By Deborah Reinhart Brown

Ag update

The writer can be reached at the OSU Extension office (937-498-7239) or by email at [email protected].

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