Mulch piled around tree trunks to stratospheric heights has been called many things (some not printable) such as pyramid mulch and mountain mulch. My personal favorites are mulch volcanoes (or volcano mulch) for stratovolcano-like creations and mulch mounds for those that resemble shield volcanoes.

In Northeast Ohio, it really has been the year of the Mas… Cornus mas (CM) to be exact and colloquially known as Corneliancherry dogwood.  This bright, golden-yellow welcome burst of Spring color has been showing for a little over two weeks now!   Corneliancherry dogwood is one of the first of the new season, easily noticeable, blooming trees and is truly a harbinger of Spring.

 

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Lindera benzoin is an early spring blooming plant (full bloom around 90 GDD) that is brightening our woodlands right now.

Enjoy the beauty in your own backyard and in your distanced health walks

Emerald Ash Borer University (EABU) was created to be able share programming on the EAB, and other invasive pests, virtually, before it was the in-thing! While you are receiving lots of information about programs and presentations being offered virtually in response to the stay-at-home order, we wanted to remind you of the sessions EABU has on tap in the next couple months. Additionally, the sessions that have been offered in the past have been recorded and can be viewed at your convenience. 

Chinese or saucer magnolia now blooms in much of Ohio. This profile relates the features and care for this beautiful landscape plant.

Deciduous trees and shrubs can produce a dependable flower show, but the flower buds that create the flowers need to be kept in consideration to prevent damage. Pruning at the wrong times can be a major reason for the reduction in flowers. In addition, early blooming plants like Saucer and Star Magnolias can be burned by a heavy frost.

Did your usual conference get canceled? Are you looking to fill the void during this time of social distancing and the stay at home order? Ohio State University Extension is here to help with a new virtual education program for the agricultural community - including programming in agriculture, natural resources and horticulture. “Agriculture and Natural Resources Madness: A Tournament of Education” will include 64 educational events broken into daily brackets. Each day, a virtual educational session will be held at 9 a.m., noon, and 3 p.m. The educational tournament is free of charge and...

Welcome to Ohio State University's Secrest Arboretum. Here is what is happening now in early April.

Last week, I came across one of the largest collections of soil "mining bees" that I've ever seen in Ohio. The "colony" was located in a picnic area and numerous males were making their low-level flights in search of females. The sparse turfgrass coupled with early-evening lighting made conditions perfect for taking pictures.