Spring is here and with it comes my favorite spring outdoor activity. I love to get outdoors and hike in the woods. While I’m at it I hike to spots where I’ve previously found that spring delicacy…morel mushrooms. (Morchella)

Hiking to the right spot at the right time may reward you with tasty Morel mushrooms. Morels have a texture and taste like no other mushroom. I would describe the texture as somewhat meaty and the taste kind of earthy and nutty and of course the way I cook them, buttery.

In the “early season” which varies from year to year depending on temperatures, rainfall etc. I usually find the black variety followed by the yellow morels later in the season. Morels are a little particular concerning Continue reading A Gourmet Dinner from the Woods →

– Garth Ruff OSU Extension Henry County

As temperatures (slowly) begin to warm up this is a great time to prepare equipment for mowing lawns.

There are two simple rules that you can follow to maintain a beautiful lawn. The first is to sharpen your mower blades. Having sharp blades will cut leaves rather than tearing them. This will reduce disease pressure and the lawn will look a lot nicer. If your yard is like mine and you have mole hills you may need to sharpen your blades a couple of time throughout the season. Before I mow each time I like to smooth out any mole hills with a gravel rake or garden hoe.

The second rule is to keep the mower deck two to two and a half inches off the ground. Once the seed heads are removed from the grass in May, raise the deck another half Continue reading Being Lawn Ready →

Soil temperature plays an important role in seed germination.

This weekend will no doubt bring lots of gardeners out into the sunshine. The calendar tells us we could be planting early spring crops in the garden but what does the soil thermometer tell us? If you have never thought about the use of the soil thermometer you should! Have you ever had crops that you planted in your garden that just “set” there and did not take off? Perhaps you planted them in wet soils and perhaps you planted them when the soils were just too cold.

Soil temperature plays an important role in seed germination. Adequate soil temperatures for germination range widely for different crops. For example, spinach needs a soil temperature of at least Continue reading Planting When the Soil Tempatures are Right = Success!! →

Note:  Special thanks to Jerry Iles, Extension Educator in Fairfield County for sharing his beautiful spring blooming woodland plantings with us.   

When you live in a hardwood forest setting like I do plants that require full sun are a lost cause. Early season shade tolerant perennials like the Lenten Rose perform just fine. This spring was a great year for our Lenten Rose plants (Helebores). Aptly named for blooming during lent season. There are multiple colors available. We have two color varieties a traditional white and a deep purple. Both performed equally well this year. Along with daffodils these plants provide our first splash of color each spring. If you have a shady area and you want to establish an easy perennial that will “naturalize” plant Lenten Rose. We planted our bulbs in the fall several years ago and have Continue reading A Great Spring for the Lenten Rose (Heleborus Orientalis) →