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– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension

Don’t forget native grasses and flowers.

This week we continue the quest for native plants to enhance Ohio landscapes and will focus on how to incorporate native grasses and flowers that are appealing to both people and animals. Whether you manage acres of meadows or a few square feet in a garden bed, the addition of native grasses and flowers will be beneficial to your environment. Along with adding interest to the appearance of the landscape, natives increase the functionality of the landscape by providing benefits to the environment.

Native grasses and flowers are already adapted to our climate, soils, insects, and often thrive with less water and fertilizer than other introduced species. Areas that are often seen as “challenging” such as chronically wet, chronically dry, or sloped areas are often sites where native grasses and flowers can be established and need little follow-up care. Many native plants can be left to stand in the landscape through the winter for interest and as overwintering sites for native insects. Occasional removal of Continue reading Native Grasses and Flowers for Ohio Landscapes →

– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension

Once you have a plan, its time to select your plants.

Once you have a basic outline of the environmental conditions of your landscape and defined goals of what services you want the landscape to provide, it is time to begin researching plants that will deliver results. In this week’s article, we will focus on native trees and shrubs.

Most people don’t think of trees as flowering plants, but they are actually some of the earliest spring-blooming plants in Ohio! Tree blooms are some of the earliest nectar and pollen sources for Ohio bees. Adding native flowering trees and shrubs to your landscape can be an excellent way to provide long-term benefits to the wildlife in your ecosystem.

Some tree species to consider that are native and provide wildlife benefits include Continue reading Native Trees & Shrubs for Ohio Landscapes →

– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension

Before selecting plants consider the goals for your native plants.

Interest in utilizing native plants in residential landscapes is on the rise and OSU Extension encourages the practice of considering native plant choices for landscape plants when they fit the site conditions and goals of the grower. Native plants in Ohio settings would be plants that were documented to have been present across the state prior to European colonization. These plants are adapted to local conditions, pressures, and threats. As a result, they typically require fewer inputs to thrive than introduced species.

Native trees, shrubs, flowers, legumes, and grasses are all options for incorporation in landscapes. Over the next few weeks, this article will cover some of the considerations for each category of plants and suggested plants for use in Southeast Ohio. The first thing we will cover is understanding Continue reading Utilizing Natives in the Landscape →

Do you want to learn more about new plants to introduce in your gardens for pollinators in 2024?  How about finding some alternatives to those ugly boxwoods?  Or do you think it looks like those boxwoods are trying  making a comeback?  If you answered yes to any of those questions, then make plans now to attend the Fairfield County Master Gardeners “Dig Into Gardening” at Christ United Methodist Church, 700 S. Main Street in Baltimore, Ohio.

Our program will be featuring Planting for Pollinators with Scott Beuerlein of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Conifers for Today’s Gardens with (Garden Bob) Bob Iiames, American Conifer Society, and OSU Extension’s Carrie Brown discussing Boxwood Problems!!

We will have a Continue reading Don’t miss  DIG INTO GARDENING – MARCH 23, 2024 →

Master Gardener Training Informational Meeting – Are you thinking this is your year to become a Fairfield County Master Gardener Volunteer?  If you want to learn more about the program ..what’s involved, how do I get started?  Join us on  Friday, February 23, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. at the Fairfield County Ag Center located at 831 College Avenue in Lancaster, Oh for an informational meeting about the Fairfield County Master Gardener program.  Cost for the 7 week daytime program is $150.00 which does include your training manual and handouts.     All interested in Master Gardener Volunteer training in Fairfield County are encouraged to attend. 

Please take a moment to RSVP for the Fairfield County Master Gardener Informational session here: https://go.osu.edu/ffmgv2024

Questions?  Contact Connie Smith, Master Gardener Coordinator smith.3204@osu.edu or Carrie Brown, Extension Educator  brown.2766@osu.edu.

Understanding the varied feeding patterns of birds can make a significant difference in their well-being.  Some birds, like chickadees and cardinals, are year-round, while others are more seasonal.  For species like red-breasted nuthatches, redpolls, pine siski

ns,  grosbeaks, scarcity of seeds can lead them far from their usual ranges in search of food.

Diverse food choices planning for winter bird feeding involves three primary categories of food: large seeds, small seeds and suet.

Large seeds: Black-oil sunflower, Striped sunflower, Safflower, Peanuts, Shelled corn, Cardinal mixes (sunflower, safflower and peanuts.)

Black oil sunflower seeds and cardinal mixes are the most popular choices, comprising about 80-90% of seed used in Ohio. They offer Continue reading Winter Bird Feeding Tips to consider!! →

For most of us, taking down the Christmas tree is a dreaded time. The sparkling lights on the Christmas tree and the beautiful decorations make everything feel cozy and magical. There is also likely to be less offers to help take it down, than when putting the tree up.

What if you could repurpose that Christmas tree and give the kids something fun to do while on Christmas vacation? Instead of hauling off your real Christmas tree, why not considering adding it to your landscape outside.

Once your tree has been stripped of all the beautiful lights and ornaments consider placing it outside to help feed the birds. You could really up your bird feeding game by turning your tree into a large festive bird feeder. The tree will need to be anchored to a post or steel rod to ensure that it remains upright against the wind. Then the children can begin Continue reading Repurposing Your Christmas Tree for the Birds →

Flowering Pear Trees were put on the “Do not Sell”, Invasive Species List for the Ohio Department of Agriculture last January of 2023. The problem is the fruit!  When Callery Pear was sold in the United States in the 1900’s, many nurseries claimed they were sterile and would not produce fruit. Callery pears are native to Asia. The species is named for a French missionary, Joseph Callery, who first collected the tree in 1858.

As the song the 12 Days of Christmas goes, “A partridge in a pear tree”. Now the questions are “Was it nesting?” “Was it feeding?” or was it doing both.  Teresa Culley (Professor, Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati) and Nicole Hardiman published the earliest work untangling exactly what was happening with the misbehaving Callery pears They noted that European starlings would feast on the fruit.

In 2022, Olivia Clark (University of Dayton) produced a fascinating honors thesis titled, “A Starling in a Pear Tree: Assessing the Influence of Bird Dispersal on Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana)”  Likewise, she noted that European starlings are among the most common birds observed eating Calley pear fruit.  She also reported that other birds will eat the fruit including American Robins (Turdus migratorius, family Turdidae) as well as Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum, family Bombycillidae). 

The airborne acrobatics by European starlings are known as a murmuration.  It’s one of Nature’s most fascinating spectacles with thousands of starlings twisting, turning, swooping, and swirling in a synchronized close-formation aerial display.   It’s a stunning example of collective animal behavior.

Although murmurations are most commonly observed in the fall, they may occasionally occur in the spring.  Organized flights may arise spontaneously anytime during daylight hours; however, the most dramatic displays occur during the evening hours. However, as Clark noted in her thesis, sheer numbers point towards the intestinal tract of European starlings as being a primary distribution route for Callery pears.  Research published in 2017 showed that starling murmurations could include over 30,000 individuals, thus the tremendous spread of Callery Pear seeds!!

Source: Thomas DeHaas, Buckeye Yard and Garden Line

A backyard bird feeder can be a source of joy and entertainment during the upcoming winter season. Join OSU Extension Educator, Carrie Brown, as we explore how we can best support our feathered friends as cold months roll in. Topics include food & feeder selection, feeder sanitation, deterring non-winged critters, and general birdscaping tips.  The Class will be held at the Main Library, 219 E. Broad Street in Lancaster at 6:00 pm on December 19.  For details contact the Fairfield County District  Library at 740-653-2745.

Are you ‘winterized?’

In this issue:

• Best defense against animal damage
• A Message from our MG Coordinator
• Community food drive a success
• Learning Never Ends project
• MG Newsletter win awards
• Sherman House update
• Seasonal Holiday spending tips
• Winter recipes for potato soup and bird suet
• Featured Book: Martha’s Vineyard Mysteries by Cynthia Riggs
• Ohio Plant Hardiness Map & All about the new U.S. Plant Hardiness Map
• Yerba Maté (part 2)
• Forcing bulbs in winter
• In/Around the Garden

Find the entire newsletter linked here in PDF.