DIRECTIONS: To Inniswood From I-270, take the SR 3/Westerville Road exit north to Schrock Road (Huntington Bank, 630 South State Street, is on the Southeast corner) and turn right. Go about one mile to South Hempstead Road and turn right. Entrance is about 1/2 mile on the right. Inniswood Metro Park

For more information, contact Columbus Chapter Luanne Hendricks, Columbus Chapter President.

PROGRAM IDEAS AND COMMENTS?   If you have any program and/or field trip ideas/requests or you would like to comment on past programs, please contact our Program Committee at ideas&comments

    Jan 14, 2012 (Sat)    

10 am Inniswood Metro Park, Westerville, Ohio

Creating Bog Gardens, Rainwater Harvesting, and Protecting Habitats along Waterways. Speaker: Stephanie Suter
Backyard conservation can open the door to not only creating habitat for our native pollinators and wildlife, but it can be an aesthetically pleasing feature in the landscape that can help the water quality and water quantity issues in our streams. Extra water on your property from a nearby creek or your roof runoff can likely be turned into a resource instead of a waste product by using it to naturally soak into the ground or as a water feature. Come see what options are available for your backyard.

Stephanie Suter is the Habitat Conservationist for the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District. She graduated from The Ohio State University in 2003 from the School of Natural Resources with a BS in Wildlife Management. She works with the District’s backyard conservation program, conservation easement program, and is licensed to perform stream habitat assessments. Stephanie works closely with residents, local governments, and local organizations to help design and implement rain gardens and other backyard conservation practices in Franklin County. She also serves as Chair for the Central Ohio Rain Garden Initiative

We will be raffling off a book entitled "The Midwestern Native Gardener" by Charlotte Adelman, a Wild Ones membe

    Feb 11, 2012 (Sat)    

10 am Inniswood Metro Park, Westerville, Ohio

Back to Basic Pruning Concepts(A Light Hands-on Workshop)
Speaker: Sharon Treaster
This presentation by Sharon Treaster will cover capabilities and limits of commonly used pruning tools. You will learn selective pruning techniques to thin, rejuvenate, or resize plants. Ms. Treaster will cover how to use seasonal selective pruning to manage flowers or fruit production, how woody plant internal structure is linked to regrowth after pruning, and the three step branch removal guidelines using the existing branch collar as a reference. Be sure to bring your handclippers so you can try it yourself on plant materials Sharon will provide.

Ms. Treaster is on the Horticulture and Crop Science Staff at the Ohio State University and Chadwick Arboretum. She has 15 yrs of research experience in container and field production of landscape plants at OSU. She spent 20 years teaching plant identification, propagation, maintenance at OSU, and 15 years teaching plant identification for the Ohio Assn.of Garden Clubs (E&J Schools). Community and regional workshops have included plant selection, plant communities, plants use in history, plant propagation, pruning concepts, ornamental edible gardens, gardening from seeds, sustainable gardening, why trees matter and passing on the gardening legacy.

A Japanese Hori Hori Garden Knife will be raffled off.

    Mar 10, 2012 (Sat)    

Going Wild Without Offending the Neighbors
Highbanks Nature Center Multipurpose room.
Some people are afraid to use native plants in their gardens because they think native plants are nothing more than grasses or they think a garden of natives looks wild and unkempt. We need to start changing the way we think about landscaping, incorporating more native plants and relying less on exotic plants. This talk will present ideas on how to do this so the neighbors don’t freak out because “we have let the weeds grow”.
Speaker Denise Gualtiere has been interested in native plants and gardening for as long as she can remember. After working as a chemist for many years, Denise left the corporate world to pursue her "hobby" and passion. She obtained a degree in Landscape Design and started her business, Inspirations Landscape Design, a company that focuses on integrating native plants, edibles and natural playscapes into customer sustainable landscapes. She is experienced at managing contractors to build her designs, and also has experience organizing and leading community members to build and maintain school gardens. Clients include public schools, churches, home owners associations and private landowners. Denise has also teamed with Urban Wild to design and install the Three Sisters Edible Garden at Brookside Elementary, in Worthing, and to design the rain gardens for Brook Run neighborhood in Westerville. Denise also parents 3 wonderful children.
A Mason Bee House will be raffled off at the meeting

    Apr 14, 2012 (Sat)    

Urban Plant Rescue (Members Only)
9AM til Done.
130 Longfellow Avenue Worthington, Ohio
Email: worthingtonrescue@yahoo.com

Longstanding W.O member Sue Nelson has a mature Ohio native garden which needs thinning of large plants and seedlings. See W.O. Columbus website for photos of the 2011 yard tour. This is a combined community service project and member benefit to increase biodiversity in your yard. We will be working with Sustainable Worthington to populate the Moses Wright Park. For every plant you rescue for Worthington, you may take one home.
Sue’s property contains tall grass species, short grass prairie species, woodland species and native shrubs. Examples of abundant species includes prairie coneflower, big bluestem, little bluestem, great blue lobelia, cardinal flower, wild ginger, bloodroot, elderberry and buttonbush.
This rescue will occur rain or shine. Wear long sleeves, pants, gardening gloves and sturdy shoes. Bring your own tools as none will be provided on site. Bring pots and boxes lined with plastic garbage bags to transport rescued stock. Bring plant tags or markers. Make sure to bring water to drink as this is a physical labor.
Upon request, we can supply a full list of plant species available, enlarged instructions for rescues, and driving directions. Email worthingtonrescue@yahoo. com to request materials or for any questions at any time. The subject line of your message needs to read “WO Question”.

    May 12, 2012 (Sat)    

TOUR- 10:00 AM Members & Non-Members Welcome,
At the home of Don & Lois Humphrey, 251 Sandbridge Circle, Worthington, OH 43085 Don, a naturalist, living in downtown Worthington has a combination of native plants and other species that grow throughout the United States that he will discuss with us. You will see the first year results of converting the strip between the curb and sidewalk into native plants. Contact Barbara at 614 638 0442 for any questions or to car pool.

    Jun 09, 2012 (Sat)    

10 am Inniswood Metro Park, Westerville, Ohio

Using Native Plants in a Residential Setting, the Heritage Garden Experience: Speaker Hope Taft-

Hope Taft, Ohio’s First Lady from 1999 to 2007 was the visionary of the Heritage Gardens at the Governor’s Residence in Bexley, Ohio starting in 2000. Taft was instrumental in establishing the Heritage Garden at the Governor’s Residence by using artifacts and plants to showcase the artistic, industrial, political, geological and horticultural histories of Ohio in an effort to educate visitors about the best the state has to offer. The Heritage Garden is a series of small gardens designed by Ohio landscape designers to replicate the major ecosystems of the state and to show the great diversity and special qualities of each region. Plants from prairies and bogs, the Allegheny plateau and Appalachian hills, woodlands and water, sand dunes and meadows tell the rich ecological history of the state. Taft is an inspiration for all gardeners with her personal involvement and dedication to preserving our native plants. Although no longer First Lady, Taft still maintains an active role in maintenance of the Heritage Gardens. After moving to the Dayton Ohio area, she co-founded Little Miami River Keepers. A non-profit volunteer organization, the Little Miami River Keepers' purpose is to enhance the quality of life along the Little Miami River by promoting the protection, stimulating the public interest and encouraging the preservation of the heritage, cleanup and restoration of the Little Miami River.

After the meeting Members and Non-members will be welcome to walk the gardens at Inniswood as a group

    Jul 14, 2012 (Sat)    

10 am Inniswood Metro Park, Westerville, Ohio
Creating Prairie Gardens & Their Care- Speaker - Dick Moseley

Dick Moseley will present a program on "How to Establish and Maintain a Prairie Garden". Dick will discuss what you need to do to prepare and plant a prairie in your yard and how to reduce the weeds in your prairie. He will also discuss the prairie plants that do well in a small prairie garden and which plants to avoid planting in the small garden areas. Dick is a graduate of The Ohio State University and has B.S. Degrees in Nature Interpretation ('63) and Science Education ('64). He was the first Chief of the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, Ohio Department of Natural Resources and served in that capacity for nearly 21 years. He retired in 1993 from the Department as Deputy Director and is a member of the Ohio Conservation Hall of Fame.

Contact Info: 740-966-3074, dk.almoseley@yahoo.com

    Aug 11, 2012 (Sat)    

10 am Inniswood Metro Park, Westerville, Ohio
Wildlife Gardening: Butterflies: Speaker Debra Knapke
Attracting butterflies to your garden is easy if you offer them what they need. Learn how to make your garden an inviting place for these flying jewels and a healthier place for yourself.
In 1992 Debra Knapke, turned her avocation of plant study and gardening into a full-time career. Known as “The Garden Sage,” Debra is a popular speaker at professional symposia, as well as gardening events throughout the Midwest. Passionate about gardening and the natural world. She enjoys sustainable garden design and the history of gardening. Sharing her knowledge through her books, magazine and newsletter articles, and guest appearances on the radio program All Sides with Ann Fisher, and teaching in the Landscape Design/Build Program at Columbus State Community College. She was on the Design Committee for The Sister’s Garden at Inniswood Metro Gardens and currently involved with the design of Flint Cemetery in Worthington, Ohio. She is a founding member of the Stewards of Metro Parks; an organization that supports the mission and work of the Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District.

SELECTED REFERENCES FOR SUSTAINABLE GARDENS & PLANTS

BOOKS
- Books for Wild Ones.pdf

OHIO PLANT NURSERIES & SOURCES FOR NATIVE PLANTS AND ORGANIC LAWN & GARDEN CARE
- ResourcesOfLawnCare.pdf

*Please note: The above list is provided for reference & contact information. Wild Ones does not guarantee material or service quality or availability.

Photos from Sue Nelson Yard Tour