Get Growing Blog
Connecting people with the wonder, beauty, and value of trees and plants.
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December 8, 2022
The Sweet Side of Winter: Carbohydrate Dynamics during Cold Acclimation
By Samuel Harbol, Norweb Fellow Deciduous plants such as maple trees lose their leaves in winter, and this helps them to survive cold temperatures, but what about our evergreen friends,... more
December 7, 2022
Recycle Ohio Community Grant Awarded to Holden Arboretum
By Ann Rzepka Budziak, Director of Horticulture
On July 1, 2022, Holden Forests and Gardens was generously awarded a Recycle Ohio Community and Litter Academic Institution grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to compost the organic... more
December 2, 2022
Why We’re Celebrating Soil for World Soil Day — And You Should Too!
By Anna Funk, Ph.D., Science Communication Specialist
We’re surrounded by soils. They’re not just outside, but underneath us, supporting our structures and our homes as well as our ecosystems and food systems. But perhaps the most amazing... more
November 18, 2022
Respecting our Land and Resources
By Hector Ortiz
There was a time in North America when people saw plants and land as sacred, a gift from the Gods. The use and cultivation of some of those sacred plants... more
November 18, 2022
Where do we stand today?
By Hector Ortiz
By Hector Ortiz There was a time in North America when people saw plants and land as sacred, a gift from the Gods. The use and cultivation of some of... more
November 10, 2022
New Graduate Student in the Medeiros Lab: Miranda Shetzer
I recently began a PhD program where I am hosted jointly by Case Western Reserve University and the Holden Arboretum. The BioScience Alliance program promotes collaboration across research facilities in... more
November 10, 2022
The Botanical Garden Celebrates Cleveland’s Holiday Magic with Twinkle in the 216
(CLEVELAND) October 2022 – Let the countdown to the holiday season begin! The Cleveland Botanical Garden’s Twinkle in the 216 will celebrate the historic character of Cleveland’s neighborhoods as they sparkle... more
November 10, 2022
The Jesse Owens oak at Rhodes High School may have died, but its legacy lives on through grafting
By Peter Krouse , Cleveland.com
An oak tree (background) planted by Olympic hero Jesse Owens at James Ford Rhodes High School 86 years ago died over the past winter. A genetic replica (foreground) of the... more
November 9, 2022
10 Podcasts to Listen to While Gardening
By Hedy Wade, Gardener
Gardening can be so…boring. I don’t mean all the time, of course. I really love my job, but the pruning, leaf blowing, and weeding can be downright monotonous. And since... more
November 9, 2022
The Tropical Taste of Strawberry Guavas
By Sadie Smith, Glasshouse Horticulturist
One of my favorite things about working in the Costa Rica biomes is the diverse array of tropical fruit. Where else can I have a tasty, freshly picked tropical snack... more
November 4, 2022
Which plants live where? Follow the ants to find out!
Dr. Chelsea Miller No man is an island — and the same goes for organisms living in the natural world. It might seem like a plant growing on the forest... more
November 1, 2022
Fall Colors: Vermont We Aren’t
By Sandi Cesarov, Horticulturist
But Ohio’s Fall colors are spectacular! This is a time of year, when Ohioans need to remind themselves of how lucky they are. Not all Americans have the privilege of... more
November 1, 2022
Fall Hike: Core Natural Areas Edition
By Rob Maganja, Horticulturist
Welcome to the newest of the Holden Arboretum’s garden areas! The Core Natural Areas are relatively unmanaged forest fragments within the maintained garden area, and we currently are focusing on... more
October 28, 2022
Restoring the Restorative Garden
By Caroline Watson , Horticulturist
As you walk through the Elizabeth and Nona Evans Restorative Garden at the Cleveland Botanical Garden you may notice some exciting changes underway! The horticulture team is currently in the... more
October 21, 2022
Ash Trees Are Exploding with Seeds; Researchers Are Capitalizing on It
It’s a mast year for ash trees. Holden researchers are launching a new initiative to collect ash seeds from around the region. When conditions are just right, certain trees will... more
October 19, 2022
Why do Flowers Smell?
By Nicholas Chilson, Gardener
When you visit the Holden Arboretum or the Cleveland Botanical Garden, you can’t just spend all your time looking at our flowers. You need to smell them too! Of our... more
October 18, 2022
Winterizing the Rose Beds
By Stefanie Verish, B.A. Studio Art, Botany, Zoology, Horticulturist
It has been quite the productive season in the Swetland Rose Garden at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens! Out went the old roses, and in went the new. Perennials and bulbs... more
October 18, 2022
A new Jesse Owens tree takes root at Old Brooklyn’s Rhodes High School
By Karin Connelly Rice, Fresh Water Cleveland Reporter
All photos by Bob Perkoski Olympic athlete Jesse Owens’ Cleveland legacy was preserved on Wednesday, Oct. 12, when representatives with Holden Forests & Gardens gathered at James Ford Rhodes High School to plant a... more
October 17, 2022
Jesse Owens Olympic Oak Sapling Planted at James Ford Rhodes High School where Owens Planted Original Tree 80 Years Ago
Last week, a propagated sapling was planted by Holden Forests & Gardens’ Tree Corps at James Ford Rhodes High School where Owens practiced track and field. The sapling was grown... more
October 13, 2022
An Inside Look at the Global Botanic Gardens Congress
By Connor Ryan, MS, Rhododendron Collections Manager
By Connor Ryan, HF&G Rhododendron Collections Manager The last week of September I attended the 7th Global Botanic Gardens Congress in Melbourne, Australia. This is a semi-regular meeting of botanic... more
October 11, 2022
Jesse Owens Olympic Oak Tree Continues to take Root this Fall with New Documentary and Grafted Sapling Next to Site of Original Tree
Eighty-five years ago, a priceless oak tree was planted by Jesse Owens in Cleveland at James Ford Rhodes High School, a symbol of athletic and cultural triumph. This fall, a... more
October 7, 2022
Science on Friday: Why are there bags on the Rhododendrons?
Why public gardens are both beautiful and useful too. Jean H. Burns, Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University If you have walked around Holden Arboretum in the... more
October 6, 2022
The Much-Maligned Goldenrods
By Dawn Gerlica, Senior Horticulturist
Ahh-choo! It’s the end-of-summer hay fever season once again and people are feeling it. The poor goldenrod is often blamed, so it’s time for me to get on my soapbox... more
September 30, 2022
Trivia Answers and Farewell to Mushroom Month
By Claudia Bashian-Victoroff, MS, Research Specialist
By Claudia Bashian-Victoroff September is ending and fall is in full swing. As the leaves on the trees start to change and the wind turns chilly, we bid farewell to... more
September 23, 2022
Inside a Scientific Conference: Mycological Society of America
By Claudia Bashian-Victoroff, MS, Research Specialist
By Claudia Bashian-Victoroff Every year in July the mycologists of America converge for a week of academic talks, scientific posters, riveting discussions about fungal biology, and professional networking. This year,... more
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