Get Growing Blog
Connecting people with the wonder, beauty, and value of trees and plants.
Most Recent
August 25, 2021
The Do’s and Don’ts of Mulching
Mulch provides numerous benefits… What mulch is best? Organic, shredded (double or triple), hardwood mulch breaks down over the course of a season or two, increases the soil’s organic content... more
August 23, 2021
What is in a Plant Physiologist’s Toolkit?: Measuring Photosynthesis
If you are a plant lover, chances are you often find yourself thinking about photosynthesis in some way. You may move a house plant to a bright window so that... more
August 16, 2021
Researchers, Horticulturists, and Volunteers Team Up to Leverage Long-Term Pollinator Data
Pollinators are the friends of plants and people. Most flowering plants (~80%) are animal pollinated. Sadly, there is a global trend in pollinator declines, especially under the changing climates. To... more
August 13, 2021
Climate Change and Earlier Springs – How Are Plants Responding Around the World?
By Katie Stuble, PhD, Scientist
Climate change is shifting the timing of many seasonal events in our natural world. When do the roses bloom in your garden? When will you see your first hummingbird? When... more
August 10, 2021
Katie Stuble is Lead Author on a Paper in BioScience
By Katie Stuble, PhD, Director of Research
Holden scientist and research chair, Katie Stuble, has been exploring ways in which we can harness the power in biological data collected over time and across many sites to understand... more
August 6, 2021
Claudia’s Travel Blog: A Research Excursion through Armenia
By Claudia Bashian-Victoroff, MS, Research Specialist
When you think of the country Armenia, what comes to mind? Maybe you know of a few famous Armenians, such as Cher or the Kardashians. More importantly, you may know... more
August 6, 2021
Holden Researchers Present at ESA
Holden researchers have spent this week attending one of the world’s largest gatherings of ecologists: the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. This year, four Holden researchers are... more
August 3, 2021
Unusual Bulbs for Your Garden
Emerald Necklace Garden Club sponsors its third Education Series seminar on Sunday, September 19, 2021. Learn about the multitude of bulbs beyond tulips and daffodils for both fall and spring... more
July 23, 2021
The Name Game
By Connor Ryan, Rhododendron Collections Manager
Much of the research we have historically done at the HF&G’s David G. Leach Research Station is directly focused on new plant development. We are trying to breed the next generation of rhododendrons for the gardening public. The scientific, horticultural,... more
July 22, 2021
Face-To-Face With Our Radiated Tortoises
By Matt Edwards, Animal Care Specialist
The Cleveland Botanical Garden is fortunate to have in our Madagascar Spiny Desert biome collection an important and critically endangered animal for you to visit. So today let’s get face-to-face... more
July 16, 2021
Holden Students Reach for the Moon, Land Among the Stars
By Juliana Medeiros , Plant Biologist
One of the most important aspects of our work in the HF&G research department is mentoring students in independent research projects. Our research students include undergraduates and graduate students who... more
July 14, 2021
Tree Selection Guide
Intentional, informed selection is the first step to tree success. Quick Links Many people choose and plant trees because of a connection they have upon seeing a tree at a... more
July 12, 2021
It’s About the Roots
By Greg Wright, Nursery Manager
At this time of year in the nursery, we are busy shifting plants into larger containers as they outgrow their pots and become pot-bound. When this happens, you can see... more
July 8, 2021
Biological Time Capsules
By Connor Ryan, Rhododendron Collections Manager
For many people working in a botanical profession, spring is a mad scramble as we try to accomplish as much as we can while so many plants are in bloom. At the HF&G’s David G. Leach Research Station, we... more
July 7, 2021
Building the Collections through Collaborations
By Dawn Gerlica, Horticulturist
Recently a small team of Holden F&G explorers traveled to visit and explore a strange new area to seek out new life. This may sound like a sci-fi show based... more
July 1, 2021
The Annual Bioscience Alliance Intern Fun Days Returned in 2021
By Courtney Blashka, David Burke, Juliana Medeiros, Sarah Kyker, Jessica Miller, Connor Ryan, Katie Stuble, Rebecah Troutman, and Na Wei
This summer, the Research, Conservation, and Community Forestry departments welcomed 14 interns. The students have been spending their summer working on projects ranging from the crabapple microbiome to forest restoration,... more
June 18, 2021
The Growth of Forest Trees is Deeply Rooted in Soil
By Sarah Kyker, Postdoctoral Research Associate
It should come as no surprise that trees are very reliant on the soil they grow in. A tree’s growth and health are deeply rooted in the soil (pun intended),... more
June 14, 2021
Pretty in Pink
By Lorinda Laughlin, Arboretum Gardener
Among the countless plantings that delight and surprise visitors, one that never fails to garner attention when in bloom can be found at the northern entrance of the Myrtle S.... more
June 11, 2021
Homogenized Biota in an Era of Urban Expansion and Globalization
By Caleb Lumsden, Research Department Intern
If you were to travel between two distant regions of the world, would you expect to see any overlap between their respective floral communities? If this question was posed a... more
June 10, 2021
Springing to Life: A Photo Essay
By Alyssa Zearley, Nursery Technician
Late Spring is always a beautiful time of year at the Holden Arboretum. The same is true for our nursery production area. The rains and warmth have ushered in blooms... more
June 4, 2021
2021 Holden Summer Intern Program
The HF&G’s Research, Community Forestry and Conservation teams are excited about the arrival of the 2021 cohort of interns. This year, HF&G is leveraging resources and opportunities across departments and... more
May 21, 2021
Hot in the city – Can tree seedlings from urban areas beat the heat?
Urban development is expanding rapidly, leaving a patchwork of small, isolated forests in its wake. Urban areas tend to have more paved surfaces that retain heat leading to an urban... more
May 20, 2021
Fermenting the Garden
By Rob Dzurec, Horticulturist Last year we installed our first fermentation garden at the botanical garden in what was previously known as the Potager garden. Put simply, a fermentation garden... more
May 14, 2021
Presenting Science Virtually
By Sarah Kyker, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Information sharing is the cornerstone of science. Scientific conferences are a key venue for this information sharing – places where scientists present recent findings and hear what others are working... more
May 13, 2021
Plants in the Lakeside Terrace Garden
These beds address the unique needs of each plant species, are low maintenance and support beneficial insects. The Perennial plants in this bed grow close together leaving little space for... more
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