Get Growing Blog
Connecting people with the wonder, beauty, and value of trees and plants.
Most Recent
October 27, 2021
Foraging for Health
By Alyssa Zearley, Nursery Technician
Cold, flu, and now, perhaps, COVID season, are rapidly approaching. Which means it’s also elderberry syrup season. For those not familiar, elderberry syrup is a concoction of elderberry, honey, and... more
October 25, 2021
Selecting Trees in Northeast Ohio
HF&G has developed a tree selection guide that provides essential information to help you choose climate-resilient trees suitable for urban and suburban areas in northeast Ohio. Click the link below... more
October 22, 2021
Great scientists are made, not born
By Juliana S. Medeiros, PhD, Plant Biologist
We’ve all heard the story; a famous scientist is asked how they got interested in their subject area and they say something like “I’ve always loved sea otters and wanted... more
October 7, 2021
Tips for Keeping Trees Healthy
Very few trees die of old age in residential or urban areas—mechanical damage and improper care pose huge threats to trees. If you don’t listen carefully to what your tree... more
October 3, 2021
The Avon-on-the-Lake Garden Club is saving Monarch Butterflies
Members of the Avon-on-the-Lake Garden Club are doing their part to save as many Monarch butterflies as possible. The group recently began a conservation project, initiated by President Elaine George,... more
October 1, 2021
Beech Leaf Disease and Forest Fungi: Healthy trees support healthy fungal communities
By Claudia Bashian-Victoroff, MS, Research Specialist
Arboreta play an active role in studying a wide range of tree diseases and the pathogens and parasites that cause them. Holden is no exception. Work from our arboretum and... more
September 29, 2021
Pass on or Protect the Woods
There are many options to consider when you own undeveloped land. Let us help you address some concerns! more
September 29, 2021
Profit from the Woods
This short guide will help you evaluate opportunities for sustainable income from your woodlands. more
September 29, 2021
Keep the Woods Healthy
Learn about protecting the health and ecological integrity of your woodlands. more
September 29, 2021
Enjoying the Woods
Evaluate the benefits your woodlands provide, and plan for the future. more
September 24, 2021
Celebrating National Mushroom Month with a Book Review and a Recipe too!
By Claudia Bashian-Victoroff, Jessica Miller, Sarah Kyker, and David Burke
As September winds down, we are taking one more week to celebrate fungi during National Mushroom Month! Fungi are the main recyclers of dead plant material in the forest and... more
September 17, 2021
National Mushroom Month: Sharing Some Science & a Recipe, Too!
By Claudia Bashian-Victoroff, MS, Graduate Student, Sarah Kyker, Postdoctoral Research Associate, and David Burke, VP, Science & Conservation
Mycorrhizal at HF&G: We continue to celebrate September as National Mushroom Month at HF&G! Today we want to tell you about our favorite fungal group: mycorrhizal fungi! While we certainly... more
September 16, 2021
Fall Forum: Attention Club Presidents and Representatives
Fall Forum, open to all club presidents and representatives, is scheduled for October 21 at 10:00 a.m. in Woodland Hall at the Cleveland Botanical Garden campus. Watch your email... more
September 10, 2021
Soil, Mushrooms & a Recipe, Too!
By Claudia Bashian-Victoroff, MS, Research Specialist
by: Claudia Bashian-Victoroff, Sarah Kyker, and David Burke We continue to celebrate September: National Mushroom Month. Mushrooms are amazing (and delicious) and definitely deserve a month of focus and celebration.... more
September 8, 2021
Breaking News: Pollinators contribute to flowering plant diversity
Holden Forests & Gardens (HF&G) Scientist Na Wei, Ph.D., and her collaborators from the University of Pittsburgh and East Tennessee State University discovered how pollinators may contribute to the maintenance... more
September 3, 2021
Pest Alert: Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula)
The invasive spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) has been found on Cleveland’s east side. This discovery matters greatly to Northeast Ohioans. Here are the details we have thus far: At a Glance The invasive Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) has... more
September 3, 2021
A Book About Mushrooms & a Recipe
By Claudia Bashian-Victoroff, MS, Research Specialist
With summer turning into autumn, September is a great time of year to see mushrooms in the forest. Mushrooms are a type of sporocarp, or the fruiting body of fungi,... more
September 1, 2021
September is National Mushroom Month
By Sabrina Kozsey, Gardener
Happy National Mushroom Month! September is one of our favorite months in the Holden Forests and Gardens. Why? Because it is National Mushroom Month. Many people celebrate National Mushroom Month... more
August 27, 2021
DIY Xeriscape
By Caroline Paul, Horticulturist
By the time late August and September roll around many of us start to experience what I call annual fatigue. Annual fatigue is the feeling you may begin to feel... more
August 26, 2021
Pollinators in the Plots
By Pollinator Intern, Amanda Brucchieri
With a freshly printed degree, a head full of ideas and the desire to put both to use I was thrilled when offered the position of Pollinator Intern at the... more
August 25, 2021
Summer Tree Care Tips: Watering
Is your tree thirsty? Did you plant a new tree earlier this spring? Does the soil surrounding the trunk look like the surface of the moon? Is it showing signs... more
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
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