Get Growing Blog
Connecting people with the wonder, beauty, and value of trees and plants.
Most Recent
January 20, 2021
Toilet Paper Roll Tree Craft
What trees have you seen today? What lives in the trees? What kind of trees do you see when we go for walks? Do you have a favorite tree? Have... more
January 20, 2021
Beauty View Finder
Spring has sprung. Time to get outside and explore. Make a simple Beauty View Finder and walk out the door to see what you can find. more
January 15, 2021
Meeting the Grand Botanic Garden Challenge at Holden Forests & Gardens
By Juliana S. Medeiros, PhD, Plant Biologist
When we consider the major challenges facing humanity today, it is exciting to think that plants can provide a myriad of sustainable solutions. Problems with water quality, our dependence on... more
January 8, 2021
How do deer and forest edges shape Northeast Ohio forests?
One of Northeast Ohio’s most charismatic consumer of plants within our forests is the white-tailed deer. Perhaps you’ve even noticed their impacts in your own backyard garden. As yards and... more
December 11, 2020
Sowing Orchid Seeds In Vitro
By Connor Ryan, MS, Rhododendron Collections Manager
Orchids are among the most ornamental and diverse groups of plants in the world. We often think of them as epiphytes, growing on trees in the tropics. Many would be... more
December 8, 2020
Stories in the Garden: Winter’s Tremendous Trees
Get curious about the winter landscape with these ideas for ways for your students to engage with nature by taking a winter walk, making a craft and reading a poem. more
December 4, 2020
The Biodiversity Belowground: Celebrating World Soil Day
By David J. Burke, PhD, Vice President for Science and Conservation
Each year on December 5th, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations celebrates World Soil Day. World Soil Day began in 2014 to focus attention on the importance of... more
November 20, 2020
Bridging the Diversity Gap in Plant Science Internships
By Juliana S. Medeiros, PhD, Plant Biologist
On November 18th Dr. Juliana Medeiros was invited to make a presentation about the Holden Research Internship Program for The Morton Arboretum virtual workshop: Bridging the Diversity Gap in Plant Science Internships.... more
November 13, 2020
Our Workhorse Forests and Acid Rain
By Katie Stuble, PhD, Research Chair
Our forests are not only beautiful, but also environmental powerhouses, pumping out oxygen, filtering runoff, and storing carbon that would otherwise collect in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming.... more
November 6, 2020
Ecological Paths Through a Yellow Wood
By David J. Burke, PhD, Vice President for Science and Conservation
It’s that time of year when the woods turn yellow – or orange and red depending on where you live – and shine with the vibrance of fall color. This... more
October 23, 2020
Curating a Collection
By Connor Ryan, MS, Rhododendron Collections Manager
As Rhododendron collections manager at Holden Forests & Gardens I wear many ericaceous hats, but at the core of my job is curating the Holden Rhododendron Collection. This role differs... more
October 16, 2020
The Benefits of Urban Trees
How do the cities of today shape the forests of tomorrow? Urban Trees have been getting a lot of attention in the scientific and sociological worlds lately. Trees... more
October 9, 2020
Crabapples: a ripe system for research
Crabapples, the wild apple species and cultivars (Malus spp.), are important members of the rose family. Crabapples produce profuse blossom (Fig. 1) and small fruits (Fig. 2)1. Many crabapples are cultivated... more
October 2, 2020
Science on Friday: the Art and Science of Grafting
By Connor Ryan, MS, Rhododendron Collections Manager
Grafting is an ancient technique of joining two distinct plants together. Grafts occur naturally or they can occur through human intervention. In practice, grafting usually involves the joining of the... more
September 18, 2020
National Mushroom Month Continues – Lessons in Fungal Ecology and Conservation
By Claudia Bashian-Victoroff, MS, Research Specialist
My name is Claudia and I’m the newest member of the team here at the Long Science Center at Holden Arboretum. I’m a recent graduate of the State University of... more
September 4, 2020
Mushrooms: the hardest working recyclers in the forest
By Sarah Kyker, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate
September is one of our favorite months in the Holden Forests and Gardens Soil Ecology lab. Why? Because it is National Mushroom Month. Many people celebrate National Mushroom Month by... more
August 14, 2020
The Joy of Coding: Raspberry Pi edition
When I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in ecological research and education I knew that there were a lot of new skills that I was going to... more
August 14, 2020
Exploring the Rhododendron Research Network (R-RN)
The Rhododendron Research Network (R-RN) was founded at Holden in 2017 to increase collaboration and dissemination of Rhododendron research, to connect scientists with each other and with plant enthusiasts from... more
July 31, 2020
Frugivory and its impact on forest health
By Alexa Wagner, PhD Candidate
Ohio’s forests have changed over the last 200 years. Few old-growth forests remain as much of the land was timbered and cleared for agriculture in the early 19th century. Most... more
July 24, 2020
How does “the early bird gets the worm” play out in plant communities?
By Katie Stuble, PhD, Research Chair
You’ve heard the phrase “the early bird gets the worm”. We use it to indicate that getting somewhere first can come with big benefits. It’s snagging the choicest donuts in... more
July 3, 2020
The surprising way Jack-in-the-Pulpit initiates pollination…
By Sarah Kyker, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Some of the most fun stories we have in science are about surprising discoveries. Most people think of these as “eureka” moments. We can picture a scientist in a lab... more
June 26, 2020
Pollinator Research at the Arboretum with Dr. Na Wei
Why do we care about pollinators? Pollinators are important creatures in natural ecosystems and our daily life because they provide vital services to wild plants and our crops. Pollinators carry and... more
June 19, 2020
Science on Friday: Spring phenology monitoring wraps for the year
By Katie Stuble, PhD, Research Chair
As spring transitions to summer, we’re wrapping up this year’s spring phenology monitoring in Bole Woods at the Holden Arboretum. Have you heard the term phenology before? Phenology is the... more
June 12, 2020
Plant–pollinator interactions and the role of the flower microbiome in crabapples
Today we are continuing our story of ornamental apples (crabapples). Plants are living in a microbial world. They interact not only with microbes in the soil but also the ones... more
June 12, 2020
Harnessing microbiomes in crabapples: II. Getting seeds for testing microbiome functions
By Na Wei and Jessica LaBella Plants are associated with numerous microorganisms in the wild. Some of these microorganisms are beneficial but others, such as pathogens, can be harmful to... more
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