Get Growing Blog
Connecting people with the wonder, beauty, and value of trees and plants.
Most Recent
March 3, 2021
Energy Scavenger Hunt
With many of us spending more time at home than we ever have, energy use has inevitably risen. This Earth Day conduct an Energy Scavenger Hunt throughout your home. Preserving... more
March 3, 2021
DIY Textile Dyeing
Textile waste, from clothing and other fabric consumer items, makes up a large chunk of trash produced each year. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 15 million tons... more
March 3, 2021
Grow Fresh Produce From Scraps
Family eating you out of house and home? Try growing fresh produce from scraps. Watch the regenerative power of plants before your very eyes! Plus, you may be able to... more
February 19, 2021
Detecting Changes in the Natural World
By Katie Stuble, PhD, Director of Research
The Holden Arboretum is a stunning place to explore with its beautiful gardens and forests. I love to hike the trails with my family and watch the gardens transform over... more
February 12, 2021
A Lady’s Slipper Update on the Eve of Orchids Forever
By Connor Ryan, MS, Rhododendron Collections Manager
A lot of science and conservation is learning by doing, so I would like to provide an update on our lady’s slipper orchid conservation project. This is our first time growing orchids from seed. On December... more
February 5, 2021
Biotic Homogenization – Changes in biodiversity with urbanization in vacant lots
By Megan Herrmann, Graduate Student, Cleveland State University
By Megan Herrmann, master’s student at Cleveland State University in the Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences Department The current biodiversity crisis seen in headlines has many overarching implications for ecosystems... more
January 26, 2021
Stuble Lab Receives Invasive Plants Research Grant
Holden graduate student, Alexa Wagner, has received a grant from the Ohio Invasive Plants Council. The proposal titled, “Determining dynamics responsible for plant community responses to overstory thinning and invasive species... more
January 22, 2021
The Life Beneath the Snow
By Sarah Kyker, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate
The month of January, with its freezing temperatures and leaf-less trees, is a time when it’s easy to think of nature as dormant. While this might be true for deciduous... more
January 20, 2021
Why Leaves Change Color
This is an age old question that many teachers are asked, and it can be a starting point of a number of important lessons. The beautiful leaves of fall are... more
January 20, 2021
Water Movement in Trees
Water movement in deciduous trees increases before the leaves and flowers emerge in the early spring. This is the perfect time of year to observe and learn about the processes... more
January 20, 2021
Plant Fossils
The fossil record serves as a basis for our scientific understanding of early life on Earth. From fossils, we can infer how climate and ecosystems have changed, how prehistoric organisms... more
January 20, 2021
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use solar energy from the sun to turn carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into food (sugar). Photosynthesis can be one of the more... more
January 20, 2021
Tree Seeds
Seeds are the beginning of life for most plants. Trees seeds are a perfect way to teach many standards. They are hardy, diverse, easy to obtain and store well. more
January 20, 2021
Tips for Perennial Trimming
Annie Rzepka, Horticulturist, is out this week near Blueberry Pond cutting back perennials of all kinds. Here are some tips on how to trim a Hellebore, more commonly know as... more
January 20, 2021
Learn How to Identify Red Maples
Learn how to identify red maples with step-by-step instructions from HF&G Plant Recorder Margeaux Apple. more
January 20, 2021
Tropical Rainforests of Costa Rica and Deciduous Forests of Northeast Ohio
Though they vary from place to place, forests around the world share important similarities. Neotropical rainforests of Costa Rica share some similarities to our temperate deciduous forests in Northeast Ohio.... more
January 20, 2021
Maintaining Healthy Trees
Learn how to maintain healthy trees with a guide on site selection, tree planting, watering, pruning and other tips. more
January 20, 2021
Structural Pruning of a Young Tree
Nursery grown trees are often pruned to produce a compact, bushy appearance, resulting in branches packed closely on the stem. Begin a pruning program after planting to create a mature... more
January 20, 2021
Neighborhood Tree Suggestions
Threats to trees and landscape goals determine which tree to plant. View our helpful list of the recommended trees to plant for your site and conditions. more
January 20, 2021
Street Tree Identification
Learn how to identify Red Maple, River Birch, Ginkgo, Honeylocust, and Sweetgum trees with our easy-to-use guides. more
January 20, 2021
Tree Care Toolkit
It is obvious that healthy trees beautify our urban environment, but did you know they also provide numerous environmental, economic, social and health benefits that make our communities more livable?... more
January 20, 2021
Of Plants and People: From the Past to the Present
South Africa is world renowned for its biodiversity and many have recognized that its botanical wealth presents with unique opportunities for conservation and commercialization which can drive economic development. It... more
January 20, 2021
Rethinking Nontraditional: Navigating a Biology Career While Black
Scientists often face career hurdles when they take what some see as a “nontraditional path.” The traditional scientific career, however, has been defined primarily by white scientists. In this talk,... more
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