Holden Forests & Gardens Blog
November 18, 2022
Where do we stand today?
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 and land was restricted to only tribal priests, medicine men, chiefs, and warriors.
You might think, “We are far from that time, this only exists in the history books, in the archaeological records, in the museum collections at the Smithsonian, or portrayed in the famous 90’s movies “Dance with the Wolves” and “The last of the Mohicans”. Or, you may think, this happened in a faraway land.
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 the Cleveland metropolitan area including CWRU, the Holden Arboretum, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
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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 all these tasks are a large part of my job, I need to find ways to stay motivated to do them. A little background noise—some music or an audiobook—can do the trick, but my favorite thing to listen to while gardening has to be podcasts.
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November 9, 2022
A Calling to the Color
By Danny Wylie, Gardener
I found myself standing there beneath the canopy of eternal autumnal amber, capturing the beautiful moment of the crisp morning on my journey down the ever-changing mountainside. An hour before, I was eating breakfast and reading the sign one last time before I departed from the summit. It read “Spruce Knob, elevation 4,863 feet.” The ornate cathedral of leaves was one reason why I made such a journey to West Virginia, but it would not have been enough for me to give up the display in Ohio. I was beckoned to the mountains yet again, not only to see the best fall color the Allegheny Mountains had in ten years, but also visit a special ecosystem I fell in love with the first time I explored the highest peaks in the Appalachian Mountains.
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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 in the middle Cleveland? An especially delicious fruit that’s currently ripe in the Costa Rica biome is the strawberry guava, or Psidium cattelianum.
Read moreNovember 4, 2022
Which plants live where? Follow the ants to find out
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 floor is operating on its own, but it’s not: the other plants, fungi, insects and more that interact with it on a day-to-day basis decide its fate. This interconnectedness is why studying ecology is so interesting: everything exists in a complicated web of interactions. Change one thing, and the effects ripple all throughout the web.
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November 1, 2022
Vermont We Aren’t
By Sandi Cesarov, Horticulturist
This is a time of year, when Ohioans need to remind themselves of how lucky they are. Not all Americans have the privilege of living in a deciduous forest biome. Here are some of my favorite trees at the Holden Arboretum and around my neighborhood.
Many of the photos included were taken in mid-October, so by the time you read this, many of the leaves will be on the ground. I just want to highlight some of the best tree species for fall color that we have at Holden and in the northern Ohio areas. This has been a nice year for fall color, so maybe some of these pictures will prolong the joy of fall color for you.
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 5 of them for restoration. They range in size from 0.5 acre to 2 acres and are currently being aggressively managed for invasive species. Once these woody invasives are largely eradicated, Eastern North American native food plants will be planted. These sites will function as food forests, which could become the basis for a sustainable food system.
Read moreOctober 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 process of refreshing the plant palette and lawn space surrounding the reflecting pool at the entrance to the Restorative Garden.
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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.
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October 19, 2022
Stop and Smell the Flowers
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 many plants, some of them smell pleasant, some awful, and some do not smell at all. In between sniffs, if you are like me, you might have stopped and wondered why plants have unique smells? Read on to find the answer to that question.
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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 were planted, path extensions were installed, and with just a few more additions this spring, the rose garden renovation will be complete.
Read moreOctober 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 by Holden Forests & Gardens and Klyn Nurseries Inc. After years of intense stewardship from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and horticultural partners, the original tree succumbed to its natural life cycle and did not return with any spring growth in 2022. While CMSD, Holden Forest & Gardens, and CNP work with partners to memorialize the original tree, the grafted replacement has been years in the making and is ready for planting.
Read moreOctober 13, 2022
An Inside Look at the Global Botanic Gardens Congress
By Connor Ryan, MS, 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 gardens staff sponsored by Botanic Gardens Conservation International. More than 500 people attended from across the world. The theme of the Congress was “Botanic Gardens as Agents of Change” and talks and tours centered around how gardens can make a difference in plant conservation, in curbing climate change, and in engaging our communities.
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October 7, 2022
Science on Friday: Why are there bags on the Rhododendrons?
By Jean Burns, PhD, Department of Biology - Case Western Reserve University
If you have walked around Holden Arboretum in the last few summers, you may have noticed white pollination bags on some of the Rhododendrons. The Rhododendron gardens are not only beautiful to walk through, they are also a valuable scientific collection of diversity from all around the world! The National Science Foundation has awarded the Burns lab a grant, which takes advantage of this amazing collection (DEB 2217714). We are exploring the mechanisms that allow some plants to thrive under stressors, like disease, drought, or flooding. Understanding these mechanisms is becoming ever more important as climate changes threaten global food security.
October 6, 2022
The Much-Maligned Goldenrods
By Dawn Gerlica, Senior Horticulturist
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 again to defend a plant.
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October 6, 2022
Apple Picking with Children
By Kristina Arthur, Horticulturist
Apple Picking with Children
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October 6, 2022
Shinrin-yoku Blog
By MaryAnn Thesing, Horticulturist
Although there is a pond, you will not be jumping in! You will not be bathing in the literal sense. Instead, engage all five senses on your stroll through this cathedral of trees. You see, “Shinrin-yoku” is the Japanese term for “Forest Bathing” or immersion in nature.
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September 30, 2022
Science on Friday: Trivia Answers and Farewell to Mushroom Month
By Claudia Victoroff, MS, Graduate Student
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 mushroom month. But have no fear, mushrooms will continue to appear in lawns and woods for a few more weeks! The end of mushroom month means that it is time to announce our trivia answers and to congratulate our participants!
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September 23, 2022
Inside a Scientific Conference: Mycological Society of America
By Claudia Victoroff, MS, Graduate Student
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, I was lucky to go to Gainesville, Florida to participate in my fourth Mycological Society of America (MSA) meeting. After meeting virtually for the past two years, this year’s meeting brought a lot of excitement… despite the hot and humid weather of Florida in mid-July!
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September 15, 2022
For the Love of Fungi: an ode to the amateur mycologist
By Claudia Victoroff, MS, Graduate Student
Mycology, or the study of fungi, is a small but growing field. For many of us career mycologists this has been a curious but fantastic trend to see. Not long ago I was shyly describing my job to inquisitive relatives and family friends, or trying desperately to convince people to care about the strange and often overlooked fungal kingdom. In the past few years that has all changed.
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September 12, 2022
Growing Figs
By Matt Edwards, Animal Care Specialist
“Figs have been cultivated for thousands of years and are one of the earliest plants to have been cultivated. They are originally from warm climates in western Asia and the eastern Mediterranean area. Figs can be eaten fresh, dried, or processed into many different desserts. I grow two varieties of fig, the Chicago Hardy and another, unknown variety which I was given by a family member.”
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September 12, 2022
Top Choice Tools of the Pros
By Mary Lineberger, Gardener
“No matter what you’re doing, having the right tool for the job makes it efficient, easier, and more pleasant. The right tool helps us focus on the task and experience the joy of doing it. There are so many wonderful tools and gadgets used in gardening. I asked a few of my colleagues what tools they value most and why. Here’s what I found out…”
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September 8, 2022
Connecting Above- and Below-Ground Worlds
By Sarah Kyker, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate
We are continuing to celebrate National Mushroom Month at HF&G all September long! Today, we want to appreciate fungi even when they are not fruiting. While mushrooms and other sporocarps are great and certainly worth celebrating, they are a short stage in the fungal life cycle. The majority of a fungus’s life is spent belowground and out of sight, as fungal hyphae.
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