South & Canal Winchester Messenger - June 16th, 2024
PAGE 8 - SOUTH & CANAL WINCHESTER MESSENGER - June 16, 2024 www.columbusmessenger.com Crabtree paints a picture in flowers By Linda Dillman Staff Writer A perpetual love of flowers and an eye for art are united into one focus as Janice Crabtree paints her Canal Winchester yard with a wide palette of seasonal blossoms. Crabtree, who is a Hamilton Township High School graduate, recently turned her passion into action by pursuing certification as a master gardener. “I’ve always loved flowers and art and it’s fun to combine the two and design a garden,” said Crabtree. “My friends, family, neighbors, and now community members are always asking for advice. I wanted to be able to provide accurate, up to date science-based advice instead of throwing out old wives’ tales. I will say that many old garden remedies do work, but I want to know the reason why.” According to Crabtree and by definition, a master gardener has two distinguishable traits–a commitment to being a community resource for gardening knowledge, as well as a desire to teach and mentor other gardeners. The certification process, through the Ohio State University Extension Office, requires a person seeking certification to attend classes with speakers and presentations by experts in various fields such as botany, invasive plants and insects, and diseases. They are then required to volunteer 50 hours through a wide variety of opportunities. “We can volunteer in booths at fairs and community events, help at community gardens, help ill gardeners with their upkeep, maintain spaces at places like Wagnalls, write for various publications, etc.,” said Crabtree. “I’m going to give a presentation at a meeting and will get hours for doing that. The opportunities are almost endless. So many people dove into gardening during the pandemic and are now looking for information.” Crabtree is the administrator for the Canal Winchester Garden Group Facebook page and plans to increase interest and encourage members to share their knowledge and volunteer in the community in one capacity or another. “I remember begging my mom to buy me a few packets of seeds when I was in elementary school,” said Crabtree. “She was a single mom, raising three girls, so I knew I couldn’t ask for actual plants. The process of planting those seeds, nurturing them, and then having neighbors walk by and comment on them got me hooked. I was fortunate to visit the Cotswolds in England and the gardens were just remarkable. I was also able to go to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London.” The two experiences cemented her love of cottage gardens and, while she admires and is amazed at the intricacies of formal gardens, there is nothing as formal in her personal garden, aside from tabletop topiaries. “Everything else is a bit wild and chaotic,” she said. “I don’t use chemicals and try to plant for our pollinators and a biodiverse garden.” Crabtree invited visitors into her garden last year as part of a tour and is participating again this year. Canal Winchester Garden Society members hold individual tours on different days and their hope is to garner enough interest to hold a larger tour with multiple gardens on the same day. When sharing her knowledge with novice gardeners, she advises them to check multiple, reliable sources before trying a ‘hack’ they may see on social media to revive or help their plant grow. “Many innocent plants have succumbed to crazy social media advice,” said Crabtree. “I think the biggest mistake new gardeners make is falling in love with a plant at the nursery and taking it home without making sure it’s going to be able to survive in the area they want to put it.” She advised the plant information on the tag is the first thing one should look at and do not be afraid to dig a plant up and move it if it is not thriving. Crabtree also suggests the option of placing perennials in pots, which she calls a “big money saver.” “I usually put multiple perennials in a pot and then plug in a few annuals for color,” she said. “If you do want to put a perennial in a pot, you should look for plants that will survive in two zones colder than ours. We’re in Zone 6, so I look for perennials that will survive in Zone 4 or lower for my containers.” She loves containers because they can be moved around to wherever you might need more color or to fill in a bare spot midseason. “A mistake many gardeners make with containers is putting plants that need different sun exposure or watering needs in the same pot,” said Crabtree. “Be patient. The first year your plant will sleep. The second year it will creep and the third it will leap.” Vacation Check program The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Community Watch volunteers, operates a Vacation Check program. This free service gives Canal Winchester residents peace of mind that their property is being watched while they are out of town. A deputy or volunteer will check on the residence at least once a day while you are away for up to 30 days. To sign up, call 740-652-7911 or visit sheriff.fairfield.oh.us. CW school board meetings The Canal Winchester Board of Education meets on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Canal Winchester Education Center, 100 Washington St. on the second floor in room 204/206. The public is welcome to attend.
www.columbusmessenger.com June 16, 2024 - SOUTH & CANAL WINCHESTER MESSENGER - PAGE 9
- Page 1 and 2: Messenger FREE South & Canal Winche
- Page 3 and 4: www.columbusmessenger.com Obetz Sum
- Page 5 and 6: www.columbusmessenger.com June 16,
- Page 7: www.columbusmessenger.com June 16,
- Page 11 and 12: www.columbusmessenger.com Bus drive
- Page 13 and 14: www.columbusmessenger.com w June 16
- Page 15 and 16: www.columbusmessenger.com xCome & G
www.columbusmessenger.com<br />
<strong>June</strong> 16, <strong>2024</strong> - SOUTH & CANAL WINCHESTER MESSENGER - PAGE 9
Change language