Vegetable gardens, living plants, trees & more!

By Barb Delisio

OSU Ext. master gardener volunteer

CANFIELD

This year at the Canfield Fair, the OSU Extension master gardener volunteers are displaying live gardens – mostly of plants grown from seed.

Although the time for early crops has passed, we have “timed” our plantings to include these popular vegetables in our display.

We will display the good, the not so great, and the better luck next year side of gardening.

We all know every year is different. Each of us has experienced the inconsistency Mother Nature can send our way. Couple that with inexperience or not so great garden practices, and it can be disappointing and discouraging.

We have six gardening stations in the fair building to help you learn more about what we do and to make your garden the best it can be. These include:

Pollinators and Insects - See various pollinators and insects so you can learn the good ones from the bad ones. There will be activities for children and adults to do, as well as a giveaway of milkweed seeds so you can do your part to help butterflies. Do you know which butterfly eats only milkweed? Join us to find out!

Trees and Shrubs - The living display will help you learn more about which trees and shrubs are good for feeding wildlife, which ones grow in sun and which ones prefer shade, and which trees grow best in an urban setting.

Perennials and Bulbs - Find out the interesting and beautiful summer bulbs that can grace your garden. Many can survive our winters in the ground. Some need to be dug and stored till next spring. We will demonstrate the correct way to divide perennials.

Herbs and Annual Flowers - Everyone loves herbs. Learn how to grow them, which ones are edible, drying them, making vinegars, and the best ones or bath salts and oils.

Plant and Pest Clinic - Questions that deal with diseases of plants, animals that eat plants, insects that live in our plants, how to get rid of animal pests in the garden and so on. We will have a set-up of hydroponics showing you how to make it work, as well as what to plant.

The center of Building 44 will be turned into a backyard setting. The 10 beds of vegetable and herb plants will show you how easy it is to grow from seed. We’ll give tips on growing the best vegetables and on dealing with insects and disease. A few of our plants have excellent disease issues to show you some of the challenges we all face in growing a vegetable garden.

As a faithful reader of the Valley Grows page in The Vindicator every Thursday, we would like to meet you! Come visit with us; we can personally provide you with information on issues that we may not have written about yet. We know you share our enthusiasm and our passion for growing things.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the fair. Start jotting down your questions, and come learn what being a master gardener volunteer is all about.