Mark Your Calendar!

Herb Farm Lavender Fair set July 10

The annual La Paix Herb Farm Lavender Fair will take place Saturday July 10 at the La Paix Herb Farm, 3952 Crooked Run Road, in Alum Bridge, West Virginia.

The event features workshops, demonstrations, lectures, tours, live music and vendors.

For more information, visit http://www.lapaixherbfarmproducts.com/lavender_day_at_la_paix_2010.htm

Gardening and Arts Festival July 17 in Delaware, Ohio

A Gardening the Arts Festival will be presented from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday July 17 at Scioto Gardens, 3351 State Route 37 West in Delaware, Ohio. Dozens of local artists, craftsmen and musicians welcome guests throughout this natural nursery setting. Mellow music, gourmet food, and free gardening workshops to give you guidance in the art of gardening are offered throughout the day. Admission is free. For more information, call (740) 636-8264 or visit http://www.sciotogardens.com

Tour Ironton in bloom July 18

An “Over the Back Fence” yard and garden tour is scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday July 18 in Ironton, Ohio, sponsored by the Ironton in Bloom organization. Seven yards will be on exhibit.

The tour will be unguided, but Ironton in Bloom representatives will be at each location to show off the garden and answer questions. Cost of the tour is $10, and proceeds will benefit Ironton beautification projects.

Tickets will be available the day of the tour at the Lawrence County Historical Museum, 506 S. 6th St., Ironton, which will also provide a resting spot and free refreshments.

For more information, call 740-532-1030 or 740-532-2954.

Native Plant Conference Aug. 6-8 in Dayton, Ohio

The second annual Midwest Native Plant Conference will be held Friday through Sunday Aug. 6-8 at the Bergamo Center at the Mount St. John Preserve in Dayton, Ohio.

The conference stresses the important role of native plants in supporting our natural environment. The focus is on native landscaping, forests, wetlands and prairies, together with the diverse wildlife that lives in these native habitats, through lectures, field trips and workshops. There will be a variety of breakout sessions on various topics, such as native plant basics and propagation, summer wildflowers, butterflies and native goldenrods. Vendors will offer native plants, books, artwork and other items.

For more information, call (513) 941-6497 or visit http://cincinnatibirds.com/mwnp/

Ohio Pawpaw Festival Sept. 18-19 in Athens County, Ohio

The Ohio Pawpaw Festival will take place Sept. 18-19 at Lake Snowden in Albany, Ohio, in Athens County.

Pawpaw fans from around the country at will attend weekend filled with everything pawpaws -- from food, beer, music, art, history, trees and people.

Gates open at 10 a.m. Saturday Sept. 18 with music and workshops. Things will wind down around midnight. Sunday hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 per day per visitor with a weekend pass available for $8. Children under 12 years of age are free.

There is also a vehicle-parking fee of $2 per day or a weekend pass for $3. For more information, call (740) 698-6060.

This tropical-flavored fruit has been growing in America for thousands of years and is considered Ohio’s first fruit. The pawpaw tree is native to the temperate woodlands of the eastern U.S. The American Indian is credited with spreading the pawpaw from the Great Lakes almost to the Gulf.

It bears maroon, upside-down flowers up to 2 inches across which produce the largest edible fruit native to America. Individual fruits weigh 5 to 16 ounces and are 3 to 6 inches in length. The larger sizes will appear plump, similar to the mango, with 10 to 14 large seeds in two rows.

In recent years the pawpaw has attracted renewed interest, particularly among organic growers, since the native fruit has few pests. The pulp is used primarily in baked dessert recipes and for juicing fresh pawpaw drink or drink mixtures. The pulp can also be made into a country wine. In many recipes calling for bananas, pawpaw can be substituted.

The leaves, twigs, and bark of the tree also contain natural insecticides which can be used to make an organic pesticide. The seeds also have insecticidal properties. Some Native American tribes would dry and powder them and apply the powder to children’s heads to control lice. Specialized shampoos now use compounds from pawpaw for the same purpose.

The earliest documentation of pawpaws is in the 1541 report of the de Soto expedition, who found Native Americans cultivating it east of the Mississippi River. The Lewis and Clark Expedition sometimes subsisted solely on pawpaws during their travels. Chilled pawpaw fruit was a favorite dessert of George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson planted it at Monticello. The Ohio Pawpaw Growers’ Association was successful in persuading the Ohio legislature to declare the pawpaw to be the Ohio state native fruit.

Walk among the native wildflowers

 The Tri-State Native Plant Society has scheduled a series of wildflower hikes which are free and open to the public. The wildflower walks are:

-- June 19 at the Vinton Experimental Forest. Meet at the Wayne National Forest Ranger Station in Pedro, Ohio, at 8a.m.

-- July 17 at the Wayne National Forest:Lick Branch Special Area. Meet at 8 a.m. in Cadmus, Ohio (HWY 141, Gallia County).

-- Aug. 28 at the Mills Creek Wildlife Management Area in Milton, W.Va. Meet at the Milton exit Park and Ride at 7:30am.

-- Oct. 2 at Blue Licks State Park in Mt. Olivet, Ky.  Will stop in Maysville on the way back to hunt for fossils if time permits. Meet at the Lodge at 9am.

The Tri-State Native Plant Society is a local chapter of the West Virginia Native Plant Society.  For more information about the TSNPS or these hikes, contact Jeff Patton at 606-739-9715 or jzebulon@hotmail.com. The group’s web site is www.wvnps.org

Cincinnati Flower Show - April 17-25, 2011

America’s most acclaimed flower show features world class exhibits, social events, gardeners and plant markets, and a lecture series.

This year’s show will be at Symmes Township Park, 11600 North Lebanon Road, near Cincinnati. It’s just five minutes off the I-275 Indian Hill/Loveland exit -- turn left at the end of the ramp. Parking is available near the site in church parking lots and private yards.

Highlights of the show include:

-- The Grand Marquee: Bursting with dozens of glorious gardens and plant collections, every garden in this massive pavilion expresses a unique style and offers a myriad of ideas with the use of color, design and ingenuity.

-- Creative Containers: Whether it’s a hand-painted watering can or a favorite garden antique, it's not only fun but also inspiring to see how to turn them into a glorious miniature garden. Porches, patios and courtyards can be transformed into a flower-filled sanctuary with a little imagination.

-- Window Box Gardens: Amateur and professional exhibitors share their talents and inspire fellow gardeners with charming vignettes, from serene shade combinations to full-sun dazzlers.

-- Artists’ Studio: A venue for regional artists in the areas of sculpture, painting, fiber art, nature photography and all things related to art in the garden and works that are inspired by horticulture and flowers. Artists are on hand throughout the show to demonstrate and sell their works.

-- Dramatic Table Settings: Incredible floral centerpieces combine with opulent accents to create amazing and dramatic tables.

-- Professional Floristry: Discover dozens of cutting-edge, contemporary and classic arrangements created by the region's master floral designers.

For tickets and more information, visit www.cincyflowershow.com