Exclusively for Garden Club of Kent members and their guests
Monday, April 8, 2024, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Garden Club of Kent
480 Ravenna Rd., Streetsboro
This event is only open to Garden Club of Kent members and their guests.
As gardeners, we know the sun's awesome, life-giving power. Every year we put seeds in the ground and watch that ball of fire work its magic. We're celebrating Earth's favorite star and gardeners' patron orb when Northeast Ohio experiences its first total solar eclipse in 218 years.
ECLIPSE TIMETABLE
Onset of eclipse: 1:59 p.m.
Total eclipse: 3:13 p.m., lasting 3 min 49 sec
Eclipse complete: 4:29 p.m.
Cost: $5.00 per person (kids under 12 free)
Included with your ticket: Eclipse-viewing glasses (American Astronomical Society and ISO 12312-2 certified) for the first 100 guests, hot dogs, snacks, beverages, games, crafts, music and more!
RSVP REQUIRED BY MARCH 31
Email backyardpest@gmail.com no later than March 31 with the names of you and your guests. It’s first-come, first-served for viewing glasses. Please indicate if any of your guests are under age 12. Payment of $5 per person (kids under 12 free) will be taken at the door — check or cash only, please.
PLUS! A SEED SWAP!
If you plan to participate, please bring at least two seed packets to trade.
The theme of our Total Solar Eclipse Watch Party is unabashedly celestial. You will enjoy cosmos-themed hot dogs, snacks, sweets, beverages, games, music (wait until you hear Mackenzie Fuller’s play list!), arts and crafts and a seed swap.
Perhaps you've been hearing about the traffic jams and the descent of tourists Northeast Ohio officials are expecting on April 8. Schools are even closing. You won't experience those headaches at The Garden Club of Kent's watch party. We'll enjoy the eclipse from our quiet country setting with ample, close parking and lots of amenities for a modest ticket price.
Bring your own lawn chairs and blankets. Dress for the weather. We're on, rain, snow or shine (because even cloudy days sometimes offer peeks of the sun). This is a great event for families. Come ready to see the solar eclipse of a lifetime!
How rare is a total solar eclipse in Northeast Ohio?
The last time there was a total solar eclipse visible in Northeast Ohio — the year 1806 — Thomas Jefferson was the president. Lewis and Clark had just reached the Pacific Ocean and were turning around to head home. Napoleon and Beethoven were taking Europe by storm, each in his own way. George III was the king of England (yes, the George who reigned during the Revolutionary War). Some of the U.S.’s greatest 19th-century literary figures — Melville, Whitman, Twain — were yet to be born.
In 1806, the State of Ohio was three years old. Kent was settled in late 1805, known then as Franklin Mills. And it would be another 141 years before The Garden Club of Kent would come into being.
The next total solar eclipse to cross our swath of land will be in 2099. By then, anyone born between 2000 and 2024 will be getting a bit long in the tooth.
Monday, April 22, 2024, 6:30 p.m.
The Garden Club of Kent Monthly Dinner Meeting
United Methodist Church of Kent, 1435 E. Main St.
Cost: $16 for meal and presentation; presentation only is free
Dinner menu: TBA
RSVP: By Thursday, April 18 to backyardpest@gmail.com
For many people, maintaining an outdoor garden isn’t realistic, but bringing greenery indoors is doable for just about anyone. The benefits of houseplants are well known. They are aesthetically pleasing (assuming one tends to the plants’ needs), and that alone has its perks. But studies show that houseplants can improve quality of life. They help clean the air you breathe; reduce stress and anxiety; increase productivity and attention span; and may even promote recovery from illness. Even the responsibility to care for plants — to keep a living thing alive — can add to purpose in one’s life.
Robert McMahon, Ph.D., associate professor emeritus at The Ohio State University, will present “The Captivating Allure of Indoor Plants” at the April monthly dinner meeting of The Garden Club of Kent. His presentation will summarize the basics of properly taking care of indoor plants and will include guidelines for soil, lighting, watering, air temperature, fertilizers, some common insect pests and Pythium root rot. A Q& A with the audience will follow.
“I have been a 'plant geek' since second grade, when I was hooked on gardening, thanks to my parents and grandfather,” said Dr. McMahon. “My first garden consisted of a pumpkin patch that took over half of my parents’ backyard along with tomato and pepper plants, all of which produced a bountiful harvest, and I never looked back.”
He earned his B.A. in biology from St. Olaf College in Minnesota and his M.S. and Ph.D. in horticulture and botany from Iowa State University. He was the coordinator of Greenhouse Production and Management Technology at OSU-ATI for 29 years, retiring in 2015. He is also a past president of Gardeners of Greater Cleveland. Of course, you can’t keep a good “plant geek” down. He continues to work in his retirement as a seasonal staff member of the Lakewood Garden Center.
“I now grow an assortment of container perennials, sensitive plants, carnivorous plants and Bonsai on our balcony in Lakewood,” said Dr. Mann. “My houseplants include three species of holiday cacti, three palm species, Phalaenopsisorchids, ZZ plants, succulents and a Shimpaku juniper Bonsai, to name a few.”
The Garden Club of Kent
Grounds located at 480 Ravenna Rd., Streetsboro, Ohio 44241
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