mother's day hanging basket sale
Friday, May 9 & Saturday, May 10, 2025
8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day
THE GARDEN CLUB OF KENT
480 Ravenna Rd., Streetsboro, Ohio
CASH OR CHECK ONLY
One of Portage County's best plant sales is right around the corner!
Right on time to honor your mother, grandmother, a mother figure in your life or, well, just you! Arrive early to admire and purchase a few of the 500+ beautiful premium baskets. The basket sale is always a sell-out, so come early.
The Fascinating World of Carnivorous Plants
The Garden Club of Kent Monthly Dinner Meeting
Monday, May 19, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
United Methodist Church of Kent
1435 E. Main St., Kent
DINNER $16
RSVP BY MAY 15 BackyardPest@gmail.com
You can attend talk only free of charge. Presentation starts around 7:15 p.m.
Perhaps your only experience with carnivorous plants is Audrey, the bloodthirsty star of the musical Little Shop of Horrors. She was a cross between a Venus flytrap and an avocado, but, of course, as far as anyone knows, that can't happen.
However, we do know there are plants in our midst that have "meat" on their menus. Dr. Robert McMahon has been an avid carnivorous plant enthusiast since junior high school. He's looking forward to sharing his knowledge about these amazing plants in his presentation, "The Fascinating World of Carnivorous Plants" at The Garden Club of Kent's Monday, May 19 monthly dinner meeting.
Bob will review the background of carnivorous plants, describe their three major trapping mechanisms and take a closer look at Venus flytraps, sundews and pitcher plants. He will give detailed care instructions on how to raise carnivorous plants in the home, including root media, light requirements, nutrition and dormancy requirements.
Robert McMahon, Ph.D., is an associate professor emeritus at The Ohio State University. 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 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.”
These days, Bob grows an assortment of container perennials, sensitive plants, carnivorous plants and Bonsai on his balcony in Lakewood.
On the Dinner Menu TBA
Cost & Reservations The dinner is $16 per person, cash or check only. Garden Club of Kent members will be contacted by their club callers for RSVPs. Otherwise, RSVP to BackyardPest@gmail.com.
are you ready for backyard chickens?
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at 6:30 pm
The Garden Club of Kent, 480 Ravenna Rd., Streetsboro
RSVP REQUESTED: BackyardPest@gmail.com
It’s possible the nation has talked about eggs more in the last year than it has in the entire history of the republic. Accompanying that conversation has been a growing interest in DIYC – that is, do-it-yourself chickens.
First, you must ask yourself: "Am I ready for this?"
You'll have a better idea if you join The Garden Club of Kent for Seth Kannberg's presentation, “Are You Ready for Backyard Chickens?” on Wednesday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the Ode to Joy building on the club's grounds. The event is FREE and open to the public. RSVP is requested by June 1.
Join Seth to learn the basics of raising backyard poultry, covering key topics, including breed selection, chicken health and the needs of your very own flock. He will also go over biosecurity practices to help minimize highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Seth will help you answer questions like these:
- What does it take to set myself up to raise chickens?
- What are the best breeds for "home use"?
- How do I take good care of an egg-laying chicken?
- What are the basic equipment and space needs?
- Do I need a rooster?
- Are there zoning issues?
- Can I raise chickens organically?
Melissa Davis, president of The Garden Club of Kent, raises chickens and turkeys on her property and will participate in the Q&A. She has already worked her way through the process of setting herself up to raise chickens at home and will bring a hands-on perspective to the conversation.
Seth is the Agriculture and Natural Resources OSU Extension Educator for Portage County. He earned his bachelor's and master’s degrees from The Ohio State University.