We are preparing for our last class with Frank Porter this spring.  "Creating a rain garden with Native Plants".  Using native plants are more important than ever it seems as they do not need extra water, soil amendments, etc and do not take over as non native plants do. The class is $60, Saturday, June 27 and deposits need to be in by Wednesday June 24…. so we have time to purchase supplies and plan snacks and lunches (included in the fee).

Lambing finished in April with 14 new lambs now out in the fields with the 13 mothers.  We have only 3 new bulls for next years beef but are buying them exclusively from a neighbor who assures me there are more on the way.

We purchased 17 bales of hay from a neighbor that does not spray or use round up.  My hay will be cut once the ground dries out.  I had to find a new source for cutting as my usual hay baler has had some health issues.

The garden is doing well and we are starting to have a few things to harvest already.  Garlics, basil, parsley…… kohlrabi, onions, tomatoes, sweet corn, squash and more.

The Boy Scouts spent a weekend camping out and planted another 100 hardwood seedlings for us and helped with the chores in early May.

Hope all is going well for everyone else…. we are keeping busy here!   J

Ready for spring?  We have been planning some classes for the coming months to help you design the garden that is right for you.... Check out the listed classes below.  Classes are limited to 20, so please sign up soon.   J

^{Landscaping with Native Plants}

^{March 28, 2015}

^{9 am -4 pm}

  ^{Planning a landscape for wildlife, whether a whole yard or fifty square feet, means simply identifying the creatures you want to attract, analyzing your present landscape and designing your new one to meet the need of your new tenants.}

  ^{Wildlife need food, water and cover. By selecting plants for a maximum diversity of flowering and fruiting times, planting them in a structural arrangement to offer cover, and providing a reliable water source, you will entice beneficial wildlife to visit and, perhaps, to take up residence in your yard.} 

  ^{Think about what you want and need.  Do your children need a place to play? Do you have pets? Do you want trees and shrubs to be placed to help with energy savings for your home? Do you want to attract wildlife or a water feature?}

  ^{In this workshop we will learn to prepare the site for planting.  We will make soil to help the plants become established. We will discuss ecosystems, plants and create a landscape designed for each participants yard.}

 

^{REQUIREMENTS:  A copy of “Back to Eden: Landscaping with Native Plants”, pair of work gloves and gardening clothes.}

  

Native Plant Identification and Propagation

Date: April 25, 2015

Time: 9AM to 4PM

There is nothing more satisfying than to discover a wildflower during one of your outdoor excursions and being able to identify properly the botanical name of the plant. For many plant enthusiasts, however, plant identification can seem an insurmountable task. I have heard folks say “I did not take Latin in high school.” Or, “They did not offer botany.” Like any new endeavor, you take one step at a time. We will learn the basic steps to identify wildflowers and native grasses during the morning sessions. In the afternoon, we will learn how to propagate native plants from seeds, cuttings, and root divisions.

·      Requirements: You will need a copy of Lawrence Newcomb, Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. New York, 1977. Please bring a pair of gardening gloves, gardening clothes, and hiking boots

^{·               Cost for Class $60 includes Lunch and supplies.} 

Rock Gardening with Native Plants

Date: May 30, 2015

Time: 9AM to 4PM

Rock gardening is a highly specialized way of gardening with plants normally adapted to high altitude growing conditions. It was at one time the preserve of wealthy landowners, especially in England, who had the means not only to create rock gardens but enough influence to gain access to the rare and difficult to-grow species to plant in them. While enthusiasts continue to search the globe for plants to add to their collections, many aficionados are surprised to learn that there are beautiful native species growing in the Ohio Valley that are perfectly suited to use in rock gardens. Another way to enjoy rock gardening is to use troughs, more commonly known as hypatufa containers. Hypatufa is a mixture of Portland cement with peat moss and perlite.

We will learn how to design and construct a rock garden, identify native species that can be used in rock gardens and hypatufa containers, and construct a hypatufa container to be taken home at the end of the day.

Requirements: You will need a pair of gardening gloves, work clothes, and boots. Please obtain a copy of Back to Eden: Landscaping with Native Plants. We will be referring to it throughout the day.

Class cost is $60 including lunch and snacks. See last page.

Creating a Rain Garden with Native Plants

Date: June 27, 2015

Time: 9AM to 4PM

In recent years, the amount of damage to private and public property because of flooding has totaled billions of dollars. As mountains are reduced to negligible semblances of their former stature; as more highways are built and paved; as more new homes are constructed; and as more parking lots cover once productive meadows, the ability of the soil to absorb rainfall is limited. These impervious surfaces are areas that quickly shed rainwater into already overtaxed storm drains and nearby streams and rivers. One way to help prevent this runoff and pollutants from pouring into our precious waterways and contaminating underground water supplies is to create a rain garden. A rain garden, quite simply, is an attractive and landscaped area that has been planted with native wildflowers, grasses and sedges that grow naturally in wetlands. These beautiful gardens are built in depressions, which have been designed to capture and filter storm water runoff from rooftops and driveways around the home. In this workshop, we will learn the basic techniques of constructing a rain garden and identify the native plants that can be used successfully in them.

·      Requirements: Please obtain a copy of Back to Eden: Landscaping with Native Plants. We will refer to it throughout the workshop.

·      Cost of Class is $60 including Lunch and snacks.  Please see last page for sign up information.

Dr. Frank W. Porter

Dr. Frank W. Porter is the owner and operator of Porterbrook Native Plants, located along the beautiful Ohio River in Meigs County, Ohio. For the past twenty-five years, he has been collecting seeds and plants of native species from the Ohio Valley region and growing them in display gardens to determine their suitability for home landscapes, land restoration, and green space in urban environments. He has also been studying the native grass and sedge species of this region. Dr. Porter recently wrote, Back to Eden: Landscaping with Native Plants, which was published by Orange Frazer Press in Wilmington, Ohio. His book was awarded the Evergreen Book Silver Medal for Nature Conservation from the Living Now Book

Classes will be held at:                    

 Jenkinson Farm and Gardens

 4283 Marshfield Road

Athens, Ohio 45701

740-541-4190

judyljenkinson@me.com

For additional information please check jenkinsonfarmandgarden.blogspot.com

We have only been farming since 2010, but do not use herbicides, pesticides and antibiotics only as needed.  We are planning to apply for “Certified Organic” status in the future.

Registration must be made and paid in advance, as class size is limited and to assure lunch and snacks.

Checks should be made to Jenkinson Farm and Gardens,  $60 per workshop/per person.  Sorry we are not yet able to accept Credit Cards.  Refunds will be given if notified 48 hours prior to class.

Name of Class (Please Circle class that you are taking.):

*March 28, 2015, Landscaping With Native Plants

*April 25, 2015, Native Plant Identification and        Propagation

*May 30, 2015, Rock Gardening with Native Plants

*June 27, 2015, Creating a Rain Garden

NAME________________________________

ADDRESS______________________________

CITY/STATE/ ZIP CODE__________________

CELL PHONE______________________________

EMAIL ADDRESS__________________________

DIETARY PREFERANCES*          *VEGETARIAN__________________

*FOOD ALLERGIES_______________

*OTHER________________________

Classes will be held at:  

 Jenkinson Farm and Gardens

 4283 Marshfield Road

Athens, Ohio 45701

740-541-4190

judyljenkinson@me.com

For additional information please check

jenkinsonfarmandgarden.blogspot.com

We have only been farming since 2010, but do not use herbicides, pesticides and antibiotics only as needed.  We are planning to apply for “Certified Organic” status in the future.

We have just been notified of receiving the Athens County, Soil and Water Conservation Department “Conservation Cooperator of the 2014” award.

Directions: (Use your GPS at your own risk or turn it on after reaching Athens, Ohio) From Athens takes 33 South to Route 32/50 West to Albany.  Just after Lake Snowden turn right at the light (going past Marathon) to the first right.   This is Lee Street…. take Lee to the first Stop sign and turn right again.  You will be on 681 West…. follow this out of town. As it takes a large turn there is a new road starting… this is Marshfield Road.  Go straight on this road 1.8 Miles, looking for the cluster of brown buildings on your left.  We are at 4283 Marshfield Road…go up the lane and park near the barn.