The Story of the Sunflower

It was so dark in there; I knew I had other friends waiting patiently alongside me, but I still felt alone. Just waiting for the day someone might pick me, take care of me, and love the beauty I knew I could become. I needed someone to help me make food, get me water, and find me my new home- the place where I start to thrive. Suddenly, I felt it. You were there! You were taking me home and I knew you would be the one to help me grow. You didn’t know much about me or my friends but you were ready to learn.

My other friends in here all have a purpose- they are going to feed the world one day but me, all people think I have is beauty. But I am so much more than that! I can feed people too! And not only people but birds and deer and so many more. I hope you enjoy my beauty but that you also use us all to feed the world.

I know we have arrived home; you place us in a dark cool room as you went about your day. Time has passed and I thought you forgot about us! But you were waiting for the perfect day- the perfect day to start us on our journey- our journey to beauty, to feeding the world.

It is dark and damp in here, but I don’t mind, I enjoy the nutrients and nourishment to help me grow. I know you can’t tell yet, but I am growing! I am rising and growing and making my way to see you again. I know I look different but that’s okay. I will change as I grow, and you will see all the ways I am beautiful.

Suddenly it happened- sunlight! Can you see me yet? I have grown and changed so much since you put me here. Do you recognize me? The warm sunlight and cool moist home you have provided me is just what I need to become who I am meant to be.

Pressley Buurma
Seneca County ANR Educator

For most folks, winter tends to be a quiet time for the garden but it doesn’t have to be! With many struggling with winter blues and seasonal depression, working in our garden and prepping for the spring can be such a help to get us out of the winter slumps.

There are so many crops we can winter sow due to the seed needing to have a stratification process that you are only limited to how much seed you have and how many milk jug( Or similar) containers you have.

Check out the provided websites and video links for more information on winter sowing and get started!

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/propagation/seeds/milk-jug-winter-sowing.htm

https://www.almanac.com/winter-sowing-milk-jugs-5-easy-steps

By Carrie Brown, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, OSU Extension Fairfield County

How have you used your Victory Garden seeds? Perhaps, you planted them in your backyard or community garden plot. Or if space is limited, you may have decided to plant into containers kept on your patio, balcony, or doorstep. Another popular option is raised bed gardening. Let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons of this planting method.

There are many advantages to utilizing raised beds. First, raised beds can be built to fit your space. This can be helpful in overcoming poor site conditions, such as the compacted soils of an urban lot, and it allows you to maximize limited garden space. The beds can even be built at varying heights too allow for accessibility to all gardeners. Beds also give the grower the ability to create their own growing substrate. This can be very useful if you are trying to overcome poor soil conditions such as rocky soils or sites with high clay content. Because many raised beds can be easily adapted to include mini hoop tunnels or row covers, they can be used to extend the planting season. This applies especially to cold hardy plants such as onions, lettuce, and cole crops (broccoli, cabbage, kale, etc.).

While there are many reasons to utilize raised beds, there are also a few things to keep in mind. In effort to utilize all of the space in the bed, it is easy to overpack plants in raised beds. When vegetables are planted too densely, it can reduce air flow and trap moisture. This can result in increased insect and foliar diseases, so regular scouting is essential. Additionally, while most of our vegetable crops are fairly shallow rooted, bed depths can limit root crops such as carrots, parsnips or turnips. This can be overcome by incorporating sufficient depth when designing your raised beds. Increased drainage afforded by raised beds can be good for plants, but it also means that they tend to dry out quicker than in-ground gardens. Establishing a plan for consistent irrigation is a must. Finally, the initial cost of construction can vary considerably depending on what materials are used. There are a variety of framing methods to choose from including lumber, timbers, concrete blocks, and pavers. Take into account both the cost and lifespan of the materials used when designing beds. Of course, mounded dirt without a frame is an option too.

Raised bed gardening is unique in that it can be made accessible to all who are interested in getting their hands dirty, and it is a great way to enjoy fruit and vegetable production for years to come. Find out more about raised bed gardening in A Complete Approach to Raised Bed Gardening, available for purchase through OSU Extension Publications or at your local OSU Extension office.

Photo captions:

Fig. 1 – Raised bed gardening using cinder blocks in an urban lot. Photo credit: Bo Riley

Fig. 2 – Beds can be made to be portable, such as those constructed from watering troughs.

Fig. 3 – Gardens can be constructed to be a variety of heights. These raised beds allow for gardeners to stand while they work. Photo credit: OSU Extension, Franklin County

Fig 4 – A Complete Approach to Raised Bed Gardening publication

Thank you to all counties that have finished distributing seed sample kits for 2023! It’s been another great year for growing, but it’s not over yet. We need more participants to fill out our survey to enter the raffle for a chance to win a free toolkit. This survey will help give us information to support our Victory Gardens program and and allow us to continue to grow and expand all across Ohio!

We are here at the Cincinnati Museum Center Earth Day event  Saturday, April 22^nd, 2023 until 4 pm! Come see us in the new Get into Nature Gallery!!! We have 2023 Sunflower seed that kiddos can bag up themselves!

Delaware County had a fantastic turn out for their “Celebrate Earth Day” last Friday and is planning on distributing the last 50 sample seed kit packets they have at the Columbus Zoo during the Earth day event on 4/22/2023!

Howdy Gardeners!

The Ohio State University Extension offices have finalized their distribution locations, dates and times! Please check out the locations page HERE!

Some counties will recommend that you call. Their phone numbers are provided under that counties section.
Please also check out our FAQ page to answer all of your questions!

Howdy Gardeners! The Ohio State University Extension offices are starting to post their distribution locations and dates! Please check out the locations page HERE!

Please also check out our FAQ page to answer all of your questions!

!!Happy Gardening!!!

We recently posted on Facebook to get people pumped for this year’s Victory Gardens program!

And wow, did it take off!

We’ve created an FAQ page to help answer some of your questions.

If you still want to know more, please email us at OhioVictoryGardens@agri.ohio.gov.