By Claudia Fugate

Ohio Certified Nursery Technician/Garden Center and Ohio Certified Nursery Technician/Grower

As I ventured into my expanding vocabulary and the study of the soil food web and permaculture, the forest garden seemed to be the next step.  The concept of layering our gardens as the ecosystem does in nature is the basis of this idea.  Dave Jacke with Eric Toensmeier wrote in EDIBLE FOREST GARDENS that  "once the garden is in the ground, the longest and most satisfying phase of forest gardening begins:  management, harvest, and co evolution. "

The Ohio Governor's Residence was the site of the most recent Ohio Heritage Garden Ambassador training attended by 22 OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers.  County Coordinators nominate one volunteer to serve as the Ambassador to the Heritage Garden.  The Ambasadors train at the Residence and are available in their county to present a program on the Heritage Garden and the importance of native plants in Ohio.

To celebrate Ohio Master Gardener Volunteer Week, the Clark County Master Gardener Volunteers donated trees to its parks' district.

About 40 Trumbull County MGVs and friends - that’s who! May 21st found us traveling across the Ohio/PA state line to DJs Display Garden and Greenhouse in Mercer County. The order of the day was an informational lecture by owner, Dennis James, from his 26 years of experience of running a greenhouse and working with perennials, especially Hostas.