46th Annual Hocking Hills Winter Hike

 

Tomorrow, January 15th is the Annual Winter
Hike at the Hocking Hills State Park.
It has become quite a popular event and thousands of
people will be coming into our small community to walk
the trails from Old Man’s Cave to Cedar Falls and on to
Ash Cave.

Old Man’s Cave Cliffs

Last January there were 5, 417 hikers that walked the
trails and enjoyed the beautiful snow and ice covered
gorges and waterfalls.

  Old Man’s Cave Upper Creek

It should be spectacular  again this year with the six
inches of new snow on the ground and the cold temperatures
have frozen some beautiful ice formations.

 
Old Mans Cave Upper Falls

Hikers have the option to walk the three miles to
Cedar Falls where they can catch a shuttle bus
back to their cars parked at Old Mans Cave.

  The Trail From Old Mans Cave

Or they can walk the whole trail to Ash Cave which is  six and
a half miles. Shuttles will be there also to take them back to
their cars.

 
Rose Lake

On the hike From Old Mans Cave to Cedar Falls
they will hike along the spillway at Rose Lake which
lies in between the two parks.

 
 Cedar Falls

The trails in the gorge at Cedar Falls are so beautiful
this time of the year.

 Cedar Falls Gorge

These pictures were taken in late December after our first
big snow of the winter.

Cedar Falls Trails along the Creek

It should be just as beautiful now for the hike tomorrow.

 
Cedar Falls Frozen Basin

Here at Cedar Falls, Bean Soup from giant kettles
and Cornbread will be served by the Kiwanis to warm up those cold hikers. Served also will be cups of Hot Chocolate.
It always smells and tastes better in the cold air.

There are always so many beautiful and large ice
formations along the trails at all of the parks.

 
 Ash Cave Falls

From Cedar Falls onto Ash Cave…
The large falls at Ash Cave has a steady stream
in the winter which freezes into this giant frozen
column of ice at the base of the cave.

 Ash Cave Lower Falls

It is hard to get a picture that shows just how impressive
this column gets.

  Ash Cave

Ash Cave is a huge cave and can be beautiful this time
of the year but Cedar Falls is my favorite place for a winter
hike.

  Ash Cave

Also Hot Chocolate will be served for the hikers at
Ash Cave before they board the buses to shuttle them
back to Old Man’s Cave.

  Cedar Falls

I well not be attending the hike since my daughter
and I hike here every week. I think there will be plenty
of people participating with out us. Besides the traffic
a past our houses will be bad enough.

I hope some of you will make plans to come to the
hike Saturday. We do depend upon our tourist in this
small community. If not tomorrow then maybe make a
note come and join in the winter hike next January.

I was glad to take you along on the Winter Hike with
me even if you cannot attend and I hope you
enjoyed a warmer version of the hike  from your
homes. LOL!

 
Also at Ash Cave the tree may still be there that
was trimmed with pinecones covered in birdseed for
the Birds this Christmas.

Until Next Time,
Lona

 

Technorati Tags: Old Mans Cave,Cedar Falls State Park. Ash Cave State Park,Winte Hike,Ice Formations

The Lily Patch

 

Do you fall in love with certain flowers at different
stages in your lifetime of garden making?
I seem to do just that and I get hung up on collecting different flowers which usually stems from  falling in
love with just one flower that I have planted in a
season.

In the Fall of 2008 I fell in love with lilies after
attending the local  Lily Fest. The sponsors of the Fest
were a local couple, the Bishop’s, had planted beds and beds of lilies on their property. The beds of lilies were just gorgeous and the ones planted in some of the woodland beds really inspired me.

I had a few  lilies growing in beds and liked the
effortless growing and beauty of them,
so that got the old brain to spinning and well I had this
piece of ground along the front of my woods so…



The “Woodland” bed was begun. I dug and dug and
planted up a storm. Of course you have to have more than just lilies so tulips, daffodils, coneflowers and many irises (which is another growing collection) were added.
The first Spring was a disaster because the local deer
population liked lilies and tulips too. Most were eaten
down to dirt level in one night alone and I was ready to take up the shotgun and declare my own hunting season on deer.
I was just heart sick to say the least. Those of you who have
these four legged eating machines know exactly how I felt.
So not wanting to go on a deer shooting spree because the
game wardens really frown upon it here and the fines are very steep, I had to be prepared last Spring for the sweet
little, doe eyed Bambi’s.

After reading and getting advise from several bloggers
and gardeners, I was going to take no chances so I
would just do all of the tricks.
I strung nylon cord around that whole section of the
woods around trees and on stakes to spook the deer
and get them to take a different path than the one they
were use to traveling into our yard. The nylon cord is
better if it is an invisible brand but I could find none
around here in the local stores. I also hung garlic clips
at different sections along the cord and I also used a
different brands of liquid deer repellants throughout
the summer. I did not want them getting use to just
one fragrance. although how anyone or thing could
ever get use to that smell is beyond me.

Prairie Blue Eyes

It paid off because the deer went a different direction
and I finally got to see some of the lilies bloom for the
first time in the Woodland bed last Summer.

 

Snow Princess Stargazer

While some of the lilies came back very well after their first chomping experience some did not bloom at all, but I am hoping this Summer they will bloom for me.

 Ceres 

 Eliode

  Stargazer

  Golden

  Siloam Merle Kent

  Golden Stargazer

Windsor Castle

  Frisco
 

Little Business

 Unknown Orange Asiatic

Oh, I don’t know!

  
Pardon Me
 

and of course Stella d’ Oro are some of the
ones that bloomed for me.

Along with other plants grown from seeds throughout
the last Summer  were added, this Fall I added daffodils
and more irises along this bed for this Spring.
The woodland bed has some shade and some sun
so I can add a variety of plantings to it.
I can only see the Woodland bed expanding with more
and more plants in the years ahead.
(If I kill all of the deer)

Happy Gardening,
Lona

 

Technorati Tags: Lilies,Tulips,Iris,Woodland Bed,Deer

The Central Ohio Home & Garden Show

 

It is now time to think about making plans to attend this February’s Central Ohio Garden Show in Columbus, Ohio.

I  am expecting better exhibits for this years
show. Because of the economy last years show was
lacking in some areas when the theme ‘Art in Bloom’
could have made for a wonderful opportunity for
some beautiful floral displays.
Then again too the shows are now geared up more
for the outdoor rooms and living areas with large stone
patios, fireplaces, kitchens with ovens, etc.
I have seen here how our local nurseries are now
offering more in hard-scaping and cutting
back on the floral offerings because that is where the
money is being made. Understandably they do have to
make a living and with big box stores offering  cheaper flowers and plants it does make it hard for the smaller
local nurseries to compete.
But I  think  all that hard-scaping is so stark and needs a
lot of flowers and shrubs to soften it so I hope at this
years Garden Show they will take advantage of an opportunity to include more floral into their displays
and encourage people that they can create a total
package in outdoor living.
”Stark”  landscaping may just be my own thinking about
the new trends and many may like it or even opt for
a more low maintenance garden, who am I to knock it?

The Central Ohio Home & Garden Show scheduled for February 26 through March 6 in  Columbus will be held at the Ohio Expo Center.
This year's theme, “Gardens that Rock”, will challenged the region's premiere landscape designers to find creative inspiration in rock and roll music. With 13 fill-size living landscapes, each garden will feature one of rock's greatest icons, eras or legendary songs. Show guests will enjoy landscape elements and aspects that embrace the rock 'n roll theme.
I hope they will not all add more rocks than roll to the displays. LOL! I want to see floral displays !!
I hope they remember that it is winter and we want to
escape into paradises filled with flowers in February.

Due to the Central Ohio Home & Garden Show's popularity, show management has extended the hours. The new times for the show will be noon to 8 p.m. weekdays, Tuesday through Friday. Weekend show hours are Saturdays 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. and opening an hour earlier, Sundays 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.. The show is closed Monday, February 28th. Tickets are $12 at the door for adults and children under the age of 12 are admitted free. Parking is $5.

Some of the guest speakers at this February’s Show:

The Central Ohio Home & Garden Show is thrilled to announce that acclaimed garden editor and writer, James Baggett, will share his horticultural knowledge and experience when he appears at the 2011 Central Ohio Home & Garden Show. Baggett will appear on the Garden Stage, at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Saturday, February 26.

Home & Garden show guests will learn about five gardening "stars" that influenced Baggett, and gardening in general. During his appearance, Baggett will illustrate how these stars of gardening built their own spectacular gardens. He'll share their stories, along with images and descriptions of their stunning and unparalleled personal gardens.

These five women who are among the most well known and well respected in gardening include:

• Barbara Damrosch – weekly columnist for The Washington Post and author of the Garden Primer and Theme Gardens.

• Anne Raver – the Garden Columnist for the New York Times.

• Tovah Martin – a famous horticulturalist, freelance writer, lecturer and author of The New Terrarium.

• Rosalind Creasy – garden and food writer, who also works as a garden photographer and landscape designer with a focus on edible gardens.

• Sharon Lovejoy – gardening author, illustrator, lecturer and design consultant known for her “Hearts Ease” column in Country Living Gardner Magazine.
  
  

  

     The Central Ohio Home & Garden Show features more than 400 exhibits, attractions and presentations.
  It will be eight days packed with special events and
  attractions for all ages.
  For more information and details for the event
  go to the Columbus Dispatch’s website.
  
  
  
  
  

I hope to see some of you there!
Happy Gardening,
Lona

Think Hot Tropical Hibiscus on a Cold Day

 

On a visit to Franklin Park Conservatory in
Columbus, Ohio for their Merry & Bright displays
in December some of the conservatory’s Hibiscus shrubs were in bloom.
I snapped pictures of them knowing that about this
time in the winter a lot of us, including myself, would be
craving to see some colorful flowers  especially those of us who lived in the frozen and snowy states.

This was my favorite of the blooming Hibiscus because of the green leaves that had large white variegations running through  them.

With its bright red blooms  rosa sinensis  ‘Snow Queen’ was  just beautiful.
Its height ranges from 6 to 10 feet and is hardy to zones 9-10.

This lovely deep orange hibiscus was doing well in
a pot  just inside the entrance to the patio.

I could not find name tags for most of the ones that
were in bloom so I cannot indentify them. So if you can
please let me know.
It does look like a rosa sinensis Hibiscus ‘Fiesta’  that
I saw online at Garden Pilot but I could be wrong.

Whatever its name it is lovely and a welcome pop
of bright, hot color on a cold winter day.

This beautiful tropical pink with a deep red center
remains nameless. I liked its delicate pink petals.

This orange hibiscus had a shocking combination of
colors of a red and pink center and red veins running through its orange petals.

Though the combination of colors may sound all wrong
together, it did work on these blossoms.
I hope these hot colors will brighten a winter day for you.

Our brief January thaw did melt all of the snow here
but I know it will all be back again soon  this early in the winter season. While some of you are being hammered
with snow and cold temperatures in some of the states that usually do not get it, 2011 has started out to be a  winter for the records.
My heart really goes out to our neighbors down under in Queensland, Australia where they are getting record flooding
in their summer rainy season.
Stay safe and our prayers and thoughts are with you all.
Until Next Time,
Lona

 

 

Technorati Tags: Hibiscus,Tropical,Franklin Park Conservatory