Last weekend I took my wife for a walk in the parks in Birmingham, Ohio and Strongsville, Ohio. The last time I was at Schöpfle Gardens, I walked a lot. To walk the entire park, you must walk at least 2 miles. As I got stronger, I covered more distances. We walked, stopped, walked and sat on the bench several times. I know that I have practice in the end. It was a good day. There is also a tram which we took and enjoyed the ride.
Last week, several people asked me another interesting question about how we should grow vegetables, flowers and shrubs in the ground. One message I've tried to convey over the years is the importance of a good soil test. The soil test answers the question of how to fertilize and care for plants in the garden. Without a journal to record changes you make to your garden, such as B. fertilization or other treatments, you will continue to have problems like this.
Schoeffle Garden is one of Northern Ohio's greatest blessings when it comes to gardens. When I interned during my Associate of Civil Engineering and Landscape Design degree, I interned at Shoepfle Garden. The point is that a lot has changed since I was there. If you want to enjoy the rhododendron blooms this year, you will need to do so within the next two to three weeks. Sharon and I loved all the flowers we saw. There are many spectacular rhododendrons. I'm afraid we are a little late for the best show. That's why I wanted to introduce this column to you today.
If you walk through this garden you will see the front garden with all the well trimmed hedges, the traditional rose garden which has changed over the years, the shady garden which I have cut more than once is very charming. Trees with offspring, kindergarten, carousel, collection of unusual conifers and collection of rhododendrons. The most interesting thing is that everyone who loves gardens, plants and carousels will love Schoepfle.
Pretty wordy column, right? To begin connecting these pillars, we must begin with the history of this garden.
Otto Schöpfle loved trees, plants and gardens. He decided to start a pine farm. In fact, some of these original Christmas tree stands can still be seen on the ranch today. The problem is the trees have to be cut down. My guess is that Scheffle was overwhelmed and unable to harvest many of the hundreds of Christmas trees he planted on his 70-acre tree farm. So Schöpfle adapted. He saw that he had created a conserved evergreen forest on a larger scale during my work in the garden more than 20 years ago. Rhododendrons and other acid-loving plants grow in what is probably a pine forest. Schöpfle planted more than 100 rhododendrons under these conifers. Don't get me wrong, trees can start to change the soil if there are many generations of pines in the same area. What I saw was this nest of restless rhododendrons.
As with most evergreens, rhododendrons, and oaks that grow in sweet or alkaline soils, you'll find plants under stress. If you see an oak tree on your way to Schopfle park, you will notice a disease called chlorosis, or yellowing of the leaves. When I was a landscape architect in North Ridgeville, I didn't usually use these acid-loving plants in landscaping without compacted soil. Sour-loving plants don't take root in sweet soil. You will struggle regularly to keep acid-loving plants functioning properly. Regular soil tests and a horticultural journal will reveal the truth to anyone who wants to know the answer to the question, "What's wrong with my plants?"
I hope you have had a good walk in your garden and are enjoying the balance of spring. If you find a problem with your garden, please email ericlarson546@yahoo.com. Thank you for participating in our section.
Eric Larson of Jeromesville is an experienced landscaper and garden enthusiast and founding member of the Ohio Association of Professional Gardeners.
This article originally appeared in The Mansfield News Journal: Rhododendrons and Others in Schoepfle Park in Lorain County.
