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Castalia OH News

Nov 28, 2018

6 Holiday Markets in Columbia and a local gift guide for each. - COLAtoday

Attend the reception this Thursday, Nov. 29 to get to know the creators behind the art. Midland's Clay Art Society's Holiday Sale Photo by @castaliascreations The gifts you grab from this holiday sale will sleigh your friends + fam: 🎁Your grandma will love a clay flower vase made by Beth H. (for the flowers you'll send to her every month). 🎁We plan on buying sculptures by Katherine E. for our artsy friends. 🎁Your eccentric aunt will love Betsy K.'s quirky-functional art pieces. Location: Chestnut Hill Plantation Clubhouse (851 Lost Creek Dr.) Date + hours: Dec. 1, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Admission price: Free Only in its second year, this market offers everything from books to clothing to slime, all made or sold by local vendors. Follow the market on Facebook or email chestnuthillholidaymarket@gmail.com to stay updated on which vendors will be attending. Yule be sorry if you miss out on this Holiday Market: 🎁If you have a preppy fr...

Dec 23, 2015

Expert shares tips for cultivating these trendy plants

Latin names -- and shares the story of an East German plant-swapping friend. In the 1960s, Hendricks had sent him seeds from this succulent found in Castalia, Ohio. Hendricks was surprised to learn in his friend's return letter that he was familiar with the town from his World War II days as a German officer; turns out, he had been a prisoner of war at nearby Camp Perry. As Hendricks walks to the center of the greenhouse, he shares a story of the ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata) that once climbed to the ceiling with its Hershey Kiss-shaped base and palmlike top. In 1966, he purchased the plant in a 4-inch pot for $1.25. Over the years, it outgrew its various pots and eventually Hendricks' greenhouse. Although he found a new home for the plant at the Cleveland Botanical Garden, the 1,000-pound plant was too difficult to move, so it had to be cut into pieces and removed from the greenhouse. GROWING TIPS Hendricks, who is president of the Midwest Cactus and Succulent Society and a frequent lecturer on succulents, offers advice on growing succulents. He not only draws lessons from personal experience but also his library of some 2,000 succulent articles and books: Plant succulents in containers with drainage holes. If there are no holes, add some with a drill or use a liner pot with holes. Water succulents thoroughly. Try placing a succulent pot in the sink and drenching it until water runs out the bottom. Let the pot thoroughly drain, then return it to its saucer on a windowsill. Allow plants to dry out between waterings. Succulents prefer neglect, and one of the biggest mistakes made by beginners is overwatering them. Choose a well-draining potting mix. Look for a cactus potting mix or create your own mix with equal parts of potting soil, pea gravel and coarse sand. Give succulents as much sunlight as possible since most are sun lovers. A south- or eastern-facing window is ideal. Occasionally trim succulents to maintain a shape, clip away damaged leaves or clean up dried tips. In northern climates, keep succulents in a dry, indoor environment for the winter, then move outdoors for the summer. In southern climates, many succulents thrive outdoors year-round. Take a class at a garden center or public botanical garden. Many popular classes cover how to use succulents to create wreaths, vertical gardens, and terrariums or dish gardens. Join a local cactus or succulent society. For a listing, see the Cactus & Succulent Society of America's website (www.cssainc.org). SUCCULENT ADVENTURES You'll find succulents at garden centers, botanical garden gift shops, big-box stores and succulent society plant sales. Also, many online sites specialize in succulents. For newbies, Bill Hendricks suggests the following: Aeonium: Enjoy these showy rosettes in green or dark burgundy. Aloe: Find variegated or textured varieties for something new. Crassula: Try jade plants or stacked varieties. Echeveria: Look for ones with fuzzy, ruffled and bordered leaves. Haworthia: Remember these aloelike miniatures for low-light conditions. Lobivia: Marvel at the vivid flowers of this easy-to-grow cactus. Mammillaria: Try one of the white-haired pincushion cacti. Notocactus: Never fail with one of these globular cacti. Rebutia: Count on these small, round cacti for their colorful blooms. Schlumbergera truncata: Celebra... (Fremont Tribune)