The late Elaine Evans is being memorialized with an effort to fix up the Children’s Garden she started on the site of an old dump in Akron’s Summit Lake neighborhood.
Evans, founder of the community gardening organization Let’s Grow Akron, died of cancer in January.
The organization is recruiting volunteers and donors to help restore the garden in her honor.
A celebration of Evans’ life is planned for 6 p.m. June 11 at the Children’s Garden on First Street Southwest. In preparation for the event, work days are planned for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 17 and 18 and June 7 and 8.
Donations are suggested for these items:
• Soil at $18.50 a yard.
• Mulch at $20 a yard.
• Picnic tables at $120 each.
• Park benches at $55 each.
• Solar lamp planters at $197 each.
• Dedication plaques at $13 each.
• Pond renovations in any amount.
To make donations or volunteer for the work days, call Let’s Grow Akron Director Lisa Nunn at 330-745-9700. Donations can also be made via PayPal to letsgrowakron@gmail.com or mailed to Let’s Grow Akron, P.O. Box 3975, Akron, OH 44314.
Greenhouse open
The greenhouse at Beech Creek Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve is open for the season.
The greenhouse sells vegetable and ornamental plants including heirlooms, miniatures, native plants and hard-to-find varieties. Proceeds benefit Beech Creek and its plant and environmental science education programs.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Beech Creek is at 11929 Beech St. NE, Washington Township near Alliance. For information, visit www.beechcreekgardens.org or call 330-829-7050.
Valor Home landscaping
Volunteers from the landscape industry installed a new landscape last month at Valor Home, a transitional housing facility for homeless veterans scheduled to open this month in Akron.
The work was among the projects undertaken around the country on the Professional Landcare Network’s annual Day of Service.
The Valor Home project involved the installation of dozens of trees, plants and shrubs and a retaining wall. The design was created by James Arch, a landscape architect with Vizmeg Landscape who is president of the Ohio Landscape Association.
Besides the landscape association and Vizmeg, volunteers came from Project EverGreen, Graf’s Lawn & Landscape, JAG Lawn Maintenance & Landscape, Edenscape, Lawn & Landscape magazine, Impact Landscaping & Irrigation and Empaco Equipment Corp.
Equipment, materials and plants were donated by JAG, Davis Tree Farm & Nursery, Gilson Gardens, Lake County Nursery, Herman Losely & Son, Willoway Nurseries, Kurtz Bros., Sagamore Soils, UnilockOhio and Perrin Asphalt & Concrete. The Davey Tree Expert Co. plans to plant more trees at a later date.
Additional assistance came from SAM Landscapes, JFD Landscapes, Suncrest Gardens and Mason Structural Steel.
Events, programs
• Heirloom Tomatoes & More, 10-11:30 a.m. today, Crooked River Herb Farm, 1719 Reimer Road, Wadsworth Township. Presentation by master gardener Michael Cohill. Free. 330-604-0932.
• Plant swap, 10 a.m. to noon today, Lakeview Christian Church, 4613 S. Main St., Green. Bring plants, bulbs, seeds, garden art and other garden-related items to trade for like items. 330-730-5716.
• Designer ShowHouse 2013, starts today, 657 Ridgecrest Road, Akron. Professionally redecorated home will be open for tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, Sunday, Thursday, Friday and May 11, 12, 16, 17, 18 and 19. $20. www.juniorleagueakron.org or 330-836-4905.
• Bloom ’N Book Sale, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Our Lady of Grace Church Hall, 1088 Ridge Road, Hinckley. More than 175 varieties of plants and more than 10,000 new and gently used books, magazines and DVDs. 330-278-4121 or volunteersatgrace@gmail.com.
• Quail Hollow Art, Craft and Herb Fair, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Quail Hollow State Park, 13480 Congress Lake Ave., Lake Township near Hartville. Free admission and parking. www.quailhollowpark.org or 330-877-6652.
• Lehman’s events, 4779 Kidron Road, Kidron area of Sugar Creek Township, Wayne County. (For GPS directions, use Dalton in the address.) May Daze Spring Open House, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today; music, family activities, gardening information and more. Antique Tractor Show, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 11. 877-438-5346 or www.lehmans.com.
• Knitty Gritters Knitting Club meeting, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Lake Community Branch of Stark County District Library, 11955 Market Ave. N, Lake Township. 330-877-9975.
• Home buyer seminar, 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Twin Oaks Realty, 2003 W. Market St., Akron. Program covers various aspects of the home-buying process. Free. Reservations: 330-867-9990 or twinoaksteam@gmail.com.
• Warm Up Akron meetings, 3 p.m. Tuesday, Danbury of Cuyahoga Falls, 1695 Queens Gate Circle, and 2 p.m. Thursday, Danbury of North Canton, 181 Applegrove St. NE. Members knit or crochet squares that are used to make afghans for needy people in the Akron area. 330-699-3252 or http://warmupakron.webs.com.
• Spice Up Your Garden by Growing Herbs, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Spicy Lamb Farm, 6560 Akron-Peninsula Road, Peninsula (accessible from West Boston Mills Road). Talk on starting an herb garden by Tracy Emrick of the Countryside Conservancy. Free. 330-657-2012 or www.thespicylamb.com.
• The Native Plant Garden, 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Brushwood Pavilion, Furnace Run Metro Park, 4955 Townsend Road, Richfield. Presented by Ohio State University Extension. $10; master gardener volunteers and Ohio certified volunteer naturalists, $5. Registration: 330-928-4769, ext. 17.
• S-HORT Course: Blooms and Brews, 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Cleveland Botanical Garden, 11030 East Blvd. Men will make flower arrangements for Mother’s Day gifts and enjoy beers from Tremont Tap House. Members $70, others $85. Registration: 216-721-1600, ext. 100, or www.cbgarden.org.
• Twinsburg Garden Club meeting, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Twinsburg Senior Center behind the outdoor pool, 10260 Ravenna Road. Program: Beth Straubhaar on orchids. Information: www.twinsburg-garden-club.com or 330-348-1526.
• Plant sale, Thursday through next Saturday, Copley and Jacoby roads, Copley Township, and Summit Mall parking lot near Dillard’s, Fairlawn. Sponsored by Copley-Fairlawn Kiwanis Club. Wide assortment of flowers, including thousands of hanging baskets. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. next Saturday.
• Hanging basket sale, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and next Saturday, Ode to Joy Center, 480 Ravenna Road, Streetsboro. Sponsored by the Garden Club of Kent. Baskets of locally grown flowers, plus some garden tools.
• Geranium and plant sale, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. next Saturday, Faith Lutheran Church, 2726 W. Market St., Fairlawn. Sponsored by the Gardeners of Greater Akron. Large variety of geraniums as well as other annuals, bedding plants and hanging flower baskets.
• Plant sale, 9 a.m. to noon next Saturday, Twinsburg Historical Society’s Mail Pouch Barn, Darrow Road just south of the Twinsburg Square. Sponsored by the Twinsburg Garden Club. Perennials from club members’ gardens, unusual annuals, herbs, vegetables and hanging flower baskets.
• Plant Discovery Day plant and art sale, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. next Saturday, Secrest Arboretum, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster Township. Sale of hard-to-find annuals and perennials, herbs and woody plants, as well as art for the home and landscape. Guided walks at 10 and 11 a.m. Bug Zoo. Lunch available. Free admission and parking. Plants for sale listed at http://secrest.osu.edu.
• Antiques in the Alley, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. next Saturday, downtown Millersburg. Indoor and outdoor antiques show throughout downtown. www.starlightantiques.com or www.historicdowntownmillersburg.com.
• Countertop class, 10-11 a.m. next Saturday, Studio 76 Kitchens & Baths, 9122 Ravenna Road, Twinsburg. Learn about countertop options. Free, but space is limited. Registration: 330-487-1176.
• Ohio Woodland Stewards Program workshops, May 17 and 18, Founder’s Auditorium in Ovalwood Hall, Ohio State University’s Mansfield Campus, 1760 University Drive. Focus on Ohio’s Non-Native Invasives, a workshop for natural resources professionals, 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 17. Tree School, for landowners and nature lovers, 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. May 18. Tree School covers tree topics, beekeeping, wildlife issues, aquatic plants, invasive plants, hobby maple syrup and farm uses of wood. Each workshop costs $55. Registration deadline is Friday. Details and registration: http://woodlandstewards.osu.edu.
Submit notices of classes, programs and events two weeks in advance to mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com or Home and Garden News, Features Department, Akron Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron, OH 44309-0640. Please include name and phone number. All events must be open to the public.
Mary Beth Breckenridge can be reached at 330-996-3756 or mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com. You can also become a fan on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/mbbreck, follow her on Twitter @MBBreckenridge and read her blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/mary-beth.