A luminary in the sustainable gardening movement is coming to Akron on Sept. 17.
Doug Tallamy, an authority on the importance of native plants and biodiversity, will present a free talk at 7 that evening in the auditorium of the Akron-Summit County Main Library, 60 S. High St.
Tallamy is a professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware and director of its Center for Managed Ecosystems. His book Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife With Native Plants won a silver medal from the Garden Writers Association.
He will discuss the ways plants support wildlife and address the moral issues associated with the way gardeners manage landscapes.
The talk is being sponsored by Friends of Metro Parks, the Metro Parks Foundation and the Akron-Summit County Public Library. More information is at www.friendsofmetroparks.org or 330-865-1027.
Plant diagnostic app
A new app can help you find out what’s ailing your plant.
Purdue University has released a mobile app for iPhones and iPads that lets you send photos and a description of a plant’s problems to one of eight university labs, including Ohio State’s C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic.
The app includes submission forms with customized questions for specific types of plants. You can send questions on weeds, vegetables, houseplants, agronomic crops, lawns and more.
The diagnosis, however, is not free. Ohio State charges $25 to diagnose a problem submitted through the app. The other labs have their own fee policies.
The app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes Store. An Android version could be released eventually, said Tom Creswell, director of Purdue’s Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory.
Events, programs
• Art is Alive 2013, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, Duncan Plaza and Massillon Museum lawn, 121 Lincoln Way E. Rain date is Sunday. Vendors, food, entertainment, demonstrations. Free. www.facebook.com/ArtisAlive.
• Knitting and Crocheting Circle meeting, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and next Saturday, Highland Library, 4160 Ridge Road, Granger Township, Medina County. Learn the basics. Call for supply list. 330-278-4271 or 330-239-2674.
• Martin Lauer Neighborhood Flea Market, noon to 6 p.m. today, 666 N. Howard St., Akron. Arts and crafts, collectibles, baked goods, home items. Rain date Sept. 14. Sponsored by the Martin Lauer Resident Council.
• Art in the Park, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Fred Fuller Park, Middlebury Road south of state Route 59, Kent. Art, entertainment, children’s art area, food. Free admission and parking. www.kentparksandrec.com.
• Standard flower show, 1-4 p.m. today and 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Twinsburg Public Library, 10050 Ravenna Road. Presented by the Twinsburg Garden Club. Floral designs, horticultural specimens and educational exhibits. Free. www.twinsburg-garden-club.com.
• Yankee Peddler Festival, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, Sunday, Sept. 14-15 and Sept. 21-22, Clay’s Park Resort, two miles south of state Routes 21 and 93, Canal Fulton. Early American arts and crafts, demonstrations, entertainment, food. Tickets: $10 ($9.50 if purchased in advance online); seniors 60 and older, $9; children 6-11, $3. 800-535-5634 or www.yankeepeddlerfestival.com.
• Warm Up Akron meetings, 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Mogadore Branch Library, 144 S. Cleveland Ave. Members knit and crochet rectangles that are used to make afghans for needy people in the Akron area, and they’ll teach others the skills. 330-699-3252 or http://warmupakron.webs.com.
• Hook & Needle Club meeting, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Buckeye Library, 6625 Wolff Road, York Township, Medina County. 330-725-4415.
• Garden Forum of Greater Akron meeting, 10 a.m. Thursday, Carriage House, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, 714 N. Portage Path, Akron. Program: Preparing to Put Your Garden to Bed for Winter by master gardener Lee Paulson. Members are encouraged to bring perennials, houseplants, seeds and bulbs by 10 a.m. to sell. 330-630-9625.
• Needlework Circle meetings, 6 p.m. Thursdays, Seville Library, North Center Street. Information: 330-769-2852.
• Fairy Gardening Workshop, 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 14, Graf Growers Garden Center, 1015 White Pond Drive, Copley Township. Children and adults can plant miniature gardens in containers brought from home or purchased at the garden center. Free, but plants and embellishments must be purchased at Graf Growers. Space is limited. Reservations: 330-836-2727.
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.