Novi Home and Garden Show starts Friday

The Novi Home and Garden Show is 2 to 9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Avenue, Novi.

Walk through over 25,000 square feet of landscaped gardens with patios, outdoor kitchens, water highlights and plants. Tour a home being built for Macomb Habitat for Humanity by the students of Dakota High School’s building program. The “Green Thumb Theater” area will provide a variety of fun and informative seminars on gardening and landscaping. Featured presenter Don Engebretson, The Renegade Gardener, will bring three great hands-on seminars to the show.

Live broadcasts with “America’s Master Handyman” Glenn Haege of WJR.

Adult admission is $9, senior admission is $8, and children 12 and under get in free. With show ticket purchase, you will receive a 1-year subscription to Better Homes & Gardens.

For more information, visit www.novihomeshow.com

Goldner Walsh hosting perennial gardening classes in Pontiac

Goldner Walsh is offering two classes for perennial gardening at the garden center, at 559 Orchard Lake Road, Pontiac. Attendees are invited to learn about how the old and new varieties can enhance gardens and landscape. New Perennials for 2014 is 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29. Later in the afternoon at 3 p.m., the second class will be offered: Flowers in the Shady Perennial Garden. Both classes are taught by George Papadelis of Telly's Greenhouse. The cost is $5 for each class. Call 248-724-2300 to enroll. Visit goldnerwalsh.com

Farmington Hills Nature Center hosting Maple Sugaring workshops

Farmington Hills Nature Center is hosting a workshop, Maple Sugaring in Your Own Backyard, which will take place on 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 9 and March 23 at the Farmington Hills Nature Center. The workshop features information to identify and select a maple tree, collect the sap, boil it down, and turn it into syrup. A pure maple syrup treat and resources to start maple sugaring will be provided. All ages are welcome. The cost for each class is $7 per person or $21 per family of four. All materials are provided, as well as take-home resources. A portion of the program is outdoors. Registration is required at recreg.fhgov.com or at the Costick Center. The Farmington Hills Nature Center is in Heritage Park at 24915 Farmington Road, between 10 and 11 Mile Roads. Call 248-477-1135 or email asmith@fhgov.com.

Roses: Tips to make them last longer

Red is not the only color of rose that people can send – it depends on what message one is trying to convey. Jon Gerych of Gerych’s Graziella in Birmingham says it’s absolutely okay to give roses other than red to someone you love, respect, or admire.

“Red roses are typically sent to someone you love, pink roses are sent to those you admire or someone who brings you joy, yellow roses are given in friendship, white roses symbolize innocence and purity and are used a lot at weddings, orange roses mean passion and excitement, and lavender roses are a perfect symbol of enchantment.”

Gerych says that knowing a few tricks for caring for roses can keep them vibrant longer.

·        Keep them in a place with a constant temperature and out of sunlight

·        Give them a fresh cut every day

·        Change the water frequently

·        Put an aspirin in with the water, or even add some 7 UP to the water

Gerych’s offers flowers and floral arrangements, gifts, innovative events, and party rentals. Gerych’s Graziella is at 2005 Cole Street in Birmingham and also at 713 Silver Lake Road in Fenton. Call 248/723-5650.

Applications now being accepted at Howell Nature Center

The Howell Conference & Nature Center is currently seeking fun and energetic people to complete their Environmental/Outdoor Education staff family. Qualified candidates must have a high school diploma or G.E.D. and be at least 18 years old.  Preference will be given to those applicants who are working toward or hold a degree in ·  education ·  recreation ·  environmental studies ·  interpretive education or related field.

Visitwww.howellnaturecenter.org for more information.

Fall garden is growing

Harvest time still going! Celery, Swiss chard, red cabbage, Broccoli Rabe, Brussels Sprouts, and peppers (that I missed in earlier picking) Here it is, Oct. 27 and  I picked all this from my garden, leftover harvest mostly. The Broccoli Rabe is from my first fall garden, which is doing well. I couldn't believe how fast the plants took off. The warm Indian summer sunshine helped a lot. I planted Broccoli Rabe, spinach and lettuce and my husband made a cold frame for the area so the plants should keep growing. I want to cover the Swiss chard that is still growing on the perimeter of the garden. The hard frosts lately have slowed the leaf growth. It would be great to have Swiss chard through the New Year.

Don't burn the leaves, they're golden

The weather is staying warm, it's definitely Indian summer. No freezing temperatures in the forecast for at least a week. I checked the 10-day forecast for the Oakland County area at weather.com/ and it's predicting lows in the 40's and 50's nightly until next weekend.

This weekend is a good time to do yard work before winter, such as gathering leaves. There are alternatives to burning those leaves. The smoke causes air pollution and adversely affects people with respiratory ailments and allergies. Leaves can be good mulch and compost, except for pine needles which are only good for weed block. I place thin layers of pine needles around trees and next to the house and around flowers in the flower garden, to inhibit weed growth.

To turn leaves into mulch for perennial plants, it's best to shred the leaves by mowing with a bagger or raking after mowing.

Before you add mulch, clear away dead foliage and weeds from the plant beds. When the soil freezes, then spread the mulch, 2 to 3 inches deep.

For composting, mix the leaves with grass trimmings or weeds, (that have not gone to seed) and livestock manure or commercial fertilizer to speed up the process. For those who don't have room to make compost, many trash services collect leaves to produce compost for commercial sale.