upcoming event
Build a Rustic Birdhouse Workshop
Presented by Eric Miller, professional carpenter and designer
DATE/TIME: Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
COST: $10 per person (cash or check only at the door)
LOCATION: The Garden Club of Kent, 480 Ravenna Rd., Streetsboro OH
RSVP: By Friday, Oct. 17: BackyardPest@gmail.com
Join us for a hands-on rustic birdhouse building workshop! In this two-hour session, participants will assemble their own birdhouse using pre-cut pieces of reclaimed, untreated wood from pallets and other sustainable sources. Several rustic styles will be available, designed to attract beneficial garden-friendly birds.
Assembly tools and hardware will be provided, and basic tools will also be on hand for small modifications. We’ll also cover creative mounting options and finishing techniques — like torch-burning for a weathered look. Paints and decorative accessories will be available for customization, but feel free to bring your own supplies to make it truly unique.
These birdhouses make wonderful additions to your garden and thoughtful handmade gifts, just in time for the holidays. Whether you’re new to woodworking or looking for a creative fall project, this workshop is a fun way to support local bird populations and add character to your outdoor space.
upcoming event
"But Will It Be Beautiful?" celebrates native gardening as aesthetic choice
Presented by Steve Cagan, professional photographer and educator
THE GARDEN CLUB OF KENT MONTHLY DINNER MEETING
DATE/TIME: Monday, Oct. 27, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
COST: $5 per person (cash or check only at the door)
LOCATION: The Garden Club of Kent, 480 Ravenna Rd., Streetsboro OH
RSVP: By Friday, Oct. 23: BackyardPest@gmail.com
WE'RE TESTING A NEW RSVP OPTION! Register for the dinner online at
https://form.jotform.com/252474617300048
On the Dinner Menu The club will provide chili (meat and vegetarian options). Attendees are asked to bring a side dish or dessert to share.
"But Will It Be Beautiful?" celebrates native gardening as aesthetic choice
It’s not difficult to convince gardeners that “native” is the way to go, at least from an environmental standpoint. What you don’t hear nearly as often is that it's also a wonderful aesthetic choice.
If you've been reluctant to overhaul your gardens with native plants for fear that it won't be beautiful, think again.
A few years ago, professional photographer and educator Steve Cagan announced to his wife, Beth, he wanted to overhaul their gardens with all native plants. She was initially wary, asking, “But will it be beautiful?”
Hence the title of Steve’s presentation about the aesthetic joy they have since experienced from their native gardens. To convey this, his presentation is almost entirely a series of photographs of some of the plants they especially enjoy. The photographs are organized according to the calendar, illustrating some of the natives they enjoy each month of the year.
“There are a number of positive conservation motives to take up native gardening,” said Steve, “but this talk is all about the aesthetic motive.”
Steve lives in Cleveland Heights and shares a love for birding, native plants and vegetable gardening with his wife. He’s been photographing and exhibiting seriously since the mid-1970s. His major work is in what is often called the “documentary style" but what Steve prefers to call activist or socially engaged photography. He’s most concerned with exploring strength and dignity in everyday struggles of grassroots people resisting their pressures and problems. His avian and flora photography is a product of a long-standing love of nature, birding and gardens.
Steve has exhibited and published photography on four continents. Major awards include two Fulbright Fellowships, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and several Ohio Arts Council Fellowships and New Jersey Arts Council Fellowships. Learn more about his photography:
https://stevecagan.smugmug.com
http://socialdocumentary.net/photographer/stevecagan.