upcoming event
NATIVE PLANT SEED SWAP & WINTER SOWING WORKSHOP
DATE/TIME: Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.
LOCATION: The Garden Club of Kent, 480 Ravenna Rd., Streetsboro OH
THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Reservations NOT required. Questions about the event should be directed to BackyardPest@gmail.com.
Club member Karen Smith is organizing her second annual Native Plant Seed Swap & Winter Sowing Workshop. The event is open to native plant enthusiasts, including club members, seasonal gardeners and the public. Bring a friend!
No knowledge or special skills are required. Please bring seeds to swap, if you have some. All plants and seeds must be native to Northeast Ohio. Information and hands-on help will be freely provided.
During the event, participants will do winter sowing of perennial native seeds that require a period of cold stratification for their seeds to germinate. Bring a clean, empty milk jug; razor blade-type knife; twisty-ties; and/or duct tape. A limited amount of seed-starting soil will be available for $1 per scoop.
To prepare for the event, Karen recommends the following:
• Start collecting your seeds now. Clean seeds are appreciated.
• Label all seeds with both scientific names and common names.
• Provide basic information about their requirements: light, water, soil, height, bloom time, etc.
• Bring your own containers for taking home seeds – envelopes, pill bottles, jars, bags, etc.
• Roots, corms, tubers, etc., are welcome. Please dig, clean and divide into portions.
Organizational meeting of the native plant focus group: Karen also invites you to participate in an organizational meeting of the native plant focus group during the workshop. The group will discuss the level of interest in forming a special interest group focused on native plants. We will learn together, teach each other and enjoy working with like-minded people. We encourage both adults and youth to bring questions, opinions and ideas.
If you need inspiration, read one of the following four books by Dr. Doug Tallamy: Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard; Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife With Native Plants; The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees; and The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden.
upcoming event
January dinner meeting features "Planting for Pollinators 101" talk
DATE/TIME: Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: United Methodist Church of Kent, 1435 E. Main St.
ON THE DINNER MENU Meat option: Stuffed cabbage rolls, mashed potatoes and dinner salad. Vegetarian option: Entre-sized salad with lettuce, eggs, chickpeas and vegetables. Both come with rolls and butter, dessert and beverages.
COST & RESERVATION The dinner is $16 per person, cash or check only at the door. Reserve online at https://form.jotform.com/252474617300048
or email BackyardPest@gmail.com. Members, your club caller will be in touch to ask for your RSVP. Please respond promptly. Deadline to reserve is Thursday, Jan. 22.
Pollinator Partnership's Ohio Partner Biologist, Sophia Sorboro, will present "Planting for Pollinators 101" at The Garden Club of Kent's January monthly dinner meeting on Monday, Jan. 26 at 6:30 pm. She will discuss pollinator habitat needs and habitat site preparation, planting and management. She will also update members on the ongoing pollinator habitat project on The Garden Club of Kent's property.
Sophia graduated from Kent State University with dual bachelor degrees in environmental and conservation biology and environmental studies. After graduating, she completed two conservation-focused years of service with AmeriCorps and then worked as a watershed coordinator for a Soil Water Conservation District. As a beginning farmer herself, she understands the importance of balancing ecology with agriculture and has experienced first-hand how pollinator habitats can help to improve soil, water and wildlife conservation within working lands. As Pollinator Partnership’s Ohio Partner Biologist, Sophia assists traditional, small, specialty, urban and other producers across eastern Ohio with establishing pollinator-friendly habitat.