NOTE FROM CAROL: The Parapet Bridge, Mill Creek Park

Parapet Bridge in Autumn

Photo by Carol Ann Kauffman

Parapet Bridge in Summer
Photo by Carol Ann Kauffman

I love this bridge! It is gorgeous in all seasons. If you are in the NE Ohio area and have the time, make a point to visit Mill Creek Park in Youngstown, Ohio. It is a breath of fresh air and a personal automatic blood pressure lowering location for me. 

There is something about the graceful arch shape of the bridge and the usage and arrangment of the dark, upright boulders that ignites the imagination. It will transport you back in time.  

Photo by Carol Ann Kauffman

 Link: https://www.millcreekmetroparks.org/visit/places/historic-structures-and-sites/

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ART: MCP Nature Photography Show

My husband William is center stage in this photo. I can't begin to thank him for his constant support and willingness to follow me on any and every adventure, mild or crazy, local or out of the country, whether it be photographic, gathering research for a new book, animal rescue, or tree rescue, (don't ask) or to simple lay on the beach with me while I collect my thoughts. I am a lucky lady.

Mill Creek Park, Fellows Riverside Gardens is presently holding their annual Nature Photography Exhibit in the Weller Gallery until March 24, 2019.

Photographers from around the area have some of their best work displayed here. The variety is endless and breathtaking as you stroll through the Weller Gallery.

This blue piece to the right reminded be so much of a Chihuly art piece. Dale Chihuly is America's foremost glass master and one of my favorites. Once you see a Chihuly, you'll understand.



As someone who aims and shoots, I am amazed and enthralled with the special effects some of our local amateur photographers possess. Of course, they DO they the ever-gorgeous Mill Creek Park to work with! 


This piece, entitled Artist's Path, is very special to me. There is a spot along the Artist's Path where a large flat rock juts out into the creek. When I was in college, that flat rock was one of my favorite studying spot. I would sit on the rock, open a book, and get some of my best studying done there. Only once did I slip into the creek and had to go to class wet. 

Of course, not all the photos are of Mill Creek Metro Park and not all are landscapes.  The category is Nature.  The Grand Canyon was represented as well.
Birds, butterflies, and flowers were also well represented.

The Weller Gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

If you're in the area, I urge you to stop in and take a look at what we have here in the Mahoning Valley. Mill Creek Park is the gem of the valley. 

ART: MCP Jewels of Winter Orchid Show

Dear Gentle Readers,

For those of you who love orchids, the annual Jewels of Winter Orchid Show is presently at Mill Creek Park Fellows Riverside Gardens. Displayed in the beautiful Davis Center, the orchid theme this year in Orchids and Steel. 

Artifacts from the area's once thriving steels mills of the Mahoning Valley are interspersed among the orchid blooms.



 I thought this years displays were particularly well done. Delicate orchid blooms set against rusted steel fencing and galvanized tubs turned into bubbling fountains surrounded by tropical plantings were unexpectedly stunning.

A walk-in orchid repotting clinic was held on February 9th from 10:00 a.m. until noon, and will be held again on February 19th from 5:30 to 7:30 in the evening.
They use a really nice potting mix with fertilizer already in it, so you can feed your orchid with it's regular tap water.

Bring your orchid in for an expert repotting, and maybe get some advice on nudging that little beauty to bloom! The cost included orchid mix, pot, loving care, and free advice. Staring at $3.00 Three plant limit, please.

The Jewels of the Winter Orchid Show runs through Tuesday, March 3rd.
If you're in the area, and could use a little stroll that combines the spirit of the tropics with good, old, hard steel in the comfort of the beautiful Davis Center inside Fellows Riverside Gardens in Mill Creek Park, you will enjoy this display. 

Hours are Tuesday through Sunday,
10:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m.
Closed Mondays.

Mill Creek MetroParks
P.O. Box 596
Canfield, OH 44406
330-702-3000

MCP Orchid Show: The Jewels of Winter, Growing Tips

Now through March 11, 2018, The Fellows Riverside Garden Center of Mill Creek Park is hosting Jewels of Winter, the annual orchid show.  This is the best orchid show in the area, so if you have any interest in orchids, this is the place to be.

Orchids have a reputation for being hard to grow. I have not found that to be true. Maybe these new varieties are hardier than the old ones. 

They are strikingly beautiful and lend a modern, elegant air to their surroundings.

 That said, orchids DO have certain requirements. They do not like to be wet. You can't water them on a schedule like other houseplants. 









Water them only when they are dry. This means you need to stick your finger down into the pot. If it's wet or damp, leave it aloe. Make sure the holes at the bottom of the pot are open so drainage can occur. If it is dry, water it. 










I started by given my first orchid two ice cubes. Now I can judge what two ice cubes of water looks like.







 Orchids like light, but not direct sun. Yes, they grow in the jungle, but they attach themselves to trees or other large plants under the canopy of the trees. 

They don't grow in soil. They grow naturally is a bark medium where their roots get plenty of air.







Orchids don't do well in drafts. Mine don't like the air from the furnace blowing on them. They will drop their flower buds.









They also don't like being up against the window if the outside temperature is fluctuating or if it's cold. The leaves will droop and become lackluster.

I use a commercial grade spray orchid food and I spray them once a week during growth season.







You will notice little green tendrils poking out of the holes in the orchid pot. These are new roots. Leave them alone.







Also, green leafless shoots will sprout out from the crown of leaves. Do not cut these off! It is on these shoots where the flowers will form. 

Orchids can bloom for months, usually during the winter. 


These photos were taken from this year's orchid show. If you like orchids, don't miss this show, free to the public at our wonderful Fellows Riverside Gardens Center, Mill Creek Park, Youngstown,
Ohio.