Get Growing!

These educational and often hands-on weekly gardening programs are held every Thursday throughout the summer and feature guest speakers and a variety of gardening topics.  The programs are held from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. at the Train Station unless otherwise noted. Programs are free of charge and registration is not required.

This week’s program, “Native Trees & How Pioneers Utilized Them,” will take place near the Pavilion Jennings East Deck.

When the first settlers came into the region their focus would be on opening up the land for their homes, crops and pasture since fish and game were plentiful. Surrounded by an abundance of woodland, did they randomly choose the timber to build what was needed, or did they already know (or subsequently learn) which plants/trees to use for specific functions? The answer is that not all trees are suited for all uses and the people in these developing communities took advantage of this knowledge whenever possible.

From cradle to coffin, sailing ship to railroad, loom to chopping block, specific species were recommended over others. Today, Lakeside residents and guests walk under and past many trees that are native to the region. Tour the park areas to find these species.

Tim Brotzman is President and General Manager of Brotzman’s Nursery, Inc. located in Madison, Ohio. The nursery was started in 1955 by his parents, Charles and Dorothy, and remains a family business involving his brother Jeff, sister JoAnna, wife Sonia and their daughter Hillary.  Approximately 80 acres are cultivated using six seasonal employees.

Tim is a 1973 graduate of Ohio State University, Department of Horticulture. He has participated in many prestigious breeding programs and has traveled the world and been involved in many educational projects. Brotzman’s have introduced over a dozen distinctive plants into cultivation. Most notable is the collection of Hamamelis (Witch Hazels), which after more than 30 years now exceeds 150 named cultivars.

Tim has been a member of the Eastern Region of the International Plant Propagators’ Society since 1976 and has served as its president. He feels that for him, this organization’s motto of “To Seek and To Share” best represents the strengths, values and inter-connectivity of our amazingly diverse plant industries.