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January 14, 2026
This virtual program is brought to you by Nature in My Backyard, a program of the Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland and the Shaker Lakes Garden Club.
The program is free but registration is required. Register HERE.
Speaker - Hope Taft
Former First Lady of Ohio and co-founder Ohio Native Plant Month
Ever wonder why some plants do better in some parts of the state than others? Ecoregions are geographically distinct areas of land, characterized by distinctive climates, ecological features, and plant and animal communities. Five broad ecoregions are identified in Ohio and most of these are further subdivided. Each has its own distinctive characteristics, in the soil and the plant communities that grow there.
Hope will share what she has learned about Ohio in the last 25 years. We’ll take a look at geology and how it relates to gardening, both in the Heritage Garden at the Governors Residence and elsewhere and how it lead to the establishment of Ohio Native Plant Month.
Learn about the formation of the land we call Ohio and the influence on plants we can grow. Take a quick look at the state’s 5 major physiographic regions and what plants make them special and how they got to Ohio. We’ll explore the use of native plants by gardeners around the state.
Hope Taft was Ohio’s First Lady from 1999 to 2007. She is an honorary Master Gardener and an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist. As First Lady, Hope transformed the Governor’s Mansion grounds into a stunning showcase of Ohio’s native plants and recreations of Ohio’s diverse ecological areas.
Register HERE.