Gardening

Please do not arrange to play earlier than the scheduled start time UNLESS you are able to stay till the end of the event, we do not want people leaving early and creating uneven numbers. Hello members, Tennis has become much more popular since the pandemic started and court space has been harder to come by. Following these simple rules will help everyone get the most out of MoCo Topspinners Meetup. • If you RSVP for an event, please attend that event or cancel at least two hours before the event starts. Members that no-show will receive one warning then will be benched (suspended) from events for two weeks. Three no-shows can result in a permanent ban. (No-shows create uneven numbers and prevent folks on the waitlist from playing. Please do your part to un-RSVP as soon as you know that you cannot attend an event.) • Members must have a way to communicate with organizers and hosts. This can be through the Meetup app messages or by providing other contact info. • Any member can ask a host or organizer to have their skill rated for event attendance purposes. You will not be allowed to participate in events higher than your NTRP rating. (We may try to limit numbers or have multiple events on a given day to accommodate players of different skill levels and also to help alleviate the court availability problem). • All members shall conduct good sportsmanship and be courteous to other members at all times. • Sexual harassment, racism, sexism or any kind of intolerance will not be tolerated and will result in the permanent ban from the group. • If member receives three warning infractions, the member will be suspended from the Meetup for a period of one month. If a member is suspended twice (six warnings), that member will be permanently banned and any membership dues will then be forfeited. • If you are scheduling to play with others outside of a MoCo Topspinners event, and you know that there is a MoCo Topspinners event scheduled for that day at that time, please try to use courts other than the courts where the event is scheduled, or move your time so that it does not conflict with the Topspinners event. For a list of complete rules and definitions you can see the MoCo Topspinners front page. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We are hoping for a fun season but we may have to wait for courts and leave earlier than we are used to. Please be patient as we adjust to this new normal and try a few different things that will hopefully help the situation. Happy playing! If you would like to attend this event you must be a of minimum 3.0 level. USTA guidelines prior for signing up for the Meetup: https://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/ExperiencedGuidelines_02142011_V2pdf.pdf Singles and doubles game play flexible depending on court availability. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop the group organizers a message. Looking forward to a great 2021 season- see you on the courts! • What to bring Tennis Balls and Racket, Water.

This introductory workshop to Nonviolent Communication (NVC) offers a practical, heart-centered approach to transforming how we speak, listen, and relate. Through simple, interactive exercises, you’ll explore how shifting from habitual reactions to conscious choice can reduce conflict, deepen understanding, and build more authentic relationships. Whether you’re new to NVC or simply curious, this session provides a welcoming space to slow down, tune into what matters, and communicate with greater clarity and compassion through the 4 step process O F N R. Come as you are—no prior experience needed. No mana-exchange. **Who would benefit from this practice:** partners, family members, those who want help connecting with others (friendships), professionals who have trouble working with team members, and team leaders who are trying to make an impact. **About Mike**: Mike is a certified Authentic Relating facilitator from ART International and trained in Nonviolent Communications. He is eager to facilitate authentic relating exercises in order to provide impact on people's lives.

🌱 Origami Seed Pot Workshop Saturday, April 11 10:00 AM Many gardeners start seedlings in small plastic containers that eventually get thrown away. In this workshop we’ll learn a simple and practical alternative: folding biodegradable planting pots from ordinary paper grocery bags. Using a traditional origami-style fold, we’ll turn brown grocery bags into sturdy seed-starting pots that can go directly into the soil when it’s time to transplant. The folded shape holds soil surprisingly well and breaks down naturally in the garden. This technique is simple, practical, and easy to repeat at home throughout the growing season. If you're curious about the folding method ahead of time, you can watch a short demonstration here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dlGQP81yfo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dlGQP81yfo) During the gathering we’ll: • Learn the folding method step-by-step • Make several planting pots together • Talk about seed starting and spring gardening • Share ideas for reducing waste in the garden After the workshop, those who’d like can continue the conversation over a casual lunch nearby. If you have **brown paper grocery bags**, please bring a few if you can. If not, no worries—I’ll have extra bags available for anyone who needs them. — 🥾 Difficulty — Very easy. No experience with gardening or origami required. — 💲 Cost — Free. — 📍 Location — Rockville Memorial Library (Rockville, MD) The library is about a 7-minute walk from the Rockville Metro (Red Line), with parking available nearby. We'll be in room Rockville 1 at Rockville Memorial Library. — 📝 Registration — Please RSVP on Meetup so we know how many people to expect. — 🎒 What to Bring — • Brown paper grocery bags (if you have extras) • Scissors • Garden curiosity • Optional: seeds you may want to start this spring — 🚗 Carpooling — Once the location is confirmed, we can coordinate optional carpooling through the Meetup event page.

This will be a hands-on foraging walk & wild pesto making adventure with Annie-Sophie from the Green Farmacy. Come explore & nibble greens around the land while learning identification and benefits of spring edibles we'll harvest to make wild herbal pesto together! "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." There is an abundance of wild, free food, that doubles as medicine, growing all around us! In this hands-on workshop, we will get to know early spring edible plants that can be found growing locally. We'll discuss how to identify them as well as how to work with them for food and/or medicine. We will take a walk around the land focusing on wild edible & medicinal plants that emerge in early spring. As we nibble our way around, we will be harvesting the plants we meet to make & taste a wild pesto together! Some wild spring edibles we may meet and explore include: purple dead nettle, *Lamium purpureum* violet, *Viola spp.* chickweed, *Stellaria media* dandelion, *Taraxacum officinale* nettle, *Urtica dioica* bittercress, *Cardamine hirsuta* ground ivy, *Glechoma hederacea* onion grass, *Allium vineale* peppergrass, *Lepidium virginicum* garlic mustard, *Alliaria petiolata* henbit, *Lamium amplexicaule* *What to bring:* A notebook and writing utensil if you use them. A harvest basket or bag if you have one; there may be an abundance of plants for participants to take home:) Any snacks you may want to enjoy with the pesto such as crackers, veggies, etc. Limited snacks will be provided, though may not cater to a wide range of dietary restrictions/preferences A small container in case there is enough pesto for folks to take a sample home I look forward to sharing the magic gifts of plants with you, & reveling in spring's beauty & wonder together! 💫 **For First-Time Visitors** * No prior experience is needed. * Please arrive **15 minutes early** to settle in. * You are welcome to walk the grounds or explore our crystal shop before the circle begins. 📍 **Directions** * Address: **15406 Riding Stable Rd.** (property is at the end of a ½ mile driveway into the woods). * You will cross a small stream—drive slowly (under 10 MPH) to keep dust down. * Please be mindful of our neighbors and do not stop to interact with horses along the way. * 💖 **Energy Exchange** To help keep this gathering accessible, we invite an offering of **$15–$25**. If you feel called to contribute in another way, please reach out in advance. With love and gratitude

This will be a hands-on foraging walk & wild pesto making adventure with Annie-Sophie from the Green Farmacy. Come explore & nibble greens around the land while learning identification and benefits of spring edibles we'll harvest to make wild herbal pesto together! "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." There is an abundance of wild, free food, that doubles as medicine, growing all around us! In this hands-on workshop, we will get to know early spring edible plants that can be found growing locally. We'll discuss how to identify them as well as how to work with them for food and/or medicine. We will take a walk around the land focusing on wild edible & medicinal plants that emerge in early spring. As we nibble our way around, we will be harvesting the plants we meet to make & taste a wild pesto together! Some wild spring edibles we may meet and explore include: purple dead nettle, *Lamium purpureum* violet, *Viola spp.* chickweed, *Stellaria media* dandelion, *Taraxacum officinale* nettle, *Urtica dioica* bittercress, *Cardamine hirsuta* ground ivy, *Glechoma hederacea* onion grass, *Allium vineale* peppergrass, *Lepidium virginicum* garlic mustard, *Alliaria petiolata* henbit, *Lamium amplexicaule* *What to bring:* A notebook and writing utensil if you use them. A harvest basket or bag if you have one; there may be an abundance of plants for participants to take home:) Any snacks you may want to enjoy with the pesto such as crackers, veggies, etc. Limited snacks will be provided, though may not cater to a wide range of dietary restrictions/preferences A small container in case there is enough pesto for folks to take a sample home I look forward to sharing the magic gifts of plants with you, & reveling in spring's beauty & wonder together! 💫 **For First-Time Visitors** * No prior experience is needed. * Please arrive **15 minutes early** to settle in. * You are welcome to walk the grounds or explore our crystal shop before the circle begins. 📍 **Directions** * Address: **15406 Riding Stable Rd.** (property is at the end of a ½ mile driveway into the woods). * You will cross a small stream—drive slowly (under 10 MPH) to keep dust down. * Please be mindful of our neighbors and do not stop to interact with horses along the way. * 💖 **Energy Exchange** To help keep this gathering accessible, we invite an offering of **$15–$25**. If you feel called to contribute in another way, please reach out in advance. With love and gratitude

Social Sips & Bites Friends - Looking for a calm and scenic way to spend the day? Join us for a refreshing walk through the U.S. National Arboretum, one of DC’s most beautiful hidden gems. After exploring the peaceful trails and stunning gardens, we’ll head to a nearby restaurant for a relaxed group lunch.

Community Seed and Plant Swap Do you love gardening? Want to expand your collection of plants and seeds without breaking the bank? Join MOFB for their free community-based event. Sunday, April 19th 4-6 pm at Mid-Ohio Farm on the Hilltop 116 N Wheatland Ave Columbus OH, 43223 To RSVP for free in-person attendance: https://forms.gle/t6Ppoc5WnRFPTJMZ

Wild Ones Columbus Annual Native Plant Sale Saturday, May 23th, 2026 9:00 am to 1:00 pm (Eastern Time) Overbrook Presbyterian Church Parking Lot, 4131 N High St, Columbus, OH, 43214 Public Welcome, Family-Friendly Free Event A wide variety of native flowering plants, grasses, shrubs, and trees will be available from Wild Ones Columbus and local vendors Natives in Harmony, Leaves for Wildlife, and Scioto Gardens. Wild Ones will publish a list of plants that will be available at this year's sale closer to the event date. Be sure to stop by! Show up anytime!

Open to public: Friday, 5/15/26: 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Saturday 5/16/26: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Hosted by OSU The 2026 Chadwick Arboretum Spring Plant Sale and Auction Fundraiser Location: Lawn area south of the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center 2201 Fred Taylor Dr, Columbus, OH 43210 Spring Plant Sale Spring into greenery at Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens! Join us for our annual Spring Plant Sale Fundraiser and dive into a lush world of botanical delights. With over 16,000 fresh, exotic, and time-tested edible and ornamental plants, there's something for every green thumb! Experience the thrill of our tree and shrub auctions, where you can bid on unique specimens to enhance your garden sanctuary. Step into our Learning Lab, where engaging educational demonstrations on various garden topics will unfold throughout the three-day sale, enriching your knowledge and inspiring your green endeavors. Take part in an exciting, live auction offered each day, as well as a silent auction on Thursday and Friday. Explore vendor booths brimming with gardening essentials and delightful treasures. And while you shop 'til you drop, indulge in delectable treats from a delicious, local food truck. Proceeds from this event go directly to The Ohio State Chadwick Arboretum, student organizations, and local businesses alike. Come one, come all! Let's cultivate a brighter, greener future together. Credit/debit cards only.

SAVE THE DATE! POLLINATOR PATHWAY + LICKING LAND TRUST Native Plant Sale Saturday, May 30, 2026 8:30 a.m. - 12 noon Granville Farmers Market Raccoon Valley Park 1225 River Road | Granville Plant package pre-order coming soon!

Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Free Communal Garden Class Series GROWING MUSHROOMS In this class, we will discuss how to raise mushrooms on logs outdoors as a way to raise food in parts of your yard that are usually too shady to grow vegetables or other crops. We will discuss what mushroom species can be cultivated, what tree species they can grow on, and demonstrate how to prepare and inoculate the logs. By following these steps, you can have your own bountiful mushroom harvest! APRIL 27 | 6:00-7:30 PM | WELLS BARN 1851 E BROAD ST, COLUMBUS, OH 43205 INSTRUCTOR: MARC AMANTE Mare Amante is an Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator with Central State University who is also currently serving as CSU Extension's Agriculture and Natural Resources Interim Program Leader. He has worked on and managed diversified vegetable farms across the Midwest and currently owns and operates an urban farm here in Ohio where he raises microgreens, vegetables, raspberries, and log-grown mushrooms for sale to local markets and restaurants. Registerefor free here https://www.fpconservatory.org/events/cg-growing-mushrooms/

5th annual Earth Day Celebration! This year (2026) the Celebration is scheduled for April 25th with activities running from 10am-2pm. This is a non-ticketed event. Everyone is welcome! We will have food trucks, Birds of Prey, kids crafts, live music, raspberry plants, apple trees, and of course NATIVE PLANTS! Where: Lynd Fruit Farm, 9399 Morse Rd, Pataskala Ohio 43062 Time: Activities will be from 10am- 2pm. The Market will remain open until 5pm.

LICKING COUNTY LIBRARY Author & Artist Julie Zickefoose Saturday, April 11, 2026 1 p.m. Licking County Library 101 W. Main St. | Newark, Ohio Julie Zickefoose: Author, Painter, and Bluebird Extraordinaire Zickefoose is an American nature book writer, naturalist, bird artist, and blogger. She lives in Ohio on an 80-acre wildlife sanctuary, which she said inspires much of her work, including her 2012 novel, The Bluebird Effect: Uncommon Bonds with Common Bird, and NATURAL GARDENING FOR BIRDS The novel is illustrated with 320 of Zickefoose’s colored paintings, life sketches, and drawings, and it was one of Oprah’s 2012 book club reads.