Events

This event will be held in the Greenhouse/Multipurpose Building located near the east end of the parking lot. Click here to view the Inniswood Metro Gardens map.

Michael Keeler* will explore the benefits of winter sowing, including how it mimics natural processes to enhance seed germination, as well as practical tips on selecting native species, and creating the ideal conditions for successful growth. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or new to the practice, this session will provide valuable insights into cultivating a thriving, native landscape while contributing to environmental conservation.

Following Michael Keeler's presentation, we will have our annual native seed swap:

If you have native seeds to share, please label them with the Latin name and common name to pass along. The seeds don’t need to be removed from the seed head if you aren’t sure how to do it, but don’t leave much stem on the seed heads. 

If you don’t have any seeds to bring, no worries. If you are new to native plants or didn't have time to collect seeds, there are ALWAYS plenty from those that do bring them! We love to see "newbies" at our seed exchange! Also remember to bring something to put seeds in such as envelopes, paper bags or containers.

*Michael Keeler is the founder and principal of Ohio Native Concepts. Michael brings a background in natural resources management and a passion for nature and community to his work creating impactful landscapes for residential and institutional clients across Central Ohio. His design approach focuses on creating spaces that connect humans to nature and improve ecological function and biodiversity. By creatively combining art with ecology, Michael creates living landscapes that are as beautiful and meaningful as they are resilient and sustainable. 

This event will be held in the Greenhouse/Multipurpose Building located near the east end of the parking lot. Click here to view the Inniswood Metro Gardens map.

There are so many things that trees provide throughout the year. Whether it be shade, nuts, seeds, sap, or leaves. Learn about the cultural significance of a handful of these species from which we can look forward to receiving their gifts in the coming months. Whether it be Spicebush, Maple, Hickory, White Pine, or everyone’s favorite Pawpaw. Stay afterwards and bundle up for an accompanied winter tree identification walk around Inniswoods that even those who struggle the most will be able to participate in.

David Williams has been a speaker for many Ohio conservation groups including: Wild Ones, Appalachia Ohio Alliance, Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed, Stratford Ecological Center, Columbus Garden School, and the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio. He uses these groups to get people interested in the outdoors through the thing that connects us all: FOOD! He is a poet, podcast host, and uses his knowledge on edible plants to make his own wines.

All are welcome to join this free virtual panel discussion exploring the vital roles of native, solitary, and honeybees in pollination and biodiversity. Featuring experts Sam Droege (USGS), Dave Hunter (Crown Bees), and Dr. Lora Morandin (Pollinator Partnership), this event will discuss into the challenges pollinators face, the balance between managed and wild bees, and actionable ways to support all pollinators.

Gain insights from over 90 years of combined experience and learn how to advocate for pollinator habitats through planting native species, participating in community science, and adopting responsible management practices.

Join us for a presentation by Ken Mettler on native orchids, which can (usually) be found in Ohio during eight calendar months. 

Ken began growing orchids in 1977 and began finding and photographing orchids in the wild in 1981. Currently residing in the Hocking Hills region, Ken has photographed over two dozen species of wild orchids in and around Ohio. 

He has always been interested in environmental conservation and conservation education.  He has worked in the education department of the Columbus Zoo, served as education program coordinator for the International Society for Endangered Cats, and worked on a research project in the Amazon basin in Peru.  He is currently the Special Investigations Manager for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.  

He volunteers for a variety of conservation organizations, including Appalachia Ohio Alliance and the Native Orchid Preservation and Education Society.  

Public gardens hold tremendous power to influence landscaping norms and inspire change. By showcasing the beauty, functionality, and ecological value of native plants, these spaces help foster biodiversity, advocate for sustainable practices, and engage communities in environmental stewardship. 

This webinar will explore how public and demonstration gardens serve as powerful tools for native plant advocacy. Attendees will learn how gardens move beyond aesthetics to spark action—turning appreciation into engagement and inspiring participants to replicate these practices in their own communities.

We will hear insights from Nicole Machuca, Environmental Social Scientist at the Field Museum, on how public gardens influence behaviors, foster stewardship, and connect people to conservation efforts through research and community engagement. The Wild Ones Capital Region NY and the Wild Ones San Diego (CA) Chapters will share their experiences building native plant demonstration gardens and how these spaces drive community engagement, education, and advocacy. And We'll finish with a conversation exploring how public gardens create a lasting impact beyond planting day moderated by Kelly Kapuzzi, Demonstration Garden Char with the Wild Ones Hocking Hills (OH) Chapter.

Join Grange Insurance Audubon Center to kick off the 2025 Native Plant Backyard Challenge. Local environmental, gardening, and native plant focused organizations will be tabling this event, including Wild Ones Columbus.

The mission of the Native Plant Backyard Challenge (NPBYC) is to promote native plants in central Ohio by recruiting households to transform a portion of their yards into native habitat. The challenge works to ensure that participants become ambassadors for native plants in their community.

Registration and fee required. Please click the Read More button for more information.

We will meet in the parking lot at 2654 Sawmill Place Boulevard 43235.

Come for a guided walk at Sawmill Wetlands Educational Area on April 12, 10am to 12noon. You will hear the amazing story about how this 17 acre place was almost lost to a developer and was saved by the work of neighbors and local environmental organizations. Walk the boardwalk to see the wetlands with their fairy shrimp and other macroinvertebrates. We can’t promise flying squirrels but Tim Bischoff who monitors the 17 birdhouses on the property knows which houses they inhabit. This should be the perfect time to see spring ephemerals in the wooded wetlands and along the footpath. 

Some interesting additional info about this Saturday's outing to Sawmill Wetlands: In addition to people that are attending because of Wild Ones Columbus, there will be OSU students there doing restoration work as part of their Capstone projects. As forwarded from Sawmill Wetlands representative:

A guide will be provided in the form of a flyer of nine different trees and shrubs: red mulberry, silky dogwood, rough leaved dogwood, grey dogwood, elderberry, black chokeberry, blackhaw viburnum, buttonbush, and wafer ash. This guide will provide characteristics of each plant, a photo, how to identify them, and the ideal place to plant them. We will be digging holes and planting these in the area of the Sawmill Wetlands where we did the invasive species removal, and there will be flags placed next to each to help with future identification. We will also talk about our capstone project and work that we have done with invasive species removal, QGIS, and our Amphibian Index of Biotic Integrity (AmphIBI).

Click here for more information about the Sawmill Wetlands.

Help us dig, divide, and pot up plants from Mary's yard for the sale!

We'll be digging Orange coneflower, Calico beardtongue, Eastern red columbine, and maybe one or two others in the yard. Many other plants are in pots that have overwintered and need dividing and/or cleanup, such as Parlin's pussytoes, Purple giant hyssop, Wild bergamot, Boneset, Muskingum sedge, Zigzag goldenrod, Closed bottle gentian, and many more.

A few of the 40+ species sown in milk jugs this winter may also be ready for potting up. 

Click here to let us know if you'll be coming to help with the dig.

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.

We plan to publish a list of plants that will be available at this year's sale closer to the event date. In the meantime, click here to view a list of plants that were offered at our 2024 sale.

Be sure to stop by!

Volunteers are needed to staff this event. Please click here to sign up. Thank you!

Scioto Gardens will be hosting a Habitat Hoopla to celebrate the birds, bees, frogs, and other creatures in our landscape who depend on native plants! Learn from wildlife experts and speakers sharing how to create habitat at your home. Native plant growers Leaves for Wildlife and Natives in Harmony will join us to offer the largest variety of native plants available in Central Ohio. Dos Patrones food truck will also be on hand serving up delicious Mexican street food.

Wild Ones Columbus will have a table at this event.

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!