Creating a sustainable and compassionate community
Witch Hazel, American Witch Hazel, Snapping Hazel Hamamelis virginiana by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living When in bloom, Witch Hazel might be mistaken for an oversized Forsythia. But the Witch Hazel native to Ohio blooms in November! It’s really worth making a trip to see Witch Hazel in bloom […]
Guest Blog Post by Kevin Eigel Over the last few years, I have been a somewhat regular member of the Simply Living Book Club, organized by Chuck Lynd. As part of this Club, I have enjoyed exploring the big question for me at this point in my life: What can […]
Northern Red Oak, Red Oak Quercus rubra (Q. Borealis in many older texts) by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Northern Red Oak is one of the Midwest’s most important trees. Oaks are host to numerous animals, provide food for rodents, bears, deer, and other animals, and are essential sources […]
Hawthorn, Thornapple, Mayflower, Mayhaw Crataegus sp. by Martin (Mort) Schmidt, for Simply Living Hawthorn is a small tree with a large number of species and a larger place in culture. Three species of Hawthorn have National Champions in Ohio, but the tallest is a mere 30 feet tall. Hawthorn represents […]
Coppicing is the ancient practice of cutting down a tree or shrub, and harvesting the growth that sprouts from the stump. Coppicing was once widely used to provide construction material, fuel, and fodder, and it’s gaining renewed interest, especially as a source of sustainable energy.
Arborvitae, American Arborvitae, Northern White Cedar, Eastern White Cedar Thuja occidentalis by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living You have, I have, we all have Arborvitae deep within us. Read on….. Arborvitae, the Tree of Life, is a tree of paradoxes. Both revered and reviled over history, Northern White Cedar […]
Honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living In the wild, Honeylocust is one of the most recognizable trees because of its long branched thorns. In fact, the Latin species name, triacanthos, means “three thorns”. Honeylocust is very popular for landscaping, but domesticated varieties usually lack thorns and […]
As a long time advocate for living simply I often hear people say “that’s good for you, Chuck, but it won’t be enough – we need to change the system.” They’re not exactly being dismissive, but perhaps damning with faint praise. I heartily agree that changing systems – lots of […]
Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana) by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Once considered the ideal landscaping tree, the Callery Pear cannot legally be sold, grown, or planted in Ohio, due to its invasiveness. Callery Pear was introduced to the United States from Asia in the early 1900s. The edible Pear, […]
My Favorite Tree Books By Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living I recently wrote about my favorite tree websites and downloadable books. This month I’ll discuss my favorite printed books – books about trees made from trees. I have over a hundred of them, many of which I picked up […]
Red Maple (Acer rubrum) by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living March is the month for Red Maple – or one of the months. It’s small red flowers lend a beautiful red glow to forests and streets in the spring, and its leaves turn scarlet in the fall. Maple is […]
The Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District is holding their annual plant sale. I’ve planted over 100 trees from this source over the years and nearly all of them have thrived. Most of the trees are sold as bare-root saplings, which consist essentially of twigs with roots, packaged in bundles […]
by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Photo by Mort Schmidt I’m often asked about my favorite tree books and websites. I have a good many favorites, so this month I’ll discuss my favorite tree websites and some later month I’ll discuss my favorite tree books. I’m old school – when […]
Mort Schmidt, author of the Tree of the Month articles, will co-lead a winter tree ID walk with park ranger Scott Felker at Three Creeks Metro Park on Sunday, January 22nd at 2 PM. We’ll meet at the Confluence Area as shown in the attached map. I’d love to see […]
Baldcypress, Swamp Cypress (Taxodium distichum) by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Not all conifers are evergreens. We often use the terms interchangeably, but in fact some conifers lose their needles in winter, while some broadleaf trees, such as American Holly (Ilex opaca), keep their leaves in winter. As discussed […]
Last week, with my fellow intern, Kenedy, I got to sit down (virtually) and talk with April Hoy, about Stratford Ecological Center. April is the Education Director at Stratford, a working organic farm, state nature preserve, and non-profit organization that was started back in the early 1990s as a family-run […]
White Ash, American Ash Fraxinus americana by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living White Ash is the stuff of baseball bats, and would be a good candidate for the ideal tree, especially when considering its wood. Harder than pine, softer than oak, ash is hard enough to wear well, but […]
Eastern Hop Hornbeam, aka Hop Hornbeam, Ironwood Ostrya virginiana by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Eastern Hop Hornbeam is often overlooked today, but it was once an essential wood due to its considerable hardness. It’s often confused with two other understory trees, American Hornbeam – Ohio’s other “Ironwood”, and […]
Black Cherry wood is prized for its attractive color, but Cherry is surprisingly common in Ohioforests and most of the Eastern US. Black Cherry is not the tree used for pies and pastries, nor isit the cherry widely used in landscaping, known for its spring blossoms. But it does have […]
After Anna Haught interned for Simply Living, her next adventure was Blue Rock Station. Enjoy her blog post describing her experience!