March 8, 2025 • 20 mins
Ron is joined by Steve Foltz from the Cincinnati Botanical Garden and Zoo.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Bulcome back. You're in the garden with Ron Wilson, as
I promise. Yes, we've been building this one up for
a long time because it's very rare that we can
get him on our show anymore, because he is such
a busy man pointing that golden finger to get things
taken care of at the Cincinnati Botanical Gardener Zoo. Ladies
and gentlemen, here's the director of horticulture at the Cincinnati
(00:23):
Botanical Garden Zoo, and we call him the Goldfinger. Mister
Stephen folks. Good morning, sir, Hey Ron, how you doing?
If I was any better, I'd have that golden finger.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Oh man, shining it up this morning? Ready to go?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Are you early?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Hey?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Don't forget to mark your calendar. March the sixteenth is
Dan's birthday in case you want to send him anything.
Oh there you go, so not where I go. It's
just if you want to send him a card, you know,
with a gift card in it or something like that,
he would appreciate it. Talk with Steve Fault your Fortnaty
Potanical Garden and Zoo. Steve. I want to you know,
there's so many things going on there today, and first
of all, so folks know you were voted the number
(01:05):
one best botanical garden in the US by USA Today readers,
which I think is absolutely outstanding. Weren't you also voted
the greenest zoo in the United States or in the.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
World, in the entire universe, in the entire.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Solar system, the greenest zoo, which is phenomenal. But I
look back and you know, you and I have grown
up in this industry together. You know, we've known each
other a long time. I can still remember when you
first went to the Cincinnati Botanical Garden in zoo as
the as the director of horticulture. Dave Erlinger I believe
it was Day's name, Yeah, was the director at the
(01:42):
time and stepping into that position, and at that point
it was truly the Cincinnati Zoo.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yeah, and I mean it really was. Yeah. He was
an amazing horticulturist. And I did two internships under Dave,
and I was just amazed at his plant knowledge and
he knew everything from a tree to a bamboo to
a grass, just every plant category. Dave was an expert
(02:12):
at and he really got the ball rolling right. And
when you know, he basically I was hired on when
we became the official Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden in
nineteen eighty seven, and you know, it's just amazing how
far we've come, and it's pretty exciting.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Well, and that's that's right. That's my point was. You know,
at that point, David had gotten that ball started, and
of course his wife Claire also in the green industry
as a teacher and all, but got the ball started.
You came in there, did you have any idea, and
be honest with me, any idea that you would be
where it is today with all the programs for for
what you all first of all are doing focused as
(02:56):
the botanical garden, and by the way, for folks that
are looking for the botanical gardens when you go there,
it is the botanical garden. But you know, look at
all the things that you're doing today, did you have
any thought at all that this this type of thing
would be gone? I mean, you're you've got so many
programs and the pollinator programs and the best of programs,
and you know, the gardens that you have for the
(03:18):
kids and all that. I mean, you know, I think
your focus at that time probably would have been just
the garden itself there at the Zoo, but look at
where you.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Come to do exactly, and you know, it kind of
sneaks up on you. You start a little bit of
this and a little bit of that, and you you know,
we have some really excellent horticulturists and and they all
have certain interests and uh, it's amazing what you can
do when you let the horses run. And uh, so
(03:51):
we've just had, you know, again, just constant improvement and
uh starting out with you know, planting ten thousand and
two bullips and now we're up to one hundred and
twenty thousand tulips every year that we plant. And yeah,
it looks like mid April is going to be a
beautiful tulip display this year. And so and then when
(04:14):
we as we increased the tulip display, along with that
came our annual trials program and they kind of went
hand in hand. And as the tulip you know, display grew,
the annual trials grew, and then we started getting into
the pollinators. And you know, the annual trials program was
(04:34):
so successful we said, hey, this would be pretty nice
to do a perennial trials with this. And we did
the more perennial trials like planting all the new varieties
of the latest and greatest perennials around the zoo, and
pretty soon it's like, well, we have all these annuals
and perennials, and someone mentioned while we're not planting the
(04:56):
right kind because annuals and you know, we're planting the
wrung perennials because they're not natives and all that, and
we don't have any pollinators, and we're like, are you kidding?
There's pollinators all over these I.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Still remember you and I walking that one night, walking
down that aisle because we heard we were having that discussion,
and you kept saying, is that a are those bees on?
Are those pollinators on that? Oh? Well they're not supposed
to be on that? Oh are those just laughing as
we went down now, But yeah, you're right, But you know,
you've gotten into that program. And of course, you guys
(05:31):
very diverse out because you have the natives, you have
the native selections, you have the non not invasive, but
non natives that are there as well, and of course
with your pollinator programs showing all of the best of
plants that are out there, not just natives, for all
the pollinators. And you actually literally went around taking pictures
of the flowers showing all the pollinators on each of
(05:52):
the flowers.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah, and that turned into a pollinator research study that
you know that we can you today studying pollinators that
are on the plants. I mean technically we're studying the
plants and the flowers and the pollinators just happened to
be on there, and it is amazing what you find.
(06:14):
And yeah, the h I think we had some one
unique rare American bumblebee on on a what do you
call the skull cap, which is a blue flowered native perennial,
very rare, but that also landed on the blue salvia
(06:35):
and was working on the blue salvia. So you know,
annuals became a pretty interesting find that how useful they
were since they bloomed from you know, May all the
way to frost and so yeah, and the whole point
of doing all this is really so we can you know,
(06:55):
help the public and garden centers and landscapers have more
confidence in their selections on what will really do well
in the greater Cincinnati tri state area.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
And again they're located in Cincinnati, and if you've never
been to the Cincinnati Botanical Garden in Zoo. You need
to put that on your on your bucket list. If
you live somewhere out and you happen to be coming
nearby Cincinnati, Ohio, you got to put that on your
bucket list, put it down for a day visit, because
just touring the garden itself is phenomenal. Again, it's voted
(07:28):
the number one best botanical garden in the US, and
that's a lot to say, the greenest in the United
in the solar system. And then as you're walking through
the botanical garden, you'll notice in between some of the
shrubs quite a collection of animals there as well. But again,
the garden and that it's just phenomenal. And you might
even see Steve walking around. You'll recognize him because he'll
(07:50):
have his right hand out with that golden finger pointing
go do that, and go do that, and let's do that,
and let's change that. And then this tremendous staff of
horticulturesvolunteers helping to do it as well. It is truly
a great experience. Well, before we take a break, one
last thing and then we'll come back. We'll talk about
some of the events that are coming up, and you
can learn more about this go to the website since
(08:11):
nanty zoo dot org and you still you do all
the best ofs on that website, correct, yes, Yeah, So
you can go through and see all the printed out
and take it to your local independent garden center and
they will probably have most of everything you see that's
on that because, like Steve said, they work with the
locals as far as making sure we all kind of
grow the same thing. So because if you're going to
(08:31):
see it there, you're going to buy at the garden
centers as well. You guys developed about four years ago
a garden that's on the property of a local I
think is it an elementary.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
School elementary school, Rockdale Academy.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Rockdale Academy.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
It is a one of the most unique opportunities we've
ever had. The Cincinnati Reds Community Fund, along with Children's
Hospital and doctor and Gamble and we all got together.
They do a yearly event where they go through a
community that just could could use a little extra and
(09:10):
one of the projects was building a a the teachers
wanted a pollinator garden. We we knocked it out of
the parks at Pollinator Garden and as a sensory garden
and fruit trees and raspberry bushes and uh, you know,
just about any fruit you could grow, but but also
(09:34):
all the new varieties of trees and shrubs and perennials, vines.
You know, you can teach college level courses in this garden.
It's really really a spectacular and it's it's there's there's
no nothing keeping the public from visiting any day of
the week. It is uh, you know, basically on Cincinni
(09:57):
Public School property, but it is you know, off kind
of out in the front of everything. So it's it's
really not on technically on school grounds where the kids are,
but but the kids use that for their a lot
of their classroom activities and they help us grow perennials,
and they harvest herbs and harvest per simmon. It's it's
(10:22):
just so such a great opportunity for not only the zoo,
but Rockdale Academy as well as the community of Avondale.
It is just a just a win win win for everybody.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Even our good buddy doctor Alan apple Armentage went there
and shot a few videos and was totally impressed with
what he saw. Talking with Steve Faals, she's a director
of horticulture, Mister Goldfinger from the Cistinti Potanical Garden. A zoom,
quick break, we come back. We could talk about some
events that are coming up there and a trip. If
you want to take a trip with Steven, well we
can go get that for you as well. Here in
the garden with Ron Wilson landscaping ladies.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Here with your person, yard boy, he's in the garden
and he's Ron Wilson.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Hi, Ron Wilson here. Let me ask you a question.
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(11:43):
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(12:06):
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get some today. Welcome back here in the garden with
Ron Wilson's special guest this morning, the gold Finger himself.
He's the director of horticulture for the Cincinnati Botanical Garden Zoo,
(12:29):
voted the number one best botanical garden in the US,
the greenest botanical garden zoo in the entire Solar system.
Steve Folks, always a pleasure having you on with us.
So we get into the month of April, A couple
get three weeks away here, a couple of weeks away.
You got a lot of events going on then, and
of course the month of April really important because those
one hundred and twenty thousand tulips you were talking about
(12:50):
earlier all start to come into flower, plus all the
daffodils and all the other bulbs and all the trees
and shrubs and flowering plants. April is a crazy blooming
month when it comes to the Cincinnati Potanical Garden Zoo.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
It's my favorite time of year. There's just so much
going on every week, something news popping up and going
into bloom, and just the freshness of spring I think
we all can appreciate, you know, just walking through the
zoo yesterday, just seeing all the buds on the trees
(13:24):
getting ready to open, and you know, we have a
couple of things in bloom now, the you know, witch
hazels are blooming, and the snowdrops and just you know,
as good as gardeners, we get to notice this stuff
a lot earlier than most people, and you know, it
gives us a little bit of hope, and so we
(13:45):
can't wait for these green leaves to pop out and
the flowers to take over.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
And coming up on Friday, April the eleventh, you have
the Zootannical twenty twenty five with a hen of tulips.
That's it's always a great event. Five thirty to nine
o'clock of a kickoff for the for the botanical Garden,
the season and all fundraiser auctions, the cocktails and all.
It's a great time and the tickets are still available
for that if you're interested in it. As a matter
(14:12):
of fact, I think you're giving a little presentation at
that if I'm not mistaken. And I do want to
make a correction here on the brochure that I saw,
it's got a picture of you sticking plants in a
planting tray. You really weren't doing that, were you?
Speaker 2 (14:29):
I usually point I was.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Gonna say, that's what you can That really wasn't you
planting those?
Speaker 2 (14:35):
You need the action shots every once in a while.
When we landscaped our Elephant Trek, which is our our
beautiful elephant new elephant habitat, I believe it or not,
ron I got to do a lot, a lot of
planting seriously in that project.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Yeah, Steve Goldfinger Folts actually did some planting, you know it.
You know, hey, that was that was a major That
was amazing. I mean, all the things that you're doing
there is for phenomenal, but that that Asian theme garden
for the Elephant Trek is would you say that's one
of the best you guys have done so far.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Oh definitely, Yeah, definitely, And again that's just a tribute
to the talented folks that we have and are. But
you know, these are the things that just I love
seeing people walk through the garden and you're you're kind
of walking behind them, kind of not listening, but you
kind of comments yeah, and they're like, oh my gosh,
(15:36):
you know, I didn't know these plants grew here, and
you know, of course some of them don't, but we
fake them out because we want you to think that
you're in the you know, the you know the you
know you're you're with the elephants in India and Asia,
and hopefully you'll see the plants that are are native
to that area or at least look like they are.
(15:57):
And sometimes we use plants like the big leaf magnolia
that's actually native to Ohio and Kentucky because it has
that giant leaf and it looks like it's tropical and
pop pause and other native plants look tropical. And so
it's a lot of fun. We have a lot of
fun doing their job.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Our special make Oh you can tell you guys have
a lot of fun. There's no doubt about. Steve Fols
is with us. He's a director of for the culture
Cincinnati Botanical Gardens Zoo. If you'd like to take place
or be a part of the Zootannical in April, go
to their website. It's Cincinnati Zoo dot org and you
can buy your tickets online there as well. You have
a great time, you guys. Also, you've over the years
put together a lot of great traveling trips and things
(16:40):
like that. I know last year you kicked off your
first I think it was your first trip that you hosted.
I think when you went to Holland and all.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Now you've got another one coming up, and you're headed
to Dublin this time.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Oh boy, Yeah, this is going to be phenomenal. This
is a so it's a like a eight night cruise
and you start in Dublin and literally you just go
around the entire island, stopping at each of the main
ports that have you know, gardens. We'll go to like
(17:14):
the Blarney Castle and and Bantry Bay and Garnish Island
which has probably one of the most beautiful gardens I've
ever seen, and uh, you know, and as you ring around,
you go to Galway and you know we'll be listening
to some you know, good Irish music and you know,
to see the Cliffs of More and uh and as
(17:37):
you you know, go up and around to Northern Ireland,
you know you'll see the We've got the Giants Causeway,
which I can't wait to see beautiful rock formations, and
and then to Belfast and uh and then you ring
back around to Dublin and UH. It's one of the
most complete trips of Ireland I've ever seen. So very
(17:58):
excited to take this cruise.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
And this uh, this is in September.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Correct, September eleventh to the twentieth.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
It's a ten day, nine night itinerary. Well, there'll be
any stops at any pubs, do you think during this
uh ten day event?
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Pubs? I don't know. I never know where they.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Serve that great I called beer. I think there you
think that.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
I think there's a little guinness in in uh somewhere
in the island.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Probably and and if there is, Steve will help you
find it.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
That's right, That's right.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
I'm sure there's going to be a few. And you
have Fenton o Tools going to be a guest speaker
on your trip. As well.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Yeah, yeah, it's amazing. So this is going to be
just a phenomenal cruise. I really, I'm looking so forward
to it. And uh, there's already a lot of people
that have been on some of the trips before with
us and just just it's always a good time.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
And so you know, even even if Steve wasn't going along,
it sounds like a great trip to me. It's Ireland
and Northern Ireland. It's in September. Steve Folks will be
there the Golden Finger to help walk you through all
of these great gardens and great sites and probably a
few pubs along the way as well. If you're interested
to get more information, go to their website sins nattizoo
(19:20):
dot org and it's forwards slash Travel with the Zoo
and get yourself signed up because time is running out.
And again, like I said, Steve likes to visit pubs
as well, so you might might see a few of
those on the trip as well. Steve Folks always a
pleasure man. You guys are doing so much great stuff.
If it says Snati Botanical Garden a zoo, someday I'll
even get you convinced to call it the Botanical Garden
(19:41):
and Zoo.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Ron, you are our biggest fan and we appreciate you
so much.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
All right, Steve, taking care for all that you do. Hey,
my pleasure man. Good good, good knowing you. Good growing
up in this industry with you as well. Steve Folks,
Director Horticulture, Cincinnati Botanical Garden and Zoo. Quick break, we
come back. Phone lines are open for you at eight
hundred eight two three eight two five five Here in
the garden with Ron Wilson.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Help.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
So let's do it yourself gardener at one eight hundred
eight two three talk You're in the gardens with Ron Wilson.
Bulcome back. You're in the garden with Ron Wilson, as
I promise. Yes, we've been building this one up for
a long time because it's very rare that we can
get him on our show anymore, because he is such
a busy man pointing that golden finger to get things
taken care of at the Cincinnati Botanical Gardener Zoo. Ladies
and gentlemen, here's the director of horticulture at the Cincinnati
(00:23):
Botanical Garden Zoo, and we call him the Goldfinger. Mister
Stephen folks. Good morning, sir, Hey Ron, how you doing?
If I was any better, I'd have that golden finger.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Oh man, shining it up this morning? Ready to go?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Are you early?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Hey?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Don't forget to mark your calendar. March the sixteenth is
Dan's birthday in case you want to send him anything.
Oh there you go, so not where I go. It's
just if you want to send him a card, you know,
with a gift card in it or something like that,
he would appreciate it. Talk with Steve Fault your Fortnaty
Potanical Garden and Zoo. Steve. I want to you know,
there's so many things going on there today, and first
of all, so folks know you were voted the number
(01:05):
one best botanical garden in the US by USA Today readers,
which I think is absolutely outstanding. Weren't you also voted
the greenest zoo in the United States or in the.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
World, in the entire universe, in the entire.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Solar system, the greenest zoo, which is phenomenal. But I
look back and you know, you and I have grown
up in this industry together. You know, we've known each
other a long time. I can still remember when you
first went to the Cincinnati Botanical Garden in zoo as
the as the director of horticulture. Dave Erlinger I believe
it was Day's name, Yeah, was the director at the
(01:42):
time and stepping into that position, and at that point
it was truly the Cincinnati Zoo.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yeah, and I mean it really was. Yeah. He was
an amazing horticulturist. And I did two internships under Dave,
and I was just amazed at his plant knowledge and
he knew everything from a tree to a bamboo to
a grass, just every plant category. Dave was an expert
(02:12):
at and he really got the ball rolling right. And
when you know, he basically I was hired on when
we became the official Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden in
nineteen eighty seven, and you know, it's just amazing how
far we've come, and it's pretty exciting.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Well, and that's that's right. That's my point was. You know,
at that point, David had gotten that ball started, and
of course his wife Claire also in the green industry
as a teacher and all, but got the ball started.
You came in there, did you have any idea, and
be honest with me, any idea that you would be
where it is today with all the programs for for
what you all first of all are doing focused as
(02:56):
the botanical garden, and by the way, for folks that
are looking for the botanical gardens when you go there,
it is the botanical garden. But you know, look at
all the things that you're doing today, did you have
any thought at all that this this type of thing
would be gone? I mean, you're you've got so many
programs and the pollinator programs and the best of programs,
and you know, the gardens that you have for the
(03:18):
kids and all that. I mean, you know, I think
your focus at that time probably would have been just
the garden itself there at the Zoo, but look at
where you.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Come to do exactly, and you know, it kind of
sneaks up on you. You start a little bit of
this and a little bit of that, and you you know,
we have some really excellent horticulturists and and they all
have certain interests and uh, it's amazing what you can
do when you let the horses run. And uh, so
(03:51):
we've just had, you know, again, just constant improvement and
uh starting out with you know, planting ten thousand and
two bullips and now we're up to one hundred and
twenty thousand tulips every year that we plant. And yeah,
it looks like mid April is going to be a
beautiful tulip display this year. And so and then when
(04:14):
we as we increased the tulip display, along with that
came our annual trials program and they kind of went
hand in hand. And as the tulip you know, display grew,
the annual trials grew, and then we started getting into
the pollinators. And you know, the annual trials program was
(04:34):
so successful we said, hey, this would be pretty nice
to do a perennial trials with this. And we did
the more perennial trials like planting all the new varieties
of the latest and greatest perennials around the zoo, and
pretty soon it's like, well, we have all these annuals
and perennials, and someone mentioned while we're not planting the
(04:56):
right kind because annuals and you know, we're planting the
wrung perennials because they're not natives and all that, and
we don't have any pollinators, and we're like, are you kidding?
There's pollinators all over these I.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Still remember you and I walking that one night, walking
down that aisle because we heard we were having that discussion,
and you kept saying, is that a are those bees on?
Are those pollinators on that? Oh? Well they're not supposed
to be on that? Oh are those just laughing as
we went down now, But yeah, you're right, But you know,
you've gotten into that program. And of course, you guys
(05:31):
very diverse out because you have the natives, you have
the native selections, you have the non not invasive, but
non natives that are there as well, and of course
with your pollinator programs showing all of the best of
plants that are out there, not just natives, for all
the pollinators. And you actually literally went around taking pictures
of the flowers showing all the pollinators on each of
(05:52):
the flowers.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah, and that turned into a pollinator research study that
you know that we can you today studying pollinators that
are on the plants. I mean technically we're studying the
plants and the flowers and the pollinators just happened to
be on there, and it is amazing what you find.
(06:14):
And yeah, the h I think we had some one
unique rare American bumblebee on on a what do you
call the skull cap, which is a blue flowered native perennial,
very rare, but that also landed on the blue salvia
(06:35):
and was working on the blue salvia. So you know,
annuals became a pretty interesting find that how useful they
were since they bloomed from you know, May all the
way to frost and so yeah, and the whole point
of doing all this is really so we can you know,
(06:55):
help the public and garden centers and landscapers have more
confidence in their selections on what will really do well
in the greater Cincinnati tri state area.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
And again they're located in Cincinnati, and if you've never
been to the Cincinnati Botanical Garden in Zoo. You need
to put that on your on your bucket list. If
you live somewhere out and you happen to be coming
nearby Cincinnati, Ohio, you got to put that on your
bucket list, put it down for a day visit, because
just touring the garden itself is phenomenal. Again, it's voted
(07:28):
the number one best botanical garden in the US, and
that's a lot to say, the greenest in the United
in the solar system. And then as you're walking through
the botanical garden, you'll notice in between some of the
shrubs quite a collection of animals there as well. But again,
the garden and that it's just phenomenal. And you might
even see Steve walking around. You'll recognize him because he'll
(07:50):
have his right hand out with that golden finger pointing
go do that, and go do that, and let's do that,
and let's change that. And then this tremendous staff of
horticulturesvolunteers helping to do it as well. It is truly
a great experience. Well, before we take a break, one
last thing and then we'll come back. We'll talk about
some of the events that are coming up, and you
can learn more about this go to the website since
(08:11):
nanty zoo dot org and you still you do all
the best ofs on that website, correct, yes, Yeah, So
you can go through and see all the printed out
and take it to your local independent garden center and
they will probably have most of everything you see that's
on that because, like Steve said, they work with the
locals as far as making sure we all kind of
grow the same thing. So because if you're going to
(08:31):
see it there, you're going to buy at the garden
centers as well. You guys developed about four years ago
a garden that's on the property of a local I
think is it an elementary.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
School elementary school, Rockdale Academy.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Rockdale Academy.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
It is a one of the most unique opportunities we've
ever had. The Cincinnati Reds Community Fund, along with Children's
Hospital and doctor and Gamble and we all got together.
They do a yearly event where they go through a
community that just could could use a little extra and
(09:10):
one of the projects was building a a the teachers
wanted a pollinator garden. We we knocked it out of
the parks at Pollinator Garden and as a sensory garden
and fruit trees and raspberry bushes and uh, you know,
just about any fruit you could grow, but but also
(09:34):
all the new varieties of trees and shrubs and perennials, vines.
You know, you can teach college level courses in this garden.
It's really really a spectacular and it's it's there's there's
no nothing keeping the public from visiting any day of
the week. It is uh, you know, basically on Cincinni
(09:57):
Public School property, but it is you know, off kind
of out in the front of everything. So it's it's
really not on technically on school grounds where the kids are,
but but the kids use that for their a lot
of their classroom activities and they help us grow perennials,
and they harvest herbs and harvest per simmon. It's it's
(10:22):
just so such a great opportunity for not only the zoo,
but Rockdale Academy as well as the community of Avondale.
It is just a just a win win win for everybody.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Even our good buddy doctor Alan apple Armentage went there
and shot a few videos and was totally impressed with
what he saw. Talking with Steve Faals, she's a director
of horticulture, Mister Goldfinger from the Cistinti Potanical Garden. A zoom,
quick break, we come back. We could talk about some
events that are coming up there and a trip. If
you want to take a trip with Steven, well we
can go get that for you as well. Here in
the garden with Ron Wilson landscaping ladies.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Here with your person, yard boy, he's in the garden
and he's Ron Wilson.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Hi, Ron Wilson here. Let me ask you a question.
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(11:43):
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(12:06):
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And if you can't find kills all with that mass merchant,
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independent garden centers or hardware stores. That's high yield kills all,
get some today. Welcome back here in the garden with
Ron Wilson's special guest this morning, the gold Finger himself.
He's the director of horticulture for the Cincinnati Botanical Garden Zoo,
(12:29):
voted the number one best botanical garden in the US,
the greenest botanical garden zoo in the entire Solar system.
Steve Folks, always a pleasure having you on with us.
So we get into the month of April, A couple
get three weeks away here, a couple of weeks away.
You got a lot of events going on then, and
of course the month of April really important because those
one hundred and twenty thousand tulips you were talking about
(12:50):
earlier all start to come into flower, plus all the
daffodils and all the other bulbs and all the trees
and shrubs and flowering plants. April is a crazy blooming
month when it comes to the Cincinnati Potanical Garden Zoo.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
It's my favorite time of year. There's just so much
going on every week, something news popping up and going
into bloom, and just the freshness of spring I think
we all can appreciate, you know, just walking through the
zoo yesterday, just seeing all the buds on the trees
(13:24):
getting ready to open, and you know, we have a
couple of things in bloom now, the you know, witch
hazels are blooming, and the snowdrops and just you know,
as good as gardeners, we get to notice this stuff
a lot earlier than most people, and you know, it
gives us a little bit of hope, and so we
(13:45):
can't wait for these green leaves to pop out and
the flowers to take over.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
And coming up on Friday, April the eleventh, you have
the Zootannical twenty twenty five with a hen of tulips.
That's it's always a great event. Five thirty to nine
o'clock of a kickoff for the for the botanical Garden,
the season and all fundraiser auctions, the cocktails and all.
It's a great time and the tickets are still available
for that if you're interested in it. As a matter
(14:12):
of fact, I think you're giving a little presentation at
that if I'm not mistaken. And I do want to
make a correction here on the brochure that I saw,
it's got a picture of you sticking plants in a
planting tray. You really weren't doing that, were you?
Speaker 2 (14:29):
I usually point I was.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Gonna say, that's what you can That really wasn't you
planting those?
Speaker 2 (14:35):
You need the action shots every once in a while.
When we landscaped our Elephant Trek, which is our our
beautiful elephant new elephant habitat, I believe it or not,
ron I got to do a lot, a lot of
planting seriously in that project.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Yeah, Steve Goldfinger Folts actually did some planting, you know it.
You know, hey, that was that was a major That
was amazing. I mean, all the things that you're doing
there is for phenomenal, but that that Asian theme garden
for the Elephant Trek is would you say that's one
of the best you guys have done so far.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Oh definitely, Yeah, definitely, And again that's just a tribute
to the talented folks that we have and are. But
you know, these are the things that just I love
seeing people walk through the garden and you're you're kind
of walking behind them, kind of not listening, but you
kind of comments yeah, and they're like, oh my gosh,
(15:36):
you know, I didn't know these plants grew here, and
you know, of course some of them don't, but we
fake them out because we want you to think that
you're in the you know, the you know the you
know you're you're with the elephants in India and Asia,
and hopefully you'll see the plants that are are native
to that area or at least look like they are.
(15:57):
And sometimes we use plants like the big leaf magnolia
that's actually native to Ohio and Kentucky because it has
that giant leaf and it looks like it's tropical and
pop pause and other native plants look tropical. And so
it's a lot of fun. We have a lot of
fun doing their job.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Our special make Oh you can tell you guys have
a lot of fun. There's no doubt about. Steve Fols
is with us. He's a director of for the culture
Cincinnati Botanical Gardens Zoo. If you'd like to take place
or be a part of the Zootannical in April, go
to their website. It's Cincinnati Zoo dot org and you
can buy your tickets online there as well. You have
a great time, you guys. Also, you've over the years
put together a lot of great traveling trips and things
(16:40):
like that. I know last year you kicked off your
first I think it was your first trip that you hosted.
I think when you went to Holland and all.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Now you've got another one coming up, and you're headed
to Dublin this time.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Oh boy, Yeah, this is going to be phenomenal. This
is a so it's a like a eight night cruise
and you start in Dublin and literally you just go
around the entire island, stopping at each of the main
ports that have you know, gardens. We'll go to like
(17:14):
the Blarney Castle and and Bantry Bay and Garnish Island
which has probably one of the most beautiful gardens I've
ever seen, and uh, you know, and as you ring around,
you go to Galway and you know we'll be listening
to some you know, good Irish music and you know,
to see the Cliffs of More and uh and as
(17:37):
you you know, go up and around to Northern Ireland,
you know you'll see the We've got the Giants Causeway,
which I can't wait to see beautiful rock formations, and
and then to Belfast and uh and then you ring
back around to Dublin and UH. It's one of the
most complete trips of Ireland I've ever seen. So very
(17:58):
excited to take this cruise.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
And this uh, this is in September.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Correct, September eleventh to the twentieth.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
It's a ten day, nine night itinerary. Well, there'll be
any stops at any pubs, do you think during this
uh ten day event?
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Pubs? I don't know. I never know where they.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Serve that great I called beer. I think there you
think that.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
I think there's a little guinness in in uh somewhere
in the island.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Probably and and if there is, Steve will help you
find it.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
That's right, That's right.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
I'm sure there's going to be a few. And you
have Fenton o Tools going to be a guest speaker
on your trip. As well.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Yeah, yeah, it's amazing. So this is going to be
just a phenomenal cruise. I really, I'm looking so forward
to it. And uh, there's already a lot of people
that have been on some of the trips before with
us and just just it's always a good time.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
And so you know, even even if Steve wasn't going along,
it sounds like a great trip to me. It's Ireland
and Northern Ireland. It's in September. Steve Folks will be
there the Golden Finger to help walk you through all
of these great gardens and great sites and probably a
few pubs along the way as well. If you're interested
to get more information, go to their website sins nattizoo
(19:20):
dot org and it's forwards slash Travel with the Zoo
and get yourself signed up because time is running out.
And again, like I said, Steve likes to visit pubs
as well, so you might might see a few of
those on the trip as well. Steve Folks always a
pleasure man. You guys are doing so much great stuff.
If it says Snati Botanical Garden a zoo, someday I'll
even get you convinced to call it the Botanical Garden
(19:41):
and Zoo.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Ron, you are our biggest fan and we appreciate you
so much.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
All right, Steve, taking care for all that you do. Hey,
my pleasure man. Good good, good knowing you. Good growing
up in this industry with you as well. Steve Folks,
Director Horticulture, Cincinnati Botanical Garden and Zoo. Quick break, we
come back. Phone lines are open for you at eight
hundred eight two three eight two five five Here in
the garden with Ron Wilson.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Help.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
So let's do it yourself gardener at one eight hundred
eight two three talk You're in the gardens with Ron Wilson.
In The Garden with Ron Wilson News
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