It’s a rite of spring as old and as timeless as weeds and muddy knees, or close at least. Clermont County’s perennial favorite, the 13th annual southwest Ohio perennial school, entertained and educated about 150 students last week at the Ohio State University Extension office in Clermont County. The yearly spring class was the first such held after the departure of former Clermont extension horticulturist Gary Gao.
“I knew that one thing we absolutely had to have was the perennial school,” said Mary Roenker, Clermont extension director. “I think a lot of people thought that if Gary wasn’t here, we wouldn’t have it.”
Gao, well known in the county for his work in promoting local green thumbs, left last year to continue his work in another county. That left the task of organizing and pulling off the successful yearly class to the local extension staff, as well as the interim horticulturist Joe Boggs.
“The staff here is fantastic,” said Boggs. “Vicki Butler did the day to day of getting this program together. Mary Roenker and John Smith, along with Joe Gillespie did a lot of support work. The master gardeners helped as well. You have a lot of those in Clermont County. This program is a real team effort.”