Running Mink Gardens and Apiary

08/20/2026

🌧️ Is it ever going to stop raining?

That seems to be the question around Running Mink Gardens & Apiary lately!

What a stretch of weather we've had here in Central Ohio. Between the seemingly endless rain, thunderstorms, wind and last week's tornadoes, Mother Nature has certainly been keeping all of us on our toes.

Farm life tends to revolve around the weather anyway, but lately it feels like the weather is running the whole show. 😂 The gardens are thoroughly watered (and then some), outdoor projects are waiting patiently, and we're taking advantage of whatever dry stretches we can get.

Most importantly, we're thankful to be okay and thinking about our neighbors and others in the area who weren't as fortunate during the recent storms.

For now, we'll keep watching the clouds, checking on the gardens and bees, and waiting for a little sunshine. 🌱🐝🌻

Here's hoping for some quieter weather ahead
— Running Mink Gardens & Apiary

05/03/2026

💜💜💜💜💜💜

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We are 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴 excited to announce our Earth Science Summer event series! 🪨🗺🐚🦣

We are hosting free events in celebration of America 250 and the 2026 Collaborative Summer Library Program theme, “Unearth a Story.”

Earth Science Summer features programs led by our geologists, offering Ohioans of all ages the chance to discover fossils, minerals, landscapes, and the stories our rocks and sediments can tell. Participants at these special events will also receive a limited-edition commemorative decal while supplies last.

Our statewide lineup of events includes:
▪️𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗛𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 at Oakes Quarry Park, Lake Hope State Park, and Rocky River Reservation
▪️𝗢𝗵𝗶𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝘆 at the H.R. Collins Laboratory in Delaware
▪️𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗹 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁 at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus
▪️𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 at Kelleys Island State Park
▪️𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 at Fossil Park in Sylvania
▪️𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 Open House in Heath

Also, our geologists have curated age-specific geology reading lists featuring books about rocks, fossils, minerals, ancient life, and Earth systems.

For complete information about events and to view our reading lists, visit ohiodnr.gov/earthsciencesummer.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! ❤️

04/07/2026

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Do you want to learn how to identify and treat invasive plants on your property? If so, sign up now for our upcoming Woody Invasive Plant Treatments Workshop in London, Ohio, on Wednesday, April 22, from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. To RSVP, please email Aaron Kash at [email protected] stating your interest in attending. The deadline to register is Wednesday, April 18th.

Program Agenda
Location: 640 Arbuckle Road, London, OH 43140
6:00pm Welcome
6:10pm Invasive Plants Identification
6:30pm Control Techniques Overview
6:50pm Reading Labels and Choosing Herbicides
7:30pm Hands-on Control Techniques Practice
8:25pm Wrap-up and Evaluations

03/04/2026

We had one of those quiet, hopeful farm moments this week…

After a pretty brutal Ohio winter — bitter cold, wind, ice, and long stretches of gray — we checked the hives and are so grateful to see that our bees have survived beautifully so far. 🐝

Winter is no small thing for a honeybee colony. They cluster tightly together for warmth, live off the honey they stored all summer, and rely on good hive health and preparation to make it through. Seeing movement at the hive entrances on a slightly warmer day is pure joy.

Strong overwintered colonies mean:
• Healthy queens
• Smart honey storage
• Careful fall prep
• And a little bit of grace from Mother Nature

As the days slowly lengthen here in Westerville, the bees are beginning to stir — getting ready for early pollen, honey locust blooms, and the busy nectar flow ahead.

Every surviving hive feels like a small miracle. These pollinators are tougher than they look.

Spring is coming… and the apiary is waking up. 🌿

Running Mink Gardens and Apiary

02/28/2026

We get one warm afternoon and suddenly it feels like spring.

55° after weeks of gray and cold feels like summer in February. You see sunshine. You grab the rake. You fire up the blower. You start “cleaning up” the garden beds.

But here’s the truth from the farm…

That “mess” is alive.

Right now at Running Mink Gardens, beneath the leaves and inside last year’s hollow stems, thousands of tiny lives are still sleeping — only weeks away from waking.

What’s hiding in your yard?

🐝 Native bee queens are tucked inside hollow stems and underground tunnels. Cut those stems too early and you remove this season’s pollinators before they ever fly.

🦋 Chrysalises are attached to dried stalks, fence rails, and bark. They look like nothing special — until they become butterflies.

🐸 Toads are buried in loose soil, waiting for consistent warmth. One early tilling can wipe out an entire generation.

🐛 Beneficial insect eggs — lacewings, hoverflies, parasitic wasps — are resting under leaves and in bark crevices. These are the helpers that keep aphids and pests in balance all summer long.

On the farm, we follow a simple rule:

Wait until nighttime temperatures stay above 50° for a full week before cutting, raking, or clearing garden beds.

In Central Ohio, that’s usually late April or even May — not the first warm tease of the year.

That sunny February day is a trick.

Your garden isn’t ready.
The soil isn’t ready.
The pollinators aren’t ready.

Let them sleep.