It's all about finding the right plant for the right spot when it comes to successful gardening. The Allen County Master Gardeners Brown Bag Series at the Children's Garden covered some shady characters for your garden this week. Most every yard has shady spots that require plants specific to those areas. Some favorites are hostas and ferns. But all shade plants don't have to be green, as some can give you a pop of color.

Dozens flocked to the Allen County Children's Garden this afternoon as a fan favorite started a new season. The Ohio State Master Gardener Volunteers are once again hosting the "Brown Bag Lunch" series on Tuesdays. Today's topic was everything you wanted to know about peonies. The flower is a captivating perennial that can flourish for more than a hundred years. The belief that it takes ants to open your peony bud is an old wives' tale. They are attracted to the sap but aren't needed to open the flower. The most important thing about the flower is how to plant it.

Avid gardeners attending the weekly Allen County Master Gardeners' brown bag lunch at the Children's Garden. From mammals to amphibians to insects, they all need our help as their native habitats have become smaller because of human activity. By planting a simple garden, you can provide habitats that will attract songbirds, butterflies and other wildlife. To create a wildlife habitat garden, you need four specific things.

The “Brown Bag” series at the Children’s Garden continuing today as avid gardeners learned about host plants and what flowers attract butterflies. Milkweed is a good host plant for the caterpillars while coneflowers and daisies are loved by the butterflies. Master Gardeners say it’s important we work to provide a welcoming home for the insects.

It’s been more than a year since these gardening enthusiasts have been under the gazebo. The program is sponsored by the O.S.U. Extension of Allen County with their Master Gardeners as presenters. The programs are from 11:45 a.m. through about 12:45 p.m. so it fits right into your lunch hour.

It is a way to bring your outside garden inside to enjoy. Cut floral arranging was the topic at this week's Brown Bag Lunch Series at the Allen County Children's Garden. Master Gardeners say there is no wrong way to make an arrangement and your flowers will last as long in water as they will on the stem. You don't need a fancy vase as you can use a wide range of things like baskets, jars, mugs, and even plastic bottles to put your cuttings into.

Build it and they will come, and they have been coming since its inception in 1996.