BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—History and horticulture will come to life when garden club members from seven counties converge on Bucyrus Wednesday, October 22, for “America 250-OHIO Style.”

The event, which is being hosted by the Earth, Wind & Flowers Garden Club of Bucyrus, will be held in the youth building of the Crawford County Fairgrounds. A day packed with plants – and patriotism.

“We’re excited because it’s all local but at the same time we can promote America for our country’s big 250th celebration next year,” said Mary Lee Minor, who is organizing the Ohio Association of Garden Club’s (OAGC) region seven meeting.

Although the morning session is geared for registered garden club members, the public is invited to check out the flower show tribute to Ohio beginning at 1 p.m., Minor said, then stay for a living history performance by Kenneth Hammontree at 2.

Hammontree, of Ashland, will portray John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, who planted thousands of apple trees on his trek across Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. There is no charge for the afternoon program, Minor said.

The morning speaker will be Elaine Gebhardt Naples, who has spent years researching Chapman. She will give a power-point presentation on the 19th century pioneer, detailing his local roots as well as his lasting impact on this region and beyond.

The flower show will be unique, Minor said, with more than 100 arrangements in both the horticulture and artistic divisions. All the titles in the artistic section will be cleverly centered around different Ohio events in keeping with the theme, she said.

Designers, for instance, must include touches of scarlet and gray for their entries in “OHIO Recreation, The Ohio State University” and use a tubular design for their creations in the “OHIO Innovations, Thomas A. Edison” class.

Arrangements must include roadside materials to be entered in “Great OHIO Bike Adventure on Route 250,” Minor said, while entries in the “Along OHIO Railways” class must feature a parallel design.

Vendors will also be on hand throughout the day, Minor said. The OAGC region seven includes Crawford, Richland, Marion, Morrow, Ashland, Knox, and Delaware counties.