Gardening got off to a late start here in Minnesota due to late frost, and for us specifically, because we restructured our vegetable garden area. Even though our corn is knee high, our tomato plants are a little more stringy than usual, and our pepper plants are waiting to put on their first surge of […]
Gardening
Gardening advice for those seeking information about vegetable gardening, perennial gardening, annual gardening, and gardening with native wildflowers and grasses.
The Fall Garden
Fall in Minnesota is known for warm days, cool nights, changing leaves that color the landscape with golds, oranges, reds, and greens, trips to local apple orchards, crackling bonfires, comfortable hoodies and jeans, and mugs of hot apple cider. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? It is, but this time period goes by so quickly. Within a […]
Sweet Clover, Summer Memories, and a Wildflower Bouquet
As the kids and I took a walk down our road to the lake, the intoxicating smell of sweet clover, vanilla mixed with fresh-cut hay, permeated the air. Late June in Minnesota is when the summer wildflowers awaken and adorn the sides of the roads, prairies, and edges of our 10,000+ lakes. On this particular […]
Growing Sweet Potatoes in Cooler Climates
Boiled sweet potatoes mixed until smooth and baked with a delicious topping of brown sugar, cinnamon, and oats, –or– fresh sweet potatoes cubed and roasted with just a bit of olive oil and sea salt. Oh my goodness, fresh sweet potatoes are a treat! My whole family looks forward to harvesting and devouring the delicious root […]
Designing Mixed Flower Pots
Calibrachoa (million bells), angelonia, dahlia, zinnia, geranium, petunia, coleus, and salvia greeted me each morning as I stepped inside the greenhouses I worked in throughout college. The smell as I entered my summer work space was intoxicating. I remember thinking how lucky I was to spend my summer days amongst the flowers with happy people. […]
A Flowering Lawn: Bees and Dandelions
A flowering lawn is not something that most people see as being beautiful or positive. When my husband and I had our first child we decided to forgo the fertilizer that treated the pesky dandelions, crab grass and creeping charlie because we didn’t want our little one crawling on chemicals. This was hard for me as […]
Mulch or Rock in Landscaping: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Application Tips
Ten yards of mulch, done! I should have bought 15 yards to finish off my gardens nicely, so I will make note of that so I order the right amount next time. One of the first questions many people have when completing a new garden or landscape project is “Should I use mulch or rock?” […]
Companion Planting
Companion planting: The act of placing plants together that can benefit each other in different ways. In the spring I like to think that little plant communities are being built when we plant our vegetable gardens. Just as human beings need shelter, food, water, and friends, plants need the same in their communities. They compete for resources, […]
Glossary of Gardening Terms
Acidic Soil – Soil with a pH of less than 7 is considered acidic. Alkaline Soil – Soil with a pH of that is greater than 7 is considered alkaline. Annual – Any plant that lives for only one growing season. Aphids – tiny soft-bodied insects of the family Aphididae that suck the sap from the stems and […]
Perennials: Spring Snow
Here in Minnesota, we never know what Mother Nature will bring us throughout the year. We almost hit 70F in February, and now at the end of April, we woke up to a dusting of snow that lightly covered our awakening perennials. I guess the weather is one thing that keeps Minnesotans on their toes. […]