Regional apple growers are excited to face an avalanche of fruit this fall as the late apples are harvested. However, some trees didn’t bloom last spring, or the rains were a problem that cut the blooms and the yield. Many of the apples we enjoyed either fresh or in apple treats were developed right here in Minnesota. Peter Gideon is …
Our lawns have had a difficult year. We had a wet, cold spring followed by a hot and dry summer, and while we had scattered rain in late summer, it was not enough to offset the brutal year. But good lawn care can help alleviate the bad situation. Here are a few preventative steps you can take: While fall rains …
We are ready to embark on the most colorful time of the year — fall colors. And there is more good news! Great fall color is dependent on just the right weather conditions, especially moisture, and a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says current conditions put us on track for one of the most colorful autumns on record. With …
Labor Day has come and gone. Already, The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a very cold and very snowy winter — not the much milder El Niño scenario many weather predictors are indicating. In any case, gardeners will have to prepare for winter and readiness means cleanup. We can start with the vegetable garden. Green beans, peas, sweet corn, melons and squash …
Despite the prediction this summer would be hot and dry, the opposite was the case, which didn’t bode well for some gardeners who raise tomatoes. Early summer rains coupled with damp, cloudy weather conditions severely damaged this season’s crop. If your tomatoes were in a dry spot with lots of sunshine, you probably fared better. According to the Minnesota Extension Service, …
When I think of fall flowers, immediately the majestic mums come to mind. These are wonderful flowers that can become part of your landscape until the cold and snow arrives in November. While mums have more frost tolerance than most flowering plants, once the mercury drops to the mid 20s, even the late ones surrender. Mums come in a rich array …
Even though plants may look ripe for picking in August, most gardeners say you shouldn’t harvest rhubarb after the Fourth of July. That is good advice, since rhubarb becomes coarse and woody and loses its flavor later in the summer. And continued harvest through the summer months weakens the rhubarb plants and reduces the yield and quality of next year’s crop. But if …
If the early-fruiting apples are any indications, this year’s crop will be big. That’s unlike the 2014 harvest, which was down due to the awful winter the trees endured. The past winter was very mild, though, and we will have the apples as evidence. Apples are the most-dependable fruit for this area, which is in Zone 3. A frequent question is when will …
Glads are a wonderful addition to any garden as we discussed in a recent column on this wonderful flower. There is so much information, though, so we want to devote a second column to glads. Glads are more effective and easier to care for if they have their own exclusive bed in the garden. If grown for cutting, the glads …
August is a wonderful time for gardeners. Much of the heavy lifting is done for another year, and we can claim our rewards. One of those rewards is the beautiful gladiolus we have in many of our gardens. Few flowers have so much to offer. Every garden should have glads! According to Steve Sagaser, Grand Forks County horticulturist, glads range from …
The hydrangeas are putting on a beautiful show this summer. The large white-flowering perennial thrives in cool, moist weather, which we have been enjoying for the most part this summer. Due to our cold winters, we can’t grow the “Endless Summer” hydrangeas, which come in green and blue shades. Instead, we have to make due with the white varieties, which do …
No one has done more to create the easy-care modern roses you now find in so many gardens than Canadians breeders. Unless gardeners were ready to battle subzero cold and hot and humid summers, they were just out of luck. A modern rose is any cultivar introduced since the advent of the hybrid tea in 1867. Only a few, however, combined hardy …
Even if your green thumb is really the finger of death, don’t worry. If nothing else, you can grow daylillies that not only thrive but will be the talk of the neighborhood! Daylillies grow spectacularly even with neglect. They have few insect or disease problems. One of their only drawback is that they have to be divided often, which means you …
The name for the beloved iris is very fitting. In Greek mythology, Iris was the goddess of the rainbow. This is one perennial flower that comes in just about every color in the rainbow. No other flower can make that claim. The iris family is large. There are 11 different divisions of iris from the noble bearded to Siberian and water …
The Minnesota strawberry season is just around the corner, so dig out the recipes. But you have to enjoy them as soon as they appear; they don’t last long. Strawberries have such a delicate flavor that they are best eaten right when picked. Some people use a bit of sugar and drizzle cream for that old favorite. A fresh strawberry pie …
The peonies have put on a picture-perfect show this past spring. Cooler temperatures, adequate rainfall and a lack of blustery winds at blooming made for wonderful memories of those magnificent flowers. If you don’t have peonies in your garden, consider adding some this fall. They require little care and can stay in the same location for a half-century or longer. …
With Father’s Day coming up Sunday (June 21), you may want to take dear old Dad on a trip to see the showy lady’s slipper, the state flower of Minnesota. Named the state flower in the early 1900s, the lady’s slipper is unique in that it is a member of the orchid family. In fact, the showy lady’s slipper is the …
Variety is said to be the spice of life, no matter what context. So, it’s not surprising that variety also can pertain to gardening. Years ago, Gurney’s a nursery then out of Yankton, S.D., offered a pack of seed for a penny to children. You never knew what you would end up in your packet to plant. What fun! Now that we are …
Nothing says summer better than tomatoes. Those orbs of summer are what get us through the cold and snow of a long Minnesota winter. Growing tomatoes is not difficult. You can either begin with started plants from a nursery or you can grow you own using milk cartons, peat pots or other kinds of containers and, of course, a sunny …
Herbs have been used for cooking, medicine and pest control since pre-bibical times. And while not food, they do bring bring simple enjoyment to our lives in so many other ways. According to information provided by the North Dakota State University Extension Service, anyone can grow herbs. From a windowsill to a garden plot, you can grow many herbs in …
Perennial flowers have become the backbone of many yards today. Instead of fussing with annual seed and bedding plants, flowers such as peonies keep on giving each year with little or no effort. This switch to perennials from annual flowers doesn’t mean they are better but rather they require less work by the homeowner. Both should be included in any …
The beauty of annual flowers can last a lifetime in our memory. And there are lots of reasons to be enchanted with annuals. Annuals don’t do anything just halfway. They are easy to grow, can turn a bare patch of yard into a mass of flowers in just a short time and bloom their hearts out until Jack Frost comes in late …
You don’t have to be Dutch to love tulips. These harbingers of spring are a delight as they poke through the mulch you probably placed over the flower bed this past autumn. Tulips originally came from eastern Turkey. The Dutch took those wild tulips and crossbred them, creating many varieties — early, midseason and late — that are found in …
An aging population coupled with more people choosing apartment or condo living is resulting in a shift to container gardening. And that’s not surprising. Containers are easy to move about your deck or patio. And you can raise flowers, including houseplants, annuals or even vegetables. Containers can range from red pottery or terra cotta pots to wood, especially if you …
Spring is often fickle in its arrival. We may have several nice, warm days followed by snow and freezing temperatures. Other years, we may have no problem. This year has been a mixed bag. On May 15, 1981, we had a real taste of having it both ways. We had an early thaw, and many gardeners had started their planting. The …
Spring has indeed sprung as gardeners prepare for another season. However, it may be a difficult year with hot, dry conditions expected by many weather forecasters. We will see. We are enjoying a very early spring with lots of wind, which sucks up the little soil moisture we had over the winter. So have a hose ready. Lawn chores lead …
Can you think of a better way to get a jump on spring than going to a flower show? Macy’s 2015 Flower Show, which opened March 22 and ended Sunday at its downtown Minneapolis department store, has been around since the 1960s and, perhaps, even longer. It is the tops in the Midwest. (Macy’s also has flower shows at its …
Starting plants indoors is a great way to get a jump on the gardening season. Many plants, vegetables and flowers will bloom longer or bear fruit well into autumn if started in spring and set in the garden after the danger of frost passes. If you are attempting this for the first time, get fresh potting soil and trays with small …