Odds and ends it is. While we had frost on our cooler Tuesday morning in the Bad Lands, by Friday, the thermometer in our Bismarck home recorded 100 degrees! That, gentle reader, is too extreme. But the walleye are biting on the Missouri River, and the gardens look splendid (well, some of the new annuals are pretty wilted from the …
The Country Scribe, Eric Bergeson, knows a bit about caring for flowers, trees and shrubs in the Northland, being the third-generation owner of Bergeson Nursery in Fertile, Minn., a business started by his grandfather in 1937. Here, Eric offers some tips about caring for plants that you may have at your family cemetery plot, which is particularly pertinent on this Memorial Day weekend.
Finally, that darned garage sale is finished! My sister, Beckie, and I pulled it off Saturday, in my driveway. Since we both had perennials for sale, I figured why not? Just when I figured the whole exercise was a waste, someone would drive up and buy stuff. We did best selling our plants. Had I charged for garden tours, I would have …
So here we are. Gardening in North Dakota. Not for sissies. The weather has changed. Again. Frost warnings. I’ve taken in some of the patio pots. It’s a drag, but it is what we must do. Too much invested in these plants, after all. It’ll just be a couple of days, and we’ll be back to normal. The columbine have …
It is such a busy time at Red Oak House. So much is happening in the garden. More on that later. But first, this past weekend was filled with the gift of family. My sister, Sarah, brought my daughter, Rachel, from Dickinson, N.D., for the weekend. Sunday, my day started with brunch with my daughters and husband. They presented me …
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If …
Tuesday my yard was filled with the intoxicating fragrance of our blooming crabapple trees. Sunday there was a hint of blossom in the fat buds, and with Monday’s sunshine, these fully opened. Bismarck is filled with crabapple and other blossoming trees, and the pollinators are quite busy. Although we don’t have one, the fragrance of the plum trees takes me …
It was a blustery spring day Monday at Red Oak House with the front passing through that brought thunder and rain to the northern Plains and a stiff breeze to rustle the new leaves everywhere. I could hear the chipping sparrows in the backyard. Any day, now the white-crowned sparrows will pass through. We are mostly done with the cleanup from Sunday evening’s …
Here at Red Oak House, it was a sunny 84-degree Saturday, and so many things in the garden are popping it is worthy of a photo update. It was a very busy day here. Jim did some cultivating and got some vegetables planted. It is pine pollen season, and everything is coated with the fine chartreuse pollen dust, including the furniture …
After my morning yoga class, I made another foray to one of our local nurseries, then it was home to the work in the garden. After I’d planted my new treasures, I had to turn to grubbing raspberries. Until the last couple of years, I’d not had much experience with growing raspberries. When we grew them at our Dunn County …
It’s time for a cold glass of Guenoc chardonnay on the patio of Red Oak House after a perfectly delightful afternoon in the garden, time to savor the goodness of life. Late morning was spent at the local garden shops and then it was home to plant my new treasures. Is there anyplace as happy on a May day than …
When I moved back to North Dakota in 2005, I determined to plant a vegetable garden. I moved back to the Great Plains just in case the world collapsed and when it did, I wanted to be near farm country — where I could, like “The Martian,” grow just enough potatoes to survive. The moment I got all the boxes …
Jim and I spent Earth Day 2017 working in our yard in the dee-lightful spring sunshine. We might have joined the marches for science around the country, but the yard work beckoned. I remember very clearly the first Earth Day in 1970. We got out of school that day to pick up trash in the ditch along state Highway 12 …
Finally, a gardening book for our area! “Successful Gardening on the Northern Prairie” is on its way from the printer, and features 326 pages of information specifically for us. Learn how our soils are different from most of the rest of the country’s and what you can do about it. Learn about the only two fertilizers (very cheap) you will …
A brief tour of the gardens, yesterday … what a beautiful time of year.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …