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Archive for April, 2009

While I have started vegetables and flowers indoors from seeds in the past, my results have been spotty at best.  Damping off, drying up, keeling over for no apparent reason — that’s the story of seed starting for me. This year, I changed several aspects of my approach and have been pleased — OK, bursting [...]

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With the temps staying pretty cool — frost on the front yard this morning! — the only place you’ll find apple blossoms is indoors, such as these that I forced. A couple of weeks ago, I trimmed some stray branches off our Haralson apple tree. They had nice buds, so rather than composting them or [...]

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The May/June issue of Northern Gardener is on the newsstands now, and it’s been getting great reviews. The cover photograph, taken by Ken Friberg, is a spring-fever inducing shot of a ‘Julia Rose’ peony, one of an unusual group of tree and Itoh peonies profiled in writer Margaret Haapoja’s aricle on “Particular Peonies.” Other stories [...]

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A Few More Blooms

The recent rain and warmer temperatures have prompted a lot of growth of bulb foliage and a few more blooms. I really like the color of these ‘Grand Maitre’ crocus in the front garden. I only planted 20 last fall, but will add a few more this year to increase the impact. In the front [...]

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In honor of Earth Day, the Northfield News ran several articles on its Green Living page by members of the city Environmental Quality Commission. I’m not on the commission but am a member of a group advising the EQC on tree issues and was happy to contribute a piece on placing trees to save energy.
As [...]

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Ready to Pop

A walk around the yard today made it clear that trees and shrubs are ready to pop. We just need a little rain — and I’m hopeful we may get it tonight and Sunday — for all the buds to open into leaves. The two weeks or so in spring when Minnesota suddenly greens up [...]

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Another Bulb in Bloom

These sweet little Iris reticulata are the second bulb to bloom in my yard this year. They surprised me a couple of days ago because — as has happened before — I forgot I planted them. Like the squill that are also blooming, the plants are small (the iris flowers are disproportionately large) and you [...]

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For 14 years, the Garden Writers Association has asked its members and other active gardeners to Plant a Row for the Hungry. The idea is simple: When planning your vegetable garden, plant more than your family can eat and donate the excess produce to a local food shelf or soup kitchen. This seems like the [...]

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What a nice day it was on Easter! The weather was near perfect as we attended Mass, had a nice dinner with the girls, went for a walk in the Carleton Arboretum — and, oh yes, in between those activities, I built a new raised bed for my vegetable garden.  I mention all the other [...]

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Griff Wigley over at Locally Grown Northfield has had it with cold weather. (Haven’t we all!) So, he’s put out a call for signs of spring. I spent a little time working in the yard today and came up with three more.
First, the sedum are showing their little cabbage-like leaves. These come up early in [...]

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