Seed Starting: Things Are Looking Good!

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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Apple Blossom Time?

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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New Northern Gardener Available

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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Careful Tree Placement and Other Green Ideas

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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This Year, Plant a Row for the Hungry

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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A Beautiful Easter and a New Raised Bed

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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A Few More Signs of Spring

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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