Monthly Archives: August 2008

State Fair Fun

Posted on August 29, 2008 by Mary Schier

Having grown up a mile or so north of the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, I am no romantic about the fair. It is noisy, dusty, crowded, and fattening. But it can be fun, too. I really enjoyed my evening at the … Continue reading →

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State Fair Gardens

Posted on August 29, 2008 by Mary Schier

If you go to the Minnesota State Fair this weekend, be sure to stop by the Horticulture Building to admire the gardens that have been planted there. The Minnesota State Horticultural Society is responsible for several gardens on the southwest … Continue reading →

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Gardens on a Stick

Posted on August 27, 2008 by Mary Schier

I won’t be showing a prize pig (as Will Rogers did in the 1933 version of State Fair) or competing in contests for flower growing, jam making, or artwork made of dried beans, but the Minnesota State Fair is always … Continue reading →

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Bloom Tuesday No. 16: August Hues

Posted on August 26, 2008 by Mary Schier

The color of August is yellow. Yellow corn. Ripening grasses waving yellow/tan tassels instead of green. The vivid, gaudy yellows of black-eyed Susans and tall rudbeckia. During these dry days of August, what looks best in my garden is yellow, … Continue reading →

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Minnesota Midget for Breakfast

Posted on August 26, 2008 by Mary Schier

This morning I harvested my first Minnesota Midget melon and ate half of it for breakfast. The University of Minnesota introduced this vintage melon in 1948. Bred specifically for our short growing season, it has fruits about 4 inches across … Continue reading →

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I Spotted a Monarch

Posted on August 20, 2008 by Mary Schier

I did not have my camera with me, but I spotted a monarch in my front garden yesterday afternoon. It’s perhaps the third one I’ve seen this year, compared to dozens in a normal year. The prevailing theory about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Critters, Nature | 7 Comments

Bloom Tuesday No. 15: Rebloomers and Volunteers

Posted on August 19, 2008 by Mary Schier

As summer marches on, some perennials are reblooming. At left, a bumblebee goes crazy over the flowers of catmint (Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’). I blogged about this plant’s blooms back in Bloom Tuesday No. 10. After the first blooms faded, I … Continue reading →

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Butterfly Numbers Down?

Posted on August 16, 2008 by Mary Schier

A surprise encounter with the fellow at left and a recent post on GreenGirls, the Star-Tribune’s entertaining garden blog, got me thinking about butterflies and caterpillars recently. The Green Girls note that butterfly numbers appear to be down in their … Continue reading →

Posted in Critters | 3 Comments

Bloom Tuesday, No. 14

Posted on August 12, 2008 by Mary Schier

The plants that we connect more closely with fall are starting to gain size and get ready to bloom. I have two cultivars of sedum, ‘Autumn Joy’ (left) and ‘Maestro’ (right) that are forming the plump heads that will change … Continue reading →

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Currant Picking and Another Recipe

Posted on August 11, 2008 by Mary Schier

Back in February, my husband and I won a weekend at a cabin on Lake Pepin at the St. Dominic School Silent Auction. This past weekend, we spent a delightful couple of days on the bluffs above the lake, visiting … Continue reading →

Posted in Fruits and Vegetables, Garden of Eating, Recipes | 1 Comment