Monthly Archives: July 2009

What an Ash Tree Looks Like

Posted on July 31, 2009 by Mary Schier

One of the commenters on  Locallygrownnorthfield.org, a community Web site where I live, noted that while she has seen lots of pictures of Emerald Ash Borers, she has not seen any of an ash tree. Good point! Ash are commonly … Continue reading →

Posted in Emerald Ash Borer, Trees | 3 Comments

Summer Salad

Posted on July 30, 2009 by Mary Schier

My vegetable garden is like a jungle these days, but it’s yielding some wonderful produce, including parts of this delicious two-bean salad I made recently. I had some leftover green beans and a tomato from the Northfield Farmers’ Market and … Continue reading →

Posted in Fruits and Vegetables, Recipes | 1 Comment

The Right Kind of Rain

Posted on July 21, 2009 by Mary Schier

After a long dry spell (less than half an inch of rain in Northfield between June 20 and July 20), we’re getting a nice gentle rain this morning. Not torrential. Not lashed about by wind. Not a dribbly, teaser rain. … Continue reading →

Posted in Weather | 1 Comment

Pie Time!

Posted on July 17, 2009 by Mary Schier

Earlier this week, the cherries on my ‘Bali’ cherry tree looked like rubies; they were shiny, lush, bright red and definitely ready for picking. So after removing the layers of netting that kept the birds off the tree, I got … Continue reading →

Posted in Fruits and Vegetables, Recipes, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Bee Magnet

Posted on July 14, 2009 by Mary Schier

I like to plant flowers that attract wildlife to the yard: bees, birds, butterflies. Seeing butterflies dance on top of a coneflower or watching a bird as it works diligently to remove a seed from a dried sunflower increases my … Continue reading →

Posted in Bees, Bulbs | 2 Comments

No Joke Sunflowers

Posted on July 13, 2009 by Mary Schier

I planted these cheery sunflowers because my teenage daughter loved the name — The Joker. (She’s an admirer of the late Heath Ledger.) But now that they are blooming, I can see they are more than a fancy name. Helianthus … Continue reading →

Posted in Annual Flowers | Leave a comment

Lessons from the Masters

Posted on July 11, 2009 by Mary Schier

The Hennepin County Master Gardeners held a garden tour today and, despite my poor navigational skills in South Minneapolis (what can I say? I come from the east side of the Twin Cities), I managed to hit four of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening Know-How, Plant Societies | 1 Comment

Cherry Pie, Here I Come

Posted on July 6, 2009 by Mary Schier

I’ve gotten a few inquiries from the neighbors lately about what might be wrong with my cherry tree, since it’s covered up with a strange wrapping that looks like a cross between a bonnet and a shroud. Nothing’s wrong — … Continue reading →

Posted in Fruits and Vegetables | 7 Comments

Bee Condo, Year 2: Return of the Leafcutters

Posted on July 3, 2009 by Mary Schier

I had been lamenting that the bee condo I built last year would go unoccupied this year, but I was surprised yesterday to discover that a swarm of leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.) had moved in. Leafcutters are native bees in … Continue reading →

Posted in Bees | 4 Comments

Mexican Hat and Black-eyed Susan Vine

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Mary Schier

Because I edit a garden magazine, I’m constantly tempted by new plants — whether they are new on the market or just new to me. This year, I’ve planted two “new to me” plants that have brightened up different spots … Continue reading →

Posted in Annual Flowers, Perennials, See it in Northern Gardener, Tropicals | Leave a comment