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Monthly Archives: August 2009
Garden Science: Nitrogen Fixation
Back in the day, I worked for a large agricultural supply cooperative in Minnesota, which sold seed to farmers. To say that the co-op’s seed guys were fixated on nitrogen fixation would be an understatement. Nitrogen fixing is the process … Continue reading
Posted in Fruits and Vegetables, Gardening Know-How, Soil
1 Comment
New Northern Gardener Available
The September/October issue of Northern Gardener is on newsstands now and it’s packed with practical and interesting articles for fall gardening. For instance, if you want to plant a tree – and fall is a great time for tree planting … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Bee Condo Attacked!
Well, nature is cruel, and yesterday I witnessed a downy woodpecker pecking at the bee babies in my bee condo. (I had the camera with me because I’ve been trying with no luck to get a photo of a hummingbird … Continue reading
Meet Big Boy at the Minnesota State Fair
This year, the Minnesota State Horticulture Society’s educational booth at the Minnesota State Fair is all about vegetable gardening. With the theme, “Grow Your Own! Enjoy Gardening All Year Round,” the educational area will feature information on canning and dehydrating, … Continue reading
Posted in Events, MSHS News
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Bruschetta, a la Julie and Julia
If you had a chance to see the movie Julie and Julia, you know it’s full of images of fantastic food. But the scene that made me salivate was the one in which Julie Powell (played by former Chanhassen Dinner … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, Fruits and Vegetables, Garden of Eating, Recipes
6 Comments
Dirt Matters
For a visual reminder of why soil matters so much to the health and vigor of plants, see the two photos below. These are identical sunflower plants. I planted them on the same day late in the spring. The plants … Continue reading
Posted in Compost, Soil
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Rain Report
After a fairly dry summer, we’ve certainly been making up for it over the past two weeks. On Aug. 7 and 8, my rain gauge collected 2.75 inches of rain; over this past weekend, it picked up another inch. Today, … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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White in the Garden
In clothing and home decor, I avoid white due to my unfortunate tendency to spill coffee. But in the garden, judicious use of white is striking and it often gives a focal point to the garden. Recently, I’ve been enjoying … Continue reading
Posted in Bulbs, Garden Design, Groundcovers, Shrubs
2 Comments
Update on the Emerald Ash Borer
Saturday I had a chance to attend part of the Minnesota Master Gardener Conference at the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus. The campus is about a mile north of the St. Anthony Park neighborhood where Minnesota had its first … Continue reading
Posted in Emerald Ash Borer, Events
3 Comments
Today's Harvest
This is what I plucked from the vegetable garden this morning: a few raspberries (which I ate shortly after the photo was taken), two nice-looking cucumbers, a pile of herbs (green and purple basil and parsley) and a 6 cup … Continue reading
Posted in Fruits and Vegetables
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