Monthly Archives: August 2009

Garden Science: Nitrogen Fixation

Posted on August 31, 2009 by Mary Schier

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

Posted on August 28, 2009 by Mary Schier

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 →

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Bee Condo Attacked!

Posted on August 26, 2009 by Mary Schier

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 →

Posted in Bees, Critters | 1 Comment

Meet Big Boy at the Minnesota State Fair

Posted on August 25, 2009 by Mary Schier

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 →

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Bruschetta, a la Julie and Julia

Posted on August 22, 2009 by Mary Schier

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

Posted on August 21, 2009 by Mary Schier

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 | Leave a comment

Rain Report

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Mary Schier

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 | 1 Comment

White in the Garden

Posted on August 10, 2009 by Mary Schier

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

Posted on August 10, 2009 by Mary Schier

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

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Mary Schier

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 | Leave a comment