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Category Archives: Shrubs
The Bright Side of the Blizzard
According to weather guru Paul Douglas, the blizzard that paralyzed the southern half of Minnesota and Wisconsin yesterday dumped 11.5 inches of snow on Northfield by 5 p.m. Saturday. My hunch (and my sore back!) suggest it might have been … Continue reading
Posted in Northfield, Shrubs, Weather
2 Comments
Fall Color Combos
This past weekend, I drove from Northfield to Chicago and back to visit my college-age daughter. It was a lovely trip, and the colors were vibrant throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin and in Chicago itself. On the way home, I stopped at … Continue reading
Posted in Garden Travel, Shrubs
1 Comment
Flexibility
I’m continually amazed at what plants will do to survive. Recently, while thinning out some overgrown red-twig dogwood, I came across this branch. The canes of red twig dogwood are fairly soft when they form and the bush grows essentially … Continue reading
Posted in Amazing Plants, Shrubs
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Hedging
A second part of our recent spruce-up was the removal of some old alpine currant shrubs that were dying. The shrubs formed a hedge around an area below our back deck, an area that I use mostly for storage of … Continue reading
Posted in Landscaping, Shrubs
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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
Butterfly Bush, R.I.P.
I could have titled this post “I pushed the zone and the zone pushed back.” Last spring, filled with thoughts of permanently warm and wimpy winters, I planted a butterfly bush (Buddleia ‘Nanho Purple’). It was supposed to grow up … Continue reading
Posted in Plant Research, Shrubs
4 Comments
Bloom Tuesday
Around town, the magnolias look lovely and many gardens have the hardy pink azaleas in bloom as well. At my house, it’s still all about the bulbs. In the front, four types of tulips are blooming in close formation. In … Continue reading
Posted in Bloom Tuesday, Bulbs, Shrubs
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April Blooms Day?
Well, Mother Nature pulled an April Fool’s Day joke on Minnesota gardeners yesterday with several inches of slushy snow. While the pergola in my backyard, coated in snow, looks as lovely as it did in November, the novelty has worn … Continue reading
Posted in Seasons, Shrubs
2 Comments
Hey! It's Working!
I don’t know why, but I am always surprised when some new gardening endeavor actually turns out. About a month ago, I decided to try to force some red-twig dogwood branches. I followed the instructions for making a sugar water/bleach … Continue reading
Posted in Houseplants, Seasons, Shrubs, Winter interest
2 Comments
Forcing Red-Twig Dogwood
Back in December, I blogged about how wonderful red-twig dogwoods are for providing winter color. In answer to my question about whether to coppice my dogwoods, a reader suggested taking out one-third of the branches each winter and putting the … Continue reading
Posted in Shrubs, Winter interest
7 Comments