Gardening in Interesting Times: More Ideas from Experts

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Mary Schier

Hosta society experts answer questions at Plant Society Day at Gertens yesterday.

Yesterday the Minnesota State Horticulture Society hosted its annual Plant Society Day at Gertens in Inver Grove Heights. Several specialty societies were represented at the event and it seemed a great time to get more advice from experts about the best approach to gardening this very early, very warm spring.

Mary Don Beeson of the Garden Club of Ramsey County told me that she has been working in her perennial beds this past week. Because of the lack of snow cover, many perennials heaved out of the ground due to lack of snow cover, so she spent some time pushing them back, fixing edging that had heaved and giving everything a good long drink of water. The extended drought seems to be more of a concern with these top-notch gardeners than the early spring. If we do not get some good soaking rains this week, consider hooking up the hose and watering all your plants — they’ll be grateful.

Speaking of rain, Lisa Williams-Hardman, membership guru at MSHS and a great gardener, told me she thinks that some decent rain will create a burst of green in Minnesota gardens in the next couple of weeks. Like several others at the Plant Society Day, Lisa does not expect severe cold again. In fact, she was one of several people who told me they doubted the temperatures would drop below 30 again this spring.

I checked with experts from both the Minnesota Rose Society and the Twin Cities Rose Club about how to handle roses. If you have tea roses, floribundas or other more tender roses and you tip them over winter, just leave them where they are, according to the folks from the Minnesota Rose Society. They will not be harmed staying underground another three or more weeks, and if weather turns cold, they will be secure there. Chris Poppe of the Twin Cities Rose Club covers her roses with bags of mulch and a blanket for winter. She has removed the blanket and is slowly uncovering roses to give them some air. If your roses are out, Chris and fellow rose grower Carole Smuda suggest that you water them well and consider spraying them with Wilt-Pruf, an anti-transpirant. The real danger to drought-stressed plants is the wind, Chris noted, which may dry them out further.

The folks at the Minnesota Hosta Society table noted that while some hostas were beginning to emerge, most were still underground. Careful clean up while trying not to step into the gardens too much and water is the way to go. Gregg Peterson of the society said that people who did not water well into the fall last year — like into November — have a greater chance of losing plants, especially newly planted shrubs and trees.

My take-aways from talking with the plant experts: go slow, get out the hose and hope that Mother Nature doesn’t zap us with some extra cold weather.

Posted in Climate, MSHS News, Plant Societies | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Gardening in Interesting Times: An Expert’s View

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Mary Schier

There’s an old saying “may you live in interesting times.” For gardeners, this year promises to be more interesting than we could ever hope for — or want! A drought that began last fall continued through our unprecedentedly warm winter. Now, it is March and the temperatures the past few days have been hovering in the 70s and 80s. (Reality check: even in southern Minnesota the average temperature in March is in the 40s.) Next week looks damper and ever so slightly cooler, but still a good 20 degrees above Minnesota’s usual March.

How do you garden in weather that no one has seen before — at least, no one who stopped to record and write about it?

Feeling baffled, I checked in with some experts over the weekend. My first stop was Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping in Northfield, where Leif Knecht is taking a philosophical approach to the strange weather. “Let’s consider this past winter a blessing,” he said.

If we get severely cold weather in late March or early April—something along the lines of 10 to 15 degrees, which is not unheard of in spring in Minnesota—there could be serious damage to trees and plants that may leaf out in these super warm temperatures. However, Leif noted, plants are pretty tough, and many early bloomers handle moderate cold—mid- to upper-20s and above—reasonably well. Assuming climate change has something to do with this strange winter, it may be a good bet that we will not have the extreme cold we have experienced in the past.  As Leif said, “We won’t know until June when it’s behind us.”

Today, I’m going to Plant Society Day at Gerten’s in Inver Grove Heights, where I plan to ask some other experts about how they plan to garden in this extremely warm spring. I’ll report back tomorrow.

Are you doing anything differently because of the early spring?

 

 

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New Northern Gardener Available

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Mary Schier

Our strange, early spring has many people hankering for a beautiful garden. Look no further than the latest issue of Northern Gardener, which includes a profile of Susan Warde’s St. Paul garden, which blooms continuously from early spring (usually that would be April) until fall. The story by Susan Davis Price tells how Susan does it and the photos from Susan Warde and Jennifer Simonson are fantastic. Enjoy!

Also in this issue you’ll find advice on pruning spring-flowering shrubs, the results of the 2011 University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener vegetable trials, a profile of a young woman homesteading her family’s farm and information on how to design with mini-hostas. Check it out!

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First Bloom, More Phenology, and a Couple of Concerns

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Mary Schier

Today I spotted this lovely Iris reticulata, which has always been a harbinger of spring, blooming in my garden. This is the fourth time I have noted this bloom on the blog, and not surprisingly given our strange weather, the earliest. Last year, I first saw Iris reticulata in bloom on April 4; in 2010, I saw it on March 25; and in 2009, I recorded it blooming on April 16. So that puts us two to four weeks ahead of schedule — at least by iris time.

I should note that while this bulb is up and blooming, I don’t even see foliage yet for the Siberian squill I have naturalized in the lawn and in another bed. My neighbor’s crocus — another plant I monitor as a sign of spring — are also not blooming yet. In the past, these other plants were blooming about the same time as the iris.

I’m not sure what — if anything — to draw from that. It could be the lack of rain is affecting the other plants more than the iris, which is in one of the beds I water most as well as a place where we pile snow from the walk.

A day or two of 70s in March is not totally out of sync with “normal” for Minnesota. But, according to the weather dudes, it is likely we will have almost 10 days in a row of severely above normal temperatures — that’s just plain weird. (The average high for Minneapolis in March is 41, rising to 58 in April. Average lows are generally still in the 20s.)

I find the whole weather pattern disconcerting. There are big picture issues like increased numbers of severe weather incidents and, of course, the drought here. But there are also smaller ones such as how this early, extended warmth will affect my cherry and apple trees. If they bloom, then are zapped by a frost (remember, this is still Minnesota), that will be the end of the crop. I’m sure orchardists in Minnesota are watching their trees carefully, but what can you do to protect them from weather in the 70s? Perennials will likely recover, even if they are frost burned; and we can always plant more vegetables or just hold off until the “proper” planting time.

I’ve listened to some radio broadcasts with entomologists and horticulturists about the effect of an early spring on plants and insects and the experts seem to think the bees, the bugs and the plants can figure this all out better than we humans can. Bugs may hatch earlier (as noted in this video of boxelder bugs in Northfield) and some of them may get caught in a frost. Bees tend to time their spring emergence with the arrival of blooms. Some pests will probably thrive in the warmth, while others will struggle.

This post is a bit rambling, but I’m a bit lost on how to think about this warm, lovely, frightening spring. What are you seeing blooming in your yard? And, what concerns do you have about a too-early spring? Or, are you just enjoying the warm weather?

Posted in Bulbs, Climate | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tulips Up! And Some Phenology Notes

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Mary Schier

I left for a visit to the Chicago Flower and Garden Show on Friday and the front bed was devoid of greenery — just dirt and old leaves. Not surprisingly given our warm winter, I came home to lots of tulip shoots poking their noses above the soil.

Since I started this blog in the fall of 2007, this is the fifth time I have noted the arrival of tulip foliage and it is the earliest date for noticing it. However, it is not as early as I thought it might be compared to previous years. The latest date that I recorded tulip foliage being up was in 2008, when it arrived March 30. In 2009, the arrival day was March 15. In 2010, March 16 and last year, despite a lot of snow cover, March 19.

I find phenology — the study of nature signs — fascinating. Both my husband and I have noticed that the birds seem to be more present since this weekend, and each of us have seen red-wing blackbirds and robins around. Over at my friend Penny’s blog, you can see pictures of the swans and ducks that are coming through the area.

This blog has been a great way to make notes of what’s happening in my yard. What’s coming up in your garden?

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Macro Photography for Gardeners and Nature Lovers

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Mary Schier

A Gardener’s Reading, 29 of 30

By Alan L. Detrick (Timber Press, 2008)

Back in 2007, I had a chance to take a day-long photography course with Alan L. Detrick as part of a Garden Writer’s Association event in Kansas City. Even though I was using a point-and-shoot camera (I’m embarrassed to admit that!), Alan was a true gentleman and a fantastic teacher. He even liked some of my pictures, and he truly wanted all of us — editors and writers — to become better photographers.

A few months later, I bought a digital SLR and this book. Macro photography is essentially super closeups done with special lenses. Detrick walks readers through the reasons for taking macro photos, the equipment you’ll need, f-stops, histograms, and the basics of thinking about photos: light, angles, composition, background. Like a true photographer, Detrick believes you get better pictures by paying attention to what you do before you push the shutter rather than trying to adjust the photo on the computer.

The best part of the book are the dozens of photos Detrick has taken in his years of photographing gardens. Each one is accompanied by a lengthy caption explaining how it was taken, the equipment involved and why the photo worked. Often, the book includes side-by-side shots of the same image taken a different way to illustrate a technique or idea.

If you are interested in taking macro photos of plants and gardens, this is a great book. However, I will say that I’ve learned much more from taking short courses on photography from Detrick and from Donna Krischan than from any book. If you have room in your schedule and your budget for a course, that’s really the way to go to improve garden photos. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, the North House Folk School and photographer John Gregor are among those offering photo courses geared toward gardens and nature.

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Greenery Up on March 6

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Mary Schier

I wasn’t exactly shocked to see these little Autumn Joy sedum cabbages poking their heads up in the garden today. But, unlike those I uncovered under a couple of inches of mulch, these were right out in the open. About the time I took the photo, it was about 65 degrees. A weird winter, indeed.

Posted in Amazing Plants, Climate | Tagged | 1 Comment

Plants that Changed Minnesota

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Mary Schier

Minnesota was once a peony power.

When the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum announced it was sponsoring a contest to name 10 plants that changed Minnesota, my first thought was…Asian milfoil? Creeping Charlie? But enough of that late-winter negativity!

The U is looking for plants that improved Minnesota’s landscape, and fortunately, there are plenty to consider. My garden is full of Minnesota hardy plants, many of which are the result of breeding efforts from the University.

Here’s my personal list of garden plants that might merit inclusion on the 10-best list.

  • ‘Haralson’ apples. ‘Honeycrisp’ apples are the darling of Minnesota growers and eaters—and for good reason—but some of the early apples developed here built the state’s apple business. Haralsons are a reliable cooking apple that was introduced in 1922. Apples were crucial to the development of gardening in Minnesota and led to the formation of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society.
  • Northern Lights azaleas. Introduced by the U in the 1980s, these beautiful spring-flowering shrubs are often seen in foundation plantings and come in pink, rose, white and yellow. Rock-solid hardy, these plants can grow to more than six feet tall in the right circumstances. Azaleas and rhododendrons like a bit of acid in the soil and do better planted near evergreens, I’ve found.
  • Minnesota peonies. Not many people realize this, but in the 1920s, Faribault was “The Peony Capital of the World.” (Scroll down this link for a great picture of the peony queens circa 1927!) Fields surrounding the city were filled with peonies grown for the Brand Peony Farms, which introduced dozens of hardy peonies for Minnesota gardeners. Our historical connection to peonies makes them worth including. Also, peonies last forever – 100 years in the right circumstances.
  • ‘Cardinal’ dogwood. When the landscape is snow-covered (remember last winter?), the Cardinal dogwood stands out like a red beacon. The stems of this hardy shrub are red when young, making it a star in the winter landscape. To add to its appeal, the shrub has pretty white flowers in late spring and is attractive to birds and butterflies.
  • Native trees. How can a native tree change Minnesota? Weren’t they here first? True, but as more homeowners plant native trees (and a variety of them) to reduce the amount of water needed to keep landscapes green, the better our yards and gardens will endure whatever weather our Minnesota climate throws at us, now or in the future. My favorite natives are the northern pin oak (so stately), white pine, tamarack, linden, and maple.

Which plants do you think changed Minnesota for the best? The U is taking nominations until April 15.

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The Naturescaping Workbook

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Mary Schier

A Gardener’s Reading, 28 of 30.

By Beth O’Donnell Young (Timber Press, 2011)

Beth O’Donnell Young

A couple of years ago, I started to notice more and more gardens that seemed to be built around wildlife. Maybe this is a trend; maybe I just opened my eyes, but it seemed that more people were concerned with providing the water, food, shelter and cover that birds, bees, butterflies and other animals need to thrive. I accidentally planted a garden that wildlife love, but now that we have so many birds and critters around, I want to make it even better. This book by Oregon-based Beth O’Donnell Young will help me achieve that goal.

What I like about this book is that it provides a step-by-step guide through the process of creating a habitat in your yard. It’s a more mindful approach than just planting some shrubs with berries — though that, too, will attract wildlife.

Young begins by setting down some principles of naturescaping, involving everything from managing runoff to thinking in terms of ecosystems and habitats. She also asks readers to take an inventory of what they have in place already, including structures, views, drainage, neighbors and city regulations. The checklist highlights many of the stumbling blocks to creating the garden you want, which will make gardeners more savvy about the changes they attempt.

Next, Young has readers map out and define zones within their yards so they can determine how to make each area more attractive to the wildlife they want (and less attractive to the wildlife they do not want). Finally, she has readers  think about plants and design strategies for each area. This step-by-step approach, along with the checklists and maps Young uses as examples, make this a great choice for folks who want to get serious about creating a beautiful landscape for wildlife and people.

My only quibble with the book is that Young’s location in Oregon (where you can grow just about anything) shows in some of her plant recommendations. Northern gardeners should use this book for planning and designing, then consult with a local nursery or more northern-oriented books when deciding which plants to choose. Still, this is a terrific book that I will be using myself as well as lending to friends.

 

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Lights, Camera…Garden?

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Mary Schier

Yesterday I attended the latest Minneapolis Home & Garden spring show at the Minneapolis Convention Center. While you can see lots of spas, windows, dip mixes and closet organizers, the show also includes plenty of ideas and inspiration for gardeners.

The theme of this year’s garden displays was the movies with gardens evoking Camelot, Rocky 2 and my favorite, the Lord of the Rings. This display by Natural Landscape Minnesota includes a hobbit hole, stone work and lots of interesting evergreens for texture. The display is just across the 1200 aisle from the Minnesota State Horticulture Society booth, where you can find an array of books, tools and garden gadgets. The hort society also has its usual fantastic selection of bulbs for sale in a room just outside the main hall. Be sure to check it out as well as the garden talks being given throughout the day.

I spotted two trends that seem to be growing. The first is the use of succulents in mixed displays for texture. I’m seeing more and more gardeners growing succulents on walls and in vertical displays, like this one from Wagners Greenhouse.

The other trend I’m watching is the idea of grafting multiple varieties of plants on a single stem. Grafting is not new, of course, but this apple tree from Bailey Nurseries includes three Minnesota varieties: ‘Honeycrisp’ on the bottom, ‘Sweet Sixteen’ in the middle, and Zestar® on the top. It’s grown as an espalier and because the varieties are different, they pollinate each other. Genius! Given its Minnesota heritage, it’s called ‘Hattrick’. The apple tree can be seen at the Linder’s display — well worth a visit for those who are interested in growing fruit in tight spaces.

The home show runs through Sunday and is a fun diversion for gardeners, DIYers and anyone planning a big garden or home project.

Posted in Events, Fruits and Vegetables, Small-space Gardening | 2 Comments