Being the big jam maker in my family, I was once asked: What’s the difference between jams, jellies and preserves? Here’s the rundown, and recipes or links to recipes for jams, jellies and preserves. Jelly: Clear and Sweet Jellies are made from the juice of fruit rather than the whole fruit. Clear and sweet, jellies are great to make with…
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During a recent podcast on growing roses sustainably, David Zlesak talked about how to deal with Japanese beetles and a new predator for the beetles that has arrived in Minnesota.
It’s peony season here in Minnesota, which usually means an abundance of blooms and a few peony problems. Peonies are a heritage plant in our part of the world and typically bloom for a couple of weeks in early summer. We have several peony breeders in the state and some hold open days during this time of the year. On…
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I started growing lilies in containers out of pure frustration. I had planted some gorgeous orange-red lilies I’d gotten from the MSHS Bulb Sale in my garden borders. Every time the bulbs stems or leaves popped up, a rabbit was there to munch it down—for a couple of years, I never saw a bloom. Then, I caged the bulbs with…
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This week’s episode of Grow it, Minnesota, is all about growing flowers from seed. I interviewed Amy Kainz of Milkweed.and.Daisies, who has a half-acre garden filled with pollinator-friendly plants, including many easy annuals she has grown from seed. She also grows some that are a bit more complicated, such as snapdragons, but we’re talking easy today. For garden beginners, an…
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