Yesterday, I wrote about how some experts suggest gardeners handle the extremely unusual warm spring we are experiencing. The usual advice for spring in Minnesota would be to back off and stay out of your yard and garden until at least mid- to late April. But I think this year we may need to shift away from the usual advice….
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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…
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A few random notes on phenology from a spring garden. 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…
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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…
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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…
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