The annual Marjorie McNeely Conservatory holiday flower show at Como Park in St. Paul is underway and it features holiday poinsettias you are unlikely to see in the grocery store or local flower shop. This year’s show highlights plants in autumnal oranges and yellows as well as deep reds. First, some poinsettia basics. The holiday poinsettias we decorate our homes…
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Growing peppers (hot or sweet) in a northern garden can be a challenge because they require a longer season and lots of heat. I have failed with peppers many times. But with some help from a hot, dry summer, this turned out to be a great year for growing peppers in pots. I learned more about what peppers need and…
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This summer, I’m one of the garden writers growing the new variety, Gherking cucumbers, for the folks at Burpee. They sent me two small plants in May, and they are terrific and prolific. No disease and lots of harvest. While I wouldn’t exactly say that I have too many cucumbers—it was getting close on Saturday. That’s when I decided to…
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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.