While I have started vegetables and flowers indoors from seeds in the past, my results have been spotty at best. Damping off, drying up, keeling over for no apparent reason — that’s the story of seed starting for me. This year, I changed several aspects of my approach and have been pleased — OK, bursting with pride — with the…
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These sweet little Iris reticulata are the second bulb to bloom in my yard this year. They surprised me a couple of days ago because — as has happened before — I forgot I planted them. Like the squill that are also blooming, the plants are small (the iris flowers are disproportionately large) and you have to be standing close…
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What a nice day it was on Easter! The weather was near perfect as we attended Mass, had a nice dinner with the girls, went for a walk in the Carleton Arboretum — and, oh yes, in between those activities, I built a new raised bed for my vegetable garden. I mention all the other things I did Sunday to…
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Native plant guru Lynn Steiner spoke to a packed room at the Friends of the Northfield Library annual meeting last night and I’m pretty sure everyone who attended left the event very excited about planting more native plants. Lynn has a real passion for native plants and she makes a persuasive case for using them: Native plants create environments that…
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Last week, a reader commented on the post on Best Bets for Beginning Vegetable Gardeners that she wanted to start a garden but her lot was very sandy. This reader lives in Sherburne County, just north of the Twin Cities, which is known for its sandy soils. I faced a similar dilemma when we first moved to our current home,…
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