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Weed of the Week: Prickly Lettuce (and Sow Thistle)

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Extra! Extra! My latest newsletter for cold-climat

Extra! Extra! My latest newsletter for cold-climate gardeners is out. About every six weeks, I send seasonal info on plants and garden tasks plus lots of links to gardening resources, books to read and more.

The current issue includes a cute idea for a hostess gift for the holidays (pictured), a free download on recommended tomato varieties for northern gardeners and some musings on talking about gardening with folks suffering from dementia (lots of memories grow in the garden!) It's free, not too long and only comes out once in a while.

Link to the current issue in bio plus stories.
Pix: the hostess gift, my mom's amazing blue hydrangeas, one of the recommended tomato varieties (can you guess which one?)
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#holidaydecor #coldclimategardening #mngardening #besttomatoesever #gardeninspo

Happy Birthday to my book! It was five years ago t

Happy Birthday to my book! It was five years ago today that the Minnesota Historical Society Press published The Northern Gardener: From Apples to Zinnias.

The book is about 85 percent how-to for gardeners in USDA Zones 3 and 4 and 15 percent history of organized horticulture in Minnesota. It's still available and selling. It's always a thrill when gardeners tell me that they read the book and it helped them. That's why garden writers write garden books (believe me, it isn't the money!).

If you are looking for a gift for a northern gardener in your life, this might be an option. It's widely available and because it's been around awhile, it's frequently discounted.

Photos include two of my favorite sections of the book -- one on martagon lilies (more gardeners should grow them) and one on buckthorn, which gardeners used to love (hence they photographed their families near the shrub) and is now a terror in the woods here. We're always learning.
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#mnhspress #mybook #gardenreading #thenortherngardener #mngardening #mnhort

So much growth in 5 weeks! This scented geranium h

So much growth in 5 weeks! This scented geranium has put on a lot of foliage and the reason must be the light in my new sunroom. It gets east, south and north light. Even in November when we are pretty dark in Minnesota, it’s doing fine. Great plant that I picked up for $1 at the @hennepin.extension.gardeners sale in October. #happyhouseplants #scentedgeranium #attarofroses #sunroom #houseplantsofinstagram #northerngarden

Is it too early to think about decorating for the

Is it too early to think about decorating for the holidays? Nah! I checked out the ideas at @shopbachmans Holiday Inspiration nights this week. Looks like sparkles and an updated Mad Men vibe is trending this holiday season. Love it! #holidayporchdecor #holidayideas #notanad #sparkle #bachmansideahouse #christmasdecor

Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, WA, October 20

Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, WA,
October 2021.

I've been meaning to share this image for over a year. Enjoy! And, if you get a chance, visit the Bloedel Reserve, an expansive, calming garden in the Pacific Northwest.

#gardentravel #japanesegarden #bloedelreserve #bainbridgeisland #gardenwriter #fallinthegarden
#nofilterneeded

I've been looking out my bedroom window recently o

I've been looking out my bedroom window recently on this stunning dogwood. It's called Arctic Fire and is a more compact dogwood, though this one is more than 5 feet tall. What's not to love about those purple/red/yellow leaves and the creamy berries. The branches are a deep red and I will totally be harvesting some of them for a holiday container come November.

Arctic Fire grows well in lots of sun conditions. This one is between two townhomes and faces east, so it gets decent light in the morning but is in shade in the afternoon. It also tolerates a lot of different soil conditions, which is good because this baby is planted in clay, clay, clay. My understanding is it's only been in the ground a couple of years, but it's growing really well.

This is a cultivar of Cornus stolonifera, which is native to a lot of North America, including Minnesota. A great choice for smaller gardens and landscapes, especially if you are looking for four season interest. I can't wait to see the flowers in spring.

#fallshrubs #fallcolor #bestmnplants #arcticfiredogwood #fallcolor #winterinterest #mngardens #nofilterneeded

Prairie-loving people! Whether you want to convert

Prairie-loving people! Whether you want to convert your entire yard to native plants or add a big bed on site, Benjamin Vogt has written the DIY guide you need. You can read my full review over on mynortherngarden.com (link in bio and on stories) or you can watch the abbreviated version here. Suffice it to say, he covers all the science, all the design and all the practical tips for installation and maintenance in a readable, accessible fashion. I’m a fan.

The book’s release date is in January, but you can pre-order now and it might — might — arrive for the holidays. Congratulations to Benjamin Vogt (former Minnesotan ⛄️) and to 3 Fields Books of the University of Illinois for bringing out this important guide.

#prairiegarden #whatimreading #diygarden #plainsgardens #Mngarden #newbook #bestgardenbook #bookreview #notanad

Cool temps, overcast October skies, this day was j

Cool temps, overcast October skies, this day was just crying for an apple 🍎 pie. Apples are honey crisp and Granny Smith, crust recipe courtesy of The New Midwestern Table by @amyrosethielen. This crust is, as my mom used to say, “short,” which is code for butter-heavy and delicious. Yum!!
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#applepie🍎 #midwesterncooking #octoberfeels #fall #nofilterneeded

Woo-hoo 🙌 I’m excited to dig into this new bo

Woo-hoo 🙌 I’m excited to dig into this new book from Benjamin Vogt of Monarch Garden. Living on the prairie or near it, this is just the guide northern gardeners need. This is a review copy, so I’ll be sure to post a review when I’ve finished it. Congratulations, @monarchgardensbenjaminvogt
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#gardenbooks #prairies #prairiegardens #mngarden #northerngardening #gardenwriter

Today was my last day in this garden. No tears, ju

Today was my last day in this garden. No tears, just lots of gratitude for the six years I had here and all that it has taught me about plants, bees and the joy of nurturing a place.

On to the next phase and new garden adventures.
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#gardengoodbye #mynortherngarden #pollinatorgarden #minnesota #mngarden

Happy Birthday, Haralson apples! Last night, I saw

Happy Birthday, Haralson apples! Last night, I saw a terrific report on the University of Minnesota’s apple breeding program from Kevin Doran at @kstptv. The U officially started its apple-breeding program in 1908, but Minnesota orchardists and home growers had been working on creating cold-hardy apples from as far back as the founding of the state horticulture society in 1866! The story showed how painstaking and laborious the work is to grow a good, hardy, juicy apple. Thousands of trees are grown, but few are chosen. I’ll put a link to the report in my stories, because it is really worth a watch.

My favorite U of M apple is celebrating its 100th birthday in 2022. The Haralson apple was named for Charles Haralson (second photo), superintendent of the U of M Fruit Breeding Farm in the 1920s. It’s a crisp, very tart apple that is mostly used for baking. Apple crisp with Haralson apples is the best. I had a Haralson tree in my yard in Northfield and it produced a good crop about every other year. It was a good-looking tree, too, and very pretty when in bloom each spring.

There are lots of other U of M apples well worth growing and eating: I like Sweet 16, Honeycrisp (but only in the fall, when the apples come from our area), Sweet Tango and the Chestnut crab, which I’ve also grown. Frost Bite is supposed to be a great apple for those farther north. If you’re interested in growing apples, I did an interview with Bob Osborne on @growitmn in May and he has wonderful tips on how to grow apples successfully in the North and which varieties to try.

If you don’t have a tree, check out farmers’ markets and your local grocery store for Haralson apples. With the chill we have coming on, it’s the perfect weekend for apple pie.

Sunset, a breeze and this miscanthus in the neighb

Sunset, a breeze and this miscanthus in the neighborhood danced and weaved. It’s a gorgeous plant, especially in early fall, but the U of M recommends only planting cultivars (named varieties) because the species can be invasive, even in Minnesota. I’m not sure which cultivar this is but I’ll link to an article from the Friends of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden that suggests several stunning cultivars that stay put.
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#seenonmywalk #miscanthus #silvergrass #ornamentalgrasses #falliscoming

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