Northern Gardener - January/February 2021

MINNESOTA’S HOMEGROWN GARDENING MAGAZINE

Gardener Northern

A MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY PUBLICATION

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

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Spectacular HOW to Squeeze in More Plants

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 l VOLUME 149 l NUMBER 1

Table of Contents 22

27

The Scholar’s Garden

Lavender Dreams

Science and lots of seeds create a stunning landscape.

BY DIANE MCGANN

Don’t let our northern climate keep you from growing this soothing herb. BY RHONDA FLEMING HAYES

30 Let the Houseplants Out

This zone-pushing St. Paul gardener welcomes tender plants into the garden, too. BY GAIL BROWN HUDSON

IN EVERY ISSUE 2 Editor’s Note 8 MSHS News: Classes, calendar and more

34

Pandemic Pivot

Garden centers and groups nurture an increase in stay-at-home gardeners. BY MARY LAHR SCHIER

38 Magnolia Menace

17

By Design: Dollar-wise design

By Diane McGann

BY DON ENGEBRETSON

40 Here are seven reasons why you’re wrong about that.

BY KATHY PURDY

15 Kitchen Garden: Parsley party

By Samantha Johnson 16 Garden Solutions: Advice for beginners

By Laura Schwarz

Observation, early treatment can reduce scale infestations.

Think You’re Out of Room?

14 Northern Natives: Spotted jewelweed

By Beth Stetenfeld

18 DIY: Grow a low-light dish garden

By Eric Johnson 20 Pollinators: Bird-butterfly connection

By Rhonda Fleming Hayes 21 Plant to Pick: True North™ Kentucky coffeetree By Debbie Lonnee 44 Northern View: Hydrangea Obsession

By Gail Brown Hudson

ABOUT THE COVER: Foliage plants fill Marcus Phelps-Munson’s St. Paul garden, including hostas and Golden Ruby® barberry, a non-invasive variety, and more. Photo by Gail Brown Hudson

Doug Lake packs in the plants to beautiful effect at his garden near Stillwater.

MSHS Board of Directors

PHOTO CREDIT

Laura Wagner, Chair Joel Karsten, Vice Chair Del Hampton, Treasurer Mary Marrow, Secretary Jennifer Ebeling Mike Heger Debra Kvamme Renay Leone Judy MacManus Mary Hockenberry Meyer Rhys Williams

MSHS Staff

A NOTE FROM

The Editor

I

had to laugh while reading this issue when not one but two of the gardeners profiled here describe bringing an empty suitcase or two with them on trips so they could bring back more plants. The spare suitcase for plants is a common sight when garden writers get together, too. Plant lust afflicts many of us.

If you are among those who just can't get enough plants, this is the issue for you. Let's start with those two gardeners with the extra luggage to check. Doug Lake is a longtime Stillwater gardener who starts more than 1,000 seeds indoors every winter.

A scientist by profession, Doug dreamed of a large garden brimming with bloom all summer long. He gets it by planting drifts of annuals and perennials, many started from seed. The curving beds with crisp, hand-edged borders are spectacular. You can read Diane McGann's article about his garden on page 22.

The other plant obsessive with spare bags is Marcus Phelps-Munson, a recent Minnesota transplant who loves tropical flowers and foliage, especially bromeliads. Careful placement in his

2

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Rick Juliusson, Executive Director Lara Lau-Schommer, Community Outreach Director

yard and a system for storing the plants during the worst of winter allows Marcus to garden with houseplants indoors and out. Gail Brown Hudson's article on his garden and how he does it begins on page 30.

Now, where to put all those plants you've hauled home? Kathy Purdy has seven ways you can find room for more plants in your garden. I love her idea of pruning up some shrubs to make room for plants beneath them. There are two ninebark shrubs in my backyard that may get an extra trim come spring.

Check out her article on page 40.

Also in this issue is the annual MSHS Impact Report and list of donors. Like many nonprofits, the horticultural society faced serious challenges this year. We are deeply grateful to all our donors, members and readers who supported the work of the society.

We're looking forward to seeing you sometime soon!

— Mary Lahr Schier, editor

Becky Swee, Communications and Marketing Director Diane Duvall, Development Director Courtney Tchida, Community Outreach and Program Manager Sue Hoehn, Administrative Support Ann Londrigan, Membership Associate Betsy Pierre, Advertising Sales Manager

Northern Gardener Magazine Mary Lahr Schier, Editor Debbie Lonnee, Horticultural Editor Julie Jensen, Copy Editor Barbara Pederson, Designer Copyright 2021 by MSHS. Printed in the USA on recycled paper. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without permission from MSHS. The information published in Northern Gardener reflects the experiences and opinions of the writers and is not necessarily endorsed by MSHS. Northern Gardener is a registered trademark of MSHS. (ISSN) 1529-8515. Northern Gardener is published bimonthly (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/June, July/Aug, Sept/ Oct, Nov/Dec) by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, Minn., and additional post offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Northern Gardener, 1935 County Rd. B2 W., Suite 125, Roseville, MN 55113.

Escape Winter!

Our Greenhouse is Filled with Fresh Flowering Plants, Tropicals & House Plants

5500 BLAINE AVENUE | INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MN 55076 | 651.450.1501 | WWW.GERTENS.COM Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

3

ABOUT MSHS

Welcome

in minnesota, they say an extrovert is a swedish farmer who stares at the other person’s shoes instead of their own.

As the grandson of Swedish immigrants, I’ve tried to invoke a quiet but inquisitive manner in my first months with the horticultural society. I’ve done a lot of listening to a lot of good people, and I like what I hear.

When I ask what draws people to MSHS, they light up as they sing the praises of our education programs, Minnesota Green, Garden-in-a-Box and, of course, this beautiful magazine. They also talk about the community of staff, members and partners who share in the joy of gardening. I agree—one of my favorite aspects of this job is being with such grounded, joyful people.

These same strengths shine through in the enclosed Impact Report, showing how the horticultural society rose to meet the unprecedented needs and challenges of 2020.

• In a time of social isolation, we supported mental health and community healing through gardening.

• After the protests in Minneapolis and elsewhere, we helped replant community gardens and boxes.

• In the face of hunger and heightened unequal access to healthy food, we increased our support for new gardeners, community gardens and links between growers and food shelves.

Thanks for letting me shuffle and stare at your boots while learning from you.

The relationships we are building and our growth and innovation in 2020 give me great hope for what we will cultivate together in this new year.

— Rick Juliusson (he/him) Executive Director

Become a Society Member Our members enjoy valuable gardening resources and support important community programs that bring plants to public green spaces and gardening education to underserved communities across the state. Membership benefits include: Northern Gardener magazine Free gardening webinars Garden center discounts Classes & events see the full list of benefits and sign up at northerngardener.org/membership.

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

CULTIVATING

communities.

CREATING

green spaces.

ENCOURAGING

growth.

Donate Today Support our two signature programs bringing gardening and healthy food to families and children throughout Minnesota. To join us, visit northerngardener.org.

MINNESOTA GREEN promotes grassroots efforts to cultivate public green spaces and create community.

GARDEN-IN-A-BOX brings vegetable garden kits to underserved children, giving our youngest gardeners the chance to experience the benefits (and joys!) of growing.

Get in Touch Minnesota State Horticultural Society 1935 County Rd. B2 West, Suite 125 Roseville, MN 55113-1334 Phone: (651) 643-3601 Website: northerngardener.org Email: info@northerngardener.org

@MNHORT

MSHS NEWS

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Year in Review: Garden-in-a-Box and Minnesota Green

Covid-19 may have shut down schools and local businesses, but it certainly didn’t stop our program participants from growing. We were inspired to dig even deeper—finding ways to continue bringing plants, seeds, tools and education to our resilient and enthusiastic partners, who were eager to grow as gardeners this past year.

Garden-in-a-Box In 2020, 49 organizations forged ahead as part of our Garden-in-a-Box (GIAB) program. We distributed 208 new garden-circle kits and supplied 286 garden circles to returning groups. Our GIAB

kits reached 121 sites across Minnesota, from Bryon Public Schools to Redwood County 4-H in Redwood Falls, and from Tri-Valley Opportunity Council in Crookston to Kickstart Preschool in Two Harbors. GIAB reached more than 3,600 people, each box serving an average of seven people. Participants harvested over 3,000 pounds of food from their boxes, which fed program participants, their families and communities.

“My favorite part of the program is having the kids get excited to pick the produce when they see it is ready and then having them eat it,” said Deb Archer of Kickstart Preschool in Two Harbors.

In the wake of the pandemic, our partner organizations got creative and found new ways to deliver quality programing and gardening experiences safely. Big thanks to all our participants and donors, especially Cargill and the St. Paul Garden Club, who make this program possible.

“

Garden-in-a-Box participants harvested over 3,000 pounds of food from their boxes, with each box serving an average of seven people.”

Minnesota Green Our other signature program, Minnesota Green, received more than 55,000 donated plants, valued at $85,000. These plants—all donations from garden centers, landscape nurseries and plant sales—were distributed to 165 community gardens throughout Minnesota.

Minnesota Green brings communities together, greening public spaces and introducing native plants and pollinator habitat in urban areas. In 2020 alone, Minnesota Green served over 6,000 gardeners in 165 public garden spaces.

Special thanks to Highland Nursery, Lilydale Garden Center, Pahl's Marketplace, Sunnyside Gardens, The Garden By the Woods and Tonkadale Nursery for their donations to this program.

to learn more about giab and minnesota green, visit northerngardener.org/ community-programs.

Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

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MSHS GIVING

Gifts from generous gardeners like you make the society an essential resource for the northern gardening community.

HONOR ROLL OF DONORS The following is an honor roll of those individual, corporate, foundation, business and affiliated organization donors who contributed during the 12 months from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, at $50 and above. We are honored to partner with our donors at every level and thank each and every one for their generous support. We do our best to list all donors accurately and apologize if we have not done so.

Please contact us so that we can make any corrections. [ indicates first-time donors] BEQUESTS Luann Muller $528,000 Marian Rohde $149,000 $50,000 The Cargill Foundation $5000 TO $10,000 Barbara MacKenzie Jerald & Lee Shannon Target Corporation $3,000 TO $4,999 Susan M. Kennedy Fund Saint Paul Garden Club $1,000 TO $2,999 Anonymous (1) Bailey Nurseries Foundation Kris Barnaby James Cargill Betty Jane Dahlberg Tina Dombrowski Joan Duddingston The Head Family Foundation Mike & Jean Heger Janice Johnson Judith Johnson Phyllis Kahn Marilyn R. Larson Alice Lesney Mary P. McConnell James Miller & Cherie Peterson Warren H. Olson John G. III & Marla B. Ordway Charitable Lead Trust Ryan Family Fund Gary & Mary Ann Schokmiller

$500 TO $999 Denis Bakke Terry Beitlich Champlin Garden Club Eagan Garden Club Margaret & Tom Harkness Hennepin County Horticultural Society Marjorie & David Hols Ruth & Alvin Huss Joel Karsten Adele Kaufman Sharon Kjellberg Margaret Klis & Dennis Feit John P. Longendyke Katherine Meehan & Emmett Carpel Mendota Heights Garden Club Men's and Women's Garden Club of Minneapolis Dean & Diane Milbrath Frans & Helen Officer Andrew Peltier Renee Schlabach Elaine Smith Eric & Sara Werzel $200 TO $499 Anonymous (1) Beverly Atkinson Gordon Bailey Bruce Barry Fred Berndt Linda & George Bounds Janet & Len Brenny Barb Burleigh Bush Foundation Linda Cichanowski Ingrid Conant Christopher Dahl Heidi Doering Laverne & Barbara Dunsmore

HEIRLOOM CIRCLE These visionary gardeners have chosen to make a planned gift, providing the society with long-term financial stability to inspire, educate and connect gardeners. *Deceased

6

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Georgiann & Joseph Errigo Tom Evers Sandra Fetyko Charity Fretty Barrie Froseth & Mary Murphy Tami Gallagher James P. Gehrey Leland & Beverly Gehrke Erin L. George Susan & Hal Goldstein Marilyn Gorham Monica Graham Daniel Greene & James Scott-Greene Nancy A. Gross Gerald & Sally Haugen Charles Hendrix Bonnie & Daniel Hollibush Marcia Jaeb Laurie A. Jensen Antoinette & Joseph Kluck Thomas A. Kraack Debra Kvamme Lake Minnetonka Garden Club Dick & Carolyn Larson Sandi Lauer Mary F. Maguire Lerman Linda Lorenz & Terry Smith Edward Maranda Mary Marrow Kathryn & Robert Martin Fred McCormick Kathryn Davis Messerich Mary Meyer Valerie Muckenhirn Bob Newman Marcelle & Russell Noyes Dru Osterud Gail & James Pearson

Ira & Maureen* Adelman Anonymous (4) Carol Banister Terry Beitlich Ruth Berg* Kathy Cleary* Crystal Clift* Marlene Collen Rose M. Decker*

Pat Peine Barbara J. Peterson Joe Plante & Eric Neumann Nola Relay Michelle Mero Riedel Rochester Garden and Flower Club Tracy A. Rolf Claire Rykken Marlin D. Schenck Penelope Scialla Linda Sellars Kristine Smith Paula Soholt Patty Sprenger Carol & Jerry Starkey DeeAnn & Dwayne Stenlund Fund Ruth Stephens Mary Stimson Mary Stockard Karen Sutherland Dorothy Thalhuber Janet Tolzmann Lynn Wadsworth & David Amdur Deborah Wheeler Rosemary Wislofsky Kate Wolford $100 TO $199 Donna Adams Ameriprise Financial Tom Anderson Anonymous (4) Becky Arenivar Ann Aurelius Janice Becker Jay & Carolyn Becker George Bergh Marty Bergland Bonnie Beverly Michele Bigger Rochelle Brandl Carol & Jerry Brown Julie Bulver Peggy Burress

Helen C. Fischer* Marjorie Fisher* Kenneth Fisher* Hank Herrmann* Joyce & Terry Hochsprung Andrew Holewa* Marjorie A. Hyland* Esther Johnson* Sharon Krumme

Barbara Ann and Bran Callet Karen Chandler & Craig Schultz Susan & Thomas Christiansen Elaine Cole Sarah Conklin Paul & Mary Ellen Connelly Bobbi Dahlgren Wayne Damerow Stephen Dirksen Robert Dolle, Jr. Faye Duvall Debbie Enyeart Karen Fenske Tom Fridinger Kyle Gage Joan & James Gardner Ann Garland Barbara & Hans Gasterland Jan M. Gerke Larry Gieseke Mary and Peter Gilbertson Goodhue County Horticultural Society Janet Graves Del Hampton Zowie Hanssen, Ecogarden Supply Judith B. Hartmann Hidden Valley Garden Club Jessica Hiniker** Carl Hofman Linka Holey Stephen Horan Terrence & Diana Horrigan Kristin Hott Mike & Carole Humrickhouse Linda Hurlburt Patricia James Karl Johansson Ronald K. Johnson

Melvin Lindquist* Donald* & Elsie* Miller Luanne Muller* Dennis Nelson Viann Pearson Susan Peterson Joe Plante & Eric Neumann Marian Rohde*

Steven Johnson Patricia Julsrud Rachel Kahler John Keller Polly & William Keppel Becky L. Kleager Karen Kloser Sharon Knuth Harry Kraemer Michael Kruempel Sharon Krumme Evonne Kuyper Lake Owasso Garden Club Lakeville Area Garden Club Maurice Lazarus & Linda Limback Renay W. Leone GayLynn Liljemark Deborah Lindberg Aaron LeRoy Lofgren Dana Mack Judy MacManus Paul W. Markwardt Roberta Megard Katheryn Menaged John Mercer Cindy D. Mertens Diane Meskan Schwecke Debbie Michaud Karen Milton Betsy Moran Michael K. Nation Lavonne Nelson Karen Nemchik Sandra Nussbaum Carol Oeltjenbruns Jerilynn Ommen John Pearson Mary Ann Pedtke Richard Pedtke Helen & Ralph Pennie Cheryl Peterson Susan & Pete Peterson Mary L. Petrisko Kent Petterson Jamie L. Pfuhl

Annette Roth Marlin D. Schenck Jerald & Lee Shannon Ralph* & Loanne Thrane Esther Tikalsky Hazel Toppari* Helen C. Wilson* Bertha Ann Witte*

MSHS NEWS

Randall Propp Debra Rappaport & Bob Zelle Laura Rathmann Judy Remington Krispen Ridgway Denise Rose Pamela Sanders Dolores Schaefer Rosella Schaefer Steven Schellhaass Mary Lahr Schier Claudia & Clifford Schimm David Shaw Madelyn Shelstad Roberta Sladky Linda Solender Cindy Spellman Katherine E. Steward Terri Stockinger Karen & Rick Sundeen Evelyn Sunness Linda Swanson Mary Trandem Jean Van Pelt Vicky Vogels Laura Wagner John Webb Janet Weivoda Debby & Robert Wolk Theresa Yockey William Zajicek & Rosemary Slowiak $50 TO $99 Christine Agee Elwood Anderson David Anger Anonymous (3) Howard J. Ansel Lane Ayres & Marion McNurlen Nancy Bachrach Kate Barnett Phyllis Beery Elizabeth Bell Harrison Benjamin Genevieve Bolling Karen Boros Dana Boyle Alan Branhagen Naomi Brill Dianne Brooke Bradley Bruber Nap & Artis Bruneau Katherine Burek Patricia Burns Cecelia Campbell

Christie Casey William Caverley Margaret Chally Lisa Citak Catherine A. Cody Jan Colliton Susan Cooper Becky DeLaCruz Julie Doll Mary Dragich Diane Duvall Michele Eichhorst Alycia Enberg Ron Erhardt Kate Erion Maryse & David Fan Audrey Fearing Dan Fedor Sandra Fehrman Kay Fellows Joanne Fieldseth Jack & Amy Fistler Renee Ford Rosemary Furst Nancy Glass Lynn A. Glesne Ellen & Phillip Griffin Joanne Groves Kim Halberg Pauline & Dick Hendrickson A. Peter Hilger Roger Hintze Diane Hirigoyen Susan Hoehn Blythe Holecek Julie Houg Jerry Irsfeld Eunice Johnson Jeanette Kauffeld Michaeleen Kelzenberg Linda Kielty Anna Kieselbach Katherine Knudson Cindy Kodada James Kortz Erin Krebs Mike & Mariellyn Kuske Patricia Lahti Teri Larson Bette Larson Mark Larson Dianne Plunkett Latham & Dan Latham Lynn Lau Travis Lauer Cynthia Launer Anne Levin Raymond Lipkin Barbara Ego

Debra MaddenPetersen Carol R. Madison Barbara Malamen Peggy Marchesani William & Nancy Marth Elizabeth Massie Donna Maston Glenn Mayer Catherine McBride Cameron McConnell Bridget McGill Eileen McIsaac Sarah Meek Metal-Matic, Inc. Elizabeth Meylor Kathleen Miller Minnesota Dahlia Society Glen Mitchell Bradley Momsen Joyce M. Moody Claudia Morgan Karen Neenan Steve Nelson Jennifer Nelson Catherine Niewoehner Jennifer Olson R.V. Olson Marla Ordway Shelley & Graydon Page Dean Pertle Grethe Petersen Maren E. Peterson Barbara & William Poblete Barbara Prokop Susan Rasmussen Jonathan Riehle Donna Rodel Charlotte Roehr Mary Sack Alexei Sacks Sara Samuelson Edie Sandmeier Patricia Schachern Leslie Scharafanow Eileen Schlentz Sharon Schmidt Ben Matthew Schrepf Linda Schwanebeck Margaret Searles Kim Shogren Elaine Sime Cara Sjodin Heidi Smith Callie Sopiwnik Kate Stolpman Roxanne Stuhr Andrew J. Thomas Sandy Tighe

Merlin Tretter & Janet Venne Pat Tupper Linda Van Etta Pauline Varley Bryan Voth & Stephanie Olson-Voth

Kaushal Wadh Joanne Wahlstrom Maureen Walton Pamela & Elliot Weinstein Jennifer Weiss Barbara Whitten

Beth Wilson Ann & Kent Wilson Sylvia Winkelman Mary Wolff Jill Woodbeck Mary Kay York

TRIBUTE GIFTS Donna Adams In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Christine Agee In memory of Arndt John Duvall III David Anger In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Becky Arenivar In memory of Doraine Hernlem Ann Aurelius In honor of Mary Maguire Lerman Michele Bigger In honor of my colleagues at the Apple Valley Bachman's Dana Boyle In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Katherine Burek Lynne Schuman Sharanne Calabrese In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Cecelia Campbell In memory of Carole Ann Brekke Susan Christiansen In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Ingrid Conant In memory of Ellen Fridinger Ingrid Conant In memory of John Larkin Ingrid Conant In memory of Pam Attia Ingrid Conant In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Elizabeth Danielson In memory of Kathy Schaefer Joan Duddingston In memory of Arndt John Duvall III

Audrey Fearing In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Charity Fretty In memory of Margaret Haapoja and Marie Kragenbring, our favorite northern gardeners Tom Fridinger In memory of Ellen Fridinger Rosemary Furst In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Joan Gardner In memory of Ellen Fridinger Joan Gardner In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Peter Gilbertson In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Marlene Hedenstrom In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Blythe Holecek In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Bonnie Hollibush In memory of Arndt John Duvall III David Hols In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Teal Johannsen In memory of Donald Johannsen Antoinette Kluck In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Elizabeth Massie In memory of Janice A Hughes, a dedicated Master Gardener Sarah Meek In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Metal-Matic, Inc. In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Teresa Moe In memory of Arndt John Duvall III

Claudia Morgan Leslie Goodale Marcelle Noyes In memory of Marie Butler Jerilynn Ommen In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Marla Ordway In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Shelley Page In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Gail Pearson In memory of Arndt John Duvall III John Pearson In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Mary L Petrisko William Sumey Mickey Raddohl Jason Roddohl Patricia Schachern In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Cecilia Scully In memory of Mary Jo Nordstrand Roberta Sladky In memory of Thomas Kermit Holloway Linda Stewlow In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Karen Sutherland In memory of Arndt John Duvall III Maureen Walton In memory of Amy Nelson Deborah Wheeler In honor of Shirley Johnson Barbara Whitten In honor of Betsy Danielson and Jerry Kolter, Merry Christmas!

Ann Wilson In memory of Arndt John Duvall III

DONATIONS, IN KIND Beisswenger's Hardware l Billy's on Grand l Breadsmith, Grand Avenue l Cafe Latte l Caribou Coffee, White Bear Lake l Chenoweth Floral & Greenhouses l Chipotle Mexican Grill l Coastal Seafoods l Cobblestone Cafe l Cost Cutters, Mounds View l Costco, Maplewood l Dunn Brothers Coffee, Grand Avenue l Eat! l EggPlant Urban Farm Supply l Fred C. Gloeckner & Company l Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, Vadnais Heights l Friends School of Minnesota l Green Earth Growers l Green Valley Greenhouse l Hardware Hank l Heidi's GrowHaus l Jamba Juice l James Russell l Margaret Kaiser l Kowalski's Market, Grand Avenue l Kowalski’s Market, White Bear Lake l Mad Jack's Sports Café, Vadnais Heights l Jill Livingston l Faith Loggers-Jamnik l Merwin Liquors, Mounds View l MGM Liquor l Mike's Discount Foods, Fridley l Bob Newman l Organic Lawns by Lunseth l Perkins, New Brighton l Permaculture Action Network l Plaisted Companies l Pletschers' Greenhouses, Inc l Portillo's, Roseville l Rudy's Redeye Grill l Tom Saby l Carolyn Sjoblom l Salut Bar Americain l Michelle Sochay l Superior Outdoor Expressions l Target Stores, Shoreview l The Olive Branch Oil & Spice Company l Tonkadale Greenhouse l Total Wine & More l Waldoch Farms THANK YOU TO OUR MANY SUPPORTERS WHO “CHECKED THE BOX” 672 TIMES THIS FISCAL YEAR, COVERING A TOTAL OF $1,286 IN CREDIT CARD PROCESSING FEES. YOUR ADDITIONAL DONATION ADDS UP IN A BIG WAY FOR THE PROGRAMS OF THE SOCIETY. Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

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UPCOMING EVENTS

MSHS Calendar Gardening for an Extreme Climate Tuesday, Jan. 5, 6:30–7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers Location: Your computer Instructor: Faith Appelquist, owner of Tree Quality, LLC, and consulting arborist

Explore how our changing climate is affecting the urban landscape. We will discuss the changes you may see in insects, diseases and plants as USDA Zone 5 moves north. Learn the effects of native vs. exotic plant selection, decreased biodiversity, rising temperatures in our cities and overuse of pesticides and fertilizers, and discover how embracing sustainable practices can mitigate these disruptive factors.

Growing Dahlias Tuesday, Jan. 19, noon–1 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers Location: Your computer Instructor: Dahlia Del, master gardener and community gardener

This interactive course leads you through a year in the life of a passionate dahlia grower as he installs a new dahlia garden at the Minnesota State Fair’s Grandstand Plaza. Local expert and MSHS board member Del Hampton reveals tips, tricks and best growing practices. Part 1 focuses on activities from January to June, and Part 2 (offered this summer) will cover July through December. Come prepared with questions about growing dahlias and share your experiences with other attendees.

Sowing Seeds Outdoors in Winter Tuesday, Jan. 12, 6:30–7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers Location: Your computer Instructor: Michelle Mero Riedel, master gardener and photographer

Sowing seeds outdoors in the winter is easy, rewarding and inexpensive. This method of growing seeds uses recyclables to make mini-greenhouses, which can be placed outside during the winter and spring months. Because nature controls the germination of winter-sown seeds, these plants are hardier than artificially forced, indoor plants. Outdoor sowing is fun and more leisurely than sowing indoors. In addition to teaching gardening classes, presenter Michelle Mero Riedel is a professional photographer and writer for Northern Gardener magazine.

8

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Tour the Conservatory of Biological Sciences Friday, Jan. 22, 3–4 p.m.

Free Location: Your computer Tour Guide: Lisa Philander, curator of the U of M Conservatory and Botanical Collection

Quarantining at home this winter? Join us for a free virtual tour of the new U of M Conservatory and Botanical Collection and explore plants of the Southern Hemisphere! Lisa will take you through the different rooms of the conservatory as we look at the fascinating plants of yesterday and today.

The hour-long tour includes a question-and-answer session at the end.

See all upcoming classes at northerngardener.org/webinars.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Landscape Design Basics Five sessions: Mondays, Jan. 25, Feb. 1, 8, 15 and 22; 6–9 p.m.

Deadline for registration: Jan. 19 Cost: $149 members ($249 per member couple); $159 nonmembers ($259 per nonmember couple). Price includes a set of basic landscape design tools.

Location: Your computer Instructors: Julie Wiesenhorn and Jim Calkins, U of M horticulturists

This workshop is your opportunity to explore the basic principles of sustainable landscape design. The curriculum is comprehensive and has been developed to allow participants to use their own property as a class project by designing an entry garden, a deck/ patio garden or other landscape space.

Each workshop session will culminate in a hands-on, take-home assignment.

The workshop will include time for personalized critiques of your ideas.

Pruning Trees and Shrubs Tuesday, Feb. 2, 6:30–7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers Location: Your computer Instructor: Faith Appelquist

Learn why we prune trees, how to make proper cuts and when to do it. Learn how to avoid pruning mistakes and understand the plant response to pruning. We will be highlighting common tree species and their forms. Tools and when to prune for an optimal flower show and rejuvenation will be covered.

Ready, Set, Grow Series: Seed Starting Basics Tuesday, Feb. 9, 6:30–7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers Location: Your computer Instructor: Courtney Tchida

Starting your own seeds allows you to pick varieties you love and grow many plants for less money. Learn about seed selection, soil mixes, flats, pots, lighting, temperature and fertilizers for optimum growth. Seed Starting Basics is the first class in a three-part vegetable gardening series. Register for one or all three.

Community Events History and Care of the Normandale Community College Japanese Garden Men’s and Women’s Garden Club of Minneapolis Tuesday, Jan. 12, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Lake Harriet United Methodist Church, 4901 Chowen Ave. S., Minneapolis.

Cece and Steve Cope, committee chairs of the Normandale Community College Japanese Garden, presenters For the most updated meeting info (including virtual meeting information), go to https://gardenclubmpls.org/calendar/events.

Paphiopedilum sukhakulii and Its Legacy of Spots Orchid Society of Minnesota Steve Gonzalez, AOS accredited judge and frequent contributor to Orchids Magazine, presenter Saturday, Jan. 16, 1-3 p.m. This is a virtual event via Zoom.

Paphiopedilum sukhakulii is a mottled leaf orchid species from northeast Thailand and has been an important parent in orchid hybridization. Contact: orchidsocietyofminnesota@gmail.com for the meeting link.

St. Paul Winter Carnival Orchid Show (tentative) Orchid Society of Minnesota Saturday, Jan. 30, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 31, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, 1225 Estabrook Dr., St. Paul.

The show is being planned with special social distancing protocols and safety measures.

Hundreds of blooming orchid plants will be displayed by the Orchid Society of Minnesota, Marjory McNeely Conservatory, commercial orchid vendors and individual society members.

Cost: $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 3 to 12.

Contact: www.orchidsocietyofminnesota.com.

The Care of African Violets Men’s and Women’s Garden Club of Minneapolis Barbara Werness, Minnesota African Violet Society, presenter Tuesday, Feb. 9, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Lake Harriet United Methodist Church, 4901 Chowen Ave. S., Minneapolis.

For the most updated meeting information (including virtual meeting information), go to https://gardenclubmpls.org/calendar/events/ The Bulbophyllums: How to Buy ‘em and Grow ‘em Orchid Society of Minnesota Charles Wilson, presenter Saturday, Feb. 20, 1-3 p.m. This is a virtual meeting via Zoom.

Charles Wilson is an accredited AOS judge and has been growing orchids for over 40 years. His special interests include Bulbophyllums, Paphiopedilums and just about all the rest, too. He holds degrees in zoology and animal behavior and retired in 2001 as zoo director emeritus from the Memphis Zoo. Contact: orchidsocietyofminnesota@gmail.com for the meeting link. find a full list of community events at northerngardener.org/calendar.

Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

9

THIS SEASON IN THE GARDEN

TIPS & TRICKS FOR YOUR

Z ZZ

indoor garden

let houseplants rest

bring your tool shed indoors

keep an eye out

Without an entire garden to care for, it can be tempting to smother indoor plants with love. Go easy— most plants are dormant during winter and need less water, food and sunlight.

Keep a mister handy—higher humidity levels mean happier houseplants.

A watering can with a long spout lets you hit the soil and not the foliage, which can cause mold and other diseases.

Pests, mold and brown leaves can crop up quickly.

Spot check plants regularly to get ahead of any potential problems.

water wisely

think outside the pot

beat the heat

Be careful not to overwater houseplants. Plant in containers with drainage holes and place on a saucer. Be sure to empty the saucer after watering.

Grab a glass bowl, a couple moss balls and small stones to anchor an aquatic plant (we like Amazon sword plant) in a little indoor pond.

Keep houseplants away from direct sources of heat, like radiators, floor vents and full-sun windowsills, which can decrease humidity and quickly bake plants to a crisp.

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

A WINTER OASIS

The Plant Penthouse Even in the dead of winter, Lakeville native and powerhouse plant mama Shayla Owodunni is growing—she shares her Northeast Minneapolis condo with more than 80 houseplants, all beautifully styled to create a lush, tropical oasis in the middle of a frozen city. Shayla shares her passion for plants and interior styling in The Plant Penthouse, her lifestyle blog full of growing and design tips. Want to continue growing all winter long?

Here Shayla shares her three favorite houseplants.

LEARN MORE:

theplantpenthouse.com @theplantpenthouse

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“My top three houseplants also happen to be the first trio I successfully nurtured as a new plant parent. They each reign from tropical environments, so I'm here to tell you that you can curate your own vacation oasis during the winter months—no travel required. Without further ado, here are my favorite plant children, accompanied by a few quick tips to get you going!”

POTHOS

MONSTERA

BIRD OF PARADISE

How special is this sprawling split-leaf philodendron! When caring for a Monstera deliciosa, if you want to see those splits, make sure you are maximizing development potential by placing your plant in bright, indirect light (a location where they can sunbathe for 6 to 8 hours)!

This majestic beauty instantly brings the tropics indoors. Because your Royal Highness likes to dry out in between watering, I do a weekly check to determine if she’s thirsty. If the soil is dry up to my knuckle (an inch deep), it’s time to water. Still moist? Then your plant is hydrated.

Who could say no to a pothos (or Epipremnum aureum if you’re feeling fancy)? They are easygoing in that they do not require any special soil, will not panic from pruning as needed and can tolerate low-light conditions (although variegated pothos do tend to show off more with bright, indirect light).

Photos courtesy of Shayla Owodunni Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Classic Garden Reads for Winter

This Spring look for premier hanging baskets, annuals, perennials and vegetables from your local

Farm Fresh Selects® retailer.

with the new year upon us, it’s time to settle in for the winter ahead. It could be a long one, but luckily, there are dozens of classic garden books in libraries and stores to keep you informed and inspired. Here are a few favorites.

How-to Classics

The Garden Primer (Workman Publishing, 2008) by Barbara Damrosch is a book that gardeners will return to again and again. Well-written and practical, dip into it whenever you have a plant problem or need guidance.

Square Foot Gardening (Rodale Press, 2005) by Mel Bartholomew started the small-garden movement. The focus is on growing vegetables in small spaces.

How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back (Fireside, 1990)

by Ruth Stout is part how-to, part inspiration, part humor. Written by the woman known as the Mulch Queen (she was an early proponent of no-till gardening), her advice is still solid.

Inspiration

In our Farm Fresh Selects® greenhouses

well for you.

For a list of where to buy – visit us at farmfreshselects.com!

COWSMO THE FINEST QUALITY ORGANIC COMPOST

Onward and Upward in the Garden (NYRB Classics, 2015) by Katharine White features classic garden essays from The New Yorker, most of which are more than 60 years old, but still wonderful.

Second Nature (Grove/Atlantic, 2003)

by Michael Pollan is a moving story of his evolution as a gardener.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Harper, 2017) by Barbara Kingsolver isn't exactly a gardening book, though it talks a lot about gardens. It’s the story of Kingsolver’s family’s decision to eat locally for one year. Beautifully written, it inspired many people (including Executive Director Rick Juliusson) to join the local food movement.

Packages for retail, and bulk for larger projects.

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Cochrane, WI • cowsmocompost.com • 608-626-2571 Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

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MSHS NEWS

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Healing in the Garden “gardening this year was an outlet Right now, her garden is at a family for me for the what ifs,” says Jordyn cabin in Waterville, about 60 miles Meskan, who was diagnosed with cancer south of the Twin Cities. In 2020, she around Christmas of 2019. “It’s been a planted sunflowers, bush beans, healing place.” carrots, tomatoes and basil, Jordyn grew up gardening, among others. “We even pressed learning from her parents and cider this year from my dad’s her aunt, MSHS member Diane orchard.” She says the garden Meskan Schwecke. One of her has been a family affair. “My earliest memories is of planting aunt Diane and I would meet at seeds in little pots with her the cabin to exchange plants family in the spring and and ideas. She’s been such then putting them in the a great resource.” ground. “We grew all When Jordyn’s kinds of vegetables aunt gave her a gift and herbs as well as membership to the decorative plants,” society during the says Jordyn. When June Buy-One-Getshe was in college, One offer, she was Jordyn even had thrilled. “I’m just a little kitchen starting to get garden on the into companion countertop. planting and When always looking for Minnesota information on Gov. Tim Walz growing healthy imposed a stayfood.” She says at-home order she has used in April, Jordyn, Google to search a civil engineer, for gardening I’m a doer who likes to was working from information but see productivity in home. “It was she wants to really a blessing,” be smart about action. I’m already she says. She her choices and planning the garden for was undergoing Northern Gardener radiation magazine has my first home.” treatments five been an important – jordyn meskan days a week and, resource as well with a weakened as a source of immune system, inspiration. hunkering down at home protected As she finishes her final cancer her health. It also provided extra treatments, Jordyn is reflecting on time to dig into one of her passions how much she grew in 2020. “It’s and plan her garden for the growing been a long year, but one filled with season. “I’m a doer who likes to see joy and gratitude for my supportive productivity in action,” says Jordyn. community of family and friends,” she “I’m already planning the garden for says. “So much of that joy this year was my first home.” around gardening.”

“

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

MSHS FUNDRAISING UPDATE

Thank You for Your ‘Fair’ Support mshs has been exhibiting at the Minnesota State Fair since 1866, the year we were founded. More than 600 members typically join or renew during the Great Minnesota Get-Together, and hundreds more donate to MSHS and stock up on gardening gloves, books, seeds and tools at our booth at the fair. Much of our annual revenue is generated during that 10-day stint.

So, when the fair was canceled this year, we were overwhelmed when so many of our members and supporters stepped up. Your garden T-shirt and It’s Not Fair bundle purchases and generous donations to our $154 for 154 Years campaign raised over $9,000 this past fall. Plus, more than 500 members and subscribers joined and renewed between August and Labor Day. Your support powers valuable community programs and gives thousands of northern gardeners across the Upper Midwest (and beyond!) access to plants and educational resources. Thank you for growing with us to meet new challenges!

to learn more about supporting MSHS, visit northerngardener.org/support.

MSHS NEWS

MSHS STAFF

Our Growing Team ann londrigan joined the mshs team as our full-time membership associate in October 2020, and we’re already wondering what we ever did without her.

After living and gardening in central Illinois (USDA Zone 6) for many years, Ann was eager to learn about growing in a colder climate when she moved back to her home state of Minnesota last spring.

While planning a pandemic-inspired kitchen garden with her mom, she says, “it became clear to me that the hort is the hub for all things northern gardening.” She signed up for an MSHS webinar, started following @mnhort on social media, fell in love with Northern Gardener magazine and became a member.

Excited to be part of our mission and a community of northern gardeners, she jumped at the chance to work with our

members. “I love talking with members on the phone!” she says. “Gardeners are so kind, generous and patient. They see a garden in a tiny handful of seeds.”

Her earliest memories are in the garden—picking raspberries and green beans in her family’s home garden in Lake Elmo. When she had her own children, they created a perennial flower and herb garden together at their home, which they nicknamed the “Daisy Cottage” after Ann’s favorite flower. They planted shastas, black-eyed Susans, asters, coneflowers, zinnias and many other sun-loving, pollinator-attracting plants so they could enjoy blooms all season long.

When she’s not at the office, Ann is outside on the nature trails, hiking and biking, gardening or cooking with family

“

The hort is the hub for all things northern gardening.”

– ANN LONDRIGAN

and friends. A fan of the great outdoors and protecting our natural resources, she still volunteers (remotely) for the Lincoln Memorial Garden in Springfield, Ill., and keeps her Minnesota State Parks permit current so that she can rediscover them, one by one.

With a strong background in horticulture, customer service and communications, we’re thrilled to grow with Ann on our team. Please join us in welcoming her to our community!

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Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

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NORTHERN NATIVES

if you’d like to attract hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators to your garden, spotted jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is a good choice. This tall, 2- to 5-foot, bushy plant can form dense colonies, but also works well as a border plant, at the back of the garden or intermingled with native plants. It’s one of only a few native North American plants that can compete with nonnative, invasive garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata).

Spotted jewelweed is a true annual; it completes its life cycle in one year— from seed to flower, back to seed, and die-off in one growing season. Stems and foliage are watery and smooth.

Moisture beads on the leaves, resembling sparkling jewels, which led to the nickname jewelweed.

Hummingbirds are said to follow this plant’s blooming from north to south in late summer through fall. Birds of North America (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2004) reports that hummingbirds’ overAt a Glance: Spotted Jewelweed Hardiness: USDA Zone 2.

Native Habitat: Native to most of eastern North America; common and widespread in moist, shaded areas and near wetlands.

Size: 2 to 5 feet tall; 1 to 21/2 feet wide.

Site: Adapts to most soil types, from sand to clay, with adequate moisture. Also tolerates wet soil and shoreline conditions. Full sun to full shade.

Propagation: Seeds benefit from cold stratification; can be sown in fall from fresh seed or in spring from refrigerated seed. Scatter seeds over soil and lightly tamp in; seeds require sunlight to germinate.

Cultivars and Other Species: Impatiens capensis and its related native species, I. pallida, with yellow flowers, are members of the balsam family.

—B.R.S.

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BETH STETENFELD

Spotted jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)

land migration is “nearly synchronous with peak flowering of Impatiens capensis, suggesting this flower is an important nectar source during this time, and may influence the timing of migration.”

Its nectar-rich flowers also attract butterflies and other insects, which in turn attract birds. The orange, coneshaped flowers are about an inch long and store moisture and high-sugar content nectar. Its chief pollinators are native bees and honeybees.

Jewelweed also is known as touchme-not, because of its unique seedpods.

When touched, they explode, spreading seeds to great distances. (Gardeners of all ages will enjoy this activity!)

The gel of the leaves and stems contains anti-inflammatory and antifungal chemicals that can treat skin conditions such as insect bites, poison ivy, athlete’s foot and others. Other benefits include shade-tolerance and adaptability to various soil types. Rabbits and deer seem to leave it alone.

Because jewelweed tends to colonize, it works well in naturalistic garden areas, or in spots with tough growing conditions for other plants. It works well along pond edges intermingled with swamp milkweeds (Asclepias incarnata), sedges (Carex spp.), blue flag irises (Iris versicolor), native cattails (Typha latifolia), and many others. Before jew-

elweed blooms in late summer, it forms an attractive groundcover for garden perennials of all types.

In natural settings, spotted jewelweed can be found in most of eastern North America, and is often abundant along edges of wetlands and woodlands.

The plant will grow in all soil types if it receives sufficient moisture. Each flower lasts for a day or so, but the plant blooms for several weeks; often buds, flowers and seeds are on the same plant at the same time.

Spotted jewelweed grows easily from seed scattered where desired, in locations with adequate moisture. Some sources suggest storing the seeds in the refrigerator for two months and then sowing them in spring when all danger of frost is passed. Another effective method is to gather seeds from the wild in late summer and scatter them while still fresh in the garden.

Because of its beauty and wildlife value, jewelweed deserves a spot in the garden. Add the fun of watching pollinators visit, and popping the seeds when they’re ripe, and jewelweed adds entertainment to the garden, too.

Native-plant enthusiast Beth Stetenfeld is a garden blogger and writer, and a master naturalist volunteer and instructor.

KITCHEN GARDEN

A Parsley Party i've always felt sorry for parsley. It’s a perfectly nice, versatile plant that’s been completely stereotyped by its perpetual use as a garnish. It’s almost as if we think the entire purpose of parsley is to be a sprig on a plate next to an entrée, accompanied by a slice of lemon.

This little plant deserves so much more! That’s why I’m happy that the International Herb Association chose parsley as its 2021 Herb of the Year™.

It’s an honor that parsley definitely deserves; it’s rich in antioxidants and vitamins, productive in the garden and versatile in the kitchen.

Parsley is a member of the Apiaceae family. Like carrots and other members of that group, parsley can be a bit finicky to grow. You can start parsley indoors from seed or you can direct sow the seed into the garden—either way is fine. Choose a full-sun location with rich, well-drained soil. Parsley is slow to germinate, so be patient as you wait (and wait) for your seeds to sprout. Keep it regularly watered and you can harvest small amounts of parsley for fresh use as needed all season. Parsley is a hardy herb and can be harvested well into the fall.

Parsley is a biennial—meaning it grows leaves only in the first year and produces flowers and seed in the second—but its flavor is best during its first year. Most gardeners treat it as an annual. My parsley happily resided in between the sage and rosemary in my herb garden last year, and I’ll replant it along with rosemary this spring (the sage will probably overwinter again).

There are two main types of parsley: flat leaf and curly leaf. Generally speaking, flat-leaf parsley features a more impressive burst of flavor, while curly-leaf parsley’s attractive leaves make it more eye-catching in the garden. Grow both and enjoy the best of both worlds.

Beyond the Garnish

As promised, there’s lots to do with parsley in the kitchen. The culinary

MARY LAHR SCHIER

A Carrot Relative

trifecta of butter, garlic and parsley is deservedly at the top of the list. This tried-and-true combination of flavors provides the perfect accompaniment for everything from breads and steak to shrimp and scallops.

Of course, we can’t talk about parsley without a nod to chimichurri, the South American sauce. While recipes vary, it typically includes onion, garlic, chiles, cilantro and parsley along with oil and vinegar. It’s delicious on meats and vegetables.

Parsley really shines in all types of soups and salads. In salads, it pairs well with arugula or romaine lettuce, or you can use parsley as the foundation of your salad and skip the other greens entirely. You can also try parsley with cucumbers and onions for a fresh and zesty salad, or add it to your favorite salad dressing recipes (it’s lovely in a lemon vinaigrette). In soups, parsley can take center stage (parsley soup, anyone?), or it can play an accompanying role in soups such as potato or tomato.

Try a parsley smoothie! Recipe at northerngardener.org.

Speaking of potatoes … parsley and potatoes are a notable pair. So whether you’re whipping up some mashed potatoes, or roasting a pan of potatoes in the oven, or tossing together a potato salad, parsley should be on hand to add its complementary burst of flavor. It’s also delicious when sprinkled on top of a warm shepherd’s pie in winter.

Parsley pairs well with fish (cod, salmon, tilapia, trout), pork and chicken dishes. Try parsley with chicken and dumplings or with baked fish filets.

Parsley also works well with egg dishes, and it’s yummy stirred into a batch of scrambled eggs.

And of course, if you want to, include a sprig of parsley as a garnish on your dinner plate.

Wisconsin-based Samantha Johnson is the author of several books, including Garden DIY, (CompanionHouse Books, 2020).

Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

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GARDEN SOLUTIONS

Advice for Beginners

How should I water my plants?

Watering is heavily dependent upon the weather. It also depends on what you’re planting, what kind of soil you have, and what condition the plant was in when you planted it. Learn about your plants to find out which ones prefer consistent moisture and which ones will thrive in dry soil. Then, pay attention to the soil that you’re planting in. Sandier soils will allow water to drain quickly, so you’ll have to water more frequently than you would for clay soils, which hold water for much longer. High organic matter in your soil will also help maintain moisture.

For new plantings, it’s best to water every day for the first week, especially when the weather is hot and dry. The second week, you can decrease to every other day, and in the subsequent weeks, you should water a few times each week, again depending on heat and rainfall. When you water, think about how deep each new plant’s roots are: you want to reach those roots with the water. This means that you shouldn’t

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

just sprinkle water across the top of the ground. Instead, allow the water to thoroughly soak the soil. If you’re unsure how much water has penetrated the ground, dig a small hole where you’re watering and observe how far down the soil is saturated.

MARY LAHR SCHIER

the year 2020 nudged a lot of newcomers into gardening. Many of my garden consultations this past year were with people who hoped to learn the basics of gardening: what to plant, how to water, how to optimize plant health, etc. If you’re one of these people, welcome! We, the experienced gardeners, are happy to extend our grubby fingers in the spirit of salutation.

Gardening is a forgiving hobby, so try not to stress if you haven’t quite figured things out yet. Most of us haven’t, either. We all make mistakes, we all kill plants, and we all get smarter with practice and time.

One of the best and worst things about gardening is that everything is nuanced. It’s difficult to make blanket statements about how you should garden because there are so many variables that affect plant growth.

Still, there are certain guidelines that can help you succeed. Let’s discuss some answers to the Frequently Asked Questions that I hear most often.

Space plants according to mature size or plan on transplanting them later.

Do I have to follow the plant spacing recommendations?

Most plants come with a recommendation for how far away from other plants they should be placed, based on the plant’s full size at maturity. This factor is most important to consider when you’re planting trees and shrubs, which are difficult to transplant once they’re established.

With perennials and annuals, however, the suggested spacing distances are more flexible. If you’d like your garden to be lush and full quickly, you can plant herbaceous plants closer than recommended. However, as everything grows together, you’ll probably have to transplant some or most of your plants to create additional space.

Plants that are too crowded can be more susceptible to fungal diseases because there’s less air flow between plants. Large plants can also steal resources from and cast shade upon smaller plants, so the recommended spacing will help prevent some of these issues.

Why didn’t my new plant produce flowers?

It’s common for plants (especially woody ones—trees and shrubs) not to flower during the first year or so after we plant them. Transplanting can be tough on trees in particular, which might not flower for several years after planting. They tend to spend their

energy establishing roots and maturing before they can flower and fruit.

Otherwise, excess shade, drought stress and poorly timed pruning can all inhibit flowering. Make sure you provide optimal growing conditions, especially when it comes to light and water. When it comes to pruning, research when and how your plants bloom before going crazy with the shears. Some plants only bloom on the previous year’s growth, so pruning at the wrong time removes the potential flower buds.

Do I need mulch?

While mulch is certainly optional, it will help you maintain more moderate levels of weeds and moisture, which can be really helpful for a novice gardener. I recommend 2 to 3 inches of finely shredded hardwood or pine bark mulch, especially in new gardens. The mulch will suppress weeds, insulate the ground from temperature extremes and conserve water around plant roots.

In gardens with trees and shrubs, be careful to leave space between each plant’s woody trunk and the mulch itself, as it can harm plants to bury their trunks in mulch.

Horticulturist Laura Schwarz lives in Minneapolis, where she works in garden design, installation and maintenance.

BY DESIGN

Dollar-Wise Design maybe it comes from having frugal parents, but I enjoy seeking ways to accomplish my goals without spending tons of money. And, I’ve found that economizing in the garden is easy and fun.

Save on Plants

Choose perennial plants for your flower gardens, and save pricey annuals for your containers. While initially more expensive, perennials reappear every spring (or are supposed to) and are the most economical choice in the long run.

If you plant annuals in garden beds, look for annuals that will self-seed, such as cleome, nicotiana and moss rose, and collect seeds from your annuals at the end of the season to jumpstart your garden next year.

Save on Equipment

To save on seed-starting equipment, use the winter sowing technique or directly sow seeds in the garden in spring. Sunflower, marigold, nasturtium, zinnia, poppy, cosmos, cleome, petunia, moss rose and morning glory seeds can all be planted directly in Minnesota gardens in spring. They will emerge later than those started indoors, but you’ll have weeks of colorful bloom.

Buy quality tools and take good care of them. In the long run, they will serve you better and last longer. Share seldom-used gardening tools, such as a leaf shredder or edger, with family or friends.

Save money by growing plants, like zinnias, from seed, and shopping plant sales.

a delivery fee, but if you’re lucky enough to find a landscape service trimming and chipping trees in your neighborhood, you can usually get the chips without any fee.

When I need mulch, I listen for the sounds of tree cutting and have been able to obtain several loads of free wood chips this way. It’s a win-win: the company saves travel time to a dumping site and drop-off costs, and you get new chips.

SMART SEARCHING For the best results when researching garden questions, type in the relevant terms, such as “propagation,” in your search engine and add “.edu” as a term. This will generate mostly university-based, scientifically valid results.

—D.M.

DIANE MCGANN

Do Your Research

You can also create more perennials and shrubs through propagation. Most can be divided, but some varieties are best propagated by stem cuttings or layering. When shopping at the nursery, look for container plants that are overgrown. Some have two or three roots, and you can immediately divide them and have a few new plants instead of one. Shop end-of-the season sales, master gardener sales, craigslist and garage sales to find healthy, inexpensive plants.

The most fun way to get new plants is to swap them. Some garden clubs organize swap dates, where you’ll exchange your extra plants for new ones. Set up a swap event for your garden club, or arrange one with friends.

Save on Products

Landscapers and material suppliers sometimes have “seconds” or imperfect materials available. Simply by inquiring and paying a modest dumping fee, I was lucky enough to receive Chilton rock rejects that I then transformed into attractive retaining walls. You can also save by making your own compost, leaving grass clippings on your lawn (it counts as one fertilizer application), hand picking or hosing off insects rather than using pesticides and limiting the amount of fertilizer you use.

Mulching reduces the need to water and you may be able to find free mulch from tree service companies or your city. Tree companies sometimes charge

The most important way to reduce costs is to do your homework before laying in expensive plants and hardscaping. As a neophyte gardener, I had evergreens installed to create a privacy screen, but I chose the wrong species and planted them too close together. End result—all of the lower branches died. Instead of privacy, I had an ugly, spindly hedge bordering my yard. Replacing those trees was a costly lesson, but I learned it. Research and planning saves money and time. Research is especially important with items that are large and hard to change, such as trees, patios and paths.

If you are not sure about your choices, ask a pro. Getting professional advice is worth every penny you spend on it.

Stillwater-based Diane McGann is an awardwinning garden writer and a master gardener.

Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

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DIY

Grow a Low-Light Dish Garden

“

Can I have one of those cool succulent gardens in my house?

Yes, you can.”

Container Basics

Because dish gardens are trendy, it’s relatively easy to find the right container these days. In addition to nurseries and garden centers, search big-box stores and also discount homegoods stores. Look for a 4- to 6-inchhigh and at least 12-inch-wide pot so you can incorporate at least three to five different plants. A drainage hole is best, but if you find the perfect vessel and it doesn’t have one, you can bore your own hole or go without. If you don’t have a drainage hole, be very mindful of not overwatering. You can easily drill a hole in pottery with a special ceramic drill bit.

In my example, my pot did not have a drainage hole, but it was plastic, so drilling a hole was not a problem. I used a standard drill bit and created several drainage holes. I then set the pot in a terra cotta saucer purchased separately. The pot and saucer are set

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

on a decorative piece of wood to add to the look and also protect the cabinet they live on.

Planting the Container

As always, use a good-quality indoor potting mix. It’s best not to use one with fertilizer incorporated. I’ve found it helpful to limit fertilizing of the container to help keep the plant sizes in check. You can apply fertilizer in micro-doses throughout the spring and summer to help with overall plant health and vitality. Use a quarter strength application at half the intervals recommended with your particular fertilizer. Maintain consistent watering; plants in low-light settings require less water.

Plant Choices

It’s all about the plants. I have a list of low-light plants that I have had success with over the years. I’m not convinced that there are any plants that truly love low light. It seems most would prefer at least fairly bright indirect light. But the plants on my list at least remain vibrant and happy in my low-light locales.

You may see some etiolation, or stretching toward the light, and colors may not be as vivid as they would be with more light, but they will survive.

They are easy to find, too, and provide plenty of contrast in shape, color and texture.

Scindapsus pictus ‘Argyraeus’ or Satin pothos is a reliable trailer in low light.

There are multiple varieties available.

Philodendron hederaceum ‘Brasil’ is a cultivar of the classic heartleaf philodendron. I also have one of these in a high-light location where it also thrives. Sansevieria cylindrica or cylindrical snake plant offers striking contrast. Sansevieria ballyi or dwarf

PHOTOS: ERIC JOHNSON

one of the most frequent plant questions I get is, “Can I have one of those cool succulent gardens in my house?” To which I answer, “Yes, you can, but you need a very, very sunny location for a large part of the day.” And then, the faces fall.

Few of us have the ideal conditions for one of the succulent dish gardens that are so hot right now to truly thrive.

So, I thought, why not make a low-light indoor dish garden—one that can get by with no direct sun? Why should we limit ourselves? With the right plants, it offers up the same variety of colors and textures and with a little pruning of the trailing plants, it will stay nicely shaped and contained. I think the secret is the plant selection. I have a handful that I have found through the years that grow well in very low light.

Top right: Choose plants that grow well in low light for your dish garden, including (top left) Sansevieria ballyi.

Below, left to right: mosaic plant; satin pothos; Pilea 'Dark Mystery'; Philodendron hederaceum 'Brasil'

snake plant is sure-fire. There are numerous varieties that are often not individually identified in the stores. You could make a whole dish out of them.

All pilea work well, as they tolerate low light and they stay small, but Pilea ‘Dark

Mystery’ offers a unique color. It does lose a little of its chocolate intensity in low light. Fittonia albivenis, called mosaic plant or nerve plant, maintains its pink in low light and stays small, though it does etiolate a bit.

Minneapolis-based gardener and writer Eric Johnson blogs at gardendrama.wordpress. com.

Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

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POLLINATORS

a recent survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that people spent an unbelievable $4 billion a year on wild bird food. That ain’t chicken feed!

Feeding most wildlife is discouraged because the practice makes wild animals become accustomed to humans, leading them to behaviors that are misunderstood or deemed dangerous.

People or property can be harmed but, more likely, this ends in tragedy for the wild animal.

However, feeding wild birds doesn’t harm the birds, nor do they turn lazy from receiving a free lunch. Filling bird feeders is one of the few safe and acceptable ways of feeding wildlife; a simple hobby that brings so much joy, a way for young and old to connect with nature that doesn’t require leaving your home. It fosters a sense of stewardship that may carry over to other positive actions on conservation issues.

Wild Birds Need Insects, Too

But lots of folks are surprised to learn that most birds need more than seed, and some don’t eat seed at all. In fact, 96 percent of birds in North America rely upon insects for high-protein nourishment. In addition, many seedeating birds switch to eating insects when rearing their young. Depending upon the species, birds may eat wasps, bees, spiders, butterflies, beetles, flies, ants, moths, aphids, grasshoppers and crickets, in adult and or larval form.

But wait a minute. There are quite a few pollinator categories on the menu above. Aren’t we supposed to be saving pollinators? The circle of life is indeed complicated. That means efforts to help pollinators include sacrificing a number of them—a huge number, actually—to help birds survive and raise their young, too.

There is an especially significant connection between birds and Lepidoptera, butterflies and moths.

Those squalling baby birds eat a lot of insects, many in the form of caterpillars.

Songbirds feed their young from four to 12 times an hour. According to Doug Tallamy, a professor of entomology

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

RHONDA FLEMING HAYES

The Bird-Butterfly Connection

What's good for butterflies helps birds, too.

and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware, a single pair of breeding chickadees finds and feeds around 7,500 caterpillars to rear one brood. He goes on to compare caterpillars to sausages for birds, “a very thin wrapper filled with good things.”

Bird-Pollinator Overlap

The same principles of pollinatorfriendly gardening are true for birds: provide plant-rich landscapes to mitigate habitat loss, offer shelter and nesting sites to assist reproduction, make available appropriate food for rearing young and avoid the use of pesticides. (For more on gardening for birds, see the November/December 2020 issue of Northern Gardener.)

Planting native species is the best way to increase the number of butterflies and, hence, caterpillars in your garden.

These flora and fauna have evolved alongside each other and have a larval host relationship that depends upon each other.

I can think of exceptions, such as the cabbageworm, the larval form of the cabbage white butterfly, an introduced species that terrorizes cruciferous vegetables and their growers. I never

cease to enjoy watching the chipping sparrows in my garden ferrying these destructive green devils back and forth to their nests. Anytime we can enlist birds to eat pests is a win.

When planting native species, remember to venture beyond the perennial bed, and plant native grasses, vines, shrubs and trees as well. It bears repeating that native perennials host an average of 10 species of Lepidoptera while a single oak tree will support well into the hundreds. Other native trees such as willow, cottonwood, poplar, elm, hackberry, birch and wild cherry also host a large number of species that in turn provide food for birds and their young.

People have come a long way in their attitudes about wildlife in the garden. It used to be that birds were welcome but no one wanted bugs. Now we know it’s a delicate balance, but one we can help tilt in the right direction for both birds and pollinators.

Minneapolis-based Rhonda Fleming Hayes is the author of Pollinator Friendly Gardening (Voyageur Press, 2016).

PLANT TO PICK

Gymnocladus dioicus ‘UMNSynergy’, True North™ Kentucky Coffeetree winter is a great time to plan future plantings, and adding shade trees to the garden is something that should be considered carefully. We have many wonderful choices here in Minnesota, but it is important to not overplant any one species, as we’ve learned with American elms and ash trees. To protect your tree canopy over the long haul, it’s best to have a mix of large shade trees in the landscape.

Kentucky coffeetree may not be the first choice of consumers planting a tree, though it is often recommended by urban foresters. Fall color, bright flowers or fall berries are all attributes that make other tree choices more attractive initially.

Until recently, consumers could only choose the species Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus). But breeders now are bringing newer and improved cultivars to the market.

True North™ is from the University of Minnesota woody landscape breeding program and was selected in 1972, so it

PHOTOS: STEVEN MCNAMARA, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

True North™ Kentucky coffeetree in summer and winter

has been put through its paces when it comes to testing. It was developed by Stan Hokanson and Steve McNamara.

Gymnocladus dioicus is a member of the Fabaceae family, the legume family.

It is native to the Midwest and the upper South of North America.

This stately tree reaches a mature height of 50 to 70 feet and spreads to 20 to 30 feet. The upright oval shape will remind you of the American elm.

This upright habit and tolerance of tough conditions, including cold, heat, drought and many soil types (including alkaline soils), makes it perfect for urban situations. Consider it for your boulevard.

It is moderately fast growing and long lived. This is a healthy tree with few issues with pests or diseases and is hardy to USDA Zone 4. True North has a superior branching architecture compared to the straight species.

True North is a male selection, meaning it does not produce any seeds, an important factor when selecting a long-

term tree for your landscape. If you choose the straight species, you should know that it can produce seed. The seed is long, wide and dark colored. Fun fact: the seed may be roasted and used as a substitute for coffee beans . . . but, unroasted pods and seeds are toxic. If you have kids, I recommend you choose True North instead.

The leaves of the Kentucky coffeetree are large and bi-pinnately compound.

This is a technical description for a leaf that is divided into smaller leaflets, with those leaflets arranged on each side of the leaf’s central stalk. Each leaf can be easily 2 to 3 feet long with more than 40 leaflets. The foliage is dark green throughout the summer and turns a lovely shade of yellow in autumn.

The bark is scaly and looks dramatic in the winter months.

When you head to the nursery to buy a Kentucky coffeetree, be prepared for a young tree that has a bit of an ugly duckling look. Because of those bi-pinnate leaves, it can look poorly branched when young and many small trees have little branching. This tree takes some time to develop in the landscape. As it gets larger each year, you will see the branching develop.

Please have patience and you will be well rewarded.

True North is propagated via budding or grafting in the nursery. It is becoming more readily available at local nurseries.

Debbie Lonnee works in the horticulture industry and gardens in South St. Paul.

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Science and lots of seeds create a stunning landscape.

The Scholar’s

Story and photos by Diane McGann

There’s a showstopper garden in my neighborhood.

Masses of colorful blooms blanket the home’s front yard and vibrantly hued gardens peep from behind the house. Repeated strolls past this enchanting scene led to a friendship with its unassuming owner, Doug Lake, who combines his scientific background, love of gardening and penchant for hard work to create a beautiful display for all to enjoy.

The Beginnings

Growing up, Doug lived across from his grandparents’ orchard in the Hudson Valley of New York, where he remembers his grandmother and her friends touring the gardens in large-brimmed hats and flowery dresses. Doug’s main interest at the time was the wildlife that flourished there, but a job during college summers kindled his interest in gardening. He landed a position at Wethersfield, a bucolic estate in the Berkshire mountains owned by Chauncy Stillman, grandson of the founder of Citibank. While there, Doug learned how to propagate plants and improve soils organically. The gardens were “phenomenal, just so beautiful,” Doug remembers, complete with

peacocks, greenhouses and 30-foot-tall hedges. As a bonus, Jimmy Cagney, the legendary actor, lived next door and once stopped to chat with Doug when driving by with Stillman.

After earning degrees in biology and aquatic entomology, Doug spent his early career working in Boston. When an opportunity to help build a new environmental consulting company in Minnesota arose, he accepted the challenge. Doug

and his wife, Betsy, moved west, where their forested Massachusetts garden was replaced by a sunny Minnesota yard with “nothing growing and not a tree in sight.” Doug began the yard’s transformation by turning a work trip back to New England into an opportunity for gathering plants. “I brought two big empty suitcases on the trip,” he says, “split plants at my old house to help the new owners out, and filled the suitcases to

RECOMMENDED READING: Annuals with Style, by Michael Ruggiero and Tom Christopher (Taunton Press, 2000) l From Seed to Bloom, How to Grow over 500 Annuals, Perennials and Herbs, by Eileen Powell (Storey Publishing, 1995) —D.M.

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Garden Opposite page: Doug’s entry garden is lush and inviting.

Above: Doug checks on some of the hundreds of seedlings he grows.

Left: A mix of coneflowers in his border

the brim with layer upon layer of the extra divided plants.” Returning home, the repurposed plants formed the framework of his new landscape. Peonies from his grandmother’s garden and her 90-yearold gazing ball also made the journey from New England to Minnesota.

“I brought two big empty suitcases on [a work trip back to New England], split plants at my old house to help the new owners out, and filled the suitcases to the brim with layer upon layer of the extra divided plants.”

Planning the Gardens

Knowing little about design, Doug put on his scientist cap and read diligently about the process. “I think here in Stillwater is where I really had to learn to design beds, because I had so many of them with all the glorious sun,” he Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

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The Scholar’s Garden

says. Contouring the land with gray A voracious reader, Doug also basalt rock, he filled the resulting taught himself about restoring the pockets with masses of perennials. prairies required by neighborhood Flower beds now surround the house, covenants at his new home. “I knew frame the brick entry walk, and blanket nothing about prairie grasses and a huge berm in the forbs before front yard, while moving here,” his vegetable garhe says, “but den shines in the knowing how soil One thing that I try to do sun at the back of works, how it the property. “One is to create beds with holds and drains thing that I try pleasing curves. I also use a water, makes to do is to create hand-edger tool to edge the such a difference beds with pleasin understanding beds. Hand-edged beds are how to develop ing curves,” he explains. “I use a gardening beds more work, but I only do rubber garden hose that once per year, and they and is a big factor that has warmed in in success at look so good when done.” the sun for maxigrowing things.” mum flexibility to –Doug Lake About 2 acres lay out the perfect of prairie now curves. I also use sandwich his a hand-edger tool to edge the beds. property, and Doug can identify—by Hand-edged beds are more work, but both common and Latin names—each I only do that once per year, and they grass and forb in them. look so good when done.”

“

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Starting Seeds

When the perennials that initially filled the front-yard berm failed to produce the season-long profuse bloom Doug envisioned, he again put on his scholar’s hat. Annual flowers were his answer to fill in the gaps and create the huge drifts of continuing color he wanted. He now starts close to 1,000 seeds each spring in a system he built himself. “The only way I could afford the annuals I needed to fill these beds was to grow them myself,” he says.

“For $50 worth of seed you can grow $1,200 worth of plants. It’s fun watching them grow.”

Doug uses spreadsheets to track their growth and identify the star players. “I try to only use species and varieties that reseed gently and are not a nuisance to control,” he says. “About 20 years ago, I made the mistake of planting feverfew in my garden and not deadheading soon enough to prevent reseeding. The next year I had millions of the feverfew seedlings everywhere.

FAVORITE SEED-GROWN ANNUALS These are Doug’s favorite annuals and biennials to start from seed.

• Consolida ambigua ‘Imperial Mix’ (larkspur) – “Creates backdrops of vertical wands of pastel colors that work great with pink roses and white Nicotiana.”

• Digitalis purpurea ‘Excelsior Hybrids’ (foxglove) • Alcea rosea and A. ficifolia ‘Indian Spring Mix’ (hollyhock) – “I like the simple, old-fashioned heirloom singles.”

• Cleome hassleriana ‘Rose Queen’ (spider flower) – “They go great with my tall, perennial Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Herbstonne’.”

• Nicotiana alata ‘Lime Green’ and ‘Grandiflora’ (flowering tobacco) • Nicotiana sylvestris ‘Only the Lonely’ (flowering tobacco) – “A great back-of-the border plant either in singles or small groups mixed with red cosmos or hollyhocks.”

• Nicotiana x sanderae ‘Cranberry Isles’ (flowering tobacco) – “Great scent and works well in large drifts.”

• Lavatera trimestris ‘Silver Cup’ and ‘Mont Blanc’ (rose mallow) • Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’ and ‘Indian Summer’ (gloriosa daisy) • Salvia viridis ‘Blue Monday’ and ‘Pink Sundae’ (annual clary)

—D. M.

“

The only way I could afford the annuals I needed to fill these beds was to grow them myself. For $50 worth of seed you can grow $1,200 worth of plants. It’s fun watching them grow.”

–Doug Lake Left: Doug’s borders include big drifts of plants, including zinnias, beebalm and rudbeckia.

Right, from top: Hollyhock, cleome, nicotiana and rudbeckia, all grown from seed

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The Scholar’s Garden

Left: A dark-leaved smokebush anchors the back of one flower border.

Below: Doug edges his beds neatly for a finished look.

weeds start flying out, wagonload after wagonload of them. When I’m home, I spend a lot of time, maybe too much, working on my gardens.”

Lawn Ranger

While foxglove, larkspur, cleome and the flowering tobaccos all will reseed easily but gently, I still prefer to start them indoors for earlier flowering in the garden. Others like hollyhock and rudbeckia will also reseed, but only sporadically, so I find it easier to start the seeds indoors and plant them where I want them.”

Doug employs no help in planting and maintaining his gardens despite

being away from home several months a year. He travels for work as well as for his many avocations, which include fly fishing, mountain hiking and bird watching. “A big driver for me is to save money,” Doug says. “I don’t like hiring people to do stuff I can do myself, and I enjoy the work. No one takes care of the garden while I’m gone. When I’m back, people walking by see bushes starting to move in the berm, and all of a sudden

Asked about his favorite part of the flowery landscape, Doug answers with a surprise. “The lawn,” he says. “My wife calls me the ‘lawn ranger.’ If taken care of properly and edged right, lawn is a beautiful transition among gardens. It’s very calming and reminds me of the Berkshire estates of my college years.”

As you’ve surmised, Doug is constantly working at his pursuits, and when not doing that, he’s reading about them. All of that work and study has surely paid off in the beautiful landscape he’s created. His next adventure? Horseback riding. Betsy is a longtime enthusiast, and Doug has recently become an afficionado, to the point of buying a horse farm in South Carolina, where they plan to spend their winters. Come spring, however, if you see weeds flying out of a flowery berm, you’ll know that Doug Lake is back in town.

Stillwater-based Diane McGann is the By Design columnist for Northern Gardener.

DOUG’S FAVORITE SEED SOURCES Diane’s Flower Seeds, dianeseeds.com Johnny’s Selected Seeds (mostly for vegetables), johnnyseeds.com Seedaholic, seedaholic.com Select Seeds, selectseeds.com Swallowtail Garden Seeds, swallowtailgardenseeds.com —D. M.

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Big Time Blue lavender at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Don’t let our northern climate keep you from growing this soothing herb.

Story and photos by Rhonda Fleming Hayes

Like a broken record, I’m always repeating this mantra for gardening success— the right plant for the right place. Re-creating native conditions for any plant is the key to seeing it thrive. Yet the heart wants what it wants. And, so it goes for growing lavender in a cold climate.

There aren’t any sun-baked coastal hillsides reminiscent of its Mediterranean origins here in Minnesota. But there are a few work-arounds that make it possible for northern gardeners to grow the legendary herb—or should I say herbs plural, since there are English, French and Spanish lavenders, plus a hybrid version, too. (See descriptions, page 29.)

Beyond culinary and craft uses, lavender is valued for its calming properties in aromatherapy and as an antidote to anxiety and an aid for insomnia. Studies show that it is a relaxant and may bring about more restful, deeper sleep. (As with all herbs, check with a doctor before ingesting.)

Lavender Dreams

Limited Lifespan?

Lavender is described as a short-lived perennial in the best of times. Top that with the whims of winters up north, and perhaps it’s better to not get too attached. But tell that to Hennepin County Extension Master Gardener Mary Yee and her 10-year old ‘Hidcote’ lavender patch.

She loves the scented flowers and airy texture of this English lavender that happily grows in her garden in full sun and heavy clay soil, counter to most lavender-growing advice that emphaNorthern Gardener l January/February 2021

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Lavender Dreams

PHOTO COURTESY OF WALTERS GARDENS, INC.

Clockwise, from left: ‘Silver Bee’ is an English lavender, known for ghostly silver, almost white foliage; Lavandula x intermedia Phenomenal®; ‘Munstead’ lavender is another northern hardy variety.

sizes excellent drainage. However, the soil stays dry in the lavender’s spot next to her sidewalk. This might be a clue to its survival, as lavenders prefer alkaline soils (6.0 to 8.0) and concrete can leech into soils and increase pH levels.

Overwatering that leads to root rot is lavender’s worst enemy. Yee advises gardeners to plant lavenders with other perennials with similar needs, avoiding neighbor plants that require supplemental watering. She cautions against planting in low spots or near downspouts.

The Chicago Botanical Garden recommends shearing lavenders by onethird after blooming to remove spent flower stalks and shape the plant. Yee usually cuts the flowering stems after the second flush of bloom to tidy up the plant. She waits until spring to prune back to live growth because she knows there will be dieback.

Gravelly or sandy soil is ideal for growing lavenders, notes Mary Meyer, University of Minnesota horticulture professor, on her blog post, “Gardeners in the Anoka Sand Plain, this is a plant for you!” Some experts recommend amending soil with sand to enhance drainage, but be aware that adding sand to clay soil is a surefire recipe for making concrete! Know your soil, or get a soil test.

Gravel or rock mulch is suggested to help drainage and reflect heat upward to keep crowns dry. Air circulation is also important. Avoid crowding from other plants, which can lead to moisture building up next to the plant and cause fungal disease.

Pot It Up

I love the look of lavender, with bees bobbing about the swaying flowers. But

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ISTOCK

Growing Tips

I don’t want to devote ground space to a plant with a less-than-reliable record in our USDA Zone 4-ish climate, so I go with containers. Theresa Mieseler, herb expert, author of Beyond Rosemary, Basil and Thyme: Unusual, Interesting, and Uncommon Herbs to Enjoy, and longtime owner of Shady Acres Herb Farm, feels the same way. “They begin flowering in June and continue until frost,” she says.

“At the end of the season, discard, and begin again the following spring.”

That’s fine with me because I love the look of lavender in pots. I think of lavender as an herb rather than a garden perennial, and I treat it as an annual just

like tender rosemary and other marginally hardy herbs, such as thyme, oregano and mint, which I also grow in containers on the hot, sunny patio next to my kitchen garden. The grouping of potted herbs at various heights reminds me of a Mediterranean terrace garden.

Spanish lavender in a container forms a tight mound of foliage, a cushion of blossoms, that lends itself to landscapes where formality or defined shapes are desired. Multiple, identical containers can be used to create a meditative or rhythmic, orderly effect. The finely textured foliage can be easily trimmed and manicured. English lavenders, like

Lavender Options Lavender comes in three main types, plus a hybrid. Here are your options.

English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), USDA Zones 5-8, blooms June to August, at a height of 2 to 3 feet. Contrary to the name, it’s not native to England but, in spite of its sunny natural clime, seems to flourish in the cool climate of the British Isles. It is more cold hardy than other varieties. Flowers come in many shades, including deep bluish-purple, lavender, pale pink and white. It is the most popular for culinary use. Suggested cultivars: ‘Munstead’, ‘Hidcote’.

French lavender (Lavandula dentata), zones 8-11, blooms early summer to fall, at a height of around 3 feet.

Its toothy, serrated graygreen foliage is noticeably different from other lavenders. Its blooms have a tufted bract at top. The light purple flowers are less fragrant while the foliage has a stronger, piney scent.

Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas), zones 8-11, blooms in mid to late summer, and is smaller at a height of 18 to 24 inches. The spiky blooms are purple, pineapple-shaped bracts topped with “bunny ears.” They have little fragrance but the foliage has a distinct smell.

Lavender x intermedia (Lavandin), zones 5-11, blooms mid to late summer, 24 to 30 inches tall, in purple and white. You get the best of both worlds with these hybrid varieties, cold hardiness and heat and humidity tolerance. The highly fragrant flowers are especially good for crafts where scent is important but alas, they are not edible.

Suggested cultivars: Phenomenal®, ‘Provence’.

—R.F.H.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY YEE

Clockwise from left: ‘Provence’ lavender grows well against a wall; Spanish lavender blooms; ‘Hidcote’ lavender growing in Mary Yee’s yard

‘Hidcote’ and ‘Munstead’, have a looser growth habit with blooms that will move with the breeze. Selective pruning can keep them tidy in containers.

I find that lavenders are especially beautiful in the verdigris-colored containers I’ve collected through the years. The silver and gray-green foliage blends well with those same tones of the streaky glaze of grays, greens and blues. Another attractive container is bronze-brown with a gray wash that highlights its deeper grooves, the silvery foliage picking up on that accent color.

Lavender looks equally good in traditional terra cotta containers, the subtle

orange hue playing opposite the color wheel of blue-grays and greens. And no matter the color of container, the purple blooms are always a bonus.

Checking Out Lavender

The herb garden at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is a great place to see lavenders growing in beds and containers, making it easy to compare growth habits, foliage appearance and flower colors. Varieties planted may change from year to year, but 2020 saw ‘Provence’, ‘Phenomenal’ PP24, 193, Big Time Blue (Armtyp01, PP24827), and ‘Ellagance’ in containers, plus tender

Spanish and French lavenders.

To see picturesque purple fields, lavender farms can be found in Wisconsin and Michigan, dotted around the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Their northern location (zone 5 and sometimes 6) is mitigated by the lake effect that moderates temperatures and provides consistent snow cover needed for successful lavender production. Call ahead for visitor information, bloom times and Covid-19 health precautions.

Minneapolis-based writer Rhonda Fleming Hayes is the Pollinators columnist for Northern Gardener.

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Let the Houseplants Out This zone-pushing St. Paul gardener welcomes tender plants into the garden, too.

Story and photos by Gail Hudson

LET’S BE HONEST—who among us gardeners hasn’t experienced a bit of “zone envy” on trips south? St. Paul gardener Marcus Phelps-Munson can’t resist acquiring a new plant from warmer climes—especially if it’s variegated, has great foliage or a fragrance.

“I will collect seeds as we travel around to different places and when you’re allowed to buy plants, I will do the same thing,” he says. “When we go out to California, I bring an extra suitcase with me!”

When I mention that I’d noticed a USDA Zone 9 plant in his zone 4b garden, Marcus laughs. “Whatever that one was, will be dug up unless it’s one of the few things I would treat as an annual,” he says.

In the summer, his extensive collection of bromeliads, fuchsias and other tender plants populates the garden, mostly in the ground. Come winter, several hundred plants live indoors in pots—in the sunroom, the living room, the bathroom and the garage!

A graphic designer, Marcus has gardened in Minnesota for just three summers and is a true “zone pusher.”

Marcus and his husband, Gary Epperley, moved from the Seattle area to a lovely red brick home next to Como Park and brought many plants with them. They built a garden in the Northwest from scratch and were not about to give up all of their beauties.

“I so enjoy [nonhardy plants] in the yard, in the garden,” Marcus says.

“By excluding those things that aren’t hardy here, I’m very much limiting my palette that I can work with. And the more things that we can incorporate and expand and experiment with, the better.”

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A maple seedling grows in a bromeliad (Noerelegia burle-marxii) outdoors.

A Passion for Bromeliads

As you might imagine, his garden offers a dizzying mix of zone-appropriate perennials, “zone-pushing” perennials, and tropical and annual plants in the summer. Low brick walls and two small patios flanked by the house and detached garage provide a shady and sheltered area for dramatic tender foliage on display.

Some plants live in pots outdoors.

Exotically striped and multi-colored bromeliads (zone 10) are perched on a

makeshift wooden shelf. Marcus first fell in love with these natives from tropical North and South America at the San Diego Zoo, where he ran across them at a Bromeliad Society plant sale and bought one for his birthday.

His interest led him to become a volunteer, caring for the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory’s collection of 400 bromeliads. Today Marcus has more than 20 plants, after buying many bromeliad “pups” in the conservatory gift shop. “Strangely enough, they are

very easy,” he says. “I was able to start growing them for my first winter here.

It brought me a little sanity and a little greenness and a little bit more life into the house.”

Marcus says he focuses on the shape, size, color and patterns of the spiky and serrated, straplike leaves. “Some have really cool striping,” he says.

“They sometimes bloom, which is always a pleasant surprise when that happens.” Some varieties sprout tiny flowers in the center of the rosette of leaves, while other bromeliads produce a long, brilliantly colored flower spike.

Bromeliads flourish when living in trees in warm, but not hot, climates.

They extract moisture and food from the air through their leaves and roots.

They make good houseplants, too, thriving under indirect light conditions. Marcus grows bromeliads in loose, free-draining potting mix, and waters them from overhead to clean the leaves and to flush and refill the center leaf water reservoir.

Tender Friends

Clockwise, from top: Marcus PhelpsMunson (print shirt) and Gary Epperley in their garden; bromeliads bring texture to gardens indoors and out; Billbergia ‘Poquito Mas’ in bloom in November.

Growing in the ground outside, an astilboides plant (Astilboides tabularis; zone 5) dominates a shady corner of a patio. Its enormous tablelike leaves, more than 15 inches across, can grow up to 3 feet in diameter. On another visit, I saw dazzling, creamy white plumes, like an astilbe flower, soaring above the “table” on a long stem, but the leaves absolutely steal the show!

“Flowers are wonderful, but they don’t last forever,” Marcus says, “whereas the foliage is much longer lasting.”

He points out several eye-catching varieties of arisaemas such as green dragon (A. dracontium; zone 4), with its encircling compound leaflets. It is related to the spring woodland wildflower, Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

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Let the Houseplants Out

jack-in-the-pulpit. Cobra lily (Arisaema ringens; zone 6) shines in the garden with its pair of glossy trifoliate leaves, and a showy, green and white striped spathe—a large sheathing bracht—with a hood tucked underneath.

Some plants here are downright surprising in their cold hardiness, such as the hard-to-find shredded umbrella plant (Syneilesis aconitifolia; zone 4).

It’s a shade lover from Asia that slowly opens its deeply dissected leaves on a single stiff stem like an umbrella or a mayapple—10 inches across. Marcus also grows an enchanting Asian mayapple called ‘Spotty Dotty’ (Podophyllum; zone 6), a variegated hybrid that produces a pendulous deep red flower, and eventually a green lemon-shaped fruit (the apple).

Standing tall in the sunshine next to several exotic castor bean plants (Ricinus communis; zone 9) is an unstable canna hybrid called ‘Cleopatra’ (zones 8-11) with a striking combination of color—dark purplish-brown streaks on large bright green leaves. Marcus tells how excited he was to find it during a plant sale in California: “The man selling it didn’t know what he had,” he says.

Other garden highlights include a deep red flowering columbine with

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The back garden is lush and secluded, filled with tropical plants.

chartreuse leaves (Aquilegia ‘Gold Leaf ’; zone 5), a subtropical voodoo lily with a flower that smells like dead animals (Amorphophallus konjac; zone 6), a spiderwort called ‘Bilberry Ice’ (Tradescantia; zone 3) with white and blue flowers, plus a half dozen clematis plants, such as the long-blooming golden bell clematis (Clematis tangutica; zone 5), climbing up the fence.

The Great Plant Migration

The garden blends tropicals with hardy (or nearly hardy) plants.

Top row: Podophyllum ‘Spotty Dotty’ and cobra lily (Arisaema ringens) Middle: Peruvian daffodil (Hymenocallis festalis) and ‘Claire de Lune’ clematis Lower: Castor bean in flower and pineapple lily (Eucomis) in bud.

With all of these tender plants, fall is a busy time for Marcus. He typically spends several weeks in late September and early October digging up nonhardy plants, along with bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes. “Most will survive in the garage,” he says, although he has to water them since the air is dry. This year, Marcus brought the bromeliads indoors after the first snowfall—these plants can take temps down to around freezing.

Marcus digs up his pineapple lilies (Eucomis, zones 7-10,), which sprout from a summer bulb. A native of South Africa, the spike of tiny flowers looks like a pineapple with short, pointed leaves at the top and grows around a foot tall. Soil temperatures have to be warmer than 65 degrees for the bulb to grow, so pineapple lilies are typically started first inside, then transplanted.

Some nonhardy plants, such as agapanthus, are sunk into the garden soil right in their pots, then pulled out again at the end of the season.

Marcus also collects seeds before a plant disperses them by placing a small organza bag over the seed head. “I sur-

prise myself at how many things I am starting from seed now,” he says, such as a chocolate daisy (Berlandiera lyrata; zone 4). The diminutive yellow-petaled flowers with a brown center have a chocolate aroma—especially when the petals are plucked.

Always on the Hunt

Both Marcus and Gary enjoy growing unusual plants in their garden. Gary is the “tree and shrub guy,” Marcus says, and takes care of a Stewartia koreana (zone 5), with its white, almost camellialike flowers, along with the large southern California native matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri; zone 7), which gets wheeled into the garage in the fall.

When its crepe-papery white flowers with golf-ball sized yellow centers drop to the ground, they look like fried eggs!

The couple gets plants from many sources. Marcus receives plants from friends in his old garden club in Washington state. The couple loves to visit nurseries to hunt for something new, and they’re both willing to do the work it takes to successfully grow all of it, year after year, in a Minnesota climate.

Their biggest challenge? Keeping track of it all. Marcus notes the common name, Latin name and how hardy a plant is. “I’m a big believer in [plant] tags,” he says, “so I won’t dig up something I’ve already planted.”

Gail Brown Hudson has a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of Minnesota and is an award-winning garden writer.

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Pandemic Pivot

Garden centers and groups nurture an increase in stay-at-home gardeners.

By Mary Lahr Schier

back in march 2020, karen o’connor and paige pelini took a hard look at their business, Mother Earth Gardens, a garden center with two locations in Minneapolis. “We went through this whole process of figuring out what would be the minimum we could do to survive the year,” O’Connor says.

Little did they know that 2020 would end as a “great year,” both for their business and for gardening as a leisure activity. With people at home for months, an estimated 16 million individuals in the United States took up gardening, according to industry estimates. They bought out seed racks, stood in line to get into nurseries and garden centers, and planted victory gardens. To accommodate this rise in interest and the virus, garden centers, clubs and other organizations had to adjust and pivot—and then, adjust and pivot some more as the situation changed. It’s likely 2021 will involve more adjusting, but garden center owners and horticulture leaders are hopeful that new gardeners will carry on.

Garden Centers ‘Essential’

Pivoting for Mother Earth Gardens meant establishing an online store in 10 days, then when garden centers were declared an “essential business” by the state in April, pivoting again to install plexiglass to protect cashiers, add delivery to health care workers, designate areas 6 feet apart to indicate to customers where to stand, and more. “It was a great year, but it was an expensive year,” O’Connor says. “We were so grateful that we were able to keep all our employees.”

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“

We went through this whole process of figuring out what would be the minimum we could do to survive the year.” ­ –Karen O’Connor

Like O’Connor, Susan Bachman West, president of Bachman’s, credits the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association for advocating to get garden centers designated as essential businesses in April. Bachman’s, too, set up curbside pickup, revamped and expanded its website, and redesigned its stores so there would be more room for customers and staff. Bachman’s also canceled classes and took its customer education events to Facebook.

PANDEMIC GARDENING

BY THE NUMBERS

16 million INDIVIDUALS TOOK UP GARDENING

CARINA LOFGREN

30%

Paige Pelini (left) and Karen O’Connor load the Mother Earth Gardens delivery van.

The staff had never done live videos from Facebook before the pandemic, she says, but they forged ahead.

“It was all new to us, and it wasn’t perfect at first,” Bachman West says. “It was authentic, and I think our customers appreciated that.

“People needed that activity,” she says of gardening. “There’s so much reward that comes from planting a seed or small plant and watching it grow.

It connects us with the natural world

GARDEN CENTERS AVERAGE SALES INCREASE COMPARED TO 2019

MORE THAN

2,500

PEOPLE ATTENDED MSHS-SPONSORED WEBINARS

55,000

PLANTS DISTRIBUTED

BY THE MSHS MINNESOTA GREEN PROGRAM TO 165 COMMUNITY GARDENS

and gives us a bit of a respite from so much unknown.”

Martin Stern, owner of Squire House Gardens in Afton, also saw how much shoppers appreciated the sanctuary that gardening offered.

He moved his business entirely outdoors during the summer, canceled events and brought his sister and brother-in-law in to work in the nursery because some of his older employees were worried about working during the pandemic.

“I think a lot of people felt safer here,” says Stern. “It was all outdoors.

It was not crowded. We never had anybody say they would not wear a mask.

“People so wanted to be here, a place of serenity, quiet and beauty,” he says.

As fall approached, he opened the gift shop again, but with one-way traffic and a more open floor plan to allow customers to maintain distance. He expects to stay open through the holidays but close in January and February to re-group and consider what’s ahead. An emphasis on selling newly introduced plants and quality northern-hardy perennials such as clematis, hellebores and martagon lilies will likely be in the future. “We’re going to be getting back to our roots and focus on the nursery more and not so much the shop,” he says.

Far left: Bachman’s employee Val Frank conducts an online workshop on houseplants.

Left: Martin Stern of Squire House Gardens

Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

35

Pandemic Pivot

“

I think a lot of people felt safer here. It was all outdoors.

It was not crowded. We never had anybody say they would not wear a mask. People so wanted to be here, a place of serenity, quiet and beauty.”

–Martin Stern

Mother Earth Gardens also sold trees and decorations through the holidays, and O’Connor and Pelini are “holding tight” through the winter and deciding how to serve customers safely going forward. “I can’t tell you how many people came in and said they were grateful we were open,” she says. “We’re in this business because we love it. This year, in particular, that love and passion for the business has been amplified.”

Zoom Life for Garden Clubs

While most garden centers experienced increased sales (an average of 30 percent higher in 2020 than 2019, according to the Garden Center Group), most garden clubs lost their biggest fundraising events of the year—May plant sales. They also had to cancel in-person meetings, garden tours, flower shows and other events.

The 40-member St. Cloud Flower and Garden Club was among the groups that turned to the online platform Zoom to hold events after the pandemic made meeting in person

impossible. One unexpected effect of the online format is that the club actually has more members attend via Zoom than they typically did in person, according to member Joan Andersen.

The club hopes it will be able to hold an in-person garden tour in summer 2021 since outside events now seem fairly safe. “For now, we’re going to do Zoom and hope for the best,” she says.

The Men’s and Women’s Garden Club of Minneapolis also canceled all of its events and moved meetings online, says board member Becky DeLaCruz. This included a popular plant sale, speaking to people at the Mill City Farmers’ Market, a garden tour, and a flower and photo show in August. One bright spot for the club was that it was able to continue its scholarship program and its volunteer maintenance of gardens at several Minneapolis parks.

“If we’ve had any losses this year, it’s been the camaraderie in attending meetings and getting together,” DeLaCruz says. The club has canceled its public plant sale for May 2021, moving

Volunteers with the Men’s and Women’s Garden Club of Minneapolis care for a public garden.

it to an online sale for members only.

MSHS has also pivoted extensively this year, canceling its largest fundraising event in spring, losing the chance to reach out to gardeners at the Minnesota State Fair, and moving dozens of classes from paid and in-person to free and online. However, the eagerness of new and experienced gardeners for information and encouragement was clear. Some webinars were attended by more than 250 people.

“I’m optimistic that the gardening community grew in 2020,” Bachman West says, and she’s hoping gardeners will teach and share with new people.

“We need to keep those new gardeners and pay it forward.”

Mary Lahr Schier is the editor of Northern Gardener.

A NEW GARDENER THRIVES When Rhoda Musyoka told her husband, Musyoka Kalio, that she was going to start a flower garden, he thought she was kidding. “He always plants a vegetable garden, and I have pleasantly enjoyed what comes out of it for many years,” she says, but with children and a demanding job in accounting, gardening had not been on her to-do list.

Until the pandemic. Working from home, she started watching the popular Garden Answer videos on YouTube.

Pretty soon, she was edging out a space to plant, and scouring nurseries and stores for deals on shrubs and flowers.

She found some hydrangeas for $2 each (score!) and ended up with nine in her new garden. Eventually, she added blackeyed Susans, shasta daisies and astilbe to the front and sideyard beds she had carved out. She discovered she loved the colors of Heuchera and Glow Girl® spirea, and the cascading tops of Graceful Grasses® Baby Tut™ papyrus. She planted containers to enhance the front entrance to their home in

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Apple Valley. Eager to share her new-found hobby, she opened an Instagram account under the handle @gardenapprentiz to share photos with other gardening enthusiasts.

“Sitting on this end of the season,” Musyoka noted in September, “I’m really glad I did it. Gardening was a good outlet for me—there is always something to do.” It also brought out her creative side, both in arranging and caring for the plants in the garden and in taking photos of them. She’s already planning for the 2021 season.

“It has been a tough year for a lot of people,” Musyoka says, “but it’s been a good year for us.”

—M.L.S.

GARDENERS REACH OUT

‘We Care’ in Minneapolis plant-grow-share, a grassroots food justice and equity program in Minneapolis’ Central neighborhood, has been around since 2015. Faced with extra challenges in 2020, it found new ways to serve the community. The group offers a diverse range of programs for residents including workshops and classes on indoor seed starting, soil fertility and health, and preserving the harvest. It also provides raised beds to those who want to grow their own vegetables.

With Hosmer Garden in south Minneapolis as its home base, PlantGrow-Share has created a space for BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) community members to gather, heal, learn and enjoy bountiful harvests. The group grows culturally appropriate foods at Hosmer, including okra, collard greens, papalo, epazote and amaranth. Its gathering spaces often host shared meals. Plant-GrowShare staff members also have created food-related jobs for community members, further strengthening ties. They meet regularly with community leaders to make sure that they are addressing the most urgent, unique needs for

Plant-Grow-Share volunteers pick vegetables for the CSA boxes.

diverse groups of people.

In past years, Plant-Grow-Share founder Fernanda Sequeiros and other volunteers harvested vegetables from Hosmer each week and delivered them around the neighborhood on a distinctive bike-powered farmers’ market cart. This year, they retooled their programming in response to the pandemic and civil unrest in the city.

“Our community faced a host of issues this year, between local grocery stores being periodically closed, and transportation being difficult and time consuming, to the stress of dealing with lost jobs and distance learning,” says Sequerios. “We wanted to serve our community in a way that minimizes the stress of worrying about food by delivering vegetables right to peoples’ doors.”

This year’s program, designed with safety for both volunteers and community members in mind, was called “We Care Boxes,” a fresh produce subscription box similar to a CSA (community supported agriculture) box. In addition to the produce grown by Sequeiros and

other volunteers at Hosmer garden, more than a dozen gardeners around Minneapolis dedicated growing space to the program. The result? Twenty families in the Central and Bryant neighborhoods received a box of fresh vegetables every other week this summer and fall. More than 1,000 pounds of vegetables were given away over the course of the year.

Plant-Grow-Share is looking to deepen and expand its efforts to grow food in 2021, creating jobs and lifting up BIPOC leaders in the Central and Bryant neighborhoods. The organization is currently raising funds to transform an unused lot in the area, which will more than double its capacity for growing food and also provide a new indoor gathering space once pandemic restrictions are lifted.

You can support this work by visiting givemn.org/story/Plantgrowshare.

—Jennifer Rensenbrink

Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

37

Magnolia Menace Observation, early treatment can reduce magnolia scale infestations.

There

Story and photos by Don Engebretson

are two things I know about you, if you have magnolias in your landscape: You adore these fabulous spring-blooming trees and would be heartbroken if you lost them.

That’s why it’s important to learn about magnolia scale (Neolecanium cornuparvum) and how to detect and treat an outbreak of this devastating insect.

What Is It?

Adult magnolia scale females are pinkish-orange to shiny brown, oval, convex and up to ½ inch in diameter. Attaching themselves to newer (one- to two-year-old) branches (not leaves), at a glance they can be mistaken for buds.

Males impregnate females in spring, then die. Females lay eggs in June. Midsummer, they begin to secrete a whitish waxy substance that covers their entire body.

Eggs hatch in late August, producing tiny, gnatlike insects. This is the “crawler” stage when insects move about the landscape, increasing spread within an infested tree and spreading to new trees. Crawlers may appear as late as October.

Insects enter the nymph stage and overwinter on branches. They mature in spring and the one-year cycle begins anew. This is a “soft” scale insect (versus hard); the whitish, elliptical shell of the mature insect is not the insect itself but a waxy coating developed as a protective measure.

Adult females and nymphs insert their sharp, sucking mouthparts into tender bark to tap plant sap. Loss of sap as the infestation grows causes loss of energy resources. The stress causes leaf yellowing and loss,

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

branch dieback and canopy thinning.

If left untreated, magnolia scale can greatly harm plants in one to two seasons and injure them to the point of no return in three.

Magnolia scale has been on the radar of university and industry experts across North America for the past 20 years. As with most harmful insects, infestation is cyclical, worse some years than others. Unusually warm summers with abundant moisture are ideal conditions for increased magnolia scale activity.

All magnolia varieties sold in the northern zones are susceptible.

Further Identification

A second-year infestation will produce visible honeydew and sooty mold in summer. Honeydew— black, sticky, oil-like—is the excess sugars in the sap excreted by the scale insects. It will cover and drip from leaves and be visible dripping on mulch, walkways, vehicles or anything beneath the plant. Sugar-loving insects—bees, wasps, flies and ants—will often be present in high numbers.

Sooty mold is an aptly named, dark brown to black fungal growth caused by honeydew that discolors all or a portion of leaves. Since the presence of honeydew and sooty mold are most often what alerts homeowners to a magnolia scale infestation, I sense reeducation on the part of homeowners is called for.

Detecting Scale

How many times have I said it in the pages of this magazine—to be a gardener means closely observing all your plants several times per week. Buy a good quality

Top: Honeydew from a serious scale infestation will drip from leaves.

Center: Scale insects overwinter in the nymph stage on branches.

Lower: The waxy coverings of magnolia scale

magnifying glass, as essential a tool to a gardener as a hand pruner or spade. Be it insect infestation or fungal disease, early detection is key.

Early detection starts at the nursery. Bring your magnifying glass with you when purchasing a magnolia tree.

Nurseries in general do a good job of monitoring their plants for pests, but they also miss them. Be certain you are purchasing a pest-free plant.

Closely observe your magnolia(s) before leaves bud in early spring.

Females from the previous year are dead, their white, waxy coating is gone and they appear dark tan. Nymphs that have overwintered will be visible through the magnifying glass.

Now monitor weekly. As temperatures warm, overwintering nymphs mature, females lay eggs and begin creating their white convex shells (visible to the naked eye). Remember, initial infestation will occur in late summer, so with the magnifying glass be on the lookout for pinhead-size, black to reddish insects in the crawler stage August through October.

Treatment

If you catch the infestation in the initial, late summer crawler stage, blast the insects off with a sharp stream of water from the hose. Repeat as needed. Another option is to spray the plant with an all-purpose organic chemical or synthetic chemical insecticide. Neem oil is a good organic spray to use, malathion an effective synthetic.

If adult scale is detected—the white shells—insecticides aren’t very effective. Try scraping the insects off branches with a gloved hand or Popsicle stick. Adults cannot climb

back on the tree. If it’s only a few branches, another option is to prune these branches off.

The worst-case scenario is one I faced in a client’s yard four years ago.

Here’s what happened: Late August, I’m in a client’s gorgeous backyard for the first time since the previous summer and walking past the 8-foot ‘Ricki’ magnolia I planted five years before. I see black honeydew dripping from leaves. A full one-quarter of the tree is infected, heavy white shell growth along one- and two-year-old stems, crawlers hopping around here and there. This is a borderline heavy infestation that originated one year ago.

The first thing I did was spray the plant with an insecticide to kill the crawlers. Then I went to a local nursery and purchased the chemical imidacloprid, sold under a variety of brand names. I mixed it according to label directions as a soil drench, pouring 2 gallons of the water/chemical solution in a 3-foot diameter circle around the plant. The insecticide is drawn into the plant via the roots. In late September, I returned and sprayed the tree with petroleum-based organic horticultural oil to ward off any late arriving crawlers.

In early May the following year, I did a second imidacloprid soil drench. The tree bloomed sporadically and was slow out of the gate that season. The next year—two years after the fall treatment—‘Ricki’ was the picture of health, as it is to this day.

The eagle-eyed homeowner now makes sure of it.

Writer Don Engebretson can be reached via email, don@renegadegardener.com.

Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

39

Think You’re Out of Room?

Here are seven reasons why you’re wrong about that.

MARK THAT SPOT A placeholder plant is a garden-worthy plant that you happen to have a lot of, which you plant in your garden until you find something you like better to grow in its place. It’s also a plant that is easily removed when the time comes. Here’s what I mean: A garden-worthy plant. It’s not a weed. People grow placeholder plants on purpose. It’s probably “common” and maybe not exciting, but it grows without much fuss and looks pretty.

Johnny-jump-ups (Viola tricolor)

It’s easily removed. Placeholder plants are generally shallow-rooted and not inclined to grow back from bits of root left in the ground. This is key. There are plenty of plants that wind up in gardens that spread or self-sow rampantly and are not easily removed. We call these weeds— or worse.

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Hardy geranium

Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa)

MARY LAHR SCHIER

You have a lot of it. You have a lot of it because you have the right soil conditions and climate for it. It may be one of those plants that “everyone has” and so it was passed along to you.

It may happily self-sow in your garden. But . . .

Story and photos by Kathy Purdy

It happens to us all: you go to the garden center, fall in love with a plant, and bring it home—but you have no idea where to plant it. You wander around the garden, but it looks like there’s no room. Often there is room, but you just can’t see it. A little garden finessing may be all you need. Here are seven ways I make room when there is no room.

Something died. Hallelujah! Oops—I mean, RIP. The standard consolation gardeners comfort themselves with when a plant dies is, “Now I can plant something else!” Sometimes it’s not much of a consolation, such as when a favorite small tree gets a blight and expires. Sometimes it really solves a problem. The easiest way to find room for a new plant: take out a dead one.

Evict some weeds. Every place a weed is growing in your garden, a garden-worthy plant could be growing instead—especially if you have some big bruisers, which are just taunting you with their brazen hogging of garden space. Take them out and put something better in their place. Every time I weed a bed, I try to think of a garden plant that

Poppies

Extend the edge. It’s amazing how much room you’ll find if you cut a new edge to an existing flower bed. Take it out another 6 inches—a foot if you think you can get away with it—and see what you can tuck in. There are good reasons for changing the edge of a bed, besides making more room.

You may see that the outline of the bed would be more pleasing if it were adjusted. Easier maintenance is another reason. We recently acquired a riding lawn mower and I have been re-positioning the bed edges to make mowing easier.

Cut it down to size. Reduce a perennial clump by half, or prune an overgrown shrub.

Sometimes it takes a while to realize that a plant has exceeded its allotted space. You need to look at your garden with fresh eyes. Try walking around your garden in the opposite direction you normally do, to break out of your usual way of looking at the garden. Or dig up some older photos—you’ll be surprised at how

Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)

PHOTO COURTESY OF WALTERS GARDENS, INC.

Perennial dianthus (Dianthus plumarius)

could replace the weeds, even if it’s just a placeholder plant. Don’t know what a placeholder plant is? See the story on the opposite page.

Northern Gardener l January/February 2021

41

HOW PLACEHOLDERS HELP

Think You’re Out of Room?

much things have grown. Pot up the extra plants to donate to a plant sale or swap with a garden buddy. You can also (gasp!) just toss them on the compost pile.

Remove some placeholder plants. They’ve done their job. They kept that ground free of weeds while you waited for the perfect plant for that spot, and now that you have that perfect plant, it’s time to dig the placeholders out, with gratitude.

Prune up a shrub. Many shrubs grow all the way to the ground, but they don’t have to.

I’ve cut the lowest branches off my lilacs, lopping off every branch lower than 3 feet. It would look weird with no lower leaves if there was just dirt underneath, but I’ve planted a lovely skirt of hostas below. Ninebarks and panicle hydrangeas can also be pruned in this way, taking on an almost treelike appearance. I learned this trick by visiting other gardens. If you’re not sure which shrubs can be pruned this way, try visiting a public garden and pay attention to the shrubs. If your woody plant is described as a large shrub or a small tree, that’s another clue that it will take well to this kind of pruning and underplanting.

Sometimes you need to combine techniques to create the space you need. For example, you might need to pull weeds, extend the edge of the bed, and remove some groundcover to make room for that plant in a pot that you are carrying around.

With the exception of weeding (which is just standard maintenance) all of these techniques are types of garden editing or tweaking—my favorite part of ongoing garden creation. Every garden past the brandnew stage needs this kind of evaluation and adjustment. When you do it, you get a neater, more attractive garden and room for a new plant— win win!

Kathy Purdy lives in upstate New York and is the proprietor of the website coldclimategardening.com.

Forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica)

Rose campion (Lychnis coronaria)

Pink Chablis® deadnettle (Lamium maculatum)

PHOTO COURTESY OF PROVEN WINNERS

Foxgloves (Digitalis lutea)

Does it spark joy? Take a page from tidiness expert Marie Kondo and ask yourself this question as you walk around your garden. If you find yourself sighing when you look at a certain plant, if it looks tired, is always plagued with a disease or insect pest, or it just bores you, I hereby give you permission to get rid of it without waiting for it to die. Then plant something you like better!

When you start a new garden, renovate an old one or have a spot open up because a plant dies, you may not know exactly what you want to put in it. Or new plants are small and need to grow and fill in the space. So, you plant placeholder plants until a better plant comes along.

Common placeholder plants in my garden: • Johnny-jump-ups (Viola tricolor) • Hardy geraniums, especially bigroot Geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum) • Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa) • Perennial dianthus (Dianthus gratianopolitanus, D. plumarius) • Annual poppies (Papaver somniferum, P. rhoeas) • Creeping sedums, such as angelina (Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’) • Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) • Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea, D. lutea) • Forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica) • Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) • Rose campion (Lychnis coronaria) • Spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum) To outsiders they are just an attractive part of your garden.

Meanwhile, you don’t have to worry as much about weeding, you don’t have to feel in a rush to buy something new, and it looks a lot better than a sea of mulch. It makes gardening more relaxing.

—K.P.

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

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43

NORTHERN VIEW

The Hydrangea Obsession

“

Hydrangeas make you feel happy when you see them and they’re easy to grow."

Limelight Prime® panicle hydrangea

the frigid temperatures of january can act like cold water in the face and bring about a fresh perspective on your garden. The distance that time provides, and the sight of a garden covered in snow is like a clean slate, ready for new ideas. That is the advantage of being a northern gardener! So here I am, mulling over what I have and what’s next on my “plants most wanted list.”

Number one on my “what I don’t need” list are hydrangeas. Don’t get me wrong—I love them like most gardeners do. I have five of them (two Incrediballs®—one on either side of our front steps—and three compact Little Limes® in a small grouping), which is as much as I can handle in my tiny Minneapolis yard. But last summer I noticed a case of “hydrangea overkill” that made me wonder if we’ve all gone too far. In a nearby neighborhood, one homeowner had surrounded their entire house with hydrangeas of every size and color. A long line of tall Quick Fire™ hydrangea shrubs almost hid the home with showy cones of white flowers.

Are we obsessed with hydrangeas?

“Hydrangeas make you feel happy when you see them and they’re easy to grow,” says Natalie Carmoli, public relations specialist for Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Shrubs.

“To me, no shrub has the flower power of Hydrangea,” agrees Bailey Nurseries product development manager (and Northern Gardener Plant to Pick columnist) Debbie Lonnee. “That flower power lasts for such a long period of time in summer depending on species.

Easy to grow, and some are USDA Zone 3 hardy. All these attributes add up to a winning genus.”

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

This explosion of hydrangea’s popularity started back in 2004, when the almost fairy tale story of Bailey’s first Endless Summer® Hydrangea macrophylla won gardeners’ hearts and sparked nursery producers to grow more of them. The shrub was found in a St. Paul garden and woody plants expert Michael Dirr spearheaded Bailey’s introduction of this first truly repeat-blooming Hydrangea macrophylla, calling it a “transformational plant.”

By 2016, the University of Tennessee reported hydrangeas accounted for 13.5 percent of all shrubs sold in the United States—$91 million worth of hydrangeas or more than 10 million plants sold annually. And in 2020, the National Garden Bureau announced the “Year of the Hydrangea” as one of the most sought-after shrubs in North America.

While there are approximately 1,000 species, hybrids and cultivars of Hydrangea, three species are the most popular—the classic mophead H. macrophylla (Endless Summer® BloomStruck® and Summer Crush™), the cone-shaped blooms of H. paniculata (‘Limelight’, Quick Fire®), and the big pompom blooms of H. arborescens or smooth hydrangeas (‘Annabelle’, Incrediball®).

And it’s no surprise that there are more coming.

Bailey’s and Proven Winners shrub breeders are particularly on the hunt for smaller, more compact hydrangeas so you can grow one in a container or in small spaces. This spring, Proven Winners will release a 2- to 3-foot-tall panicle hydrangea called Fire Light Tidbit™. Breeders are also trying to improve hydrangeas by making the stems

stronger and selecting for multiple buds on one stem—so if the top buds freeze or get cut off, you’ll still have blooms on your plant in the summer. Bailey’s breeders are also looking for flowers with more red tones like the recently introduced raspberry-colored Endless Summer® Summer Crush™.

For gardeners, the latest choices continue to be overwhelming!

Hydrangeas may be one of “North America’s most beloved garden plants,” as Carmoli says, but to have too many of them in your yard is a mistake. A good garden is a sum of its well-planned parts. Choose your favorite hydrangea and give it a starring role in the landscape.

Make it a focal point to draw the eye down a gravel path, perhaps. Then use other plants as supporting actors. Contrast the bigger leaves of a hydrangea with finer foliage of ferns or an ornamental grass. These plants can hide the woody “legs” of the shrubs. Complementing the color of the hydrangea flowers with other plants works well, too. For example, echo the candy pink of Invincibelle ® Spirit Hydrangea with a similarly colored astilbe or heuchera plant.

If you can’t get enough of hydrangeas, plant in a group of three or use as a foundational planting. At least in my yard, less is more.

Gail Brown Hudson has a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of Minnesota.

She is an award-winning garden writer.

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