Northern Gardener - January/February 2022

YO U R B E ST GA R D E N C H E C K L I ST F O R 2 0 2 2

Gardener Northern

A MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY PUBLICATION

JUMPING WORMS:

A NEW INVADER

Garden Ages JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022

FOR THE

BEST TIPS

for Winter Sowing

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 l VOLUME 150 l NUMBER 1

Table of Contents 20

26

Garden for the Ages

A New Invader

BY SUSAN DAVIS PRICE

BY GAIL HUDSON

The English-style garden Marge Hols crafted in St. Paul earns a spot in the Smithsonian.

Jumping worms can destroy soil and forests, and gardeners are on the front lines.

30 Winter Sowing Perfected

After 15 years of growing plants this budget-friendly way, our writer shares her best tips and techniques.

BY MICHELLE MERO RIEDEL

IN EVERY ISSUE 2 Director’s Note 4 MSHS News: Classes, calendar and more.

34 Dog vs. Garden

With a few tricks, you can keep your canine contained and your garden thriving.

BY LAURA SCHWARZ

36

14 Plant to Pick: Golden Sunset™ yellow prairie grass. By Debbie Lonnee 15

By Design: Scentsational.

By Diane McGann 16 DIY: Round wooden plant hanger.

By Eric Johnson

BY NATHAN DALMAN

17 Pollinators: Rethink and shrink your lawn.

By Rhonda Fleming Hayes

38 Here’s your what-to-do-when list for 2022.

BY MARY LAHR SCHIER

13 Garden Solutions: A plant for every room.

By Laura Schwarz

Pick Perfect Peppers

Are disease-resistant peppers better than the rest?

Mark Your Calendar

12 Northern Natives: Ostrich fern.

By Beth Stetenfeld

18 Kitchen Garden: Herbes de Provence.

By Samantha Johnson 44 Northern View: The last patch.

By Jennifer Rensenbrink

ABOUT THE COVER: Marge Hols’ St. Paul garden evokes English cottage style. Photo by Michelle Mero Riedel.

Happy New Year from all of us at the hort society!

MSHS Board of Directors Laura Wagner, Chair Mary Marrow, Vice Chair Del Hampton, Treasurer Renay Leone, Secretary Nan Eserkaln Debra Kvamme Paul Markwardt Judy MacManus Amee McDonald Mary Hockenberry Meyer Rhys Williams

A NOTE FROM

MSHS Staff

The Director ’tis the season to cozy up by the fire, reminisce about 2021, dream about a fresh start in 2022, and share some gifts.

This winter issue has a bountiful array of gifts for everyone.

No matter how many days or decades we’ve been gardening, it’s always a challenge to stay on top of what to do when. Our first gift to you is the monthly checklist (page 38) of gardening tasks to put up on the fridge, maybe using one of the fun magnets from our online store. Or share it with a budding gardener you know. For those of you on our email list (if you’re not, our free bimonthly newsletter is a fantastic resource), our second annual collage of favorite photos and quotes from the year will be in your in-box soon. What a challenge it was to select just a dozen or so moments from all the rich interactions we have had in 2021.

Our annual Impact Report celebrates a great year of advancing our new strategic plan—and exceeding pretty much every goal—and points toward even more growth together in 2022.

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Lara Lau-Schommer, Education and Outreach Director

The biggest gift of all is what you give us. You are the members, readers and writers, class participants and teachers, volunteers and donors (big shoutout to everyone included in our Honor Roll of Donors on pages 6-7) who make all this possible. Our humble team of six staff and 11 board members is honored to carry out much of the mission, but it is always with the strong backing and spirit of more than 20,000 of you who collectively are the horticultural society.

— Rick Juliusson (he/him) Executive Director

Becky Swee, Communications and Marketing Director Diane Duvall, Development Director Courtney Tchida, Community Programs Director Ann Londrigan, Membership Associate Joel Hoeger, Bookkeeper Emma Krasky, Quaker Voluntary Service Fellow Betsy Pierre, Advertising Sales Manager

Northern Gardener Magazine

P.S. This issue marks a major milestone: 150 years of MSHS publishing gardening information. Join us in celebrating all year long as we share 150 of our best tips from as many years in each issue of Northern Gardener in 2022 and on our blog. Follow along!

651-643-3601 l info@northerngardener.org

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Rick Juliusson, Executive Director

@mnhort

Mary Lahr Schier, Editor Debbie Lonnee, Horticultural Editor Julie Jensen, Copy Editor Barbara Pederson, Designer Joe Luca, Newsstand Consultant Copyright 2022 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.

F

(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.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

MSHS Calendar

Growing Microgreens

MEG COWDEN

Thursday, Feb. 24, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $40 members, $45 nonmembers Location: Third Space, 2930 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis Instructor: Amanda Yadav, owner & operator at Fiddlehead Farm

This class is excellent for home growers who want to try more flavorful varieties of microgreens that take a bit longer to grow, such as basil, cilantro and leeks. We will explore different growing media (hydroponic mats and coco coir), and there will be time to ask questions about the current varieties and set-ups folks are using. Some growing experience is recommended but not required.

The class fee includes all materials needed to plant in class: two grow trays, a dome, standard grow medium, hydroponic mat, coco coir and non-GMO seeds of basil, cilantro, leek and brassica blend.

Gardening In a New Climate Tuesday, Jan. 11, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers Location: Your computer Instructor: Meg Cowden

How do we adjust our growing methods to meet the changing climate? From late frosts followed by early and prolonged summer heat to flash flooding followed by weeks-long dry spells, how do we make the most of our short but increasingly erratic growing season? If it's hotter, can we grow warmer zone annuals and perennials? Understanding and managing pests, being a present and keen observer of your own garden and planting diversely will bring resilience to the garden and gardener in our new normal. Meg Cowden is an author who extends the season in her large vegetable garden. She’ll share her best tips for gardening in an unpredictable climate.

Seed Starting Basics Tuesday, Feb. 8, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers, free for Garden-in-a-Box and Minnesota Green participants Location: Your computer Instructor: Courtney Tchida

Starting your own seeds allows you to pick varieties you love, grow many plants for less money and brighten up late winter days with the promise of summer gardens.

Learn about seed selection, seed starting soil mixes, flats, pots, lighting, temperature and fertilizers for optimum growth, and how to use soil blockers and other seed starting tools. This is a great class for new or experienced indoor seed starters.

Sowing Seeds Outdoors in the Winter Tuesday, Jan. 25, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers Location: Your computer Instructor: Michelle Mero Riedel

Sowing seeds outdoors in the winter is easy, rewarding and inexpensive.

This method of growing seeds uses recyclables to make mini greenhouses. The greenhouses are placed outside in the winter and spring months. Because nature controls the germination of winter-sown seeds, plants are hardier than artificially forced indoor plants. Outdoor sowing is fun, rewarding and moves at a much more leisurely pace than inside sowing. In addition to teaching gardening classes, Michelle owns Riedel Photography and is a photographer and writer for Northern Gardener magazine. See her article on best practices for winter sowing on page 30.

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Plant Selection: Right Plant, Right Place, Right Purpose Thursday, Feb. 17, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers Location: Your computer Instructor: Julie Weisenhorn

Proper plant selection is critical to sustainable landscapes and the overall success of a design. University of Minnesota Extension horticulturist Julie Weisenhorn teaches proper plant selection starting with understanding the site itself—soil, light, moisture, exposure, size—and the importance of choosing plants that will thrive in that location. The result? A longlived, healthy and sustainable landscape.

Attendees will also be introduced to the new Plant Elements of Design plant selection database, a useful tool when selecting plants for Minnesota gardens!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sustainable Landscape Design Basics for Homeowners Workshop Saturday, March 26, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. $130 members, $135 nonmembers Registration deadline: March 13 Location: Your computer via Zoom Instructors: Julie Weisenhorn and Jim Calkins, U of M horticulturists

Community Events ProHort Core Course (online) University of Minnesota Extension January 2022; Registration deadline: Jan. 3 $550 MSHS members; use promo code MNHORT $590 nonmembers Instructors: University of Minnesota Extension faculty This comprehensive horticulture course consisting of 14 online modules lets you learn at your own pace with resources and guidance from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and University of Minnesota Extension. Registration includes course manual and optional live-online facilitated question-and-answer sessions. Register now; self-paced online course opens Jan. 6! Contact: z.umn.edu/prohort.

Spring Trends in Gardening Men’s and Women’s Garden Club of Minneapolis Tuesday, Jan. 11, 7 – 8 p.m.

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

Join the Men’s and Women’s Garden Club of Minneapolis, along with staff from the Tonkadale Greenhouse in Minnetonka to discuss Spring 2022 gardening trends.

Meeting site is tentative. For up-to-date meeting site information and Zoom meeting link, go to gardenclubmpls.org/calendar/events.

This intensive, full-day workshop is your opportunity to learn the theory and basic principles of sustainable landscape design and how to avoid design mistakes commonly made by both novices and professionals. Historically offered as an in-person workshop, we have worked hard to create a compelling online offering as an alternative.

The curriculum is comprehensive and focuses on the landscape design process in a logical, step-by-step fashion to introduce the basic principles of sustainable landscape design and includes a sequence of real-world, landscape-specific exercises that provide opportunities to put pencil to paper and apply the landscape design principles and techniques discussed during the workshop. Without a doubt, spring and the principles learned during this informative workshop should get your creative juices flowing as you consider the exciting possibilities for your home landscape.

Class participants will need a computer or tablet with internet access to attend the class.

Jumping Worms Minnesota Chapter North American Rock Garden Society Saturday, Jan. 15, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Hennepin Technical College, 9000 Brooklyn Blvd., Room H193/195, Brooklyn Park.

Contact: Doug Root, minn.nargs@gmail.com or 651-697-9183; mn-nargs.org.

The Genus Brassavola Orchid Society of Minnesota Saturday, Jan. 15, 1 – 3 p.m.

Bachman’s Garden Center, 6010 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis.

Our speaker is Jim Vlasic, a long-time member of the Orchid Society of Minnesota. Brassavola nodosa is commonly known as the Lady of the Night for its nighttime fragrance used to attract pollinating moths. It is widely used by hybridizers.

Contact: orchidsocietyofminnesota@gmail.com.

Winter Carnival Orchid Show Orchid Society of Minnesota Saturday, Jan. 29, and Sunday, Jan. 30, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

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

Each year, during the St. Paul Winter Carnival, the Orchid Society of Minnesota turns the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory into a tropical paradise with hundreds of blooming orchids. The orchids on display are from the collections of orchid society members, the conservatory and orchid vendors. Learn about orchid culture and purchase quality orchids and orchid-related items.

Cost: $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 3 to 12. Advance tickets are required.

Contact: Michael Dyda, michael1027us@yahoo.com.

Community Events continue on page 8

SEE ALL UPCOMING CLASSES AND REGISTER AT NORTHERNGARDENER.ORG/CLASSES. Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

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MSHS GIVING

Gifts from generous gardeners like you make the Minnesota State Horticultural 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, 2020, to June 30, 2021, at $50 and above. We are honored to partner with our donors at every level and thank each and every one of you for your generous support. $50,000 The Cargill Foundation $5000 TO $10,000 Capitol Region Watershed District Ryan Family Fund USDA in partnership with The Food Group West Bank Community Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation $1,000 TO $2,999 Anonymous Bailey Nursery Foundation Gordon & Josephine Bailey Betty Jayne Dahlberg Tina Dombrowski Joan R. Duddingston Erin L. George Jean & Michael Heger John & Marla Ordway Charitable Lead Trust Janice Johnson Judith Johnson The Judia Fund Phyllis & Donald Kahn Foundation Adele Kaufman Susan M. Kennedy Fund Marilyn R. Larson Renay W. Leone Alice Lesney Mary & James Meyer James Miller & Cherie Peterson Saint Paul Garden Club Gary & Mary Ann Schokmiller Leona & Jerald Shannon

Target Corporation $500 TO $999 Jan & Walker Angell Denis Bakke Terry Beitlich Joan & Robert Bonello Teresa Bruckner Champlin Garden Club Faye Duvall Eagan Garden Club Jennifer Ebeling James P. Gehrey Elizabeth Gilthvedt Carla Goers & Tom Iago Pegi & Tom Harkness The Head Family Foundation Marjorie & David Hols Ruth & Alvin Huss Joel Karsten Sharon Krumme Christine Kvalseth Debra Kvamme John P. Longendyke Linda Lorenz & Terry Smith Mary Winston Marrow Katherine Meehan & Emmett Carpel Hamdon Park Co-op Frans & Helen Officer Warren H. Olson Andrew Peltier Mary Jo Peterson Gary & Pam Reierson Gayle Rettner Marlin D. Schenck Renee Schlabach South St. Paul Garden Club Sara & Eric Werzel Brenda Wickenhauser

HEIRLOOM CIRCLE Members of the Heirloom Circle are visionary gardeners who have chosen to make a planned gift, providing the society with long-term financial stability to inspire, educate and connect gardeners.

$200 TO $499 Kirstine Barnaby John & Lisa Anne Bauch Nancy Beals Fred Berndt Michael Boggess Linda & George Bounds Brian Citak Susan Cooper Julie Donaldson David Dudycha Mary Allen & Susan Eckfeldt Janet G. Ekern Elizabeth & Peter Ekholm Georgiann & Joseph Errigo Tom Evers Kay & Nile Fellows Sandra Fetyko Charity Fretty Barrie Froseth & Maeve Murphy Tami Gallagher Leland & Beverly Gehrke Susie & Hal Goldstein Marilyn & Bill Gorham Monica Graham Daniel Green & James Scott-Greene Nancy A. Gross Gerald & Sally Haugen Charles Hendrix Bonnie & Daniel Hollibush Kristin Hott Janelle House Marcia Jaeb Mick Johnson Irma & Bruce Kelley Sharon Kjellberg

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

Becky L. Kleager Antoinette & Joseph Kluck Vicky Koehn Devorah Koval Laurel A. Krause Lake Minnetonka Garden Club Lakeville Area Garden Club Sandra Lauer Judy MacManus Mary Maguire & Bill Lerman Reid Mandel Edward Maranda Kathryn Martin Candace & William Marx Fred & Mitzi McCormick Kathryn Davis Messerich Glen Mitchell Karen Nemchik Bob Newman Russell & Marcelle Noyes Maryann Wolters & Mike Olson Dru Osterud Jaime Pedraza Pat Peine Barbara J. Peterson Maren E. Peterson Nancy Pilgrim Joe Plante & Eric Neumann Randall Propp & Randy Nelson Robert Reitz Tracy A. Rolf Sarah Louise Rossing Annette Roth

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

Madelyn D. Shelstad Shoreview Community Garden Club Todd Sicard Elaine & Robert Smith Kristine Smith Paula Soholt Charles Sorenson DeeAnn M. & Dwayne L. Stenlund Ruth Stephens Mary Stockard Joan & Mark Strobel Linda Swanson Debra Syverson Janet & Paul Tolzmann Deb Tomczyk Christine Umhoefer David A. Amdur & Lynn E. Wadsworth Laura Wagner Deborah Wheeler Rhys Williams Rosemary Wislofsky $50 TO $199 101 Market Kathleen Abbott & Douglas Nowers Amazon Smile Foundation Joan Andersen Marlys Anderson Terry Anderson Elwood Anderson Cindy Angerhofer Anonymous (3) Gail Antonson & Steve Hunter Rebecca Arenivar Kathleen Arndt Harold Arneson Laura Arneson

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

Paula Arnold Ann Aurelius Robert Ayers Kate & Paul Baumtrog Jay & Carolyn Becker Cory Bedeaux Lynn Beihl Harrison Benjamin Marty Bergland Linda Berntson James Bertsch Bonnie Beverly Nell Black Jane Blanch William Bleier Susan Blocher Polly Blom Willie Bloomer Peggy Boike Karen Boros Mary Helen Bosquez Dana Boyle Karen Bramwell Rochelle Brandl Deborah J. Breitzman Stephanie Brody Carol & Gerald Brown Deborah L. Brown Rita Buegler Julie Bulver Thomas Buresh Peggy Burress Celeste & James Burton Roberta Butler Linda Canfield Pat Carley Theresa & Steve Carlson Karen Carlson Elaine Carter Margaret Chally Karen Chandler & Craig Schulz Joel Cheney

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

OUR WORK IS ALSO MADE POSSIBLE BY MORE THAN 200 VOLUNTEERS WHO DEDICATED THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF LEADERSHIP, EVENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO THE HORT SOCIETY. TO ADD YOUR NAME TO HORT SOCIETY SUPPORTERS, VISIT NORTHERNGARDENER.ORG/SUPPORT.

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

*Deceased

MSHS GIVING

Nancy Christen Jeannine A. Churchill Mary Cisar & David Sudermann Kay Coddington Elaine B. Cole Jan Colliton Mary Ellen Connelly Peggy J. Crosby Bobbi & Bryant Dahlgren Nicole Dailey Wayne Damerow Elizabeth Danielson Mollie Dean Janie Delaney Rita Dillon John Dimunation David Dornacker Martha Dorow Debra & William Doyle Ann Dunnigan Diane Duvall Karen Edgar Janis & Joyce Edstrom Barbara Ego Michele Eichhorst Rebecca & Tim Emory Pamela Endean Kirsten Engelbrecht Deborah Enyeart Elizabeth Erdahl Jim Ertl Vendla Fahning Jack & Amy Fistler Rhonda Fleming Hayes Joel Flemke Renee Ford Jean Forster Mary Foster Katie & Rick Fournier Bobbie Fredsall Shirley Friberg Rosemary W. Furst Garden Club of Ramsey County Ali Gardner Barbara & Hans Gasterland General Mills Inc. Kathryn Gigler Mary Gilbertson Nancy Glass Robert Glesne Melinda Goetsch B.L. Goodale David & Bobbi Gouker

Kristin Grage Janet Graves Edith Greene Catherine Gustafson Patricia Gwidt Terri Hagen Kathy Halbur Ron Halgerson Margaret Hall Peggy Halpern Ramona Hanneken Judith & James Hartmann Blanche Hawkins Elizabeth Hegman Allen Heimerdinger Barbara Hemsley Marie Henriksen Diane & Steve Henry Christine Herwig Hidden Valley Garden Club Peter Hilger Roger Hintze Judith & Alan Hoffman Carl Hoffman Teri Holberg Alice Holm Barbara Holm Michele Holzwarth Stephen Horan Diana Horrigan Julie Houg Leslie Hughes Janet Hume Dick Humphrey Mike Humrickhouse Linda Hurlburt Audrey Ice Kirsten Ingerson Jerry & Nancy Irsfeld Adelle Jacoby Ladonna M. Jensen Teal Johannsen Renee Johnson Susan & Warren Johnson Steven & Jerri Johnson Karen & Barry Johnson Larry Johnson Ann M. Johnson Kristin Jonason Ellen Jones & Robert McKlveen Anne Jones Sarah & Rick Juliusson Emily Kaczynski Rachel Kahler

Jane Kalin Barbara Kalvik Chuck & Debi Kaminski Susan Kamper Karla Kauffman Barbara Kearn Michaeleen Kelzenberg MaryLynn Kenknight Polly & William Keppel Betsy Kerr & Roberta Steele Martha Kissell Gail Kochie Cindy Kodada Lorraine A. Kretchman Pat Kubly Patricia Lahti David Lande Colles Larkin Dick & Carolyn Larson Mark & Rose Larson Joyce Lasecke Cynthia Launer & Will Thomas Janice Lehman Joyce Lenichek David Lewis GayLynn Liljemark Deborah Lindberg Edwin Lindborg Faith Loggers-Jamnik Ann Londrigan Janet Lubov Margaret Lund & Christopher Steller Mary Lustig Karl Lutz Janis Lysen Dana Mack Barbara MacKenzie Debra Madden-Petersen Carol R. Madison Kathi Austin Mahle & Steve Mahle Barbara & Pete Malamen Peggy Marchesani Paul W. Markwardt William Marth Jean Martinez Elizabeth Massie Joy Mathiesen Susan Mattson Jean Maus Tamara McGehee Sally & Thomas McNamara

Mary & Patrick McNaughton Terry Melcher John & Leslie Mercer Cindy D. Mertens Diane Meskan Schwecke Microsoft Julia Ann Miller Minnesota Dahlia Society Jacqueline Moen & Steve Bailey Bradley Momsen Joyce M. Moody Lisa Moran Elaina Moss Jean Mueting Patricia A. Mullen Michael K. Nation Karen Neenan Suzanne Nelson Lavonne Nelson Vivian Nelson Kristen C. Nelson Kate Netwal Helen Newlin Don & Gerda Nightingale Elizabeth Nordling Cathlene Nordstrom Suzette R. Nordstrom Sandra Nussbaum Evie & Dan Oberdorfer Charitable Fund Carol Oeltjenbruns Laura Olive Jerilynn & Gordon Ommen Howard O'Neill & Donald Barton Corrie Ooms-Beck Marla Ordway Grant & Laura Parcells Charitable Foundation Fund Deb Parker Sharon Parker Shari Parsons Rebecca Pedersen Barb Pederson Jon W. Perry Dean Pertle & Kristine Larson Grethe Petersen Susan Peterson Mary Peterson

Kent Petterson Colleen Pieper Rojean Rada Margaret Reier Martha Rhode Wanda Richardson Michelle Mero Riedel Jonathan Riehle Charlotte Roehr Christine & Randolph Roen Charlene Roise Deborah Roos Lorene & Jim Roste Ilona Rouda Jane Ryan Edith Sandmeier Leslie Scharafanow David & LuAnne Scheerer Mary Schier Claudia & Clifford Schimm Eileen Schlentz & Karen Henry David Schmidt John Schmitz Carolyn Schroeder Mark & Jane Schuck Bryan & Bonnie Schueler Kay Schwebke Penelope Scialla Margaret Searles Securian Financial Linda Sellars Beth Selvig Jennifer Shaltz Elaine Sime Glen & Anna Skovholt Barb Slaggie Theresa Smith Malinda Smith Dorothy Sohn Linda Solender Cindy Soule Patty Sprenger Carol & Jerry Starkey Rick & Judie Steenberg Margaret & James Stevenson Katherine E. Steward Bonnie Stockhaus Terri Stockinger John Stoklosa & Nancy Cole

Kate Stolpman Melissa M. Stone Roxanne Stuhr John Sulzbach Evelyn Sunness Hannah Swee Lori Tate Joanne Tews Marcia Thomas & Chris Pratt Kate Thornton Michael & Christine Till Cindy Tomashek Catherine Trescony Tom Evers & Paul Tuchman Ben Uphoff Jean Van Pelt Jane VanHatten Pauline Varley Dorothy Vawter Ellen Veness Vicky Vogels & Doug Shidell Carol Wahl Jason & Leita Walker Joan Walkowiak Kenneth Walter Jeanne Walz Laurel Watt John Webb Judith Wehrwein Jennifer Weiss Janet Weivoda Norman & Myrna Wente Kathy Widin Sharon & Joseph Wieners Karen Williams Beth Wilson Kristen L. Wintheiser Susan Wiseman Mary Wolff The Kate Wolford Fund Jenny Wrenson Patricia & James Wright Theresa Yockey Mary Kay York Gary Zahrbock Bill Zajicek & Rosemary Slowiak Merrie Zakaras Deborah Zanish Barbara Zeches Kathy Zerwas Andrew Zimmer

TRIBUTE GIFTS Laura Arneson, in memory of Dr. Cecil L. Provence Ashley Bonsen, in honor of Jody Bonsen Karen Bramwell, in memory of Gary Barbara Ann Callet, in memory of Jan Slaughter Brian Citak, in memory of Lisa Citak Faye Duvall, in honor of the MSHS staff Mary Foster, in memory of Lin Stephan Garden Club of Ramsey County, in memory of Sandra Abramson

Garden Club of Ramsey County, in memory of Dorice Van Vorst Susan Goldstein, in honor of Lara Lau-Schommer Peggy Halpern, in memory of Evelyn Davis Abramson Charles Hendrix, in honor of Elizabeth Dolezal Alice Holm, in memory of Ann Mortenson Alice Holm, in memory of Ann Mortenson Renee Johnson, in memory of Mother Karen Johnson, in memory of Edna Krauseneck

Kristin Jonason, in memory of Dr. Gerald “Bud” Nestel Susan Kamper, in memory of Sylvia Dummer Gail Kochie, in memory of Linda Butwinick Renay W. Leone, in memory of Mahlon and Pat Wallace Karl Lutz, in memory of Marlene Yenish Reid Mandel, in memory of Jeanne Mandel Wendy McKellips, in honor of Nancy Merry Joan M. Osell, in memory of Mom

Sharon Parker, in memory of Craig and Shirley Parker Maren E. Peterson, in memory of Grace Peterson Mary L. Petrisko, in memory of Leland Pierson Robert Reitz, in memory of Walda Schipper Gayle Rettner, in honor of all gardeners Sarah Louise Rossing, in memory of David J. Cooke, Bryan Schueler, in memory of Parker Joan and Mark Strobel, in memory of Matthew T. Ruona

Angie Simonson, in memory of Patty Costello Linda Swanson, in memory of Esther Krest Becky Swee, in honor of Margery Swee Ben Uphoff, in memory of Andrew Donald Smith Jeanne Walz, in memory of Robert Walz John Webb, in memory of Anne Baxter Webb Linda Weber, in memory of Jerome Zachman Jennifer Weiss, in memory of Phyllis Weiss

Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

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MSHS GIVING / MSHS NEWS

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR DONORS!

DONATIONS, IN KIND 101 Market Dianne Plunkett Latham Marcie Allen Lilydale Garden Bailey Nurseries Center Terry Beitlich Lunds & Byerlys Constance Bergstedt Amy Matthews Bomgaars Supply Inc. Ginny Mathews Julia Brokaw Medtronic Coastal Seafoods Mike’s Discount Café Latte Foods Cedar Brook Garden Minnesota Gardens Center MN Basket Girl Chenoweth Floral Minnesota Landscape & Greenhouses Arboretum Matt Chosa Monrovia Cobblestone Cafe The Mustard Seed Mary Connor Landscaping & Costco Wholesale Garden Center Ray Doss The Olive Branch Oil Dundee Nursery & Spice Co. & Landscape Carolyn Olson Elaine Evans Otten Bros. Garden Farmington Center & Greenhouse Landscaping Britt Forsberg Pahl’s Market Fresh Thyme Perkins Restaurant Farmer’s Market & Bakery Shirley Friberg Pleasant View Gardens Friends School Plant Sale Portillo’s The Garden By Kathleen & Gary Proff The Woods Proven Winners The Good Acre Ramsey County Barbara Green Master Gardeners Green Barn Garden Rudy’s Redeye Grill Center Mary Lahr Schier Green Earth Growers Michelle Mero Riedel Del Hampton Rush Creek Growers Stephanie Hankerson Karen Ryan Hedberg Supply Sargent’s Nursery Inc. Mike Heger Merlin Schlichting Heidi’s GrowHaus Schulte’s Greenhouse Highland Nursery & Nursery Hill’s Garden St. Edward the Confessor Church Humble Pie Farm Plant Sale Hummingbird Floral Sunnyside Gardens Jean’s The Right Target Stores Plant Place Thompson Farms Julie Humiston Tonkadale GreenKarin Jokela house Kowalski’s Market Nan Truitt K Squared Flowers Wagner Greenhouses Roselind Kattke Jeanne Weiggum Dawn Lamm White Bear Floral Andy Lapham Suzanne Tim Layeux Wold-Burtness Renay Leone

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

COMMUNITY EVENTS continued from page 5

All About Peonies Men’s and Women’s Garden Club of Minneapolis Tuesday, Feb. 8, 7 – 8 p.m.

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

Join the Men’s and Women’s Garden Club of Minneapolis, along with Laverne Dunsmore, owner of Countryside Gardens Peony Farm in Delano, as they talk about one of a gardener’s most treasured plants, the peony.

Meeting site is tentative. For up-to-date meeting site information and Zoom meeting link, go to gardenclubmpls.org/ calendar/events.

What’s New at the Arboretum?

Minnesota Chapter North American Rock Garden Society Saturday, Feb. 12, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Hennepin Technical College, 9000 Brooklyn Blvd., Room H255, Brooklyn Park.

Contact: Doug Root, minn.nargs@gmail. com or 651-697-9183; mn-nargs.org.

Orchid Conservation in the Upper Midwest: The Impact of Climate Change Orchid Society of Minnesota Saturday, Feb. 19, 1 – 3 p.m.

Bachman’s Garden Center, Heritage Room, 6010 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis.

Our speaker is Kenneth Cameron from the University of Wisconsin, whose primary research interests focus on the systematics, evolution, structure and conservation of orchids. He is an expert on vanilla orchids.

Contact: orchidsocietyofminnesota@gmail. com.

MSHS News Become a Community Outreach Sponsor Do you own a garden-related business and want to support the hort society's community outreach programs, including Minnesota Green, Garden-in-a-Box and the MN SEED Project? We're offering a new sponsorship option to focus your support on these valuable programs.

For more information on becoming a community outreach sponsor as well as information on advertising in Northern Gardener or on northerngardener.org, contact Betsy Pierre at 763-295-5420 or besty@pierreproductions.com.

Field Notes for Northern Gardeners Now Coming to You Twice Monthly

Our popular enewsletter, Field Notes for Northern Gardeners, will now be appearing in your inbox twice a month, during the first and third weeks of each month. The enewsletter is free and is a great way to introduce new gardeners to the region-specific information the hort society provides.

Each issue includes seasonal gardening tips, links to new items on our blog and Resource Hub, information about upcoming classes and webinars and even recipes for all the garden produce you grow. If you are not getting the enews or know of someone who would enjoy it, sign up at northerngardener.org/email-list.

MSHS NEWS

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Community Garden Profile: Medtronic Foundation Garden the medtronic foundation community garden at Augsburg University in Minneapolis was founded in 2007. It’s located on the corner of 20th Avenue and Seventh Street near the Augsburg campus.

Through a partnership between Augsburg and M Health Fairview, about 75 gardeners in the Cedar/ Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis collaborate to grow mostly edibles on individual plots. They’ve also cultivated a pollinator garden and have started a bed of edible perennials to share.

Gardeners come from Minnesota, Ethiopia, Somalia, Vietnam and Mexico.

They share their skills and experience with many others who are just learning how to garden. The garden has four main goals: to provide a space for the community to come and learn together, to beautify the neighborhood and campus, to provide growing space for those without it, and to help neighbors access fresh, healthy food.

The community garden also generates 100 pounds of produce that is donated to Augsburg’s Campus Cupboard (sites. augsburg.edu/foodshelf ) each season.

In 2021, MSHS received a Minneapolis Foundation grant to work with the community garden and bring local gardeners together. Together, we provide access to urban agricultural education and resources to build sustainable neighborhood food systems.

For more information, email garden@ augsburg.edu, visit augsburg.edu and search for “community garden.” Or follow @sustainable_augsburgu on Instagram.

“

The community garden also generates 100 pounds of produce that is donated to Augsburg’s Campus Cupboard each season.”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MSHS OUTREACH EFFORTS, VISIT NORTHERNGARDENER.ORG/COMMUNITY-PROGRAMS.

Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

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THIS SEASON IN THE GARDEN

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of tips and tricks for your northern garden

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n a world full of start-ups and pop-up shops, it’s increasingly rare to find an organization championing a singular mission for more than a century. And yet, thanks to thousands of readers and members like you, MSHS has done just that. It all started with a few fruit growers at the Minnesota State Fair who wanted to help others learn how to grow apples and other plants in this harsh northern climate back in 1866—and we’ve never looked back.

2022 marks a major milestone for this small nonprofit—150 years of publishing growing information for northern gardeners. While our publication title and look have evolved over time, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to sharing tried and true gardening tips and ideas to help you grow through humid summers and harrowing winters. To celebrate this milestone, we’re going back into the archives and digging up our top 150 tips from 150 years. Follow along as we sprinkle our best growing gems in every issue and on the blog throughout 2022.

NORTHERN GARDENER: A VISUAL HISTORY

6 T I P S F O R L AY E R I N G P L A N T S

Gardener Northern

A MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY PUBLICATION

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

EDIBLE

ART

GARDENER’S GUIDE TO

Nativars Fall in

Love

with Fall Bloom

1950s With the postwar housing boom, Minnesota Horticulturist focused on landscaping ideas for young homeowners.

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1970s In the 1970s, organic gardening and petite plants for small yards interested gardeners.

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

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WAYS TO PLANT

Tulips NOW

2000s

2021

By the year 2000, Minnesota Horticulturist was Northern Gardener, reflecting our growing reach to all gardeners in cold climates.

Northern Gardener continues to provide relevant information and inspiration amid a changing climate.

GARDEN DESIGN TIPS Our winters can be as long as they are frigid. Rather than bury your head in the snow, we recommend embracing the season. Now is a perfect time to cozy up with a notebook and tackle garden planning and DIY projects.

Start with a sketch. Measure your outdoor space and make note of any existing structures and trees.

Cluster plants in odd numbers.

Annuals and perennials pack a stronger punch when planted in mass. Except for a few stand-alone signature plants, group the rest in threes, fives and sevens for best visual impact.

Design with winter interest in mind.

Weave in plants that will add winter color (red-twig dogwood and blue or yellow conifers) and texture (river birch and shagbark hickory). Try building a fence, pergola, shed, trellis or add a unique piece of garden art that you can enjoy year-round.

As long as we’re spending so much time indoors this time of year, look out your windows and plan for spectacular plantings in those sightlines. Add a flowering crabapple tree or unique evergreen to spruce up high-visibility spots all year long.

150 TIPS

from 150 YEARS

FOR MORE NORTHERN GARDENING TIPS, don’t miss the next issue of Northern Gardener and bookmark our blog—follow along as we add more of our favorite seasonal tips from the archives each month: NORTHERNGARDENER.ORG/BLOG

MSHS NEWS

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Canadian Gardeners Find Inspiration in Zone 3B “doug is my helper,” says Northern Gardener magazine subscriber Kathleen Abbott of her husband, Doug Nowers.

“I’m the gardener, but he does the digging.”

They tend gardens at their cottage in the small town of Métis-sur-Mer along the St. Lawrence River in Quebec where they live five months of the year. “The property came with Doug when I married him 17 years ago,” she says. The couple live in a high-rise in Toronto the rest of the year, where gardening is limited to indoor plants.

The cottage property was filled with wild raspberry patches when Kathleen first arrived but had a lot of potential.

“It was quite a challenge expressing my passion for perennials here—especially in zone 3B,” she says. Her goal was to build the gardens into “something less wild.”

Doug hoped to help Kathleen out and provide some cold-climate inspiration, so he purchased a gift subscription to Northern Gardener magazine for her birthday in 2020. “I found you guys online when I googled gardening magazines, northern,” he says. “Wow— something for those of us up north!”

Kathleen wasn’t new to northern gardening when she met Doug. She grew up gardening on Prince Edward Island where her mother was an avid gardener.

“She was a pure perennial person, too, who taught me that it’s not as hard as you think it is,” Kathleen says of her mother. Whatever skills she didn’t pick up from her mom were acquired when she worked for her grandmother for two summers in high school. “She needed some help in the gardens because her knees were a problem. I ended up leaving with a lifelong love of gardening,” says Kathleen.

Kathleen and Doug began donating to the society shortly after they started their magazine subscription.

“Gardening is such a great activity and adds so much value to our lives and communities,” says Kathleen of their decision to support the hort. “You’re providing opportunities to learn.”

Kathleen Abbott and Doug Nowers

“

I found you guys online when I googled gardening magazines, northern. Wow—something for those of us up north!”

– DOUG NOWERS

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Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

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NORTHERN NATIVES

BETH STETENFELD

Ostrich Fern

dramatic, arching ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) really comes into its own during the late spring and early summer. Also called fiddlehead fern, this plant can form a beautiful, waving foliage backdrop in a shade or partial shade garden. In nature, ostrich ferns are often found in lowland or montane alluvial forests, riverbanks and sandbars, and they’re an excellent choice for rain gardens.

The ostrich fern is one of the most common native ferns, and when it finds a happy home it will easily fill a border. This fern is a larval host plant for several moth species, including the ostrich fern borer moth. Since ferns reproduce by spores instead of seeds, they don’t form flowers. Its value to insects and pollinators is more for cover and forage.

One unique benefit of Matteuccia struthiopteris is that it’s edible, if harvested at the stage when its fiddleheads are just beginning to uncurl. Be sure to correctly identify them! Also, they contain trace amounts of toxins when raw, so they should be thoroughly cooked. They are delicious steamed and then lightly sautéed in butter, salt and pepper.

Other benefits of these ferns include that they are easy to maintain, not attractive to deer and rabbits, and face very few garden problems when the conditions are right. The shallow rhizomes trap soil, which can be useful in preventing erosion. They also work well

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

as fillers and framers in floral arrangements.

In the garden, ostrich ferns form dramatic frames for shorter plants, including potted annuals and a wide variety of woodland or shoreline perennials. Broad-leaved plants like hostas, Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum) and Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) enjoy similar conditions, and complement the lacy foliage of the ferns.

While these ferns prefer moderate to wet conditions, they can sustain short periods of dry weather, particularly when grown in the shade. They do prefer organically rich, moist soil, with plenty of leaf mold. During particularly hot, dry summers, they likely will go dormant toward the end of the summer, and then reappear the following spring.

Ostrich ferns form rhizomatous clumps from which the green fronds emerge in the spring. They are easily divided at this stage to replant in new locations. Also, shorter, fertile fronds emerge a few weeks after the initial fiddleheads. These later fronds produce spores, which can also be used for propagation, although division of the clumps is a simpler propagation method. Dormant, bare-root plants can be ordered from reputable growers.

If you’re looking for a solid backdrop planting for garden areas in partial shade to shade, ostrich ferns are a good option.

Once established, they’re reliable late spring-emerging plants.

And one of the best times for planting is in late spring, after the last killing frost.

At a Glance: Ostrich Fern Hardiness: USDA Zone 2.

Native Habitat: Native from North Dakota through Maine, and south from Nebraska through Missouri and east through Virginia; also native and adventive in Arkansas.

Size: 2 to 6 feet tall; 2 to 8 feet wide.

Site: Prefers partial to full shade and average to wet soils. May go dormant or recede during an extended drought.

Propagation: Divide clumps in early spring.

Cultivars and Other Species: A member of the small terrestrial fern family Onocleaceae, Matteuccia is a genus with only one species, and two varieties: M. struthiopteris v. struthiopteris is native to Eurasia, while M. struthiopteris v. pensylvanica is native to North America. Hybrids include ‘The King’ and ‘Jumbo’, which tend to be taller than the native plants.

—B.R.S.

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

GARDEN SOLUTIONS

A Plant for Every Room Full sun windowsill (south or west facing): If you’re lucky enough to own a bright and sunny windowsill, you’ll have great luck growing everyone’s favorite beloved-yet-finicky succulents.

My brightest windows are filled with succulents, including varieties of agave (Agave sp.), jades (Crassula ovata), cacti (assorted genera), Aloe species and Kalanchoe species, to name a few.

These plants want as much direct sunlight as they can get, minimal water and plenty of time to dry out between watering sessions.

Bright indirect light with space to spread out: For houseplants that really make a statement, try growing one or two of these large, aggressive growers that thrive in bright indirect light—rubber fig (Ficus elastica), ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), bush lily (Clivia miniata) or split leaf philodendron (Philodendron bipinnatifidum). Depending on the size of the container they’re planted in, rubber figs and split leaf philodendron can grow all the way to your ceiling, however high that may be!

ZZs and bush lilies are shorter, but they have a striking wide presence, so make

sure they have plenty of space to spread out as they mature.

In the bathroom: Our bathroom was one of the last rooms that got its houseplant, mostly because the only window is north-facing (low light) and also located inside our shower. I ended up placing an air plant (Tillandsia sp.) on the shower windowsill, where this crazy little plant lives without soil or regular watering. The humidity from the shower usually covers its watering needs, though I do sometimes spray it directly with the showerhead when I remember. Orchids and ferns (many species of both) also love humidity and tolerate low light conditions. They should feel right at home in your bathroom!

Whatever your house size or configuration, there are plenty of plants ready to call it home.

Horticulturist Laura Schwarz writes and gardens in Minneapolis.

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even though i have an absurd number of houseplants, I concede that indoor gardening is hard. Since most of us don’t live in greenhouses or conservatories, we’re stuck dealing with the challenging light and space limitations created by our dwellings and furniture. Curating a houseplant collection that fits into your home’s nooks and crannies will take time and require some patience as you work to match each plant’s light requirements and mature size with appropriate spaces in your home.

Last year, I tried to find at least one plant that would grow in every single room of my house. It took a lot of trial and error, but I’ve finally succeeded.

Here are my suggestions for some of the challenging places in which you might want to grow a houseplant.

A tall, narrow space with indirect light: There’s a tight corner in our dining room that is perfect for my prized variegated snake plant (Sansevieria sp.).

This particular snake plant reaches 4 feet tall at maturity, though there are others that stay shorter. Snake plants are generally columnar, so they’re easy to confine to a narrow space, as long as that space has good indirect light. I’ve also had luck growing Cordyline species in narrow spaces that allow for a lot of vertical growth.

On top of kitchen cabinets or a dining room hutch: The plants in this section are all vines that thrive in dark conditions—they prefer low light to any direct sunlight. I’ve also seen some of these grow without any natural light at all, though they will need supplemental artificial lighting if your intended room is completely dark. I have pots of pothos vine (Epipremnum aureum) growing on top of my dining room hutch, and they spill cheerfully over the sides. Other vines for indoor shade include heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum), wax plant (Hoya sp.) and oak leaf ivy (Cissus rhombifolia).

Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

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PLANT TO PICK

minnesota gardeners have been blessed for many years to have one of the preeminent ornamental grass experts in our backyard. Mary Meyer has been in charge of the University of Minnesota’s grass research for decades and has bred ornamental grass cultivars. She is the go-to expert on which grasses grow well in the North.

Recently, she introduced Sorghastrum nutans ‘MNTG318153’ PPAF, Golden Sunset™. While brandnew to the market, this plant was selected in 2005 and has been put to the test since 2010. I was lucky enough to work with Mary and we tested two finalists for many years at the nursery where I work. We concurred on the final winner, now aptly named Golden Sunset. It originated from South Dakota and has proven winter-hardy into USDA Hardiness Zone 3.

Sorghastrum nutans (formerly called Indian grass) is native in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.

It’s a plant that should be used more in home landscapes.

This is an upright and tall background Congratulations, Mary Meyer grass. It will take a Recently retired from the University few years to get to of Minnesota Department of its mature height of Horticulture, Mary Meyer received 4 to 6 feet. It does the Zone XI Horticulture Award not lodge or fall from the Garden Clubs of over! It does not get America for her years of service wide, maintaining to gardening. She remains active early winter and a columnar, pencil in horticulture, serving on the offer nice winter shape. The foliage is MSHS board and working with the interest. There over ½ inch wide and ornamental grass test plots at the are no known has a lovely texture.

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. pests or diseases Golden Sunset’s If you are looking for inspiration for this plant. foliage is olive-green on which grasses to use in your What a great and is quite distinct garden, I highly recommend a visit addition to the from other members to those plots. —D.L. background of of this species, which perennial beds, have blue tones. or mixed in the foundation planting It blooms in mid-August. The flower with colorful shrubs. Enjoy the seed heads are golden bronze as they heads throughout the winter and cut emerge with individual florets that are back in the spring, just before the new yellow. The flowers average 9 inches growth appears. This plant is easy to in length and are very showy. The grow, requires full sun and tolerates panicles will darken through fall into

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE HEGER

Golden Sunset™ Yellow Prairie Grass

average to dry soils.

Golden Sunset will be in nurseries and garden centers this spring.

Another fine introduction from Mary Meyer is Blue Heaven™ little bluestem. As with Golden Sunset, this bluestem does not lodge or fall over.

It’s a shorter grass (about 3 to 4 feet tall) and turns a stunning shade of blue in fall. Either plant would be a great addition to any northern garden.

Debbie Lonnee works in the horticulture industry.

BY DESIGN

Scentsational

Outdoor Odors

We are lucky to have so many fragrant plants—annuals, perennials, shrubs, herbs, even trees—from which to choose. Consider planting sweet-smelling annuals such as tobacco plant (Nicotiana), petunias, lemon verbena, cosmos, sweet peas and heliotrope.

Smell them all, choose your favorites and then place them where you can catch their scent. The best way to sample a fragrance is to take short sniffs, rather than deep breaths, and to occasionally smell the inside of your elbow. This will reset your sense of smell so that you get an accurate read on the flower’s scent.

Among the most fragrant perennials are oriental lilies, hyacinths, daylilies, phlox, peonies, lilies of the valley, fragrant roses and plantain lilies.

Don’t forget the sweet-smelling shrubs which, because of their size, offer a huge swath of scent. Among them are lilac, mockorange, azalea, summersweet and

PHOTO: DIANE MCGANN

scent is powerful. It can trigger our memory and improve our mood. Fragrance in plants first developed eons ago to attract pollinators and deter predators. Those lovely scents attract us, too.

Adding scent to your garden and home is one way to make them more personal and more sensual.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University recently noted that of all the senses, smell is uniquely tied to memory.

Because of the brain’s anatomy, smell, memory and emotions are closely linked, and our experience inhaling the fragrance of plants is personal to each of us. I can attest to the link between smell and memory. Each spring, my mother would prepare a lily-of-thevalley bouquet for me to carry in an elementary school procession. To this day, I think of her and that event when catching the fragrance of my lilies of the valley. In another throwback to childhood, I love the old-fashioned common lilacs so prevalent in southern Michigan where I grew up as well as in Minnesota. Spring isn’t spring until I have a bouquet in my house.

Roses are a natural choice for a fragrance garden.

Korean spice viburnum. You can even find pleasing scents in vines such as wisteria, autumn clematis and honeysuckle. Fir and balsam trees offer a pleasing woodsy aroma, which is why they’re traditional for holiday displays.

And don’t forget herbs, such as rosemary, lavender, peppermint, sage and oregano.

It’s interesting that the same chemicals in herbs that deter predators are the ones that make them not only smell but taste good to us.

Place your fragrant plants where you can enjoy them the most. Think of areas where you walk often, say between the front door and the driveway or garage.

Also, put them in outdoor locations where you and your guests spend the most time, such as your deck or patio, the front porch or near garden benches.

You’ll want to locate flowers that exude their fragrance at night, such as tobacco plant, night phlox, petunia and four-oclocks, where you can enjoy them on warm summer evenings.

orchids, scented geraniums and jasmine. They are among the most fragrant options. Consider forcing paperwhites, other daffodils, tulips and hyacinths in winter. Their cheerful colors popping up out of the soil, as well as their scent, will bring a smile to your face. You might also splurge on fragrant cut flowers such as freesias, stock or lilies to brighten up your winter home. Another way to imbibe plant fragrance in winter is to visit a conservatory, where the summer scents, including that of good clean soil, will gladden your soul.

Because scent can evoke powerfully positive emotions, it behooves us to make that design element work for us.

In the garden, let’s deliberately choose fragrance, as well as color, form, and texture, when selecting plants. In our homes, let’s install fragrant houseplants and cut flowers to help us survive the doldrums of winter. Putting our minds as well as our noses to the test will bring “scentsational” rewards.

Indoor Enjoyment

Which plants satisfy our hunger for fragrance during the winter? Visit local nurseries and see which houseplants pass your smell test, noting the bloom times of different species. Sniff the waxplants (Hoyas), gardenias, certain

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

Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

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DIY

Round Wooden Plant Hanger houseplants continue to be popular, and many of us can’t get enough of them. But where do you put all those plants and how can you find new and interesting ways to display them?

A plant hanger works well to expand your growing area upward, especially for vining plants. If the current macrame trend isn’t your thing, here is a plant hanger that sports the bohemian style that’s hot right now. The steps to make it are easy and you can choose the supplies to match your taste and home decor. You could make it glitzy, formal or slightly rustic like mine.

Building a Plant Hanger PHOTOS: ERIC JOHNSON

Supplies: Purchase a wooden round. Mine is roughly 11 inches in diameter. I bought it at a craft store but check Facebook Marketplace—it’s loaded with them.

You could even cut your own round if you have the wood and tools to do that. You’ll also need Supplies 18 feet of 20-gauge copper wire, wooden beads and polyurethane.

Tools: Fine sandpaper, a drill with a 1/8-inch bit and a needle-nosed plier with wire cutter.

Prep the wood. If you wish, lightly sand both sides of the wood until it’s to your liking. Spraying or brushing on several coats of polyurethane will protect the round from water damage and cracking.

Drill the holes. Using the 1/8-inch drill bit, drill three holes equally spaced around the ring, forming a triangle. In the example, the holes are 7¼ inches apart.

Wire the hanger. Cut three pieces of wire, each 6 feet long.

You can adjust this for a longer or shorter hanger but err on the longer side. You can always trim extra off later. Feed the wire through the first hole in the wood from the top down, then through and around a bead, and back up through the hole.

Tighten and adjust the two strands of wire to the same length.

Each of my three hanger lengths has three beads added for looks. Feed both strands of wire through a bead and tie a knot around the bead. I like 20-gauge copper wire because it responds almost like string and is easy to work with. Repeat with two more beads, spacing as you like. I spaced my three beads evenly on each hanger length. Repeat the entire process with the next two lengths of wire. You can have a lot of fun crafting with beads and wire, as seen in this hanger. There are ceramic pots available with existing holes for hanging. Do your own free-form beadwork. No pattern necessary.

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Beads and wire suspend the wooden round plant hanger and add decoration to it. Winding the wires together and forming a loop creates a hanger for the project.

Finish off your hanger by bringing together all three sets of wire, creating a loop, and twisting six to eight times to secure it. Trim off any excess. You can contort the wire strands between the beads and kink them slightly for visual interest.

If you need to shorten a length to balance the round, twist an extra knot in the wire.

Hang your stand: Once it’s completed, hang your hanger from a hook in the ceiling and balance a small potted plant on it.

Eric Johnson is a Minneapolis-based garden writer and designer. His website is gardendrama. wordpress.com.

POLLINATORS

RHONDA FLEMING HAYES

Rethink and Shrink Your Lawn

Lawn makes a pleasant walkway and play space but most of us can replace some lawn with gardens.

the smelly, growling beast is still in hibernation. You don’t really like to picture the time in the not-toodistant future when it emerges from the dark cave, hungry for sustenance.

It’s way more fun to flip through seed catalogs right now than to think about the lawnmower. Yet now, while you’re dreaming of spring, is the best time to consider your lawn, especially how to rethink it and shrink it.

The call to reduce or eliminate lawns is nothing new, but sometimes a reminder sparks action.

Lawns are our country’s largest irrigated crop—more than corn! And you can’t eat lawn. Tended lawns cover about 40 million acres in the United States.

Then there’s Big Lawn, a $30-billion lawn care industry that encourages us to use fertilizers, pesticides and fossil fuel to keep it going.

I’m not anti-lawn. It definitely has its uses. It feels good between your toes.

It smells good when it’s freshly cut. In garden design, it gives our eyes a place to rest. On a practical note, lawns can reduce noise and glare, capture dust particles, absorb runoff, prevent erosion and retard fires. Lawns are needed for play and sport.

People are planting more pollinatorfriendly gardens but there are still acres of turf that could be converted to better use.

You don’t have to obliterate your entire lawn. Consider these options: • You could start small and chip away at it, decreasing lawn size by enlarging existing planting beds.

Bigger beds, more plants! More plants mean more food and shelter for wildlife. Deeper foundation plantings add a lushness and sophistication to your home landscape.

• When pollinators and other vulnerable creatures have to cross over expanses of lawn they are exposed to predators. Remove small areas of lawn to join isolated island beds and create mini wildlife corridors that make it easier for them to forage safely.

• Eliminate corners and sharp angles in your lawn to make mowing faster and more sustainable, then use those graceful, carved-out curves for more plants.

• If you’ve tried unsuccessfully to grow grass in shady areas, quit trying.

Replace the turf with shade-loving or shade-tolerant groundcovers

instead. Many groundcovers can offer pollinators food and shelter from the elements or enemies. Birds and other wildlife will appreciate it, too.

Resources for Alternative Lawns

If you’re considering a bee lawn, the University of Minnesota has lots of tips on preparing, sowing and maintaining one. Bee lawns use lowgrowing perennial flowers that can tolerate foot traffic and hold their own within turfgrass. They need to have nectar-producing flowers that bloom at low heights to miss the mower. The university has developed a mixture of white clover, self-heal and creeping thyme for that purpose. Go to extension.umn.edu and search for “bee lawn” for information and resources.

You can also find bee lawn seed mixtures at local nurseries, including Twin City Seed Co. (twincityseed. com), Minnesota Native Landscapes (mnlcorp.com) and Heidi’s Grow Haus (growhausmn.com).

If you’d like to transform an area of lawn to native plantings, I highly recommend a program called Lawns to Legumes. The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources has partnered with Metro Blooms and Blue ThumbPlanting for Clean Water to administer the program. It seeks to fight pollinator decline by encouraging individuals and neighborhoods to create new habitat and habitat corridors for pollinators.

You can apply for grants of $300 to help offset the cost of the plantings.

The program offers a combination of workshops, coaching, planting guides and cost-share funding (individual support grants) for installing pollinatorfriendly native plantings in residential lawns, according to the group. For more information, check out bwsr.state. mn.us.

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

Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

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KITCHEN GARDEN

Herbes de Provence

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it was famed chef julia child who introduced Americans to herbes de Provence, an iconic blend of dried spices from southern France. This blend features herbs that are easy to grow and adds abundant flavor and French flair to any manner of wintertime meals.

But what herbs make up the blend of herbes de Provence? Julia’s original recipe for chicken sautéed with herbs de Provence and garlic included just dried thyme, savory, basil and fennel. Most blends include savory, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil and tarragon. Some versions of herbes de Provence include bay leaves

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Rosemary and oregano are stars in herbs de Provence mixes.

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

or, like Julia’s, dried fennel. Adjust the ratio of each ingredient depending on your preferences or to suit the dish you have in mind. Some cooks like to add a dash of mint to their herbes de Provence blend. Lavender is another optional ingredient that isn’t typical of traditional French herbes de Provence, but it is usually included in commercial blends crafted in the United States.

Growing and creating your own herbs de Provence recipe is easy, and it would be fun to grow a Provencal herb garden. Herbs are easy to grow and add immeasurable beauty, texture and fragrance to the garden. Most

herbs thrive in full sun, appreciate regular watering, and love having ample space to grow and expand. Or, you can grow them in a container garden on your patio or deck. Use them fresh during the growing season, then dry them for your herb blend.

Herbs can be dried by tying them in bunches and hanging them in a cool, dry place until they are dry; using a dehydrator; or even using the microwave! To dry herbs in a microwave, pull the leaves from the plant, wash them and let them dry, place between paper towels, then microwave in 30-second bursts until they are dry.

Cooking Like Julia

Once you’ve mixed together a beautiful blend of herbes de Provence, it’s off to the kitchen. This blend is especially delicious when used to prepare grilled or roasted meats, such as fish, lamb or poultry. It’s also popular for use in stews. But herbes de Provence isn’t just for entrees! Try it with vegetables, in side dishes, in sauces or add to salads or your favorite vinaigrette. You could even try adding a couple of teaspoons of herbes de Provence to your favorite shortbread cookie recipe or as a flavor-filled addition to cake batter.

HERBES DE PROVENCE 2 Tablespoon dried rosemary 2 Tablespoon dried savory 2 Tablespoon dried thyme 2 Tablespoon dried marjoram 2 Tablespoon dried basil 1 Tablespoon dried oregano 1 Tablespoon dried tarragon

Add all to a spice grinder and pulverize.

Or, mince herbs by hand. Mix together and store in a tightly covered glass jar.

Optional additions include bay leaves, dried parsley or dried fennel.

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

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Garden for the Ages

The English-style garden Marge Hols crafted in St. Paul earns a spot in the Story by Susan Davis Price Photos by Michelle Mero Riedel Smithsonian.

“

I still have [my mother’s] little field guide, with the notes she took.”

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Perennials in the back garden provide all-season bloom. In midsummer, Shasta daisies, coneflowers and daylilies are highlights.

Above: Lady Elsie Mae™ shrub rose This photo: The garden next to the carriage house is edged with boxwood and lush with bloom.

Inset: Marge Hols

My 2021 perennial success.

2021 winter sowed Rudbeckia ‘Indian Summer’ bloomed it’s first year.

MARGE HOLS’ ENGLISH-STYLE GARDEN in St. Paul has been visited by thousands of plant and garden lovers over the years, who admired its smart design and well-tended plantings. Now, even more people will be able to see it through the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens, which accepted the garden into the Garden Club of America Collection in 2021.

Marge’s garden is the result of decades of study, work and artful design, steeped in a love of plants that started when she was a child. At age 3, she planted zinnias and snapdragons near the rows of flowers her mother cultivated in Massachusetts.

“My mother was very interested in nature and the plant and animal life around her,” Marge says, recalling the walks they took in the nearby woods. “I still have her little field guide, with the notes she took.” Marge was fascinated by plants with unusual features and names—like skunk cabbage, spikenard and jack-in-the-pulpit.

As an adult in Minnesota, Marge began her own gardens. She and her husband, David, moved to their Summit Avenue property in 1968. It came with a mishmash of vegetation. Out came the long hedges of invasive buckthorn, planted in double rows along the front and side of the house. The large, overgrown trees, including several aging blue spruce trees and two American lindens towering near the house, were removed, as was a concrete-floored dog run. Later, Marge added the black wrought iron fence around the property and stately brick columns at the front entrance, which set the stage for the fine gardens to follow.

Leaving her demanding communications job in 1992 gave Marge the glorious freedom to pursue gardening in a big way. She became a University of Minnesota Extension master gardener and enrolled in horticulture and landscaping courses to expand her knowledge of hardy trees and perennials and design. She wrote a garden column for the St. Paul Pioneer Press for 10 years and many articles for this publication. She designed gardens for Dale Street Greenhouse.

At home, she had big landscaping plans. “I wanted a garden to match this English Tudor Villa house,” Marge says. “I was influenced by Margaret Hensel’s book, English Cottage Gardening for American Gardeners (W.W. Norton, 2000).” When Hensel came to town for a lecture, she visited Marge’s Summit Avenue property and offered her advice.

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Garden for the Ages

Marge loves clematis. ‘Madame Julia Correvon’ clematis grows on the side fence.

When designing her gardens, Marge considered the entire home landscape, including the terrace, sidewalks and driveway. She then selected key trees and shrubs. Around those she placed perennials, usually in groups of three or more. “I select plants that give me more than one season of interest,” she says. “For example, my ‘Louisa’ crabapple gives flowers in spring, berries in fall through winter and a year-round weeping form.”

In her planning, winter came first.

“I look at the structure, texture and form of things,” she says. Because the garden can be covered with snow from mid-November to the end of March, Marge planted large evergreen trees and shrubs, including fir, hemlock, pine, spruce and juniper. “I also grow the only two reliably hardy broadleaved evergreen shrubs—boxwood and rhododendron,” she says. These green plants form a diverse backdrop of color and shape for the flowers that emerge in the growing season.

Throughout the gardens, she’s placed small conifers with interesting form or color, such as ‘Jack Korbett’ variegated dwarf Korean pine and ‘Holmstrup’ dwarf arborvitae.

Gardens All Around

Marge’s gardens are large, various and sweeping. At the front, a colorful cottage garden, with a profusion of blossoms in blue and pink with shots of white, lemon yellow and pale apricot, greets guests. Tall, upright plants like bee balm, phlox and Russian sage contrast with the rounded forms.

‘Karmina’ and ‘Biokovo’ cranesbill, with pink blooms and handsome foliage; coralbells, such as ‘Glitter’; and variegated lungwort ‘Apple Frost’ grow in the front garden as well. Shrubs include ‘White Lights’ azaleas and Little Devil™ ninebark. Clusters of lady’s mantle and lamb’s ears are fine edgers throughout the gardens, unifying the design.

Clockwise from top left: ‘Jackmanii’ clematis; peach daylily, prairie blazing star, and ‘Blue Blazer’ ageratum

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Near the front entry, sweeping beds include hydrangea, astilbe, weigela, coralbells and more, providing seasonlong interest. Planning for structure was one of Marge’s first tasks with the garden.

Another repeated plant is the floriferous shrub rose. Marge has 20, which provide garden heft and long-lasting bloom. “The ones I grow have to be hardy enough to require no winter cover and also disease resistant,” she says. ‘Bonica’, with clusters of light pink, greets walkers along Marge’s front fence. ‘Centennial’, with yellow flowers that age to cream, also graces the front. In the alley garden (yes, she cares for a large one), ‘Pink Gnome’, with single cupped flowers, and the cherry red double ever-bloomer, Double Knockout®, give cheer to many alley walkers.

Marge is partial to clematis, too, growing 18 varieties. They twist along the front and side fences and climb trellises against the house and garage.

Included in their number are ‘Princess Diana’, with deep, reddish pink, tulip-shaped flowers, and ‘Ramona’, whose large, lavender blue blossoms flourish in the back garden. The blue and white ‘Venosa Violacea’ grows on the side fence; the small blue bells of ‘Betty Corning’ clematis decorate the front fence spring and summer. “I favor the smaller flowered viticella hybrids, because they are long bloomers and will tolerate more shade than the

large-flowered hybrids,” she says.

Along the home’s east side, Marge has planted a lush woodland garden, an homage to her mother and her early love of the western Massachusetts woods and fields. There she’s placed the wildflowers of her childhood: bell-

wort, trillium, mayflower, Solomon’s seal. A stone path meanders through the 80-by-20-foot space. “Going into the ‘secret’ garden,” she says, “is a little walking adventure.” A cedar fence, built by David, separates the wild garden from the back spaces.

A stone path leads to Marge’s secret garden.

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Garden for the Ages

The back garden is charmingly framed by a Tudor carriage house/garage with a hipped roof entryway, diamond windows and tall brick chimney.

Black iron fencing, an old brick wall, and the large, handsome bluestone terrace wrap around the space. Against one side of the house, Marge has an herb garden, not usually for cooking, but for the plants’ softness, shape and fragrance. A sparkling conservatory, filled with 10 large topiaries, numerous flowering plants and small succulent gardens, serves as a stunning boundary to a portion of the backyard. The sleek bluestone patio and two-tiered terrace completes the elegant backdrop of the yard and back beds.

Pots of annuals accent the bluestone terrace leading to Marge’s conservatory, which houses topiaries and tropical plants.

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The main back garden flourishes between the carriage house and east fence. Here a bluestone walk runs south through the garden to a stone bench. Groupings of ‘Wintergreen’ boxwood and two tall iron urns flank the garden’s entry. Perennials are selected to provide blooms through the seasons. Spring bulbs of squill, Virginia bluebells, tulips and daffodils light up the early weeks. Little Lime® hydrangeas and other flowering shrubs, including ‘White Lights’ azaleas, weigelas and spireas, along with daylilies and Shasta daisies, combine to brighten most of the growing season. Secondary bluestone walks encircle central beds of perennials.

The bluestone terrace is a marvel.

From spring into fall, the 40-by-23foot terrace becomes a garden. Long brick planters contain colorful foliage plants and annuals. Forty large pots, filled with petunias, daisies, geraniums, lantana and salvia, line the sides of the terrace handsomely. Marge starts many of these flowers from seeds or cuttings over winter. The gray, deep blue, silver and almost black leaves contrast with the gayly colored flowers. Against the house, Marge has gathered a collection of 15 smaller pots on a metal stand—handsome coleus, and colorful verbena.

The teak garden bench and chair, crafted by David, set off the bloom.

Above right: Color continues in fall with alliums, sedums and zinnias.

This photo: Marge grows herbs near the back patio.

Plant Journey

Plant propagation is a skill Marge has honed over the years. “I can’t look at a plant without thinking, ‘how can I make more of it,’ ” she admits. She is a veteran at taking cuttings, growing them under lights in the basement, adding them to next year’s gardens, and giving them to friends. In dividing her perennials, she is equally generous.

The beauty of Marge’s garden is no accident. She is out in the garden for hours daily. “I may be hot and tired,” she says, “but I love it.”

The landscape is a testament to her skill at design, her hard work and her continual investigation of horticulture. The result is a garden of intense visual delights—one that is fascinating as well as peaceful to view and experience. Outsiders may see a beautiful finished product. But for Marge, “The joy is in the journey. I get such satisfaction out of creating with plants.”

Susan Davis Price is a St. Paul-based garden writer and longtime contributor to Northern Gardener.

To Visit Online

The Saint Paul Garden Club prepared an 80-page documentation of the Hols’ garden in order for it to be included in the Garden Club of America Collection in the Archives of American Gardens at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. To learn more about the Hols’ garden online, go to sova.si.edu and search for MN047.

—Eds.

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A

Story and photos by Gail Hudson

NEW INVADER TWO YEARS AGO, ANNE LIPPIN had a memorable, but “very demoralizing,” summer. A test by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources confirmed she had a jumping worm infestation in her large St. Paul yard and garden. “It seems like every time I went out and dug something or planted something, I saw one,” she says. “You work and you work and you work and try to create something beautiful. I reached a point that I was going to rip up all the dirt and start over.”

“

It seems like every time I went out and dug something or planted something, I saw one.”

– anne lippin, st. paul In the end, Lippin didn’t remove the soil. Instead, this past summer became a time to act, to do something about the worms—if she could. “Trying to figure out what action that is, with so little knowledge, is challenging,” Lippin says.

St. Paul gardener Anne Lippin’s yard has had jumping worms for at least two years.

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Loie Lenarz, an avid gardener in Golden Valley, believes jumping worms were brought into her wooded yard by a home construction project next door.

“I’m not alarmed; I’m concerned,” she says. “My husband and I are pretty diligent about mitigation strategies, but I’m also 100 percent clear that given these woods, there’s no way to get rid of them.”

Jumping worms can destroy soil and forests, and gardeners are on the front lines.

Experts say she’s right. The jumping worm (Amynthas spp.), also known as the “Asian jumping worm,” “crazy worm” and “snake worm,” multiplies rapidly, weakens and even kills plants, stresses trees and radically alters soil structure and chemistry causing soil erosion not only in our yards, but in forests. The worms live in the top 2 inches of soil, voraciously eating leaf litter on

Left: Loie Lenarz digs for worms in her Golden Valley garden.

Below: Lee Freelich and Erin Buchholz remove leaves at a Minnesota Landscape Arboretum research plot. (inset) Buchholz examines maple tree roots exposed by jumping worms.

“

I’m also 100 percent clear that given these woods, there’s no way to get rid of them.”

– loie lenarz, golden valley the surface and large wood chip mulch.

They prefer shady, moist sites.

Preventing the introduction and spread of jumping worms is the only defense for gardeners while researchers test scientific-based management solutions, according to Lee Freelich of the University of Minnesota, one of the country’s top forest ecologists.

Where’s the Worm?

The wildly wiggly pest has been reported in 15 states, including Minnesota. It has been found across the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Rochester and in southeastern Minnesota. Freelich suspects jumping worms are most likely in Duluth, too. He says researchers have a lot to learn about this invasion. “We are starting from scratch, essentially,” he says.

While not legally obligated to alert the state to infestations, four nurseries and landscape companies in Minnesota have reported finding the worms on site and in plants shipped to them this past season, including Sargent’s in Rochester where the worms have Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

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A New Invader

“

The really big thing is the massive damage that [jumping worms] are likely to cause in forests, especially with the soil eroding away.”

– Lee Freelich, University of Minnesota

been “identified in isolated locations” at both of the nursery’s retail sites, according to its website. Sargent’s and others have begun following the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association’s (MNLA) new guidelines for best management practices.

The pest is not only invading residential gardens, but parkland, such as the century-old sugar maple forest at Three Rivers Park at Lake Rebecca in Rockford. Last August, Freelich confirmed it was “totally infested.” He says that “the really big thing is the massive damage that [ jumping worms] are likely to cause in forests, especially with the soil eroding away.”

This grave danger for erosion could be easily felt under my feet as I explored sloping sites with Freelich at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in October. Typically compacted soil had been transformed into a slippery, coffee grounds-like texture from the casts (poop) the critters leave behind.

“This is like the deepest, loose soil granules I think I have ever seen from jumping worms,” Freelich said as he examined soil in the rhododendron collection. “It’s got to be like 4 inches.”

He estimates the worms have infested about 30 percent of the mulched beds and about 30 percent of the woodlands at the arboretum.

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Plan of Attack

Freelich and his research team have set up an area at the arboretum to study a range of environmentally friendly treatments, including BotaniGard® ES, which contains a beneficial fungal spore used to target soft-bodied insects; elemental sulfur, which acidifies soil; diatomaceous earth made up of sharpedged silica stone; and saponins, a natural, detergentlike chemical made from tea leaves that is thought to irritate the worms’ mucus membranes. “We’re trying several different things that we think might work,” Freelich says.

The results won’t be ready for a year or more. While Lippin waits for answers, she’s been running some experiments of her own. Last spring, she ordered Yucca Wet, an organic wetting agent that contains saponins. Golf courses use saponin-rich fertilizers to reduce earthworm castings, which cause lumpy surfaces on putting greens.

Lippin sprayed two areas where she’d seen the most worms—a front boulevard pollinator garden and another bed with fruit shrubs and perennials.

The plants weren’t flourishing and her wood chip mulch had “disappeared immediately.” She hoped the saponin mixture would kill the worm hatchlings or their cocoons (eggs). “But there

Page 28: Anne Lippin is experimenting with products (inset) to prevent jumping worm hatch.

Left: She replaced wood mulch with coir since the worms don’t seem to like it as much.

wasn’t any great extrusion of worms,” she says. “It would have been gratifying, I think.”

In August, she sprayed a mustard solution—another irritant used by researchers to force worms to surface.

Even after digging down into the soil, she couldn’t see any jumping worms.

“Nothing! It’s really hard to believe,” she says.

Lippin bought coconut coir, instead of wood chips for mulch—a suggestion she’d read about on the internet. “It looks great—supposedly the worms don’t like to eat it,” she says. By the end of the season, she had only found a handful of adult jumping worms.

Temporary Reprieve?

After the warmest summer in Minnesota since 1988, Freelich believes the drought and heat reduced the number of active jumping worms. “[Gardeners] will have some problems that will be weather dependent,” he says. “The jumping worms have huge fluctuations from year to year in their populations … so the damage for gardens is sporadic.”

“I had the lowest numbers of jumping worms I’ve ever had … because it was so dry in much of the early summer,” says Angie Gupta, a University of Minnesota Extension educator in Rochester. “The question for my yard and probably for many Minnesotans, with the dry summer we had and a late hatch that I experienced, is ‘Have those individuals reached maturity and reproduced eggs?’ ”

Coping Strategies

As a home gardener with jumping worms, Gupta says she’s changed her expectations. “My goal was survival, it wasn’t robust growth or looking pretty,” she says. Gupta is transitioning her yard to tough native plants, and heating or solarizing the soil with transparent plastic before she plants. Initial studies have shown jumping worm eggs die at 104 degrees F., while the adults are killed at 130 degrees after three days of heat. Gupta also decided to plant only in early spring or late fall so her plants have time to get established before jumping worms become adults and do damage.

Lenarz is no longer mulching with leaves, choosing to bag them instead.

She solarized her vegetable garden with black plastic for several weeks last spring and noticed fewer worms. Lenarz also worries about spreading tiny cocoons around. “Anytime I move a plant, I rinse its roots, and then I rinse the roots again,” she says.

Arboretum officials believe their jumping worm population grew via wood chip mulch and plant divisions, says Erin Buchholz, the arboretum’s integrated pest management specialist.

“That’s also where we have the most control,” she says. “Now we can look at our mulch piles, and now we know to clean off our plants [before dividing them] and clean off our tools.” Three boot brush stations have been set up for visitors at the entrances of trails to clean off any cocoons they might pick up.

IS THAT A JUMPING WORM? Jumping worms hatch from tiny eggs in the spring but can’t be properly identified until they mature in late July. Watch for unusual behavior when the worm is disturbed. This nonnative species is very active, moves like a snake and secretes yellow mucus and drops its tail when agitated. A light-colored ring (clitellum) encircles the body, closer to the nose than on nightcrawlers and is barely raised above skin.

If you think you’ve found an adult jumping worm (see photo page 26), take a clear, high-resolution photo and send it to laura.vanriper@state. mn.us for confirmation. The DNR asks that you store the worm in alcohol in your refrigerator in case an expert needs to examine it. —G.H.

Home gardeners can also learn a lot from those MNLA guidelines for nursery and landscape professionals.

They recommend buying supplies like plants, heat-treated mulch and other garden materials from reputable suppliers, and to avoid storing them on the ground, even if they’re in bags. Follow the “arrive clean, leave clean,” practice, removing soil and debris from tools and shoes before you put them away or move to another location.

Number one on their list? Educate yourself and others and be vigilant and always on the lookout for jumping worms and signs of their presence. For more information, go to the University of Minnesota Jumping Worm Project: jwp.cfans.umn.edu.

Gail Brown Hudson has a Master’s degree in horticulture from the University of Minnesota. She is an Emmy® awardwinning journalist, writer and video producer, as well as an avid gardener in Minneapolis.

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Winter Perfected Sowing

After 15 years of growing plants this budget-friendly way, our writer shares her best tips and techniques.

Story and photos by Michelle Mero Riedel

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I

n 2009, I introduced winter sowing to Northern Gardener subscribers. The technique has been wildly popular ever since. Last year, I taught winter seed sowing to 150 enthusiastic gardeners in an MSHS online class.

I’ve been sowing seeds using the winter and spring methods for more than 15 years, and I’ve gained knowledge every year. I want to share with

you how I practice winter sowing now.

The Greenhouse Effect

With winter sowing, you create mini greenhouses that can be set outside before you would normally plant seeds.

The seeds germinate when the temperature is right and the greenhouses protect the seeds from our changeable weather.

To construct your mini greenhouse, here’s what you’ll need:

LEARN MORE Visit wintersown.org or the Twin Cities Winter Sowers Facebook page. You can also join my MSHS webinar on Tuesday, Jan. 25, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

—M.M.R.

• Containers: I recommend using gallon plastic milk or water jugs.

• Quality potting soil (not seed-starting mix) • Something sharp for cutting the container: knife, scissors, drill, etc.

A good quality, environmental tape keeps the greenhouse top and bottom attached.

• High-quality duct tape • An environmental marker so the ink doesn’t fade • Plant labels: I cut up plastic mini blinds for this purpose.

• Seeds

Getting started

My top 2021 perennial success was Rudbeckia ‘Indian Summer’. It was sown in winter and bloomed the next year.

1 With a scissors, drill or knife, cut several ½-inch holes in the container bottom. If you’re using a drill, a couple ½-inch holes will do. If you’re using a knife, make four cuts on each bottom side. It’s not unusual for the holes to get clogged or closed up, so be prepared to add more as spring progresses.

2 With a scissors, about 4 inches up from the bottom, start at the handle and cut a horizontal line from one side of the handle to the other. Peel back the top by the handle, but keep it hinged so it’s still in one piece.

3 Add about 3 inches of potting soil.

Add water to the soil until it is saturated. Another option is to saturate soil in a bucket then add it to your mini greenhouse.

4 Smooth the top of the soil, then add seeds. I usually overseed for perennials, annuals and herbs, and add one to two seeds per plant for vegetables.

If the seeds are large, press them into soil; otherwise, just place seeds on top.

5 Cover the seeds with about ¼ inch of soil, or about the length of the seed.

Then lightly water or spritz so the seeds don’t move. It’s best to have the seed surrounded by moist soil.

Overseeding is preferred for annuals, perennials and herbs. Here the entire package of lupine seeds are added to the moist soil container. Leave space between vegetable seeds and don’t overseed.

Mist soil so seeds are surrounded by moisture.

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Winter Sowing Perfected

6 Add a plant label. When you remove the cover in the spring, you’ll want to know what’s growing.

7 Line up the top of the container with the bottom and seal it with duct tape. I like to cut two 12-inch pieces, starting the tape at one handle side and bringing it to the middle, then the other handle to the middle.

8 Remove the milk carton top. Wind, snow and rain should reach inside the container, creating a greenhouse with a small opening.

9 Place your greenhouses in an outdoor, sunny location.

10 Wait patiently for germination to occur.

You are probably wondering, “Why not grow plants indoors under lights?”

You certainly can, but inside sowing requires lights, trays, seed-starting soil, heating mats and shelves. It’s a rewarding but expensive process. Winter sowing is a budget-friendly alternative.

Winter Sowing vs.

Spring Sowing

Cut two 12-inch pieces of tape and start each piece from the handle. Two pieces are easier to line up than one large piece.

Open-top containers make it easy to view seedling growth.

Winter sowing is especially successful with perennials, as their seeds need a cold snap (stratification) to germinate.

You can place perennial greenhouses outside at the beginning of the year, but I prefer to wait until February, when Mother Nature dishes out more moisture. You can plant perennials until the end of March, as we still get cold weather in April.

Vegetables, annuals and herbs can also be sowed in greenhouses, but do it in the spring. I start them at the end of March through the third week of April. By the end of April and early May, the seeds can be direct sowed into the ground.

I’m especially fond of using greenhouses for my veggies, herbs and annuals. I can see what germinates, care for them with the sun’s heat, then transplant them at my leisure. Plants grown in mini greenhouses tend to be larger than those directly sowed in the ground. This is especially important for the tropical veggies like tomatoes and peppers that don’t always finish the season when fall arrives.

Germination, Weather and Moisture

If spring temperatures are normal to warm, perennial germination will typically occur in early to mid-April, but it depends on which perennials you plant. I have guaranteed early germination with lupine, Angelica gigas, poppies and rudbeckia. The open-top containers make it easy to spot green seedlings. Perennials are the easiest to

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Sometimes the plants let you know it’s time to divide.

Divide into as many plants as you need. I usually prefer nine plants out of each greenhouse.

Transfer them into small pots or the ground.

care for in early spring. No matter the temperature, they will survive. If you’re trying this method for the first time, perennials are a solid choice.

Annuals, vegetables and herbs require more attention in the seedling stage than perennials. For example, if tomatoes and peppers are in the seedling stage and the temperature is below freezing in early May, move the greenhouses to a protected location, such as your house or garage. Then move them back into sunshine the following day.

In spring, I watch the weather carefully. I need to know the day’s high and low temperatures. If weather is hot, I may move the greenhouses into part shade, receiving only morning sun. If weather is chilly, I’ll take advantage of all-day sun and move less-hardy plants indoors overnight.

The greenhouse soil should be moist at all times, especially when seedlings are present in the spring. You’ll know the greenhouse environment is perfect when condensation clings to the container. When necessary, water with a mister or gently allow the water to run down the sides of the greenhouse.

Water gently so you don’t disrupt the seeds, particularly before germination.

When plants reach a mature stage and display many leaves, regular watering is acceptable.

Divide and Transplant

When roots are abundant, typically in early to late May, it’s time to divide your plants. I prefer to have the entire container of soil well-rooted without loose soil, but that doesn’t always happen.

For herbs, annuals and perennials, I use a mass of seedlings to formulate one plant. This one-plant-mass will be a strong survivor when I transplant it into the garden. I prefer to initially plant into a smaller pot and allow it to grow until it is root bound, usually by mid to late June.

For vegetables, one to two plants are sufficient. Veggies grow fast with strong roots, so they transplant easily.

Again, I transplant them into smaller pots, allowing them to grow until my garden area is warm and ready. They grow faster in the warm soil pots than they will in the cool, spring ground.

By early to mid-June, I’m ready to plant.

Michelle Mero Riedel is a master gardener, professional photographer and regular contributor to Northern Gardener.

Craft Your Container I’ve tried many types of containers for winter sowing, but I keep going back to gallon-sized milk or water jugs.

Here’s why: • Pliable plastic. The easier the container is to cut, the safer it is for you. Trying to cut stiff plastic is dangerous. After many spring rains, you may need to add more holes, so it’s nice to effortlessly snip the bottom side of the container with scissors.

• Height. Containers need to have enough height for 2 to 3 inches of soil, plus 6 to 8 inches of plant growth.

• Hole. Having a hole in the top makes it easy to see what’s going on inside.

In the spring, you need to monitor growth and soil moisture. —M.M.R.

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Story and photos by Laura Schwarz

With a few tricks, you can keep your canine contained and your garden thriving.

DOG VS.

GARDEN Toxic Plants Thankfully, my dog doesn’t chew on plants, but some dogs will chew on everything they find. If this describes your pet, here are 12 toxic plants that the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine says are responsible for the majority of pet poisonings at its veterinary hospital. Some of these are common houseplants, so check your indoor gardens as well.

• Lilies (all species) • Philodendron • Lily of the valley • Jade • Anemone • Chrysanthemum • Aloe vera • Cyclamen • Amaryllis • Sago palm • Asparagus fern —L.S. • Daffodil

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W

hile I’m not the fussiest gardener, I usually keep my landscape tidy and clean.

For example, I’ve been known to comb through mulch to make sure the wood chips are smoothly distributed. I love to clear off the hardscaping with my leaf blower. I trim brown leaves and faded flowers with diligence, and I carefully stake any leaning plants.

I tell you this so that you, too, can be properly horrified when I introduce my dog. Her name is Ruby, short for Rhubarb, but she’s also known as “The Rhubarbarian.” When she gets too riled up, she does what my husband, Sam, and I call “the zoomies.” She runs as fast as she can until her back legs are almost sideways from trying to keep up with the front ones. She weaves her 50-pound body back and forth in erratic patterns between the trees, raised beds and large perennials in my backyard, flattening anything fragile in her path.

It’s almost impossible to stop her.

Also working in Ruby’s favor is the expression of overwhelming joy that floods her face as she zooms. She looks so happy—it’s hard to interrupt and even harder to stay angry when she does things like break off the only stem of

my brand-new ‘Tiny Poems’ asiatic lily.

Or crush a few of my almost-in-bloom dahlias. Or snap off the first ripening rhubarb leaves. Having both a dog and a garden can be discouraging, but I’ve found ways to cope.

Fencing and Partitioning

Once it became clear that the zoomies were a regular part of Ruby’s routine (and that we didn’t have as much control over our dog as we’d hoped), Sam and I needed a mitigation plan.

We began by constructing a series of temporary fences around our raised vegetable gardens and propping up a long freestanding baby gate around my freshly transplanted perennials and annuals. The fences and gates helped dictate the route of the zoomies, so we could minimize the overall damage.

However, I refuse to fence everything in the yard. What’s the point of growing beautiful flowers if you can only view them through an ugly plastic or metal fence? This led to part two of our plan: compartmentalizing the gardens. Along the side of our house, where careful observation has shown that Ruby is less likely to run, is my “secret” garden. This is where I’ve started growing plants that have the most delicate stems and flowers, such as dahlias, hybrid tea roses, bearded irises and lilies.

Around the section of dog-friendly lawn in our main backyard—the zoomies zone—I’m growing tougher plants that can handle a little traffic. So far, grasses and other prairie plants have done well in this area, as have many groundcovers. Over time I’m hoping to create a palette of rough-and-ready plants that won’t crumple when a medium-sized dog plows through them at high speeds.

If breaking up the yard into dog-friendly and gardener-friendly zones appeals to you, consider also adding a designated area for your pup to dig. It’s possible to train a dog to dig only in one place, maybe in a sandbox where its paws won’t get muddy.

Instead of trying to control your dog’s every action, focus on controlling where its most disruptive acts take place.

Grasses and native plants conceal the doggy latrine, creating a pleasant view and safer work area for the gardener. Below: Ruby cools off in the garden.

Bathroom Breaks

The final thing we’ve done to defend our garden was also the most difficult one: we trained her to go to the bathroom in only one area of the yard. This was a personal goal of mine from the very beginning. I wanted to be able to work in my garden without constantly worrying about stepping in dog poop.

We were lucky with Ruby—as a puppy she seemed predisposed to relieve herself in a single spot. I built a small gravel pad near where she liked to go, and we began taking her there on a leash, using treats and praise when she successfully used the gravel area as a bathroom.

I’ve since planted a weeping larch and more of that same prairie-style planting in front of the potty spot. By early summer, the dog relief area is almost completely blocked from view by switchgrass, turtlehead and butterfly weed, and I never have to think about dog waste while I’m working.

I’ve seen other yards where homeowners substitute fake turf for real grass and then train their animals to relieve themselves there. For dogs who repeatedly kill turfgrass with their urine, this is a good option. If your dog seems to like peeing on your plants, you might have to rely on fencing to make it physically difficult. The internet is full of lists of plants that are supposedly tolerant of

dog urine, but in my experience, it’s just not good for plants to be peed on. If you really struggle with this particular issue, try taking your dog for potty walks outside of your gardens.

Managing Expectations

Whenever I get frustrated with Ruby, I remember: I made a choice to become a dog owner, and I truly love and cherish my dog and the joy she brings to my life. If I want to spend my winter evenings reading with a dog cuddled in my lap, or my summer vacations hiking with a cheerful pup by my side, I can’t always have a perfect garden.

If we gardeners want to also be dog owners, managing our own expectations is key. Part of being a happy gardener is accepting that you can’t control nature, and dogs are just one zooming, joyful factor in that equation.

Minneapolis-based horticulturist Laura Schwarz is the Garden Solutions columnist for Northern Gardener.

Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

35

PICK PERFECT

PEPPERS {

Nearly every backyard vegetable garden contains at least one bell pepper plant.

Whether green, yellow, red or any variation of those colors, the plants behave the same. With enough sunlight and adequate moisture, they are easy to grow and prolific producers as long as they are not thwarted by disease. Using newer, disease-resistant plants is considered one way to improve the health and yields of bell pepper plants.

Phytophthora, a fungal disease, and bacterial leaf spot are common pepper diseases in the North. Phytophthora rots the root and crown of pepper plants and can infect a plant at any stage of growth.

It can kill young plants but usually only reduces vigor and yield in older plants.

Symptoms are rapid and unexpected wilting. Bacterial leaf spot is an above-ground disease that typically shows itself as lesions on the leaves or stems. It can lead to defoliation of the plant and misshapen fruit. It also weakens plants, making them

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Are disease-resistant peppers better than the rest?

Story and photos by Nathan Dalman

susceptible to other diseases. New cultivars on the market have varying levels of resistance to these diseases. Disease-resistant varieties are not immune; rather, they are less likely to get a disease and less likely to be severely affected.

Testing Peppers

In 2020, the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris conducted a trial to compare cultivars resistant to phytophthora and bacterial leaf spot with cultivars without resistance. Our goal was not to determine if the cultivars were truly resistant to these two specific diseases, but instead to look at how the disease-resistant traits might affect yields and fruit size. In theory, a plant unaffected by a disease should produce more fruit than an infected plant, but sometimes breeding for disease-resistant traits can result in lower yields or decreased vigor. The results we experienced were exciting and promising for

}

bell pepper growers.

Four cultivars were used in this trial: Currier and Archimedes have resistance; Ace and Lady Bell do not. All are easily available to home gardeners as seeds. All plants were started in the greenhouse from seed at the same time and then transplanted into the field on the same day. They received equal amounts of organic fertilizer and drip line irrigation following regional guidelines. No weed barrier mulches were used nor were any weed preventative products applied; all weeding was done by hand. No fungicides or bactericides were used. A longer-than-average growing season allowed for harvests beginning in early August all the way to mid-October. We harvested six times, with all plants harvested on the same day. Fruit was sorted into marketable and cull groups, then counted and weighed.

All four cultivars performed well with the warm, dry weather of 2020. The total

Pepper plants were grown in a high tunnel in full sun with drip irrigation.

Four cultivars were used in this trial: Currier and Archimedes have resistance; Ace and Lady Bell do not.

yields of marketable fruit were similar for all cultivars, about 6 pounds per plant over the season. Clearly, resistant cultivars are capable of performing as well as traditional ones. Our data found that while resistant varieties did not produce as many fruits as traditional ones, they produced heavier fruit.

As for fruit quality, Ace had the thinnest walls while the other three cultivars had similarly thick walls, giving them a crisper texture than Ace. Flavor was nearly identical among all four cultivars but there was a difference in shape. Archimedes, Currier and Lady Bell all had the perfect or near perfect bell shape while Ace had a more cylindrical shape. The two resistant varieties both produced fruit that had an average weight just under half a pound. Lady Bell had slightly lighter fruits, averaging a third of a pound, and Ace had the smallest fruit with each one weighing about a fifth of a pound.

When plants produced fruit was

VARIETY

NUMBER OF FRUIT/PLANT

FRUIT WEIGHT/PLANT (LBS)

Ace

1-5

.05-1

Lady Bell

1-4

.05-1.5

Archimedes

2-4

1-1.5

Currier

2-4

1-1.5

also interesting. Typically, plants hit peak production near the middle of the season, with a gradual increase leading up to that peak and a gradual decrease following it. That was certainly the case with the nonresistant cultivars in our trial. The cultivars with resistance followed that pattern but with less of a peak.

Their yields were much more consistent across the production season. This is a trait home gardeners may seek as steady production throughout the season prevents you from being overwhelmed by bell peppers for a couple of weeks and underwhelmed the rest of the time.

While disease-resistant varieties are popular with commercial growers, home gardeners may also want to seek out disease-resistant varieties for their steady harvest and larger size. Why not conduct trials in your own garden between disease-resistant crops and your favorites?

Once you begin to explore the world of disease-resistant crops, you might be amazed by what you can find.

Nathan Dalman is a horticulture researcher at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris.

Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

37

Mark Your Calendar Gardening in a cold climate is a dance between the plants, the weather and the calendar. Garden mantras like “plant peas on St. Patrick’s Day” do not apply here, where the soil is likely frozen solid on March 17. But there is a rhythm to the garden year for us, and longtime gardeners can sense when the beat (or heat) is getting ahead of them and when to act to grow the best garden possible.

Here’s our guide to the year ahead.

WHAT ELSE TO DO? • Water houseplants sparingly and resist fertilizing them.

• Buy an amaryllis or narcissus bulb after the holidays to brighten up your home in late January.

• Cozy up with a new book or an old classic on gardening.

TOP TASK: This is the month for more serious planning and preparation about where to put all the seeds you bought. Drawing a plan now will help in the rush of April and May. WHAT ELSE TO DO? • Build new raised beds to expand your garden.

• Set up winter sowing containers for perennials (see article page 30).

• As the days lengthen, increase watering of houseplants and fertilize lightly.

• Start celery, onion, shallot and leek seeds under lights.

MARCH

FEBRUARY

JANUARY

TOP TASK: Order seeds now. Seed sales have boomed the past couple of years as 18 million new gardeners decided to grow food and flowers, so page through those catalogs (or websites) and order from your favorites before the month is over. Be honest about how much room, time and energy you have before pushing that “submit” button.

38

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

TOP TASK: March is the perfect time to prune fruit trees, hydrangeas and other trees and shrubs that bloom in summer or fall. Do not prune spring-flowering shrubs, such as lilacs or rhododendrons.

Use clean, sharp tools to remove dead, diseased or damaged branches first, then work to create an open shape on fruit trees.

WHAT ELSE TO DO? • Gather your gear for seed starting indoors, including lights, trays and potting mix.

• In late March, start peppers and annuals that need time to grow, such as marigolds, cleome and impatiens.

Cool-season crops, such as broccoli, can be started indoors, too.

• If you placed geraniums (Pelargonium) in dark storage for the winter, prune them, plant them, water and bring the pots into a sunny spot indoors. Fertilize when you see growth.

x

DECEMBER

NOVEMBER

OCTOBER

SEPTEMBER

AUGUST

JULY

JUNE

Plant/Seed/Transplant ( x = direct sown) Harvest

MAY

APRIL

MARCH

Start Seeds Indoors FEBRUARY

By Mary Lahr Schier

ZONE 3 PLANTING SCHEDULE

JANUARY

Here’s your what-to-do-when list for 2022.

x BEANS

BEETS BROCCOLI To grow your own ginger and turmeric, plant bulbs in damp soil and set in a dark place for six weeks before placing under lights.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS CABBAGE x CARROTS

CAULIFLOWER x CORN

“

Drawing a plan now will help in the rush of April and May.”

*Choose short season varieties

CUCUMBER KALE LETTUCE ONIONS

*Choose long-day varieties

ISTOCK

PEAS PEPPERS SPINACH x SQUASH

*Add row covers to extend the harvest after first frost.

TOMATO SOURCES: URBAN FARM SEEDS, JOHNNY’S SELECTED SEEDS

When possible, choose varieties that can be harvested within the average 100-120 day growing season. Use cold frames, row covers and other season extenders as needed.

Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

39

APRIL

TOP TASK: Resist the temptation to clean up too much too fast. Stay off lawn and garden beds if the soil is soft and remember that pollinators may be slumbering in the plant debris. Start garden cleanup close to the house and work from sidewalks or other hard surfaces as much as possible.

WHAT ELSE TO DO? • Plant lily bulbs. • Divide perennials as they emerge. • Prune roses.

• Turn your compost pile when it’s thawed. • Start tomato seeds now.

• Consider moving cool-weather vegetables to a cold frame or hoop house.

• Buy pansies for a spring container.

MAY

TOP TASK: Finish cleaning up beds and feed the soil by applying compost. When the weather warms, add mulch where needed. Visit a local nursery and feel the excitement of spring!

JUNE

TOP TASK: To keep ornamental beds looking well-groomed throughout the summer, cut back perennials that tend to flop, such as Russian sage, asters or tall sedum, by one-quarter to one-third in mid-June. The plants will still flower but will remain shorter.

JULY

TOP TASK: July is all about watching for trouble. Most insects are harmless or helpful, but if your garden has been plagued by Japanese beetles, squash bugs or cutworms, you may want to take action. Preventing access to the plants is the easiest step. Make sure you know what you have. Go to the University of Minnesota Extension website, extension.umn.edu, and search for “What insect is this?” for a helpful tool. A plant disease identification tool is also available.

AUGUST

Mark Your Calendar

TOP TASK: Enjoy your garden! Harvest fruits, vegetables and flowers. Eat or preserve what you can and share the rest with friends and family. This is the time to savor what you have grown.

WHAT ELSE TO DO? • Divide irises, peonies and other spring-blooming perennials. Share or replant the extras.

• Plant lettuce, kale, spinach, radishes, even green beans for a fall crop.

• If your containers or annual flowers look scruffy, trim the plants or add something new.

• Order bulbs. You’ll find the best selection in the summer for fall planting.

• Fertilize your lawn later in the month.

40

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

WHAT ELSE TO DO? • Harden off and plant out most of your vegetable seedlings, herbs and annuals, keeping an eye on the weather.

• Set up your cages and trellises before plants get too big.

• Harvest asparagus and lettuces started indoors.

• Plant containers.

• Begin to harden off any tropicals or houseplants you want to move outside for summer.

• Add a tree to your landscape. Container trees grow well when planted now.

WHAT ELSE TO DO? • Sow seeds for green beans, zucchini, winter squash and other warm-season crops.

• Fertilize roses.

• Weed regularly.

• Deadhead bulbs that are fading, but leave the greenery up to feed the bulb.

• Look for blank spots in your garden and shop sales for annuals or perennials to fill them.

• Water as needed to provide about an inch a week of moisture to your garden.

ZONE 4 PLANTING SCHEDULE

DECEMBER

NOVEMBER

OCTOBER

SEPTEMBER

AUGUST

JULY

JUNE

APRIL

MARCH

FEBRUARY

JANUARY

MAY

Plant/Seed/Transplant ( x = direct sown) Harvest

Start Seeds Indoors

x BEANS

BEETS

BEETS

BROCCOLI

BROCCOLI

BRUSSELS SPROUTS CABBAGE

CABBAGE

x CARROTS Cut back perennials

CARROTS

CAULIFLOWER x CORN

CUCUMBER KALE LETTUCE WHAT ELSE TO DO? • Cut back spirea, catmint and other early-blooming plants to encourage a second bloom later in the summer.

• Continue weeding, watering and deadheading.

• Harvest cherries, herbs, greens and other crops as they ripen.

LETTUCE

*You could get a third planting of lettuce by starting indoors in April

ONIONS x PEAS

PEPPERS SPINACH

SPINACH x SQUASH

TOMATO SOURCES: URBAN FARM SEEDS, JOHNNY’S SELECTED SEEDS

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more details on these tasks (and many others), go to northerngardener. org/blog and search for the topic that interests you. —M.L.S.

Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

41

DECEMBER

WHAT ELSE TO DO? • Plant spring-blooming bulbs between mid-September and mid-October. After that, you can plant tulips, but not other spring-bloomers.

• Clean up your vegetable garden, especially if plant disease is present.

• Plant a cover crop.

• Start transitioning houseplants back indoors.

TOP TASK: Don’t clean up too much. While it’s important to remove diseased plant material, many perennials can and should be left standing in the winter for their value to pollinators. Spent annuals, vegetable foliage, obviously diseased plants and any that get damp and mushy in winter, such as hostas, should be cut back. Leave the rest.

WHAT ELSE TO DO? • Harvest and freeze or dry herbs.

• Add compost to vegetable beds.

• Take photos of parts of your garden you want to change next year.

TOP TASK: Rake or mow your leaves. If you have a light covering of leaves, just mow them into the grass or rake them onto flowerbeds. If the covering is so heavy you can’t see your grass, rake (and shred) the leaves before giving your lawn a final mowing.

WHAT ELSE TO DO? • Clean and store containers and garden tools.

• Inspect houseplants that spent the summer outside for signs of insects.

• Take a soil sample for analysis if you are concerned about an area of your garden.

TOP TASK: Protect any plants that are likely to be ravaged by rabbits, deer or other critters. A ring of chicken wire around an arborvitae is not pretty, but it may save the shrub. .WHAT ELSE TO DO? • Add evergreen boughs to window boxes or create a holiday container to decorate your front door.

• Make notes on successes and challenges from the year.

• Congratulate yourself on another year nurturing your garden!

Mary Lahr Schier is the editor of Northern Gardener.

42

ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

TOP TASK: Fall is the best time to plant trees or shrubs. Fall weather is mild, making it easier for the plants to settle in and establish roots before winter.

When planting trees, be sure the tree’s root flare is above soil level. Consistent watering through the fall will help the tree or shrub thrive. This is also a good time to plant perennials.

NOVEMBER

OCTOBER

SEPTEMBER

Mark Your Calendar

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

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Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

43

NORTHERN VIEW

The Last Patch for years, it lingered there. A idea, the biggest, unrealistic dreamer of small weedy patch of grass in our tiny us all. But, setting aside the astronomiMinneapolis backyard. When the kids cal cost, digging that deeply might harm were little, we used it all the time. A the silver maple tree that shades the blow-up pool, trampolines, an outdoor area. Plus, it might look out of scale in movie theater and a hammock all called our small backyard. it home at one point or another. Even What if we planted a ring of sumac all as we systematically the way around the replaced section after edge and then created section of turfgrass a secluded patio in with gardens around the middle? This was Where were we our yard, we left this my daughter’s idea, supposed to roast one 20-by-20-foot spot but it also ended up with the old weedy turf. not being workable marshmallows now?

In recent years, it’s in such a small, Who wants to walk been our firepit and shady area. lawn chair spot. Of Plans kept changing barefoot across a sea course, it really wasn’t by the day, and they of wood chips to lay turfgrass. It was a ranged from a meadmixture of crabgrass, ow with boulders to a on a hammock?” plantains, clover and series of cold frames violets. I guess I could to a duck pond (with have called it a bee lawn ducks, of course). and left it at that.

Finally, this spring, Except. The crabgrass kept invading I’d had enough of the weeds. Forget my native plant border, making the having a plan! I threw caution to the cultivated area look weedy. wind and set out to kill that turf once I asked the family what they thought and for all. On a whim, I ordered 5 cubic we should do with our last patch, now yards of wood chips to be delivered, and that we had gotten rid of the rest of the threw down cardboard and wood chips lawn. We already had a vegetable garover the whole thing. I thought “well, den, two mini prairies, a couple shady now we’ll be forced to come up with borders, some random wildflower holda plan.” ing areas, and a couple of fruity patches.

Suddenly, to my surprise, that old What should be next? weedy patch of grass became the thing Maybe we could create a large, immy family missed more than anything. pressive water feature with boulders, a Where were we supposed to roast multi-level waterfall, and a boardwalk marshmallows now? Who wants to walk around the whole thing? This was my barefoot across a sea of wood chips to

Jennifer Rensenbrink gardens in Minneapolis and is a regular contributor to Northern Gardener.

GRASS ILLUSTRATION: SHUTTERSTOCK

“

lay on a hammock?

Only by destroying the last patch of grass did we realize how much we still relied on that area as a usable space.

Thus, our plan was finally born, though we won’t get around to most of it until next summer. We’ll install a round paver patio large enough for our firepit and chairs (and the hammock, should we get the urge), surrounded by some no-mow grass and steppingstone paths so that a person could walk barefoot from the house to the firepit area. Will this be the final form of the last patch?

Only time will tell.

In the fall, I planted 60 plugs of Pennsylvania sedge, a low-growing native perennial grass that will slowly form bunches, filling in around the patio for a wavy, grassy look. I’ll have to plant more in the spring after we finalize the patio and steppingstone paths. When undertaking a serious landscaping project, is it correct to destroy the existing landscape with no plan, then put in plants before installing hardscape?

Oh well.

In the end, I replaced my grass with grass. And I did every single step in the wrong order. But it’s about the journey, not the destination, right?

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Discount Partners

SAVE WITH OUR 2022 DISCOUNT PARTNERS Society and affiliated members of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society receive a membership card to show at our partner Discount Partners across the Upper Midwest. Each partner has a unique discount offer and, while some are open year-round, others are seasonal and closed for the winter. Be sure to check individual business websites and northerngardener.org/discount-partners.

101 Market - Otsego Abrahamson Nurseries – Scandia, Stillwater MN & St. Croix Falls WI Anoka-Ramsey Farm & Garden – Ramsey Arden Hills Nursery – Shoreview Axdahl’s Garden Farm & Greenhouse – Stillwater Bachman’s – Apple Valley, Eden Prairie, Fridley, Maplewood, Minneapolis & Plymouth Beier’s Greenhouse – Grand Rapids Beisswenger’s – New Brighton Cedar Brook Garden Center – New Prague Como Park Zoo & Conservatory – St. Paul Costa Farm & Greenhouse – White Bear Lake Countryside Lawn & Landscape – Zumbrota Dan & Jerry’s Greenhouse – Monticello Duluth Flower Farm – Duluth Ecological Design – Minneapolis EggPlant Urban Farm Supply – St. Paul Fair’s Nursery – Maple Grove Farmington Greenhouse – Farmington Fiddles & Fronds – Minneapolis Flower Power Garden Center & Fred Holasek & Son Greenhouse – Lester Prairie

Forest & Floral Garden Center – Park Rapids Garden Divas – River Falls WI Gordy’s Gift & Garden – Hermantown Green Lake Nursery – Spicer Green Space, LLC True nature Design – Minneapolis Green Valley Greenhouse – Ramsey Hartman Garden Center & Landscaping – Victoria Heidi’s GrowHaus – Corcoran Home Sown Gardens – Eagan Hugo Feed Mill & Hardware – Hugo Jean’s The Right Plant Place – Perham Kelley & Kelley Nursery – Long Lake Kern Landscape Resources – St. Paul Knecht’s Nurseries & Landscaping – Northfield Landscape Alternatives – Shafer Lilydale Garden Center – Lilydale Living Sculpture Trees – Sunfish Lake Lynde Greenhouse & Nursery – Maple Grove Mickman Brothers – Ham Lake Minnesota Landscape Arboretum – Chaska

Mother Earth Gardens – two Minneapolis locations Nagel Sod & Nursery – Medford Nature’s Garden World – Fergus Falls Nelson Nursery Garden Center – Zimmerman Otten Bros. Garden Center & Landscaping – Long Lake Pahl’s Market – Apple Valley Paisley Gardens – Northfield Patio Town – Brooklyn Park, Burnsville & Oakdale Sargent’s Nursery, Inc. – Red Wing Schulte’s Greenhouse & Nursery – St. Michael Seed Savers Exchange – Decorah IA South Cedar Garden Center – Farmington Terra Garden Center – Lakeville Terrace Horticultural Books – online The Garden By The Woods – Chanhassen Wagner Garden Centers – Minneapolis & Hugo Walker Art Center - Minneapolis Winter Greenhouse – Winter WI *Locations are in MN unless otherwise noted

The Minnesota State Horticultural Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We are thankful for our Discount Partners and members. Your support powers our mission to deliver valuable programs, education and resources to northern gardeners of all skill levels and backgrounds.

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