Northern Gardener - May/June 2022

5 E A S Y C O N TA I N E R R E C I P E S

Gardener Northern

A MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY PUBLICATION

Lovely

MAY/JUNE 2022

Lady’s Slippers GARDEN IDEAS FOR

RENTERS

DAZZLING LAKESIDE LANDSCAPE U.S. $5.99 Can. $6.99 Display until June 30

GROW your HAPPY

Gerten's AD

Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

3

MAY/JUNE 2022 l VOLUME 150 l NUMBER 3

Table of Contents 29

34

Lady’s Slippers at Home

Diamond Lake Dazzler

BY BETTY ANN ADDISON

BY GAIL HUDSON

If the conditions are just right, you can grow these native orchids.

Good bones and great plants frame a water view.

46 Take Five

Whatever your goal, the right five plants are all you need for a pot of beauty.

BY DIANE MCGANN

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

16 Northern Natives: Scarlet paintbrush.

By Beth Stetenfeld

40 En Masse

To create a well-designed garden that mirrors nature, plant in drifts.

BY MICHELLE MERO RIEDEL

44 The Renter’s Garden

No land? No problem. With containers and communication, renters can grow.

BY LAURA SCHWARZ

18 Kitchen Garden: Edible nasturtiums.

By Samantha Johnson 20 Pollinators: Bee watching.

By Rhonda Fleming Hayes 22 Plant to Pick: Virtual Violet® lilac.

By Debbie Lonnee 24 Garden Solutions: It’s still too cold.

By Laura Schwarz 26 DIY: Container garden recipes.

By Eric Johnson 28

By Design: It’s the leaves.

By Diane McGann 52 Northern View: Setting the buffet.

By Susan M. Barbieri

ABOUT THE COVER: Native or hybrid, lady’s slippers are a Minnesota classic plant. Photo by Tracy Walsh

Where to put all the seedlings is a common lament among gardeners in spring.

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

A NOTE FROM

MSHS Staff

The Director 121! my partner and i overdid the winter sowing just a bit. We ended the winter with 121 milk jugs planted with seeds in the backyard snow that we’re now trying to find space and time to transplant. I’m not really complaining—what a joy it is to have such a healthy head start to planting season.

Imagine if we could grow our membership as abundantly as our seedlings! MSHS started the year with 8,900 members, and unlike my backyard, we could never have too many. More members mean more northern gardeners, more programs (read about our outreach work on page 12), more community.

One New in ’22 is our campaign to reach 12,000 members by the end of 2022. We’re reaching out to you, our loyal members and readers, to each bring in one new member this year. Save $5 on new society level memberships and gift memberships purchased by April 30.

(Visit northerngardener.org/one-new-

Rick Juliusson, Executive Director Lara Lau-Schommer, Education and Outreach Director

in-22 to sign up.) Think of that young couple starting their first garden next door, your niece or grandchild who could use some nurturing, that uncle who’s so hard to find a present for. Who do you know who might benefit from a society that supports all growers, new and old, in this cold climate?

Maybe it’s time to buy them a gift membership. Or pass along this magazine. Forward the enews. Take a class together (see the great spring lineup on page 4). How could you help them unlock the member benefits that have supported your journey to successful gardening?

We’ve supported northern growers like you for 156 years, and we thank you now for helping us grow.

2

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Diane Duvall, Development Director Courtney Tchida, Community Programs Director Ann Londrigan, Membership Associate Emma Krasky, Quaker Voluntary Service Fellow Betsy Pierre, Advertising Sales Manager

Northern Gardener Magazine Mary Lahr Schier, Editor Debbie Lonnee, Horticultural Editor Julie Jensen, Copy Editor Barbara Pederson, Designer Joe Luca, Newsstand Consultant

— Rick Juliusson (he/him) Executive Director 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.

MSHS community outreach programs generously supported by: 651-643-3601 l info@northerngardener.org

Becky Swee, Communications and Marketing Director

@mnhort

(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.

What isn’t in Sylva’s mulch: Gerten's AD

Jumping Worms, Gypsy Moth & Emerald Ash Borer

Pallets & Nails

Diseased Wood & Yard Waste

Learn more at sylvasafe.com

Find a premier partner or request at your local garden center.

3 and many more!

Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

MSHS Calendar

STOCK PHOTO

UPCOMING EVENTS

Regenerating Urban Land

Bonsai Basics Tuesday, April 19 and 26, 7 – 9:30 p.m. $55 members, $60 nonmembers Location: Bad Weather Brewing, 414 Seventh St. W., St. Paul Instructor: Lionel Flood, Minnesota Bonsai Society

Learn about the ancient art and horticulture of bonsai. This is a two-part class with initial styling on the first day and repotting and additional styling on the second. This class will provide you with a tree, pot, soil and wire to start your tree. Bonsai is a fascinating art form that has been around more than 2,300 years and is growing and changing all the time.

This hobby can keep you entertained and engaged for years to come.

Building Healthy Soil Tuesday, May 17, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers, free for Garden-in-a-Box and Minnesota Green participants Location: Your computer Instructor: Maks Sandor Kopish, Potter Ridge Farms

Do you ever feel like gardening is a battle?

A war against weeds, diseases and pests?

Fighting nature can be just that—an uphill battle. Give up the fight, make peace with the soil and see how much easier gardening becomes. Soil is a living ecosystem. When healthy and thriving, it supports plants just as nature intended.

When a soil ecosystem is stressed, out of balance or outright destroyed (which is often the case, even in organic production), plants suffer and can actually attract pests and disease. Learn about the rich web of life underground and the ways you can best support it as a shepherd of the microscopic livestock who make your garden grow.

4

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

J

oin us for this four-part series brought to you in partnership with Paula Westmoreland from Ecological Designs and MSHS. Below are the first two workshops in this series; others will follow later this summer.

Understanding Water

Working with Plants

Tuesday, May 24, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $25 members, $40 nonmembers Location: Lyndale Gardens Amphitheater

Tuesday, June 28, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $25 members, $40 nonmembers Location: Tiny Diner, 1024 E. 38th St., Minneapolis

Water is life, the blood that flows through earth. All living things have a relationship with water and depend on it for health. Unfortunately, many of us have been trained to think about water as a resource rather than a living system. In this workshop, we will explore our water paradigm, the water cycle, the properties of water and discuss strategies you can use when working with water on land in your circle of care.

Plants produce food for most of life on earth. Our understanding of plants is rapidly changing as we discover the complexity of how plants communicate and live in community. As humans, we have a role and responsibility in nurturing plant life. This workshop will discuss some of the latest science, the ecological partnerships to cultivate in your work with plants, design principles you can use in organizing plants into communities and top tips for supporting plant life during climate change.

The Power of Healing Gardens Wednesday, May 18, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers Location: Your computer Instructor: Lisa Philander, curator of the Conservatory and Botanical Collection at the University of Minnesota

In this second offering for Fascination with Plants Day, you can explore gardens from a healing perspective. Learn how gardens affect individuals, society, culture and the environment. We will also look at what we can learn from garden movements of the past as symbols of hope and rejuvenation.

See all upcoming classes and register at northerngardener.org/classes.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Backyard Food Forests

Wednesday, May 18, noon – 1 p.m.

Free for members, $5 nonmembers Location: Your computer Instructor: Mary Maguire Lerman, horticulturist

Tuesday, June 7, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers Location: Your computer Instructor: Russ Henry, owner of Minnehaha Falls Landscaping and founder of Bee Safe Minneapolis

Celebrate international Fascination with Plants Day by learning about Ligularia with one of Ligularia 'Bottle Rocket' our favorite horticultural friends, Mary Maguire Lerman! Ligularia or leopard plant makes a spectacular focal point and architectural highlight in moist, shady gardens. Compatible with astilbe, rodgersia, Siberian iris, sedges and royal and cinnamon ferns, these large, colorful plants provide splashes of color with their attractive foliage. Yellow/orange daisylike Season blooms in mid- to late summer attract places, butterflies.

WALTERS GARDENS INC.

All About Ligularia

If you own or manage land, you can do something meaningful to combat climate change and mass extinction. Food forests are an oasis for people, pollinators and wild animals that anyone who has access to land can grow. Food forests are a modern reflection of ancient land management techniques. We’ll discuss planning and planting landscapes filled with fruiting native trees and shrubs and edible perennials. We’ll also cover maximizing rainwater capture, planning for ecosystem succession and growing a multi-layered canopy of edible native plants to create habitat that will heal the land and provide sustenance for you and your family.

Community Events 2022 Spring Flower Show Daffodil Society of Minnesota Saturday, May 14, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday, May 15, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Location: Bachman’s Floral Home and Garden, Heritage Room, 6010 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis View hundreds of daffodil blooms and experience the wide range of daffodil colors, sizes and shapes.

Local daffodil enthusiasts will be on hand to answer your questions.

Contact: daffodilmn.org.

Community Events continue on page 12

Extend Your Outdoor Season With Outdoor Fireplaces, Fire Tables and Fire Pits

(651) 372-2109 www.Fireside.com

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

5

UPCOMING EVENTS

Plant Sales Champlin Garden Club Saturday, May 7, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Location: Hayden Lake Road, Willy McCoy’s parking lot, Champlin Annuals, perennials, vegetables, hanging baskets, herbs and native plants.

Contact: gardeninginchamplin@gmail.com.

Discount Partners

Hennepin Technical College Thursday, May 5 – Saturday, May 7, 9 a.m.

– 8 p.m.

Location: Hennepin Technical College Lower Greenhouses, 9000 Brooklyn Blvd., Brooklyn Park Thousands of healthy, student-grown annuals, perennials, houseplants, hanging baskets, Mother’s Day planters and hard-tofind rare plants.

Contact: Debra.Kvame@hennepintech.edu.

6

Men’s and Women’s Garden Club of Minneapolis Tuesday, May 10, noon – 6 p.m.

Location: St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church, 3450 Irving Ave. S., Minneapolis High quality, new and unusual annuals and perennials, pollinator plants and more. Held inside, rain or shine.

Contact: gardenclubmpls.org/2022-plant-sale.

Shoreview Community Garden Club Friday, May 13, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Location: Shoreview Community Center, 4580 Victoria St. N., Shoreview

Held at Haffernan Pavillion, behind the community center. Nursery-grown annuals, member-grown perennials and houseplants Contact: sandilauer@comcast.net.

Lake Owasso Garden Club Friday, May 13, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Saturday, May 14, 8 a.m. – noon Location: 824 W. Cty. Rd. B2, Roseville Proceeds fund horticulture scholarships.

Contact: joyce.lasecke@gmail.com.

Garden Club of Ramsey County Saturday, May 14, 4 – 7 p.m.

Location: St. Luke Lutheran Church, 1807 Field Ave., St. Paul Heirloom tomatoes, potted flowers, curly willow and red dogwood branches. To avoid spreading jumping worms, there will be no plants dug from members’ gardens.

New: Vouchers for light gardening by club member volunteers at $25 per hour.

Contact: ramseygardeners.org.

Community Events continue on page 10

SAVE WITH OUR 2022 DISCOUNT PARTNERS Society and affiliated members of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society receive a membership card and access to discounts with our trusted partners across the Upper Midwest. Find each partner’s unique discount offer—and a NEW map of participating locations—online at northerngardener.org/discount-partners.

101 Market – Otsego Abrahamson Nurseries – Scandia, Stillwater & 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 Backyard Wedding Sites – Minneapolis NEW 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 Dolan’s Landscape Center – Austin Dragonfly Gardens – Amery, WI NEW Drummers Garden Center & Floral – Mankato NEW Duluth Flower Farm – Duluth NEW 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 Friends School Plant Sale – Falcon Heights Garden Divas – River Falls, WI Garden Expressions – New Richmond, WI NEW Gordy’s Gift & Garden – Hermantown NEW Green Lake Nursery – Spicer Green Space, LLC – Minneapolis Green Valley Greenhouse – Ramsey Hartman Garden Center & Landscaping – Victoria Heidi’s GrowHaus – Corcoran Hiawatha Supply – Minneapolis NEW 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 – Zimmerman Otten Bros. Garden Center & Landscaping – Long Lake Pahl’s Market – Apple Valley Paisley Gardens – Northfield Patio Town – Brooklyn Park, Burnsville & Oakdale Prairie Moon Nursery – Winona (offer online only) NEW Sargent’s Nursery – Red Wing Schulte’s Greenhouse & Nursery – St. Michael Seed Savers Exchange – Decorah, IA South Cedar Garden Center – Farmington Spring At Last Garden Center – Duluth NEW Terra Garden Center – Lakeville Terrace Horticultural Books -–St. Paul (offer online only) The Garden By The Woods – Chanhassen VIP Floral & Garden Center – Slayton NEW Wagner Garden Centers – Minneapolis & Hugo Winter Greenhouse – Winter WI Wolcyn Tree Farms & Nursery – Cambridge NEW Zywiec Landscape & Garden – Cottage Grove NEW *Locations are in MN unless otherwise noted

The Minnesota State Horticultural Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. We are grateful 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.

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

7

YEARS OF PU BLISHING

150 TIPS from 150 YEARS

G

TI

PS

15

0

AR

DENIN

G

Nature’s candy

F

ruit, glorious fruit, was the reason MSHS was founded in 1866, and growing, hybridizing and preserving fruit was a ubiquitous topic in society publications for many decades. Members wrote about how to grow native fruits, especially berries and plums, to make them hardier and sweeter. They tried to grow fruits from all over the world, some successfully, such as apples and grapes, and others not so much, such as cranberries.

Favorite fruit-growing tips from the archives Grapes grow Apples Choose apple varieties on dwarf or semi-dwarf root stock to make pruning and picking easier in a home garden.

Consider applying a winter mulch— barnyard manure was recommended in 1874—after a hard freeze to prevent early bloom and add nutrients.

Apricots Introduced in 1961 by the University of Minnesota, ‘Sungold’ and ‘Moongold’ apricot trees survive tough winters and bear fruit heavily. Plant the trees in a sunny location with well-drained soil.

A second tree nearby will increase pollination and fruit production.

Currants & gooseberries

Raspberry picking in Excelsior featured in Minnesota Horticulturist in August 1943.

are easy to propagate by cuttings and layering, S.A. McHenry recommended in 1888. Cut 8-inch segments of last year’s wood in September and plant in a rich, moist soil.

They will take root.

Chum, Anyone?

In 1940, the hort society recommended cherry-plums for the home garden.

A cross between an Asian plum (Prunus salicina) and the western sand cherry (Prunus besseyi) or native sand cherry (Prunus pumila), they were hardy as far north as USDA Zone 2. The fruit tastes sweet and plumlike.

A few Canadian nurseries still carry older varieties, such as ‘Sapa’ and ‘Opata’.

These hybrid cherry plums, or chums, should not be confused with Prunus cerasifera, which often goes by the same common name.

WANT MORE TIPS? Don’t miss the next issue of Northern Gardener and bookmark our blog—we’ll add more of our favorite seasonal tips from the archives each month: northerngardener.org/blog

8

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

best on the south side of a slope or windbreak, Orin Turnquist suggested in 1959.

A spot with sandy soil and plenty of organic matter is best. Do not remove leaves to increase sun exposure on the fruit, readers were warned in 1943. The fruit may ripen more slowly and with less sweetness.

Rhubarb Rhubarb should not be harvested past the end of June. The plant needs time for the foliage to gather energy for the next season, Northern Gardener recommended in 2005.

RECIPE

Easy Rhubarb Pie 4 cups rhubarb, diced 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons instant tapioca 2 tablespoons flour ½ tablespoon butter Toss all ingredients together and place in an unbaked pie shell. Top with another crust and bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes to an hour.

Recipe submitted to the Northern Gardener Cookbook from society members Chuck and Tarri Levine.

GR GR GR

100 100

ER VER VER V

ER VER VER V

00s

FOUR FOUR FOURGENERATIONS GENERATIONS GENERATIONS OF OFLOCAL LOCAL LOCALQUALITY QUALITY QUALITY&&&FRESHNESS FRESHNESS FRESHNESS Years Years YearsOF

Direct Direct from from the the Grower Grower

WNED NED NED

FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY OWNED OWNED OWNED

The The The BEST BEST BEST VARIETIES VARIETIES VARIETIES and and and LARGEST LARGEST LARGEST SELECTION SELECTION SELECTION ofofof annual annual annual plants plants plants for for for your your your garden garden garden beds beds beds and and and containers. containers. containers.

&Online In-Store In-Store In-Store&&Online Online

651.450.1501 651.450.1501 651.450.1501| | WWW.GERTENS.COM |WWW.GERTENS.COM WWW.GERTENS.COM 5500 5500 5500 BLAINE BLAINE BLAINE AVENUE AVENUE AVENUE| | |INVER INVER INVER GROVE GROVE GROVE HEIGHTS, HEIGHTS, HEIGHTS, MN MN MN 55076 55076 55076

CURBSIDE CURBSIDE CURBSIDE PICKUP PICKUP PICKUP && & DELIVERY DELIVERY DELIVERY AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE

UPCOMING EVENTS

PLANT SALES continued from page 6 Anoka Area Gardeners Saturday, May 14, 8 – 11 a.m.

Location: St. Stephen’s School parking lot, Sixth and East Main Street, Anoka Sun and shade perennials, including native plants, vegetables, all member-grown.

Contact: dmbryant02@comcast.net.

Dakota County Master Gardeners Saturday, May 14, 8 a.m. – noon Location: Whitetail Woods Regional Park, 17100 Station Trl., Farmington Minnesota natives, annuals, vegetables, herbs, perennials. Held rain or shine.

Contact: dakotamastergardeners@gmail.com.

Montevideo Fiesta Flora Society Saturday, May 14, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Location: Montevideo Community Center, 550 S. First St., Montevideo Annuals, perennials and natives.

Contact: tesasiverhus@hotmail.com.

Anoka County Master Gardeners Tuesday, May 17, 3 – 7 p.m.

Wednesday, May 18, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Location: Anoka County Fairgrounds, 3200 St. Francis Blvd. N.W., Anoka Proceeds support master gardener activities in Anoka County.

Contact: spaniolo@umn.edu.

Rochester Garden and Flower Club Wednesday, May 18, 3 – 7 p.m.

Thursday, May 19, 8 a.m. – noon Location: Horticulture Building, Olmsted County Fairgrounds, 1403 Third Ave. S.E., Rochester Annuals, perennials, hostas, garden art, and more.

Contact: rgfc.org.

Minnesota River Valley Master Gardeners Saturday, May 14, 9 a.m. – noon Location: Mankato Curling Club, 600 Hope St., Mankato Special precautions used to prevent spread of jumping worms.

Contact: joycew704@gmail.com.

Friends School NG final 2022.qxp_Friends Plant Sale 3/1/22 1:44 PM Page 1

Mothers Day weekend Back at the State Fair Grandstand FREE admission FRIDAY, MAY 6 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, MAY 7 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

SUNDAY, MAY 8 Remaining plants 1/3 off 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

An MSHS rtner Card pa Discount to selling Committed without n plants grow ticides e neonic p s

www.FriendsSchoolPlantSale.com

COVID

info + full catalog online—browse photos and make your shopping list Photo by Michelle Mero Riedel

10

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

South St. Paul Garden Club Friday, May 20, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Saturday, May 21, 8 a.m. – noon Location: 1900 Burma Lane, South St. Paul New location for 2022! Hundreds of perennials, shrubs, specialty hostas.

Contact: sspgardenclub.org.

Ramsey County Master Gardeners Saturday, May 21, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Location: Church of the Holy Childhood, 1435 Midway Pkwy., St. Paul Tomatoes, herbs, annual and perennial flowers, including MN Seed Trial plants.

Contact: ramseymastergardeners.org.

Washington County Master Gardeners Sunday, May 22, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Location: Washington County Fairgrounds, 12300-40th St. N., Stillwater Garden Market and shed open at 10 a.m.; plant sale starts at 11 a.m.

Contact: washingtoncountymg.org.

Avenues Neighborhood Association Saturday, June 4, 9 – 11 a.m.

Location: Alice Smith Elementary School, 801 Minnetonka Mills Rd., Hopkins Neighborhood sale–large, hardy divisions from local gardens. Lots of hostas.

Contact: jhamm333@gmail.com.

Oakdale Landscape Revival Saturday, June 4, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Location: Oakdale Fire Station #1, 5000 Hadley Ave. N., Oakdale New location! Purchase native plants from multiple growers.

Contact: tiny.cc/oakdale.

Robbinsdale Diggers Garden Club Saturday, June 4, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Location: Robbinsdale Historic Library, 4915-42nd Ave. N., Robbinsdale Perennials, annuals and tubers for sun and shade. Cash or check only.

Contact: robbinsdalediggers.com.

Daylily Society of Minnesota Sunday, June 5, 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Location: Bachman’s, Heritage Room, 6010 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis A large variety of daylily cultivars; good clumping varieties.

Contact: dmbryant02@comcast.net.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Growing Community in Bemidji

Bridget Westrum, below, Growing Our Future founder

at just 16, bridget westrum founded Growing Our Future, a gardening organization that serves young people in her hometown of Bemidji.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, she recognized that community members felt disconnected. She wanted a safe and beneficial way to bring people together again. From her driveway, she started Growing Our Future to share plants and other gardening supplies.

Since then, the group has put together hundreds of different gardening kits, including kits to grow flowers, herbs and vegetables, and has distributed them to youth in the Bemidji area.

Bridget tapped the Minnesota Green program of MSHS for seeds, which has given the group access to hundreds of seeds for the kits.

She believes everyone should have the opportunity to garden and demonstrates this by supporting families with a variety of needs. The answer to that need may be physical, such as providing a container garden along with the seed kit to adapt to apartment living, or something intangible like needing gardening

advice. Growing Our Future strives to accommodate the needs of all.

Community members outside the organization even benefit from the positivity that Growing Our Future has brought.

In 2022, they plan to distribute even more kits. Two community share tables have been set up for food or gardening supply donations. In the future, Bridget hopes to expand the program to reach more youth and families around Minnesota. The program has not only empowered families to grow their own healthy food, but also helped bring her community back together.

The future is bright for Growing Our Future. For more information on the program, visit growingourfuturemn. com.

Find out more about Minnesota Green and Garden-in-a-Box at northerngardener.org/community-programs.

12

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

COMMUNITY EVENTS continued from page 5 Hosta Vision 2022 Minnesota Hosta Society Wednesday, June 8 – Saturday, June 11, 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Location: Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, 7025 Northland Dr. N., Brooklyn Park The American Hosta Society National Convention will explore the everexpanding use of hostas in the garden. Join us for workshops, tours and a hosta leaf competition.

Contact: hostavision2022. com.

Lyndale Park Rose Garden Tour Men’s and Women’s Garden Club of Minneapolis Tuesday, June 14, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Location: Lyndale Park Rose Garden, 4124 Roseway Rd., Minneapolis Join us for this early evening tour of the garden, which contains 3,000 plants and a Florentine fountain.

Contact: gardenclubmpls.org/calendar.

An Evening in the Garden Fillmore County Master Gardeners Tuesday, June 21, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Location: Berwood Hill Inn, 22139 Hickory Rd., Lanesboro Tour the award-winning gardens of Berwood Hill Inn and hear Mary H. Meyer speak on native grasses. Cost: $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

Contact: lorislindee@gmail.com.

2022 Volunteer Learning Garden Tour Hennepin County Master Gardeners Saturday, July 9, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Location: South Minneapolis Visit 10 gardens in South Minneapolis.

Cost: $15 in advance; $20 on the day of the tour. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.

Contact: hennepinmastergardeners.org.

The best kept secrets in gardening are at Otten Bros.

5

Alfalfa’s Secret

$

off per bag of Alfalfa’s Secret

5

Cowsmo Compost

$

off per bag of Cowsmo Compost

Plaisted Total Garden Blend

5

$

Alfalfa’s Secret is a locally grown, all natural mulch and soil amendment that is safe for kids, pets and gardeners. Flower gardens, vegetable gardens, fruit patches, and especially tomatoes, can all benefit from Alfalfa’s Secret. The nutrients in Alfalfa’s Secret are released gradually, and will not quickly leach away as can happen with some commercial fertilizers. This will help to keep your plants healthy all season long.

Cowsmo Compost is considered a soil amendment (not a fertilizer), which has a number of positive attributes when added to existing soil or when mixed with other ingredients to create a potting soil.

Much like cow manure, compost adds organic matter and good bacteria which promote soil life, which in turn feed plants. Cowsmo does not smell and it does not have viable weed seeds because it has been composted properly.

off per bag of Plaisted Total Garden Blend Total Garden Blend is a soil-less blend for raised gardens. This remarkable blend consists of mostly peat, composted pine bark, organic yard compost, perlite, lime, and a slow release fertilizer. This combination provides amazing results in as little as 6 weeks-and there’s no mixing, just pour and plant. You’ll love its low maintenance features: minimal watering, no tilling and almost no weeding.

Expires 6/30/22. One offer per day. In-stock items only. Not valid on previously purchased merchandise. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.

Expires 6/30/22. One offer per day. In-stock items only. Not valid on previously purchased merchandise. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.

Expires 6/30/22. One offer per day. In-stock items only. Not valid on previously purchased merchandise. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.

Garden Center & Landscaping

Garden Center & Landscaping

Garden Center & Landscaping

Garden Center & Landscaping

2350 West Wayzata Blvd., Long Lake, MN 55356 952-473-5425 www.ottenbros.com

MSHS News

SUSAN DAHLEN

MSHS NEWS

#GreatGardeningContest2022 Growing a splashy container garden this season? Or maybe you have big plans for a fun garden bed or are helping in a community plot? Wherever you hang your trowel, we can’t wait to see what you’re growing—and in the age of social media, it’s easier than ever to give the world a glimpse of your hard work. Grab your phone or camera, capture your garden in its best light and post your photos on Facebook or Instagram with hashtags #GreatGardeningContest2022 and #mnhort. Register online between July 5 and Aug. 5 to tell us about your garden. Winners in all three categories—containers, home garden and public garden—will be featured in Northern Gardener magazine this fall. visit northerngardener.org/great-gardening-contest to learn more and watch our webinar How to Take Great Garden Photos with professional photographer Michelle Mero Riedel.

Corrections We wish to correct the following errors to the Honor Roll of Donors and Impact Report published in the January/February 2022 issue of Northern Gardener magazine.

The omission of the Ada Garden Club at the $50 - $199 giving level.

The photo caption on page 3 of the Impact Report of the Rice Triangle Garden should read “Junior League of Saint Paul” not “Woman’s Junior League of St. Paul.”

Family Owned Business Growing for Over 120 Years:

Garden Center, Landscape, & Fundraiser

763-420-4400 | Maple Grove, MN 55369 | lyndegreenhouse.com Homegrown Annuals, Houseplants, Perennials, & More!

Garden Center Open Daily!

14

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Back to Her Roots no matter where she has lived, Amber Senn has found a way to express her passion for gardening. “New York’s a concrete jungle so I bought fresh flowers every week,” says the new MSHS member. Amber grew up in Minnesota, gardening alongside her mother.

After college, she moved to Florida, then California and finally New York, working on Wall Street. She found her way back to nature on a trip to Argentina in 2007. “I really settled in deeply and realized that I missed being in nature.

My plan was to get back to the garden as soon as possible,” she says.

The opportunity presented when a friend started an organic farm in the Bahamas.

“I ended up joining the team and grew thousands of tomatoes,” Amber says.

In 2014, she returned to Minnesota, and two years ago, she bought a house in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis. Previously owned by a chef, the property had a pollinator garden and rich soil for growing. Last year, she grew vegetables, including more than 5,000 hot peppers—a favorite of her brother who was living with her at the time. “It’s so intense with the short season so I was looking for resources for this climate.”

Amber’s mom, Nancy, is her “goto gardener,” often passing on tips, including an MSHS Facebook post about a coleus border. She started researching and Northern Gardener kept popping up, so she joined. “I love, love the magazine, but I also wanted to be part of a community and this it,” she says.

Amber’s next move? “My goal is to stay in Minnesota and be a resource for gardeners starting out,” she says. “And, grow sustainable, beautiful gardens with a cutting garden for flower arranging.”

Discover Your New Favorite Color (and your customers’ too)

Endless Summer® remains the best-selling collection of hydrangeas in the world with best-in-class genetics, marketing, and performance. The beautiful blooms’ rich color is eye candy to draw home gardeners in at retail, and the strong garden performance keeps them coming back year after year.

Find a Network Grower near you: BaileyNurseries.com/Endless-Summer

NORTHERN NATIVES

Scarlet Paintbrush

BETH STETENFELD

resistant to rabbits and deer. It has an extended bloom time of several weeks, and it’s a good plant for naturalizing an open area in a mass planting.

Scarlet paintbrush is a biennial, or reseeding annual. This plant can be difficult to establish in a garden; since it requires well-drained soil, it grows slowly and is difficult to transplant.

Because it’s a hemiparasitic plant, it’s generally not suited to a formal garden, but it can be a good choice for open, naturalized areas. Some sources also recommend growing it in pots with one or more of its host plants.

It grows well with established grasses and sedges that provide its nutrients and take the visual back seat to its bright scarlet coloring and stature when in bloom. Other good companions include plants that naturally grow in similar conditions, including beardtongues (Penstemon spp.) and blue-eyed grasses (Sisyrinchium spp.).

The seeds of scarlet paintbrush are very small. To propagate, scatter seeds in early spring or late summer, where desired; or cold stratify over winter for spring planting. Seeds germinate best in well-drained soil, at temperatures of 55 to 65 degrees F. If you have the patience, establishing scarlet paintbrush in the landscape or in pots can be well worth the endeavor.

The bright scarlet color of the blooms is dramatic, and the plants are eye-catching for several weeks during the summer growing season.

happening upon a field of scarlet paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea) in the wild is a dramatic experience. The bright red/ orange color of the bracts, which comprise its blooms, is less common among native plants of the Midwest. This plant tends to occur in the wild near lakes, stream banks, open woods and meadows with well-draining sandy or silty soil.

Plants in the Castilleja genus are hemiparasitic, meaning they require a host plant for their nutrients, minerals and water.

Common hosts for scarlet paintbrush include many native low-growing grasses and sedges, such as blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) and Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica). Generally, this parasitic activity doesn’t harm the host plant. (The U.S. Forest Service and the Minnesota Wildflowers websites include additional suggested hosts for this plant.)

Scarlet paintbrush, in turn, is a larval host plant to several insects, including several checkerspot species of butterflies. It also attracts and nourishes numerous pollinators, including bees and hummingbirds. The latter are particularly attracted to its bright red color, and their long bills can reach the nectar at the end of the long, tubular bracts.

At about 2 feet tall, scarlet paintbrush also can be a dramatic focal point in a garden. In addition to its bright, vibrant color in the landscape and its nectar and nutrients for insects and pollinators, this plant is low maintenance, once established, and

16

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

At a Glance: Scarlet Paintbrush Hardiness: USDA Zone 3.

Native Habitat: North Dakota eastward through Maine; south from Texas through Georgia and the East Coast.

Size: 1 to 2 feet tall; 8 to 12 inches wide.

Site: Prefers medium-wet to medium-dry, well-drained soil; partial to full sun. Often found in open areas near lakes or other bodies of water.

Propagation: Sow seeds on surface of soil with no cover, near a host plant. Not easily transplanted.

Cultivars and Other Species: A member of the mostly parasitic plants of the family Orobanchaceae, Castilleja is a genus with about 200 species, approximately half of which are native to North America. Three species native in Minnesota are C. coccinea, C. septentrionalis and C. sessiliflora.

—B.R.S.

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

GARDEN CENTER open 8am-8pm daily

BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS LOCALLY GROWN • Proud to support local nurseries & farmers, bringing you local hardy plants to brighten your garden & patio.

• Over the last two years we’ve partnered with our nurseries to reduce chemical use 80% by using natural bio-stimulants & beneficial insects. We do not use Neonitic pesticides on our outdoor plants.

• Go to cub.com to find a greenhouse near you.

We local!

KITCHEN GARDEN

Edible Nasturtiums until last summer, i’d never grown nasturtiums. How I managed this horticultural oversight, I do not know, but all those years I missed a truly lovely, easy-to-grow, splendidly edible flower that brightens the garden from spring to fall.

Nasturtiums are beautiful—delicate, trumpet-shaped blossoms in shades of red, orange, yellow, salmon and pink are accompanied by an abundance of gently curved leaves.

Together, flowers and foliage create an understated combination, and the velvety texture of the blossoms adds another appealing aspect.

This old-fashioned favorite comes in two main types, the trailing/ climbing type (Tropaeolum majus) and the bush/dwarf type (Tropaeolum minus). The trailing type is perfectly suited to a window box, where plants can tumble over the edge. I grew them in a raised bed and trained them up a trellis, which worked very well. The bush nasturtiums are mounded plants, about a foot tall, and work as a filler in a container or as a wonderful edge plant in your vegetable garden.

“

This remarkable plant manages to hit that elusive garden trifecta: beautiful, edible and attractive to pollinators.”

Growing Tips

MARY LAHR SCHIER

Much more than a garnish, nasturtiums add spice to salads, soups and infused vinegars.

18

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

You can start seeds indoors in April and transplant the seedlings in late May, or direct sow them in the garden.

Either way, wait until after the last frost date to plant outside. Plant seeds ½ inch deep, and space the seeds approximately 1 foot apart in the garden bed. Full sun is ideal for nasturtiums, and they don’t require an abundance of

water. They don’t need fertilizer, and too much nitrogen will produce more leaves rather than blooms.

Nasturtiums are also wonderful pollinator plants, beckoning bees and butterflies to visit your garden.

Hummingbirds love them, too. Aphids are another major fan of nasturtiums, which provides a surprising benefit: you can use your nasturtiums as a lure to distract aphids from other plants in your garden.

Bonus tip: Deadheading encourages nasturtiums to continue producing flowers all season long.

More Than a Garnish

While a pretty nasturtium bloom brightens any plate, this plant is more than an attractive garnish. The flowers and leaves of nasturtium are edible (be sure to thoroughly wash off any aphids!) and nasturtiums are often described as “spicy” or “peppery” in flavor. This gentle spiciness can be a pleasant addition to salads, although you may want to balance it with a sweet element—a dash of fruit or a hint of citrus, perhaps. Nasturtiums are also excellent when added to soups (try with potato soup—mmm!) or when served with fish.

If you want to try something more creative, you can use the blossoms to make candied nasturtiums or nasturtium-infused vinegar.

Nasturtium butter is flavor-packed and fun to make, while nasturtium ice cream is an upscale treat.

This remarkable plant manages to hit that elusive garden trifecta: beautiful, edible and attractive to pollinators.

Is it any wonder that nasturtiums have been a beloved component of American gardens for centuries?

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

Everything you need for a Greener Lifestyle

Heidi's AD

Experience the health benefits of growing your own food!

Extensive Selection of GrowHaus Grown Annuals, Edibles and Medicinal Plants

Educational Workshops and Family Friendly Events. Online Shoppe Open 24/7

Fine Gardening Design, Maintenance and Designer Containers

Grow with us! Find inspiration and tips on social media.

763.420.2909 • 755 County Road 16, Corcoran • growhausmn.com

GET HI ON OUR SUPPLY!

Bulk Soils - Mulch - Rock LANDSCAPE DUMP SITE sod - soil - landscape rock - brush 3233 E. 40TH ST. MINNEAPOLIS, MN hiawathasupply.com

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

19

POLLINATORS

Rugosa roses are a bee magnet in northern gardens.

RHONDA FLEMING HAYES

Bee Watching Sources The Bees in Your Backyard (Princeton University Press, 2015)

by Joseph S. Wilson and Olivia Messinger Carril. Beautiful photos and well-organized format.

Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States (Adventure Publications, 2022) by Heather Holm. Pocket guide to the bees most likely to be in your garden.

This Wisconsin site is a trove of accessible information: wisconsinbumblebees. entomology.wisc.edu.

Our homegrown treasury of bee knowledge: beelab.umn.edu/ bumble-bees.

—R.F.H.

“

I do a lot of bumblebee watching in my hedge of rugosa roses.”

bee watching has a long way to go before it ranks up there with birdwatching as a hobby. With the growing awareness of pollinators in our gardens, I hope it’s only a matter of time.

It’s hard enough to watch birds—all that flitting around and the subtle variations between silhouette and markings—but even experts have a challenge identifying different bee

20

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

species, especially in the field. Even with photographic evidence, it can be tricky. When I was creating my book, I relied on noted University of Minnesota bee researcher Elaine Evans to ensure correct identifications.

Bees to Watch

If you want to start watching bees, I recommend you begin with bumblebees.

They’re big; they’re fuzzy. They seem to hover and fly slower when out cruising the garden. Intent on particular blossoms, they’re more focused on the floral target and less likely to get offended and threatened while you observe.

There are 46 bumblebee species in the United States and half of them can be found in Minnesota. Bumblebees are social insects but unlike honeybees, only the mated queen survives the winter. Her young emerge in spring, so you don’t have to wait long before you’ll see them in your garden.

The most common bumblebee is the eastern bumblebee (Bombas impatiens).

It has black hairs on its head, abdomen and legs. The center of its body, the thorax, is yellow with a circular patch of black between the wings. The queens who emerge earlier are bigger than the males, workers and new

queens that appear later. Bumblebees are generalists, meaning they forage on a wide array of flower species. In addition, they pollinate tomatoes, watermelons and blueberries.

I do a lot of bumblebee watching in my hedge of rugosa roses. They show up in droves when it blooms late May into June, as do lots of other bees. You can hear the whine and buzz as you approach. They tussle inside the blooms with tiny sweat bees for the abundant egg-yolk yellow pollen. They pack it onto their hairy legs, called scopa or breadbasket, and bring it back to their nest to feed the young.

Although the rose hedge is a great spot for bumblebee watching, there are plenty of other places I find them in my garden as the season progresses. Once you’ve nailed the eastern bumblebee profile, you will notice the nuances between other bumblebee species.

Identification Sources

You’ll also realize there are many minute differences and slight variations among the various species that can be frustrating if you’re seeking certainty. I rely on several sources to verify identification. I am also a big fan of the Seek app by iNaturalist. You can search for an ID from an existing picture in your photo library or while taking a photo. If I can’t get close enough for more than a generic ID in the garden or field, I can open the photo on my laptop later and point my phone at the enlarged picture to get a more specific ID. It’s a great way to learn more about bumblebees, native bees and other pollinators as well as plants. It’s been a game-changer.

I love bee watching to discover more about these incredible creatures and their importance in our world. It’s also become a fleeting escape from the cares of the world.

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

COWSMO THE FINEST QUALITY ORGANIC COMPOST

Packages for retail, and bulk for larger projects.

Healthy Soil = Abundant Growth Our organic, manure-based Compost and Potting Soils will work hard for you by:

• Adding nutrients, organic matter, and living microorganisms to promote soil health • Suppressing weeds and improving soil texture Visit our website or call to find out which product is right for you:

Cochrane, WI • cowsmocompost.com • 608-626-2571 Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

21

PLANT TO PICK

the national garden bureau has designated 2022 as the Year of the Lilac to celebrate this iconic and versatile shrub that thrives in northern gardens.

Whether you choose a dwarf type for a foundation planting, a taller form for the perfect screening hedge, or a midsize ornamental tree for shade, there is a lilac for every yard. They are easy to grow, reliably hardy and have a fragrance that most of us love.

Known as the Queen of Shrubs, lilacs are members of the olive family (Oleaceae) and originated in Eastern Europe and Asia. Lilacs were brought to North America in the 17th century.

Modern hybridizers have improved upon many of the traits we admire in lilacs, including deeper colors, double flowers, reblooming capability and dwarf habits. Breeders have been able to successfully cross different species of the genus Syringa to bring to a new plant the best features of the parents.

Virtual Violet® (Syringa ‘Bailbridget’ PP30,286) is one of those interspecific crosses and is a unique plant in the lilac world.

Bred in Minnesota by nurseryman Don Selinger, Virtual Violet combines the traits of a classic French hybrid lilac, with the habit and bloom power of some of the best USDA Syringa hyacinthiflora varieties.

Purple in Spring

PHOTO COURTESY OF BAILEY NURSERIES

First Editions® Virtual Violet® Lilac

Foliage color is one of its standout traits. In spring, when the new growth is emerging, the top 6 to 8 inches of growth—leaves, petioles and stems—have a lovely purple hue. Contrasting with those purple leaves are the incredible flower panicles. The raspberry-purple double flowers open up to fragrant dark violet flowers. It blooms in spring when many of our French hybrids are blooming.

The plant retains the purple foliage until hot summer temperatures arrive and the purple fades to green.

With its upright habit, Virtual Violet makes a perfect hedge.

It grows 6 to 8 feet tall but only spreads 3 to 5 feet wide, much smaller than many French hybrids.

Lilacs require a minimum of six hours per day of direct sunlight. They prefer fertile, well-drained and slightly alkaline soils. Hardy to USDA Zone 3, Virtual Violet should thrive in most northern gardens.

22

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Lilacs as Cut Flowers We all delight in cutting lilac flowers in spring and bringing them into our homes.

For long-lasting arrangements, bring a bucket of cool water with you to the garden and cut during the cool of the morning or evening. Choose flowers that are about 75 percent open as the flowers do not continue to open in the vase.

Remove all of the foliage so the plant isn’t putting its energy into keeping the leaves hydrated. After cutting, put the bucket in a cool, dark spot for at least an hour, then recut the stems at the base, vertically about 1 to 2 inches up. Quickly put them back in the bucket in your cool dark spot and let them hydrate for another hour. Then, have fun arranging them in a vase!

—D.L.

Some lilacs are prone to fungal diseases, especially powdery mildew, but I have found Virtual Violet to be relatively resistant to it. Good air circulation around your plants and watering at the base, rather than getting the foliage wet, help to prevent disease.

Flower buds form in fall, so it’s critical to prune these lilacs right after the bloom period is over. If you prune late in the season, you may be cutting off next year’s flowers.

Debbie Lonnee works in the horticulture industry and is the horticulture editor of Northern Gardener.

ONE

NEW in '22

Visit Us!

Donahue’s Greenhouse retail store is open seasonally. If you are in the area, stop by and see our store and all of our varieties of clematis. Many are in full bloom late April and through May at the greenhouse. Check out our website for store hours.

420 SW 10th Street • PO Box 366 • Faribault, Minnesota 55021 507-334-8404 • Fax: 507-334-0485 • donahue@donahuesclematis.com

www.donahuesclematis.com

April is National Garden Month.

To celebrate,

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

Farm Fresh Selects® retailer.

SAVE $5

when you join at the Society level or give that package to a new gardener.

northerngardener.org/ one-new-in-22 Offer ends April 30, 2022

In our Farm Fresh Selects® greenhouses

well for you.

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

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

23

GARDEN SOLUTIONS

It’s Still Too Cold i know you’re itching to plant, but be warned: it’s still too cold for many annual plants to be growing outside. Yes, late April and May can feel so much warmer than the winter just passed, but as Minnesotans, we must face the difficult truth that our gardening season is short, especially for tropical annual plants. This means we have to be deliberate about our timelines for hauling houseplants out of our basements or carting tomato plants home from the garden center.

It used to be standard practice to wait until late May to plant anything tropical outdoors. When I started working in garden centers, we usually recommended Memorial Day weekend as the tried-andtrue guideline for when to plant any heat-loving annuals that can be killed or damaged by a late frost. Many garden centers wouldn’t even sell tropical plants earlier than late May, so it was much harder for overeager gardeners to make fatal mistakes.

Many garden centers now use Mother’s Day weekend as the recommended date for safely planting tender annuals outdoors. This holiday falls on the second Sunday in May, which means it can range from May 8 to May 14. Although it’s possible we won’t have any late frosts after Mother’s Day, Minnesota’s average last frost dates range throughout the entire month of May. Spring frost data from the last 30 years shows last spring frosts varying widely across the state, with some far northern areas historically experiencing frost as late as June 21!

A late frost might kill tender tropical annuals, such as basil, coleus, peppers and impatiens.

24

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Other less vulnerable plants will still suffer irreparable damage to their leaves and stems when their cells rupture from freezing. The frozen plant tissues will turn brown or black, becoming limp and lifeless; any new growth is especially affected.

Some tropical plants will survive a frost, but air and ground temperatures below 50 degrees F can damage or stunt them for the entire season. Tender annuals planted into cold soil might struggle to absorb nutrients, causing deficiencies that can then reduce each plant’s flower production or overall growth.

Use a soil thermometer or the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s online soil temperature map to track soil temps in your region.

Remember that the ground stays cold longer in shady spots.

Worth a Wait

Cold-sensitive plants, such as coleus and begonias (upper right) should not be planted until temperatures are reliably warm.

Which annuals should you wait to plant? For decorative plants, I’d recommend being especially cautious with impatiens, begonias, coleus and sweet potato vines.

Dahlias, salvias, lantanas,

Shop online for store pickup or delivery.

Fill your summer with color.

Minneapolis

Open year-round 6024 Penn Ave. S. 612-922-6901

PHOTOS: MARY LAHR SCHIER

Hugo

elephant ears and mandevillas are also much happier growing in warm air and soil. Anything that you have overwintered as a houseplant will also benefit from consistently warm outside temps. For herbs and veggies, the most tender crops include tomatoes, basil, peppers, green beans, eggplants, cucumbers and all varieties of squash.

Plants coming directly from inside your home or a steamy temperaturecontrolled greenhouse will need an acclimation period of gradually increased exposure to outdoor temperatures. Place plants outdoors for a few hours each day, slowly increasing the amount of time over a week. This process is called “hardening off,” and it allows plants to build up a tolerance to cold temperatures.

Finally, watch the forecast, and if you have any doubts, wait until all danger of frost has passed before planting your heat-loving annuals. The last week of May is usually a safe bet.

I know it’s hard to wait, but it will be worth it when your plants are healthy and thriving all season long. Have a little patience, and your tropical plants will reward you with vigorous growth as soon as summer comes.

Open mid-April through June 4860 Frenchman Rd. N. 651-653-8863

shop.wagnergreenhouses.com

Horticulturist Laura Schwarz writes and gardens in Minneapolis.

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

25

DIY

Container Garden Recipes i’ve always planted containers in my garden, partly because I enjoy the challenge. If I get the design wrong, there it sits, front and center. But when it works, the containers pop and are cheery little art pieces to enjoy all summer. The challenge for me has always been choosing the plants in just the right combinations. Through trial and error, I’ve developed a few design recipes, so to speak, that guide me and have served me well.

Pick colors and plants you love for crazy quilt containers.

The Crazy Quilt

Monochromatic

Doing a container in one color but with different plants is always striking and adds a modern look to your patio or garden. It also takes many options out of

26

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Left: Bada Bing® begonias work well alone in containers.

Right: Go modern with succulents.

PHOTOS: ERIC JOHNSON

An interior designer once told me, buy what you love and it will all come together. Following that principle, I set aside design maxims and roam the greenhouses for plants that grab my eye and make me swoon. Then, I listen for the “inner ding” when the combinations are just right. I hold the flowers next to one another and wait for the pairings to click. It’s fun to practice this to hone your eye for what colors and textures complement one another. But again, plant what you love in the container, and your crazy quilt planter will be a happy sight. Have even more fun and freedom by grouping your crazy quilt containers together.

More Container Ideas See page 46 for five more container recipes, each using just five plants.

—Eds.

the decision-making equation. Choose plants you love in the color you’ve chosen, with an eye on varying textures and heights. Don’t rule out perennials, small shrubs or indoor plants.

One Plant, Varied Colors

I was turned onto this approach on trips to Florida where giant mounds of impatiens in a mix of orange and fuchsia can be found everywhere. I do it with impatiens, coleus (which can get quite kicky) and most recently, annual salvias. All look wonderful.

Just Your Favorite

This one’s simple. After many years

Container Basics Container gardens are like ducks in water. What you don’t see is what’s working overtime to keep things going strong. Fill your container with the best potting mix you can manage and replace or amend it yearly as it breaks down. I’m a fan of slow-release fertilizer when you plant the container because of the ease, but a water-soluble fertilizer at watering is fine, too. For big blooms, fertilize your containers.

Big, small, fancy or homespun, the available containers to plant in are endless. Drainage is non-negotiable. I plant a lot of containers with a plastic pot set inside a decorative container, such as a Red Wing crock or a vintage container. This allows for drainage but also provides a reservoir to continue watering the container. Be mindful that the water doesn’t stand too long and attract mosquitoes, or put a Mosquito Dunk (Bacillus thuringiensis) in the collected water.

—E.J.

of container gardening, I have my favorites. Every season I have several pots of Bada Bing® begonias because they are electric in color and get better looking as the season progresses. They are stunning in the fall. Plus, the name is so fun.

Minneapolis-based Eric Johnson blogs at gardendrama.wordpress. com.

Supplies

Watering Tools & Gardening Accessories

Available

at your

local Independent Garden Center or Online Retailer

®

Professional Quality for Life www.dramm.com

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

27

BY DESIGN

It’s the Leaves

Think of Color First

You might choose the burgundies of Heuchera, the steel blue of lyme grass, the chartreuse of Japanese forest grass or the silver of Lysimachia. Look, too, for plants such as Tropicanna® canna, which show brilliant color and pattern all season long. Some plants such as ninebark, Begonia and smoke tree offer flowers as well as foliage. ‘Royal Purple’ smoke tree is one of my favorites. Its deep, dark purple leaves form a backdrop for frothy, lacy flowers in the summer. Its chartreuse sister, ‘Golden Spirit’, looks amazing with purple clematis winding through it. Look also for Penstemon ‘Husker Red’, Ligularia ‘Britt Marie Crawford’ and Sedum ‘Matrona’.

Dark foliage is particularly stunning when partnered with plants displaying

28

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

the golds and oranges of autumn.

Add a Variety of Plant Forms

Choose upright, spiky forms of iris and grasses, and place them next to rounded or cascading plants, such as perennial geraniums or shrub roses. Prostrate

makes the garden more attractive. Do you have a swatch of fine-leaved perennials? Add a hosta or a few cannas as a foil.

Try a foliage experiment in your own garden. Take a small portion of your garden and place plants within it based on foliage alone. Follow basic design Vary leaf shape, color and texture for dramatic garden beds.

forms, including creeping phlox, some sedums, thyme and groundcovers, offer additional contrast. Variety and contrast are the magic words here.

Vary Sizes

From chocolatey ajuga hugging the ground to steely blue castor oil plant reaching for the sky, size can certainly offer contrast. Include the taller ligularias, grasses and cannas to mix with shorter hostas and ferns, and continue the variation right down to the prostrate sedums and lysimachias.

Look for Texture

From the lacy foliage of ferns and astilbes to the bold displays of elephant ears and large hostas, contrast in texture also

principles, too, such as massing plants, but make the leaves the stars and your primary consideration. Contrast leaf color, size, form and texture as much as you can. Flowers will be a secondary effect. Once everything is in place, stand back and look, and do this periodically over the season.

Which part of your landscape is more compelling? Have the leaves worked their magic?

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

DIANE MCGANN

don engebretson, who wrote Northern Gardener’s design column for many years, had plenty of sage advice, but this was his best: Leaves are the primary design feature of any landscape. While flowers are fleeting, leaves are here from April through October. They are the mainstay of the garden, including every tree, shrub, vine and container.

If we pay attention to leaves and their position in the garden, we won’t have to wait until midsummer when most flowers are at their best before appreciating what we have wrought.

Our landscapes will be lovely all season long.

But, with so many options for wonderful foliage—vibrant colors, shapes, sizes, patterns and textures—how do we go about creating a colorful living tapestry based on leaves alone?

Here’s how I am approaching this design challenge:

Lady’s Slippers at Hom e If the conditions are just right, you can grow these native orchids.

By Betty Ann Addison

Large yellow lady’s slippers are striking in the garden and relatively easy to grow.

TRACY WALSH

if

you see a lady’s slipper in the wild, whether yellow, pink or white, it is akin to seeing a fairy. They are that magical. Enjoying them in the wild is wonderful, and like all wild orchids, they are protected from picking by state law. Yet, we yearn to see them again and dare to hope we could make them feel at home in our gardens.

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

29

Lady’s Slippers at Home

Fortunately, there are nurseries for these special plants, both in Minnesota and elsewhere in the United States.

Some offer seedlings and others sell mature plants grown from seed and tissue culture. In addition, licensed collectors save truly endangered plants from development. When roads, bridges and shopping centers expand into wild habitats, these precious plants may be transplanted and released by local, established nurseries. Lady’s slipper plants can be legally obtained, and they can thrive in the right garden.

Goldilocks Plants

BETTY ANN ADDISON

These are not easy plants to place, but a few basics apply. Find the coolest spot in your yard, usually the north or east side of a building or evergreen tree. Plant them in well-drained, humus-rich soil, and top it with an organ-

‘Ulla Silkens’ is a vigorous hybrid lady’s slipper.

30

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

ic mulch. Avoid very acid soil. Though a fungal relationship is important to nourish seedlings, mature plants outgrow their need for this relationship.

They actually do not like too much biological activity in the soil because it encourages rot. Avoid fresh compost and wood chips. Use well-aged organic matter as an ingredient in soil to hold moisture and nutrients.

SITE: Planting on the cool north side of a building can give plants reflected light from a nearby lawn or sidewalk. Make sure they will get rain and snow. East can be a good exposure, since the spot is usually in afternoon shade, but avoid it if morning and noon sun makes it too hot.

Sites facing south and west are too hot in summer. A useful maxim is that lady’s slippers want good light, but not burning

TRACY WALSH

Forget-me-nots and showy lady’s slippers in the garden

BETTY ANN ADDISON

sun. Planting in a woodland setting, with a high canopy from deciduous trees allowing moving light and shade, puts them in the situation most like that in nature.

When planting with other garden plants, give them about 2 square feet of their own per plant. Good companion plants are shallow-rooted spring bloomers like woodland phlox, primroses and spring ephemerals. Plant away from large

Striking mahogany sepals distinguish the small yellow lady’s slipper.

hostas, hellebores and shrubs.

SOIL: Roots of these terrestrial orchids need to push easily through soft earth and not dry out. Ideal soil for them has equal amounts of air and water in the pore spaces.

Sandy soils are composed of coarse granules. These drain well, but water soaks away rapidly out of the reach of roots. Fine-textured clay soils do not drain well. Roots find it tough going, and, when clay dries out and water is applied quickly, it can shed off the surface and not soak in.

Correcting Soil Structure: Most soils are not pure sand or pure clay. To test yours, dig up some where you intend to plant and squeeze a handful. If it forms a tight ball that can’t be broken with your thumb, it is clay. If it falls apart in your hand, it is sand. The best structured soil forms a fragile ball that breaks easily when you touch it with your thumb.

Sandy soils are easy to correct by adding 6 inches of good garden soil. Turn it into the existing soil, at grade, to make a bed for the slippers. The bigger the better. Watered thoroughly and prepared well in advance of planting, the bed will be close to ideal.

For challenging—windy or sunny— sites with sandy soil, steady moisture is easier to sustain by creating a reservoir beneath the bed, sometimes called a false bog. A container such as a child’s wading pool or even a bucket, is sunk into a hole in the ground and a few holes pierced in the bottom to allow for drainage. Its lip should be 4 to 6 inches below the soil surface to allow surface water to wick out to the surrounding soil. Nearly filled with sand, it is topped off with a foot of well-drained, humus-filled soil.

Water rises by capillary action to reach the roots and keep them moist. Mulch on top protects roots from drying out.

Trilliums and primula respond happily to this arrangement as well.

Clay soils are a little more work to correct because clay’s structure may resemble either soup or cement. The most dependable solution is to make a foot-high raised bed on top of clay soil, Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

31

sides of the ditches where moisture can reach them, but where they dry out occasionally. We have built low berms for our plantings that are near Rice Creek, which give them both moisture and drainage. A groundcover of perennial forget-me-nots makes a sea of blue around them.

Planting Lady’s Slippers

After the bed is prepped, the fun part is planting. Dormant plants in fall or early spring are the most available; those in leaf and flower must be planted immediately.

Lady’s slippers do not grow well in pots.

Above: Separate roots when planting and lay them horizontally.

Left to right: Small yellow lady’s slippers in the garden; lady’s slipper hybrid; ‘Aki’ lady’s slipper

Easiest Lady’s Slippers for Home Gardens

BETTY ANN ADDISON

Showy lady’s slipper (Cypripedium reginae) is Minnesota’s state flower.

Displaying pink pouches with snowy petals and sepals, they stand 2 to 3 feet tall. They bloom in mid-June and need wetter soils and stronger sunlight than yellow slippers.

Large yellow lady’s slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens) and small yellow lady’s slipper (C.p. var. makasin) do well in ordinary garden conditions. Large yellows have yellow, curling sepals and small yellows have striking, mahogany sepals. They bloom earlier than the showy lady’s slippers in order to take advantage of spring light before trees leaf out.

Kentucky lady’s slipper (Cypripedium kentuckiense) is not native to Minnesota but grows well in Upper Midwest gardens.

Large, creamy-yellow to white flowers and brown petals and sepals make it a standout in the woodland shade garden.

Hybrid cypripediums display amazing vigor. First developed in Cyprideium kentuckiense Germany, several are derived using native hardy yellows, pollinated by Eurasian pink, rose and white species. They are as hardy and even easier to grow than yellow lady’s slippers. Some hybrids are crosses of other species, creating what is called a grex. Seedlings are named for the parents, and like children in a family, may have only some common characteristics. Thus, one Gisela may be darker or lighter than another. All are good growers, though colors vary with spring temperatures. Divisions of premium plants are available. Because these plants take longer to produce, they cost more. The most vigorous hybrids are Gisela, Sabine and Sabine Pastel, Ulla Silkens and Victoria. Flower color may vary, due to genetics or temperature, but when they bloom, they are magnificent!

—B.A.A.

32

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

TRACY WALSH

supported on the sides by rocks or logs.

At ground level, put down permeable ground cloth to keep worms from bringing up clay from beneath. Fill the bed with a mixture of sand, pea gravel, perlite and some organic-heavy garden soil to create a well-drained soil with nutrients.

Muck soil like that next to a pond or swamp may seem ideal for moisture-loving showy lady’s slippers. Although these plants like more moisture than yellows do, the underground parts can rot without proper drainage. Even though they grow in drainage ditches, they prefer the

BETTY ANN ADDISON

Lady’s Slippers at Home

BETTY ANN ADDISON

the surrounding soil. Gently compress the soil, and water it again to settle it around the roots, leaving no air pockets. Cover with 3 inches of chopped oak leaves, evergreen needles or pine bark nuggets. Keep a reliable mulch on the plants year around. In nature, lady’s slippers reside in a narrow vein between soil and mulch—kind of like a sandwich—because they need an even supply of both moisture and air.

TRACY WALSH

Lady’s slipper roots grow horizontally and will rot if plunged downward where they can’t get enough air. To plant, make a shallow basin 4 to 6 inches deep. Lay the dormant plant in the hole and cover it with soil. Carefully integrate the roots with the soil and slightly raise the rhizome—the thick, underground stem—so it is covered by an inch of soil. The tip of the growing point should be just showing above

“

It is a privilege to have these fantastic plants enriching our gardens and our lives.”

Plant Care and Protection

SOURCES These nurseries all grow their own plants, species and/or hybrids.

Spangle Creek Labs, spanglecreeklabs.com Hillside Nursery, info@hillsidenursery.biz Plant Delights, plantdelights.com

TO LEARN MORE Native Orchids of Minnesota (University of Minnesota Press, 2012) by Welby R. Smith Frosch Exclusive Perennials, www.ladyslipper.de —B.A.A.

Steady moisture is essential to slipper growth. Because buds for next year are formed this year, leaves need to stay green and produce food as long as possible. In hot weather, water often to prevent early dormancy. If soil is saturated and temperatures approach 100 degrees F, rig up something to shade plants, especially those newly planted.

Fertilize with a granular fertilizer early in the spring to give plants an extra boost when they are pushing growth. We use a slow-release 15-15-15 blend, and add more if leaves begin to yellow. All slippers go dormant in fall, so don’t overwater them when leaves turn brown in August.

Diseases are rare—rot in wet weather is the most common problem. Deer fancy the blossoms of all lady’s slippers, so be sure to fence them out.

I trust you understand how much I care for these plants and do not blame me for pointing out some growing pitfalls. It is a privilege to have these fantastic plants enriching our gardens and our lives.

Betty Ann Addison owns Gardens of Rice Creek.

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

33

DIAMOND LAKE

DAZZLER

34

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Good bones and great plants frame a water view.

Story and photos by Gail Hudson

Page 34: Adirondack chairs add a place to rest while enjoying the lake views.

Far left: Pink peonies bring color in early June.

Left: A boxwood hedge curves through the yard.

Below left: Marsha plants annuals like coleus and begonias to add color to the backyard through the summer.

Below: The dramatic blooms of pineapple lilies are a focal point in the garden.

“I like having the hedge intertwined within the garden because you can see the design.”

We’ve all done it. You’re driving by other people’s front yards and suddenly you spot a beautiful combination of flowers or a fun plant you’ve never used before.

That’s how Marsha Loewenson of Minneapolis says she got the idea to add boxwoods to her yard. “I thought, ‘That looks really nice—I can do that,’ ” she says.

“I may see something that’s not exactly what I want, but I’ll make it my own.”

The “wonderful opportunity to get creative” with boxwood and more came several decades ago when Marsha and husband, Dan, moved their family into a new home on Diamond Lake. They had a blank slate to fill in their backyard—a grassy open area with some empty, brick-lined garden beds. Marsha began by installing a few boxwoods, creating a small hedge. Every year, she added “a little more, then a little more” boxwood, until the hedge grew into a dramatic, curving green serpent on the lawn.

The swirling hedge created new garden spaces, and Marsha filled the beds with flowers, small trees, shrubs and garden art. A metal sculpture in the shape of a goat peeks out of a gap in the green. “I like having the hedge intertwined within the garden because you can see the design,” she says.

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

35

Diamond Lake Dazzler

36

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

From left to right: Boxwoods surround a front-yard seating area; colorful hibiscus flowers bloom; a bearded iris blooms in early summer.

Below: A path winds through the shade garden.

Another chance to give their property the “good bones” that boxwood provides came when the couple lost a very large pine tree in the front yard.

This time Marsha created a sweeping curve with round balls of boxwood punctuated with cone-shaped arborvitae. She tucked flowers, groundcovers and flowering shrubs in its embrace for a lush, intimate seating area. The surprising oasis next to her driveway became “a place for us to sit, chat with our neighbors and catch late afternoon sun,” she says.

Capturing the Lake View

Marsha soaked up the principles of good garden design by working at nearby Tangletown Gardens, a plant retailer in Minneapolis, when the store first opened in 2003. “Even before they opened the shop, I was knocking on their window, telling them I wanted to work there,” Marsha says. “I certainly was not anywhere near a plant expert when I started.”

But that experience gave her the confidence to experiment at home and turn what was a cottage-style garden into a more mature composition. “You take a vision and you run with it,” Marsha says.

One idea was to tame a “totally wild” section of the backyard—a hillside of overgrown weeds and scrubby trees that slopes down to the lake. Marsha’s

goal was to enhance the view, without adding more maintenance, and create a more natural transition from the garden to the cattails and lily pads at the bottom of the hill. “I wanted the top part [next to the house] to be more sculptural and more floral,” she says.

“And then it just gets more wild as you go down the hill and something that’s not going to be really needy except for watering.” She cleared the area, prepared the soil, then planted a big bag of wildflower seeds. The result? “That was the most beautiful garden down there,” she says.

Today Marsha continues to add perennials to the mix such as salvia (the deer leave it alone); bee balm; pink, purple and white garden phlox; many colors of bearded lilies and Asiatic lilies; beardtongue (Penstemon ‘Midnight Masquerade’), too, with its dark foliage and purple-pink flowers; the soft blue of calamint; and spring-blooming giant alliums. Tall, ornamental grasses punctuate this flowing garden, surrounding the flowers with a golden haze. The plants cascade down the hill, rising 3 feet and higher to make a colorful feast for the eyes.

To keep the weeds down and maintenance a breeze, Marsha planted several varieties of low-growing sedum (Sedum spurium ‘John Creech’, S. spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’) along the paths and in between plants as a kind of green mulch. “It has a relatively long bloom … and it holds up under the conditions, no matter what they are,” Marsha says.

The groundcover has spread so much over the years that it appears almost sculptural and surrounds the feet of garden visitors.

A number of paths guide visitors down narrow steps and across the hill.

A cherry-red bench marks a midway point and is the ideal spot for Marsha and Dan to admire their handiwork.

“It’s a nice place to sit,” she says. “You can see all the way down to the end of the lake.”

At the top of the hill, clusters of tall arborvitaes, lilac shrubs, low everNorthern Gardener l May/June 2022

37

Diamond Lake Dazzler

38

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

“Don’t do more than you can keep up, plant what you like and what you like looking at, because if you don’t

Clockwise from left: Red bee balm and white Itoh peonies are part of the seasonal flow of bloom in the garden; bright begonias skirt a Japanese maple tree; layers of containers and colorful plants are hallmarks of Marsha’s garden style.

like it, you won’t take care of it.” greens and a clematis-covered arbor frame a painterly view for the family and guests relaxing in colorful Adirondack chairs on the lawn.

Special Garden Features

The Loewensons pay special attention to seasonal interest in their garden. A large, soft pink azalea and lilac produce springtime dazzle, followed by June’s deep pink peonies underneath. A Japanese maple leafs out in all of its bronze-tinged glory,

highlighted by a ring of white-flowering tuberous begonias.

Marsha likes to layer contrasting plant combinations to lead the eye up and around the garden. A white lily blooms majestically in front of a vivid blue spruce shrub. She also adds much of the yard’s continuous color with containers. Clay pots with green and red coleus and a tall snake plant with yellow-edged leaves (Sansevieria trifasciata) lay the foundation of a scene next to a burbling stone fountain that includes hostas, hydrangea and a towering red-leaf banana plant.

Along the side of the house, a steppingstone path flanked by containers of blooming annuals leads through a shade garden of hostas, hydrangea, astilbe, ferns and bleeding hearts under pine trees. Marsha and Dan collected wine bottles from neighbors to make a unique edging along the path. They turned the elegant bottles upside down, sticking out of the dirt. “They’re all different colors and they sparkle when they get wet,” Marsha says.

Center-Stage Plants

Some plants are prominently displayed, becoming focal points in the yard. In midsummer, the exotic pineapple lily (Eucomis bicolor, USDA Zone 7B) which Marsha inherited from her mother-in-law, takes center stage near the deck. This South African bee-and-butterfly magnet grows from a large bulb and produces a stalk of creamy blooms with purple edging, topped with green leaves, reminiscent of a pineapple. Each flower stem can be 1 to 2 feet tall and sports a column of 60 or more florets that gradually open from the bottom up. The blooms can last as long as eight weeks. Marsha grows them in pots, then overwinters the bulbs indoors.

A dwarf weeping cherry tree blooms in early spring in front of the house,

with dramatic, pendulous branches studded with pale pink blossoms, and stands alone as a beautiful specimen.

Later, its green, lush branches serve as a visual backdrop to pale-yellow Asiatic lilies, the color of custard, when they bloom vigorously in mid-July. “I don’t know where [they] came from, the yellow is so unusual,” Marsha says.

Marsha and Dan’s neighbors know to look up, too, when they pass the house, where a second-story window box dazzles annually with a varied selection of “spillers and thrillers.” “Reds, purples, and oranges are still colors I gravitate toward,” Marsha says, “but to be honest, this year it will all come as a surprise this spring when I walk into the garden center … it is sometimes more fun to see what ‘spur of the moment’ brings!”

Words of Wisdom

The ever-changing scene is the result of a happy collaboration between Marsha and Dan, who likes to tackle the heavier tasks. “He loves to see the conifers in here,” she says, and she works to balance them with other plants.

Marsha follows two general rules.

“Don’t do more than you can keep up,” and “plant what you like and what you like looking at,” she says. “Because if you don’t like it, you won’t take care of it.”

Her garden on the shores of Diamond Lake is about her limit. “I’ve liked gardening forever—it’s the only thing that I can do to take my mind off of everything else,” Marsha says. “Just a sense of knowing that you can do it, that you can put things together and make something nice is a reward in itself.”

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

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

39

1

En Masse To create a well-designed garden that mirrors nature, plant in drifts.

Story and photos

by Michelle Mero Riedel

WHETHER YOU’RE A NEW OR EXPERIENCED gardener, landscape design can be a conundrum. You may find yourself asking: what should I plant and where? Should I plant in ones and twos or more of the same plant?

To create a well-designed garden, I recommend planting in drifts. They unify and balance the landscape.

Just head to any public garden, and you’ll see what I mean. Designers showcase large sweeps of brilliant plants, many of the same type. They are usually all annuals, all perennials and sometimes a combination of the two. This look is perfectly achieved in both small and large gardens. In a small garden, a mass might be five to 10 plants, but in a large garden a mass may consist of more than 20 of the same plant.

Another helpful strategy is to try to duplicate nature. In a field from a distance, you might see single plants.

But most of what occurs are masses of self-seeded plants in clumps, heavily concentrated in the middle then sparse along the edges; this allows for plants to blend with adjoining clusters.

Another mass idea is to carefully combine natural and cultivated plants.

Designer Nona Cummings, owner of DIY Landscape Designs in Oakdale, specializes in this method, called matrix mass planting.

“The matrix secret is to start the landscape design base with dense, low-growing plants like prairie dropseed grass, then adding other low- and mid-height repetition plants intermixed to form a dense, naturalistic design,” Cummings

3

40

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

4

2 says. She then adds taller plantings and art to help anchor the matrix plan in place and serve as focal points.

Plants in one of Cummings’ designs include a palette of perennials: Echinacea Pixie Meadowbrite™, Stachys ‘Hummelo’, pasque flower, Allium ‘Summer Beauty’, Sedum ‘Plum Dazzled’ and ‘Lime Zinger’.

Her towering plants are Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’ and ‘Husker Red’. All the plants have similar light and soil needs with carefully selected seasonal colors and textures. They have staggered blooms that keep the garden vibrant all season long.

Cummings suggests spacing the plants about 18 inches apart. “A tight planting reduces weeds, lowers soil temperature due to less light, reduces watering and mulching (except at the time of planting) and decreases erosion,” she says.

This naturalistic landscape contains understory plantings of prairie dropseed as the ground cover layer intermixed with splashes of Echinacea Pixie Meadowbrite™, as well as alliums, sedums, pasque flower and penstemon.

5

1 Coleus ‘Rustic Orange’ and Ageratum houstonianum ‘Blue Danube’.

2 This development entrance includes ‘Karl Foerster’ grass, ‘South Seas’ and ‘Ice Carnival’ daylilies, ‘Dark Towers’ penstemon, ‘Walkers Low’ catmint and ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum.

3 Sedums look attractive with mid-height grasses.

Here’s Sedum ‘Matrona’ and ‘Karl Foerster’ grass.

4 Hosta ‘August Moon’ brings a punch of color to a shady site.

5 Allium ‘Millenium’ is a real winner in any garden.

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

41

En Masse Finding a bulb mixture of tulips that bloom at the same time is a great massing technique.

Masses of Spring Bulbs Tulips and daffodils are the best early blooms for mass planting. They rise and shine then disappear, so be sure to plant them in the back border of your garden.

As surrounding plants grow, you won’t even know the spent bulbs are there.

After a month for tulips and two for daffodils, the bulb foliage and flower will brown and die off and disappear. (Note: It’s important to allow the browning to ensure the plants rebloom the next year.) To achieve the en masse look, in the fall dig a trench and plant the bulbs in drifts close together. Select the same variety or a mix, but make sure they bloom at same time. Then enjoy your impressive springtime landscape.

—M.M.R.

Even for home designs, she recommends purchasing small plants (commonly called plugs) with strong root systems specifically grown for direct in-ground installations. “Smaller plants are easier on the budget, quicker to plant and last longer due to growing up in their given garden soil,” she says.

Secrets to Drifts

Not every plant works in drifts. Good plants for massing look stunning even after flowers fade. For example, I wouldn’t want a large crop of perennial Oriental poppies or Virginia bluebells, as they head into dormancy after flowering, leaving an unsightly opening for weeds. Nor would I want plants with tiny flowers that are difficult to see.

What are the best plants for large

drifts? Since they’ll be viewed from a distance, plants with large flowers are a great choice. Finding flowers that face upright or sideways are even better choices. And plants don’t necessarily need a flower for visual impact.

Grasses can wow onlookers, especially if they provide a calming backdrop to colorful plants.

Grasses can also be used as a lawn.

Fellow gardener Dana Boyle’s suburban front yard is a good example.

She purchased plugs of Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) as the main planting feature. At 6- to 8-inches tall, it easily fills in a large area, and it spreads about 3 inches per season.

Although she mulched around the grass at the time of planting, eventually, the grass became a groundcover,

3

42

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

4

shading weeds and other undesirables.

Pennsylvania sedge creates a textured landscape, and because of its deep root system that provides runoff filtration, it doesn’t require many resources.

There are many benefits to mass planting. “A densely planted area is less maintenance,” says landscape designer Sarah Buerkely of Sarah’s Cottage Creations.

“Drifts keep the weeds at bay, and the area requires less mulch as the garden grows in. It also makes designing and planting simple. Fewer plant varieties are easier to work with, as drifts of a single plant create a simplified view.”

Buerkely created a no-maintenance garden entirely made up of groundcover pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) for a Twin Cities suburban home. Planted on a shady, woodsy hill for erosion

1 Combine ‘Viette’s Little Suzy’, a shorter black-eyed Susan, with lesser catmint (Calamintha) for a mass of eye-catching texture.

2 Pachysandra adds texture to a mass planting.

3 A sidewalk with drifts of Easy Wave® Rose Fusion petunias.

4 The graceful, sweeping leaves of Japanese forest grass thrive in shady areas.

5 Tall zinnias add a swath of color.

1 ies grow happily together to create an architectural focal point.

Buerkely also is an advocate of color, especially when perennials are small.

SunPatiens®, Dragon Wing® begonias (Begonia x hybrida) and geraniums are among her favorite annual choices.

In my garden, annuals that work well in masses include coleus, Magellan zinnias, Easy Wave® petunias and Superbells® calibrachoas. When all the perennials have lost their blooms, the annuals can continue to shine until the end of the season.

If you want to make an impact by turning your garden from mundane to breathtaking, try mass planting.

Michelle Mero Riedel is a professional photographer and master gardener.

5

BEST Ornamental grasses Hostas Japanese ferns Coralbells Rudbeckia Coneflowers Salvia Russian sage Daylily, varieties that rebloom Allium Pachysandra Beebalm Sedum

PERENNIALS FOR DRIFTS

control, pachysandra fills in fast and full. It elegantly lines both sides of the stone walking path and, as an added bonus, deer don’t like it.

In addition to residences, Buerkely is known for her wide, open-space neighborhood entrance designs. The Cloverdale Farm development in Stillwater is a good example. It features large, impressive swaths of Sedum ‘Matrona’ and walls of ‘Shenandoah’ switch grass (Panicum virgatum) as well as ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass. On the adjacent side, repeat plantings of ‘Karl Foerster’ with daylilies Hemerocallis ‘South Seas’ and ‘Ice Carnival’ are stunning behind Penstemon ‘Dark Towers,’ ‘Walkers Low’ catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) and Autumn Joy sedum in the foreground.

All of these low-maintenance variet-

2

Ajuga Liatris Penstemon —M.M.R. Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

43

THE

RENTER’S GARDEN Story and photos

by Laura Schwarz

No land?

No problem.

With containers and communication, renters can grow.

SOME PEOPLE THINK GARDENING is mainly for older adults, as though there’s something about aging that makes plant care more compelling. But a major limiting factor for aspiring young gardeners is land ownership. It’s difficult to cultivate anything seriously when you rent rather than own the land you live on, and many young adults are renters.

Even if renters have access to outdoor space, the growing conditions might be undesirable or impossible to change.

The growing season might be shortened by the length of one’s lease as well as by seasonal factors. Renters-as-gardeners sometimes risk conflict with their neighbors or landlord, since landowners can be (understandably) picky about their land’s use. It’s also much harder to justify the cost of buying plants, soil, mulch and other materials when the garden isn’t a long-term investment.

Winston Pennington-Flax understands the challenges associated with being a gardening renter. Yet his fascination with learning to grow plants, especially his own vegetables, has always overpowered any frustrations he’s encountered along the way. “I’ve been a renter who gardens

44

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

“

You can grow almost anything in a 5-gallon bucket, and it’s hard for a landlord to complain since you can just move it.” for a really long time,” he says.

It might be better to call him “a gardener who rents,” because Winston’s passion and expertise are obvious. The small annual garden outside of his lower-level duplex in Minneapolis is a perfect blend of well-organized and seemingly effortless beauty that takes years of deliberate practice to achieve. He has thoughtfully cultivated every square inch of his available space, growing healthy tomatoes, dahlias and succulents in a not-quite-full-sun yard.

Annuals and Edibles

Winston, his wife, Elizabeth, and their son, Teddy, live in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood, where almost half of the population rents. During their most recent round of apartment hunting, the family specifically searched for a place where they could have a garden. Winston works in the horticulture industry, and he also has several years of organic farming and community garden experience.

Their new landlords, who live in the upstairs unit, didn’t know much about gardening and had been wanting to learn, so they saw Winston’s knowledge and

experience as an asset. The two families have since become friendly, sharing the backyard space pretty evenly. Winston’s portion is approximately 350 square feet of garden, tucked between the driveway and a wooden deck. Previous tenants built the deck and the existing raised beds, which provide the cozy, colorful garden with an orderly linear structure.

Winston’s first project was taming the overgrown morning glories, burdock and creeping bellflower that had taken up residence. During the spring of 2020, he battled these weeds and amended the soil using whatever he could find for free or cheap—composted rabbit bedding, the dregs of a neglected food compost bin that was already on the property, arborist wood chips from Bratt Tree Co.’s free pile down the street. Scavenging for materials is time-consuming, but it helps Winston overcome one of his main challenges as a renter-gardener: not spending too much to improve land he doesn’t own.

Winston also focuses his resources on growing annual plants, especially edibles that he grows from seed, and decorative tropicals that he can dig up and over-

Laura’s Tips I recently moved from renter to homeowner and many of Winston’s experiences echo my own. A few more tips: • Be specific when making plans with the property owner. Once I received permission to “garden” but didn’t explicitly ask if I could cut down a row of volunteer trees before I did it. The resulting conflict wasn’t worth the benefit.

• Grow up. Trellising can be as simple as string attached to a nail or you can use an existing railing to create a green wall.

• Consider the neighbors. An upper balcony garden can be messy for those below. When planting, use a tarp, place saucers under containers, and water carefully.

• Clean up after yourself.

Always check for debris and clean accordingly, especially in common spaces.

—L.S.

Left: Winston PenningtonFlax near an unusual feature of his rental garden —a tub under the deck.

Above: Tropicals in containers line the deck.

Right: Chicken wire protects tomatoes from voracious squirrels.

winter indoors. He stores his canna lily rhizomes and dahlia and salvia tubers in coco coir, packed inside a vintage Coleman cooler in his basement. Any houseplants or succulents that can be overwintered also move inside, and he uses fluorescent lights to start vegetable seedlings each March.

By September 2021, his hard work had produced a generous bounty of colorful blooms and veggies. Flower-heavy dahlias and cannas line the house’s foundation, flanked by a double row of carefully staked heirloom tomatoes. ‘Lemon Drop’ peppers and ‘Pink Plume’ celery mingle smartly with kale, okra and almost every possible herb. The deck’s edges and corners are pleasantly crowded by pots of all shapes and sizes, each one overflowing with a collection of tropical plants.

Contain Your Garden

Growing plants in pots has several benefits for any gardener, but it’s especially practical when you don’t own the space.

Renters usually won’t know what’s in the soil at their rental place, or how the land has been treated in the past. New container gardens require new soil, so the

gardener can control the content of their growing media. This is especially important in areas where soil may have been contaminated by past human activity.

Container gardening also optimizes limited space. Most apartment dwellers don’t have access to land that isn’t covered in wood or cement, so it’s impossible to have a traditional in-the-ground garden plot. When I was renting, I always tried to find a place with a balcony, which I quickly filled with as many containers as possible. As Winston puts it, “You can grow almost anything in a 5-gallon bucket, and it’s hard for a landlord to complain since you can just move it.”

As we talked about gardening tips for renters, Winston sagely emphasized commitment and communication. It’s best to have clear and open communication with the property owner before you do any gardening at all. “A lot of landlords will see a garden as something nice to have as long as they know you’re not going to ignore it and let it all go to weeds—and then they have to clean up after you,” he says. Winston’s extensive gardening and farming experience made it easy for him to provide his landlord

with examples of his abilities and intentions. He encourages aspiring renter-gardeners to be transparent about their plans and commitment to their projects, and he notes that it’s always helpful to have evidence (such as photos) of your knowledge and skill level. Some landlords might require a written agreement that ensures they won’t be left with a giant weedy mess when you move on.

Why Bother?

Despite being limited in some ways, Winston has found great joy gardening as a renter. “I’m fascinated by the biodiversity and cultivation of garden plants,” he says, “and there is a tremendous satisfaction in watching your garden perform a little bit better each year as you learn new skills and find your favorite cultivars. Watching them all flower and fruit over the course of a season is like a slow-motion fireworks display, and the flavor of the food you can grow yourself is incomparable.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Minneapolis-based Laura Schwarz is a horticulturist and writer.

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

45

TAKE

5 Whatever your goal, the right five plants are all you need for a pot of beauty.

Story and photos

by Diane McGann

The idea of creating five containers with five plants each to serve five different purposes was an experiment.

And, despite some trepidation on my part, it worked! Some containers were more attractive and voluptuous than others, but all the transplants residing in them survived the season alive and well. If I can put together five healthy containers using just five plants each, you can do it, too.

To carry out this experiment, I tried a variety of planter purposes. Because I have so much shade, one was for shady areas. Other containers were designed for pollinators, sun and herbs with a final container designed to stymie those pesky deer. Guess which planter ended up to be the most bountiful and lovely?

I thought it would be the full-sun container, because my excuse for when my garden doesn’t look very flowery is that I don’t have enough sun. But no— the pollinator container won the prize.

Being virtuous in encouraging bees and butterflies sometimes produces additional payoffs.

At the start of the season, I gathered up planters of various sizes and materials and filled them with a soil-less mix.

I was hoping to create five beautiful containers and generate some hints for you while doing it. First hint—while

my potting mix contained a slow-release fertilizer, it was not enough to get the profuse bloom that I wanted. Add fertilizer, slow release or otherwise, to your containers throughout the season.

Heading to the nursery, I met my first setback, and your second hint—get to the nurseries early in the season! By the time I arrived, the choices were few, even at the best-stocked nursery in the area. In desperation, I resorted to buying an already-planted container, winnowing out plants and replacing them with the seedlings I wanted. For each pot I focused (and you should too) on the thriller (tall, impactful), filler (mid-level, bountiful) and spiller (draping, plentiful) mantra, seeking out a variety of textures, forms and colors.

As a frugal gardener, I look for ways to have it all—a beautiful garden as well as money in my pocket, and I applied this strategy to the five containers. You can do this by overwintering your favorite annuals; buying smaller, less expensive seedlings; growing your own plants from seeds; or having your perennials do double duty by integrating them in the containers. Back home from the nursery, I very gently installed my selections, added fertilizer and watered the containers thoroughly.

What were the results?

P O L L I N ATO R P R E T T Y

Let’s start with the winner, the container filled with plants that attract birds, insects, bees and butterflies. Surprisingly, even though I kept a close eye on it, I never spotted a pollinator on the plants. I’m sure they arrived when I wasn’t looking. My reward, however, was an overflowing, colorful container that would grace any spot where you would want to place it—by the front door, softening the hardscaping of garage corners, brightening a dull spot in the garden or cheering up the patio. Even though it didn’t really need additional height, I added a little more stature (thriller category) by inserting a white birch branch in its center. You could also add height with a short obelisk supporting vines or, of course, dramatic tall plants such as cannas or willowy grasses.

THE PLANTS

• • • • •

Zinnia ‘Profusion Double White’ Cosmos bipinnatus Sonata Series Bandana® Cherry Sunrise Lantana Archangel™ Dark Purple Angelonia Verbena Cadet Upright™ ‘Red’

46

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

I inserted a white birch branch for a thriller!

THE BIG FIVE

S H A D E S TA R S

We all want colorful blooms to brighten up the darker parts of our gardens, so I added a couple of winners that grow well in the shade—begonia and torenia—to the foliage plants that I scooped from my garden. Scour your garden for perennials to adorn your containers. There are many, both flowering and foliage, that will work wonderfully. Think of hostas, ferns, coralbells and just about anything else. Many will survive the winter in the container, particularly if it’s protected, or you can put them right back in the garden to overwinter. This saves you money and really adds interest. Also, learn from my experience and know when your container is too large to move.

A combination of a large heavy pot and lots of potting mix kept me from dragging my shade container to its optimum spot. Place it exactly where you want it to be, and then fill it up.

THE BIG FIVE

THE PLANTS

• • • • •

Torenia Summer Wave® Blue Small white-edged hosta Upright fern Begonia I’Conia® Portofino Hot Coral Salvia splendens

THE BIG S U N N Y L A T E B L O O M E R This should have been the star of the container show, FIVE

but it struggled all season, only coming into its own in early fall. One reason is that I chose to put a lemon-colored grass in the center, which clashed horribly with the other colors I’d chosen. Oops! I finally gave up and replaced it with an upright red cordyline. Much better, and another hint for you—don’t be afraid to switch out and rearrange your containers, if they aren’t working. A bonus from the cordyline and many other container plants—you can bring them inside to enjoy all winter. The cordyline now resides on my sun porch. The sun container may also have struggled because some of the transplants were pulled from an established nursery container, and even though I very gently transferred them, they took time to recover.

Again, go to the nursery early in the season.

THE PLANTS

• • • • •

Mojo™ geranium Amore® Queen of Hearts petunia Petunia hybrida Surprise® Moonlight Bay Cordyline ‘Red Sensation’ Bidens ferulifolia

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

47

Take 5 Rosemary can be the thriller!

DELICIOUS AND DELIGHTFUL

THE BIG FIVE

This container was fun because all of the seedlings prospered and brought wonderful flavor to my recipes. Brought inside at the end of the season, these plants are still thriving, more so than the smaller herb containers I’ve overwintered. Could it be that those planted in a larger grouping in a big container do better inside? Another plus is that herb containers can be ornamental! Look for colorful varieties and an upright herb, such as rosemary, to be the thriller. And there is no law against inserting a happily blooming flower right in the middle.

THE PLANTS

• • • • •

THOSE DARN DEER!

Many of us contend with critters who think our containers are planted just for them. Particularly, when we want to place our pots in the garden, rather than in more-protected spots, we need to find plants they don’t like. Luckily, there are many available, and I found five to grace this pot. Notice that this container is small, yet it works. You can arrange a planting in almost any container, so long as it has drainage holes. While this container offers minimal planting space, its holdings thrived. As happened here, I’ve added alyssum and creeping Jenny to many of my planters, because I love the color and foliage, and they’re either free (creeping Jenny is all over my garden), or inexpensive (alyssum is usually sold in groups of six or eight for a pittance.)

Rosemary Thyme ‘Silver Edge’ Tricolor sage Basil ‘Purple Ruffles’ Oregano vulgare

THE BIG FIVE

THE PLANTS

• • • • •

Variegated sweet iris Marigold Salvia splendens Alyssum Creeping Jenny

I’ve Learned R What Go for it. Scour your home and yard for

containers, or head to the nursery to scout out the one you love the most. Fill it with potting mix, and add plants that

48

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

will work for you. Because containers dry out quickly, keep an eye on them, and water as needed, usually when your thumb feels dry after inserting it an inch into the soil. Then relax and enjoy. You

have created a living sculpture that will grace your landscape all season long.

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

GARDENER’S MARKET

ACCESSORIES

GARDEN CENTERS

GARDEN CENTERS

Hard-to-find and Specialty Garden Tools & Accessories Wild Bird Feeders & Seed

Tues.-Sat. 11-3. Closed Sun. and Mon. 612-922-3295

BOOKS

HORTA

Horta Culture at Squire House opens May 1st in the scenic village of Afton.

HORTA CULTUR E

Minnesota Street Market. Contact: Pia Lopez CU LTURE Visit4” us forGardener’s all one needs Northern Gardener.

Market Ad. May/June 2022. Cost: $269 to cultivate a beautiful, Ad Specifications:nourishing, sustainable, and 2.25”w x 4”h well-appointed garden.

PDF 3390 St. Croix Trail Southart | Afton, 55001 | Bjellos, 612-704-1042 Northern Gardener magazine art trafficker – Please send to MNAmy Follow us @shophortaculture.com amy@pierreproductions.com PAISLEY Deadline: Friday, March 18 GARDENS Boutique Garden Center located in historic downtown Northfield, MN

ANNUAL PLANT SALE Mother’s Day to Father’s Day May 8 - June 19

(507) 645-7078 600 Division St. S. | Northfield, MN 55057

paisley-gardens.com

GARDEN CENTERS

From annuals, to hanging baskets to patio planters - we have the best plant collection around!

10720 County Road 116 Rogers, MN 55374 763-494-3226

Explore Katie Ballantine’s large selection of native, herb, heirloom tomato & vegetable plants

GARDEN SERVICES

27 W Minnesota St • St. Joseph MN mnstreetmarket.com

bromansgreenhouse.com

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

49

GARDENER’S MARKET

HOSTAS

NATIVE PLANTS

Kelley & Kelley offers unusual annuals, perennials, herbs, topiaries, and clay pots, all in a delightful country setting.

SAVORY’S GARDENS, INC. HOSTAS OUR SPECIALTY MAIL ORDER AND ON SITE SALES

Choice shade plants, daylilies, and other select perennials Our 76th YEAR

Spring opening in Lester Prairie Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7

Display gardens open May 28th

NURSERIES/GREENHOUSES

Native plants for shoreline restorations, rain gardens and infiltration basins as well as backyard butterfly, birdwatcher and pollinator gardens.

CELEBRATING

IOO YEARS

Thank you for nourishing the pollinators!

Open many Fridays and Saturdays and by appointment. Check website and Facebook for open days and hours

1922 - 2022 KELLEY & KELLEY

16858 Zero Ave. Lester Prairie, MN

HostasFromSavorys@gmail.com 952-737-9442

Catalog & map on website

savorysgardens.com LANDSCAPING

44804 East Highway 28 Morris, MN 56267 Phone: 320-795-6234 Fax: 320-795-6234 Email: info@morningskygreenery.com Visit us @ morningskygreenery.com

NURSERIES/GREENHOUSES

ORGANIC GROWER’S BLEND + TOPSOIL + RAISED GARDEN BLEND + COMPOST + MANURE + TEN VARIETIES OF MULCH + CLASS FIVE + RIVER ROCK + SAND + SEED DELIVERY + PICK-UP + AWESOMENESS

kernlandscaping.com Saint Paul, MN 651.646.1553

Nursery and Greenhouse

2325 Watertown Rd. Long Lake, MN kelleyandkelleynursery.com 952-473-7337

Vast selection of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals.

Friendly, knowledgeable staff.

Gardens of Rice Creek RARE PLANT NURSERY

Rock Garden Alpines • Dwarf Conifers Wildflowers • Rhododendrons We Design & Build Beautiful Landscapes!

MNLA Certified Professionals Landscape Design & Installation

www.knechts.net

Discover Knecht’s, You’ll Be Amazed!

800-924-5015 1601 Hwy 19 West in Northfield

GARDENS AND NURSERY OPEN

Saturdays 9am ― 4pm April 23 ― October 15, 2022

1315 66th Ave NE | Fridley, MN 55432 (763) 242-5009

Northern Accents® Roses

GardensofRiceCreek.com ®

Sigrid

Lena

Ole

U of M bred and tested Good blackspot resistance Excellent cut flowers Minimal pruning Sven

"The Place To Go For Things That Grow" Since 1963 1 mile south of St. Michael, MN, on Cty. Rd. 19 Phone: 763-497-3747

www.schultesgreenhouse.com

50

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

GARDENER’S MARKET

NURSERIES/GREENHOUSES

PLANT SALE

Visit us this Summer!

ANNUAL PLANT SALE

Beautiful Gardens

Club members available to help with plant purchases.

RAIN OR SHINE

Tuesday, May 10th Noon-6:30 pm

Trees, Shrubs & Fruits

PERENNIALS

14 labeled display gardens Perennials you’ve only seen in catalogs 250+ varieties of hostas Over 1,300 perennial cultivars (20,000+plants) ...and the people who know how to grow them.

ST. MARY’S GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 3450 Irving Ave. S. (in the Great Hall) Minneapolis

Great Perennial Selection

Winter Greenhouse

ANNUALS • PERENNIALS • POLLINATOR & NATIVE PLANTS • SUCCULENTS • VEGETABLES “FILLERS, THRILLERS AND SPILLERS” FOR SUN AND SHADE CONTAINERS COMPETITIVE PRICES • UNUSUAL PLANTS NOT FOUND AT LOCAL NURSERIES

SEEDS

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

W7041 Olmstead Rd, Winter WI - 715-200-5430 Open April 28th - October 15th

For a complete list of plants and photos, visit our website

www.wintergreenhouse.com

GardenClubMpls.org/2022-Plant-Sale/ ®

ADVERTISER INDEX Bachman's ............................ inside front cover Broman's Greenhouse................................... 49 COWSMO, INC.................................................. 21 Cub........................................................................17 Donahue’s Greenhouse................................. 23 Dramm Corporation.........................................27 Egg/Plant Urban Farm Supply...................... 49 Endless Summer® Hydrangeas..................... 15 Farm Fresh Selects......................................... 23 Fireside Hearth & Home...................................5 Friends School Plant Sale.............................. 10 Gardens of Rice Creek................................... 50 Gertens.................................................................9 Green Valley Garden Center......................... 21 Heidi’s Growhaus & Lifestyle Gardens....... 19 Hiawatha Supply............................................... 19 Home Sown Gardens..................................... 49 Horta Culture at Squire House Gardens... 49 Jean’s - The Right Plant Place....................... 51 Kelley & Kelley Nursery and Greenhouse.....50 Kern Landscape Resources.......................... 50 Knecht’s Nurseries & Landscaping............. 50

Lynde Greenhouse & Nursery........................14 Men’s and Women’s Garden Club............... 51 of Minneapolis Minnesota Street Market............................... 49 Minnesota Waterscapes................................ 50 Morning Sky Greenery................................... 50 Mother Earth Gardens.................................... 49 Osmocote........................... outside back cover Otten Bros. Nursery & Landscaping, Inc.....13 Paisley Gardens............................................... 49 Plaisted Companies.......................................... 11 Proven Winners Color Choice......................... 7 Savory’s Gardens, Inc..................................... 50 Schulte’s Greenhouse & Nursery................ 50 Seed Savers Exchange................................... 51 Sustane.................................. inside back cover Sylva......................................................................3 Tangletown Gardens LLC.............................. 25 Terrace Horticultural Books.......................... 49 Wagners Greenhouses & Garden Center.25 Wimmer’s Yardware........................................ 49 Winter Greenhouse.......................................... 51

for advertising information contact: betsy pierre, mshs ad sales manager at 763-295-5420 / betsy@pierreproductions.com

EXPLORE SEED SAVERS EXCHANGE

Display Gardens | Trails | Visitors Center

Visitors Center open March-October 11am to 5pm | 7 days a week Decorah, Iowa · 563.382.6104

seedsavers.org/visit

Trails, gardens, and trout streams are open to the public every day, sunrise to sunset.

Northern Gardener l May/June 2022

51

NORTHERN VIEW

Setting the Buffet from the moment the captain comed some Dakota™ Burmandeered the hot-air balloon in my gundy—a beautiful plant backyard, I was smitten. He seemed with burgundy leaves and possessive, gluttonous and a bit mean. clusters of pale pink blosHe was a loner. By the end of August, he soms. I’ve popped in some proudly sported a chubby belly. He was weigela and additional phlox utterly adorable. here and there. Some new The Captain was a hummingbird so lavender plants initially were predictable and ever-present one year intended for my own aromatic that I was able to name him—as if he enjoyment, but it turns out the were my own iridescent, thumb-sized bumblebees are crazy for them, pet. He’d park himself on the power too. Last summer, I stuck my face line overlooking the colorful glass as close to the fuzzy bumbles as I hot-air balloon nectar feeder and guard dared, trying to determine whether any “his” balloon, ready to chase off any of them were the endangered rustywould-be marauders. patched variety. Then, better sense For several summers now, I’ve been prevailed, and I backed off. trying to create a yard that’s irresistible In early spring last year, two humto pollinators. I already had a mass of mers were whipping around together tall white, pink and purple in the yard. I named them phlox that the butterZip and Zoom, though flies love, and a massive you really couldn’t tell Some new old crabapple tree that Zoom from Zip. Someprovides hiding places times a hummer will fly lavender plants for hummers waiting for right up to the window, initially were an opportunity to dive at probably to check out its the nectar feeder. But if reflection. It’s always intended for my own I really wanted to attract a surprise to see one pollinators, I knew I need- own aromatic hovering there. I like to ed more flowering plants. think it’s greeting me and enjoyment, but So, I’ve planted bright saying “Thank you for the it turns out the red cardinal flower (Lobeyummy food.” Well, hello! lia cardinalis), with spires You’re welcome! bumblebees are of small, tubular blossoms They are curious and crazy for them, that are favored by humdon’t seem terribly afraid mingbirds and butterflies. of humans. One day, I was too.”

They also self-sow, which standing near the honis either a plus or a minus eysuckle vine, puzzling depending on your viewpoint. I planted over something garden-related, and a Peaches & Cream honeysuckle vine and hummingbird swooped to within a foot trained it to climb a metal arbor. The of me and hovered there for a look at hummers love honeysuckle blossoms, the giant flightless bird who provides so I added ‘Dropmore Scarlet’ and the sugar water.

‘Mandarin’ for good measure.

There are many reasons to be fasciPollinators are attracted to beardnated with hummingbirds: their status tongue (Penstemon digitalis), so I plantas the world’s smallest bird, their

“

52

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

unique ability to hover, their speed, their migratory marathons. They remember where they enjoyed good meals last year and return to those same spots. Anyone who likes to nerd out on paleontology has to marvel that these diminutive creatures evolved from dinosaurs just like every other bird. I love the idea of providing a feeding ground for dinos of all sizes. Whenever I see a pointy-headed cardinal splashing in the birdbath, I think, “Man, you are one silly looking dinosaur.”

In mid-April, I put out one nectar feeder by the front window and one near the kitchen window out back. This summer, I’ll nurture the garden and keep adding to the pollinator buffet to keep the hummers, butterflies and bees coming back for more. And I’ll look forward to being surprised by a bird seeming to look right at me while admiring its own tiny, beautiful self in the window.

Hello, little one. You’re welcome.

Susan M. Barbieri is a St. Paul writer and author of Candyland in the Twin Cities (The History Press, 2014).

sustainable growth through healthy soil.

Gerten's AD

More than just NPK, Suståne’s All Natural and Organic Fertilizers

are rich in beneficial microbiology, essential nutrients, and slow release nitrogen, complete with stabilized organic matter. Suståne is used world-wide, and approved for the production of organic fruits and vegetables and is OMRI listed.

Suståne 4-6-4

• Abundant roots, fruits and blooms.

• Promotes fruiting and flowering.

• Increases yields.† • Encourages root growth.†

Suståne 8-2-4

• Vigorous vegetative top growth.

• Feeds plants up to 3 months.

• Grows bigger, stronger plants.† • Formulated for all plant types. vs. unfed plants

†

Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

Available at better independent garden centers everywhere. VISIT WWW.sustane.com OR CALL 1-800-352-9245

3

Plants don’t get to choose, but you do.

Osmocote® Smart-Release® Plant Food Flower & Vegetable feeds continuously and consistently for up to 4 full months.

If you grow your own, grow with Osmocote®. © 2022, The Scotts Company, LLC. All rights reserved