Northern Gardener - November/December 2020

MINNESOTA’S HOMEGROWN GARDENING MAGAZINE

Gardener Northern

A MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY PUBLICATION

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020

A WORLD Under Glass

Created on 2-20-02 at 11:26:01 by SYMBOLOGY, INC. Maple Grove, Minnesota, 55369 763-315-8080

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Table of Contents 24

28

Winter is for the Birds

Best Apps for Curious Gardeners

A gardener’s guide to creating a bird-friendly landscape for the cold months.

BY SUSAN DAVIS PRICE

A master gardener puts identification apps to the test.

BY MARY KAY HAAS

30 A World Under Glass

New conservatory preserves, shares Southern Hemisphere plants.

BY MARGE HOLS

IN EVERY ISSUE 3 Editor’s Note 4 MSHS News: Classes, calendar and more

20

Escape Artist

Duluth gardener creates a calm garden that fits into, and with, the surrounding wild woods. BY KELSEY ROSETH

34 Elegant and Easy

Succulents offer gardeners solace during the indoor season.

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON

12 Garden Solutions: Best flowering annuals of 2020 By Laura Schwarz 14 Plant to Pick: Yellow waxbells

By Debbie Lonnee 15

By Design: Design rules, part 2

By Diane McGann 16 Northern Natives: Highbush cranberry

By Beth Stetenfeld 17 Kitchen Garden: Blueberry bliss

By Samantha Johnson 18 Pollinators: Winter reading

By Rhonda Fleming Hayes

38

40

Elder Wisdom

Do This, Not That!

19 DIY: Illuminated garden orb

By Eric Johnson

BY JENNIFER RENSENBRINK

44 Northern View: My feathered friend

By Jennifer Rensenbrink

Glean healthful, tasty flowers and berries from your own elderberry bushes. BY SUSANNAH SHMURAK

When growing prairie plants on the boulevard.

ABOUT THE COVER: Burbidgea scheizocheila, a dwarf ginger from the U of M Conservatory. Photo by Tracy Walsh

ABOUT MSHS

Welcome

twelve years ago, I retired from international development to become

a farmer, stay-at-home dad and writer. We bought a 5-acre farm on Vancouver Island, read every Farmers’ Almanac we could and took every workshop in town.

(My wife and I had our first date-night at a lecture on Backyard Poultry Health Management.)

During those seven years of growing, preserving and selling vegetables, fruit, flowers, eggs and buffalo meat, I learned more than just how to farm. I learned to trust and listen to the land. I learned the value of local food security, seed saving, soil and water management, and pollinators. I became part of an integrated community of suppliers and consumers taking care of each other.

There are days when I long to be back on my farm, putting in an hour of weeding before sunrise, then cooking a home-grown breakfast for my boys. But we have important and exciting work to do here. MSHS is uniquely poised where gardening intersects with key societal issues like racial justice, climate change, food security and sovereignty, and building community.

I look forward to continuing and growing the MSHS 154-year legacy of vision and leadership. Together, we will support a new generation of northern growers, connecting the horticultural community to serve the pressing needs of our community in creative and collaborative ways.

I would love to hear about your connection and vision for MSHS. Please join me for a small-group virtual “Tea Time.”

Visit our website, northerngardener.org, to sign up.

— Rick Juliusson Executive Director

CULTIVATING

communities.

CREATING

green spaces.

ENCOURAGING

growth.

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

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

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

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

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

@MNHORT

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Welcome cedar waxwings and other birds to your yard with berry-bearing shrubs.

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

MSHS Staff Rick Juliusson, Executive Director Lara Lau-Schommer, Community Outreach Director Becky Swee, Communications and Marketing Director Diane Duvall, Development Director Courtney Tchida, Community Outreach and Program Manager Betsy Pierre, Advertising Sales Manager

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

Copyright 2020 by MSHS. Printed in the USA on recycled paper. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without permission from MSHS. The information published in Northern Gardener reflects the experiences and opinions of the writers and is not necessarily endorsed by MSHS. Northern Gardener is a registered trademark of MSHS. (ISSN) 1529-8515. Northern Gardener is published bimonthly (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/June, July/Aug, Sept/ Oct, Nov/Dec) by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, Minn., and additional post offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Northern Gardener, 1935 County Rd. B2 W., Suite 125, Roseville, MN 55113.

© TRAVIS BONOVSKY

MSHS Board of Directors

A NOTE FROM

The Editor

I

CONTENT TO COME grand opening in March 2020, houses a

try not to mourn the end of the gardening season. To be honest, most years I am looking forward to the first snow, the chance to clean up the tools, store all the containers in the basement and, for a few months, not think about voracious and clever rabbits or plant choices I have come to regret.

This year is different, as we all know, and pulling the tomatoes and watching the leaves fall evoked more melancholy than usual. It may be a long winter.

For gardeners, that means planning, reading, observing nature and caring for houseplants. This is what keeps us sane come January.

This issue offers ideas for all of those activities. Susan Davis Price (with wonderful help from photographers Krista Menzel and Travis Bonovsky) offers tips for drawing birds to your yard in winter. The right plants, along with a water source and shelter, can make even the most urban yard a bird sanctuary.

The article begins on page 24.

Marge Hols (with beautiful photography by Tracy Walsh) gives us a tour of the new conservatory at the University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences in St. Paul. The conservatory, which was set to have its

fascinating collection of plants from the Southern Hemisphere. When possible, you'll want to visit it in person—for now, enjoy Marge's story and Tracy's photos beginning on page 30.

Elsewhere in this issue, you may find inspiration in the secluded space a Duluth gardener created (page 20) or a writer's adventures (and misadventures) planting a prairie garden on her boulevard (page 40).

Finally, check out the gift suggestions from MSHS on page 7 for ideas for all the gardeners in your life.

As we face down winter and the pandemic, keep your hopes up. As British writer Gertrude Jekyll noted, gardening teaches "patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust."

Let's all hope and trust that next spring will bring us a more "normal" season in the garden.

— Mary Lahr Schier, editor

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

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UPCOMING EVENTS

MSHS Calendar Everything Elderberry Tuesday, Nov. 17, 6:30–7:30 p.m. $10 members, $15 nonmembers Location: Your computer Instructor: Susannah Shmurak is a freelance writer covering health and environmental topics. Her website is HealthyGreenSavvy.com.

Habitat Restoration Webinar Series – Invasive Plant Control

Minnesota author Susannah Shmurak will discuss her new book, Everything Elderberry: How to Forage, Cultivate and Cook with this Amazing Remedy (Skyhorse Press, 2020), which explores the science behind the health benefits of the elder plant, and covers everything you need to know about foraging, growing and cooking with elderberries and elderflowers. The book includes more than 60 recipes for using these delightful gifts from nature. Everything Elderberry draws on historical texts, peer-reviewed scientific research and interviews with experts from around the world.

Wednesdays, Oct. 14 and Oct. 28, 6:30–7:30 p.m. $10 Location: Your computer Instructor: Cheryl Culbreth is founder of Landscape Restoration, Inc., and an experienced woodland landscape contractor.

These are the plants we all know and despise. In this series, Cheryl Culbreth discusses the worst of the invasive plants that gardeners and property owners face and how to deal with each of them.

The series began in September with a program on dealing with buckthorn. It also includes: Oct. 14: Garlic Mustard - Get Rid of It! Garlic mustard has become an incredibly invasive alien plant that threatens the future of our woodlands and natural areas. Learn about control options that will put you on track to restore native plant communities and wildlife habitat.

Oct. 28: Oriental Bittersweet Control Oriental bittersweet is killing our native 100-year-old oak trees! Learn what you can do to prevent new infestations from gaining a stronghold and techniques to control dense infestations.

See all upcoming classes at northerngardener.org/webinars.

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Make-and-Take Evergreen Container Class Saturday, Nov. 14, 10–11:30 a.m. $40 members, $45 nonmembers Location: Wagners Greenhouse, 6024 Penn Ave. S., Minneapolis Instructor: Chris Gueorguiev is a manager at Wagners Garden Center in Minneapolis. She has been with Wagners for 19 years and her passion is container gardening for all seasons.

Take a break from your day and head over to Wagners Greenhouse to make a winter container! Simple and attractive winter evergreen arrangements will add beauty and color throughout winter to your front door. After a brief presentation, you will work with a variety of greens, including red and white pine, cedar, balsam and dogwood to create an eye-catching evergreen container.

Included is your choice of red or yellow dogwood to add height and color to your container.

Enhance your winter container with purchases from Wagners including natural products such as winterberry, pinecones, pods and birch branches, or colorful baubles to go glitter and glam.

Please bring your gardening gloves and pruners. Dress warmly as we will be working in the greenhouse, and please wear a mask.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Make Your Own Holiday Bouquet Tuesday, Nov. 25, 6:30–8:15 p.m. $25 Location: Your computer Instructors: Mary Bejblik and Jenn Hovland are floral designers.

Winter Pruning Wednesday, Dec. 9, 6:30–8 p.m.

Free for members, $10 nonmembers Location: Your computer Instructor: Ann Hortch, master gardener, designer, manager of the seasonal services department for Home Sown Gardens.

Community Events

Did you know winter is a great time to prune many of your shrubs and small ornamental and fruit trees? Learn all about dormant pruning: why, when and how to prune as well as which shrubs and trees prefer to be pruned during dormancy.

ProHort Core Course In this webinar, you will learn the basic mechanics of professional floral design.

We will cover design elements, materials used in the field, and specific techniques for arranging flowers. We will be making a vertical line-mass arrangement incorporating seasonal flowers, foliage and items from our northern winter gardens to come up with a beautiful design for your holiday table. This online class has a live tutorial component, and we will have time for questions and answers. The product list will be sent to you after registration and in time to pick up products needed from your local florist.

This class qualifies for MSHS Judging and Exhibiting recertification credits.

Help Us Build a Map of Garden Communities

We enjoy fielding thousands of gardening inquiries annually. One of the most frequently asked questions is, “How can I find a community garden near me?”

To better serve you, we are building a digital map of community, school and public gardens, as well as garden clubs throughout Minnesota. Are you a part of a shared garden or garden club?

Want to be included on the map? Visit northerngarden.org/mapping-project to learn more.

Janury 2021; Registration deadline: Dec. 1 $550 MSHS members; use promo code MNHORT $590 nonmembers Location: Your computer Instructors: University of Minnesota Extension faculty

This comprehensive online course covers the same material as the U of M Extension Master Gardener course with the same instructors, but without the volunteering component. The course includes 14 modules that can be completed at your own pace, covering topics such as botany, soils, woody plants, weed management, growing vegetables, growing fruit, integrated pest management, plant diagnostics, lawn care, living with wildlife and more. While the course is self-paced, it includes optional online question and answer sessions. A reference manual will be sent to registrants. Plan on a time commitment of 40 to 60 hours to complete the course. Registration and more information are available at arboretum.umn.edu/gardening.

Orchid Society of Minnesota Catasetum Orchid Species and Hybrids Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids, presenter.

Saturday, Nov. 21, 1-3 p.m.

This is a virtual event held via Zoom. Fred has been growing orchids for 42 years and has been hybridizing for 38 of those years. With over 34 years as a professional grower and manager in the horticulture industry, Fred applies these skills at his orchid nursery, Sunset Valley Orchids, in San Diego, Calif. His pioneering work in Catasetum intergeneric hybrids led to the development of several notable hybrids, most recently the hybrid genus Fredclarkeara After Dark, which produced “the blackest flower ever witnessed.”

Contact: orchidsocietyofminnesota@gmail. com for the meeting link.

find a full list of community events at northerngardener.org/calendar.

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

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THIS SEASON IN THE GARDEN

TIPS & TRICKS FOR YOUR

winter garden always wear gloves when

empty birdbaths and outdoor containers so

weeding or harvesting parsnips. Oils in the foliage can cause painful skin burns.

they don’t collect water and crack in freezing temps, and store garden hoses in a garage until spring.

NOVEMBER

like sweeter root vegetables?

Leave a few, especially carrots and parsnips, in the ground until after a freeze.

harvest root vegetables.

bring the outdoors in.

Store them in the fridge—rutabagas and turnips do best in low humidity, but add a little water to the storage container of carrots, beets, radishes and parsnips. Keep garlic, potatoes and sweet potatoes at room temperature.

Gather dried hydrangea flower heads, curly willow twigs, evergreen boughs, rose hips and other stock for holiday wreaths and centerpieces.

store unused seeds in sealed jars in the refrigerator. Keep seeds in their original packaging so you can easily find important planting and growing details next spring.

visit our discount partners (see list on inside back cover) for gifts for gardeners.

DECEMBER

dig into gardening

clean gardening tools before soil

books and podcasts— see our faves at

hardens and rust sets in during winter. If soil won’t wipe off easily, soak tools in water and gently scrub with a wire brush. Rub a splash of oil over metal parts to prevent rusting.

northerngardener.org/resource-hub.

WEBINAR

Winter Pruning Sharpen your tools and your pruning skills this winter so you’re ready to prune deciduous trees and shrubs in late winter, when they’re fully dormant. Learn about winter pruning in our upcoming webinar: northerngardener.org/ webinars.

ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES with Spice Blend This recipe from Minneapolis chef Yia Vang features roasted root vegetables with his custom spice blend—a unique holiday side dish!

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

6 cups sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots or other root vegetables

Yia Vang is the chef of Union Hmong Kitchen and the upcoming Vinai.

Find him on Instagram at @vinaimn @chefyiavang.

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut vegetables into 1-inch chunks and place in a medium bowl. Toss with oil and spices to make sure everything is evenly coated.

Spread on a baking sheet in one layer. Check vegetables at 15 minutes, stir. Bake another 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Top with chopped cilantro.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon Korean chili flakes (available at most Asian grocery stores) ½ cup cilantro, chopped

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

GIFTS FOR GARDENERS

Gifts They’ll Dig Holiday gift-giving got you stumped? Let us help. Here are some gifts that will earn a (green) thumbs up from any gardener.

For the beginner – Give the gift of MSHS membership. Help anyone at any skill level grow as a gardener. Benefits include a full year of free gardening webinars, discounts at garden centers and wineries across the Upper Midwest, subscription to Northern Gardener magazine and more.

For the seed saver – Support your favorite gardener’s seedsaving endeavors with this special holiday package. It includes our Seed Saving Kit, with isolation bloom bags and seed envelopes, and a link to Ben Cohen’s Every Seed has a Story webinar about how seeds connect us to our past and carry us into the future.

For the new homeowner – A subscription to Northern Gardener magazine, our awardwinning publication, is one of our most popular gift items. A valuable resource for gardeners of all skill levels, ages and backgrounds, this much-loved magazine delivers gardening tips, ideas and trends directly to your lucky recipient’s mailbox every other month for a full year.

For the houseplant whisperer – Snake plants, succulents and monstera all make great office companions or Zoom meeting backgrounds. Dress your gift up with a decorative pot.

For the philanthropist – Give the gift of gardening to some of Minnesota’s youngest growers in underserved communities.

Our Garden-in-a-Box (GIAB) program provides children with soil, raised beds, plants and tools. For $50, you can sponsor a GIAB group for a year. $75 covers GIAB participation fees and a gardening education webinar for the group. $110 provides GIAB participation, class and subscription to Northern Gardener magazine.

For the foodscaper – John Whitman’s Fresh from the Garden (University of Minnesota Press, 2016) is one of the most comprehensive, trusted books about growing organic vegetables, herbs and berries in Minnesota.

A beautiful coffee table book and reference manual, this book is the perfect gift for anyone growing their own food. A limited number of signed copies are available at Terrace Horticultural Books (terracehorticulturalbooks.com) in St. Paul.

For the backyard conservationist – Doug Tallamy’s Nature’s Best Hope (Timber Press, 2020) is a must-read for any gardener who is interested in conserving plants and wildlife, starting with their own yard.

Available at Terrace Horticultural Books.

For the gardener who hates dirty nails – No judgment here! We always stock your favorite green and yellow gardening gloves at our Roseville office (please call ahead to arrange a pickup). These sturdy gloves are a tried-and-true MSHS favorite and a must-have when pulling prickly weeds, spreading mulch or tackling most other garden chores.

For the pollinator protector – Have you heard the buzz about the University of Minnesota Bee Lab’s honey? Give a jar of sweet honey and help support important research about bees and pollinators. Now available for purchase online at Worker B or at its Mall of America location, and at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum gift shop—call first because it sells out fast!

For the gardener who has everything – Let them pick out exactly what they want. Give a gift certificate from their favorite garden center or greenhouse.

Check out our list of Discount Partners on the back inside cover and support these trusted Upper Midwest businesses.

Visit northerngardener.org/giftsfor-gardeners to learn more and check a few gifts off your list.

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

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MSHS NEWS

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

A Garden Legacy “i grew up in a greenhouse,” says new MSHS member Max Twum. “My mom used to wheel me around in a utility cart when she was working as a horticulturist at the University of Minnesota’s bio sciences facility.”

Max’s mom is Margaret YeakelTwum, who gave Max and his wife, Dana, an MSHS membership in June after they bought a new house. Their new yard was a blank slate, filled with red mulch, so inspiration from Northern Gardener magazine and Margaret’s gardening expertise were put to work on the property right away. “We owned our house for three days and she was ready to spruce up the garden—I knew I had the ultimate expert,” says Max. Max and Dana grew up gardening within a mile of each other—Max in Falcon Heights and Dana in Shoreview.

Max would ride his bike to Dana’s house where her parents always had a garden.

“We grew together as a family,” says Dana. “I have fond memories of picking peppers, tomatoes and beans in the summertime with my parents.” Max and Margaret lived in an apartment at the time, so they had a community garden plot at Gibbs Farm. Max remembers picking sugar-snap peas in the evenings and helping his mom water the garden.

“I was really more interested in jumping in the mud piles that I would create with the hose,” says Max. Max and Dana worked together in the garden center at Frattallone’s Ace Hardware in high school. “That’s when we started dating,” says Max. They were married in 2016 at the Como Conservatory in St. Paul where Margaret worked for many years as the horticulturist for the tropical exhibit.

Max remembers Margaret growing the corpse flower at Como that garnered international attention. “That really got me excited about horticulture. I thought, if my mom can grow that plant, she can grow anything.”

When Margaret Yeakel-Twum died suddenly in September of this year, Max and Dana decided to transplant

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

MSHS FUNDRAISER

Support the Hort

“

My mom created this beautiful space for family to gather.

Transplanting her garden is really helping us right now and a great way to honor her legacy.”

– max twum

Margaret’s entire garden to their new house in Minneapolis. “We have peonies, sedum, astilbe, clematis—a bounty of perennials,” says Dana. They are also transferring the two trees that Margaret had planted in memory of Max’s sister, Vanessa, who died earlier in 2020. “My mom created this beautiful space for family to gather. Transplanting her garden is really helping us right now and a great way to honor her legacy,” says Max.

as the gardening season wanes, you may be planning for next season and seeing areas of the garden where you want to add more color or interest.

Did you know you can plant tulips as long as the ground is not frozen? While most bulbs should be planted by midOctober, tulips can go into the ground late in the season. That's one idea for a shot of color! Or how about adding summer-blooming bulbs to be planted in the spring?

Now you can stock up on tulip bulbs, summer-blooming bulbs, gift certificates, books or other items from Brent and Becky’s Bulbs and support MSHS. Choose from a wide variety of tulips, irises, lilies, peonies, mixes and more, and your plants will be delivered to your doorstep. Brent and Becky Heath’s family is a trusted source of plant material, having been in business since 1900.

How to order: 11. Visit www.bloominbucks.com.

2. Select the Minnesota State 2 Horticultural Society.

3. Order bulbs, books, tools, gift 3 certificates or anything you like and 25 percent of your total will be donated back to MSHS. When you purchase a gift for your garden or find a gift for a friend, you are supporting our mission to deliver valuable resources to cold-climate gardeners. Support the hort, and shop

by Nov. 15! to learn more about supporting MSHS, visit northerngardener.org/supportmshs.

MSHS NEWS

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Congratulations, Great Gardening Contest Winners our first digital gardening competition is in the books, and you knocked our gardening clogs off! Our social media feeds were flooded with #GreatGardeningContest2020 entries from Upper Midwest gardeners of all skill levels, backgrounds and growing styles. A panel of credentialed judges reviewed all the entries, and we’re excited to share this year’s champions in each category.

Indoor Houseplants ISABEL PEREIRA (@ISAPEREIRA)

A sunny bay window is one of Isabel Pereira’s favorite spots in her home.

Judging by this photo, her houseplants love this space, too! Oxalis, sansevieria and orchids add texture and colorful blooms and foliage to her home and give her a reason to dig in the dirt all year long—even during those long Minnesota winters.

SECOND PLACE: LAURA CLEARY (@LOUMARIE233) THIRD PLACE: SALLY KOSKI (@SALLYKOSKI)

Outdoor Gardens

Container Gardens

AMY KAINZ (@MILKWEED.AND.DAISIES)

QUINN VENSTRA (@QUINN.S.V)

Amy Kainz’s backyard pollinator garden is a certified Monarch Waystation and a suburban oasis for wildlife.

This horseshoe-shaped bed is full of different varieties of milkweed and defined by a living fence of forsythia and common lilacs. Her entire halfacre yard is herbicide- and pesticidefree, and she gardens with these two priorities in mind: organic and sustainable. A fan of edible plants and flowers, Amy is working toward her goal of incorporating more than 20 herbs and other edible flowers that are both delicious for humans and attractive to pollinators.

Each season, Quinn Venstra fills large 20-by-22-inch outdoor planters in her Brookfield, Wis., yard. This winning container features coleus she cut back this spring and summer and repurposed for a fall Día de los Muertos theme. Committed to composting and using only organic fertilizers in her yard and container gardens, she focuses on keeping her plants healthy with rich soil, lots of sunshine and regular watering. Quinn’s gardening skills captured the hearts of both her neighbors and her 3-year-old, who loves exploring nature in their yard.

SECOND PLACE: MARY CIELINSKI (@MARYCIELINSKI)

SECOND PLACE: SIMONE SCHNEEGANS (@PLANTS_ARE_ MY_PEOPLE)

THIRD PLACE: BOUPHA PHOMMA (@BOUPHAPHOMMA)

THIRD PLACE: JEAN JANUSCHKA (@JEANJANUSCHKA)

a big thank you to all who entered the contest and a special shoutout to these entries that also caught our eye: The Pros (the contest was open only to amateur gardeners but these two pros have social media feeds worth following): Jenn Hovland (@fleur_de_louise_flower_studio) and June Spanier (@junealltrades) best use of space: @phytoaddict most resourceful: @plants_are_my_people best windowbox: @jeanjanuschka

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

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MSHS NEWS

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Garden-in-a-Box Fosters Horticultural Therapy the benefits of gardening are many, including to our physical and mental health. We were frequently reminded of the relaxation and stress-relief gardening provides this year as we planted, weeded, watered and harvested through a pandemic. Time spent in the garden— digging in the dirt, watching plants burst into bloom and hearing pollinators buzz from flower to flower—can be soothing during challenging times.

Many of this year’s Garden-in-a-Box participants focused on embracing their garden kits as a source of healing. Here are some examples:

Treatment Program grew 10 Garden-ina-Box kits at Wilder School in Minneapolis this year. Elementary students needing additional support benefit from the home, where children work together on projects, such as gardening, and practice empathy, compassion and caring. The youngest students used snapdragons as finger puppets to talk about how their week was going. Older kids harvested ingredients to eat, adding edible flowers to homemade ice cream, making fresh salsa and bringing extra vegetables home to share with their families.

Avivo

Merritt House Merritt House and the Range Mental Health Center offers treatment programs for clients with mental health and substance abuse issues. Participating in Garden-in-a-Box provided a valuable stress relief outlet for staff and clients, many of whom spent time in the garden and enjoyed caring for the plants. These facilities also offer health and nutrition classes and made pickles using cucumbers from the garden boxes.

At Avivo, a Minnesota-based organization guiding thousands toward recovery, Garden-in-a-Box kits supplemented existing treatment programs that help individuals and their families find health, social and economic wellness.

The Avivo staff started with six boxes this year and plan to expand the garden next year so that even more clients can participate. Planting and caring for annual flowers and vegetables gave program participants opportunities to work outside with their hands and facilitated greater healing.

St. Joseph’s Home for Children The St. Joseph's Home for Children Day

Merritt House garden

“

Garden-in-a-Box provides boxes, soil, seeds, plants and education to help underserved children and adults learn to garden and grow food.” to learn more about giab, visit northerngardener.org/giab.

New Leaf Healing Center A provider of short-term crisis intervention programs for individuals facing mental health challenges, New Leaf Healing Center helps people get back on their feet as they transition back to their own homes. Participating in Garden-ina-Box this year gave them the chance to grow fresh vegetables that were used daily in the kitchens and helped participants be active and find peace in the garden.

St. Joseph's Home for Children garden

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

We love watching our Garden-in-aBox partners embrace the benefits of growing together! Gardening really can enhance quality of life, reduce stress, create community and connection, and empower us to grow our own food and prepare healthy meals.

MSHS NEWS

MSHS STAFF

MSHS FUNDRAISING

Meet Rick Juliusson

Support Our Work

rick Juliusson, the recently appointed MSHS executive director, brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit management and horticulture to his new role as leader of the 9,000-member society.

Before joining MSHS, Rick was Head of School at Friends School of Minnesota in St. Paul, which is best known to gardeners for its plant sale each spring. His background includes work in education, international development, as a consultant to nonprofit organizations, and as a farmer, selling peonies, garlic and meat grown on his 5-acre property on Vancouver Island. Rick is a native of Canada and has worked all around the world.

“Over the years, I’ve been involved in horticulture in many different roles,” he says. “It surprised me in how many ways this job brings together my past experiences.

“I felt called to work with a broader sector of people, touching on issues of sustainability, food security and racial justice—who has access to the beauty, fun and healthy products of gardening.”

Current MSHS programs, such as Minnesota Green, which provides plants and seeds to dozens of community gardens, and Garden-in-a-Box, which brings gardening to children and underserved communities, already address those issues.

“There is a lot of joy in the organization,” Rick says. “I see so much strength and potential in the horticulture society.”

As a gardener, Rick enjoys growing food and flowers. This summer, his family planted their front boulevard and alley in zinnias and native plants to brighten up the neighborhood and stock their “Little Free Florist” stand.

The Minnesota State Horticultural Society is cultivating communities, building green spaces and encouraging growth through gardening.

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Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

11

GARDEN SOLUTIONS

Best Flowering Annuals of 2020 at the end of every gardening season, I order next year’s annual plants for my regular clients. I consider it a huge job perk—I get paid to page through plant catalogs and select new combinations of annuals for the containers, window boxes and garden beds that I tend. (Plus, it’s really fun to buy large quantities of plants using other people’s money.)

Flowering plants are often the most challenging to choose. There are countless varieties that each claim to be the most reliable bloomers, plants that will actually provide the ever-elusive “season-long color.” I’m lucky to have access to my coworkers and their extensive knowledge about the gardens they tend. It’s like we have a giant network of test gardens, and we report our findings to each other as we plan our plant orders. Here’s our most recent list of top-performing flowering annuals.

tolerance. At maturity, the plants will be about 1 foot tall and wide, with the majority of their stems covered in flowers or buds. They’re perfect for containers or small garden spaces.

In full to partial sun and with a little deadheading (removing the expired flower stems), Archangel angelonia produces flowers from late May until October. My favorites from this series include ‘Raspberry’, ‘Cherry Red’ and ‘Dark Rose’. The colors are vibrant and bright throughout the life of each flower.

If you’re unfamiliar with Angelonia, you should meet her. This lovely little plant has dainty upright flower spikes that bloom in shades of pink, purple and white. The Archangel™ series boasts compact plants with predictable tidy growth and excellent heat and drought

PHOTO COURTESY OF DOREEN WYNJA FOR MONROVIA

Archangel™ Angelonia series

PHOTO COURTESY OF DOREEN WYNJA FOR MONROVIA

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Stream™ Lobularia series

Lobularia (common name: sweet alyssum) is an old-timey plant with an outstanding new cultivar series. Stream™ alyssum flowers longer than any annual plant I’ve ever seen. We planted hundreds of them this past April as part of a spring arrangement. From then on, they grew and bloomed steadily and generously, until we had to yank them in late October. From cold weather to the summer’s hottest heat and then back to cold again, the Streams were unapologetically showy and only required minor trimming to keep them flowering. Series colors include ‘Purple’, ‘Raspberry’, ‘White’ and ‘Lilac’ among others. The plants have a delightful trailing growth habit, making them ideal for hanging baskets and container plantings.

Sunpatiens® Compact series Canna Cannova® Bronze Orange

Cannova® Canna series

Archangel™ angelonia

are tropical and cheerful: I like ‘Mango’, ‘Rose’ and ‘Lemon’ the best. Most varieties have bright green leaves, while ‘Bronze Red’ and ‘Bronze Orange’ have burgundy leaves and red and orange flowers, respectively. Canna bulbs are prolific and easy to overwinter indoors, so this annual plant is actually a longterm garden investment!

Past canna lily cultivars have been enormous in size and late to bloom. The Cannova® series is neither of these: its plants are compact and tidy, with big, blousy flowers that develop in early summer. The 3-foot-tall plants are small enough for containers but large enough to hold their own in a crowded garden border. I’ve grown these over the past few years now, and they always bloom very consistently, especially with regular deadheading.

Full sun and regular watering are best for the Cannovas. Their flower colors

Sun-tolerant impatiens varieties have exploded in the last few years. They’ve usurped the beloved old-fashioned shade-loving varieties while also becoming one of my preferred annual flowers for sun. The Sunpatiens® Compact series encompasses a full spectrum of red, pink, orange, white and purple blooms.

My favorite colors are ‘Pink Candy’, ‘Deep Rose’ and ‘Royal Magenta’. But really, they’re all exceptional.

This impatiens is vigorous without being too bossy, growing to a substantial 2 feet tall and wide by the end of summer. Plants bloom (and then rebloom) without deadheading, which is ideal considering how truly floriferous they are. I think they’re best in full sun with regular watering, though they also perform well in part-shade. Sunpatiens have excellent heat tolerance, too.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAKATA SEEDS

– OUR ROOTS RUN DEEP –

Petunia SuperCal® French Vanilla

A FEW TIPS: Full sun.

Pinch them.

Watch out for aphids.

SuperCal® Petchoa series

The petchoa is a hybrid plant with genetic material from both Petunia and Calibrachoa species. Before I recommend this plant, I must emphasize that I really hate petunias.

They’re always straggly and chlorotic and failing by midsummer. I’m not the biggest fan of calibrachoa either, for similar reasons. A petchoa, however, flowers until frost while maintaining its tidy, bushy growth habit with greenery that rivals its earlier spring appearance.

The SuperCal® series comes in deep, warm colors like ‘French Vanilla’, ‘Cinnamon’, ‘Bordeaux’ and ‘Caramel Yellow’, along with the regular pink, purple and white shades of classic petunias. I planted these on a whim last season and was continually shocked by how much I really like these hybrid petunias.

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

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Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

13

PLANT TO PICK

Yellow Waxbells (Kirengishoma palmata) If this is an issue in your garden, consider planting yellow waxbells (Kirengishoma palmata) in your shade garden in spring 2021. This relatively unknown perennial not only adds much-needed color in late summer and autumn, but it brings welcome height to the back of the shade garden.

Kirengishoma is native to Japan, Korea and northeast China. Its lengthy genus name comes from the Japanese word for a yellow-flowered perennial, from DEBBIE LONNEE

as we settle into the winter garden-planning months, it’s good to look back at the successes and failures of this past year’s garden. The garden in autumn is something I am always looking to improve upon, with a larger palette of fall-blooming perennials.

Fall shade gardens are particularly challenging and they sometimes seem devoid of color, unless you’ve interplanted hostas, ferns and astilbes with a few flowering bedding plants.

ki meaning yellow, renge meaning lotus blossom and shoma meaning hat.

Yellow waxbells forms a shrubby, round mound of foliage, reaching a mature height of 3 to 4 feet and spread of 2 to 3 feet in our climate. The foliage is coarsely toothed, deeply lobed and will remind you of maple leaves. The leaves are large—up to 8 inches across in ideal conditions—and look healthy and green throughout the growing season.

I’ve grown this plant for years and it always starts blooming in late August and keeps going through September.

The flowers are a lovely shade of yellow and a welcome addition to the autumn shade garden. They are bell-shaped, waxy and form in clumps at the terminal ends of the branches where they seem to float above the foliage. Flowers also form along the branches and give way to unusual three-horned, brownish-green seed capsules in late autumn.

This perennial is very easy to grow, and while some sources describe it as a USDA Zone 5 plant, it has been hardy in my Twin Cities garden. It has no major pests or diseases. It can be propagated easily via division when dormant. It does like moist, humus-y and even acidic soils, but I find that acid soil is not a requirement in my Minnesota garden.

It will tolerate part shade to full shade.

To keep the plant neat, I cut back last year’s stems early in the spring when I am doing my garden cleanup.

Your biggest challenge may be finding this plant to purchase. When you are shopping in the garden center in spring, it will not be in bloom and may not be a bushy, lush plant in the pot. If you are lucky and find one, have faith and get it in the ground and you will be well rewarded.

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

Yellow waxbells bloom in autumn.

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

BY DESIGN

Design Rules, Part 2 things usually go better when we follow the rules, from driving safely to following a recipe correctly. The same is true with gardening. When we follow basic principles recommended by landscape experts, our gardens look and work better and the process is smoother. In the September/October 2020 issue of Northern Gardener, I discussed three of eight main garden design principles compiled by landscape architect Rob Steiner. In this issue, we’ll discuss the remaining five.

should equal 26 inches. For example, if you have a riser of 6 inches, your horizontal tread should be 14 inches.

Choose what’s comfortable for you, but outdoor steps usually have a riser of 5 to 7 inches and a tread of 12 to 16 inches.

Steps often lead to walkways, so consider their ideal dimensions as well.

Your walkway can be as narrow as 18 to 24 inches, if it’s a utilitarian route to the garbage can, or as wide as 60 inches if you anticipate two people walking side by side on it.

Start with Trees

Plant in Masses

Planting “big to small” makes sense in many ways. If you get the largest structures in place, you can more easily see how the rest of the landscape should flow. Practically, too, installing trees (and sometimes shrubs) often involves mechanical equipment or at least a heavily laden wheelbarrow, and it’s far easier to make a beeline for the planting site rather than having to maneuver around other plants. Trees take time to grow, so the earlier you can plant them, the better, while shrubs and flowers reach their full size much quicker. Steiner recommends gardeners start with trees, then add shrubs, then perennials, then groundcovers.

The Rule of 26 for Steps

When faced with a decision about how large or small to make the size of a pond, the dimensions of a patio, the height of a pergola or the width of a walkway—make it big! I’ve never heard someone say that an element of an outdoor hardscape is too big. I have heard people say, “I should have made it larger.” Err on the side of big.

Best Tip of All

You may have heard this before, but it bears repeating. “It’s better to plant a 50-cent plant in a $5 hole, than a $5 plant in a 50-cent hole,” says Steiner.

To follow his advice, make sure that the planting hole is dug to the appropriate depth, its diameter is twice the size of the plant it will hold and that appropriate amendments are added.

Digging a large hole loosens the soil around the plant and allows water and air to infiltrate and be taken up by the roots. The spaces among the dirt clumps provide paths for the roots to grow. It’s an easy way to give your new garden resident a great beginning.

Like time-tested recipes, if you understand and follow these design rules, the results can be amazing.

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

Follow these design rules for steps, the size of hard elements and using groundcovers.

PHOTOS: DIANE MCGANN

The right ratio of tread to riser makes going up and down steps easy and safe.

The rule of 26 simply states that twice the height of the riser plus the tread

A large grouping of the same plant is calming and pleasing to the eye. So often, we have one of this and three of that, which can be charming in small areas. But think of gardens where you’ve seen an extensive wave of grasses or a sweep of the same perennial, and consider its impact. Particularly when the garden area will be seen from afar, a mass of one plant implies harmony and order.

While almost any plant will look attractive en masse, the vision may be easier to achieve with shorter grasses, perennials, dwarf conifers and shrubs.

Look also to groundcovers to create that large grouping. Canada ginger or ferns can pave a shaded area and provide a backdrop for trees and shrubs, while sunny sites can roll out thyme, dead nettle, creeping Jenny or other sun-lovers. The underlying layer unifies the overall scene.

Go Big

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

15

NORTHERN NATIVES

highbush cranberry is a good choice for the edges of either a woodland or a sunny garden. It seems to find its sweet spot where an open area meets tall trees.

Known by many common names, including American cranberry bush, crampbark tree, dog rowan tree, rose elder, wild gueldes-rose, gaiter tree, love rose and many others, this hardy shrub is taxonomically known as both V. trilobum and V. opulus L. var. americanum.

The latter draws from the fact that the native plant is extremely similar to the Eurasian V. opulus. Nonnative cranberry bush and cultivars often hybridize with the North American native. Both are edible and grow in similar conditions, but the native shrub’s berries are described as more palatable to humans. Both species have tart fruits that can be used in jams and jellies.

This shrub supports wildlife yearround. The blooms of spring, which are clusters of tiny florets surrounded by larger florets, attract butterflies, bees and other pollinators. During the growing season, highbush cranberry is a larval host plant for the spring azure butterfly. In the fall and winter, animals, including birds, snack on the shrub’s

PHOTOS: BETH STETENFELD

Highbush cranberry (Viburnum trilobum)

bright red berries, which resemble its namesake cranberries, although the two plants are not closely related. Cedar waxwings, in particular, are reportedly big fans of these berries. Fortunately, rabbits and deer seem to mostly leave the plant alone.

In addition to its year-round wildlife value, this Viburnum also offers year-round garden interest—from the white to pinkish lacy buds and flowers of spring, through the golden-olive

At a Glance: Highbush Cranberry Hardiness: USDA Zone 2.

Native Habitat: Inhabits north-central North America, from Newfoundland to British Columbia; south from Maine to West Virginia in the East; then northwestward through the Upper Midwest to Washington. Also, Colorado and New Mexico.

Size: 8 to 12 feet tall; 8 to 12 feet wide.

Site: Average to moist areas, such as thickets along shorelines, wetlands and forest edges. Tolerates a wide range of soil types, but prefers moist, welldrained soil. Full sun to partial shade.

Propagation: Can be propagated through hardwood and softwood cuttings, layering, crown division, and by seed. Seeds may take two years to germinate. For the best results with softwood cuttings, plant in early to midsummer.

Cultivars and Other Species: The genus Viburnum belongs to the moschatel family (Adoxaceae, previously Caprifoliaceae, honeysuckle family). About 20 species are native to North America. Several V. trilobum hybrids are available, including crosses with V. opulus, and cultivars such as ‘Bailey Compact’, ‘Compactum’, ‘Hahs’ and Redwing™ (‘J.N. Select’).

—B.R.S.

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

green to purplish-to-red-tinged foliage of autumn, to the bright red berries of winter. Although the shrubs flower profusely in spring, they’ll produce even more berries if multiple plants are available in the garden; each flower is “perfect”—with both male and female parts—but self-infertile, so it requires cross-pollination with another flower.

Planting highbush cranberry along the edges of the garden provides wildlife value, screening and pleasant transitions between garden rooms. Shrubs grow relatively fast—up to 3 feet per year. Annual pruning will maintain the desired height and width.

Viburnum trilobum tolerates a wide range of soils, but prefers the consistent moisture of its native habitat: moist woods and lake margins. While it grows in full sun to shade, it thrives in partial shade. When planted in full sun, highbush cranberry may need regular watering until established to satisfy its moisture needs.

Highbush cranberry can be propagated both from seed and cuttings.

The shrub often reseeds in the garden, although small seedlings are easily pulled or transplanted. Shrubs can be started from nursery stock or other gardeners’ cuttings. It’s not a fussy young plant, except for its water needs.

If you’d like to add a native, moderately sized shrub with year-round garden interest, consider the highbush cranberry. The neighborhood birds will thank you in winter when other berries and food sources are gone.

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

KITCHEN GARDEN

i’m sentimental about blueberries.

They remind me of blueberry muffins on horse show mornings (the perfect on-the-go breakfast), childhood visits to my great-aunt’s cabin on Lake Superior (where wild blueberries grew in abundance) and repeated readings of Robert McCloskey’s classic children’s book, Blueberries for Sal (“Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk!”).

So, with all those nice memories, it’s no wonder that blueberries have found a permanent place in my kitchen garden.

The first thing anyone will tell you about growing blueberries is that they require well-draining, acidic soil—and there is no way around that. A pH in the 4.0 to 5.5 range usually achieves the best results. If your soil is not acidic, you can lower the pH by adding elemental sulfur or sphagnum peat moss. Be sure to get a soil test before attempting blueberries and expect that you will have to continue to acidify the soil over time. The second thing you need to know is that blueberries need full sun—this is essential for berry production.

Once you have the perfect, sunsoaked location and properly amended soil, you’re ready to plant. It’s wise to purchase established plants that are a couple of years old and 12 to 18 inches tall. Growing blueberries is a slow process that requires patience and foresight, and your blueberries likely won’t produce much for a few years. It may take several years for them to achieve full production.

As you shop for blueberry plants, you’ll discover highbush varieties, lowbush varieties and half-high varieties. Lowbush blueberries are practically groundcovers—growing 2 feet tall or less—and can be grown in containers. They are a great option for those with alkaline soil.

Highbush varieties grow 6 to 8 feet tall, and not all high bush varieties are hardy in the North. Half-high blueberries are a smart choice for northern gardeners.

They grow 3 to 5 feet tall and many varieties are hardy to USDA Zone 3, including ‘Northblue’, ‘Northcountry’, ‘St. Cloud’ and ‘Chippewa’. It’s a good idea

MARY LAHR SCHIER

Blueberry Bliss

Blueberry Kringle (adapted from Seriouseats.com) FOR THE FILLING: Mix

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries with ¼ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Cook over medium heat until a thick but chunky jam is formed. Cool. Or use 1 cup good-quality blueberry jam.

FOR THE PASTRY: Mix

1 cup of sour cream with 1 teaspoon vanilla. Then, pulse in a food processor or blend by hand, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter and a ½ teaspoon

salt until the mixture is the size of small peas. Add the sour cream mixture and stir until combined.

Shape into two disks and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours. Overnight is best.

ASSEMBLY AND BAKING:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon sugar.

Remove pastry disks from refrigerator. On a floured surface, roll each disk to a 12-by-6-inch rectangle.

Spread half of the filling down the center of each rectangle, leaving 2 inches

to plant at least two different cultivars to promote pollination. Birds love blueberries as much as we do, so plan on netting your plants to save the harvest.

Now let’s fast-forward a few years and envision the delights that await in the kitchen once your blueberries are producing abundantly, and bags and bags of them are in your refrigerator. What will you do with all of that wondrous bounty?

on each side and 1½ inch open on the top and bottom of the rectangle.

Fold sides over, then fold top and bottom. Brush with egg/sugar mixture.

Transfer to a parchmentlined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool slightly.

ICING: Mix 1 cup

powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Drizzle over warm kringle.

Cool. Store in a covered container or devour.

blueberry kringle is a must-have for Sunday brunch. (See recipe.) They’re also delightful fresh on salads or combined with herbs such as rosemary or oregano with pork or chicken. Let your imagination run wild.

Plant blueberry bushes and before you know it, you’ll be harvesting and listening with a sentimental ear as each berry lands—“Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk!”—in the bottom of your pail.

Cooking with Blueberries

I hardly need to suggest all the many ways to use blueberries in breakfasts and baked goods. They are delicious in oatmeal, pancakes, smoothies, on waffles or stirred into yogurt. We love them baked in muffins, crisps, cakes, cobblers and pie. And if you’re from Wisconsin,

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

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

17

POLLINATORS

Winter Reading when I’m not gardening or writing about it, there’s a good chance I’m reading. I’ve always got two or three books on the go at one time, whether on paper or on my phone: a good page-turning mystery; something nonfiction, usually about nature; and a more cerebral current novel. I find that rotating genres keeps things fresh.

With the pandemic still going strong, you may have found more time for reading. I thought I would share some of my past picks for pollinator-themed or pollinator-adjacent books that might enlighten or delight as days shorten and snowy nights arrive. I chose 10, eight of which I’ve read, one I wrote, and another I’m eager to read.

Attracting Native Pollinators, Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies (Storey, 2011), Xerxes Society One of the first books to address bee conservation, it offers tips for improving habitat and instilling a sense of stewardship. It can be a bit California-centric but is still a valuable resource.

The Bees in Your Backyard, A Guide to North America’s Bees (Princeton, 2016), Wilson, Messenger, Carril A practical but pretty guide to bee behavior and anatomy, with tips for identifying them. Helpful in learning to distinguish the different bees you may find in your garden.

Caterpillars in the Field and Garden (Oxford University Press, 2005), Allen, Brock, Glassberg For those who are interested in a deep dive into the lives of butterflies, this is an invaluable field guide. It contains a simple, concise introduction and then extensive photos of adult butterflies and larval stages along with range maps that help you to know which you can hope to see in your garden.

The Living Landscape, Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden (Timber Press, 2014), Darke, Tallamy Although it does lean toward information specific to the mid-Atlantic region, it gives a thorough understanding of the important interconnectedness of plants and wildlife and how to apply those concepts to your garden.

Mariposa Road, The First Butterfly Big Year (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010), Richard Michael Pyle Adventure and science combine for the ultimate butterfly road trip. With a handmade butterfly net and old binoculars, driving an ’82 Honda Civic, the author takes you to all corners of the continent in search of elusive butterflies.

The Monarch, Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly (St. Lynn’s Press, 2017), Kylee Baumle Disclaimer: the author is a friend.

She’s a passionate advocate for mon-

archs and it shows in the book. An accessible read on their life cycle and conservation challenges facing the beautiful butterfly. A hands-on book, it offers projects for adults, teens and children.

The Reason for Flowers, Their History, Culture, Biology and How They Change Our Lives (Simon & Schuster, 2015), Stephen Buchmann Learn about the fascination for and interdependence of humans and flowers, then discover more about the relationship between flowers and other species, especially pollinators. A natural history of flowers in food, history, literature, medicine, art and more.

Winter World, The Ingenuity of Animal Survival, (Ecco, 2004), Bernd Heinrich I read this before moving to Minnesota, thinking it would steel me for a new cold reality. While it covers the coping strategies and mechanisms of many different animals, you can read the section on insects alone to learn how bees and butterflies navigate the winter season, although you will find the entire book enjoyable.

Pollinator Friendly Gardening, Gardening for Bees, Butterflies and Other Pollinators (Voyageur, 2016), Rhonda Fleming Hayes Of course, I’m including my own book!

The Language of Butterflies; How Thieves, Hoarders, Scientists, and Others Unlocked the Secrets of the World’s Favorite Insect (Simon & Schuster, 2020), Wendy Williams The subtitle drew me in for sure. I’m excited to dig into this one.

I hope you’ll enjoy these books as much as I have!

RHONDA FLEMING HAYES

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

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

DIY

Illuminated Garden Orb humans are naturally drawn to circular shapes. And little white lights in the garden are simply enchanting. When you combine the two, it’s pure magic and striking in both the summer and the winter garden setting. It’s easy to make your own illuminated garden orb with chicken wire from the hardware store and strings of holiday lights. Plus, in addition to décor, it’s also functional outdoor lighting.

“

Chicken wire is quite malleable, but the raw cut edges are treacherous, so take care. Gloves and long sleeves are mandatory.”

Chicken wire is quite malleable, but the raw cut edges are treacherous, so take care. Gloves and long sleeves are mandatory. Once you are suited up to work, you will be amazed how easy chicken wire (also referred to as poultry netting) can be molded to a desired shape.

Determine how large you want your orb to be. Mine is roughly 2 feet in diameter and the instructions will be for that size. The desired diameter will

PHOTOS: ERIC JOHNSON

Place the orb in a pot for a holiday decoration.

A lighted orb is easy to make and looks good in winter or summer.

determine the roll width of chicken wire you choose. Rolls are available in 2-, 3- and 4-foot widths and a variety of lengths. Generally, the diameter of the orb will end up about half the width of the roll you work with.

Begin by cutting one 4-foot length of 4-foot-wide chicken wire with a wire cutter or needle-nosed pliers. Create a tube by securing the ends together by curling and twisting the wires on the raw edges around the loops of the netting.

Let the Sculpting Begin

Now is the part where you become a sculptor as you work the wire into the orb shape. Two simultaneous actions will help form it: Folding segments over like a dart on a shirt as you gradually pinch the ends of the tube together, like a drawstring purse or the end of a sausage casing. Pull and push and stretch the wire as you work it into the desired form, striving for a round and smooth shape. Take advantage of any available wires that can be tucked and twisted around other wires to secure the piece.

Gently rolling the orb on a smooth solid surface, such as a patch of concrete, will help smooth and shape it. Step away from your work often to assess how you are doing and continue to sculpt it until you reach the desired shape. Using your tool of choice, curl in any errant wires.

Wrapping the orb in light strings is easy but you may be surprised by how

much length you will need for the best glowing effect. My orb has 400 lights!

The process is simple. Wrap the orb with the strings like forming a ball of yarn, securing with stray wires when you encounter them and tucking the strings into any nooks and crannies you can. The strings will help to sturdy the piece. The more fully you cover the orb, the more spectacular the effect.

As in my example, you can place the orb on a garden pot for a holiday arrangement. A bonus in both the winter and summer garden is that the orb gives off a lot of light and will illuminate an entrance or sitting area. In the summer photo, I wound an extension cord up a branch, tied the end of the string of lights to the branch and plugged it in. So easy! Consider using a timer that turns it on at dusk so it can greet you when you come home from your day.

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

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

19

Escape

Artist

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Story and photos by Kelsey Roseth

Duluth gardener creates a calm garden that fits into, and with, the surrounding wild woods.

Left: Joie Lee’s garden offers seclusion and distinct rooms to visit and enjoy.

Right, top to bottom: Joie tends her containers; a bridge and path leads visitors to the gardens; loosestrife (Lysimachia) brightens the garden. Below: Begonias are a favorite annual of Joie’s.

The subtle buzz of bumblebees.

Bright, wild blooms sprouting along a meandering walkway. The gentle, soothing splashes of Tischer Creek in the distance.

These are the sights and sounds that greet Joie Lee as she works in her garden—a beloved, charming space she has carefully curated, cared for and developed for nearly 20 years.

The Duluth native and self-taught gardener has sought escape in nature since she was a child. “I remember I was a kid who liked to get up early in the morning … and creep outside onto the swing set,” says Joie. “I loved to swing really high, and keep going back and forth and looking at the garden and thinking, ‘Life is good.’ ” She remembers dancing around bleeding hearts in her parents’ garden and admiring her grandmother’s gorgeous hollyhocks. Following a joyous youth in northern Minnesota, Joie spread her wings, first moving to Missoula, Mont., for college, then to Boston and Cambridge, Mass., where she obtained a master’s degree in social psychotherapy and became a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. At the time, she fully embraced city life.

And when she needed a reminder of the natural scenery in which she was raised, Joie would escape to the rugged coast of the Atlantic Ocean and the serene

beaches of Plum Island.

While in Massachusetts, she also attempted her first garden. It was an intense labor of love, as she had a limited understanding of gardening and no equipment.

“I had a trowel and I was trying to get through the grass in the yard, to even get a little patch of dirt, and that took hours,” says Joie. “I was sweating really hard. And I thought, ‘Oh, this is not as easy as it looks!’ I don’t think I ever got anything in it.”

The Smell of Dirt

Just before she turned 30, Joie moved back to Duluth, where she married and had three children. Little by little, the busy mom carved out small sections of her open backyard to create a garden. A rose bush here, wildflower seeds there, using her hobby to educate her children about the natural world and shape their appreciation for the outdoors.

“I love the act of gardening,” she says.

“I have a beautiful edging tool and I love to edge things perfectly. I love getting my hands in the dirt. I like the smell of the dirt. I like to mix fertilizer from [Western Lake Superior Sanitary District] right into the dirt with my hands … I like everything about it.”

Joie began work in her current garden in 2001, in the yard of her artfully designed, two-story home tucked away

“

I loved to swing really high, and keep going back and forth and looking at the garden and thinking, ‘Life is good.’ ”

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

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Escape Artist

on the edge of a secluded street, with Tischer Creek as its westerly neighbor.

The first space she carved out was a 20-by-20-foot section facing the stream, where she could watch her kids discover the creek and habitat it created. This space currently features two Adirondack chairs where you can sit and enjoy the sounds of the creek below. As for the shaded backyard, the broad, open space had tall, stunning pines, and the ground was covered in woodchips. “The backyard was really daunting,” she said.

“It was lots and lots of very tall pine trees. It was dark. The kids didn’t even really go in there.”

The path to developing an expansive garden was difficult. Deer herds would roam through, along their “superhighway” that is Tischer Creek, and devastate the plants. A fence installed in 2011 stopped the herds from entering her yard. Small mammals, including eastern gray squirrels and cottontails, scoured for seeds and fed on her seedlings and other young plants. Clay soil meant hundreds of hours using a pickaxe,

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Left: Hostas, peonies and other perennials anchor the back garden.

Opposite page, clockwise: Foxglove (Digitalis); castor bean (Ricinus communis); a bench offers a resting space; daylilies are a favorite plant; blanketflower (Gaillardia).

shovel and wheelbarrow. It was a long physical haul; one Joie wouldn’t trade for the world.

“I choose to be there,” she says. “I love to be there. I get into the zone when gardening, and it is a sense of well-being where you’re at one with your task, and that’s what I love about gardening.”

A Peaceful Space

Along her driveway, Joie has planted a lush border filled with coreopsis, catmint, peonies, ferns and a tall rose, welcoming visitors to her home. You enter the backyard through a stucco-covered arch, connecting the house and garage, which is flanked by pots filled with begonias, calibrachoa, cleome and other annuals. Joie creates 25 to 30 containers each year for the entry to the garden and to add color throughout the space.

Viewing the back gardens, you would assume Joie had a cohesive master plan she created to weave the thickly planted spaces together, though that’s not the case. “I think in my mind, I was balanc-

ing the paths,” she says. “I can’t say I was conscious of it.”

The back garden is now a sunny, seductive space with developed outdoor rooms. One space features an expansive gray deck with plenty of chairs for company to enjoy the escape she’s created, with a stone walkway and a tile fountain leading the way to the seating area.

A circular space deep in the garden honors her mother and father, who died in 2019 and 2020, respectively. There, spinning outward from a light green glider her parents used to have in their backyard, she’s developed a subdued, quiet and fragrant space with 10 hydrangeas, a black-eyed Susan vine and other plants in different colors each year. The summer of 2020, soft lilac and light pink flowers were chosen to give the space an English-countryside feel.

For her Asian-themed room, Joie set a female buddha on a rock and created a tiered garden around her, with a lattice adding height to her seated frame.

“I’m very into the peacefulness of it; the nature of it; the ability to be in the moment,” says Joie, who has practiced and taught yoga for years. Joie chooses a different color of annuals each year, and this summer she featured stark, white flowers, pure as Minnesota snow.

“I wanted to look at all these visual cues and just calm down and understand we all have that ability,” she says.

“For me, putting the buddha there, it’s a symbol for lots of people of serenity, of peace, of being quiet, of tapping into your own wisdom and self-knowledge. This is the space I start with first each spring.”

The garden is full of her favorites: vibrant scotch moss, restorative roses, sweet peonies, boldly colored forgetme-nots, rich blue delphiniums and bursting hydrangeas.

Joie spends about 20 hours a week working in the garden in spring, and about 10 hours a week in summer. Her husband, Tom Lee, spends an hour a day watering. Joie can almost always be found outside digging holes, deadheading flowers and using her favorite tool, a

garden weasel, to cultivate and weed.

While Joie put significant time and effort into shaping this space, she also allows the wild, natural world to take its own course, intersecting with her carefully formed one. Her serene space is not one thing, but many—wild yet tame, native and nonnative, polished while overgrown—a truly enhanced escape in the forest lining the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Kelsey Roseth is a freelance writer and communications consultant in Duluth.

Her website is kelseyroseth.com.

Garden Tips Joie Lee offers these suggestions for enjoying the upkeep of your garden and doing it well.

• Walk through your garden often and slowly, so you know what it needs.

• Weeding is better with music.

• Experiment and dream big.

• Talk to other gardeners and visit their gardens.

• Top-dressing your garden with beautiful black soil makes it pop.

—K.R. Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

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Winter is for the Birds A gardener’s guide to creating a bird-friendly landscape for the cold months.

By Susan Davis Price

As chillier temperatures arrive and daylight shortens, we humans look for protection from the cold—winter coats, hearty food and cozy homes. Birds have similar instincts, seeking shelter, sustaining food and warm resting spots.

Many fly south, but a quarter of Minnesota bird species remain here in winter.

Others come through the state on their way to more southerly parts. In one recent winter, volunteer Audubon Society bird counters observed 397,682 individuals and 137 species from December 15 to January 15.

Dark-eyed juncos, cardinals, woodpeckers (downy, red-bellied, hairy and others), blue jays, house sparrows, chickadees, nuthatches and American goldfinches all crowd around home feeders. Robins are increasingly seen, too, often showing up in large flocks at heated birdbaths or feasting on hackberry tree berries. Several species of owls (barred, great horned and Eastern screech) are here, but since they hunt at night, we rarely see them.

Cooper’s and red-tailed hawks may sweep by the yard, looking for small mammals and songbirds.

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Harsh weather and reduced food supplies mean winter is naturally difficult for birds. But bird numbers are down (by nearly 30 percent since the 1970s, according to a 2019 study) because of the use of herbicides and lost habitat.

Gardeners can compensate for some of those losses by creating bird-friendly habitats in their yards. Just think about the basics—food, water, shelter and safety. Indeed, our yards and gardens can have a large impact on avian survival.

Give Them Shelter

First, be relaxed about fall cleanup. A drastic clearing and tossing removes materials for shelter and protection, and creates a visually bleak black-andwhite landscape. Minimize your cutting back. Damaged and diseased vegetation must go, but healthy plants and plant sections can remain. Birds will appreciate the cover provided by vegetation left standing, feast on dried seed heads and often use last season’s remnants to make spring nests.

Aim for a yard that offers a multilayered canopy of deciduous and evergreen plants in a way that mimics nature. Plant a diversity of vines, perennials, shrubs, trees of varied heights and shapes.

Include plenty of evergreens, such as junipers, pine, yew and rhododendron that retain their needles all year.

Birds seek out a variety of shelters, depending on their species and what’s available. Some, like cardinals, head for the dense vegetation offered by conifers where they are protected from wind. My neighbor has a cardinal flock that settles in her row of yews every year. Others, such as woodpeckers and nuthatches, spend the winter nights inside tree cavities. Many will sleep in nest boxes or makeshift shelters of brush piles. Small clusters of birds will huddle in tall, thick stands of grass.

Because of such varied needs, the most welcoming landscape will not be a monoculture but will contain varied vegetation, nesting boxes and a pile or two of brush or branches.

Seed-eating birds, such as chickadees and finches, enjoy seeds from the spent flowers of perennials, such as coneflowers, asters, black-eyed Susans, wild bergamot and coreopsis. The seed heads on grasses such as big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) can be a fine source of protein for a variety of birds. With seed tassels on the top, birds will perch on the strong stalks and peck away at the food. Mary Meyer, grasses expert at the University of Minnesota, notes that she has seen birds hanging on the stems of Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans).

They also like switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis).

Garden Food

For this female northern cardinal, a tree branch provides a perch during a snowstorm.

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

KRISTA MENZEL © TRAVIS BONOVSKY

From left clockwise: A song sparrow gets protection and nourishment in the thicket of big bluestem grass; prized food sources include ‘Prairie Fire’ crabapples and seeds of Rudbeckia triloba; cedar waxwings and other birds rely on juniper berries in winter; a varied thrush eats crabapples; and a colorful eastern bluebird perches on woodbine (Parthenocissus inserta).

© TRAVIS BONOVSKY

© TRAVIS BONOVSKY

© TRAVIS BONOVSKY

KRISTA MENZEL

© TRAVIS BONOVSKY

Birds consume an enormous number of calories to maintain their body temperature and weight. So, they will appreciate any vegetation that can provide sustenance, though berries are favorites.

Flowering crabapples (Malus spp.); numerous varieties of viburnum (Viburnum spp.) with yellow, red or black fruit; roses (Rosa spp.), with their hips; the eye-catching staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina); and winterberry (Ilex verticillata), with its colorful and abundant fruit, are all in great demand when the weather chills. Not only do these plants offer food in winter, they fit attractively into the garden landscape.

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Some birds have specialized beaks and tongues that enable them to extract seeds from the cones in which they are found. Pine grosbeaks, nuthatches, pine siskins, purple finches and woodpeckers all can probe or break open cones to grab the nutrient seeds. For these, spruce, pine and fir trees are an important environmental asset. An interesting tidbit: Cone-cracking birds, like crossbills, favor cemeteries where they can easily find conifers!

Some birds, including the chickadee, blue jay and tufted titmouse, spend part of every winter day probing bark to glean fat-rich insects and eggs.

Supplementing the Feast

Well-stocked feeders provide easily nabbed food, an important addition to a bird’s diet. Also, feeders increase our enjoyment by bringing wild birds close enough to observe. Make sure your

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KRISTA MENZEL

KRISTA MENZEL

Winter is for the Birds

feeder is sturdy enough to withstand winter weather and can keep seeds dry.

You’ll attract more species by mounting a variety of feeders at different heights with different foods. Place feeders close to protective cover for birds and away from spots where predators could hide.

Where there’s space, mount several—cylindrical feeders, open and closed platforms, and suet feeders. If going with a single feeder, then a large platform feeder is best. Adding a suet feeder, which is basically a rectangular cage, will bring many colorful woodpeckers.

Suet can be offered in wire meshes, wooden dowel feeders or placed on an open platform that is secure from dogs and squirrels.

In addition to suet, you can offer peanut butter, large and small seeds, or dried mealworms. Black-oil sunflowers, sunflowers and cardinal mixes all contain large seeds and have the greatest appeal

to the broadest variety of backyard visitors. When you feed with sunflower seeds, you can expect cardinals, blue jays, house and purple finches, nuthatches, titmice, evening and pine grosbeaks, and many more. Peanuts will attract woodpeckers, blue jays, nuthatches and black-capped chickadees. Unfortunately, peanuts will also bring squirrels, raccoons and other mammals.

Small seeds include millet and thistle (Niger). Niger is favored by the finch family and is a fine winter staple for pine siskins and hoary and common redpolls. Millet can be sprinkled on the ground for sparrows, juncos and mourning doves.

Water is a Bird Magnet

A heated birdbath will provide water in cold months and bring in many birds.

Hardware stores and nurseries all sell submersible water heaters designed to

Minnesota Bird Watching Hotspots Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve, Duluth Blue Mounds State Park, Luverne Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, Middle River Colvill Park and waterfront, Red Wing—for viewing bald eagles in winter —S.D.P. Plants that birds appreciate, from left: big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) provides cover, food and nesting material; rudbeckia seeds and winterberries feed birds.

Below, from left: Leave tall seedheads for birds; a northern flicker enjoys the berries of staghorn sumac; pine siskins gather at a nyjer seed tube.

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

© TRAVIS BONOVSKY

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

© TRAVIS BONOVSKY

KRISTA MENZEL

KRISTA MENZEL

fit existing outdoor birdbaths. Many varieties are available with ramps and perches. If you need to add a perch, a few stones or small branches in the bowl will allow birds to drink without getting wet.

After adding so much to attract birds, we should be careful to not create situations that harm them. Pesticides and herbicides will eliminate many weeds and insects. But in so doing, they can make birds ill or destroy the very insects and plants they eat. Household cats, charming as they are, are efficient bird killers. Keep them inside.

With food, water and shelter, we’ll see plenty of birds in Minnesota backyards this winter. Watching them as they eat, fly from bush to feeders and take sips from our water source is a hobby that can be enjoyed even when we’re stuck inside. Winter won’t be any shorter, but it will be more fun.

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WANDERING THROUGH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OR A BOTANICAL GARDEN, something catches your eye.

What is the name of that plant? I want it. Or maybe you are working in the garden and you see a plant that seems out of place. Is it a weed? What is that bug on my hydrangea—friend or foe?

Plant and insect identification apps are a helpful and fast way to answer some garden questions, especially if you don’t know the name of the plant. As a master gardener, I’ve found that plant identification is the first step to solving many plant problems.

There are many photo-based apps available for phones and tablets. Before deciding which to use, it helps to know how they are constructed. Some are crowd sourced—individuals add their identified pictures to a database. The app takes in the images and compares them with pictures already submitted. The danger is that people could misidentify plants and still have them included in the app. Other apps use artificial intelligence, relying on computer images, databases and algorithms to make identifications. These apps survey images on the Internet and determine which is the best match for your image.

Some apps are hybrids—taking in images from users and searching the web for images as well.

All of the apps listed have a free trial version, and some will let you continue without paying a fee. Most offer a feebased upgraded version, some of which allow you to consult with an expert.

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By Mary Kay Haas

SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

BEST Apps for Curious Gardeners

A master gardener puts identification apps to the test.

In the field, you want an app that allows you to input photos directly from your phone because you may get additional information that you want to check out on the spot. For example, the app says your subject has a square stem or red veins. You can check it immediately. The following examples are among my favorite apps and will get you started on this interesting adventure.

PictureThis

This is the first plant identification app that I used, and it’s still one of my favorites. It uses artificial intelligence and it boasts 95 percent accuracy. Sometimes plants get labeled incorrectly in the app, but it gives you a first choice as well as a series of looka-likes to consider. It has a diagnostic feature, too, but I haven’t found that helpful. It tends to give a generic diagnosis, such as something is eating your plant or it has a bacterial or fungal infection. The premium version has a consultation feature that allows you to ask an expert for advice.

PlantSnap

This app is a hybrid. It is an artificial intelligence-based app that boasts an accuracy rate of 96 percent.

It also “learns” as it receives images from users. Its tutorial feature and online help services make this a good app for beginners. The developers of this app are working with SnapChat to include the PlantSnap app along with SnapChat, if you are already on that social media platform.

PlantNet

PlantNet is a crowd-sourced international app offered in 22 languages. It gives more weight to experienced users’ identifications. I like this app because it narrows the field of possible answers by asking you to choose between leaf, flower, bark, fruit, habit or other characteristic. It is particularly good for trees because of the bark feature. Because it is an international app, you might get some answers that are not relevant to the Midwest.

iNaturalist

This crowd-sourced app covers animals, trees, plants, insects and other natural subjects. My experience is that it may get you close to an ID but rarely offers a definite identification of a plant. It will give several possibilities and then you can weed through them to see if any is correct. It was developed with expertise from the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic Society for ordinary citizen use.

Picture Insect

Although it is not a plant-identification app, you might want to check out “Picture Insect” to help identify garden pests. I use it when I see a new insect in my garden to determine if it’s a friend or foe. When you have identified the insect, you can then go to other resources, such as BugGuide.net, for more information.

The app has made me much more likely to leave insects alone. For example, when I first saw milkweed bugs on my milkweed plants, their sheer number made me wonder where they would head next. Then I identified them and learned that they were happy with milkweed and were not likely to harm other plants. Fortunately, I have plenty of milkweed!

This app can also feed your curiosity about the natural world. My 5-year-old grandson is enthralled with bugs, and he loves it when I get out the phone and play “name that bug.” Then we go to Bug Guide or insect identification websites and learn more. This app has great potential for teaching about nature— and having fun.

After using these apps for a few months, you might want to expand into newly developed apps. You will then have a good basis for identifying apps that may work for you. For those of us who are interested in identifying plants and insects, these apps can be a lot of fun! You don’t have to spend hours looking through plant books or online resources to get to a name. And yes, sometimes you get a wrong answer. But overall, I have been very pleased with the success I have had in getting correct identification answers to my questions about garden plants and insects through the use of these garden apps.

Mary Kay Haas is a University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener in Washington County, where she frequently volunteers on the Ask-a-Master-Gardener line.

Tips for Using ID Apps • A clear picture is critical to accurate answers on any app. Isolate the plant or insect in the picture—too many structures or plants can confuse the app.

• Practice using the app on plants you know. It will help you get comfortable using it and help you determine how accurate it is.

• None of the apps are good at identifying grasses.

• It is useful to know how to use several apps to confirm findings. If two identification apps give the same answer, do an Internet search to confirm it.

• When searching the Internet for plant information, always add “in Minnesota” for regionally correct information.

• Other apps to try: Google Lens is a broadbrush app. Flower Checker is limited to flowers. Agrobase is an agricultural app that is excellent for crop and shrubbery identification.

—M.K.H.

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

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Spores of kangaroo fern, Microsorum pustulatum

“ A World Under Glass New U conservatory preserves, shares Southern Hemisphere plants.

U

nder the banner, “Bringing plants of the world to the people of Minnesota,” the University of Minnesota has built a huge new conservatory on its St. Paul campus and filled it with rare plants from the Southern Hemisphere.

“Our goals are to introduce thousands of students and citizens to plants they’ve never seen before,” says Catherine Nicholson, president of the Friends of the Conservatory Advisory Board. “It’s also to preserve precious plants that are threatened in their native environments.”

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Story by Marge Hols Photos by Tracy Walsh

The 10,000-square-foot conservatory, operated by the College of Biological Sciences, was scheduled to open to the public in March, an opening delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, curator Lisa Aston Philander is offering virtual tours for students and other groups.

The $6.6-million conservatory was built with $4.4 million from the Minnesota State Legislature and $2.1 million in private donations. It replaced a smaller conservatory, a 45-year-old grouping of greenhouses that was used daily by

Our goal is to introduce thousands of students and citizens to plants they’ve never seen before.” ­ –Catherine Nicholson

students but closed to the public.

As a member of the advisory board, I have enjoyed a front-row seat as the conservatory has taken shape. Still, I am just beginning to learn the stories behind many of the fascinating plants there. As Philander gave me a guided tour one morning in August, I realized I “wasn’t in Kansas anymore.” Although I recognized the genus of a few plants, such as Begonia and Plectranthus, almost all the species were unfamiliar.

This enchanting new glass house is divided crosswise by glass partitions

into four biome rooms—Diverse Deserts, Mediterranean Scrubland, Ancient Rainforest and Antarctic Forest. Each biome represents areas scattered across the Southern Hemisphere that have similar climates and plants.

The conservatory is also divided lengthwise by a glass partition. On the public side of the building, a paved pathway wanders through the four rooms.

Each room features in-ground gardens with plantings from several countries, but the same biome. Conservatory staff supplemented the existing collection with plants from private collections and other universities as well as from trades with botanical gardens and academic conservatories.

The other side of the conservatory houses a vast botanical collection of species from around the world grown in containers. It is used to instruct more than 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in botany, biodiversity, evolution and ecology courses.

Diverse Deserts

Philander and I began our tour in the Diverse Deserts biome, which groups plants from arid regions of three countries: Somalia on the horn of Africa, the nearby island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean and the northeastern area of Brazil. It’s the only collection of Somalian plants under glass in the world.

Left: Ancient Rainforest display with flame thrower palms and New Caledonia palm lily (front right); below: Assistant curator Alex Eilts with blueberry relative, Ceratostema lanigera.

Amborella trichopoda is the first plant that evolved flowers.

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

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A World Under Glass Blechnum gibbum, a fern from the rainforest

“

A lot of these plants have medicinal qualities.” ­ –Lisa Aston Philander

Pereskia bahiensis, a Brazilian cactus

“The theme of this room—the overarching educational moment—is convergent evolution,” Philander says.

“All these arid places are far apart in the world, but the plants have adopted the same types of adaptations to deal with heat and drought. Thorns, succulence and caudex bases enable them to survive the climate.

“A lot of these plants have medicinal qualities,” Philander says. “This one from Somalia is Boswellia sacra, the frankincense tree. It is the number two export from Somalia. They slash the tree bark and take the sap out, and that’s where frankincense comes from.”

Plant species from the island of Socotra have been isolated for so many years that they have evolved into caudex form trees. An example is Dorstenia gigas, a slow-growing, small tree related to the fig tree with a fat succulent base.

“Many of these plants were a donation from Gustavus Adolphus College,” Philander says. “Brian O’Brien, a chemistry and botany professor,

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Mediterranean Scrubland

grew them on his window ledge under glass. He is retiring soon and was looking for a place to put the plants.

We received about 60 plants that are 30 to 40 years old.”

On the Brazilian side of the room, Philander pointed to a lanky plant, Pereskia bahiensis. “The spines on Pereskia show us that cacti already had their special type of spines before they adapted to desert conditions,” she says.

In the second room, I spied a flowering greenhouse plant that looked familiar.

“It’s Anigozanthos flavidus, the species from which all the hybrid kangaroo paws plants are made,” Philander says.

We were now in the Mediterranean Scrubland biome, which has a subtropical climate. The plants are from the western face of South Africa and Western Australia. “These plants go through hot dry summers and cool winters, so they’re mostly winter-growing and -blooming plants,” Philander says.

“Their deep roots allow them to survive this dry dormant period. We started them from seedlings, and they seem to be doing a lot better growing in the ground than they did in pots.”

Another plant that looked familiar—like the protea I’ve used in flower arrangements—turned out to be Leucadendron laureolum ‘Safari Goldstrike’. It is a fynbos vegetation type from the Cape of South Africa, Philander says. The common name for this 6-foot evergreen shrub with yellow bracts is yellow conebush.

“Alyogyne huegelii, from Western Australia, is a large shrub I planted a lot in California,” Philander says. “It’s called the blue hibiscus and gets a big, violet-colored flower.”

Left: Sansevieria rorida, a plant from the Somalian desert; Lower left: Ceratostema lanigera berry; Below, clockwise: A pitcher plant (Nepenthes alata) peeks through the railing; terrestrial orchid (Stenoglottis longifolia) from South Africa; Diverse Deserts biome plants from Socotra

conifers, these were the first plants that evolved cone-bearing structures. You’ll find them only on New Caledonia.

These are examples of island biogeography where there are evolutionary events contained to the island.”

TO LEARN MORE More information about the conservatory is available at cbs.umn.edu/ conservatory.

—M.H.

Antarctic Forest

Ancient Rainforest

On to the shady, damp, mild climate of the tropics! Here, we examined Amborella trichopoda, a small tree that grows only on the island of New Caledonia in the South Pacific Ocean. “This is the sister species to all flowering plants on earth,” Philander says. “It’s basically the first plant that evolved flowers.

The cream-colored flowers are tiny and insignificant; yet they appear to be the first flowers ever.”

The ferns in this room are some of the earliest ferns that evolved. Included is the giant fern, Angiopteris evecta, which has leathery fronds that can grow up to 8 feet long.

Another large plant resembled a Norfolk Island pine. “Araucaria rulei is related to the Norfolk and has a similar candelabra form,” Philander says. “In the evolution of gymnosperms and

We stepped through another door and suddenly were in a wet, cool environment mimicking the Antarctic Forest areas in New Zealand, Tasmania and Chile. We were greeted by the giant rounded leaves of Gunnera tinctoria, which grows 8 to 12 feet tall in its native Southern Chile.

Philander, who grew up in Minneapolis, says she fell in love with huge tropical-looking plants like this one on a trip to Costa Rica while an undergraduate student at the University.

She changed her major from pre-med to environmental horticulture and worked in the old conservatory. She earned master’s degrees from the University of Kent Canterbury and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in England and California Polytechnic University, and a Ph.D. in arid lands resources sciences from the University of Arizona. After working in South Africa, Wyoming and at the Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, she returned to the University in 2015 to serve as conservatory curator.

St. Paul gardener Marge Hols is a master gardener emeritus and former garden columnist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

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Elegant and Easy Succulents offer gardeners solace during the indoor season.

By Samantha Johnson

Looking for some horticultural cheer to get you through the holidays and winter without a lot of fuss? Try succulents!

They look elegant but are oh-so-easy—perfect for beginning houseplant growers. They don’t require much watering, they’re not particularly fussy about light, and you rarely have to worry about pests.

There are hundreds of varieties to choose from in a wide array of colors, shapes and sizes. Their unique characteristics make them fun to collect and display, and they offer a lot of return for little maintenance.

Here are six succulents you might want for yourself or as gifts for new gardeners:

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Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)

1

My very first succulent was an aloe vera plant. It was a rescue plant, discarded at a rummage sale, saved by my aunt, who then gave it to me. It was a wonderful introduction to succulents, and the ease of care immediately impressed me. No weeding. No pests.

While aloe vera can grow to 24 inches tall, in my experience the plants stay much shorter than that. Mine happily reside in small terra cotta containers and they like light and warmth, although direct sun isn’t ideal. Provide well-drained soil and water the plant about every three weeks or so for good results. You can easily propagate aloe vera using the offsets (pups).

Outdoors, aloe vera occasionally produces red or yellow blossoms, but it almost never blooms indoors.

Burro’s Tail (Sedum morganianum)

2

Burro’s tail may be my favorite of all succulents. It’s adorable! Its long branches love to cascade over the edge of the container (sometimes up to 2 feet), which is both beautiful and charming, and it’s a particularly lovely shade of green.

But I must admit that burro’s tail likes to fall apart. When people talk about burro’s tail, they tend to use words like “fragile” and “delicate,” and they are right. You’ll need to handle it gently so it doesn’t lose leaves and branches.

Burro’s tail likes partial sun—morning is best—and infrequent watering. Repot only when absolutely necessary, and you can propagate from seed or cuttings.

Some cultivars have rounded leaves, others are more elongated. It blooms infrequently, but when it does, the flowers are yellow, white or red.

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Aloe Vera

Ghost Echeveria (Echeveria lilacina)

3

I love ghost echeveria for its unusual gray-lilac color. It’s especially pretty when potted in combination with succulents of other colors because the ghost echeveria becomes even more noticeable. When it blossoms (only occasionally), it produces pink or coral flowers.

Ghost echeveria is 6 to 12 inches tall and 7 to 10 inches wide, and it’s a delightful choice to showcase in a small pot. It likes partial to full sun, welldrained soil and occasional watering.

You can propagate from leaf or stem cuttings, or from seed.

TRIVIA TIDBIT: It’s sometimes known as Mexican hen and chicks.

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

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Elegant and Easy

Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)

4

Jade plant is often described as a treelike evergreen shrub, and yet it’s a succulent. It reaches 4 to 6 feet in height and is about 3 feet wide. It does well in part shade to full sun. Be cautious with the water and plant in well-drained soil.

Jade plant produces white-pink flowers but rarely blooms indoors. Again, you can propagate with leaf or stem cuttings or seeds.

Also known as money plant, among other names, jade plant is mildly toxic.

Zebra Plant (Haworthiopsis fasciata)

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Not to be confused with the other zebra plant (Aphelandra squarrosa), the succulent zebra plant is Haworthiopsis fasciata, and its white-striped leaves are reminiscent of a zebra’s stripes.

If you’re new to succulent keeping, this is the plant for you. It’s adaptable and isn’t fussy about particulars. Unlike some of the more sun-loving succulents, zebra plant is happy with partial sun.

It needs minimal water, and it’s easy to propagate via offsets (pups) or leaves.

Zebra plant grows slowly and stays in the 3- to 8-inch range. It blooms only rarely indoors, with white or pink blossoms.

Tiger Jaws (Faucaria tigrina)

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Burro’s Tail

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Tiger Jaws

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Tiger jaws—also known by the equally intimidating name of shark jaws—gets its scary monikers from its leaves, which have serrated edges that look like, yes, teeth. Who wouldn’t want a plant like that?

If you’re a fan of petite plants, tiger jaws is an excellent choice; it is 3 to 6 inches tall and grows slowly but provides a lot of visual interest.

Tiger jaws likes a little more water than some succulents, but in winter, allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings. Aim to provide a few hours of sun each day. You can propagate via offsets or seeds.

These six stunning succulents are sure to infuse some garden goodness into the winter months.

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

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Jade Plant

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3

Zebra Plant

Ghost Echeveria

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

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Elder Wisdom

Glean healthful, tasty flowers and berries from your own elderberry bushes.

Story and photos by Susannah Shmurak

Pollinators flock to attractive elderflowers, which can be used in syrups and remedies.

Tip Birds absolutely love elderberries, so if you want some for yourself, consider placing netting over part of your crop.

A MATURE ELDERBERRY BUSH can pro-

vide you with ample sprays of elderflowers for making delicately flavored treats and syrup as well as a bountiful harvest of berries for baking and tea. The elder bush’s plentiful flowers provide two other reasons to welcome this plant to your landscape: It’s absolutely stunning in bloom in early summer, and pollinators adore the fragrant blossoms.

Elder bushes produce two crops renowned for their health benefits. Studies show the berries can combat cold and flu viruses, backing up centuries of its use in folk medicine. Elderberries are also rich in anti-inflammatory compounds, prompting scientists worldwide

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

to study their effects on cardiovascular and brain health, metabolism and cancer prevention. In addition, elderflowers are prized by herbalists for soothing skin and fevers, and the syrup made from them tastes utterly divine.

The elderberry syrup you’ve seen on store shelves mainly derives from European varieties of Sambucus nigra, which generally don’t grow well in North America. More than two decades ago, horticultural researchers at the University of Missouri launched the Elderberry Improvement Project to study the native variety, Sambucus canadensis, which grows wild across much of the continent. Research reveals that native

berries have similar nutrient profiles to their European cousins, while the whole plant appears to be lower in cyanogenic glycosides, chemicals that can cause gastric upset.

Northern gardeners can grow this cold-hardy native plant easily. Notoriously tough plants that manage in poorer soils, some cultivars of elder bush are hardy to USDA Zone 3. They tolerate partial shade, wet soil and juglones, making elder bushes popular understory plants in permaculture gardens. Permaculture author Toby Hemenway also recommends elder bush as a “soil fumigant and pest repellent.” The berries can be used for cloth dyes and the wood for

Elderberries have been used for centuries to combat colds and flu.

crafts. Quite a multipurpose plant!

With so many reasons to grow elder bushes—health, pollinators and landscape benefits—why wouldn’t you?

Favorite Cultivars

Most local nurseries carry a few kinds of elderberry bushes, though rarely the cultivars researchers have found most productive or flavorful. Many less common varieties of elder bushes are worth pursuing if you want the biggest, tastiest yields.

I spent much of 2019 researching elderberries and elderflowers for my book, Everything Elderberry (Skyhorse Press, 2020), which explores their historical and medicinal uses as well as how to forage, grow and cook with these tasty flowers and fruits. One of the most exciting parts of my research was talking to growers and researchers around the country about their work with these fascinating plants.

Many nurseries carry ‘York’, which one grower singled out as the most flavorful and juicy of the types he grew. It has large berries and grows as far north as USDA Zone 3. ‘Adams’ is another commonly available option, with sweet berries and zone 3 hardiness. You may also find ornamental elderberry plants, such as the dark purple-leaved Black Lace®. This plant is hardy to zone 4. Like most ornamental cultivars, it will produce flowers and berries, but not as much as those known for their larger, more flavorful fruit or superabundance of flowers. Note that the green-leaved varieties are typically Sambucus racemosa and are not recommended for consumption.

Less common cultivars can be found online from the handful of growers who ship cuttings or bare-root plants in late winter and early spring. The most economical way to get your elder bushes is to order cuttings, which you need to root for eight to 10 weeks before planting. Some larger sellers of fruit trees and shrubs carry more common varieties in potted form as well.

Planting Tips

Because elder bushes have shallow root systems, growers don’t recommend spreading the root ball when planting.

Encouraging plants to develop roots reaching further into the soil can help plants weather dry conditions.

Elder bushes produce best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade. They prefer slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5 to 6.5) that is high in organic matter but they can handle poorer soils. While they do best in well-drained soil, they tolerate soil with less-than-ideal drainage. They don’t like having wet feet, though, so avoid planting where water will pool.

Elderberry bush grower Terry Durham of Missouri-based River Hills Harvest recommends using compost for about half of the backfill at planting time. He finds that elder bushes benefit greatly from increased mycorrhizal activity. He recommends an annual application of compost in the spring and a low-nitrogen, high phosphorus and potassium fertilizer after berry harvest.

Cover surrounding soil with a hardwood mulch to preserve moisture, suppress weeds and encourage microbial activity.

In the first growing season, harvest all flowers to allow young plants to put their energy into developing root systems rather than berry production.

Elderflowers can be made into delicious teas, cordials and liqueurs. In subsequent years, don’t overharvest flowers if you want berries as well. Permaculture designer Pete Widin, Artisan Environments in Stillwater, notes that harvesting the bottom 2 feet of flowers improves air circulation and discourages the spotted wing drosophila fruit fly. He also recommends pruning determinate varieties like ‘Ranch’ and ‘Bob Gordon’

down to the ground each winter after their third season.

Experts recommend growing more than one variety for increased yields and diversity. Varieties vary in bloom time, extending the season for pollinators as well as your own harvest and enjoyment.

Northfield-based Susannah Shmurak is a health and environmental writer. Her website is healthygreensavvy.com. Her book Everything Elderberry (Skyhorse Press, 2020) was released in September 2020.

More Cultivars to Consider ‘Bob Gordon’—Very productive, it has clusters of large, sweet berries. 6 to 8 feet tall. USDA Zones 4–8.

‘Ranch’—Known for its adaptability, ‘Ranch’ is relatively compact, growing 5 to 6 feet tall.

Zones 3–8.

‘Wyldewood’—‘Wyldewood’ has enormous flower heads and produces heavily late in the season. 5 to 8 feet tall. Zones 3–8.

‘Marge’—Though trials of most European elder bushes (ssp. nigra) in North America have not gone well, ‘Marge’ is an exception, showing excellent disease resistance and producing up to three times as much fruit as comparison plants.

Up to 12 feet tall. Zones 3–10.

‘Oklahoma John’—It has large berries and exceptional flower and fruit production. Order from Brent Madding of 360 Farms (360okfarms.com), who found it growing wild near his farm. 5 to 8 feet tall.

Zones 3-8.

—S.S.

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

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Story and photos by Jennifer Rensenbrink

When growing prairie plants on the boulevard:

My poor neighbors. I’ve done a lot of experimenting with my yard over the 13-plus years since I bought this house, but my boulevard—one of the most visually important areas—has really provided some head-scratching moments. Like the time I planted 6-foot-tall wild golden glow (Rudbeckia laciniata) only to have it flop over directly onto someone’s BMW. Oops. Growing prairie plants in a boulevard has its pros and cons, and I’ve learned just about every lesson the hard way. The good news is that if you learn from my mistakes, you could create a more peaceful and welcoming boulevard prairie.

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

LESSON Avoid wishful ONE thinking about light.

When I first planted my mini prairie in 2013, it was one of the sunnier spots in my front yard. I happily added many sun-loving species, like showy goldenrod, prairie blazing star, and some pretty edge plants, like pasque flowers and prairie smoke. The plants all grew, but only a few thrived. And the ones that thrived took over.

In reality, my urban boulevard is not full sun. Many prairie plants need a solid eight hours of bright, hot sun a day.

If they don’t get enough sun, they get floppy, and they may not bloom.

I’ve got a large elm on the north end of my boulevard and other large trees just across the street. I initially planted some natives that love dry shade under the elm, and I’ve expanded them as I realized they’re surviving better than the

sun-lovers. Dry shade-tolerant plants that are doing well include wild ginger (Asarum canadense), large-leaved aster (Eurybia macrophylla), Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans) and early meadow rue (Thalictrum dioicum).

Left: Bellflower and monarda stay short enough for the boulevard.

Lower left: Blanket flower (Gailardia) Below: New plantings on the boulevard; a bee nectars on hoary vervain.

If you’re not sure whether your boulevard is full sun, try this. On a Saturday after the trees have fully leafed out in the spring, check your designated planting area every hour. Write down its condition—full sun, filtered sun or full shade. At the end of the day, add up how many times you wrote down full sun—if it’s only three or four times, you’ve got part shade. Choose plants accordingly.

LESSON Avoid wishful TWO thinking about soil.

The second big mistake I made was hoping that gorgeous plants like swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) would survive in a hot, sandy, dry boulevard. Wrong. Plants that like wet feet will not survive the harsh conditions of a boulevard, even if you plan to water them frequently. Joepye weed (Eutrochium maculatum) also fell victim to dry feet.

LESSON Choose fewer varieties.

THREE The first year I planted my

boulevard, I was so excited!

I chose at least 25 different types of plants, for a 45-by-6-foot area.

I planted them in small groups of three, here and there. It was a challenge to keep track of that many different types of plants, and some ended up crowding out others. Many prairie plants reseed themselves and move around, others are short-lived, so trying to keep a formal design was nearly impossible.

The south end of the boulevard came to be dominated by early sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides). The northern, shadier end became home to a rotating cast of characters, many clinging to life because of a lack of sun, including purple dome aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) and showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa). They’re happy now in a sunnier spot in the backyard.

Boulevard Plants These plants work well in a part-shade, dry soil boulevard.

Hoary vervain (Verbena stricta) Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) Early meadow rue (Thalictrum dioicum) Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) American bellflower (Campanula americana) – a biennial that may or may not appear in any particular year.

These plants work on the sunny side of the boulevard—for now.

Orange butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) Early sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)** Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)** Purple coneflower Little bluestem —J.B.R. ** Borderline too tall

Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

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Do This, Not That!

Sunflowers and coneflowers are prairie favorites.

LESSON Think about plant height.

FOUR I was employing wishful think-

ing (again) when I thought plants that are 6 feet tall wouldn’t be a problem. I was wrong for a number of reasons, starting with the unfortunate BMW incident. Most cities—including Minneapolis and St. Paul—have ordinances about plant height in boulevards. I was never cited by the city, but my taller plants became unwieldy. Now that I have a better understanding of how tallgrass prairies function, I know why.

Many tall prairie flowers evolved to grow among seas of tall grass. They require support. When mine inevitably flopped over, they blocked the sidewalk. I want to be a good neighbor, so I removed my tallest plants. These days, I’m slowly transitioning the boulevard to plants that are in the 2- to 3-foot range.

Another issue with plant height is that an aggressive, tall plant, like early sunflower, will shade out and weaken shorter plants, like blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata). My early sunflowers are pretty! But they have elbowed out most other plants in their area.

Finding places to put snow in winter is another issue. Now I cut my boulevard plants to 18 to 24 inches in late fall, carefully laying as many of the seed heads on the ground as possible to ensure the short-lived plants can reseed themselves, and there is food and shelter for over-wintering pollina-

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Minnesota State Horticultural Society

tors. In spring, I remove large pieces of debris.

Plan for parking and

LESSON pedestrians.

I didn’t always provide a FIVE

place for people to walk across my boulevard or easily exit their cars after parking there.

Awkward. So in 2019, I installed large steppingstone “landing pads,” plus a steppingstone path near the northern end of the boulevard. This makes it more likely that people will have positive feelings about my garden, and less likely that they’ll step on my plants.

I also aggressively trim back plants that are leaning over the sidewalk.

Many prairie plants attract bees (a good thing). But people need to feel that they can safely walk down my sidewalk and still maintain their distance from the bees buzzing around.

Don’t ignore what LESSON experts tell you about pests.

SIX

Lynn Steiner said it in one of her prairie gardening books—prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) is beloved by wild rabbits.

I pretended it didn’t matter. I battled the rabbits for a few years, but in the end, the rabbits won. In urban areas, you have to plan on regular visits from rabbits and squirrels.

Anticipate change.

Two years after I installed my prairie, the city planted a tiny oak tree on the south end of my boulevard. As it grows, I’ll FINAL need to rethink my prairie. We also had to LESSON replace our sewer line in 2018, so that gave me the opportunity to reimagine my front yard.

I began transitioning sun-loving plants out and replacing them with a subtler palette of prairie and native plants that fulfill my strict requirements: 2 to 3 feet tall; prefer dry soil; tolerate at least part-shade; not eaten by wild rabbits.

The plants I’ve settled on (see list on page 41) have a different look—more blues, pinks and purples, which is OK with me. I appreciate both the aesthetic and the functional aspects of having only a handful of species to manage. It’s easier to maintain an intentional look with fewer species.

I love native plants and find the tallgrass prairie an electrifying place to visit. Over time, I am finding a way to evoke the feeling of a prairie in my boulevard while still allowing it to function well in its urban setting—and, most importantly, be a welcoming place for my neighbors.

Follow Jennifer Rensenbrink at her blog, stackingfunctionsgarden.com, or on Instagram at @jenniferrensenbrink.

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Northern Gardener l November/December 2020

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NORTHERN VIEW

My Feathered Friend when our kids were still in elementary school, we built a cedar arbor over the deck in our backyard. We had some wood left over so they helped their dad build a cedar birdhouse, in the same shape as our house. It was adorable! The only problem: They made the hole for birds to enter and exit a little too big.

Pretty soon, in moved a family of house sparrows—my least favorite bird. The males make the world’s most annoying chirping sound all day long during the summer—really the only more annoying bird sound is that of a crow. They’re not even a bird species that is native to North America! They were introduced from Europe in the 1850s in an attempt to control an exploding moth population.

My daughter, however, loved our new bird family. She named them after a minor character in the Lord of the Rings books and movies: Hama, captain of King Theoden’s guard, who unfortunately gets beheaded by a warg in the movie version of The Two Towers. She called them Hama and Mrs. Hama, though over the years it’s been shortened to just the Hamas.

Six years and several generations of Hamas later, I’ve come to love them, too. They are year-round residents of our yard. They spend the winter eating bird seed from our feeder and bathing in our heated bird bath—I mean, these birds have it made. In the spring, the Hamas start mating—constantly.

Everywhere. “God, Hamas, get a room,” my now-teenage daughter exclaimed this year.

It’s when their babies start hatching, though, that the Hamas really start to shine. Their house is right above my patch of gooseberries, which used to be plagued by gooseberry sawflies. Not anymore. My feathered friends gobble them up as soon as they appear. I’ve also seen them catch and eat Japanese and grapevine beetles. Woo-hoo!

Working from home full-time for the first time this summer has afforded me many more opportunities to watch the Hamas raise their latest generations of fledglings—yes, that’s right, they have at least two batches a year, and they are great parents. The whole flock of them moves around the yard, constantly in communication with each other, with a variety of chirping sounds.

As soon as any one garden-eating bug gets too populous, the Hamas spring into action. Today I saw this year’s batch of fledglings decimate an infestation of aphids and the flies they attracted—just as I’d been debating what to do

about them.

One of Mr. Hama’s favorite spots in the summer is my serviceberry bush.

Interestingly, he does not care for the berries. But he does get righteously angry when other birds show up and try to eat them. House sparrows are notoriously territorial and he chases them off, chirruping madly. I then go out with my bowl to gather berries and he graciously moves aside for me. I swear one morning this summer he tipped his feathered head at me.

Other birds in the neighborhood seem to tolerate the Hamas, as well. We still see plenty of house finches, goldfinches, cardinals, chickadees, downy woodpeckers and even a northern flicker at our feeder and birdbath, so they haven’t scared everyone away. The only birds they seem to have no tolerance for are robins.

Six years ago, I never imagined I’d love a house sparrow. Now, I can’t imagine our yard without them.

Jennifer Rensenbrink grows wildflowers, vegetables and fruit in south Minneapolis. Follow her gardening adventures at stackingfunctionsgarden. com or on Instagram @jenniferrensenbrink.

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