Northern Gardener - Spring 2023 by Northern Gardener®

5 BEST TIPS FOR BUDGET GARDENERS

Gardener Northern

A MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY PUBLICATION

SPRING 2023

Beauty

The

of Bleeding Hearts

What Hardiness Zones DON’T Tell You SPRING GARDEN Checklist Inside! Go

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Peat-Free in 2023

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SPRING 2023 l VOLUME 151 l NUMBER 1

Table of Contents 30

Piece by Piece

Spring Rush

This gardener revels in putting together an artful plant puzzle after storms rearrange her landscape. BY SUSANNAH SHMURAK

It’s that exciting time of the year. Here are tasks to do and a few to put off as you plan and plant your 2023 garden. BY MEG COWDEN

54 Going Peat-Free

For peat’s sake, leave that wondrous carbon sponge in the ground and try these options. BY GAIL BROWN HUDSON

IN EVERY ISSUE 2 Director’s Note 4 MSHS News: Classes, calendar and more. 12 Northern Natives: Prairie Plants for the Home Garden. By Beth Stetenfeld

40 Success with Succulents

With a few tips and careful choices, any gardener can be a succulent super grower. BY MICHELLE MERO RIEDEL

45 Hard Woods

Carving out a garden from woodlands requires patience and persistence. BY GAIL BROWN HUDSON

50 What Hardiness Zones Don’t Tell You

Fully understand your garden’s zone and microclimates, then be bold in pushing those limits. BY KATHY PURDY

14 Garden Hacks: How to Save Money This Spring. By Samantha Johnson 16 Ask the Expert: Another Drought Year? By Jennifer Rensenbrink 18 Kitchen Garden: Small-Space Vegetable Gardens. By Eric Johnson 20 DIY: Create a Tabletop Water Garden. By Soni Forsman 23 Plant Profile: The Beauty of Bleeding Hearts. By Matthew Olson 26 Growing Together: Kohlrabi Connections. By Jennifer Rensenbrink 28 Good to Know: Nature Nurtures. By Diane McGann 60 Before & After: From Lawn to Teachable Garden. By Susan Barbieri

ABOUT THE COVER: A sweet sign of spring, bleeding hearts bloom at the Garden of the Sleeping Angels in Orono. Photo by Tracy Walsh

MSHS Board of Directors Mary Hockenberry Meyer, Chair Mary Marrow, Vice Chair Paul Markwardt, Treasurer Renay Leone, Secretary Nan Eserkaln Gail Brown Hudson Judy MacManus Steve Poppe Jill Rulli Don Smith Laura Wagner Rhys Williams

Iris reticulata 'Katharine Hodgkin' blooms very early in spring.

A NOTE FROM

The Director welcome to our first quarterly issue of Northern Gardener® magazine! If you are a longtime reader, you’ll find all the in-depth content you have come to expect from Northern Gardener. New readers—gardeners just starting out or those looking to expand their knowledge—will discover the information and insider tips they’re seeking on how to grow a bigger, better, more productive garden. With our new, larger issues, we aim to be practical, inspiring and inclusive of all gardeners and gardening styles. A few things have changed. • In this and every issue going forward, you’ll find an article on what to do during this season (page 36). Use it to plan your gardening activities. • Our back page will feature a “before and after” article on a project submitted by a reader (page 60). I love the way Kim Franken transformed a usually forgotten place in her suburban yard into an attractive and productive food garden. Do you have a garden transformation to share? We’d love to hear about it. • We’ve also started an “Ask the Expert” feature, found on page 16. In this

issue, Jennifer Rensenbrink, a master gardener and regular contributor, tackles a reader question about what should gardeners do if 2023 is another drought year. Send your questions to editor@northerngardener.org. • You’ll also notice more plant recommendations for gardeners in USDA Zones 3 and 5. While parts of Minnesota are getting warmer (I’m close to a zone 5 now), our northern friends still must contend with those minus 30 F and below temperatures. What has not changed is our commitment to being the best resource possible for gardeners in the North. Let me know what you think! Lara Lau-Schommer Interim Executive Director P.S. Registration is open for our popular community outreach programs, Garden-in-a-Box and Minnesota Green. Garden-in-a-Box applications are due March 17, and Minnesota Green registrations are accepted on a rolling basis. Sign up by May 1 so you don't miss any exciting donations. Join online: northerngardener.org/what-we-do.

651-643-3601 l info@northerngardener.org

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

MSHS Staff

@mnhort

Lara Lau-Schommer, Interim Executive Director Becky Swee, Communications and Marketing Director Diane Duvall, Development Director Courtney Tchida, Community Programs Director Betsy Pierre, Advertising Sales Manager Elsa Hoover Quaker Volunteer Service Fellow

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

Copyright 2023 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 quarterly (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) with an additional digital issue in January by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, Minn., and additional post offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Northern Gardener, 1935 County Rd. B2 W., Suite 125, Roseville, MN 55113.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

MSHS Calendar

Seed Starting Basics Ready, Set, Grow! Series

Tuesday, March 14, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers; free for Garden in a Box (GIAB) and Minnesota Green participants Location: Online Instructor: Courtney Tchida

Starting your own seeds allows you to pick varieties you love, grow many plants for less money and brighten up late winter days with the promise of summer gardens. Learn about seed selection, seed starting soil mixes, flats, pots, lighting, temperature, fertilizers and how to use soil blockers and other seed starting tools.

What Every Minnesotan Should Know about Tick-borne Diseases Tuesday, March 28, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Location: Online Instructor: Elizabeth Maloney, M.D.

In this free webinar, learn about lyme disease and other tickborne illnesses. You’ll learn where you might encounter ticks, how to reduce the risk of getting bitten, the potential symptoms and signs of infection, and the diagnosis and treatment. This webinar contains information that every Minnesotan should know to protect themselves as they head out into the great outdoors.

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Growing Cacti and Succulents in Northern Climates Tuesday, March 21, 6:30 – 8 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers Location: Online Instructor: Derek Carwood

Learn how to grow cacti and succulents in colder climates, including choosing plants, potting soil and light.

Garden Planning for Highly Productive Gardens Ready, Set, Grow! Series

Tuesday, April 4, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers; free for GIAB and Minnesota Green participants. Location: Online Instructor: Courtney Tchida

Using crop rotation, companion planting and succession planting, you can maximize your garden’s productivity and minimize potential pests, diseases and weeds. We will look at each of these concepts in-depth to help you create a plan for your vegetable garden in 2023.

Grow Your Fruits and Veggies Ready, Set, Grow! Series

Tuesday, April 25, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers; free for GIAB and Minnesota Green participants. Location: Online Instructor: Courtney Tchida

This class will cover all of the vegetables, fruits, herbs and edible flowers that you can grow in Minnesota. We will talk about the easiest and the most demanding crops to grow in our climate. This is a great class to prepare you for an abundant harvest from your garden. MSHS Calendar continues on page 6

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UPCOMING EVENTS

MSHS Calendar continued from page 4

Living Mulch: Tips for an Eco-Smart Garden Thursday, May 4, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers Location: Online Instructor: Kaitlyn O’Connor, Plant Ecologist at ISG

Did you know that native plants make great living mulches? In this class, you’ll learn the benefits of living mulches, species selection, installing the mulch and potential challenges.

Community Events All Things Lilium Saint Anthony Park Garden Club Tuesday, March 7, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. Location: Saint Anthony Park Lutheran Church, 2323 Como Ave., St. Paul Presenter: Denise Haldorson of K & D Gardens. Contact: stanthonyparkgardenclub.com. Rice County Horticulture Education Day Rice County Master Gardeners Saturday, March 11, 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Location: St. Olaf College, Tomson Hall 280 Lecture, 1520 St. Olaf Ave., Northfield Topics include trees, peonies, gardening in a new climate and healing gardens. Cost $45. Contact: z.umn.edu/rcmg-hort2023. Bee Lawns as an Alternative to Turf Men’s & Women’s Garden Club of Minneapolis Tuesday, March 14, 7 – 8 p.m. Presenter: James Wolfin, Twin City Seed Co. Contact: gardenclubmpls.org for location information.

Michelle Mero Riedel explained winter sowing to Belinda Jensen and Bobby Jensen on Grow with KARE.

It's Sow Easy: Winter Sowing, Part Two Tuesday, May 16, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. $5 members, $10 nonmembers Location: Online Instructor: Michelle Mero Riedel

In this discussion and demonstration class, Michelle will share her successes with perennials, annuals, veggies and herbs. She’ll show you when and how to open your mini greenhouses, how to divide the plants, and plant them into smaller pots. A great way to complete your winter sowing projects!

To register for classes, visit northerngardener.org/events/ classes-webinars.

Garden Design Washington County Horticultural Society Tuesday, March 14, 7 – 8 p.m. Location: Hope Church, Room 421, 7910 15th St. N., Oakdale Northern Gardener writer Diane McGann will offer tips on garden design. Contact: Barbara J. Ronningen, bjronningen@yahoo.com. ID Trees by Bark and Leaves Goodhue County Horticultural Society Monday, March 20, 7 – 8 p.m. Location: First Presbyterian Church, 503 W. 6th St., Red Wing Presenter: Jody Ohlhaber, master gardener. Contact: Cindy Peterson, clp55066@yahoo.com. Bluebirds and Backyard Birding St. Cloud Flower and Garden Club Tuesday, March 21, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Location: St. Cloud Library, Bremer Room, 1300 W. St. Germain St., St. Cloud Presenter: Dan Kneip of the Central Minnesota Audubon Society. Contact: Ann Anderson, scflowerandgarden@gmail.com. Pine County Horticulture Day Pine County Master Gardeners Saturday, March 25, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Location: Pine City High School, 1400 Main St. S., Pine City Keynote: “Planning and Planting for Pollinators.” Cost: $26. Contact:. extension.umn.edu/local/pine. Spring Days Gardening Workshop Wright County Master Gardeners Saturday, March 25, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Location: St. Michael-Albertville Middle School West, 11343 50th St. N.E., Albertville Keynote Speaker: Alan Branhagen. Cost: $35. Contact: https://bit.ly/wrightspringdays.

Visit northerngardener.org/events/community-events-calendar for more events.

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Garden Fever Horticulture Day Carver-Scott Extension Master Gardeners Saturday, March 25, 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Location: Chaska Event Center, 3210 Chaska Blvd., Chaska Learn how to adapt your outdoor spaces to thrive in a changing climate. Cost: $50, includes lunch. Contact: carverscottmastergardeners.com. Home Landscaping and Garden Fair Anoka County Master Gardeners Saturday, April 1, 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Location: Bunker Hills Activities Center, 550 Bunker Lake Blvd. N.W., Andover Speakers, hands-on workshops. Cost: $35 in advance, $45 on day of event. Contact: anokamastergarderers.org. Attracting Hummingbirds to your Garden St. Anthony Park Garden Club Tuesday, April 4, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. Location: St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church, 2323 Como Ave., St. Paul Presenter Donald Mitchell, hummingbird expert and researcher. Contact: stanthonyparkgardenclub.com.

Plant Sales

Men’s & Women’s Garden Club of Minneapolis Tuesday, May 9, noon – 6:30 p.m. Location: St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church, Great Hall (rain or shine), 3450 Irving Ave. S., Minneapolis Contact: gardenclubmpls.org. Anoka Area Garden Club Saturday May 13, 8 – 11 a.m. Location: St. Stephen’s Catholic School Parking Lot, 506 Jackson St., Anoka, MN Contact: Dawn Bryant, dmbryant02@ comcast.net.

Anoka County Extension Master Gardeners Tuesday, Wednesday, May 16 and 17, 3 – 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 18, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Location: Anoka County Fairgrounds, 3200 St. Francis Blvd. NW, Anoka Contact: Anoka County Master Gardeners, anokamgs@umn.edu. St. Cloud Flower and Garden Club Thursday, May 18, 4 – 7 p.m. Location: Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Dr., St. Cloud Contact: Ann Anderson, scflowerandgarden@gmail.com. Hennepin County Master Gardeners Saturday, May 20, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Location: Inside Hopkins Pavilion, 11000 Excelsior Blvd., Hopkins Contact: hennepinmastergardeners.org.

Growing Blueberries Washington County Horticultural Society Tuesday, April 11, 7 – 8 p.m. Location: Hope Church, Room 421, 791015th St. N., Oakdale Presenter: Master Gardener Paul Richtman. Contact: Barbara J. Ronningen, bjronningen@yahoo.com. De-Mystifying New Zealand Moss Orchid Society of Minnesota Saturday, April 15, 1 – 3 p.m. Location: Bachman’s Heritage Room, 6010 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis Presenter: Carri Raven-Riemann. Contact: orchidsocietyofminnesota@gmail. com.

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Spring Bulb Sale North Star Lily Society Saturday April 22, 10 a.m. – noon Location: Bachman’s, Heritage Room 6010 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis Choose from hundreds of popular and unique varieties of asiatic, trumpet, species and martagon lily bulbs for sale. Become a member! Contact: northstarlilysociety.com. Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

MSHS DISCOUNT PARTNERS

SHOP AND SAVE WITH OUR

2023 Discount Partners society and affiliated members of the minnesota state horticultural society receive a discount card to shop with our trusted partners across the Upper Midwest. Not a Society or Affiliated member? Join today at northerngardener.org. Members must present a valid, current membership card at time of purchase to qualify for the special offers listed below. Discounts not valid with other coupons, sales or special offers.

101 Market

8980 Quantrelle Ave NE, Otsego, MN (763) 441-4487 10% off all regularly priced trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals in stock. nathes101market.com

Abrahamson Nurseries

Three locations: 20021 St Croix Trl N, Scandia, MN (651) 433-2431 2100 Tower Dr, Stillwater, MN (651) 439-2140 1257 State Rd 35, St. Croix Falls, WI (715) 483-3040 10% off all regularly priced items. Not valid on landscape services. www.abrahamsonnurseries.com

All Seasons Garden Center – NEW!

5101 S Washington, Grand Forks, ND (701) 746-7777 10% off all regularly priced trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals in stock. allseasonsgardencenter.com

Anoka-Ramsey Farm & Garden

7435 Hwy 10 NW, Ramsey, MN (763) 421-0223 10% off annual plants and bulk seed. anokaramseyfarmandgarden.com

Axdahl's Garden Farm & Greenhouse

Beisswenger’s

Bachman's

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory

7452 Manning Ave N, Stillwater, MN (651) 439-3134 10% off regularly priced in-stock items. axdahlfarms.com Six locations: 6010 Lyndale Ave S, Mpls, MN (612) 861-7600 7955 150th St W, Apple Valley, MN (952) 431-2242 770 Prairie Center Dr, Eden Prairie, MN (952) 941-7700 8200 University Ave NE, Fridley, MN (763) 786-8200 2600 White Bear Ave N, Maplewood, MN (651) 770-0531 10050 6th Ave N, Plymouth, MN (763) 541-1188 10% off regularly priced retail purchases at all six retail floral, gift and garden centers. May not combine with employee discount, and cannot be applied on account. Not valid on delivery, phone, Bachmans.com, Teleflora, FTD, hardscapes, wedding, landscape service orders, gift cards, Weber grills, Patrick's Cafe, Lunds and Byerlys, event or ticket purchases. Not valid at Cedar Acres or Bachman's Nursery Wholesale Center. bachmans.com

Where do I find my member card? Society and Affiliated members receive their card by email when they join/renew. Check your inbox (and junk or spam) for an email from MN State Horticultural Society membership@ northerngardener.org. You can print this email card or take a photo of it. If you have an iPhone or Android, get the digital card. It updates automatically when you renew!

Minnesota State Horticultural Society

1823 Old Hwy 8 NW, New Brighton, MN (651) 633-1271 10% off all trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. beisswengers.com

1225 Estabrook Dr, St. Paul, MN (651) 487-8229 $10 off any Como Friends membership. Discount not available online. comofriends.org

Costa Farm & Greenhouse

9411 Dellwood Rd (Hwy 96), White Bear Lake, MN (651) 653-1269 10% discount at the greenhouse. Valid through June 15. Cannot be applied with other coupons or sale prices. facebook.com/costafarmgreenhouse costaproducefarm.com

Countryside Lawn & Landscape

50 Jefferson Dr, Zumbrota, MN (507) 732-4404 10% off all regularly priced annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs in stock, and garden décor. Valid April - October. countrysidellinc.com

Dan & Jerry's Greenhouse

2121 90th St NE, Monticello, MN (763) 271-6767 10% off all regularly priced annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs in stock. Valid April - October. djgreen.com farmfreshselects.com

Dolan's Landscape Center

3108 4th St NW, Austin, MN (507) 433-3239 10% off plants through June. 15% discount on plants July 1 - Nov. 1. dolanslandscapecenter.com

Visit the online 2023 Discount Partner Guide. northerngardener.org/ membership/discountpartners

Dragonfly Gardens – NEW!

491 State Hwy 46, Amery, WI (715) 268-7660 10% off for every $30 you spend on non-sale items. dragonflygardens.net

Drummers Garden Center & Floral

281 Saint Andrews Dr, Mankato, MN (507) 388-4877 10% off regular priced hardgoods, including gardening and houseplant supplies, pottery and more. April - October. Some exclusions may apply. drummersgardencenter.com

EggPlant Urban Farm Supply

1771 Selby Ave, St Paul, MN (651) 645-0818 10% off all plants and seeds. eggplantsupply.com

Fair’s Nursery

9340 Fair Way, Maple Grove, MN (763) 425-4212 10% off all regularly priced trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals in stock. fairsnursery.com

Farmington Greenhouse

519 Willow St, Farmington, MN (651) 463-7215 10% off all non-sale plant material April 1 - June 30. farmingtongreenhouse.com

Fiddles & Fronds

Minneapolis, MN 15% off an arrangement, DIY bucket of flowers or container design. Organic, sustainable and artisan-direct flowers from your local Twin Cities florist-gardener. fiddlesandfronds.com instagram.com/fiddlesandfronds

Flower Power Garden Center & Fred Holasek & Son Greenhouse 18364 County Rd 9, Lester Prairie, MN (320) 395-2780 10% off all non-sale items. holasekflowerpower.com

MSHS DISCOUNT PARTNERS

Forest and Floral Garden Center

Garden Expressions

Friends School Plant Sale

Gordy's Gift & Garden Center

701 Fair Ave, Park Rapids, MN (218) 732-4504 10% off regularly priced in-store purchase. Open April - December. forestandfloral.com MN State Fair Grandstand, Falcon Heights, MN Largest selection of plants in the Midwest, most from local growers. $5 off purchase of $50 or more during Mother’s Day weekend. Free admission/parking, check website for COVID protocols. Fri, May 12, 9 am-8 pm; Sat, May 13, 10 am-6pm; Sun, May 14, 10 am-2pm (remaining plants 1/3 off). friendsschoolplantsale.com

Garden Divas

N7789 State Rd 65, River Falls, WI (715) 222-0436 10% off fun garden art, home décor, plants and more. We love local, fair trade, organic, vintage, eco-friendly, repurposed. facebook.com/gardendivasrf

2050 Hwy 65, New Richmond, WI (715) 246-0257 10% off all in-stock fertilizers while supplies last. Expires Oct. 31, 2023. gardenexpressions.com

4899 Miller Trunk Hwy, Hermantown, MN (218) 722-8666 10% off all in-stock, regularly priced trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and gift and garden decor. gordysgiftsandgarden.com

Green Lake Nursery

270 Lake Ave N, Spicer, MN (320) 796-2178 15% off green and growing products, April 1 - August 1. Cash and carry only. greenlakenurseryofspicer.com

Green Space, LLC.

Landscapes in step with nature and set apart by design! Minneapolis, MN (612) 558-3161 or roxanne@greenspacemn.com $10 off your first one-hour garden/landscape consultation when mentioning this offer. greenspacemn.com

Green Valley Greenhouse

Horta Culture – NEW!

6530 Green Valley Rd, Ramsey, MN (763) 753-1621 10% off all garden center purchases. gvgh.com

The Squire House 3390 Saint Croix Trail South, Afton, MN 651-502-1479 10% off all regularly priced annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs. Landscape and design services not included. shophortaculture.com

Hartman Garden Center & Landscaping 8099 Bavaria Rd, Victoria, MN (952) 443-2990 10% off regularly priced plant material. Spring through Oct. 31. Not valid on landscape services. hartmancompanies.com

Hugo Feed Mill & Hardware

5582 146th St N, Hugo MN (651) 429-3361 10% off regularly priced plants, May - June. Known for our large selection (over 500 varieties) of peppers and tomatoes, including some rare, exotic and ornamental plants, plus vegetables, seed potatoes, onion sets, herbs, annual flowers, patio pots and hanging baskets. hugofeedmill.com

Heidi’s GrowHaus

7555 County Rd 116, Corcoran, MN (763) 420-2909 10% off all non-sale items. growhausmn.com

Home Sown Gardens

3345 Lexington Ave S #301, Eagan, MN (651) 434-7349 10% off all design, restoration and container planting services. homesowngardens.com

Jean’s The Right Plant Place 420 3rd Ave SE, Perham, MN (218) 346-4051 15% off entire purchase (excluding gift certificates). Valid through Oct. 1. rightplantplace.com

MSHS Discount Partners continue on page 10

OPENING MARCH 1!

Lillian Goldman Visitors Center Gift & Garden Store, Gardens, Trails & More Seed Saver's Exchange ADVisitors Center open March-October

10am to 5pm | 7 days a week 3074 N Winn Rd, Decorah, IA 52101 563.382.6104 · seedsavers.org/visit

Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

MSHS DISCOUNT PARTNERS continued from page 9 Kelley & Kelley Nursery

2325 Watertown Rd S, Long Lake, MN (952) 473-7337 10% off regularly priced items. kelleyandkelleynursery.com

Kern Landscape Resources 915 Albert St N, St Paul, MN (Pierce Butler & Albert St) (651) 646-1553 10% off all products, and discounts on delivery, April-November. kernlandscaping.com

Knecht’s Nurseries & Landscaping

1601 Hwy 19 W, Northfield, MN (507) 645-5015 10% off regularly priced trees, shrubs and perennials, April - November. knechts.net

Landscape Alternatives

25316 Saint Croix Trl, Shafer, MN (651) 257-4460 10% off regularly priced plants, April - October. landscapealternatives.com

Lilydale Garden Center

941 Sibley Memorial Hwy, Lilydale, MN (651) 457-6040 10% off entire purchase of non-sale items, March 1-Nov. 1. Not valid on fresh flowers or landscaping services. lilydalegardencenter.com

Lynde Greenhouse & Nursery 9293 Pineview Ln N, Maple Grove, MN (763) 420-4400 10% off any purchase April - December. Not valid on gift cards, sale items or landscape services. lyndegreenhouse.com

Mickman Brothers

14630 Hwy 65 NE, Ham Lake, MN (763) 413-3000 15% off regularly priced green goods. mickman.com

Miltona Greenhouses – NEW! 19960 Noble Lane NW, Parkers Prairie, MN (218) 943-3601 or (715) 207-9753 15% off of all non-sale items (excluding gift certificates), April 1 - Dec. 1. miltonagreenhouse.com

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

3675 Arboretum Dr, Chaska, MN (612) 301-1257 or member@umn.edu 10% off the Solo, Duo and Duo +2 levels of membership. Kids 15 and under always free. arb.umn.edu

Mother Earth Gardens

Organic garden center providing an affordable boutique experience Two Minneapolis locations: 3738-42nd Ave S 2318 Lowry Ave NE 10% off all regularly priced items motherearthgarden.com

Nagel Sod & Nursery

6200 Frontage I-35 W, Medford, MN (507) 451-9605 10% off concrete statuary, June - October. nagelsnursery.com

Nature’s Garden World

1335 Hwy 210 E, Fergus Falls, MN (218) 739-9641 10% off all non-sale items, excluding landscape services and materials. naturesgardenworld.com

Nelson Nursery Garden Center

25834 Main St, Zimmerman, MN (763) 856-2441 10% off regularly priced annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs. nelsonnursery.com

Otten Bros Garden Center & Landscaping

2350 W Wayzata Blvd, Long Lake, MN (952) 473-5425 10% off all regularly priced plants. $10 off any garden center delivery. Offers not valid on labor or landscaping services. ottenbros.com

Pahl’s Market

6885 160th St, Apple Valley, MN (952) 431-4345 20% discount on regularly priced Pahl’s grown annuals and perennials in stock. Not valid on landscape projects or in combination with loyalty program. pahls.com

Paisley Gardens

600 Division St S, Northfield, MN (507) 645-7078 10% off regularly priced items. paisley-gardens.com

Patio Town

Three metro locations: 8500 Jefferson Ln N, Brooklyn Park, MN (763) 488-1300 2801 Hwy 13 W, Burnsville, MN (952) 894-4400 6300 Hwy 36 Blvd, Oakdale, MN (651) 770-1391 10% off retail for all regularly priced landscaping supplies. Not valid toward tax, delivery or pallet charges. patiotown.com

Prairie Moon Nursery

Winona, MN (507) 452-1362, (866) 417-8156 10% off online orders. Native seeds, plants, seed mixes and tools. Use coupon code MSHS at checkout. prairiemoon.com

Prairie Restorations, Inc.

Two retail locations: 31646 129th St, Princeton, MN (763) 631-9458 21120 Ozark Court North, Scandia, MN (651) 433-1437 15% off $100 or more live-plant purchase. We're proud to offer local ecotype native seed and plants for over 45 years. prairieresto.com

Sargent's Landscape Nursery

Two locations: 7955 18th Ave NW, Rochester, MN (507) 289-0022 1811 2nd St SW, Rochester, MN (507) 289-0022 $5 off any purchase of $50 or more. Maximum discount per member is $5 per month. Two garden centers and a full-service nursery. Locally Grown, Always Fresh. sargentsgardens.com

Sargent’s Nursery

3352 N Service Dr, Red Wing, MN (651) 388-3847 $5 off a retail purchase of $25 or more. Garden center cash and carry purchases only. Available year-round. sargentsnursery.com

Schulte’s Greenhouse and Nursery

2960 LaBeaux Ave NE, St Michael, MN (763) 497-3747 10% off all regularly priced items. schultesgreenhouse.com

Seed Savers Exchange

3094 N Winn Rd, Decorah, IA (563) 382-5990 Exclusive heirloom seeds, shopping discounts and more! $5 or $10 off an Annual Membership. www.seedsavers.org/mshs

South Cedar Garden Center

23111 Cedar Ave S, Farmington, MN (952) 469-3202 15% off all regularly priced annuals and perennials, May September. southcedar.com

Spring At Last Greenhouse – NEW!

Terra Garden Center

20230 Kenrick Ave, Lakeville, MN (952) 469-3506 10% off live goods. Open yearround. terragardencenter.com

Terrace Horticultural Books

503 St Clair Ave, St Paul, MN (651) 222-5536 Free shipping for online orders (minimum order $6.01) of books, periodicals and ephemera. terracehorticulturalbooks.com

The Garden By The Woods

78 W 78th St, Chanhassen, MN (952) 949-0726 Receive 10% off organic fertilizer, 20% off houseplants OR pick a free 3-inch Minnesota Native plant with every $25 purchase, up to four plants per visit. One discount per day, per visit. bythewoods.com

VIP Floral and Garden Center 2539 20th St, Slayton, MN (507) 836-8260 10% off regularly priced plant material and gardening supplies. vipfloral.net

Wagner Garden Centers

Two locations: 6024 Penn Ave S, Mpls, MN (612) 922-6901 4860 Frenchman Rd, Hugo, MN (651) 653-8863 15% off regularly priced plants year-round. Not valid with Wagners rewards program. shop.wagnergreenhouses.com

Winter Greenhouse

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The Minnesota State Horticultural Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. We thank our Discount Partners and members—your support powers our mission to support northern gardeners of all ages and skill levels and provides three signature community outreach programs: Garden-in-a-Box, Minnesota Green and the MN SEED Project.

10 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

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Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

NORTHERN NATIVES

Prairie Plants for the Home Garden Tweak your plant shopping list with these four factors in mind. Story and photos by Beth Stetenfeld

Easy Prairie Choices Some prairie plants tend to perform well in most locations and conditions. A few examples: Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta): This long-blooming plant (left) is native to most of the United States and hardy in USDA Zones 3-9. While it tends to be an annual to shortlived perennial, it also reseeds readily. At 1 to 3 feet tall, its bright yellow flowers add warmth to any sunny garden. Birds enjoy the ripe seeds.

best in soil with plenty of nutrients. They also tend to prefer relatively neutral soil, with a pH of 6.5 to 7. Beyond fertility, specific plants prefer different structures and textures. Prairie soil texture ranges from sand, to silt and loam, to clay. The texture of the soil depends on the combination of structures—from granular to compacted. One way to determine your soil type is to obtain a test kit from your local cooperative extension office.

Nearby Plants and Structures

have you tried adding prairie plants to your garden and been less than thrilled with the results? Prairie plants require specific conditions and your plant list may need some tweaking to make sure you have the right place for a prairie plant. Consider these four factors before making your selections.

Light

Most prairie plants grow best with several hours of direct or indirect sun each day, although some grow well beneath other plants. Tall plants, such as sunflowers (Helianthus spp.), need plenty of bright exposure to perform well, while prairie gentians (Gentiana puberulenta), which are only about 12 to 18 inches tall, grow in the partial shade of their neighbors.

Soil Type

Soil type is a complex topic, but the three biggest factors to consider are structure, texture and fertility. Most prairie plants do

12 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Unlike a natural prairie, your home garden probably has structures and other plants nearby. And, those structures will affect how plants grow. For instance, if your garden includes a rock wall, the wall likely will provide warmth for a slightly longer growing season. A black walnut tree (Juglans nigra) nearby means you’ll need to select plants that are juglone-tolerant. These are just two of many location factors that can affect how prairie plants will perform in your setting.

Garden Size

How large is the area where you plan to add prairie plants? If it’s small, consider avoiding or limiting very large plants (for example, Silphium and Helianthus spp.) and aggressive plants, such as grasses that expand via rhizomes or seeding. These spreaders are excellent for very large garden areas you’d like to naturalize over time. All of these variables contribute to which plants will grow best in your garden or your prairie planting area. Expect to make adjustments during the first few years to determine which plants will work best for you over time. Native-plant enthusiast Beth Stetenfeld is a garden blogger and writer, and a master naturalist volunteer and instructor.

moist and drought conditions, Butterfly weed although it prefers well-drained (Asclepias tuberosa): As with soils. Hardy in zones 3-9, it tends to grow 1 to 2 feet tall. other milkweed Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea): This species, butterfly weed Rattlesnake master (Eryngium 2- to 5-foot beauty (above) (above) is a host plant for yuccifolium): The unique is hardy in zones 4-9. It has monarch caterpillars. It also structure of this plant, with attracts other butterflies and special value for native its greenish-white, rounded hummingbirds. It tolerates both heads, makes it a fun one to bees.

add to any sunny garden. At 3 to 6 feet tall, it’s a robust plant with strong stems. Hardy in zones 3-9. Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya): This particular Liatris (page 12) tends to flower in late summer through early fall, so it’s a beneficial bloomer for migrating monarchs and other butterflies. It’s hardy in zones 3-9 (some sources say down to zone 2). Nearly half of its 2 to 5 feet of height is its showy flower spike. Whichever plants you try, be patient and open to failures, successes and surprises. The payoff: a lovely, thriving native plant garden. —B.R.S.

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Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

GARDEN HACKS

The Frugal Gardener Five ways to stretch your garden budget this spring. By Samantha Johnson

gardeners don’t need special shoes and clubs like golfers do, and we don’t have to have pricey rods and reels like anglers or a fancy bike, helmet and gear like cyclists. But it’s hard not to be tempted by garden bling after a long winter: the new “it” shrub, dramatic containers, a fancy raised bed. Gardening, like most hobbies, can be as expensive as you allow it to be. Here are five ways to reduce your spending for the garden.

items show up on these platforms and all you have to do is pick it up.

4 Set Up a Plant Swap

Did you start too many tomato seeds or do you have a perennial that needs dividing? Set up a swap or trade with friends and fellow gardeners. Swapping seeds or seed-grown starts is safe but be cautious about trading plants if jumping worms have invaded your area. For more on the worms and how to avoid spreading them, go to northerngardener.org/jumping-worm.

1 Watch for Seasonal Sales

Gardening is a seasonal business so watch for sales. Seed starting kits may be discounted by April and most garden centers begin to discount perennials in mid- to late June. While midsummer is not the ideal time to plant them, you can hold perennials in their containers until fall or commit to babying a plant through the hot months.

5 Save Seeds

Growing plants from seeds is more economical than buying plant starts and your garden produces seeds every year. Seeds from beans, peas, marigolds and sunflowers are incredibly easy to save. You simply harvest them when dry and set them aside in a dry place for the next year. Other seeds, such as tomatoes, require a bit more work. Check out the webinar on planting a garden with seed saving in mind at the hort society webinar shop: northerngardener.org/webinar-shop.

2 Do It Yourself

ISTOICK

If you’re handy and have a few basic tools and the time, you can build your own raised beds or garden trellises for much less than buying new. Or, fashion a trellis, tomato cages or a garden arch from reclaimed items rather than purchasing new. For instructions on building a raised bed, check out northerngardener.org/ raised-beds.

With a little ingenuity and effort, you can make your garden a gorgeous and inspiring place and you don’t have to max out your credit cards to do it. What are your favorite frugal gardening tips? Send them to editor@northerngardener.org so we can share them with other readers.

14 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Found by the side of the road, this former gate is the perfect trellis for clematis.

MARY LAHR SCHIER

3 Thrift It!

On the hunt for cute planters, garden art or other decor? Don’t underestimate what you might find at garage sales, sometimes barely used. Thrift shops also often have garden décor and interesting containers for sale. Or join a local “buy nothing/sell nothing” group on Facebook. A surprising number of garden

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

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Cowsmo Compost is considered a soil amendment (not a fertilizer), which has a number of positive attributes when added to existing soil or when mixed with other ingredients to create a potting soil. Much like cow manure, compost adds organic matter and good bacteria which promote soil life, which in turn feed plants. Cowsmo does not smell and it does not have viable weed seeds because it has been composted properly.

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ASK THE EXPERT

Another Drought Year? After two years of drought, here are five ways to garden if 2023 is dry. Story and photos by Jennifer Rensenbrink

Welcome to Ask the Expert, a new feature where we call upon our team of experts to answer your most pressing gardening questions. Have a question? Send an email to editor@ northerngardener. org for a chance to have it answered here.

Tithonia is a monarch magnet and grows well in the ground—no containers needed.

Given the severe drought Minnesota had in 2022, how should we handle another dry year? —Jennie D., from Instagram

should we be thinking about as we move into spring? Here are five things to consider if we have another dry year in 2023.

This is a great question. We’ve now had two consecutive drought summers. In the fall of 2022, much of the Twin Cities area reached extreme drought status, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. With the amount of snow we’ve gotten, it’s tempting to think the drought is over. But two-thirds of the state is still dry or droughty. Plus, with the frozen ground, much of the snowy moisture will simply run off as it melts. So, what

Work smarter, not harder, with lawn care For areas of turfgrass, set your lawn mower blade height to 3 inches. Turfgrass has shallow root systems. If you let it get a little taller, it will not only grow longer roots, it will also shade the ground better and not dry out as quickly. Leave your grass clippings in place as you mow, rather than bagging them. They will quickly break down and im-

16 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

prove soil health. Healthy soil is better able to absorb and hold onto rain. Google “U of MN Extension Lawn Care” for many more tips and tricks to maintaining a healthy lawn from the turfgrass specialists at the U, including how often and how much to water your grass. Bonus points: if you are replacing any lawn areas, consider no-mow, drought-tolerant turfgrass alternatives.

Install drip irrigation

I installed a drip irrigation system in mid-July last year, after getting fed up with trying to keep up with watering my vegetable garden with a sprinkler. Drip

irrigation and/or soaker hoses waste less water because they deliver water to the plants at the roots, right where they need it, minimizing evaporation loss. Many options exist; I used DripWorks.com to order mine. Installation can be tricky but happily there are YouTube videos demonstrating how to do it—these helped me immensely.

Consider drought-tolerant perennials

If you are adding new perennials to your landscape this year, consider drought-tolerant native plants. Deep-rooted prairie plants are especially drought-tolerant and provide much-needed resources to bees, butterflies and birds. Check out books by former Northern Gardener editor Lynn Steiner for ideas and plant suggestions. Blue Thumb, a Minnesota program to promote clean water, also has great resources and searchable plant databases on its website. My favorite drought-tolerant natives include bur oak trees, serviceberry shrubs and the classic purple coneflower. There are dozens to choose from, depending on your soil and light conditions.

Get a rain barrel

Rain barrels are a great way to catch and use the precious rain we do receive. Rain barrel water is wonderful for any perennial and it’s also great for houseplants. However, U of M Extension does not recommend using rain barrel water on vegetables, since it can contain bacteria that washes off your roof when it rains.

Limit the number of containers you use

I learned this the hard way: containers become a pain to maintain when conditions get dry. I used fewer containers of annuals in 2022, and I plan to continue that in 2023. Instead, I chose some bigger annuals that could be planted directly in the ground, such as zinnias and tithonia. Both of those are drought-tolerant and pollinator-friendly, too.

These five ideas will help you survive another drought in your garden. Honestly, they are smart practices no matter what our rainfall ends up being this year. Master Gardener Jennifer Rensenbrink grows edibles, native perennials and her new obsession— dahlias—in her Minneapolis yard. Follow her gardening adventures on Instagram, @jenniferrensenbrink.

Installing drip irrigation will ensure your water goes where it is needed.

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KITCHEN GARDEN

Small-Space Vegetable Gardens If your only growing space is on a deck or patio, don’t fret. Almost any veg can grow in a container. Story and photos by Eric Johnson

i began to grow vegetables in containers primarily out of necessity. With a tree-filled yard, I could plant tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables in need of full sun only in the scarce pockets of sun. When I moved into a townhome, my outdoor space was limited to patios and decks. Whatever your reason for trying it, container vegetable gardening offers flexibility in your planting. The self-contained little growing environments are also more accessible—you can do your vegetable gardening in a lawn chair!

Container Best Practices

Plant for the sun you have. Fullsun conditions rule with most vegetables, so position your pots where they get at least six hours of direct sunlight. Eight is better. Lettuces and herbs can get by with less—about three hours of direct sun or lots of indirect, bright light. A pot full of vegetables is a beautiful thing so place them wherever you need to, even if that’s front and center. I grew two pots of trellised Malabar spinach (technically, it’s a leafy green, not spinach) and placed them at the end of my front walk. People constantly stopped to look and comment.

“

Container vegetable gardening offers flexibility in your planting. The selfcontained little growing environments are also more accessible—you can do your vegetable gardening in a lawn chair!”

18 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Tomatoes, peppers and rosemary all grow in this container.

Soil basics. Use commercially packaged potting soil, not soil from the garden. (See article about peat in potting mixes on page 54.) Roots need air and water, and garden soil will be too heavy and compact. Consider incorporating compost and adding a slow-release fertilizer at planting time. Pick the right container. Generally, you will need at least 8 inches of soil to grow vegetables, so select an 8- to 10-gallon container, though you can grow

them in a 5-gallon pail as well. Larger pots are also an option and work great for multiple plantings. Stock tanks are all the rage, but they take a huge amount of soil medium compared to smaller containers. Store-bought mixes can be pricey. As with all containers, drainage is key. Whatever vessel you choose to grow in, make sure it has a drainage hole at the bottom. Drill holes if needed. A longtime contributor, Eric Johnson blogs at gardendrama.wordpress.com.

WHAT TO GROW Anything grown in the ground can be grown in a container. Look for small-stature varieties when possible. Tomatoes love warm soil, so they are perfect for container gardening. I’ve enjoyed great success with cherry tomatoes in a container. The dwarf, bush varieties don’t require staking and maintain a tidier look. I’ve also grown medium-sized varieties, such as ‘Early Girl’ and ‘Celebrity’, and they did well but required more watering and staking. Any tomato variety can be grown in a container, but cherry tomatoes are the easiest and perhaps the

best choice for a first foray into tomatoes in containers. I find homegrown potatoes to have an exceptionally creamy texture and starchy, earthy flavor, and growing them in containers is so much easier than in the ground. At harvest time, all you need to do is tip the container over and sift through the soil for the spuds. A 25-gallon plastic tub from the nursery works excellently. Potatoes are heavy feeders. I grow mine in all

compost and add a slowrelease fertilizer before planting. Fill the container one-third full, add seed potatoes, and then top with 4 to 5 inches more compost. Broccoli was a surprise success for me, with the bonus of producing well in part sun. Because of its pert, upright shape, it maintains a friendly, manageable shape and size and works well for interplanting with herbs or flowers. I was pleased with the ‘Packman’ variety, which is easy to find in the spring. It sends off many

side shoots that are easily harvested and thrown into a salad. Basil loves the warm soil of a container in the sun, though this also means you must be careful to keep it well watered. I even started a container of basil in a sunny window of my dining room and transferred it outside in June. Basil needs little space for roots—a 5-inch pot will work great. Once established, basil takes off like crazy when in a pot. If you plant only one container this summer, try basil. —E.J.

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Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

DIY

Create a Tabletop Water Garden Transform a stylish container (or even a bedpan!) into a tabletop water feature for your patio or deck. Story and photos by Soni Forsman

on a january day more than a decade ago, I spotted a white bowl with a spout in the kitchen section of a discount department store. It was labeled a “batter bowl.” Until that moment, I had never thought of turning something so small into a water garden. But this time, I could see potential. Surprisingly, my selection of plants and how I put it all together that first year worked. Beginner’s luck? I used the same assortment of plants the following year, and almost every year since. Each season, the bowl water garden looks the same but different as one plant grows more vigorously one year and others the next. Now, whenever I am in a garden center, discount home-improvement store or an antique mall, my eyes search for unusual containers for these tiny water gardens. I found my most unusual vessel—an old hospital bedpan—tucked away in our garage.

Getting Started

To create a tabletop water garden, select a watertight container that fits well on your table. Choose plants no taller than 10 inches that like moisture and the light available on your patio or deck. I use only foliage plants in these petite water gardens. Water plants are my first choice but I experiment with annuals and perennials, too, referring to their identification tags regarding water and light requirements. It’s trial and error—some plants adapt to the wet, small confines of the container better than others.

Batter Bowl

Three moisture-loving plants grow in one 5-inch plastic pot that fits inside the bowl. In the center is swordleaf rush. Barely visible behind the heron ornament is a chameleon plant, and

20 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

A spouted batter bowl makes a perfect tabletop water garden.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS 1. Chose a vessel that is big enough for at least one plant and sized for the table. 2. Select an inner pot that fits comfortably into the outer one. Depending on your vessel, you may use several 4- or 3-inch square or round plastic growers’ pots. 3. Select the number and size of plants for the bowl. If available, use topsoil for the planting medium or bagged potting mix. Cover the drain holes in the inner pot(s) with landscape fabric or several layers of newspaper to keep the dirt in. 4. Place the planted containers into the vessel and fill with water. Check the water level frequently as it is absorbed and evaporates. Fertilize occasionally by adding a few drops of liquid houseplant food to the water. Water hyacinth and lettuce need fertilizer. I don't usually add mosquito dunks, but if you choose to, break off a small piece, crush it, and sprinkle it into the water. 5. In the fall, decide if you want to overwinter the plants or buy new ones next year. Toss the floaters into the compost pile or discard in the weekly trash. It is illegal to toss water hyacinth or lettuce into a natural waterway. Clean the outer container and put it away for next season. Vinegar will help remove any mineral deposits on the vessel. —S.F. red-stemmed parrot’s feather spills over the edge. A water hyacinth is squeezed into the narrow space between the inner and outer pots. My original vision was that the rush and chameleon plant would grow evenly but the rush won. DIY continues on page 22

Hennepin County Master Gardener Volunteers Upcoming Events For more information: hennepinmastergardeners.org/events

Learning Garden Tour

Plant Sale

Saturday, July 8, 8:30am-4:30pm Saturday, May 20,MN 9am-2pm Extension MG Volunteers Hopkins Pavilion, 11000 Excelsior Blvd., Hopkins, MN

Offering perennials, annuals, natives, vegetables, herbs & more! Featuring our exclusive line of Minnesota Winners! One of the largest plant sales in Hennepin County. Bring your wagon!

Explore 10 inspiring gardens! This year’s self-guided tour showcases 10 gardens in west Hennepin County. Join us for inspiration, educational opportunities, and garden-related shopping. Cost: $15 in advance; $20 day of tour. Discounts for groups of 10 or more. Children under 12 free with a paying adult. Tour held rain or shine.

Fully staffed by Master Gardener Volunteers ready to answer all your gardening questions. Free parking!

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DIY DIY continued from page 21

feather finish the arrangement. These tiny water gardens are accents for deck or patio tables and are the perfect size for anyone with limited outdoor space. Tabletop water gardens are small but are as unique as their owners. Be original when choosing a container. Let your creativity shine!

Vintage Clam Shell Bowl by Haeger

A chameleon plant grows in a 4-inch round pot surrounded by aquatic floating plants, water hyacinth, left, and water lettuce in a bowl from an antique mall.

White Pottery Planter

Longtime contributor Soni Forsman gardens in Eagan.

Creeping Jenny and golden Japanese sweet flag give the white pottery planter a monochromatic look. Both plants grow in one 6-inch pot. Decorative accents include a few birch sticks and a butterfly pot stake. A bathtub toy frog peeks out from the trailing creeping Jenny, which needs regular pruning to keep its compact look.

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Stylized Fish Planter

A water hyacinth floats in a fish planter bought at a discount store. It’s simple to create—fill a cute bowl with water and add a floating water plant. No planting required.

Bedpan

A flea-market purchase years ago, the pan will accommodate a couple of planted pots plus a floating aquatic plant

or two. In this design, a snail nestles in a pot of water-forget-me-nots, water hyacinth, and a chameleon plant. A couple of pieces of red-stemmed parrot

PLANTS FOR TABLETOP WATER GARDENS Swordleaf rush (Juncus ensifolius). A shorter native rush with slightly bluegreen foliage topped with round, dark brown seed heads that stay on most of the summer. Chameleon plant (Houttuynia cordata). A rapidly spreading plant with variegated heart-shaped foliage. It is found with groundcovers in garden centers or with water plants. Marginally hardy. Red-stemmed parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum brasiliensis). Whorls of featherlike foliage on trailing stems that crawl over the water’s surface and creep over the edges of containers. Trim regularly to maintain groomed look. To plant, push a few stems into a planted container. Tropical. Golden Japanese sweet flag (Acorus graminius ‘Ogon’) has light green foliage accented with golden yellow vertical stripes. Generally found in garden centers with filler plants for mixed containers. Marginally hardy. Creeping Jenny or moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia) a lime green groundcover sometimes used as the trailing plant in a mixed container. Readily available in garden centers. Water-forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides) is a short water plant with light blue five-petaled flowers. These plants need at least part sun. Most like or tolerate full sun, except for the water lettuce. Plant them in 4-inch pots, except for floating plants and parrot’s feather. —S.F.

22 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

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PLANT PROFILE

The Beauty of Bleeding Hearts They thrive in shade, bloom dramatically and deer avoid them. What’s not to love? Story and photos by Matthew Olson

after years of growing hostas in the shady, challenging conditions at my grandparents’ cabin in Wisconsin—and watching deer munch them down—I reconsidered bleeding hearts. Are they a tad old-fashioned? Yes. Were they perfect for my conditions? Absolutely. Beloved by northern gardeners for ages, these durable plants produce stunning blooms while requiring little maintenance. You probably know the common bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis), but there are other species worth considering. Common bleeding heart is native to Asia, but among the dozen or more other species are several North American natives.

Which to Choose?

The common bleeding heart features dark green clumps of foliage, growing up to 4 feet tall and wide. It blooms early, with heart-shaped flowers along an arching stem. The plants gradually go dormant in summer, though you may see the foliage last for months in cooler climates. Cultivars of common bleeding heart offer other colors. ‘Alba’- Its flowers are white. The plant is similar to the species but less vigorous. Valentine®- Similar to the species, but has deep red flowers. ‘Gold Heart’- Chartreuse foliage and pink flowers make this cultivar hard to miss. It’s elegant and the leaves go dormant later than the species. ‘Ruby Gold’ (PPAF) - Released in 2022, ‘Ruby Gold’ looks like ‘Gold Heart’, but with red flowers with a touch of orange. ‘White Gold’ (PP27638)- Another chartreuse variety, this one has white flowers.

WALTERS GARDENS WALTERS GARDENS

WALTERS GARDENS

Plant Profile continues on page 24

The many shades of bleeding heart (clockwise): ‘Alba’, Valentine® and ‘Gold Heart’

Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

PLANT PROFILE Plant Profile continued from page 23

Other Options

Dicentra eximia, also known as the fringed bleeding heart, is native to the Appalachian region of the United States, where it grows in woodlands and rock ledges. Fringed bleeding hearts stay compact, growing up to 18 inches tall and wide. With fernlike foliage, this species blooms when the common bleeding heart blooms, creating excellent contrast when they are grown together. Another benefit: fringed bleeding hearts rebloom sporadically until fall as long as they have adequate moisture. In ideal conditions, this plant will spread by seed but not aggressively. Over the years, I’ve planted several of these at our cabin, and they have naturalized to form a dense groundcover. I’ve also found them to be attractive to bees and hummingbirds. ‘Luxuriant’ - These compact plants feature blue-green foliage and cherry Dicentra eximia pink blooms. It tolerates heat better than the Plant speciesSale and blooms longer. I've PM Friends School NG one-third 2023.qxp_Friends 1/10/23 2:17

Mothers Day weekend At the State Fair Grandstand FREE admission Volunteers shop Thursday FRIDAY, MAY 12 Friends Plant School9:00 AD a.m.–8:00 p.m. SATURDAY, MAY 13 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. SUNDAY, MAY 14 Remaining plants 1/3 off 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

‘Luxuriant’

seen this blooming until mid-October in northern Wisconsin. ‘Pink Diamonds’ - This newer hybrid prefers full sun and is an alpine plant. It grows best in areas with cooler summers. It looks similar to ‘Luxuriant’ but is Page shorter and has smaller, dissected leaves. Dicentra cucullaria is native to the Midwest and you probably know it as Dutchman’s breeches, a spring ephemeral. Like other ephemerals, it emerges in spring to absorb energy from the sun before going dormant in summer. Depending on the weather and location, you can find them blooming in late April or May. Dicentra canadensis—Squirrel corn is the common name for this native bleeding heart. It grows mainly in the southeast corner of Minnesota, in rocky outcrops and ravines. The leaves

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Dutchman’s breeches

are nearly identical to Dutchman’s breeches, but the flowers are shaped like a heart and bloom earlier than Dutchman’s breeches.

How to Grow

Bleeding hearts thrive in woodland gardens, where they add a pop of color in spring. They are excellent companion plants for shade perennials, including ferns, hostas and hardy geraniums. A favorite companion plant of mine is Japanese spikenard (Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’), which looks stunning alongside fringed bleeding hearts. In the North, bleeding hearts can be grown in full sun if given adequate moisture. However, they will likely go dormant earlier in full sun, so consider adding annuals or perennials in front to cover up the dying foliage. In shady areas of the garden, the foliage can last throughout the summer but will require consistent moisture to look good. Plant in spring and fall in areas with moist (but not soggy), rich soil. If you have sandy soil, consider adding organic matter to retain moisture and nutrients. Plants will self-seed, but chartreuseleaved plants may revert to green. Bleeding hearts have become a staple of the landscape at our cabin, where they can showcase their durabilty and beauty. Have you found a place for them yet? Matthew Olson is a Minnesota-based horticulturist and writer.

Name Change! As genetics are used to identify more plants, some botanical names are changing, including that of the common bleeding heart. Long called Dicentra, it is now officially known as Lamprocapnos. —M.O. Sources: Gertens, gertens.com Jung Seed Company, jungseed.com Prairie Moon Nursery, prairiemoon. com —M.O.

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GROWING TOGETHER

Kohlrabi Connections Growing food, love and family ties in the garden. By Jennifer Rensenbrink

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purchased crates of peaches and pears in season, canning them for winter desserts. Today, I looked out at my small, inner-city garden with its purchased organic fertilizers and sophisticated watering system, and I thought about Grandma’s garden. Her fertilizer came from their dairy cows each fall, their waste hauled and spread by Grandpa with his tractor—a true closed-loop system where everything was used and there was a use for everything. She planted many varieties of vegetables—from beans to tomatoes to cucumbers—in neat rows, but I can’t imagine that raising eight kids and helping to run a dairy farm left time for weeding, watering and maintaining a pristine-looking garden. But the land still provided a bounty, and Grandma used it all. She lived to be 102, crediting her long life to her daily walks around the farm and drinking plenty of water. She passed away when my kids were toddlers, but I think it would have tickled her to see them grow up eating snap peas, strawberries and even carrots right out of the garden. I think of my grandparents sometimes when I am struggling to do hard

Today, I looked out at my small, inner-city garden with its purchased organic fertilizers and sophisticated watering system, and I thought about Grandma’s garden.”

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i love growing kohlrabi in my garden. We slice it and eat it raw with salt and pepper—I relish the crunchy blend of sweet and salty. One year, I had a bumper crop and brought an extra one to my parents. My dad got all excited when he saw it—apparently his mom also grew kohlrabi in her garden, and he hadn’t had it in years. He said they usually ate it the same way as we do; sometimes the kohlrabies didn’t even make it to the house. My grandparents started their life together during the Great Depression. The thriftiness that was forced upon them during those years lasted a lifetime and helped sustain their large family on a small dairy farm in central Minnesota. We lived a short bike ride away when I was a kid. I was fascinated by Grandma and Grandpa’s root cellar. Part of the floor was dirt, there were huge spiders, and there was even an old ringer washer that Grandma still used. One entire wall was lined with simple shelves. I marveled at the jars of pickles, green and wax beans, peaches and pears. She kept gardening, pickling and canning far into retirement age. I like to think that I inherited some of my gardening passion from my grandma. She usually dedicated half of her large garden to potatoes—another favorite of mine. She grew Russets and stored them in her root cellar to help feed her family over the long winter. She was also passionate about pickles, and as her boys got older, they grew extra cucumbers out in the fields to sell in town for extra income. She

“

[Grandma] lived to be 102, crediting her long life to her daily walks around the farm and drinking plenty of water. I think it would have tickled her to see [my kids] grow up eating snap peas, strawberries and even carrots right out of the garden.”

things—their lives were touched by so much hardship. But they persevered and found simple joys on their farm, with their sleepy black dog and ever-wilder raspberry patch. Several years ago, I became interested in growing vegetables in stock tanks—both because it was trendy and it seemed like a good way to maximize my small growing space. I visited the old farm, and my dad and I cleared aside some weeds and dug out one of Grandpa’s cow watering tanks. I hauled it home in my Honda. Now I grow vegetables in it every year, and I smile whenever I look at it, my own sleepy black dog lying nearby. Pulling a kohlrabi from my garden and serving it up fresh for supper—it’s an expression of love for my family— and that love ties us together across generations. Grandma understood this, and I think now I am starting to understand it, too. Jennifer Rensenbrink gardens in Minneapolis.

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

Thank you for nourishing the pollinators!

44804 East Highway 28 Morris, MN 56267 Phone: 320-795-6234 Fax: 320-795-6234 Email: info@morningskygreenery.com Visit us @ morningskygreenery.com Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

GOOD TO KNOW

Nature Nurtures Your garden is a natural mood booster. Here’s why and how. By Diane McGann

being in nature is not a panacea, but it certainly comes close. Time spent in the natural world enhances physical and psychological health; so much so, that researchers have found that merely looking at pictures of nature can lift us up. Being outdoors in the sunlight is good for human health and well-being, says Jean Larson, nature-based therapeutics faculty lead at the University of Minnesota. “Scientifically, we know it makes you feel good because the vitamin D produced with sunlight boosts serotonin,” she says. “Serotonin is good for us in many ways: It helps regulate attention, behavior and body temperature. It even plays a role in regulating the digestive process, blood flow and breathing.” Being in nature also improves focus and concentration, says Larson, who walks outside for at least half an hour each day, winter and summer, and places a bird-feeding station outside her office window. She brings nature inside by growing indoor plants, specifically lots of Swedish ivy.

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DIANE MCGANN

MARY LAHR SCHIER

For gardeners, being outside, working in the soil and helping plants grow from seedlings to mature specimens gives a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Gardening requires that we focus on one thing at a time; it keeps us present and often leads to a state of flow, that time when you are so immersed in a task that you are relaxed and attentive and time flies. Another benefit for gardeners: contact with soil bacteria boosts the immune system, protecting against allergies and other inflammatory diseases. Just 30 minutes of gardening can reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

DIANE MCGANN

Nature and Gardening

Water to hear, places to sit and paths to walk through add to the healing power of gardens.

“

Gardening requires that we focus on one thing at a time. It keeps us present.”

Building on the Benefits

• Get social. Share your love of gardening with others to reap more of nature’s benefits. Joining a garden club or working in a community garden connects us to others, says Lisa Philander, horticultural curator at Como Park Conservatory. “Plants are an equalizer; we all use them and need them, and we can all share; it doesn’t matter if we’re different in all other ways,” she says. • Take it all in. “Where is your garden chair?” Philander asks. “Don’t just work; sit there and watch your garden evolve before your eyes; take time to smell, view, analyze and celebrate what worked.” • Don’t stop when it’s cold. We’re moving into spring (yes!) but it’s

important to stay in nature no matter the weather. Place part of your garden where you can view it from indoors and don’t cut things back until spring. Enjoy the seed heads, evergreens, colorful stems and berries you can see. Also, take a 30-minute walk every day, Larson says. Nature does nurture, and gardening is a wonderful way to participate in nature. As Philander notes, we sustain the earth and nature sustains us. This spring, embrace nature and gardening even more, and watch your mood and health improve. Diane McGann is a master gardener and writer based in Washington County, Minnesota.

MARY LAHR SCHIER

Here are six ideas for how gardeners can increase these natural benefits: • Cater to the senses. Touching velvety foliage, smelling fragrant flowers, listening to birds chirping and leaves rustling, tasting the many herbs we’ve cultivated, and viewing a colorful palette of shrubs and flowers swaying in the breeze all calm and satiate us. • Grow vegetables. Recent studies indicate that vegetable gardening might offer even more therapeutic benefits than ornamental gardening. If you don’t already grow vegetables, try to find a spot for that strawberry pot or a container of herbs on your deck.

• Reduce hardscapes. While hardscaping (paths, patios) is a necessary garden component, keep it to less than 30 percent of the landscape and use natural materials—brick, wood and stone—whenever possible. Add water for a calming sound and comfortable seating that invites you to linger and relax. Include art, but don’t let it overwhelm the garden.

Northern Gardener l Spring 29

GARDEN DESIGN Cathy Collison uses trellises and other techniques to grow a productive garden.

Piece by Piece Gardener tinkers with varieties and techniques to build a garden after storms rearrange her yard.

Story and photos by Susannah Shmurak

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n the fall of 2018, straight-line winds knocked down the mature spruce trees that blocked the sun from Cathy Collison’s Northfield yard. Cathy was ready to replace her nondescript grass lawn with a beautiful and productive food garden and now she had the opportunity.

An artist, Cathy dreamed of building a garden that reflected her aesthetic sensibilities. She prefers undulating lines to straight ones and thought the look of metal could set her garden apart. “I’d ‘been there, done that’ with wood,” she says. She envisioned round metal beds, which she finds far more visually interesting and much longer-lasting than the standard wooden rectangles of most raised-bed gardens. The 3-foot-tall round beds she settled on “give the garden some gravitas; they give your eyes a place to rest.” She repeated the beds’ curved shapes in the arches and towers she constructed. Building and tending her garden in the summer of 2020 attracted a lot of attention from passersby, whose views had previously been blocked by the trees. People of all ages stopped to ask questions and compliment the unusual designs taking shape in Cathy’s garden. “Even teen guys toot their horn and give me a thumbs-up,” Cathy says, “and little kids on bikes shout, ‘I really like your garden!’ ” “I created it to please me,” she says, “so I was surprised when other people liked it.”

She envisioned round metal beds, which she finds far more visually interesting and much longer-lasting than the standard wooden rectangles of most raised-bed gardens. The 3-foot-tall round beds she settled on “give the garden some gravitas; they give your eyes a place to rest.

Metal beds last longer than wood, but may get hot.

Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

Piece by Piece

Sourcing Materials Locally Before buying garden inputs shipped from afar, ask local companies about collecting the waste they produce. Treetrimming services may deliver wood chips; stables and farms will have manure to sell; and grass clippings and leaves can be obtained from neighbors who haven’t yet seen the value of their garden refuse. Many coffee shops give away spent coffee grounds to gardeners, and many composting operations sell finished compost directly to consumers. —S.S.

“

We’re not supposed to have grass here wasting all our fertilizer and water trying to look like Scotland. We should live with the ecosystem we find ourselves in.”

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Intensive Gardening with Local Resources

Wanting to steward resources as responsibly as possible, Cathy aims to keep the inputs to her garden as local as she can. To fill the tall, raised beds, she placed logs on end and filled in with local wood chips, garden refuse, sawdust, grass clippings obtained from a lawn care company, plus coffee grounds gathered from numerous coffee shops mixed with hardwood sawdust from a local furniture maker. She filled the last third of the beds with soil and ample manure. Every year, she buys aged manure from a nearby stable and adds copious amounts of it to all her beds. With increasingly frequent and long-lasting droughts, Cathy and her husband, Klay, wanted to make their water more local as well. They installed a 275-gallon tank in the garden and ran a gutter to it from the roof. They found they could collect 150 gallons from even a small rain, helping them avoid using city water for up to a month. As the project expanded, they realized their garden challenged prevailing cultural norms. “It’s not Scotland,” Klay says. “We’re not supposed to have grass here wasting all our fertilizer and water trying to look like Scotland. We should live with the ecosystem we find ourselves in.”

Cathy grows strawberries as annuals in her DIY towers.

Tinker, Tinker

Cathy can’t help but see possibilities for turning everyday objects into clever tools for her garden. In addition to transforming simple sheets of metal into raised beds, she bent cattle fencing into giant arches that echoed the round shapes elsewhere in the landscape. While planning her garden, she realized that the ductwork getting installed in her home at the time would make perfect vertical towers for strawberries like those she’d seen online made from PVC pipes. To drill the planting holes, she turned to a friend with skills in metalwork who often “helps when I have crazy ideas.” Cathy also grows strawberries in repurposed gutters and gutter-shaped planters she had fellow artist Dan Lien create for her. She had him make the sides out of hardware cloth that she lined with burlap so the roots could be air pruned. She’s learned, however, that the plants dry out too quickly and will line the planters with sheet metal. Cathy hung the planters on a repurposed swing set and a homemade coatrack a friend had salvaged from a job site. She plans to build a structure over the garden to hang them on so she can make better use of vertical space. Cathy views her garden as a “big puzzle” that she gets a little closer to solving each season. “I’m trying to figure how much I can grow and how many things can I fit in here and not be tripping over it,” she says. “It’s all one big experiment.”

Above: Berries flourish in a decorative planter. Here: Cathy has grown eight raspberry varieties to see which is best.

Experimenting with Strawberries

Cathy focuses her garden experiments on one crop at a time. Though she grows many fruits and vegetables, she’s currently concentrating her efforts on growing the best possible strawberries. Cathy plants hundreds of strawberry plants each season. “I want to master strawberries inside and out,” she says. So far, she’s trialed three types of everbearing strawberries, settling on ‘Mara des Bois’ as the clear winner. A French variety, it has exceptional flavor and aroma, nothing like the flavorless strawberries grown for shipping. Cathy also loves that they’re “super-prolific.” She averages a pint a day from her towers all summer long and well into the fall. “They don’t slow down much from heat,” she reports, “and I was still picking them in October!” She and Klay eat most of their harvest, but she aims to produce enough to use in the baked goods she makes for her coffee shop, Good Day Coffee, in Faribault. She found that Mara des Bois runners “choke themselves out” if they’re grown in the ground. Growing vertically keeps them under control while making the most efficient use of space. They grow in her ductwork towers as well as in four hanging planters and a gutter that graces the railing on her front porch.

Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

Piece by Piece

How to Make Strawberry Towers To build strawberry towers, start with spiral metal duct pipes cut to 5-foot lengths. Drill 2-inch planting holes down the sides of the planter that will get enough sun. Use a small plastic tube (Cathy used a shower curtain rod) drilled with 2-millimeter holes in the top two-thirds to serve as a central conduit for water. Place the tube in the center of the pipe and fill with potting soil mixed with compost and manure. Cathy notes that you can use just potting soil, but she generally uses an even mixture of potting soil, compost and manure to keep her garden inputs as local as possible. Secure the tower to a railing or, if freestanding in the garden, to a sturdy stake to prevent it from falling over. Cathy found that as the soil in the towers settled, her plants got sucked down with it. To keep them in place, she recommends rolling the plants and soil in ¼-inch hardware cloth before inserting into the planting holes. The cloth will catch on the edge of the pipe and prevent plants from getting pulled in. She advises setting up and filling the towers in the fall to allow soil to settle before planting. Strawberries grown in towers are treated as annuals, so they need to be an everbearing variety, which will produce in their first season. Towers need daily watering. Cathy uses gallon milk jugs to fill the watering tube and finds each tower needs one to two gallons per day. — S.S.

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Three of her big round beds are filled with June-bearing varieties (‘Honeoye’, ‘Darselect’, ‘Dickens’ and ‘Annapolis’) that don’t need replanting each year. The height of the raised beds makes them easier to reach, but Cathy has learned that round shapes aren’t as space efficient as standard linear beds. She also discovered that rusted metal gets far hotter in the summer sun than metal that remains rust-free, heating both plants and gardener more than is ideal. Her next experiments will focus on extending her strawberry growing season. She has her eye on clear umbrellas, which she plans to install at the top of each tower attached to sheet plastic secured to the ground to mimic greenhouses around each one.

In addition to her copious strawberries, she has a booming raspberry patch with numerous varieties selected for flavor and yield, and she has begun to experiment with blueberries. She works anything she can grow enough of into her shop’s menu, including cucumbers for pickles, Dickinson squash for pumpkin pies, and immense quantities of tomatoes, garlic and onions that become sauce for the homemade pizzas the shop serves. “I want to keep refining what I’m doing, keep experimenting,” she explains. “It won’t be as interesting when I’ve got it all figured out.” Susannah Shmurak writes about growing and foraging food at healthygreensavvy.com.

Buttercup squash grows on Cathy’s space-saving trellises.

“

I want to keep refining what I’m doing, keep experimenting. It won’t be as interesting when I’ve got it all figured out.”

Intensive Care for Plants To garden as intensively as she does, Cathy cautions, you need to give your plants abundant nutrients and water. Cathy recommends adding “copious amounts” of well-rotted manure to the garden each year. “Load it up!” she counsels.

Resources Strawberry planters: contact artist Dan Lien at smallengineunlimited@gmail.com.

—S.S. Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

GARDEN CHECKLIST

SPRING RUSH It’s that time of year when all your perennials will reappear, every seedling will survive and thrive, and every dahlia will be the size of a dinner plate. Story and photos by Meg Cowden

Spring is creeping toward us, and we have plenty of time to hedge our final garden plans. There’s still time to place another seed or bare-root plant order, and even sketch out new beds to add, because somehow the garden could always be just a little bigger than last year.

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MARCH » The Vegetable Marathon

March is the perfect time to start sowing seeds indoors. Onions, peppers, tomatoes and celery make stellar initial plantings for early March. In the middle of the month, sow any of your favorite cool-hardy crops: bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, kale, fennel and cabbage.

Peat-Free Potting Soil

Folding Pots

Take advantage of our extended winter break by folding compostable newspaper pots. Excellent plastic alternatives, newspaper pots work great for tomato transplants and largeseeded, transplant-sensitive crops such as peanuts, squash, melons and sunflowers. Tutorials can be found on Youtube (@ seedtofork) or in my book, Plant Grow Harvest Repeat (Timber Press, 2022). — M.C.

Blend your own peat-free potting soil. My current mix is thee parts compost, two parts perlite and one part coarse sand. Store in sturdy galvanized buckets. Perlite is dusty; wearing a mask is encouraged. (See more about going peat-free on page 54.)

If you want to provide a feast for the early emerging native pollinators, start some sweet alyssum and calendula indoors in late March. These cold-hardy annuals will bloom in midMay with this timing.

Last Call for Winter Pruning »

Didn’t get around to pruning your fruit trees or shrubs? You’re in luck because our long winters give us March to finish these tasks. Practice good tool hygiene and disinfect your tools with rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide between trees.

Flowers Worth the Extra Effort

I store my flower seeds in two separate containers: one for early sowing (six weeks before last frost) and the other for four weeks before last frost. Everlasting flowers and flowers that are slower to establish get priority in March. Early flowers to start include globe amaranth, strawflower, dahlia, sesame and larkspur.

Early Potatoes

Consider sprouting, or chitting, seed potatoes to get a jump on the growing season. Potatoes can be planted by the end of April here. So in late March, place your seed potatoes in an egg carton in a sunny area to encourage sprouting. This is an optional step that will help deliver earlier yields.

» Put Your Soil to the Test

When can you safely sow seeds in the ground? It depends on the plant, but cold-hardy food and flowers can germinate in the waning weeks of winter. Spinach, radishes, cilantro, arugula, peas, leaf lettuce, sweet alyssum, larkspur, poppies, Johnny-jump-ups, chamomile and calendula are all excellent “late winter” seeds to sow. Put your digital meat thermometer to garden use by probing your soil to determine when these seeds can be planted. Minimum temperatures I look for are 40-45 degrees F at planting depth.

Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

Spring Rush

APRIL

April is our last chance to sow tomatoes indoors, if we want those unique heirloom varieties grown from seed. And it’s the first time we’ll be direct sowing rows of peas, carrots and even beets once the soil temperature inches past 45 degrees F.

If you’re a perennial flower gardener, you can probably be found scanning your beds for the early risers, gleefully anticipating the first tufts of chartreuse that herald the start of the growing season. Food and flower gardeners may have overflowing trays of seedlings in many stages of growth and overgrowth, particularly if we got a little eager and started our tomatoes too early. When will our garlic emerge? That’s a true testament to frost-free soil and is what I consider the growing opener.

Dressing Up the Beds

Adding compost to all your beds, especially your vegetable beds, should be an annual tradition. Whether done in fall or spring, simply apply 1 to 2 inches of compost on the surface and let the microbiome get to work incorporating the nutrition. Compost is also a great mulch. Corn, potatoes and even beans can be planted by the end of the month, as well as onion, leek, shallot and brassica seedlings. All are able to go in about two weeks before our last frost, assuming frosts remain light during those final few chilly weeks. Are you going to chance it? I am. — M.C.

» Bring on the Technicolor

My sowing marathon shifts in April from vegetables to flowers. Hundreds of annual flowers are sown four weeks before transplanting. Many of these can easily be direct seeded after our last frost date, but I make our abbreviated growing season as colorful as possible with this extra effort. Flowers to start include zinnia, nasturtium, cosmos, alyssum and marigold.

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MARY LAHR SCHIER

Is it Growing Yet? » Last Call, First Call

Inside Out

Your seedlings may be getting gangly, but don’t rush the transition to the great outdoors. Plants need to acclimate to full-strength sunlight, literally hardening their plant cells to be able to photosynthesize under wide-open skies. Take 10-14 days to slowly acclimate your plants to full sun, variable winds and slightly cooler temperatures. Backing off on watering during this phase can be helpful for the plant’s transition.

MAY Don’t Plant it All

May is the much-anticipated gardening month. Bare-root orders are planted, the tomatoes go in, the first spears of asparagus are enjoyed, the fragrance of plum blossoms permeates the landscape. What’s done this month sets the stage for how much space we will have later in the growing season to replenish our beds and to practice succession planting. I intentionally leave space open in May to plant in June and even July.

Filling in the Gaps Blossoming fruit trees offer fragrance for the winter-weary gardener and food for moths, butterflies and insects.

» Temperature Check

As in March and April, you can plant confidently when you know your soil temperatures. I check soil temperatures at planting depth for my tomatoes, ensuring the soil is 55 degrees F at 6 inches deep before I drop those precious starts into the earth. Peppers prefer it warmer still, so hold tight for another couple of weeks or use row covers to give them the hothouse they crave in the early season.

Spring is the second-best season for patching your lawn (after autumn). Advocates of bee-friendly turf ask you to consider adding flowering plants, such as Dutch white clover, to your lawn. It fixes nitrogen and adds more nectar and pollen to your gardens effortlessly. And who doesn’t love hunting for four-leaf clovers?

The Timing Game

Peppers will protest cool soils, as will melons, cucumbers and squashes. Try sowing melons, cukes and squashes in 3¼-inch newspaper pots in mid-May. This gives them about a three-week head start indoors.

Don’t feel that you must plant your entire garden this month. One of my favorite May tactics is planting a cover crop to give me the sense of growth while reserving space for a fall cabbage and broccoli bed. From seed to flower in merely six weeks, buckwheat is a pollinator magnet.

There’s so much to do this time of year, but be sure to stop, smell the spring air and soak in the sun. We’ve waited all winter for this! Orono-based gardener Meg Cowden is the author of Plant Grow Harvest Repeat (Timber Press, 2022). Find her online at @seedtofork.

Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

HOW TO GROW This striking container includes, from left, Senecio antandroi, Echeveria ‘Perle von Nurnberg’, Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’, Portulaca afra and Curio repens ‘Blue Chalksticks’

Story and photos by Michelle Mero Riedel

Success with Succulents With a few tips and careful choices, any gardener can be a succulent super grower. 40 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Because they’re colorful, remarkable and easy to care for, succulents are great plants for both novice and experienced gardeners. These chubby-leaved plants have trivial water requirements. You can grow them outside or inside, and they come in oodles of sizes, textures, shapes and shades. You can even find cold-hardy plants for your outdoor garden. Best of all, succulents look amazing as a single display, and they play well together for an eye-catching arrangement. You can’t go wrong with these forgiving plants.

An arty look

Succulents don’t need a deep pot. They can thrive in mini vessels because they don’t usually outgrow their space. I like pots without a lot of adornments in order to give these plants all the glory. For a large pot, select plants with a lot of contrast in shapes, textures and colors. Even a single plant in a small pot displayed on a desk or near a window will draw attention and praise.

Nix the TLC

Most gardeners kill succulents with kindness. The best advice? Don’t overwater them; their roots rot easily. After you water your succulents, allow the soil to completely dry out before watering again. Outside during the warm months, succulents will crave more water, especially in full sun. In the fall, bring them inside and place them near a sunny window. Growing succulents indoors during the cold months requires little care as they basically go dormant. I give my plants a sip of water monthly.

Six Super Succulents

Although there are hundreds to pick from, here are some of my favorite plants and their specific requirements. Sedum Size: Creeping, 3-6 inches Light: Full sun Hardiness: USDA Zones 4-9, perennial Description: Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’ boasts chartreuse foliage that stands out in the garden border. A moderate spreader, it’s a good pick for a rock garden. It combines well with Sedum hybrid ‘Lime Zinger’ (PP24632), part of the SunSparkler® series, which has blueish-green foliage with pink edges and flowers. Need a taller sedum? Shop for uprights, 14 inches or taller. Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

Success with Succulents

Hens and Chicks Size: 3 inches Light: Full sun Hardiness: Zones 3-8, perennial Description: Sempervivum, meaning “always living,” will truly live in any dry, sunny condition. These low growers received the name “hens and chicks” because the baby rosette plants grow around the mother plant (the hen). You’ll find them in many garden centers.

For a shot of red in your indoor or outdoor gardens, grow Sempervivum ‘Onyx’.

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Aeonium Size: 6-12 inches Light: Sun to part sun Hardiness: Zones 9-11, annual Description: Yellow, green and pink tricolor leaves are the showstopping feature of Aeonium haworthii ‘Kiwi’. I like to display this one on its own, and here it is in a tight, tree stump pot.

Echeveria Size: 6-8 inches Light: Sun to part sun Hardiness: Zone 10+, annual Description: The alluring, sun-loving Echeveria ‘Allegra’ has a blue-green color and waxy leaves. It will do well in an outside garden or container.

Crassula Size: 4-12 inches Light: Sun to part sun Hardiness: Zones 9-11, annual Description: Crassula ovata ‘Baby Jade’ is in the popular jade family of plants. Its lime green leaves with burgundy edges are round and glossy. The more sun this succulent gets, the more robust its color.

Curio (formerly called Senecio serpens) Size: 6-12 inches Light: Sun Hardiness: Zones 9-11, annual Description: Curio repens ‘Blue Chalksticks’ is a nice contrast to other succulents because of its long, airy, blue leaves with blunt tips. It’s popular among gardeners for containers and as a groundcover.

Succulent vs. Cactus

You can call a cactus a succulent, but you can’t call a succulent a cactus. Why? Cactus is a sub-category of the group of plants called succulents, mainly because they both store water. Most cacti have sharp thorns or spines, and they don’t have leaves. Succulents have thick leaves. —M.M.R.

Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

Success with Succulents

Tips from a Pro Hip, Chic Plants

For the past decade, succulents have been in high demand for the following reasons. • They’re low-maintenance plants that can take neglect. • They come in many unusual colors, sizes and shapes. • You can find succulents for shade and full sun—although most are for full sun. • Most succulents are perennials, but some are annuals. • Lately, people spend more time inside their homes and want to enjoy gardening year-round. • Succulents are perfect for gardeners in states and cities that have watering restrictions because they thrive with minimal water. • Succulents are easy to propagate. Simply place a fallen leaf cut-side down into the soil, and watch another plant grow. —M.M.R.

Professional photographer and U of M Extension master gardener Michelle Mero Riedel gardens in Washington County, Minnesota.

If you travel to North Branch, about 40 miles north of the Twin Cities, you’ll find Greenworld Greenhouse—a charming momand-pop greenhouse that’s only open for business for about six weeks in late spring. Owners Craig and Cyndy Johnson only sell succulents and annuals, but they offer an amazing variety: about 220 different kinds of succulents and 50 different kinds of cacti. Craig, who you can usually find dressed in farm overalls, dispenses a lot of good advice based on his 53 years in business, caring for and propagating succulents year-round.

Sedum ‘Coppertone’ Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’

Tip 1:

“IF YOU ARE GOING TO BUY A SUCCULENT AS A HOUSEPLANT, THERE ARE CERTAIN ONES THAT DO BETTER IN LOW-LIGHT SITUATIONS,” Craig says. While shopping, look for plants in these genera: Peperomia, Sanseveria, Haworthia, Gasteria and Aloe. “If you buy plants in these genera, you are going to have them a year from now,” Craig says. Plants that need lots of light, such as sedums and echeverias, will etiolate, which means they’ll stretch due to the low light of winter and lose their color.

Tip 2: PICK THE RIGHT CONTAINER. “So many people pick out a pot that doesn’t have a drainage hole,” Craig says. “If you have a pot

without a hole, add a couple of inches of pea gravel to the bottom for a water buffer. Otherwise, you’ll overwater and kill the succulents.”

Tip 3: USE SOIL WITH HIGH POROSITY (GREAT DRAINAGE). “If making your own mix, add perlite to the soil, about two parts

general potting soil to one part perlite,” Craig says. He sells and uses soil with a high bark mix. You can also use coarse sand to achieve a high porosity. –M.M.R.

44 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

GARDEN SOLUTIONS

HARD WOODS Developing a garden from woodlands requires patience and persistence.

Story and photos by Gail Brown Hudson

Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

Hard Woods

“IT’S A GYM AND A THERAPIST ALL IN ONE!” With laughter, Aine Michelson describes her colorful 2½-acre sanctuary in North Oaks, surrounded by woodlands, with a lake and pond nearby. After several decades of work, this petite gardener who hails from Dublin, Ireland, has singlehandedly tamed this complex habitat. Now she happily shares her experience and wisdom with visitors, showing them how to tackle challenging landscapes like this one. “Woods are hard,” Aine says. “There’s always one step forward and five back, you know?” With nature always encroaching, as well as the shade and deep shade conditions created by a broad canopy of trees surrounding her yard and garden, Aine must continually experiment with everything she likes to grow. Aine and her husband, Bob, moved to the house with their two children in 2003 and began to carve out a garden that today blossoms with amazing color and plant life.

Hostas, impatiens and other shade-tolerant plants anchor Aine’s garden. She looks for sunny spots for bee balm and daylilies.

Step 1: Define Boundaries Like many suburban properties, the woods surrounding this residence include aggressive plants. “Tons of bittersweet” grew right to the very edge of Aine’s woods (See sidebar on woodland invasives). “I spent half a day removing it,” Aine says, “and if you don’t keep at it, they’ll very quickly go through your beds.” To keep unwanted plants at bay, Aine established a mulched path about 2 feet wide between the woods and her gardens, all the way around the perimeter. “I weed it, I rake it,” she says. “My family teases me constantly about weeding the woods.” Her method is one of the most effective she’s tried. “Every year you think you’ve gotten things under control and then a new weed or least one you haven’t seen around here to any extent suddenly appears,” she says, “and then it’s everywhere, right?!”

“

Woods are hard. There’s always one step forward and five back, you know?” The woods provide a deep green background to hydrangeas, astilbe and hosta.

46 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

“

I learned to look for what I call ‘sun spots’. ”

Flower-filled containers edge the patio.

Lunaria annua

Step 2: Right Plant, Right Place Aine’s fondest wish is to grow what she’d seen in her mothdahlias in varying shades of red and pink. “Many, many er’s garden in Ireland, but it is a perennial struggle. “I bethings that I have grown here have some kind of sentimengan to learn that even things that are sold in garden centers tal attachment for me in how they’re connected to Ireland [here] don’t always grow in Minnesota,” Aine says. and my upbringing,” Aine says. Light is key for achieving some flower power in her shady She includes tender flowers like her “Mam’s lilies”—actulandscape. She follows the practices of popular British ally spotted arum lilies or calla lilies (Zantedeschia albomachorticulturist Monty Don, who constantly moves plants to ulata, USDA Zone 8)—which she brought back to Minnesota figure out what works well and where. “I learned to look after her mother died. She plants them either in a garden for what I call ‘sun spots’,” Aine says. “If I really observed bed or a container, then overwinters the rhizomes indoors. carefully, I could see areas that are Aine “love, love, loves” the mem[sunny] … enough for me to get a little ories that sweet pea vines bring bit of color in.” but this annual plant often stops Aine also keeps a big notebook on blooming in the midsummer heat. what combinations look nice together. Another favorite from home, called Vibrant shades of her favorite colors the honesty flower or money plant (“I do love pinks and reds hugely”) (Lunaria annua), returns every year make the garden uniquely her own. “I with magenta flowers in June and iralways have two big pots of red geraidescent flat circles filled with seeds niums,” she says, “because my mothin the fall, in spite of being a zone 5 er’s mother always had them” in front plant. of their tiny cottage. Recently, Aine has begun plantClose to the road, a shady spot is ing more natives because they grow filled with large blocks of red bee easily, such as coneflowers, blue balm, red and pink impatiens, lavenvervain, Culver’s root (Veronicastrum der hostas and her mother’s favorite virginicum, zone 3) and prairie smoke Aine fills her yard with dahlias, such as ‘Twilite’—a reminder of flower (Geum triflorum, zone 3). her mother’s garden.

Northern Gardener l Spring 2023 47

Hard Woods

Woodland Invasives

Wooded areas surrounding residential properties are often the source of unwanted and aggressive plants in gardens. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resource’s list of invasive species is long; here are just a few varieties to watch out for: Round leaf bittersweet (formerly known as oriental bittersweet) (Celastrus orbiculatus) is a woody, deciduous vine that can form such a dense cover (it can grow up to 66 feet long), it will pull down trees and smother shrubs. European buckthorn, common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) (above) is a tall, understory shrub considered one of the greatest threats to native woodlands in our region. It degrades wildlife habitat and outcompetes native plants for nutrients, light and moisture. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) forms thick mats on the forest floor that shade and outcompete native plant species. It also produces chemicals that impede natural forest regeneration. It’s often found along trails because humans and animals track mud containing its tiny seeds. Amur maple (Acer ginnala) displaces native shrubs and understory trees in open woods and shades out native plants in savanna habitats. For more information: dnr.state.mn.us and search for “invasive plants.” —G.B.H.

48 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Aine loves lilies, including the Arum lily.

Step 3: Take the Long Approach A highlight of Aine’s gardening achievements has been conquering the backyard hill, which the Michelsons look at whenever they sit on the patio. “It has been the bane of my life ever since we’ve been here,” Aine says. “It’s a huge area to take care of, just by itself.” The hill was covered in weeds, with six maple trees and a large pine tree planted too close together. The Michelsons removed three trees, lost three more in a storm and suddenly had a sunnier spot. Now a line of ninebark shrubs forms an attractive, dark backdrop for Annabelle hydrangeas, Karl Foerster grasses, deep pink Asiatic lilies, dark red astilbe, yellow daylilies, purple catmint, rosy colors of impatiens and an edging of light green and white-rimmed hostas. Halfway up the hill, Aine created a “little magical spot” for her children with a hidden bench, surrounded by green moss, soft lavender clematis trained on a quartet of obelisks, dark green hostas and tall grasses. This spring, Aine and Bob plan to add a waterfall feature to complement the lush plantings. A sloping front yard filled with woods began to change, too. The couple lost trees to oak wilt and storms. They installed a lawn encircled by different kinds of hostas, elderberries, irises, catmints, monkshoods and ‘Stella d’Oro’ daylilies among rivers of boulders that help with drainage. “Over the years, I just kept dividing,” Aine says, and now white blooming astilbe line the entire driveway. An outstanding feature right outside the front door is an obelisk covered with a ghost honeysuckle vine (Lonicera, zone 4) producing bright yellow flowers on eucalyptus-type bracts in late spring and red berries in late summer. Off the back of the house, the Michelsons created flowing seating areas with a large pergola covered in ‘Blue Moon’ wisteria and rambunctious hops (Humulus lupulus, zone 4), a cobblestone patio and dry-stone fireplace. Aine entertains family, friends and her garden club with Irish teas; the highlight is the view of her pretty garden.

A clematis brightens the front yard in early summer.

Shade-tolerant astilbe adds color to the backyard.

Step 4: Critter Control

Final Thoughts

While rabbits don’t have a chance because of the many coyotes in North Oaks, deer flourish there. Aine is determined to keep the deer away by making her plants “pretty stinky.” She dons a backpack of repellent in May and sprays everything—even plants that deer won’t typically eat. “It’s a little bit unnerving, but I have to wait until the hostas are leafed out enough so there’s a fairly substantial plant before I spray,” Aine says. “If the hostas get too big, then they’re juicy and ready for the deer.” The process takes four hours, and she repeats it a week later and once more in mid- August. Aine keeps a spray bottle handy, treating individual plants such as Asiatic lilies when they bloom. “I really believe it has been the difference for me,” she says. Aine also sprinkles the edges of her yard with Milorganite®, an organic fertilizer made from activated sludge. A 2012 University of Georgia Extension study shows it can reduce the overall impact of deer damage. “We’ve been pretty lucky on the whole,” she says.

Like any good gardener, enriching the soil is important to Aine—she won’t plant anything without adding compost. She no longer uses peat because of environmental concerns or mulch because of jumping worm sightings in the city. As Aine’s garden expands, it continues to challenge her. “For everything that’s been a success, there have been many things that didn’t work,” she says. It’s a great place “to learn patience, to get exercise and provide time to think” surrounded by her favorite plants.

“

It’s a great place to learn patience, to get exercise and provide time to think surrounded by her favorite plants.”

Horticulturist Gail Brown Hudson is an Emmy® award-winning journalist, writer and video producer.

Northern Gardener l Spring 2023 49

DEEP DIVE

Fully understand your garden’s zone and microclimates. Then, you can be bold in pushing those limits.

WHAT HARDINESS ZONES

By Kathy Purdy

DON’T

TELL YOU 50 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

WALTERS GARDENS

Phenomenal® lavender should be hardy in the author’s zone 5 garden, but the clay soil she struggles with kills it every time.

When ‘Red Baron’ Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’) was introduced decades ago, it was promoted as hardy to USDA Zone 6 so I dismissed it as inappropriate for my then-zone 4 garden. Imagine my surprise to see it growing happily in my friend’s even-colder garden. I asked her for a piece of it and it has grown just as well in mine. [Note: The green form of Imperata cylindrica is highly invasive and some sources say the red form can revert to the

green form. It’s best not to get started with this plant.] The Red Baron was my first clue that a plant’s hardiness zone might not be the last word on how well a plant will do in my garden—or yours.

What is a Hardiness Zone?

In 2012, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published a revised map that displayed colored zones showing temperatures “calculated from the lowest daily minimum temperature recorded for each of the years 1976–2005” in each area. Yeah, that long ago. It doesn’t tell you how long that minimum temperature lasted or how often it occurred. It doesn’t guarantee that it will never get colder. It’s just an average of 30 temperature readings taken more than 18 years ago.

What Zones Don’t Tell You

Yes, every plant has a line drawn in the sand, a degree of cold past which it can’t live. But that can vary even among cultivars of the same plant. And every plant has an “iffy” zone, conditions where it might live, depending on—well, consider some of my own observations. my current zone 5 garden, lavenders that are supposed to be hardy here, + In such as Phenomenal , die because my clay soil doesn’t drain freely enough. ®

‘Red Baron’ Japanese blood grass is rated as hardy only to USDA Zone 6, yet it’s known to grow in zone 4 gardens. (Be careful though: The hybrid may revert to the plant species and become invasive.) Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

What Hardiness Zones Don’t Tell You

Exposure to the desiccating effects of wind can kill evergreens that would otherwise survive the cold. Sunshine can also be a problem, warming bark during the day, which is then subjected to bitter cold at night. Erratic weather, such as the two weeks of spring in February followed by zone 4 cold mentioned above, will kill otherwise hardy plants. Snow is the best mulch, so bitter cold in a snowless winter can reach roots that would otherwise be protected. If a plant goes into the winter stressed, it won’t be as hardy as a healthy plant. If you’re growing it in acid soil and it needs alkaline, if you had a drought all summer, if you planted it just before the ground froze (guilty!), if you planted in shade and it needs sun—it’s not going to be as tolerant of severe cold, no matter what hardiness it’s rated.

“

The only one who’s an expert on what grows in your garden is you, and you become the expert by trial and error. That means you will kill plants. You will kill plants.”

WALTERS GARDENS

BAILEY NURSERIES

Expect to Kill Plants

Left: Pineapple lily — this one is Eucomis ‘Safari Adventure’ — are rated hardy only to zone 6, but grow well in zone 4 Quebec City, where guaranteed snow cover protects them from winter cold. Above: Hydrangea macrophylla, such as Summer Crush®, should be hardy in the author’s garden, but thawing and freezing cycles have taken a toll. These hydrangeas grow well only in a walled area where the snow melts last.

+ One exceptionally mild winter, our coldest temperatures (minus 24 degrees

F) occurred after weeks of springlike weather in the 50s and 60s, and my yew foundation shrubs, considered hardy to minus 30 degrees F (zone 4), died because they had come out of dormancy.

+ In Quebec, I saw pineapple lilies (Eucomis sp.) growing in the ground. They’re normally only hardy to zone 6, but Quebec’s deep and reliable snow cover insulates them from the cold.

reblooming big-leaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) I have tried + Most fail to bloom, except for the one sheltered by a stone wall, where the snow takes longer to melt.

52 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

There are so many factors that affect plant hardiness in addition to air temperature that some people think the whole concept of hardiness zones is a joke. Former nursery owner Ellen Hornig frankly stated in her catalog, “We include hardiness zones largely to pander to popular prejudice and give you a small degree of guidance.” But you’ve got to start somewhere. Other local gardeners are a tremendous help. If anyone is going to know what will make it in your garden, it’s someone with the same growing conditions. If you don’t have a local garden buddy, seek out groups of gardeners in your area, through a local garden club or on the internet. And hardiness zones certainly help the online plant seller know when to ship the plants you ordered. In the end, the only one who’s an expert on what grows in your garden is you, and you become the expert by trial and error. That means you will kill plants. You will kill plants. After a while, you won’t kill as many, because you’ll develop a better understanding

of your extremely local growing conditions. By patient observation you’ll know, for example, that a certain corner is windy, the snow always melts first by the walkway, and the area by the gutter downspout is always a little bit damper than the rest of the garden.

KATHY PURDY

Zone denial, here we come!

Warm spring days followed by a sudden drop to minus 24 degrees F killed some foliage on this normally hardy yew.

What’s Your Ecoregion?

On the other hand, I suppose you might kill more, as you become more willing to take chances. My willingness to experiment is constrained by the limits of my pocketbook. I will try a perennial rated a zone or even two zones warmer if I think I can provide the other conditions it needs, perhaps shade and moist, acid soil. But I am more conservative when it comes to an expensive tree that requires a lot of digging to plant—and to dig out again when it dies. Gardeners with a bigger budget will be braver. Wayne Winterrowd and Joe Eck, in A Year at North Hill: Four Seasons in a Vermont Garden (Holt, 1996), describe many rhododendrons in their garden that aren’t considered hardy in their zone. But there they are, grown to maturity. Winterrowd and Eck were not assured of success when they planted them, but they gambled and won—that round.

Ecoregion maps are new tools for gardeners to use in determining which plants will thrive in their area. Compiled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ecoregions take into account soils, geology, hydrology, wildlife and plant communities as well as climate. These can provide gardeners with a more accurate list of the native plants in their regions that have evolved with local insects and animals and will perform well in home gardens. Minnesota is unusual among states in that three ecoregions intersect here: the Great Plains, the Northern Forests and the Eastern Temperate Forests. To find out more about your ecoregion, visit epa.gov and search for “ecoregions.” –Eds.

Then there’s the matter of the zone assigned to the plant. The major plant breeders, the ones who patent their plants and spend big bucks marketing them, test the hardiness of their plants. They maintain test gardens and send out sample plants to colleagues to trial. But a smaller breeder, who perhaps obtained seed from a seed exchange or a botanical expedition, grew the plant, loved it and decided to sell it—that person is going to make an educated guess as to the plant’s hardiness until proven otherwise. That’s what happened with the Japanese blood grass I mentioned earlier. Growers observed where it grew in Japan and assumed it wasn’t any hardier than that. It was only as gardeners decided to gamble and grow it in colder zones that we learned it was hardier than originally thought. And it can take a while for that new knowledge to trickle down. I found one website that still says it’s hardy to zone 6, and I know of a zone 3 gardener who grows it successfully. Most websites still say zone 5. It’s wonderful when you can get a division of a plant from a friend or at a local plant sale, gambling with pretty low stakes. Or do as my friend does—grow trees of questionable hardiness from seed. You might just prove the experts wrong. Cold hardiness is just one of many factors affecting a plant’s survival through the winter. You only learn with experience how to adjust those factors to improve a plant’s chances. It’s one of the reasons experienced gardeners don’t give up on a plant they really want in their gardens until they’ve killed it three times, growing it in a different location each time. It might take the second or third try to figure out exactly what that plant needs. So don’t let a slightly warmer hardiness rating stop you from trying a plant without doing a little research into its needs. Kathy Purdy gardens in upstate New York. Her website is coldclimategardening.com. Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

GREEN GARDENING

Going Peat-Free For peat’s sake, leave that wondrous carbon sponge in the ground and try these options.

The author on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, with peat fields in the distance.

54 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID HUDSON

Story and photos by Gail Brown Hudson

Top: Peat harvesting continues in Ireland. Middle: Remnants of peat harvesting can be seen on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Lower: Sphagnum peat moss in Scotland

We do it without thinking. We fill a

ALICE GRUBER

container with potting soil, plant it up and move on to the next one. But most potting soil has a key ingredient that’s causing major global discussions on how to stop us from using it. It’s called peat—that soft, dark brown, miraculous substance that creates ideal growing conditions for many plants. The world is losing huge quantities of stored carbon every year when peat is harvested. As much as 10 percent of global, human-caused carbon emissions are attributed to the loss of peatlands, and many scientists and world leaders believe that preserving peatlands could play a critical role in efforts to reduce climate change.

What is Peat?

Peat moss comes from bogs, a kind of wetland that’s home to unique and diverse flora and fauna, such as native orchids, pitcher plants, sandhill cranes and heath butterflies. Peat forms as plants die and get covered by water, which slows down decomposition. In these oxygenfree conditions, the plants don’t rot—they retain the carbon they removed from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. Year after year, peat accumulates, growing 1 millimeter per year or 1 yard deep every 1,000 years, and forming a thick layer of almost pure humus. Peatlands cover 3 percent of the world’s land area but store twice as much carbon as all the trees on earth combined.

Why We Use Peat

Gardeners love peat for its ability to retain water up to 20 times its weight, to add space for oxygen and to hold nutrients in soil. It can also help acidify soil for planting blueberries and azaleas. And it’s inexpensive. Since peat takes many, many lifetimes to form, it’s considered a non-renewable resource. Many countries restrict the use of peat or are trying to ban it altogether. If you’ve ever watched Britain’s popular horticultural program, “Gardener’s World,” you’ll have heard Monty Don’s cry, “don’t use peat!” Ninety-five percent of England’s peat bogs have been lost, most of it burned for fuel. The United Kingdom has banned the sale of peat by next year and the use of peat by professional growers by 2030. In the United States, no such restrictions exist. About 85 percent of our peat comes Canada, which has more than 200 million acres of peatlands. But only 10 percent of Canadian peat is protected. Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

Going Peat-Free

Step-by-Step Change

So how do we do our bit as gardeners? You might begin by only using half of that potting soil with peat in it. Or extend your potting mix with some homemade compost made from leaf mold or other green material from your yard. But if you want to completely eliminate peat from your garden, look for potting soil bags with the term “peat free” on the label. Products advertised as “environmentally friendly,” “sustainable,” “organic” or “natural” may still have peat in them. Local nurseries, Target and Walmart now carry peat-free soil.

Peat-Free Options

You can also make your own potting soil. Many peat-replacement options exist, each with their own concerns. Experiment to see which product achieves the results you want. Seedlings in particular can be very unforgiving. Coconut coir At the top of many lists is coconut coir, which is the fiber between the husk and outer shell of a coconut and a waste product of the coconut industry. “Coco coir” can hold up to 10 times its weight in water. You can purchase coir in bricks or huge blocks, which expand when you add water. Large amounts of water are used in the processing of coir and, like peat, it has to be shipped to the United States. Perlite Those little, puffy white bits in potting soil that look like Styrofoam are perlite, which is made from expanded volcanic glass. Perlite is

ORNAMENTAL PLANTS

EDIBLE PLANTS (VEGGIES)

1 part compost

2 parts compost

2 parts coconut coir

1 part coconut coir

2 parts coconut coir

1 part builder’s sand (sharp)

1 part good garden topsoil + 1 part builder’s sand or perlite

1 part builder’s sand (sharp)

Mix ingredients in a wheelbarrow before filling your containers. Compost is a good slow-release fertilizer. But container-grown plants, especially edibles, need more nutrients throughout the season. –G.B.H.

dusty, so take care to moisten it and avoid inhaling the dust. It’s primarily used to aerate soil and is extremely porous so it can absorb water and improves soil drainage. Mix perlite with compost at a 1-1 ratio to create a moist environment for seedling roots. Vermiculite Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral, heated to very high temperatures to make it expand. It absorbs up to four times its weight in water. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, recent findings about vermiculite ore show some— not all—vermiculate products are contaminated with tremolite asbestos, causing concern over possible health effects from long-term exposure. Department officials say the health risk is low for consumers using vermiculite on an infrequent basis. I recommend using gloves, handling it only outdoors and keeping it moist to minimize any dust. Or just use perlite.

Ultimate Goal: Happy Plants

Saying good-bye to peat is a big deal. Start with big planting containers where the peat alternatives are diluted as you experiment. If you’re starting seeds, use your old standby mix and sample some of the alternatives alongside it. It might take a few seasons before you hit upon a recipe that works well for you.

56 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

SEEDLINGS

Wood chips, pine bark or sawdust Woody materials provide an open structure and offer good drainage. It’s one way to use byproducts of the wood industry. Home compost One of the best ways to know what’s in a product is to make it yourself. Composting green material from your yard, such as leaves, sticks, plants and grass along with fruit and vegetable scraps and even shredded newspaper, can create a great organic soil amendment that plants love. Leaf mold All you need are leaves and time to make leaf mold. Tree leaves are high in carbon and low in nitrogen. This natural soil conditioner helps the soil hold water, enhances soil structure and provides habitat for micro- and macro-organisms. Research has shown that leaf mold improves plant health, increases crop yield and even enhances a plant’s resistance to disease.

And here’s an easy step: when you’re planting trees and shrubs, don’t amend the soil with peat moss. Studies show that they’ll actually do better if you let the roots get used to the native soil. Horticulturist Gail Brown Hudson is an Emmy® award-winning journalist, writer and video producer.

RECIPES FROM HENNEPIN COUNTY MASTER GARDENER’S ARTICLE, ACCESSED 11-6-2021

Peat Free Options

Examples of peat-free products

Nursery pots made from plant starch

Minnesota’s Peatland

Green areas indicate peatlands in Minnesota.

Minnesota has more than 6 million acres of peatland, and 80 percent of them are intact and are not being harvested. Our newest state park is Big Bog State Park, 60 miles northeast of Bemidji. Established in 2006, it preserves a huge wetland area said to be the largest peat bog in the lower 48 states. You can see some of the bog’s unique plant life along its 1-mile boardwalk. –G.B.H.

Peat-free potting mix

Pitcher plants thrive in bogs.

U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFESERVICE

MINNESOTA PEATLANDS MAP ADAPTED FROM “THE ORIGINAL VEGETATION OF MINNESOTA” COMPILED FOR F. J. MARSCHNER IN 1930.

You can walk past peatlands in Big Bog State Park.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PROVEN WINNERS

LISA MEYERS MCCLINTICK

Mix includes compost, bark, coconut coir and rice hulls.

Plant pots made from coconut coir Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

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58 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

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

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Northern Gardener l Spring 2023

BEFORE & AFTER

From Lawn to Teachable Garden Desire for fresh food led to landscape re-do.

BEFORE

By Susan Barbieri

last may, kim franken’s family put more “bloom” around their Bloomington home by going from one small garden to six raised beds plus a pollinator garden. “We just wanted more fresh food,” says Kim. She also thought her 7- and 9-year-old children would learn from growing food. “Gardens teach so much about plant life cycles and patience,” she says. “There’s just so much stuff that kids can gain from having a garden.”

“

I feel like we’re going to be successful year after year.”

60 Minnesota State Horticultural Society

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RUSTIC HILLS GARDENS

The Frankens worked with food landscape specialist Melissa Wilsford of Rustic Hill Garden Co. on the layout and installation. They installed the vegetable garden along the south side the house, and a garden near their front porch ensures that the yard is welcoming to pollinators. They also planted blueberry and raspberry bushes as well as a cherry, a plum and two peach trees. To their surprise and delight, one of the new peach trees produced about 50 peaches right away. “Things went really well; we had lots of food,” Kim says. “I’d take the kids out at lunch and we’d be like, ‘What do we want to eat today?’ So, we’d pick a carrot or chard and some greens and make wraps.” She worried a bit about whether the added weeding and upkeep of the additional beds would be too much, but it turned out to be manageable. And the new garden is the ideal size for a family of four. To keep up with a prolific vegetable garden, they developed the habit of picking just as much as they’d eat each day rather than picking

AFTER

10 zucchini and struggling to eat them all. They shared the occasional surplus with others. Kim doesn’t do any canning, but she did freeze produce and still has some pasta sauce made from last summer’s garden tomatoes. Working with a designer/installer helped Kim “figure out what to plant where, and gave some great timelines

for us on when to expect to harvest,” she says. “We also have great plans going forward. She gave us plans for when to start planting and where to get seeds. I feel like we’re going to be successful year after year.” Susan Barbieri is a St. Paul-based writer and gardener.

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Northern Gardener l January/February 2022

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