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08 Sep 2009
September 8, 2009 0 Comments By masterpiecelandscapingadmin boulders and stone, mediums in OUR artform

Boulders in the Minnesota Landscape Garden

Here in Minnesota boulders happen.  They were carved out from bedrock by glaciers and then dumped willy-nilly as the glaciers receded.  For decades farmers gathered the gatherable to get them out of the way of plowed fields.  Some still do.  Now, they  sell them. Some boulders are more beautiful than others.  Some are larger, others more square than oblong.  Some are granite, others limestone. Things "boulderlike" have become very popular in landscapes.  In the old iron...

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25 Aug 2009
August 25, 2009 0 Comments By masterpiecelandscapingadmin Uncategorized

Visiting the Minnesota Landscape Garden

Visiting a landscape garden in Minnesota is not at all like going to a museum or art institute.  In our northern community seasons move quickly.  Today's garden will never again be seen.  Color, size and form relationships are constantly changing.  Today's shadows are new.  Colors may fade by tomorrow. Usually the museum shows its wares in the same places yesterday, today, and tomorrow...somewhat more similar to a landscape garden in California.  One of the most...

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24 Aug 2009
August 24, 2009 0 Comments By masterpiecelandscapingadmin The Art of Landscaping

Words, Landscaping, and Living in “Paradise”

In every topic of life there are potential problems with language.  I am a language aware person.  One of my favorite courses of study ever was trying to learn Latin in High School.  I learned to love words, their mysteries and meanings. In landscape gardening we have troubles with the word "garden" and all its relatives. "Landscape" gardening has meaning, but I am not certain very many Americans know how to define it.  Let's try,...

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21 Aug 2009
August 21, 2009 0 Comments By masterpiecelandscapingadmin garden maintenance

Weeding in the Rain

A weed is a plant out of place.  Goldenrod is not a weed, unless it is out of place.  Elms, maples, basswoods, and Ohio buckeyes can be beautiful trees, but they are major weeds in the garden as seedlings because they are out of place. Many oak seedlings in my garden are not necessarily out of place.  I often let them grow for several to many years, especially if they are white oak seedlings...in my...

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19 Aug 2009
August 19, 2009 0 Comments By masterpiecelandscapingadmin Pruning

Grooming The Landscape Garden

The landscape gardener is constantly evaluating the state of the gardened grounds. During these weeks of  tired summer there generally is more color throughout the grounds than at other seasnons.   Herbaceous plants are bigger, paths become narrower, and there is no space left for the chrysanthemums you were planning on buying to shore up the autumn look. This is a good time for grooming the garden.  Tools are needed.  Quality tools, not those cheaply made types.  Hand pruners,...

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11 Aug 2009
August 11, 2009 0 Comments By masterpiecelandscapingadmin Pruning

To Prune or Not to Prune?

To prune or not to prune during late summer? Not in September, landscape gardeners. ...not unless you have no choice or the pruning will be very light.  We are refering to woody plants, of course. As a generalization, the best time to prune  your woody plants is in early spring......with the exceptions:  1) certain deciduous plants whose blooms you value and want to show off during the coming season,  and 2) certain evergreen conifers such as pine,...

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11 Aug 2009
August 11, 2009 0 Comments By masterpiecelandscapingadmin Plant health

Acid in the Landscape Garden

By August landscape gardeners may begin to notice certain woody plants....both evergreen and deciduous... have developed a yellow look.  Yes, the foliage is decidedly not the green true to the plant's healthier past.  What's going on? Unless the plant is in death mood, by which one might already notice leaf drop, what is going on ....is,  the plant is going chlorotic, meaning turning yellow due to chlorosis, the inability of the plant to take in certain nutrients.  The...

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07 Aug 2009
August 7, 2009 0 Comments By masterpiecelandscapingadmin Plant health

The Winter Burn on Conifers Mystery

One of the great mysteries of landscaping in Minnesota is knowing all of the elements involved which cause so-called "winter burn" on our garden coniferous evergreens.  We do know exposure to the winter sun especially in mid to late winter, the location and genus of the "victim" are all contributing factors. We also noted that the winter of 2008-2009 was one of the worst winters for winter burn.  We noted that some yews in full...

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07 Aug 2009
August 7, 2009 0 Comments By masterpiecelandscapingadmin Plant health

Many “Fish” in the Minnesota Evergreen Pond

The garden season this year, 2009, in the Twin Cities metropolitan area has been one of the driest and coolest in recorded history.  As a generalization we can predict that signs of autumn will arrive earlier and the coming winter will be earlier,  longer, and probably snowier. The observing home owner will notice that foliage toward the  interior of  pines, arborvitae, junipers, especially and in general, of all evergreen conifers in our climate will begin to turn...

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11 Jul 2009
July 11, 2009 0 Comments By masterpiecelandscapingadmin The Art of Landscaping

Extend the Happier Life: Learn to Landscape Your Home Grounds

Landscaping  is primarily an art form.  One might not recognize the truth of this statement while touring  neighborhoods looking for creative ideas to use for  home or business grounds.  There is very little of the art of landscape design to be seen. Landscaping as generally practiced in this part of the country, and perhaps throughout our nation, is the business of covering the ground usually with lawn and a few shrubs somewhere, and in some areas...

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