And what is a Minnesotan supposed to do when it is April 09, 2012, and it is already May 15th in the landscape garden, and frost is in the forecast for the evening? French lilacs in open sun are about to bloom, redbuds in the city are already opening their flowers, crab apples appear about to open theirs as well and the temperature is expected to drop to 26F tonight. If your tomatoes were already set out...
Read More >>Sunny Schneiderhan, starette landscape gardener beautifying her space in Dinkytown USA, reported active sawflies on a mugho pine last Wednesday. Fortunately, for those of us who live in suburban Twin Cities where our horticultural zone is not yet #5, we usually have a four or five day respite from such attacks than our city brothers and sisters who grow Scot's and mugho pines. Do note and remember that Spring on a sunny South and the Southwest...
Read More >>at least thus far fellow Northlanders..... Previous to yesterday the vast majority of my grounds was bare of snow. Where snow did exist, there was no accumulation, but only a dusting here or there in areas beyond the reach of the Sun. As most of you readers know, I am thoroughly in favor of our Twin Cities moving into Horticultural zone 5. In some grounds we are almost there, but msot of those grounds are...
Read More >>This article should be considered a WARNING to any readers who planted or had us or anyone else plant new plant materials on your grounds since about the first of July this year in the Twin City area. We certainly had a number of rainfalls earlier in the year. Many were of the plundering type in which the downpour was overwhelming but not terribly helpful to landscape garden plants. Following these deluges, we have had...
Read More >>Because of this present November being exceptionally dry, pleasant, beautiful, and void of a killing frost until last Wednesday night here in the Twin Cities, landscape gardeners have been able to spend more time than usual amid their garden plants. These following questions arise for all of us and our answers may vary from year to year. To water or not to water? Who expected the last part of October to be so dry?......and after...
Read More >>Since our monsoons of early summer, there has been a drought in the general Twin City area. For well established plants there generally shouldn't be much concern....as yet. For newly planted woody plants and perennials regular watering......that is reliable water availability is essential for survival. A prolonged period of drought has about the same effect on woody plants regardless of soil type. Plants will wilt and die sooner in sandy soils. They also recover sooner,...
Read More >>........and this year September is arriving a bit early for my Swiss Stone Pines......the interior needles are beginning to turn yellowish. Autumn begins June 21st or is it the 22nd now with the beginning of the shortenning of the day. Our Northland's deciduous trees are already working on cutting off their today's leaves. Nearly all will be dropped by November 1st, year in and year out. Some of us are lucky enough to grow white oaks...
Read More >>May first is the normal time for Leonard Messel or Dr. Merrill Magnolias to begin blooming in my landscape garden. Normal meaning over the past thirty years. Normal meaning this year....despite the relatively miserable Spring....more accurate ......the absent Spring thus far. Dutch bulbs have done well. At last my Siberian Squill have weeded enough to cover masses of space with the most beautiful blue matching any in the world. For you beginning your landscape garden...
Read More >>What are the regular routines for the Landscape Gardener to maintain the home grounds in the best condition going into winter? Watering: There is much debate over what the autumn to late autumn watering schedule should be for the Twin City area landscaped grounds. Some 'professors' profess continued regular watering until the hard frosts; others suggest withholding water gradually to assist the plants hardening off for the cold misery of winter. Plants here usually mean...
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