Protect Our Nature

We often watch for stop-over Monarch butterflies as they migrate south in August – October in this region. They show us that animals (and plants) need a suitable place to live. In our Northern Plains location of the middle-United States Monarch flyway to Mexico, September is a good month for Monarch sightings. Native Agastache is … Continue reading →

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day–November 15th

Welcome to Plant Exchange Blog on the Northern Plains (USDA Hardiness Zone 4-5a). Colorful leaves have fallen along with temperatures, and some trees begin to adjust to temperate dormancy, from which they awaken as spring approaches about April or May. Time for good books. This morning, the weather app that usually forecasts many possible events … Continue reading →

Cole Crops for Cool Weather

What can grow at this time of year when it is 29 degrees F. today with wind from the north? As Fall deteriorates, cool weather becomes harder to ignore. But gardeners often gamble and plant a few seeds for the mild shoulder season that we have had so far.  Cole crops, varieties related to cabbage … Continue reading →

Dibbles and Bits

Parks, leaf color, and busy wild turkeys are topics today at Plant Exchange Blog as Autumn transition continues. Parks may add an important nature experience because more than 83% of Americans live in a city. Brooklyn Bridge Park of 85 acres along New York City’s East River is featured in the September/October 2022 Horticulture Magazine. Landscape challenges included … Continue reading →

“At My Door the Leaves are Falling”

Fall color was replaced this week by “leaf drop” of many green leaves before they turned. Rapid decreases in temperatures and drought conditions convinced trees to cut their losses. These are leaves from nature-planted woods nearby. Some trees are known for dropping many of their leaves at once in fall. We happened to walk by … Continue reading →

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day–October 15th

Welcome to Plant Exchange in our region on the Northern Plains, USDA Zone 4-5a. We remain in drought, but the mild temperatures and Autumn-colored trees draw us outdoors.  One of the easy walking trails is along the Missouri River at Lewis & Clark Recreation Area. Maples are turning red, and cottonwoods are golden yellow. This … Continue reading →

Thinking About Fall Leaf Color

Transitions can be a challenge when we adjust our clocks in fall. Deciduous trees have fall adjustments too, and the fall color that we enjoy, is one of them. Trees and shrubs that die back in fall usually have green leaves into Fall. Then, while days are warm, the evenings become cool, sometimes with light … Continue reading →

Deciduous Tree Days

Deciduous trees and woody shrubs are dressing for their party, and we’re all invited. Mild October days in the seventy degrees and nights in the fifties and over a half inch of rain on dusty soil encouraged this Ohio buckeye to be the first to show Autumn color in our yard. Nestled among taller trees, … Continue reading →

McCrory Gardens Welcomes Fall

McCrory Gardens in Brookings, South Dakota, has been in bloom for visitors this season since the tulips of spring. But in October, the native prairie flowers and maturing grasses define the 25 acres of botanical gardens in the vision of Harvey Dunn’s painting (1950), “The Prairie is My Garden.”  Dunn’s painting of the South Dakota … Continue reading →