At Plant Exchange blog, we celebrate Spring with delicate peonies. Long-lived peonies are a perennial staple of the Northern Plains. Colorful blooms are commonly 3 inches in diameter. No wonder they are among early favorites for flower bouquets. Peony shrubs grow well in temperate climates, USDA Zone 3-6 or so. The buds require chilling temperatures … Continue reading
Filed under Flowers …
Regional Plant-Related Event
Loess Hills Wild Ones Sioux City, Iowa area Next event is June 30 at Mount Talbot State Preserve to see what’s growing and blooming that day. Wear sturdy walking shoes, dress for the weather, and bring your own water. The entrance to Mount Talbot State Preserve is located on an ungraveled section of Talbot Road. Meet at 2 p.m. near the Memorial … Continue reading
Dependable Perennials– Peony and Columbine
In spring, greenhouses feature the latest new flowering plants and gardeners are eager to plant them. If the new introductions are perennials, perhaps they will grow again next year in local environmental conditions. What a comfort though, to see perennials emerge from dregs of winter in one’s own yard, years in a row. What a … Continue reading
Dibbles And Bits
Dandelions are everywhere in early spring. “My great grandfather brought dandelions with him from Denmark,” Paul Harens of Yankton remarked. “They were for greens.” Why one would bring dandelion seeds to grow– the plant scourge of some lawns today? Dandelions are members of the large Asteraceae family. The genus Taraxacum is native to North America, … Continue reading
What It Takes to Grow
Brandon Wagner is the teacher for a new horticulture class at Yankton High School. He wanted his students to learn about plants and have direct experience in how plants grow. A newly constructed automated greenhouse and seed germinating chamber gave Wagner and his students a chance to learn about the fundamentals of growing plants. Students … Continue reading
Transplants Ready to Plant Soon
Transplants are ready to go in the garden here at Plant Exchange! It’s mid-May and the average frost date has passed, so in the next couple of weeks, the transplants here are ready for the flowerbeds, gardens, and containers. Flowers and vegetables were started from seeds and germinated under florescent lights indoors. When the plants … Continue reading
Garden Bloggers Bloom Day May 15th
Spring has arrived at Plant Exchange Blog in South Dakota! Pelicans have migrated north and songbirds are everywhere. In our USDA Zone 4-5a region, we may have encountered the last frost to start the season. Wild native plums are quite showy in early mornings and evenings these days. New leaves dress trees and shrubs … Continue reading
Art and Garden in Synchrony
Welcome to Plant Exchange Blog where we try to showcase the talents of people of the Northern Plains who like plants. Amy Fill is a local sculptor and painter and also gardens. She’s also the interim director of university art galleries at University of South Dakota. Fill lives and works in an art studio in … Continue reading
Honoring Dr. David Graper
Dr. David Graper is highlighted in Plant Exchange Blog this week for his service to everyday gardeners. David Graper is a Horticulture professor at South Dakota State University and S. D. State Extension Horticulture Specialist and McCrory Gardens horticulturist. He spent much of his career in service to the people of South Dakota and with … Continue reading
Lauritzen Gardens Dinosaurs and Plants
Plants and dinosaurs were well connected in ancient times in our mid – region of the now United States. Fossil evidence shows us that dinosaurs ate plants or dined on plant-eaters. Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha, Nebraska, has an exhibit that shows realistic dinosaurs and living plants they likely ate. “Dinosaur UpROAR” exhibit, until May 12th, … Continue reading
