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
Filed under Trees and Shrubs …
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
Planned, Wild, and Free
Many herbaceous and woody perennials are growing again. It’s a time to celebrate plants that have broken dormancy in the fall and winter drought conditions. Likely, we will find gaps in the flowerbeds, and local greenhouses have many options. Don Engebretson, design writer for the Northern Gardener magazine, is quoted in an article in the June issue … Continue reading
Spring is Busting Out All Over
Even after cold winds and low moisture in the region, we are glad that spring has arrived. Here are some findings on a walk around the yard. Leaf buds of this Ohio Buckeye/ Hawthorn tree show the energy of spring. Trees that flower before they leaf out, such as maples, have bursting buds. Recurring daffodils … Continue reading
Trees for the Prairie
Greenhouses burst with alluring annuals for our gardens. If these flowers were wearable, we might consider them jewelry, and the trees that anchor our yards as fundamental as the black dress. Trees and shrubs add a vertical shape to the area above the annuals and perennials in a yard. Trees can be the welcoming presence … Continue reading
Goals for the Garden Season
Before the daffodils bloom and the first turn of the soil, I consider a shortlist of what I aim for this gardening season. Add More Native Plants They are more adapted to the environment and thrive year to year, require less watering once established, and are more likely to benefit pollinators and other wildlife. More … Continue reading
Last Bittersweet Days of Winter
The ending of winter can be a bittersweet transition to spring. Maybe these days are a chance for uninterrupted reading opportunities, time to think about new season plants or time to prepare. For now, let’s think about bluebells, other blue flowers, a podcast, and bittersweet vine. Virginia bluebells grow on the Northern Plains! The striking blue … Continue reading
Tree Bark-Wrinkles in Time, and Other Winter Details
Last season’s yarrow reappears after snow on this below-zero day. Today we’ll look at end-of-winter visages in nature that we missed until now. Evergreen needles show fine detail. Ready-made snowballs—free. There are so many bark details to re-discover this winter while trees remain undressed. An easy way to see a variety of trees growing in … Continue reading
Dream a Garden Space
February can be the creative start to your personalized garden space. The cozy indoors with lots of photos of your landscape or a stack of gardening magazines with pictures that show aspects of spaces you are attracted to is a place to begin. Collect images that show your space as it is and the look … Continue reading
Not What You Might Think
We walked the dog this morning at a temperature of – 6 degrees F. The only one smiling was the dog. Most trees we see along the path are deciduous, dormant, and leafless, waiting for spring. Hats off to evergreens that live through the roller coaster winters on the Northern Plains. A common ornamental evergreen … Continue reading
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