Fall color and leaf drop might seem like nature’s final curtain call before seeds sprout in spring. But one of the natural winter changes that happen here on the Northern Plains by the Missouri River for all to see involves the water itself. The Missouri River here is dammed and enlarged to a lake more … Continue reading
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Garden Winners
Who doesn’t want flower or vegetable plants that grow well with abundant foliage and flowers? When they are grown in your region of the country and compared to similar plants and still have stand-out qualities, that’s a winner. All-America Selections is a national non-profit plant trialing organization that acquaints the public with new cultivars. Impartial gardening … Continue reading
Gardener’s Time Off
What does a gardener do with unstructured time in winter? Some of the garden-related topics for enjoyment with a practical twist that this gardener might choose to include checking plants in the nursery, reading missed articles from favorite gardening magazines, and previewing seed catalogs for new ideas and introductions. Here is the nursery under the … Continue reading
For the Birds
From early December on, seeds, berries, and insects become harder to find after the growing season. Some bird enthusiasts provide supplemental feeder food that draws them closer for observation. Sometimes turkeys are the clean-up crew. While having coffee on the deck last summer, a motionless hummingbird perched on a plant container trellis for a moment. … Continue reading
Happy Thanksgiving
We share from Mary Oliver Devotions, her poem, “The Sunflowers,” in celebration of Thanksgiving for your enjoyment. The Sunflowers By Mary Oliver Come with me Into the field of sunflowers. Their faces are burnished disks, their dry spines creak like ship masts, their green leaves, so heavy and many, fill all day with the sticky sugars … Continue reading
Dibbles and Bits
(1) This season, the maple tree shows where we are in the Fall wrap-up of outdoor gardening at Plant Exchange. The tree’s leaf color progresses to red but is not fully there yet, even with the extra time and extended mild temperatures this mid-autumn. Some leaves are red, many are yellow, and some are already … Continue reading
Beautiful Fall Day
It’s a crisp 54 degrees F. at noon; a moderate, sunny fall day on the Northern Plains, projected to reach 59. Blue sky and the Missouri River. Cottonwood trees, aspens of Missouri River Valley, have mostly reached full color. Walk through their golden leaves at Lewis & Clark Recreation Area and participate in the cottonwood’s … Continue reading
Not Just Another Lowly Plant
Some plants around us aren’t featured these days in greenhouses. Wind and birds may propagate them in vacant lots. We may consider them as weeds. In their understory way, they may contribute their part in ecology and sometimes have attributes that become beneficial. Amur maple may be pruned as a shrub or grow naturally as … Continue reading
A Few Extra Days of Fall
While this Northern Plains region can have mild fall days, weeks in a row has been a treat. These are rare days to enjoy the change of season before the first hard frost frenzy. Deer often like our garden variety in their vegetarian diets, and at least one has a zinnia craving–just the flowers and terminal … Continue reading
Transition for Flowers and Vegetables
Mid-September is a weather transition in this region, with high temperatures bouncing from 70 – 80 degrees F. with cool evenings and a few windy or hot days. Tree leaves mostly haven’t begun to turn yet. Movable container plants for color have been versatile and easy to maintain in this drought. Cardinal vine on the … Continue reading
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