Butterflies and bees are nowhere in sight on this snowy day in March. Still, the flowers and vegetables that we consider for spring depend on pollinators. Today’s features include thinking bees, Monarchs, and native plants that draw pollinators. Thinking Bee: From the first bees we see on fruit trees, to summer zinnias, to cucumbers in the … Continue reading
Tagged with garden tips …
Dibbles and Bits
Inching toward warm spring days, we look at right plant choices for the right location with native origin plant examples. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pupurea) is a drought-tolerant perennial of the daisy family that grows from a tap root. Echinacea is native to eastern and central North America prairieland open woods and is common in yards of … Continue reading
Dibbles and Bits
With additional snow cover locally, the USDA average last frost date (April 27th- May 3rd in this region) is not top of mind. Before planting, we consider spring drought preparations, a drought-tolerant bee balm, and what’s left at the low water mark. Drought may continue into spring in this area, and lawn grass displays a lack … Continue reading
Try Strawflowers Again
Strawflowers (Xerocurysum bracteatum), also called Paper Daisies or Golden Everlasting, are a commonly found summer annual that blooms from summer to frost in this region. Colors include red, orange, pink, purple, yellow, white, and others. The herb is rather avoided by chewing mammals. Native to Australia and a perennial there in about USDA Hardiness 8-11, strawflowers … Continue reading
Sunflowers for a Happy Harvest
A sunflower represents the Plant Exchange Blog for several reasons: A field of South Dakota sunflowers smiles west at the end of the day. The flowers reset and face east in the morning. This plant movement is due to water pressure in cells of a stem segment below the flowerhead. Plants that move, how amazing! Annual … Continue reading
Outdoor Container Garden Nursery
Garden flowers or vegetables you plant together in a container take a little time to look their best before they are displayed. These succulents are an example. Container flowers and vegetables mature at different times, and it’s handy to have a dedicated space, a nursery, with adequate sunlight and water nearby to care for them … Continue reading
Black-eyed Susans and other Rudbeckias
Black-eyed Susans grow in lots of yards in this USDA zone 4-5a region. The perennial, full-sun, yellow flower mounds appear by summer and bloom into fall. Their bold color and easy maintenance make them attractive for borders. Black-eyed Susans and other Rudbeckias are featured this week as attractive, hardy North American native plants with large … Continue reading
Would You Like to Try a Garden Cover?
Spring is here! The first naturalized daffodil to bloom! The weather beckons to start the garden season on the Northern Plains. Likely ahead, at least a month, is unsettled weather with gusty winds, roller coaster temperatures, and grab-a-book-and read-outside days. Maybe you’d like to consider a garden cover for some root vegetables in early spring. Garden … Continue reading
Harvest Your Beans
After the work of planting and weeding an edible garden, the vegetables and fruit are part of the reward. We can’t wait to taste the first tender green beans. At Plant Exchange, near the beginning of August, beans have been producing well for a month. The bean plant produces seed, and if we harvest beans … Continue reading
Dibbles and Bits
This week we have several short plant topics at Plant Exchange. Below you will see how Marlene Johnson stores garden tools by her backdoor entrance to her yard. The next tip comes from Dr. John Ball, South Dakota forester. He shares tips for getting a oak tree germinated from acorn seeds you collect. Another is … Continue reading
Plant Exchange Blog 