Even with the mild to moderate drought we have been living through here in Minnesota, and an extreme thread of 90+ degree weather (the hottest start to the month of June on record!), the perennials have been working hard to produce their blooms. As much as I can water, nothing takes the place of rain. … More My yard in color
Yesterday was a red-letter day. I got my first Covid shot! It was easy, simple, fast and painless. I had it done at our local hospital, Lakeview, and they did a fantastic job. They were friendly, efficient, kind, and happy for every recipient that I saw walk through the door. What an uplifting environment. I … More A great day!
Here in Minnesota we have seen sub-zero temperatures with -20 and -30 windchills for the past week. I always think temperatures like that almost become a joke — once you reach a certain absurd temperature, it all starts to feel the same. I’ll tell you what though, when it reaches +6 or 7, it feels … More I think we need some Spring color
Yum! … More Fried Green Tomatoes
Goldfinches are everywhere. This is their time — when summer flowers start to lose their vibrancy and colors wane — to head to the seeds. Outside of drying on their own and dropping to the ground to propagate the species, the goldfinches help spread the flowers to other parts of the yard. But I must … More From one to the other
Summer is definitely here and with that I can look to the yard and see the bounty that Spring has given the land. Fledglings are out of the nest and in the trees still squawking for mom and dad to feed them. Second broods are being hatched in protective nests. I hear their little cries … More Summer bloomers and Pollinators
Off to one side of the backyard and about 30 yards from the back of the driveway I have 6 gardening plots. They are all 6×8 feet in size. In the early Spring I decide what herbs and vegetables will go where come warmer weather. While having to tend to a large area of land … More My Garden Plots
I have two different types of peonies in my gardens. Up around the back of the main house, I have the typical peonies that I remember as a child — massively ruffled in white, pink and magenta. As much as I love these peonies, they are not a great pollinator flower. The ruffles are so … More Peonies and Pollinators
I love poppies. A large expanse of poppies would be exquisite. The red poppies that take over the field adjacent to the walls of St. Paul Asylum in Saint Remy-de-Provence where Van Gogh stayed are gorgeous…and legendary. But the problem for me is two-fold: The bloom time — extremely short 2. I’m cursed when it … More The Poppy
This past weekend saw the buds on the shrub roses bloom brilliantly, revealing their secret within — large amounts of pollen! Even though the wind blew fiercely, and not necessarily fond of wind, it wasn’t enough to keep the honey bees away. And let’s not forget the bumblebee, who will roll around in the heart … More The pollinators are out
A Gardener's Diary 