The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
Sorted by date Results 1 - 23 of 23
There is truly so much beauty and wonder in nature if we take a few minutes in our busy schedules to appreciate it. I was looking at a tree last month when there was much more moisture, and something in the mulch caught my eye. No, it wasn't an insect, not this time anyway. It was a type of fungus called bird's nest fungi. Bird's nest fungi are small. You might easily step on them in the garden without noticing it. They range in size but are usually under one-quarter inch in width. I learned...
Last year, I seeded a small patch of bee lawn to see how it would work in my yard. It is an out of the way area tucked behind a shed and spruce tree that I don't like to mow. I wanted to try it out before I committed to converting more areas of the backyard into a bee lawn. A bee lawn combines flowering plants for pollinators with low maintenance turfgrass. Not just any flowering plants can be used for a bee lawn. The flowering plants have to be good sources of pollen and nectar for...
Gardening can be a lot of work, but there are different growing techniques that gardeners can use to help save some work and their back! One of those techniques is using a trellis to grow vining crops like cucumbers, small melons and squash. Those vining plants and many more, have tendrils. Tendrils are modified leaves or parts of stems that can wrap around structures to help support the stems. Tendrils are marvels in themselves. They respond to touch and can wrap around objects several times...
Do you love to partake in St. Patrick’s Day festivities? Many of us do, whether it is simply wearing green, setting up leprechaun traps with your kids or enjoying a green beer! There are many traditions associated with this Irish celebration, such as finding a shamrock that will bring you good luck. Legend has it that St. Patrick used shamrocks for teaching the Holy Trinity. In the month of March, shamrocks can be easily found at local greenhouses and nurseries. What exactly is a shamrock? Have...
Last year, I grew okra as a mystery vegetable in my school garden program. The idea was to introduce young gardeners to a new vegetable and get them to try it. The gardeners did have a hard time guessing the name of the plant. I was worried the pods would not be picked, and that the pods would get old and be left on the plant. That was not the case. The young gardeners kept the pods harvested, and I didn’t even get a chance to try the okra! The okra was well cared for thanks to a NDSU E...
While cleaning the kitchen one Sunday afternoon, my daughter asked why one of my houseplants looked like the letter "S." Children always seem to find our faults. The plant I had hoped to hide until I could take some cuttings and re-start it this summer was put in the spotlight. However, it was a great opportunity for some plant-based learning for my daughter and a lesson for me. The plant now in the spotlight is a jade plant that was purchased about six years ago. Originally, the jade was close...
Every year as the snow falls, I pause and reflect on garden successes, failures and goals for next year. Last December, I had some gardening practices that I needed to change. So, how did I do on my planned improvements? I had a few successes. I did keep better control of my volunteer dill and cosmos. I saved seed and seeded rows where I knew they wouldn’t shade out my other plants. I still have work to do, but it was much improved from last year. I saved seed again this year and will keep w...
Gardeners must give off the impression of being plant care takers. This has to be true, as I have been gifted one more houseplant. This makes four total in the past year. It is hard to say no to a plant, especially when it is a plant that you don't have already. My mother "gifted" me a very large hoya plant she received from a friend. She didn't like the plant and wanted it out of her house. I was horrified for the plant's fate and didn't want it put in the dumpster. The plant is quite...
I will admit I scroll social media as much as the next person. However, my feeds are garden related. I saw a few posts about tips and tricks to keep vegetable gardens watered during dry conditions. One of those tips was using olla watering. I had not heard of olla watering. So, I had to do some fact checking and research before I changed any of my gardening practices. Olla watering is a very old form of irrigation using clay pots that are buried in the soil and filled with water. Unglazed clay...
I am growing a mystery vegetable for my school garden programs. Spoiler alert - the plant is okra. I am putting into practice what I preach, trying something new in the garden every year. I have not grown okra. Honestly, I am not sure if I have even tasted okra. Growing okra will be a gardening and culinary experience for me. Okra is in the Malvaceae family, the same family as hibiscus and hollyhock. Depending on your preferences, the flowers can provide ornamental value. The edible part of the...
My daughter received a Venus fly trap plant for her birthday. I won't say who gave it to her, but you can probably guess. Right away we had to research how to care for the plant. The gift giver really should have done her homework first. Work will be needed to ensure the plant survives in our indoor environment. Venus fly trap plants are carnivorous plants. Carnivorous plants are unique because they can trap and kill insects. Usually, carnivorous plants grow in acidic soil lacking nutrients....
Do you talk to your plants? I read an interesting article last year on this topic and filed it away for later use. It turns out the dark foggy days of January are the perfect time to explore the benefits of plants in our lives. In 2022, Trees.com surveyed 1,250 people to see how chatty they are with their plants. Forty-eight percent of the people surveyed reported talking to their trees and/or plants. One in five of those people talk to their plants every day. Houseplants were the most talked...
Another year of gardening is in the books. As I enjoy some downtime and plan for next year, I remember a few struggles in the garden that will change a couple of my gardening practices in 2023. Maybe my changes will help you get the most out of your garden too. Fast forward to 2022. When I planted my broccoli, I left all the small cosmos seedlings. I was so happy to see something green. I didn’t weed them out other than around my transplants. I should also mention I had a crop of volunteer d...
After a productive year, my garden is finally at rest. When I clean out my garden, I usually cut my plants off at the soil surface instead of pulling them out of the soil. However, when I dug my carrots I did take a moment to admire the roots. This got me thinking that we need to give more recognition to plant roots. Most often roots are the forgotten part of the garden. We are usually concerned with leaves, stems and fruits. Roots are taken for granted unless there is root rot, wilt or other...
I have a few flowers on my list that make me happy. They are flowers that must be cut and brought into the house. One is a spring flower, peonies, and one is a summer or fall flower, zinnias. Zinnias are a member of the Asteraceae or Composite family, the same family in which sunflowers belong. The leaves are arranged opposite on the stem and do not have a petiole attaching the leaves to the stem. Instead, the leaves clasp around the stem. The flower heads can be large up to 6 inches across in...
As most gardeners are, I am overly excited at planting time. If I have the room and the weather cooperates, I usually plant way more than I can eat and preserve. One never knows what the growing season will bring, and you don’t want to be short on vegetables! One vegetable that I have learned the hard way not to over plant is zucchini. Zucchini is a member of the Cucurbitaceae or gourd family. This family includes pumpkins, squashes, cucumbers and melons. Zucchini is also called summer squash a...
It is no secret that I have a passion for soil, rocks and plants. There has been a recent addition to my houseplant collection, courtesy of a gardener friend, which has combined two of my three passions. I added a lithops, also called a living stone plant. Lithops are fascinating. If you grow them or have seen one, you know why. They look other-worldly but are aptly named. When I brought my lithops home, I waited until my kids noticed the plant just to see what they would say. When they finally...
I planted my apple trees about four years ago. One of the apple trees is very productive. It is the little tree that could, despite being my dog’s third favorite chew toy (the dogwood and lilac shrubs are numbers one and two). Judging by the number of blooms, the tree has big dreams for this growing season. The apple blossoms escaped the frost in May. If the bees were able to do their jobs, there will be an extra-large apple crop. Sadly, the apple tree’s structure is not up to supporting all...
This week I will haul my seedlings home for the second leg of their school garden journey. They are going to spend a few weeks in my yard adjusting to the outdoor environment before they are finally planted in the gardens. While this step is a lot of work, I would really regret if I didn’t take the time to help my transplants adjust to the conditions outdoors. The horticulture term for adapting plants to the outdoor conditions is hardening or hardening off. Before plants grown indoors are p...
Frequently as gardeners we concentrate efforts on our plants, focusing on what varieties will give us the best tasting produce or a beautiful landscape. However, I encourage all gardeners to “dig” a little deeper and concentrate some of our efforts on the soil. In the spirit of getting our hands dirty, let’s dig into carbon and soil organic matter. What is carbon? Carbon gets a reputation as being bad for us and the environment. While that is true for increasing levels of carbon dioxide in ou...
If you are reading this article, I hope you have stuck with me and listened to my advice on starting seeds. By now, you may have started a few seeds and your other seeds are waiting patiently in the wings. My oregano and thyme have been seeded, and I am patiently awaiting the first seedlings to emerge. While we are waiting to start more seeds, let’s discuss watering and fertilizing your seedlings. Watering seedlings indoors can be somewhat more complicated than watering plants in the garden o...
Last month, I discussed getting ready for starting garden seeds. Hopefully, you have your supplies ready to go. Now the most important supply you need is patience! Sadly, it isn't time for most garden seeds to be started. It is still too early. Why must I wait, you ask? Vegetable plants are not meant to be grown inside for extended periods of time. Plants use sunlight to convert oxygen and water into carbohydrates or energy. This process is called photosynthesis and happens inside chlorophyll...
My favorite time of year is starting soon, garden seed starting time. I am starting to prepare and gather materials to start seeds for my school garden programs. As far as I am concerned, there isn’t a better way to endure the cold, snowy days of winter than planning for the growing season. If you are giving seed starting a try this year, there are some supplies you might want to have on hand. If you are a seasoned seed starter, here is your reminder to check your stashes. Seeds are first on t...
