Can You Dig It?

Monday, November 10, 2014

Hello Winter.

Winter has arrived with a bang. Although it can be annoying this is when your winter decorations look the best. Whether it is your snow covered spruce tip planters or your wreaths glistening with ice droplets, it really is beautiful. If you haven't put together your winter decor, do not fret. You still have plenty of time, I mean it is not even Thanksgiving yet. The porch spruce tip planter truly is an easy way to add color to this white time of year. Fill it full of red berries or add some glitz with glitter ornaments. Whatever you do make it your own and try to enjoy this beautiful snow fall.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Natural Holiday Decorating

In today's world it is important to try to live in a green and environmentally friendly way. With the Holidays coming up there is a influx of environmentally harmful decorations, however there is a way to have beautiful decorations naturally. Here are a few tips!

*Use what people grow. It is so important to use greens from local growers. Not only are your supporting your community but you are using product that can be composted and reused again.

*All the spruce tips and greens should be sustainably harvested.

*It is fairly easy to create an entire spruce tip pot that is 100% compostable.

-Use Fiber pots.

-Use Rice Holes or another natural soil

- Decorate with natural products such as Winterberry, Hydrangeas, curly willow, Roeships, cattails and birch.

(some of this can be found already dried in the ditch or along a local path.

*Decorate with birch logs, ivy, and dried plants.

*Reuse products that you can’t compost such as ribbon and bows. If your ribbon gets wrinkly you can always iron it.

*To lengthen the life of your dried plants spray them with aqua net or a clear lacquer

*Always compost your plant material. When you are finished with it for the season place it outside and compost it on your own in the spring or bring it to Lynde & Mcleod Waste yard located in Maple Grove.

Not only will you feel good about green decorating you will have beautiful natural decorations that will bring life to your Holiday Season!

Monday, September 22, 2014

Fall Planting Tips

Just because the weather has turned a little cooler and we’re headed toward October doesn't mean that it is time to put away those garden gloves. October is still the heart of harvest season. The cooler weather and rainfall also make October a great time to be planting shrubs, trees, perennials and tackling other transplant projects.

Cooler temperatures of October encourage plants to slow their growth cycle. Even though the air is a bit crisp, the ground is still warm, which is a great environment for plant root development. You should keep watering everything in your yard until we have our first hard frost, which is generally around the second or third week in October.

Take the time now to evaluate your garden so you are ready when fall project time arrives. How do your perennials look? Daylilies or hostas getting too big for their homes? Now is a great time to split them up. You can repurpose them in other places in your yard or even list them on Craigslist. People in need love free plants! Plan a garden day with friends and swap plants, you might end up with a unique new garden to take home at the end of the day.

There is no way to get around it: for your grass to look good, you need to take care of it. By take care of it, we mean you need to fertilize it. Not only does it make your grass a luscious green, but it is also great for the environment, when done correctly. Healthy grass has a dense root system that holds soil, which prevents it from running off and polluting the water. Fertilizing on or after Labor Day is the golden star of best fertilizing practices, because nearly all of the fertilizer goes right into the soil. Check out this link to determine which how-to is best for how you take care of your lawn. Now is also a great time to lay sod and spread grass seed.

You can also think about planting bulbs for the spring. Tulips, crocus, daffodils and hyacinths are great choices that will produce bold color in the spring. Look for firm, healthy looking bulbs when you are shopping.

On a final note, make sure that you clean up your lawn at the end of the season. Leaving mounds of grass clippings and leaves on your yard can invite diseases.

(all images via Corbis)

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Garden Badges

Recently we had a local boy scout group into the garden center and greenhouse for a tour. They had been working for some time now growing their own plants and vegetables before they came to us for their tour. We had a great turnout, of both parent chaperones and boy scouts, and we toured the greenhouse for an hour. Everyone was very surprised by everything that goes on behind the scenes in the greenhouse, and I think that we have helped shape some future gardeners!

Learning how to move our greenhouse benches

Christmas poinsettias in July!

Learning about shading plants

Cheesin' for a group shot!

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Kids in the Dirt

One of my favorite times of the year is getting to be out of the office and working with families. Every year we travel over to a local preschool and work with a 'mommy and me' type class to plant flowers. It is a fun activity that gets everyone involved in the planting process.

Kids say the silliest things and our days with them were just that, filled with silly things! Every year we learn that some kids love the dirt and some kids are afraid to touch the dirt. Below are some of our favorite shots of their completed projects.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Treat Mom Right

With Mother's Day right around the corner, check out a handful of our favorite items in the garden center. Of course flowers are generally a safe bet for any Mother's Day gift, but these are fun little bonus items any mother in your life will love!

We've got a great selection of items for fairy garden enthusiasts to create their perfect miniature landscape. Maybe figurines for your garden are more your style, we've got some fun items in that area, too.