​Late summer is the ideal time to plan for your early spring forcing.  Most of us are familiar with forcing springs bulbs such as paper whites, tulips, and daffodils.  But what about forcing rhubarb, foam flower, and forsythia?   Enjoy the joys of gardening before the snow melts next March…or April…or May!

​ Spring Bulbs    Most spring bulbs need a 12-15 week chilling period.  Try dwarf species or hybrids for the best results.  I plant mine in potting soil in nursery pots and put them in the vegetable crisper and covered with plastic to keep in the moisture.  Be sure to label with the date and species.  Paper whites are the exception needing no chilling period.  I keep those bulbs in the fridge unpotted.   When you are ready for some blooms, bring them out.  You can repot in an attractive container and water.  Don’t water again until growth begins.  I water with 7 parts water and 1 part alcohol (I use an old bottle of vodka) to keep them from flopping. 
 Rhubarb   You can freeze stems for use during the fall and winter.  But if you forgot and need to divide your rhubarb now is an excellent time to not only divide but get rhubarb next spring weeks before it is ready in the garden.    According to Rhubarb-Central.Com ( http://www.rhubarb-central.com/forcing-rhubarb.html)   “the cultivation methods for forcing rhubarb was developed as early as the 1800's. Commercial growers of rhubarb use special forcing sheds, or hot houses, but the home gardener can successfully force rhubarb in a home cellar, a garage, or another outbuilding.  Forcing rhubarb can also be done outdoors, in the garden.”  The process is a bit involved and I recommend that you do some research before proceeding. 

​Perennials   According to Tovah Martin in The Unexpected Houseplant,  “Foam flowers (Tiarella cordifolia)   are disarmingly easy to grow indoors.  They often blossom a month or more before their leaves begin to emerge outside and they stay in bloom for a long duration of fulfillment.”  Now is the time to dig up and pot some to bring indoors.  They like indirect light and just enough moisture so they don’t dry out.    Other perennials that make good winter houseplants are Coral Bells (Heuchera) and Sea thrift (Armeria maritime).   If you plan to travel south this winter, plan to stop at a nursery on your way home and pick up a perennial that you can enjoy in the house early and then plant in the garden later.  Try Bleeding heart (Dicentra Spectablis), and Lenten Rose (Helleborus) for a good-looking plant that blooms and makes a fine temporary houseplant.  
Trees and Shrubs    We are familiar with gathering pussy willows in the spring and watch them bloom.  You can do the same with a number of spring blooming shrubs and trees.  Many ornamental trees and shrubs set their flower buds during the previous growing season and need a period of dormancy of about six weeks.  The buds usually open about 2-3 weeks after being exposed to warmth and moisture.  If you are pruning in later winter, pick a day when the temperature is above freezing to help the branch make the transition to indoor temperatures.   If you force a branch without success, try again a few weeks later.  Forsythias, Witch hazels, cherries, lilacs, Rhododendron, Serviceberries, Birches, Red Maple, and Willows can all be forced.    

Just some quick notes from this growing season that I've been hearing from fellow gardeners: 

• Green Beans:  the bush beans are mostly finished and many gardeners have either no pole beans or they are very late blooming like mine.  In fact my are just blooming so by the end of the months I should have pole beans.
• Zinnias:  are looking good with this nice warm weather they are blooming well. Hope that continues to frost. 
• Lilacs:  Many gardeners are reporting that their lilacs are dropping leaves. What's going on? A response from the USDA about this provides an excellent analysis of the potential issues.( https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=881100 ) In their response they state: "It could be a blight caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae. Among other things, it is characterized by leaf spots that can lead to leaf darkening, leaf wilting, and premature leaf dropping. Fortunately, this is largely a cosmetic condition and unless it occurs over several seasons, there are no adverse effects. It is associated with wet conditions, which certainly describes our current 2024 season. Because this is NOT a fungal pathogen, application of fungicides will do no good. It can be transmitted from one season to the next via leaf debris. To prevent transmission from one season to the next, thorough fall cleanup is essential. "

​GRANDMA MINNIE'S BOWL: Every year I bring out a wood bowl for the start of the garden season. Looks homemade with a tomato motif on the inside. It's off kilter and well worn. I love to pile up the seasonal garden treats in it. Now is at the absolute end of the season. I had my last BLT. The garden shed has been turned over and is now the snowmobile garage. So the bowl is officially put away until next season.

Here’s my timeline and results.

• April 16 – Potted the tubers that were stored overwinter under the stairwell wrapped in newspapers.  Overall they were in healthy conditions with a few sprouts emerging. 
• April 25-27 – All sprouts emerged after potting even one that was a bit sickly.
• Early May – Pinched off about 1/3 of the plant growth when about 12” tall to promote more stalks.
• May 18 – Planted in raised bed all except for one newly purchased tuber that went into the ground.  Soil temperature was 60°.   We had very warm weather last spring.
• May 26 – Newly purchased tubers sprouted that had been directly sown in raised bed
• May 26-29 – Very cool weather, covered all with a row cover to protect from cold air.  There was a freeze warning on 5/27, our temp was a low of 36.
• May 30- Tuber planted in ground (not raised bed) sprouted

 
Now waiting to see if these different methods yield flowers at different times.  That, after all was the whole point of this experiment.

• June 28 - Buds on 2 of 4 tubers started in April.
• June 29 – First blooms (three of them!) cut for the vase.
• July 20 – All 4 of the plants started in April are producing blooms.  No buds yet on the rest that were directly planted in either the raised beds or ground.
• July 25 – Buds on 4 planted in raised bed.
• July 30 – All plants except one are producing blooms.   That one never did bloom and I did not overwinter it for 2022 planting. 

Conclusion:  Yes, the Dahlias that were started in April inside produced blooms almost a full month before those directly planted later.  They continued to produce blooms until frost ended their season.   I conclude it is worth the effort to start these inside ahead of the season. 

This PDF file outlines the Dahlias that I grow along with growing notes.
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A wonderful resource for growing Dahlias:  Discovering Dahlias by Erin Benzakein

​There are times I am a green-eyed gardener, jealous of others picture-perfect gardens.  I know from my own photography that it is easy to move the perspective of the lens to avoid the messiness.  I define my garden as natural, with weeds, untrimmed shrubs, and plants helter-skelter.  I am comfortable with that style of gardening.  It is also true that I am in awe of perfect layouts.  Just as a model in a fashion magazine looks more like an average person without make-up and good lighting; I know the flawlessness shown in the garden magazines may not be so real either.  Anyway, here goes with my garden envy list. 

1. Containers for every season – magazines and social media show containers year-round.  I have concluded that most of the off-season containers are for those who live in less harsh climates that northern Wisconsin.  I’ve tried to have a winter container with fresh conifer greens and dogwood stems but get tired of brushing off the snow and shoveling around it.  The fall containers with plants rarely make sense with such a short fall season before they get frozen and spring is too close to the actual growing season to invest in those container plants.
   
   
2. Outdoor Living Rooms – where do they put all that stuff when it rains, and the wind blows?  Really – pillows, fireplaces, ceiling fans, glass lanterns?  Wouldn’t the bats, squirrels, raccoons, and fox love to burrow into all of that?  But it sure looks inviting.
   
   
3. Weed-free garden paths – Every path is perfect with no weeds, edges are sharp, and the surface material is even.  I’m lucky to keep the moss somewhat at bay.  The bricks are uneven, and the gravel washes out when we have more than an inch of rain on our decline to the lake.  At least it is easy to overlook since the lake view is fantastic.
   
   
4. Mature plants with no overlap – my plants like mingling!  I have no grand scheme so I pay no attention to the width they may attain with age.  Dividing is also a maintenance activity that I am experimenting with how long I can avoid doing in my garden.  After about five years I think the limit might have been reached.
   
   
5. Veggies all in a row – although it looks beautiful it seems such a waste of space and the hoeing involved, oh my!  I grow my veggies in raised beds four feet across and in groups.  Weeds are discouraged by keeping all the space for the vegetables.  And if a rabbit or raccoon (or heaven forbid a bear) happens to get past my double fencing then it really doesn’t matter how the plants are spaced. 
   
   

I could go on and on but will not.  I’m comfortable in my own garden.  It produces the edibles we like, flowers for bouquets, and photo opportunities.  I have come to realize that I prefer to enjoy my garden by sitting in it rather than working in it.  Living in a rural forested area affords me the luxury of less manicured garden spaces that an urban area would frown upon.  Maybe I’m not jealous of all those prefect gardens after all. 

Do you enjoy gardening or want to start gardening?  Have you watched the TV show Escape to the Chateau? If you have, then you would recognize the term “potager garden”.  Join us on how to Create a Potager Garden presented by Sue Reinardy, UW-Extension Master Gardener Volunteer, virtually on Zoom on Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 10 am to Noon as part of a celebration of National Library Week at the Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library.  Attendees will have a chance to win a special Library T-shirt!
 
Potager is a French term for a kitchen garden.  These gardens can include not only vegetables but herbs, fruit, berries and cutting flowers.  During the presentation you will learn where to site your potager, what plants to include and how to maintain it through the growing season.
 
For the first 15 people who sign up, we will offer them a Take ‘N Make Kit of a Potager Starter Garden.  The kit consists of a container, donated by Marketplace Foods, and seeds and a planting medium donated by Sue Reinardy.
 
 You can register for the event by going to the following link – https://bit.ly/3rtyZq9  or by calling the library to register and to receive the link for the Zoom event. We suggest that if you don’t have the free Zoom app, download it before the program begins and go to the presentation at least 5 minutes before it starts. If you have any questions, please call the library at 715-634-2161 or email [email protected]

Gardeners are getting their seed starting supplies put together and in early to mid-April will begin the process.  I don't have the room or patience to start seeds indoors so I have embraced an outdoor seed starting method.  
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​I originally became aware of this method reading about the Winter Sown method.  But even that proved to be too much for me since I can never get around to putting my containers together until right about now, early March.  Since those seeds sit around doing nothing until the temperature is about right - no need to rush into this method.  
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How does it work?  

• Use plastic containers with enough room for 3-4” of potting mix and room above for plant growth
• Need a removable lid for when it gets warm in mid to late spring
• Needs drain holes on bottom and slits for air/water on top
• Label containers with seed type (use permanent marker so it doesn’t fade)
• Seeds that are cool weather or perennials do well
• Can set outside in winter/early spring and the seeds will germinate when appropriate
• Need to pull top on warm days and water when needed
• After several leaves (true leaves) have emerged and growth is robust – transplant into the garden

Websites to learn how:
http://wintersown.org/
http://getbusygardening.com/winter-sowing-seeds/
http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/11/winter-sowing-101-6/