Garden Stories
Garden.True.North is about gardening in Zone 4,
sharing thoughts, ideas and tips for all northern gardeners.
sharing thoughts, ideas and tips for all northern gardeners.
The good news: My first blooms of the season, crocus! The bad news: I have lost my garlic! The good news: The garlic has been found and rhubarb is poking through. (Note to self: label the garlic rows in the fall.) Spring has started in spite of the remaining snow piles and ice still on the lake.
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Images from The Exotic Garden (address: 62 Boulevard du Jardin Exotique, Monaco) Lower left is the harbor, our ship the Viking Star is the bigger one on the far right (but not that much bigger than some of the private yachts). On our Mediterranean cruise this March we were fortunate to stop at the Exotic Gardens of Monaco. It is amazing what you can do when (1) you are the king of a principality, (2) you are rich enough to employ several hundred gardeners, and (3) have several generations of family that contribute to the garden.
Although we did not see the entire garden, what we did see was impressive. These four acres are set on a rocky hillside and was opened in 1933 by Prince Albert I. Although dominated by succulents, there are also roses and I even found some spring bulbs. Only later did I pause to think about how that was possible in this temperate climate with not enough of a cold period for bulbs to bloom naturally. I would hazard a guess that they kept the bulbs in cold storage and planted them outside to enjoy this spring. Just like we would do to force bulbs, except on a larger scale. Again, money and labor can create a wonderful garden. Most of all I love the address of this garden. Wouldn’t you love to live on Boulevard du Jardin Exotique? Inspiration at Bashaw Valley Farm and Greenhouse "Not all those who wander are lost." J.R.R. Tolkien I was reminded this winter of what it feels like to be at least a little lost in a new store. I wandered into my local quilt shop, River’s Edge Antique & Quilt Loft in Hayward with a pattern and a few pieces of fabric from my stash. My goal was to make a crib quilt for a new baby that will be joining our family this spring. Upon entering I see a few bolts of cloth but am disappointed with the limited selection. But Wait! The name of the shop should have clued me in that there was more and there certainly was upstairs. My stumbling about reminded me that we are beginners at some point and these specialized businesses that support our crafts and passions are there to help us.
The big garden shows are coming to an end and the garden magazines have articles about what they see for trends this year.
My brother Charlie on the left, my sister Linda and me on the right. We moved before my two younger brothers could be pictured by this particular shrub. The pictures above are just two of many snapshots taken by our Mom in front of the Bridal Wreath Spirea (Spiraea prunifolia). Every time I pass one in full bloom a flood of memories race through my mind. Our Bridal Wreath was the go-to backdrop for confirmation, graduation and just plain nice-day pictures. It is helpful that this shrub blooms when these events are happening. In looking through old family photo albums I see each generation had a favorite shrub. Lilacs and arborvitae appear to be the winners for earlier times. Before we moved to the house with the Spirea, a lilac bush figured predominately in our outdoor posed pictures. The old-fashioned Bridal Wreath Spirea (botanical name: Spiraea prunifolia) is a non-native in the Rose family. Reliably hardy to 30 below (zone 4), it grows best in full sun but will tolerate part shade as long as it gets 4-6 hours of daily sunshine. Leave it room to grow to its mature size of 4-8 feet tall and wide and the flowers will fill its arching branches. The flowers attract butterflies and pollinators in the spring.
No need to prune this shrub, but if you must, do so right after it is done blooming so it has enough time to set flower buds for next spring. According to Melinda Myers in her Gardening in Wisconsin, removing the flower tips as the blooms fade can improve next year's bloom. Renewal pruning of this suckering shrub can be done by removing one-third of the oldest stems to the ground. I've planted a Golden Bridalwreath Spirea (Spiraea x vanhouttei 'Levgold') in my Zone 3 garden that gets about 4 hours of sunshine daily with success. It is rated a Zone 4 plant so the test will be this spring since we had 33 below temperatures this winter. I've got my fingers crossed on this one. Do you have a favorite backdrop for your family photos? If not, maybe this is one you will consider planting. Late winter and early spring are the time to check out catalogs, place seed orders and start seeds. Learn more about several seed starting techniques from Sue Reinardy, UW-Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in an upcoming webinar. Sue has volunteered her time to create and deliver this webinar that will feature: deciphering catalog and seed package jargon, proper planting conditions and several techniques including the winter sown planted method that you can start now.
This webinar can be attended from any home computer or device with an internet connection, microphone and camera. Instructions to access the course will be provided a few days before the start of the class. Registration is required through WITC at courses.witc.edu Enter "Early Seed Starting" in the search box. The registration fee is $13.50, and for those 62+ it is $9.00 .
“Garden-making is creative work, just as much as painting or writing a poem.” ~Hanna Rion I don’t think much about creativity when I garden. For me it is more about the desired results; fresh fruits and vegetables, cut flowers for a vase, or a landscape that is pleasing to the senses. Yet it seems “creative” and “gardening” are put together frequently. A google search with these two terms yields 164 million results!
I’ve started to view creativity as more central to my gardening just as I would when decorating the interior of my home. When I look at those Google results they fall into these categories. Some of these photos are from today, some from other years but all reflect my garden in the winter. I leave my perennials standing because you just never know what nature will provide in the way of a beautiful image.
With the new year I am thinking about what my garden can be in the coming season. Here are my aspirations for 2019:
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Classes*Gardening in Small Spaces, April 30 at 5:00 pm Spooner Library, Spooner Archives
March 2024
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