Paula's Patch: A Minnesota Garden

Come wander in; my gate is always open! Gardening tips, garden ideas and birding adventures.

Local Garden Center Highlight May 22, 2012

Filed under: Gardening,Midwest,Spring — Paula B @ 4:14 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Today I want to highlight a local garden center in nearby Lonsdale. Karen and Frank Marshall having been serving the local community for 10 years at Hillside Gift & Garden Center.

I stopped by for a visit in mid-April when Karen hosts an event called Plant your own Pot Day. You bring in your pot and make the mess there. Clever! We’re so ready for some flowers by then. You can bring your favorite pot or pots, use her dirt, choose flowers and get a jump start on a beautiful summer container. She’ll even keep it in her greenhouse until the weather permits you to put it out at your home.

I was impressed with the variety of plants she has in just a couple of green houses. My fav – the succulents! I started a succulent garden in a few stacked pots last year and fell in love. Karen has a great selection of succulents. My pots are in a shady area under a large pine next to the deck; succulents make a such a nice container. Of course, they are to be treated as annuals in Zone 4, but they’ll over-winter nicely.

succulents container garden | paulasgardenpatch.com | paula bonelli

I plan on attending Succulent Sundays to choose a few more plants to add to my pots. The 1st and 3rd Sundays in May and June are set aside for you to make a succulent container. If you need pots, she has them. Stop by and try a succulent container this year.

Have you discovered succulent plants? Which ones do you love most? A favorite of mine is Cerveza ‘n Lime (Plectranthrus). When you rub the leaves they smell like lime. :-D

 

Bloomin’ Onion May 17, 2012

Filed under: Gardening,Midwest,Spring — Paula B @ 3:32 pm
Tags: , , , ,

No, not what you think — not the Bloomin’ Onion appetizer that Outback Steakhouse has made popular, but the type you grow. There are edibles like the onion or garlic we eat and then there are many ornamental types that grace many a garden. Both types are in the Allium family.

They are easy to grow. The foliage looks like most onions and blossoms can vary from globe-type to star-shaped, even cup-shaped or hanging pendant-types called ‘nodding onions’. They like full- to part-sun, and mine do remarkably well in mostly shade. Bonus – they are deer-resistant!

They come as bulbs. Plant in the fall for early- to late-Spring blooming.  They are not repetitive bloomers, but make great cutting flowers and dried flowers. Zones 4-9.

Do you have Alliums in your garden? Which types?

There’s an Allium in every size, shape and color. Find one that’s right for your Zone!

 

Plants That Tolerate Shade April 27, 2012

Filed under: Gardening,Spring,Midwest — Paula B @ 3:44 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Since beginning my little garden sanctuary and yard transformation 20 years ago, what was once a mostly sunny yard is now partial shade to mostly shade. That’s always a challenge when it comes time to choose plants.

Some days I long for my vegetable garden where I used to grow beans, peas, corn, zucchini, and more. These days I settle for my favorite herbs in containers so I can place them in the sunniest spots. Thankfully, herbs are easy to grow this way and I have substantial plants I can take in and continue to harvest during the winter months.

vegetable garden | paulasgardenpatch.com | paula bonelli

vegetable garden circa 2005

One of my early season favorites is Lambs’ Ear (I don’t like it much once it gets all leggy). I’ve had it for years in 3 different locations. With our mild winter and possibly the lack of snow cover(?), this Zone 4 perennial didn’t survive. :( Guess I have more room for new plants! :D

We shade gardeners in Zone 4 don’t seem to have many plant choices — ‘stuck’ with the ever-popular Hosta, Fern, Astilbe, Columbine, or Bleeding Heart — all of which I have.

Somehow, though, I find new ones to try every year. Last week, I planted Gladiolus, Cyclamen, Burning Hearts Bleeding Heart, and Pink Coneflower in an attempt to have more variety, fill in holes and continue planting a new bed. I have Liatris and Bee Balm coming.

My biggest challenge is finding foundational shrubs or dwarf trees that like shade and are fast growers.
For those of you with shady areas, what’s worked for you? I’d love to get ideas for plants or shrubs that I might try next!

 

Let Mother Nature Have Her Way April 17, 2012

Filed under: Gardening,Midwest,Spring — Paula B @ 3:00 pm
Tags: , , , , ,

irises | paulas garden patch | paula bonelli

I’ve always approached my garden with an attitude of “what will be, will be”. I don’t make great efforts to water, spend hours tidying up beds, or prune (much to my husband’s chagrin!). It’s funny because indoors I’m pretty organized — “everything has a place and everything’s in its place”. But in my garden I’m much more relaxed. I let my plants coexist messily with each other and, for the most part, let them fall prey to Mother Nature’s hand. Now, I’m not always happy with what she dishes out — 70 degrees one day and 40 the next — but it sure makes for an interesting garden each year. I don’t think there are two years alike.

It helps greatly to have perennials that are native to my area; they require much less fussing, upkeep and are mostly tolerant of our summer weather. I get to see my garden fresh and new each year — see what decided to naturalize and where, wonder how a columbine from the side yard found its way to the back bed (birds, I think), and see how unexpectedly large that shrub grew that I put in last Fall. I’m content with the joy of simply digging in the dirt, figuring things out by trial and error, and learning from fellow gardeners everywhere.

It’s a good thing I started gardening this way from the start, because as I age, I’m noticing that I’m much less limber than I used to be, have less energy and ache more. It’s more fun now, and physically practical, to take 10-15 minutes to pinch back, weed or move pots during a morning coffee break or when dinner is in the oven instead of marathon weekend days that totally wipe me out.

Like my gardening habits, many things in my life have slowed down since becoming an empty-nester. I kind of like it that way. I’ve grown to enjoy the pace; to take notice of things I missed in my early years of being a busy mother. So, if your garden beds don’t look nice, redefine nice! :D

What garden tasks do you enjoy in short sprints of time? I always enjoy hearing your thoughts.

 

Can Your Garden Qualify as a Certified Wildlife Habitat? April 15, 2012

Filed under: Birding,Gardening,Landscaping,Midwest — Paula B @ 9:00 am
Tags: , , , , ,

I didn’t start out with the thought that I would attract wildlife, birds, etc. As I naturally planned and landscaped adding trees, shrubs and plants to a once-bare yard, I ended up with a sustainable garden where wildlife find habitat — food, water, cover, and nesting.

Now my garden is certified! I’ve met The National Wildlife Federation guidelines and my yard is mini-refuge #155,794.

National Wildlife Certification | paulasgardenpatch.com | paula bonelli

Think your yard qualifies? Check out the guidelines at NWF and join the growing number of mini-refuges in the world.

 

 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 114 other followers