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Greetings!
I think we skipped right over spring and went straight to summer. The early warm temperatures have our growing season ahead of schedule. If you notice weed growth around the driveway and walks, now is a good time to apply crabgrass preventor. Crabgrass seed will initially germinate around 54 degrees and will really start to take off when soil temperatures reach 60 to 70 degrees. Check out last April's newsletter for more information on preventing crabgrass.
In January, the USDA released a new hardiness zone map. Reflecting more accurate and exact data, the map shows pockets in the Twin Cities in Zone 5a, as well as a portion of southern Minnesota. Zone 4 expanded north and Zone 2b disappeared from Minnesota.
Past newsletters are now archived and available for viewing. |
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Creating an Edible Landscape |
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Oakleaf lettuce edges this garden bed. It appears onions are growing among the shrubs and flowers too.
Photo: Grow It Eat It
University of Maryland Extension |
Edible landscaping continues to grow in popularity. But what is edible landscaping? It means incorporating plants that will produce food into a residential landscape. This could be through vegetables, nuts, fruit, and herbs.
The tricky part is making the landscape aesthetically pleasing. Use the same principles and elements of design, but consciously think how you can incorporate food-producing plants into the design. Could you switch out a lilac shrub for a hazelnut shrub? Could blueberry shrubs be planted around evergreens and azaleas -all enjoy a more acidic soil? Why not consider using an apple or plum tree in lieu of a crabapple? Other design tips include:
Stagger the plants' peak times. When one plant is no longer at its best, another plant is putting on the show and stealing your eye.
Add design to your dedicated garden space. Play with the shape of beds. Forget rows of plants and bring playfulness with patterns or twisting rows. Elevate the materials used for fencing or raised beds. Instead of a patch off in the corner of the yard, make this space a thing of beauty.
Mix vegetable and herb plants into your annual, and even perennial, beds or pots. Why not mix in some basil, sweet peppers, or even cherry tomato plants in with your geraniums or wave petunias. Consider using small lettuce varieties as an edging plant. Gorgeous pots of herbs can sit on your deck or patio. Chives and asparagus are perennial plants and both could easily be added to a perennial bed.
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Pea plant intermixed with a clematis vine.
Photo: Grow It Eat It
University of Maryland Extension |
Use garden structures such as obelisks, trellises or fences to grow items like green beans, peas, hardy grapes, or hardy kiwis. Switch out the clematis vine for a hardy kiwi plant. Or mix the clematis with peas. The object can bring structure and beauty to the spot.
Plants to consider when creating an edible landscape:
- Trees: apple, pear, cherry and plum
- Shrubs: hazelnut, blueberry, currant, and gooseberry
- Perennials: asparagus, chives, rhubarb, and thyme (groundcover)
- Vines: grapes and hardy kiwis
- Herbs: basil, chive, lavender, lemon verbena, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme
- Vegetables (worthy of a front yard appearance): artichoke, beet, broccoli, carrot, hot pepper, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, onion, radish, rhubarb, sweet pepper, Swiss chard, and tomatillo
For More Information:
Edible Gardens via Better Homes and Garden
Edible Landscaping at the U of MN |
| What's Blooming? Spring Bulbs | |
If you are tired of the deer chomping down your tulips or want to add more spring bulbs around your daffodils, add common snowdrop or summer snowflake to your garden beds.
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Mix snowflake with
vibrant tulip colors. |
Summer Snowflake, scientifically called Leucojum aestivum, displays nodding, bell-shaped white flowers
from slender stems. It grows to a height of 18 inches with a spread of 6 inches. Don't let its name fool you as this bulb blooms in mid to late spring and mixes well with tulips and daffodils. It's best planted in full sun to partial shade. You may notice it blooms longer in shade though.
 | | Smaller in stature, mix snowdrop with snow crocus or helllerborus. |
Common Snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, produces dainty nodding white flowers that arch from flower stems. Much smaller in stature than summer snowflake, Snowdrop grows to 6 inches tall with a spread of 2-3 inches. Plant bulbs individually in full sun to partial shade, but grow in clumps. Companion flowers include other early spring growers like snow crocus and helleborus. Snowdrop is hardy to zone 3.
Both bulbs are trouble-free once established. Snowdrop will spread and reseed freely and snowflake will form large clumps. Both bulbs should be planted in the fall and would benefit from organic matter mixed well into the soil. |
I welcome your feedback on the newsletter. If there are topics you want to learn more about, please email me at nancy.dahl@integra.net.
Sincerely,
Nancy Thorman Dahl, CLP
Cattail Design LLC
Creative Designs for Land and Lakeshore |
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To Do List for April |
 | | Warmer soil temperatures will initiate crabgrass seed germination. |
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1. Apply Crabgrass preventor. Warmer temperatures has the soil warming sooner. If you see weed growth near driveway and walk edges, then it is time to apply.
2. Don't cut back foliage from spring bulbs. Allow the foliage to brown to absorb energy for next year.
3. Don't prune Oaks until fall.
4. Prune evergreens like yew, arborvitae, and junipers once new growth is showing through mid-summer.
5. Prune spring flowering shrubs and trees after they bloom. Flower buds on these plants grow on old wood and develop over the summer to bring you a beautiful bloom next spring.
Helpful Links & More Info
Recycle Holiday Lights
Online Garden Journal
U of MN Extension |
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