Minnesota Gardens

Create Festive Trees for Less

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:34:00 +0000

Create Festive Trees for Less
NewsUSA) – Hosts and hostesses celebrating Christmas often find that Christmas trees are the focal point of a well-decorated home. And it’s easy to create a beautiful and fun Christmas tree, while saving enough money for presents.
First, you’ll need a Christmas tree. To get more tree for your money, consider an artificial tree. They are available in all shapes, sizes and materials, and they can easily be stored after the holidays for use year after year. Once you have your tree up, make it sparkle with lights. Choose between a variety of colors or white lights. Check discount stores such as Dollar General for inexpensive lights that will make your tree beautiful and bright.

For a sophisticated look, decorate your tree according to a theme, such as a food or candy motif. Hang candy canes, popcorn and candy garlands, which can be made by stringing hard candies like Life Savers on fishing wire. Or focus on special interests such as sports, traveling or gardening. Decorate a tree with your favorite sports team’s memorabilia and colors. Keep your tree simple by choosing one or two colors for the tree’s décor.

For kids, decorate with their favorite color. Make tissue-paper flowers to place on your tree. All you need is tissue paper and pipe cleaners. Instructions can be found online at www.craftjr.com.

For a tree that will help you remember the good times, hang mementos that you’ve collected throughout the year instead of traditional, often expensive ornaments. Choose knick-knacks from family vacations, party pictures, favors from weddings or showers, or kids’ arts and crafts projects. Hang holiday greeting cards from family and friends on your tree. To turn these trinkets into ornaments, glue or attach ornament hangers to each item. Your tree will be a reminder of the fun shared throughout the year.

For a more international feel, use inexpensive wrapping paper to make origami cranes — symbols of peace. Paper birds of all sizes will look beautiful on your tree and can be a fun project for the whole family.

For directions on making numerous origami shapes, visit www.origami-instructions.com.
Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home crafts

Kinetic Piece (new)

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:12:00 +0000

New Garden Steps

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:03:00 +0000

A project last week was to replace some garden steps. It seems like just yesterday I put these steps in. Some of them needed replacing, I have been reminded they have been there for 23 years. Oh well, it was time I guess, designing a yard is fun but one must remember, all things have a life span and maintenance is always there. I had to go buy a chainsaw to cut the bridge beams that I was going to use to make the new steps. I bought a Poulan Pro Chainsaw with a 16 inch bar. I am happy with it, I love a new saw, that cuts wood like butter. The bridge beams are recycled for the second time in their life. First as railroad bridge beam, second as posts, creating a driving barrier for remodeling of a parking area, I retrieved them and now they are steps. Recycling is good.

Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home Garden garden steps

Watering the Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:57:00 +0000

We decided to try have more efficient use of our water usage in the garden this year. This spring the rains were few and far in between. I had read some where that regular watering with sprinklers was about 60 % efficient . I read about using various drip techniques, that are supposed to be about 90% efficient. We had tried a drip hose years ago and were not happy with it. I kept getting twisted around we just did not like it.
What we came up with is a pvc grid system.
First adaptability was important to us so none of the fittings or pipes are glued together. As it is not a pressurized system the fittings do not want to blow apart. This allows the system to be reconfigured as needed. I drilled 1/16" holes every 6 ".

The hose connection was created by buying plastic hose adapters, cutting off the ridges I found it fits inside the 1/2" pvc pipe very nicely. I didn't take much experimenting to find out the most even distribution is when the hose connection is in the middle of the grid. I will be posting more on this..

Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home Garden vegetable Garden watering Garden

New Strawberry Patch

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Mon, 11 May 2009 00:50:00 +0000

My wife decided to enlarge our strawberry patch. It was pretty small, I had already started taking down the rocks and was not about to put them back for the picture.
We decided to create a raised bed for them along side the edge of the garden.
Using my trusty trailer I filled up up the area with good composted dirt. Then went through it with my trusty BCS tiller, to break it down.
coming to the front are a few rhubarb plants of several varieties. Then the asparagus.
At the entrance are wedding onions. More about them later.

Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home Garden wedding onions strawberries

BCS 205 Garden Tiller Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:14:00 +0000

Here is my story on my 20 year old BCS 205 tiller. (a sweet machine) I had a front tine tiller that bounced me around for years. About 20 years ago I did some research on tillers and the name BCS kept coming up as the top of the line tiller. All gears no pulleys or belts to wear out.It has proven itself to be well worth the price. Also it was touted as a very fast spinning tines compared to other tillers. It has a PTO [power take off],one can use to add other tools. I had gotten the snow blower attachment, I wouldn't recommend the snow blower for Minnesota winters, it is single stage and can't deal with the volume of snow that we get. Down south it would be fine.
After 20 years of course they have of course changed models, my local dealer no longer exists. I finally have a issue with my carburetor. The tiller still works well but a drain on the bottom of the bowl began leaking a little., in trying to fix it, I screwed up the bowl gasket. I have tried creating my own new one several times, I soldered the drain plug. A temporary fix.
This spring I went to take it out from the shed it started then died. I realized the nut holding the carburetor bowl on was gone, gas leaking all over the place. Finding parts for a 20 year old tiller is a challenge, one can find places to find new BCS tillers, but until I came across earthtoolsbcs.com they had the parts, gasket set, bowl,jet & nut for it. I'm back in business.

Oh,full disclosure, a purely personal review , got no connection with anyone. Paid full price for the parts from Earthtools. :)
Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home Garden BCS Tiller

Grapes in Minnesota

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:23:00 +0000

We decided to go with the St Croix grape, I told the nursery I wanted a table grape, so I took his suggestion of the St. Croix. After I got home and we planted it I got around to reading thre label. It said the this was the one red wine variety that Elmer Swenson has released. It is Vinifera like wine quality with low tannins and good hardiness -32F to -40 depending on who you read. Ripens midseason and has a semi-trailing growth pattern. Good resistance to black rot and powdery mildew. Also makes a suitable seeded table grape. I got the impression seeds are going to be in any table grapes I plant here. It's in the ground, planted next to the garden arch. We'll see how it goes.
Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home Garden Planting Grapes

Which Grape ?

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 13:29:00 +0000

I want to plant some grapes this year. There seems to be a variety of grapes one can plant in central Minnesota. I figure I want to stick with a real hardy variety to use as a table grape. I don't drink so have no interest in wine grapes. Not that that matters but it's another story. I have been thinking of King of the North or Swensen Red. Not sure, what I can get my hands on I suppose. I'm looking for ideas on this.
Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home Garden grapes

Last Winter Picture

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 13:13:00 +0000

OK , this is the last winter picture ! We are done with snow for the season, right ? :)
Well at least I hope so. ON to spring and fixing tools that should have been repaired during the winter.

Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home Garden

Arches
Winter Photo

March 2009 Snow Storm

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:49:00 +0000

In march we had a little snow. It was a perfect snowstorm for kids. The snow was wet and lots of it. In the summer the arch looks nicer, I think

Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home Garden Arches

The Bean Catcher

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:33:00 +0000

I haven't been posting much at all, to say the least this has been a unusual summer. I just finished this project over the last couple of weekends. I think it came out pretty cool.
We were kicking around some ideas to do different din the garden next year,I got this idea for "The Bean Catcher". The plan is to plant the beans around it next year and let them climb. I think it will work pretty good.

Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home Garden garden sculpture rocks rock sculpture

Community Pond

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 02:15:00 +0000

This pond/fountain is a community project that is getting real close to being finished. As you can see the fountain & pond are operational it has some plants in the pond and goldfish. Now it's adding plants around the outside and planting of grass. Last winter it was just a dream but thanks to some local companies, Polar Tank Repair and Two River Enterprises for welding up the 12'x14' stainless tank. Herman Ebnet for providing the machinery and helping move the donated rock from local land developer Tim Berschied. We got it built.

First Pond Cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sun, 25 May 2008 13:54:00 +0000

It's spring time when I have to take the dust filter off the wet & dry shop vac to suck out the rest of the gunk & water. This old shop vac seems to have a lower power rating but much more suction power than my other new one. My wife has the vision that our first patio is a extension of the house. Therefore it is important for it to be cleaned constantly , just like the inside.

The small pond is the first one cleaned this year. Some people have the philosophy of cleaning under the rocks. The preformed pond seen here works well, I have had to apply black silicone twice to cracks the year after installation as the ground settled. I has worked well since.

Cleaning under the waterfall for some people is like cleaning under the rug, where I usually store stuff. As long as she she sees this as her job it's ok with me. The larger ponds are a different matter, I am still working on finishing modifying them, to my satisfaction. Now we need to get about 8-12 dozen feeder gold fish, for my wifes watwr barrels and ponds as they are vicious mosquito larva eaters, they will aquire brilliant colors that they don't get being feed " fish food". The prettier ones we bring in to aquariums in the winter.

Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home Garden ponds rocks
water falls

Shady Vegetables

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:06:00 +0000

Having a lot of shade doesn't preclude no vegetable plants in the garden for the rabbits to eat. Here is a list of plants that can deal with shady areas. Remember though they still need a few hours of sunlight. A green rule of thumb is if you are growing a plant for it's leaves,buds, or stems, it can deal with the sun glasses. We have planted different kinds of lettuce in with flowers successfully for interesting effects.
Salad Greens, such as leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, cress, and radicchio
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Peas
Beets
Brussels Sprouts
Radishes
Swiss Chard
Leafy Greens, such as collards, mustard greens, spinach, and kale
Beans
Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home Garden vegetable garden

Spring Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 01:46:00 +0000

Oh my goodness spring is finally here in Minnesota and time to clean the yard and think of........ oh wait I'm not young any more so my fancy turns to..... ? Sometimes I forget, ya ponds and things that keep me out of trouble. There are so many pond things to think about fish, what kinds, how many. Filters, bacteria food, fountains. What is leaking , what isn't. It is almost to much to think about. Ah, I'll just wander around the yard, after cutting a bunch of hedges this morning.

Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home Garden ponds

Fountian Pond

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 21:36:00 +0000

Our community garden is going to try something really different. They need to build a pond. It started out as just needing a collector for water that spilled off the fountain onto the ground. We thought about all kinds of solutions rubber ponds, concrete. Then I got the brilliant idea of making one out of stainless steel and covering the outside of the pond with local fieldstone.
It just so happens we have several local companies that work with stainless. Liking the idea when approcached they carried it to the next level suggesting that instead of a round shape it be formed in the shape of a local lake. Here is a rough sketch of what we are thinking about. I will post as to how it goes.
Tags: Minnesota Gardens Fountians & Ponds rocks

Green Walls

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:33:00 +0000

Wow ! was all I could say when I first saw these at pingmag.jp
Tags: Garden Walls

Hydroponic Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:02:00 +0000

If you can't wait any longer then maybe it's time to start with the hydroponic garden technique. A neat video I came across. With some imagination you can build your own.

Tags: Minnesota Gardens rock sculpture Home Garden

Water Effect Downspouts

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:34:00 +0000

These are called Rain Chains are a unique and beautiful alternative to traditional closed-metal or plastic downspouts. They break the fall of the water, guiding it visibly downward onto pebbles, a pot or stone basin. Rain chains sound great! That is what the company that sells them says austingutterking.com. I find them a breath of fresh air. I don't know what they sell for but I might have to create my own version of them to try them out.

Tags: Minnesota Gardens rock sculpture Home Garden down spouts

Illegal Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:07:00 +0000

A rant on conservation and possible illegal gardens, even though all this is good advice some of it may be illegal to implement ! I started this post thinking about conservation of heat loss using nature where according to the U. S. Dept. of Energy buildings in the United States use a whole bunch of energy. I had some numbers but they referred to "buildings" and even though the article I was reading was about landscaping for conservation in houses the statistics quoted were not qualified as just for homes. I don't argue that having deciduous trees positioned properly around your house will definitely help cool it in the summer and let light in the winter. We have what we call the garden room facing south. There are many days in the winter the furnace does not go on all day. We also have a ceiling fan that helps move the air to the rest of the house. We have two trees and a garage about 30 feet from the house. Keep these trees away from your ponds.

If you must have coniferous tress in your yard I think they should be on the north to northwest side of the house, at least where we live. It is said tall hedges or trees can cut heating costs as much as 40 percent. Then I started thinking about the advice about creating rain garden (remember it's a good idea) and replacing turf with native plants and grasses, so less water is used for watering and helps eliminate the environmentally damaging upkeep such as mowing and fertilizing. The biggest problem I see with this is local ordinances that have requirements for height of yard grasses. It is a mental adjustment, I remember a number years ago I was in Chicago and was lost , as we tried to find our way back to down town we were in a residential area where people did not cut their yards, I don't mean just a few none of the yards were cut for quite a few blocks. I was appalled at the thought that they did not care about how there yards ;looked now I realize I was looking through the glasses of a rural Lutheran and whether these folks knew it or not they were years ahead in conservation practices. We have one old fellow in town that mows around all the groups of ox-eye daisies that grow in his yard. People talk about him as being nuts but on thinking about it. He is doing exactly what the EPA is talking about. I am sure he is in violation of local ordinances. I wonder what other people think about replacing the lawn mower by naturalizing the yard ?
Tags: Minnesota Gardens illegal gardens Home Garden

Rain Garden for Investment

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 02:55:00 +0000

From Naterraland Reality
It makes common sense that part of the reason for protecting the earth is just protecting your investment.
Not surprising, lakefront real estate with cleaner water commanded significantly higher prices.
Rain gardens are landscape areas planted with wildflowers and other native vegetation designed to replace portions of lawn.
Rain gardens are beneficial to lakefront property for several reasons.
• To help protect streams and lakes from pollutants carried by storm water – lawn fertilizers and pesticides, oil and other fluids that leak from cars and other harmful substances that wash off roofs and paved areas.
• To enhance the beauty of your lakefront property and the surrounding area.
• To provide a valuable habitat for birds, butterflies and many beneficial insects.
Spring and early summer is the best time to build and plant a rain garden. It’s easier to dig and the plants are more likely to thrive.
Determining the right size and plants.
The appropriate size of your rain garden depends on how deep the garden will be (typically between four to eight inches), what type of soil the garden will be planted in and how much roof and/or lawn will drain to the garden. The length and width is important to ensure it properly catches water. A good rule of thumb is to make the rain garden about twice as long (perpendicular to the slope) as it is wide, usually about 10 feet wide.
For plant selection, choose native plants with a diverse mixture of sedges, rushes and grasses. They not only add to the garden’s beauty, they also create a thick underground root matrix that keeps the entire plant community in balance. In fact, 80% of the plant mass in native prairie communities is underground. Once the garden has matured with a deep, thick root system, weeds will naturally decline.
Another nice benefit of a rain garden is the low maintenance required once the plants are established.
As you make plans for your rain garden, consider the following tips and proven guidelines.
More tips and proven guidelines to remember.
• Place the garden at least 10 feet from the house or cabin.
• Do not place it directly over a septic system.
• Although tempting, don’t put the rain garden on a part of the land where water already ponds. The goal is to encourage infiltration and your land’s wet patches show where infiltration is slow.
• Keep the garden level to prevent rain runoff.
• Make a berm across the bottom and up the sides to keep water in the garden.
• Select plants with a well-established root system, usually one or two years old.
By reducing storm water run off, a rain garden can help you improve and maintain the water quality of your lakefront real estate or riverfront property while increasing its value. And that’s beautiful any way you look at it.
Source: University of Wisconsin Extension; “Rain Gardens: A How-to Manual for Homeowners.” And “Protecting Your Waterfront Investment.”
Tags: Minnesota Gardens rain garden Home Garden

The Pondless Waterfall

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:27:00 +0000

In Southern California there is a growing popularity of “The Pondless Waterfall” it seems the latest outdoor craze is all about waterfalls that just disappear !! They’re pretty cool because without the pond, you can fit a waterfall just about anywhere . That’s double cool for people with small backyards who really want that jungle waterfall feeling. They’re also cheaper. Think about it… you don’t have to excavate a pond. There’s a big savings on labor and materials right there.
How it works:
"The pondless Waterfall” as it’s called in the industry, basically works like your ordinary backyard waterfall and pond, except that the water gushing down the waterfall seeps into a hole in the ground which is covered with gravel (not a pond) and is then pumped back up to the top. More efficient and cost effective, it’s easy to see why the pondless waterfall is taking off, especially in these penny-pinched times. The pondless [waterfall] movement has opened up a whole new market everybody’s a winner more people can afford them, they add value to your home, and as far as contractors are concerned it’s very easy to install and get running.

Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home Garden ponds water falls

Landscaping with Stones

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 04:47:00 +0000

By Carlo Morelli

A patio or a garden is a place where you expect to find comfort and peace, a place where you want to bring the nature closer to you, especially if you live in a city. For this purpose, you should symbolize the relation between nature and human, by using natural elements like stones or water. Landscaping with stones is the solely and the most at hand solution. If you intend to bring nature as close as possible, then the best option is definitely represented by the landscaping with stones, be it the case of water stones or regular, mountain stones. What stones do is to bring completion to the process of creating a relaxing, comfortable and charming environment. Besides the plants or the small waterfalls, a beautifully organized landscaping with stones is sure to augment the value and the beauty of the space. The more precious the stones youre using, the more valuable can your propriety become. If arranged correctly and with the help of a professional designer, your stone arrangements are sure to make a blast, a fantastic impression on the viewer and on your visitors. A skillful organization of the stones brings out that feeling of freshness, of peace and calm. Landscaping with stones, also named hardscape, requires great skills of organization, especially if the space doesnt allow you too much. For this reason, the best job can be done by a specialist in this field, by a person who knows how to integrate and how to combine all the natural elements, be it the case of plants, trees and/or stones. A professional knows exactly what to place where and how to combine the components in order to attain your purpose. Therefore, I advise you not to begin constructing and decorating the landscaping with stones, unless you have previously had a meeting with a designer. The amount of stone that you want to use in the decoration of your house depends on several things. In the first place, it depends on how much time and money you are willing to spend with the landscaping with stone. Some people keep it simple and decorate with stone only the driveway entrance, while others prefer a more rustic atmosphere by landscaping with stone almost every inch of their garden or they even go inside the house. In the second place, it depends on what type of environment you want to create when landscaping with stones, because some prefer a simpler, a more modest, not too crowded places. In this case, they choose to use only a small quantity of stones. The answer to this question is simple: anywhere you like. Most prefer the landscaping with stones in their patios, due to the fact that it is an open space and the stones seem natural outdoors. The patios are, in fact, what connect the interior to the exteriors, thus creating a bond between the house and the landscaping. The landscaping with stones actually creates outdoor living spaces, spaces that become familiar and relaxing. More extravagant people prefer decorating their entire house with stones. This landscaping with stones is therefore a matter of preference and choice when it comes to the amount of stones used. Some use stones only in their outdoor spaces, other use them everywhere, from their living-rooms to their bathrooms or balconies. You can use stones to decorate the walls, the paths in your garden, the interior or the exterior columns, for the outbuilding or in the water gardens. An important aspect in the landscaping with stones is represented by the colors and by the shapes of the stones that you choose according to your desired style and imagination. For all these you should just consult a professional expert in this field. Visit http://www.onlinetips.org and read tips on how to make the most of a small yard and xeriscaping. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carlo_Morelli
Tags: Minnesota Gardens rock sculpture Home Garden rocks

10 Reasons to have a Garden vs. Grass

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:03:00 +0000

1. Americans spend $30 billion every year to maintain 23 million acres of lawn. That's an average of $1200 per acre, per year. The same sized area could still provide a beautiful space for recreation and feed a family of six if converted to edible landscaping as opposed to traditional landscaping.

2. The food you grow in your garden is infinitely fresher, tastier and nutritionally superior to store - bought foods that travel an average of 1,500 miles to your table.

3. The bounty you obtain will allow you to share the unique gift of homegrown, gourmet - quality fruits and vegetables with your friends and neighbors.

3. You will lessen your dependance on the intolerably wasteful factory - farm megacorporations that despoil our environment to produce carcinogenic "nourishment".

4. You can eliminate the need to maintain an unnatural and energy - intensive lawn and transfer that time and energy to build something that is both functional and beautiful - your edible landscape.

5. The simple act of gardening improves all aspects of health - physical, emotional, spiritual and social - to enable us to build strong bodies, strong families and strong communities.

6) You will have the ability to teach your children, friends and neighbors how they too can drastically improve their health and quality of life through gardening.

7) Instead of merely protesting the negative actions of others which all of us get wrapped up in at times, you can make a direct positive impact on the vitality of your home, and therefore community, and therefore our world in general.

8) Gardening is unbelievably educational - you will learn more about biology, chemistry, meteorology and countless other life sciences and their interaction with each other as you cultivate your nourishing garden.

9) Kids just can't get enough time in the garden! Rather than having your children dull their minds with video games, television and the internet, they can be getting a real hands - on education, develop a positive work ethic, and get a great workout to boot.

10) You will be giving a gift back to nature - providing habitat for native birds and beneficial insects as well as stopping the harmful input of petrochemicals - and she will return the favor in abundance with delicious food as opposed to useless grass!

via Bountiful Backyards

Tags: Minnesota Gardens garden not grass Home Garden lawn grass

Rain Gardens and Ponds

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 16:42:00 +0000

When you make a garden a "rain garden" you can improve local water quality while creating a beautiful natural area that will attract birds and butterflies. Rain gardens allow rain and snowmelt to seep naturally into the ground. This helps recharge our groundwater supply, and prevents a water quality problem called polluted runoff. Rain gardens are an important way to make our cities more attractive places to live while building urban ecological health.A rain garden of any size has a positive impact.
As part of its 2008 capital improvement project, an area city, Sartell is offering residents a chance to have a rain garden installed in the right of way adjacent their property.
They will use native flowers and non-native flowers and shrubs to improve the appearance of the neighborhood a variety of shapes to choose from. The 2008 plan will affect more than 120 households . Storm water generated in those neighborhoods now flows directly into the Watab and Mississippi rivers. The city installed 51 rain gardens in 2007. One could easily work the concept of a rain garden into a waterfall pond area.
All that being said, a couple of really good resources to get information on making your own rain garden are the following Minnesota sites I came across.
Rain Gardens
whole list of resources

Tags: Minnesota Gardens Home Garden rain garden ponds water falls