Chris Mathan, a friend and owner of The Sportsman's Cabinet, visited us while in Minnesota on business recently. My husband, Jerry, and I have known and worked with Chris for many years. She is a marketing specialist geared toward the outdoors and developed the brand and website for both Dazzle Gardens and Northwoods Bird Dogs, the pointing dog training and breeding business we run.
In addition, Chris is an excellent photographer and has provided us exquisite photographs of flowers, landscapes, dogs and training sessions. She has an extraordinary sense of style and a keen artistic eye. She perfectly captures her subjects and her photos are, literally, breathtaking.
Chris and I also collaborated on a 2010 calendar project, Why We Love Flowers.
We feel fortunate that Chris brought her camera and took time to photograph some of our dogs. Luckily also, the pasture was in full bloom when Chris photographed Blue and Cash, 9-week-old littermates out of Northwoods Blue Ox and Houston's Belle's Choice.
Check out more of Chris' photography—including shots of gardens and Bird Dogs, Field Trials, and Upland Hunting—and her other work at www.sportsmanscabinet.com.
It might be difficult for serious gardeners to think that gardening has become trendy. After all, some of us have been digging in the soil for decades with nary a thought about being in vogue. We grew plants because they provided us immeasurable pleasure and satisfaction–along with some sustenance.
As a hobby, gardening has always ranked high in the national charts whether counted by dollars spent or number of households participating. In years past at least, I attributed much of that to lawn care. Almost every home in the country has turf grass and the industry encouraged the purchase and application of many types of herbicides and fertilizers.
Due to many reasons, thankfully, a more sensible approach to lawn care is emerging. More emphasis is given to sustainability with less reliance on using herbicides and fertilizing–which reduces the amount of money spent on those chemicals.
And yet, gardening remains high on the list.
Last year's vast numbers of new gardeners were influenced largely by the floundering economy and the opportunity to have cheap, good food. Nursery and greenhouse owners in our area foresee a continuation of that trend and, further, all predicted and planned for a surge in growing fruits.
Fruits. Yes, fruits!
Lena Schaumburg of Lena's Garden Center in Askov is cognizant of the region's Scandinavian tradition and is proud of her selection of two stalwart fruits. She has "200 lingonberries already blooming and 600 blueberry plants I started last year from microshoots." In addition, Lena stocks organically grown apples, cherries and plums.
The word from Wendy Dockal at Quarry Greenhouse was "berries." She is stocking several berry-producing shrubs including "blackberries, black raspberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries." In addition, she is bringing in some tropical plants to try and among them, pineapples.
Although Dianne Carlson of La Rose Nursery & Greenhouse hedged her prediction, she and her husband, Mark, have a bigger supply of fruiting trees and shrubs this year. Among their offerings: "both red and black currants, saskatoons, honeyberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb, apples, plums, cherries and pears."
At the Askov Nursery & Greenhouse, Cheri Petersen mentioned "there were more gardeners last year even though it was a tough season for them." Cheri and her husband, Brad, stock rhubarb, blueberries, grapes, black raspberries, red and gold raspberries, pears, cherries, plums, apples and apricots.
This nursery also specializes in tomatoes which are, after all, fruits. By the end of June when they close for the season, Cheri and Brad will have sold all of their 6,000 tomato plants, including 29 heirloom varieties, to "the good gardeners in this area."
This also appears in the Askov American, Askov, Minnesota.
Gardeners, horticulturists, hobby farmers and plant geeks rejoice! Greenhouses and nurseries are open for the season.
Gorgeous baskets are hung from every greenhouse rafter, pipe and hook. Overflowing benches contain vibrant annuals, perennials, vegetables and herbs. Outside, woody plants tags flutter in the breeze and full pallets of soil, mulch, compost and manure are lined up with precision.
In our area, we are fortunate to have four establishments–all owned and managed by local, dedicated, talented people. Plan your visits!
Garden tours are excellent excuses to get together with friends and share a day of (what could be better?) looking at plants and flowers.
The 9th Annual Garden Tour and Brunch, hosted by the Kanabec History Center and with help from the Town and Country Garden Club in Mora, will be held on Saturday, July 18. Brunch will be served from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. and five gardens will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. In addition, area artists will be situated in each location as part of an "Arts in the Gardens" feature.
For further information, contact the Kanabec History Center, 320-679-1665.
Since 2003, the Buds 'N Blooms Garden Club in Pine City has hosted a similar sort of garden tour with brunch and artists in the gardens. But this year, due to lack of gardens, the tour is cancelled. The club has plans for 2010 but needs two more gardens. If you know of a garden that could be included, contact Karen Gross, 320-396-3555.
Area farmers markets are opening soon for the season…very exciting! Farmers markets are the perfect venue to support local farmers and producers and to have to access to fresh, seasonal goods. Fruits, vegetables, herbs, honey, flowers, maple syrup, eggs, jam, chutneys, salsa and hot-from-the-oven bakery products are usually available.
The Sandstone Area Farmers Market opens on Saturday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon in downtown Sandstone. For further information, contact Clarissa Ellis-Prudhomme or Rigel Byrum-Ridge, 320-245-2589.
Pine City's Farmers Market in the Park will open for the season on Friday, July 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Robinson Park. New this year, the market will also be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon beginning July 25. For further information, contact Jennifer Peterson, 320-629-2664.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) still has the quarantine in place which prohibits the movement of hardwood firewood and most ash products in Ramsey and Hennepin Counties. Hopefully this quarantine will prevent the accidental spread of emerald ash borer (EAB) to new areas.
For residents of our area, the single most important thing to do is to be vigilant. Know the signs of an EAB infestation and monitor ash trees. IF EAB has not been detected within 10 – 15 miles, ash trees are at low risk. Current maps of known EAB populations can be found at www.emeraldashborer.info.
The somber press conference on May 14, 2009, confirmed that the sad but perhaps inevitable had occurred. An infestation of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) had been discovered in St. Paul. This devastating news brought together a variety of concerned agencies–the USDA Forest Service, Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), Minnesota Depart of Natural Resources (DNR), U of M Extension Service and the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association.
In the local office of the Minnesota DNR Division of Forestry, Rick Dunkley, Area Supervisor, took the news in stride but said, "Taxpayers own lots of property in Pine County and ash is one of the species. We have a lot at stake and a lot to protect."
All groups had known of the issue for many years and many had worked together on management plans and strategies. The time had come to put some of those plans into action.
Gardeners all over our region are rejoicing. Local nurseries and greenhouses are open for the season! Even though each business has its own strengths and specialties, each is worth a visit…or two…or three.
Askov Greenhouse & Nursery is located just outside Askov and comprises two beautifully-built wood and poly greenhouses, outside display areas and a building that houses custom-packaged seeds, supplies and garden ornaments. Another greenhouse is reserved for growing and is not open to the public.
The greenhouses were built in 1993 by Cheri and Brad Petersen. They opened the following year–1994–and are now celebrating their 16th season. Askov Greenhouse sells annuals, perennials, fruits, vegetables, herbs, hanging baskets, trees, shrubs, soil, amendments and mulch.
Cheri and Brad pride themselves on growing their own plants. Even woody plants are bought bare-root and potted up at the nursery. Their diligence, care and expertise are evident in the quality of the plants. In addition, every species is clearly marked with name, price, culture and pot size.
