Working with gardeners, I get to have a lot of different conversations about gardening trends. Some of my favorites are with people about the obscure and strange trends that float around social media or topics from old wives’ tales. So, I asked[...]
Section: Home & Garden
Curio |
Dakota Gardener: Tiger Eyes®, a fall showstopper
When I was in high school, I used to work at a greenhouse and nursery. During my time there, I was introduced to so many different plants, but one plant that always stuck out to me was the Tiger Eyes® sumac, or[...]
News |
Dakota Gardener: Now is the best time to improve your lawn
Do you want to have a great lawn? If yes, it is time to get busy. Now is the best time of the year to fertilize your lawn. The secret to a great lawn is a strong root system, and lawns develop[...]
Curio |
Dakota Gardener: Too much of a good thing
My friends in western North Dakota are breathing a sigh of relief this year. After several years of drought, some timely rains are happening, and in decent amounts. Well, mostly timely, and mostly in decent amounts. There are still some droughty spots[...]
Curio |
Prairie Fare: Sweet corn and summer flavors — A recipe and a memory
“No playing with your food, please,” my mom said. I had been caught. I looked up from my plate and grinned. I had capped most of my teeth with corn kernels, giving myself a golden smile. I was very young at the[...]
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Curio |
Why good houseguests don’t actually ‘make themselves at home’
As summer winds down and travel plans take shape, etiquette expert Elaine Swann has some clear advice for being the kind of houseguest who’s always welcome back. It starts with respecting your host’s space, keeping visits short, and communicating your plans ahead[...]
Curio |
Dakota Gardener: Growing wild
One of my favorite spots at home is in my front yard. Between my driveway and the front walk there is a two-foot-wide patch of soil where I grow wildflowers. This is a test of my own plant identification skills, but also[...]
Curio |
Prairie Fare: Foraging safely — Lessons from the woods
“Would you like to try the morel mushrooms?” my mom asked one of our relatives. “Julie and her dad went mushroom hunting,” she added. I was young, but I noticed my relative’s skeptical expression. “No, thank you,” he said politely. I don’t[...]
News |
How to handle wasp nests safely and smartly
By August, they’re hard to miss—circling picnic tables, landing on lemonade cups, and building nests in the eaves. Yes, it’s wasp season on the prairie. As colonies shift and sugar cravings spike, wasps become more visible—and more likely to crash your barbecue.[...]
Curio |
Dakota Gardener: False Sunflower, a great garden perennial
I have been hosting an annual garden tour for the past five years and I look forward to it every year! Garden tours are perfect for learning new techniques and methods to implement in your own garden. It’s a wonderful time to[...]
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News |
How a growing demand for drought-tolerant, local plants is changing the landscaping industry
Across the West, water-conscious landscaping is finally having its moment—but the supply chain isn’t ready for it. As native plants rise in popularity for their resilience and water savings, landscape architects are hitting a frustrating wall: the nurseries can’t keep up. From[...]
Curio |
Dakota Gardener: Plant variegation
I love zinnias. They are one of my favorite flowers. I interplant long rows of zinnias with my pumpkin and squash plants every year. Last year, as I was weeding the rows, I noticed a plant that had a striking difference from[...]
Curio |
Dakota Gardener: Popcorn in the garden
The other night, my husband and I went to the movie theater, which I can’t remember the last time we went to see a movie. The most popular snack at the movie theater is, of course, buttered popcorn. As we were munching[...]
News |
Ground squirrels are taking over a North Dakota city and officials are not amused
Minot’s back in the national news—but this time the reason is mostly innocent. It’s squirrels. Richardson’s ground squirrels, to be exact: foot-long burrowers whose numbers now rival the city’s population. As the Associated Press reports, local officials and pest control experts are[...]
Curio |
Watch: This ‘Iron Dome’ for mosquitoes shoots down bugs with lasers
Mosquitoes beware — your days might be numbered, and this time it’s not citronella doing the work. A Chinese engineer has unveiled the Photon Matrix, a laser-equipped gadget that tracks and zaps mosquitoes right out of the air, one tiny villain at[...]
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Curio |
Dakota Gardener: After the storm
When I was in college, I enjoyed country music a lot. In the late 1980s, Tanya Tucker had a No. 1 single titled, “Strong Enough to Bend.” The song relates strength to flexibility, with the analogy of a strong tree and a[...]