Old homes carry stories, but they often need a fresh coat of life. Bismarck’s Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative returns this year, offering homeowners of 30-plus-year-old houses valued under $300,000 reduced-interest loans from $10,000 to $100,000 for value-adding upgrades. With Gate City Bank and,[...]
Section: Home & Garden
Curio |
Dakota Gardener: Avoid the two most common tomato problems
Do you know what the two most common tomato problems are? Many gardeners assume that diseases or insects cause the most common problems. However, after a dozen years working for North Dakota State University Extension, that has not been my experience. Year[...]
Curio |
Dakota Gardener: Attract bees to your vegetable garden
We need bees to grow a productive vegetable garden. Almost all cucumber, melon, pumpkin and squash flowers require pollination by bees to produce fruit. Without bees, there would be a worldwide shortage of zucchini. A very sad thought, indeed. Tomato, pepper and[...]
Curio |
Dakota Gardener: Fresh garden tomatoes
I think there is nothing better than a fresh tomato from the garden. This is one statement that I find most gardeners will not argue about. Generally, gardeners will go above and beyond to ensure they can harvest a plentiful tomato crop.[...]
Curio |
Dakota Gardener: The best new fruit for the Dakotas
It’s fun to grow new fruit crops. Common fruits like apples and strawberries are okay, but there’s nothing special about them. It’s more exciting to grow—and taste—an exotic, new fruit. I have seen lots of promising fruits over the past 15 years[...]
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Curio |
Dakota Gardener: Would you buy a glow-in-the-dark petunia?
An Idaho company released a glow-in-the-dark petunia called Firefly Petunia. By day, the plant looks like an ordinary white-flowered bedding plant. After the sun goes down, the plant reveals its superpower by emitting a faint green glow. While the glow is noticeable,[...]
Curio |
Dakota Gardener: Get ready to grow with spring garden prep
It’s that time of year when I start pulling out all my garden tools and begin looking at the garden. I do not do a lot of prep with my garden; I prefer to enjoy the process and not focus on every[...]
News |
Dandelions still nuisance for city, homeowners
The dandelions are back in Minot, dotting lawns with bright yellow bursts—whether homeowners want them or not. As the summer heat sets in, residents are once again mowing and weeding, though today’s weed control looks far different than in 1935. Back then,[...]
News Release |
MSU to plant red clover cover crop in support of Plum River Native Prairie project
MINOT, N.D. – Weather permitting, Minot State University will plant red clover as a cover crop on Tuesday, May 13, as part of the ongoing development of the Plum River Native Prairie at the former site of Erik Ramstad Middle School. This[...]
Curio |
Dakota Gardener: Mulch for the garden
Do you utilize mulch in the garden? If you do that’s great! If you don’t, you should consider adding mulch to the garden, as there are many benefits. Benefits of mulch include preserving moisture, reducing weed pressure and erosion. These are great[...]
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Curio |
Dakota Gardener: Container gardening
Sometimes, I run out of space in my garden or have extra transplants after planting the garden. I usually end up planting these extras in my containers. Container gardening is a great way to supplement in-ground or raised bed production. Containers can[...]
Curio |
Dakota Gardener: Easy-to-grow, big, beautiful pumpkins
Bigger is often better, but I don’t want to grow a giant, 300-pound pumpkin. Those pumpkins are lopsided. They are ugly. They look more tan than orange in color. Their vines gobble up the entire garden. Giant pumpkins require a lot of[...]
Curio |
The hidden history of Philadelphia’s window-box gardens and their role in urban reform
In Philadelphia, a simple window box holds more than just flowers — it carries a history of activism, community, and resilience. Historian Sonja Dümpelmann traces how women in the 19th and 20th centuries used these small gardens to beautify neighborhoods, foster social[...]
Curio |
Dakota Gardener: Common names
You’re not from around here, are you? It was my first spring in North Dakota and I was talking with some tree-care professionals in the Bismarck area. We were discussing some health problems that trees had suffered over the winter. They were[...]
Curio |
Prairie Fare: Let’s explore the food in our cupboards
The other day, my husband sent me a text with a link to a story about old food. Someone had found 25-year-old mayonnaise that looked like caramel. Not good. Later, I was reaching deep into my cupboards to see if any food[...]
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Curio |
The Pasque
Long before smartphones told us when spring had arrived, people on the prairie watched for something simpler — the first soft bloom of the pasque flower. It wasn’t just a sign of warmer days; it was a signal to pause, reflect, and[...]