Tis the season for the rhubarb recipes to come out!   This cake is so yummy and moist!  Cakes, desserts, sauces and more.  We eat lots of fresh rhubarb and I freeze it in bags for use in the winter.

We carry 1 gal. rhubarb plants here so you can start your rhubarb patch and enjoy rhubarb for many years to come!

• 1/2 c. shortening
• 1 c. packed brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar, divided
• 1 egg
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 t. baking soda
• ½ t. salt
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 2 cups diced fresh rhubarb
• 1 t. ground cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, brown sugar and ½ c. sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes.  Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.  Stir in the rhubarb.

Pour into a greased 9x13x2 pan.  Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over batter.  Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Serve warm.

You can use frozen rhubarb, measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely.  Drain in a colander, but do not press liquid out.

With the warm weather (and spring) finally here – it has a been a blur of activity here at the garden center.

This past Thursday evening, we hosted a container gardening workshop. There were beautiful containers created and fun shared by all.   Grace Ramos did a wonderful job of helping everyone with the creation of their containers!  We look forward to holding this workshop again next spring!

We have a great assortment of specialty annuals, the thrillers, spillers and fillers for your containers!  For those not wanting to create your own container – we have many beautiful hanging baskets or we will gladly plant your container for you!

We have gotten in straw bales now for those needing bedding for their gardens, strawberry patches or for the straw bale gardens.

The beautiful Redbud trees have taken over the spotlight now that the Forsythia trees have lost their flowers.  Pictured here is our grouping of Redbuds we have planted in our yard at home.  These trees have been here for several years and each spring, delight us with their rose-pink blossoms which are exceptionally bright in the early morning light.  The Redbud likes moist, well-drained soil and should be planted in a protected area.  It will reach a mature height and width of approximately 20′.  They are available in single stem form as well as clump form.   We have many Redbuds to choose from!   Enjoy spring – plant a Redbud!

As always, hold off on working soil until it is dry enough to crumble when dug, hoed or tilled.  Since soil temperatures are abnormally cold this spring, it is probably a good idea to wait a while longer before planting warm season vegetable crops like tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, beans and annual flowers such as impatiens.

It’s happening.  The awakening has begun.  Anticipation has been building since the oak trees started dropping acorns last September.

For some fifteen years I have collected acorns from the mighty oaks of southern Minnesota in order to grow oak trees that have been genetic strengthened by the interplay of our harsh climate, extremely varied soils, and the process of natural selection over thousands, if not millions of years.  The acorn crops vary wildly in size and quality from one year to the next, creating a challenge not only for seed collectors, but also for the many kinds of wildlife that depend on acorns as a source of high energy food.

During the fall of 2012, I wasn’t seeing a good acorn drop in the Northfield area, so I contacted Brad Gatzloff of Zumbro Valley Forestry, and he graciously provided me with four small batches of sound acorns from white oaks, bur oak, N. Pin Oaks, and Northern red Oak.  October found us planting these precious seeds into very special propagation pots and trays that are designed to air prune the root systems as the small trees grow, producing the very best root systems that yield high success rates when planted.  Since oak trees have long been considered difficult to transplant, the opportunity to grow oaks with root systems that make planting success easy to achieve, is a welcome and existing development.

Each time I plant an acorn, I think of the towering oaks in the woods where I live, and how some day that little acorn could become a beautiful source of cooling shade, nesting habitat, critter food, and eventually building material and fuel.  It’s amazing what can come from these hard little nuts, if only we have the faith and foresight to plant them.

Now after a winter in cool moist potting mix, the acorns Brad brought me are awakening.  First cracks appear in the hull, and soon a single root is just barely visible as it pokes out the pointed end of the acorn and turns downward to penetrate the mixture of peat and composted pine bark.  This root develops for anywhere from a few days to a few months before the day finally comes when a shoot pops up from the acorn and heads skyward, producing first one set of leaves, then another, and soon it begins to actually look like a tiny oak tree.

Today is Mother’s Day 2013, a day to honor the women who have given us life, love and who nurtured our awakening from helpless infants to capable and self-sufficient adults.  It’s also a day when I will celebrate the awakening of all life, as spring really unfolds across a landscape draped in the vibrant light green of brand new leaves.

Can you feel it?  Can you hear it?  The web of life awakens.  Spring is finally here.  Wildflowers are blooming in the woods, a mother duck walked her 13 ducklings right through the middle of the nursery yesterday, and in greenhouse #10 – acorns are awakening.

Forsythia – Shrub form

Magnolia

Forsythia – Tree form

What’s doing the blooming this week?   The Forsythia – both the shrubs and tree form are absolutely beautiful with their buttery yellow flowers brightening up the landscape!  The Magnolia trees!   Awesome.   Almost every street that I went down yesterday here in Northfield had either a Forsythia blooming or the white Magnolia flowers seeming to shine brilliantly.  After such a long, long winter – or such a late spring – seeing these plants blossoming is such a welcoming site.

In the picture of the Forsythia shrub – you will notice that the surrounding plants are just starting to push their buds / leaves.  This is what makes the Forsythia such a great plant.  It’s early to blossom so you can extend spring color by planting Forsythia in your landscape.  Once the flowers fall away – the bright green leaves provide a backdrop to the next layer of either late spring color or early summer color.   The Magnolia picture here is pruned to this shape – and needless to say – it is eye-catching.

We have Forsythia in stock and shrub form Magnolias.   The tree form Magnolias start to arrive this week!   Stop in and get a dose of Spring!

This means that you will have to skip crabgrass preventer this year, or apply crabgrass preventer very carefully only on healthy areas and not at all on damaged areas where you plan to do seeding of turf grass.  This selective application of crabgrass preventer may be quite difficult to do with accuracy.  I recommend just skipping the crabgrass preventer this year if you plan to do any grass seeding.

We are hosting a class on creating container displays using annual flowers.  Annual containers are an easy way to incorporate color and texture to any area in the garden or patio.  They can be colorful accents, create focal points and help invite guests with a welcoming entrance.

Bring yourself and your creativity and get ready to have fun with color and texture!   We will supply the expertise, soil and plant material.   Please bring your favorite container(s)!

Participants are encouraged to pre-register.  There is no registration fee for this event, you will be charged only for the materials used.  This event will be hosted either outdoors or in one of our greenhouses – depending on the weather!   We look forward to seeing you!

Contact us - or give us a call at 507-645-5015 if you have any questions or would like to register!

Photo courtesy of Bailey Nurseries

Autumn Gold’ Ginkgo has the distinctive appearance and outstanding architecture to be a tree that turns heads from its youth through middle age and especially in maturity.  Very pest resistant (including Japanese Beetle), ‘Autumn Gold’ Ginkgo grows quite symmetrically with a strong central leader, and almost horizontal layered branching that becomes more a part of the visual appeal with each passing year.

            Unique fan shape leaves unlike any other tree variety are another appealing aspect of ‘Autumn Gold’ Ginkgo.  These leaves turn a beautiful buttery yellow in fall.  ‘Autumn Gold’ Ginkgo is a male clone that is seedless.  This means that ‘Autumn Gold’ Ginkgo will not produce the messy and foul smelling fruit that can be produced by a female Ginkgo tree. 

            ‘Autumn Gold’ Ginkgo tolerates a wide variety of soil types and difficult urban conditions which makes it more likely to be successful for most property owners.  While it is initially slow growing during its first several years of establishment, ‘Autumn Gold’ Ginkgo can easily grow two feet or more per year, making it a fairly good grower.

            A mature size rating of 50 feet tall by 30+ feet wide make ‘Autumn Gold’ a large shade tree that is likely to become one of your favorites.  Plant ‘Autumn Gold’ Ginkgo in areas with good drainage and enjoy the show as year by year this stately tree adds layer upon layer of beautifully tiered branches.

            For homeowners who want the beauty and versatility of a Ginkgo, but desire a tree that is not as broadly spreading, there are several nice choices available that all have a narrower profile/width.  ‘Princeton Sentry’ Ginkgo is rated at 20-25 feet wide, ‘Magyar’ Ginkgo at 25 feet wide, and ‘Elmwood’ Ginkgo at 10-12 feet wide, and all are male clones that are seedless

Photo courtesy of Walters Gardens

Myosotis sylvatica

Forget-Me-Not

Forget-Me-Nots are biennial flowers.  If you want to have Forget-Me-Nots coming up next year it is important that you allow the plants to reseed as the original plant will not come back until the third year.  Forget-Me-Nots aren’t picky about their soil but they do like a little bit of moisture.  They make themselves at home in rain gardens, along stream banks, perfect for a low spot in the garden where it stays moist longer after a rain, or near the end of the down spout.  They are deer and rabbit resistant and grow quickly.  Full sun to part shade.

Blog compliments of Heidi Brosseau