Knecht’s

From all of us at Knecht’s Nurseries, we want to wish all our friends and customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We also want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported us, helped us grow year by year, and best of all shared your friendship with us.

Below is my complete Christmas column that appears in Saturday’s Northfield News.

Leif
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Diversity is perhaps the central feature of healthy landscapes and ecosystems. Similarly, the many and varied religious and cultural celebrations and traditions of the holiday season reflect a healthy diversity of human experience.

Wise people throughout human history have understood the great value that can be drawn from celebrating all that draws people together to affirm life, hope and justice; especially when spiritual enrichment and cross-cultural understanding are the result. Seldom in the history of mankind, have we stood at a crossroads that offers greater rewards for in-depth understanding of people of differing cultures, economic systems, nationalities, races, religions, and political philosophies.

The differences are great. So are the rewards available when genuine, dedicated and long term efforts are made to promote understanding and cooperation. The consequences of failing to commit to a real course of understanding and collaboration have a correspondingly great potential to create human tragedy in the 21st century that is unimaginable to most of us.

I take heart this holiday season in the fact that there is a great common ground in the values being celebrated by those who observe Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza and the high holy days of other religions. That which we share in common and which joins us together as human kind needs to be embraced as far more important than the differences. If we collectively follow this path we will all be able to lead more productive, satisfying lives marked by inner peace and serenity.

To create the atmosphere which sets the stage for holidays, we decorate our homes, communities and landscapes with a multitude of plant materials, lights, icons and popular and fine art. As we put in place each of these items, and enjoy the festive nature of the holiday landscape and events, let’s take a moment to remember that each of the myriad of lights we see can be thought of as a symbol of a living, breathing human being somewhere on this earth who has hopes and dreams very much like ours.

Just as our holiday lights burn brightly through the night to bring holiday cheer, the hopes and dreams of people all around the world for decent and meaningful lives need our help to continue to burn brightly through the darkness of economic and geo-political turmoil. For many years, the Statue of Liberty has stood tall and strong as a symbol of hope and justice and the very best America has to offer the world. As we celebrate this holiday season with family and friends, let us also resolve to help the light of hope and justice to continue to shine into all the dark corners of a troubled world.

Only when the most downtrodden of the earth have genuine hopes for meaningful lives will we as a nation come close to having the security we have collectively yearned for since that terrible September day three years ago. Thankfully, the values central of our holiday celebrations can help us move ever closer to a world where hope and justice are a cross-cultural reality.

Merry Christmas

These familiar holiday decorative plants are native to Central America, and are now available in an amazing array of colors and patterns. Being somewhat of a traditionalist, I prefer the original bright red. Poinsettias can stay looking nice for well over a month if well maintained and are not really poisonous. The worst you could get from eating an entire plant might be a stomach ache. If you take really good care of your poinsettia, you can plant it outside in early June, and bring in a huge plant in mid-September. It provides an interesting look in the summer garden. When you bring it inside a early fall, cover it every night with a light blocking dark cloth, so that the plant is triggered to produce the striking colored leaves.

Leif has a new article posted (pdf) in the library. Here are the first two paragraphs:

A landscape may be thought of as the sum of its physical parts plus the way that the design offers practical advantages for day to day use, including the daily enrichment of life provided by the beauty and spiritual stimulation of a well conceived and implemented plan.

On the evening of December 2nd, Deb and I strolled the streets of downtown Northfield, enjoying the very festive atmosphere that was a wonderful kick off for the Christmas holiday season.

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Leif’s articles appear in the Saturday edition of the Northfield News, in the Home and Real Estate section. All his previous articles are archived in our web library, going back to 2001.

If you are willing to give the care required for hybrid tea roses, this highly rated (8.3) yellow, two-toned rose will provide you with one of the all time favorites.

Featuring very large double blooms and fairly hardy, the Peace Rose will still need winter protection in Minnesota.

Leif has a new article posted (pdf) in the library. Here are the first two paragraphs:

Having already celebrated Thanksgiving with family and seeing the days rolling by quickly toward Christmas, I am going to take a step back to the theme of giving thanks. Few experiences in life satisfy more deeply than focusing with eyes wide open on all we have to be thankful for, even in the midst of challenges with jobs, families, finances and the scarcity of peace among nations.

Even as frost sinks ever deeper and working the soil has to be delayed for four months or more, I’m thankful for the four seasons. The dramatically different faces of the landscape throughout four distinct seasons provide a wonderful opportunity to plan landscapes that display stimulating variety. When we get over the fact that having a real winter can limit plant choices, and some forms of outdoor activity, we can begin to see opportunities in the cycling of the seasons.

(continued…)

Leif’s articles appear in the Saturday edition of the Northfield News, in the Home and Real Estate section. All his previous articles are archived in our web library, going back to 2001.

We now have a slight covering of snow and the ground has frozen an inch or two in a few places. Now is the time for covering those perennials planted in 2004 or more tender perennials with an extra layer of mulch. I typically mulch my perennials now - when its been cold for a little while and there’s a small amount of frost in the ground. This will help assure that the “thaw/freeze” cycle won’t do a number on my more sensitive perennials. Two years ago, Leif and I put in a huge hosta and shade garden and when we mulched as I have described - we lost one small hosta and that was it out of about 300 plants, one didn’t make it. It’s worth the extra effort.

We have a small supply of bagged mulch left you if need to obtain some more to complete what you need to do. Just give us a call and make sure someone is here to help you!

The other thing to begin to do now is take stock of how your garden and yard is looking now that the growing season is over. Where would you like to see a splash of winter color - red-twigged dogwoods, cranberry shrubs, ornamental grasses, etc. ? Make notes and plans for your gardening for 2005.