by Dave Christensen on August 9, 2009
Weeds are common place in gardens and flower pots.
I live out in the country and it seems that I am always battling back the weeds that sneak in. The birds don’t help either. Once certain weeds get established in a garden it is almost impossible to erradicate them. On several occasions in the past, I have had huge gardens that became infested. At times, I gave up and just mowed them over. In recent years, I have made my gardens smaller and used the resources of weed killer, mulch and weed fabric. Gardens can not be planted and just left, they need to be tended to and managed. Some things to consider if you have weed infestation or want to keep them under control.
1. Allow PREEN to become your best friend. You can purchase this product at any hardware store. Keep in mind that Preen can only be effective on weed free soil. It does not allow weeds to germinate. At first i recommend that you apply it every 3 weeks. This is more than they recommend. But it is necessary. If the weeds are removed, this product will keep weeds at bay. If weeds are present, it will not rid them.
2. Mulch of any kind is critical around perennials and shrubs, along with preen
3. In the spring I burn my gardens, it kills alot of weed seeds that may have dropped in the summer. Once thistle gets established it is very difficult to rid there after.
We all know what weeds and weedy gardens look like, so no picture is on line at this time. Contact me for more information or tips (docsperennials@yahoo.com)
by Dave Christensen on July 20, 2009
by Dave Christensen on February 1, 2009
In Clearwater County here in northern Minnesota, we are blessed to have a variety of landscape and garden resources. Here are a few I suggest that you visit
- Perennial Paradise (218) 766-3568 is the largest perennial resource in Clearwater County. We have thousands of perennials with over 200 varieties that are Zone hardy for this area. The garden center perennials cover all ranges of color schemas that would enhance any of your gardening needs.
- Hanson’s Greenhouse in Shevlin sell bedding plants for both flower and vegetable gardening needs.
- Erickson’s Greenhouse also sell bedding plants for flower and vegetable gardens.
- Clearwater Nursery has many varieties of trees, shrubs, fruit trees, vines and some perennials, edging, landscape fabric and other resources. Come out to see Perennial Paradise. All the trees growing on the garden center lot are from Clearwater Nursery.
- Francis Floral in Bagley sell cut flowers and annuals in the spring.
All five business are within seven miles of each other from Shevlin to Bagley. Each business specializes in different resources for your garden needs. It is important for you as a shopper to understand what you are looking for and understand plant types and their purposes. Supporting your local economy is critical for the community. It provides jobs and keeps hard earned money with in the county that might otherwise be out sourced to larger communities. In addition to the above mentioned businesses Bagley and Shevlin offer a wide variety of good shopping and eating establishments to ease your shopping without the hustle bustle of big city traffic. Time efficiency is critical to our busy lives. Many businesses in our local area are more than willing to assist you in your shopping needs.
by Dave Christensen on August 18, 2008
Saturday morning Perennial Paradise Garden Sale was scheduled to open at 7:00 a.m. Through the night, I was sick and had the chills. I tried very hard to sleep knowing I had a 12 hour day in front of me or more. Finally at 4:00 a.m. I fell asleep! At 4:30 a.m. the alarm woke up. One may ask, why so early? To own a business there is a lot more at stake than just a lot full of perennials. That is the easy part!
Feeling very sick and dizzy I tripped over the couch and fell [click to continue...]
by Dave Christensen on August 17, 2008
Several years ago, I made it a habit each spring to purchase young sapling trees from the Clearwater Soil and Conservation office. These trees are economical and you can purchase large quantities for good prices. The difference in buying these trees and the trees you buy at a local nursery is that you have to wait longer for maturity. They range in sizes from 15 inches – 3 feet in height depending on the variety you are buying. Each year I made it a pact to buy at least 200 trees and each year the survival rate was quite low. My soil on my property is poor consisting of gravel, sand and clay.
My kids were small at this time and I always felt it was a waste to use disposable diapers as I knew they would just end up in the landfills. [click to continue...]
