If you’ve never grown your own transplants for your garden, perhaps this is the year to do it. It’s economical, it allows you to grow varieties you might not be able to buy as transplants, it’s satisfying and it’s easy. If you’re new to the transplant game, start with a flower or ...
Sweeten your meals by growing your own sugar substitute in gardens or containers. Stevia is nature’s own sweetener that can be snacked upon fresh or added to soups, sauces, or beverages. Wait for warm nights and the danger of frost to pass before planting stevia outdoors. It is a perennial ...
“This would make a good column,” my husband announced as he walked into the kitchen clutching a handful of papers. Oh, boy, what did I do? I thought to myself. “What were you trying to print?” he asked. “I was printing a recipe,” I noted. I thought I clicked on “print ...
Instantly an image of clusters of blooming purple irises shone around me. Thoughts of spring and blooming flowers broke the dark sky as I drove on Highway 2 to Rugby. The music playing on the radio triggered me into thinking about blooming purple irises. Engaged by this beauty, I pulled over ...
The Easter lily is a symbol of beauty, hope and life. For those reasons and many more, Easter lilies are a popular potted flower this time of year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Floriculture Crop Summary, more than 5 million Easter lilies were sold (wholesale and retail) ...
When I was a girl, a farmer brought eggs to our home regularly. He often included some brown-shelled eggs for me. I thought they looked interesting and tasted better. Brown eggs give me a nostalgic feeling. “I brought home some eggs with brown shells,” I noted recently. “My friend ...
As winter gives way to spring take a walk around the yard. Check the lawn for damage and provide a bit of early season care to help it recover from winter. Use a leaf rake to lightly lift and separate the matted grass blades. This helps speed drying, increase airflow, and reduce the risk of ...
This weekend all across the state, eyes and ears will be paying attention to the Class B Boys’ Basketball Tournament which will be held at the Minot State University Dome. It is a time when folks gather to cheer on their favorite team. For those of us who have been born and raised here in ...
When your plant list is longer than the available gardening space it is time to expand your planting options. Create new gardening space by adding raised bed gardens, elevated planters, and containers wherever space allows. Convert the end of the drive or edge of the patio into raised bed ...
I sometimes wonder if I would have made a good historian. I enjoy reading about the past, and I’ve done quite a bit of research through archival documents to learn about our ancestors. What will the history books say about 2021 and what happened to the trees? I hope they’ll say that it ...
There are many calamities that can test a household-especially now with all the concerns with COVID-19. For example, a household member forgets to set the trash can out on the curb on trash pick-up day, or how about the routine of looking for a cell phone or keys? Many of us have been dismayed ...
Be the first in your neighborhood to enjoy a garden-ripe tomato. Then continue harvesting an abundance of flavorful tomatoes throughout the growing season. A little planning and strategic planting can help you get an earlier and bigger tomato harvest. Jump start the season by warming the soil ...
You created your wish list, ordered some or all of the seeds you will need, and they are beginning to arrive. Make the most of your investment with a bit of planning. Starting seeds at the proper time, indoors or directly in the garden, ensures a good start to the growing season. Check the ...
Whether planning your first, second or tenth vegetable garden it can be overwhelming. There are so many tasty vegetables and never enough space and time to grow them all. Start with a plan. Locate your garden in a sunny location with moist, well-drained soil. Save those partially sunny ...
“All we do is eat, nap and play,” the young gentleman said to my nutrition intern. I almost burst out laughing at the 5-year-old’s comment. That sounds like a nice time to me. My intern was trying to move him along to the next activity. He was slowly sipping the smoothie he helped ...
Maybe you haven’t bought that green deluxe Viking stove yet, but why not start enjoying the many beautiful shades of green found in cabbage! I have always loved cabbage, especially cooked. Now Jan and Lydia do favor the delightful crunch of cabbage when eaten raw. After all, who doesn’t ...
“I have had the worst headache!” my friend said. “I was so tired, too,” she continued. You can guess where my brain went. I began calculating the amount of time we had been in contact and how close we had been sitting to each other. “Can you smell and taste?” I ...
Do you want to grow giant onions? Now is the time to start making plans. Here’s the secret: Giant plants make onion bulbs. Your onion plants need to be big when they begin to form their bulbs. Bulb formation begins in late April to early May in North Dakota. We want our onion plants to ...
If you’ve been to a farmers’ market lately, then the reality of seasonal cooking in the middle of winter has plainly revealed itself to you. Tis the season for root vegetables, and not a whole lot else. But there is beauty to cooking with the season, not just because it feels in sync with ...
“Have some Brussels sprouts,” my husband said to our kids when they were much younger. “They look like little green brains.” Well, that certainly was an enticement, I recall thinking to myself. I gave him “the look.” All the Brussels sprouts remained on our kids’ plates ...