By MELINDA MYERS It’s time to get outside and enjoy summer barbecues, gardening, hikes and much more. Don’t let mosquitoes keep you inside; Instead enlist these chemical-free strategies to manage these pests in your landscape. Start by eliminating the mosquitoes’ breeding grounds. ...

There are times when gardeners are looking for a very large perennial for the back of a perennial bed or to provide screening of an object or an area in a yard. There are a number that are very interesting and attractive that will fit this criteria. The following are all recommended for full ...

It’s always a good idea to prepare your home and family for a big summer storm before it happens. Better to be safe than sorry. Build an emergency kit – Include a few days’ worth of clothing for the entire family, non-perishable foods, drinking water, first aid kit, bathroom/hygiene ...

Anyone who talks longingly about the good old days certainly isn’t talking about gardening. Times are better now. Heck, when I was a kid, we didn’t even have Wave petunias, and cherry tomatoes tasted like bitter lemons before Sweet 100, Sunsugar and other current favorites. Heirloom ...

Since the basic backyard barbecue began evolving into the outdoor kitchen, the trend has only grown. Some of today’s outdoor cooking areas can seem almost like full kitchens, with more appliances and food prep space. Even walls, ceilings and TVs. “It’s not just where you prepare the ...

There’s a little stem of a willow tree growing wild in our backyard. I wouldn’t have known it except my dad pointed it out in the thick of the wild grasses, bushes and weeds that we have been meaning to turn into a retaining wall for years. Willow trees aren’t common out here among the ...

Most perennial flowers are well behaved and stay where planted and don’t spread out and crowd other plants around them. However, there are some that are notorious for being thugs and crowding and sometimes crowding other desired perennials completely out of the garden. Seed Spreading ...

What are your plans for the weekend? Consider garden hopping. To some special private gardens. An organization called The Garden Conservancy makes it easy to find and visit them. Each year, the Garden Conservancy puts out a booklet called the Open Days Directory, with descriptions of about ...

I’m telling you when it comes to getting the most out of summer, rain or shine, North Dakotans don’t mess around. As a musician who has been singing at these outdoor events most of my life, I’ve sang “Home on the Range” when the skies were most definitely cloudy all day. And blazing ...

The NDSU Extension Master Gardeners are gardeners who have a strong interest in horticulture and desire to be a resource for educating and assisting the gardening public. Master Gardeners all take an in-depth multi-hour course on different aspects of horticulture. After the initial training, ...

As if drought and an especially hard winter weren’t enough, some spruce trees are now being attacked by spruce sawfly larvae. Although they look like very small, stripped, hairless caterpillars, they are the immature stage of a small wasp. They are very small, being similar in size and ...

MANDAN – The 96th North Dakota State Horticultural Society Conference, open to gardeners throughout the state, is slated for July 25-27, 2019, at the Baymont Inn and Suites in Mandan. The conference provides an opportunity to share ideas with fellow gardeners, attend workshops focused on ...

It’s 4-H Week in McKenzie County and I spent a recent afternoon talking with 4-Hers about the photographs they took of their roosters and kittens, sunsets and sisters, horses and old country churches. I’m always amazed at the poise, passion and pure creativity these kids possess and am ...

The start of our third year of drought coupled with some abnormally hot temperatures in the past three to four weeks has put a great amount of stress on lawns, trees and shrubs. One does not have to look far to see many examples of this stress. There are some things that you can do to help your ...

Last night, as we were driving back to the ranch late from a performance in a bigger town, my dad said he wishes he could live a whole other lifetime so he would have time to fit in all of the things he wants to do. He said it sort of casually to our friend sitting in the passenger’s seat, ...

A bit of grooming and care will keep your flower gardens looking their best throughout the hot summer months and into fall. Remove the flower stems of salvias, veronicas and similar flowers as the blooms begin to fade. Use a pruner or sharp garden scissors and cut just above the first set of ...

The prairie animals that most of us call “gophers” are properly named Richardson Ground Squirrels. Their normal home is in a short grass pasture or field in the country. But they seemed to have learned from their neighbors, the deer, Canada geese, and wild turkeys, and have moved into ...

WATFORD CITY — Over Memorial Day weekend, my in-laws took our two young daughters on a five-day camping trip and left my husband and I home alone for part of the workweek and the long weekend. It was the stuff parenting dreams are made of, I’m telling you. In our married adult life B.C. ...

You’ve grabbed your water bottle, sunscreen and hat for a hike in the park or some gardening. Add a bit of tick protection to your must-have items when you head out the door for an adventure, to garden or play. Continue enjoying the outdoors by enlisting a variety of strategies to limit ...

As we move into the third year of drought, the lack of water, past cold winter temperatures and this unusually hot early summer has damaged and is still damaging many evergreens. It seems that most any evergreen somewhere is affected. The rapid drying and browning on the south and south west ...