Salt damage to gardens and landscape plants is a problem for many gardeners. Runoff of dissolved salts from the road ways, driveways and sidewalks not only injure the plants but also change the structure of the soil causing it to become compacted and restricting the nutrients, water, and oxygen available to the plants.
The last of the harvesting came to an end two weeks ago and all of our tillage work was wrapped up around the same time.
A lot of work goes on in the month of November for us to transition our greenhouse from a fall festive destination to a winter wonderland for December.
Just because it’s winter and your landscape is put to rest doesn’t mean gardening has to stop. It is a perfect time to add some beautiful color and texture with an arrangement of winter containers, wreaths, kissing balls, swags or anything your heart may desire.
The English may have given us the Kissing Bough but it was the Northern Europeans who began the tradition of the decorated Christmas tree. Nearly all species of evergreens are used for Christmas trees.
The Engelmann’s spruce (Picea engelmanii) is seldom planted and seen in the Midwest, although an example of this slender pyramidal evergreen tree, which is much more graceful than the widely planted Colorado spruce, can be seen and admired at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
Another year comes and goes as the last of the pumpkins are put out to pasture. We have squash left to sell well into December and some cabbage left to be harvested along with a bit of field corn to be combined.
Thanks to everyone for their participation, with all the great submissions it was difficult to choose the winners!
I think everyone agrees that we have had enough rain these past few months, unless you are a duck. Record amounts of rainfall in our area of the metro has wreaked havoc on the progression of harvesting vegetables.
The days have grown shorter and the nights longer, but we are still managing to keep busy. This is by far my favorite time of the year and we have plenty to offer in the greenhouse. Clean up is a big part of this time of the year as well.
