pachistima - cliff green

Pachistima canbyi

Family: Celastraceae
Genus: Paxistima (paks-ISS-tim-uh) (Info)
Species: canbyi (KAN-bee-eye) (Info)
Synonym:Pachistima canbyi

Cute little sub-shrub that stays green all winter.  In Dec. of 2011 we have no snow but pachistima looks nice in the fallen leaves.

Chorizo cheese ball

I took one chorizo sausage out of the casing and cut it up and put it in a frying pan.  I tried to squeeze it into small pieces but it didn't work too well so I put it on the blender.  Then I added it to room temp cream cheese.  Instead of making it into a ball I just put it in a small dish and served it with multi-grain crackers at the Gardening Sat meeting.

Green's Girls Christmas Party 2011

Green's Girls Christmas Party 2011

Sky. at Sanders, used to work at Greens

blue bottle tree

Mini blue bottle tree got a new bottle.  Marlene pointed out this blue bottle to me at an antique/rummage sale  but I said it exceeded my limit, it was selling for one dollar.   I don't pay more than 50 cents for a blue bottle, unless its full.  So she bought it for me.  Nice Christmas present.  Really looks good on my bottle tree.  Thanks Marlene.

Dyckia

Dyckia

This plant was purchased at Bakers in Fargo for $3.99. 

(dick’ ea)
Dyckias, are generally one of the most cold hardy of all of the Bromeliad genera.
Dyckia is one of the genera in the subfamily Pitcairnioideae. This subfamily contains some of the most primitive Bromeliad species. Most Pitcairnioideae genera are saxicolous (living on or around rocks) or terrestrial (growing in the ground). The majority of the approximately 120 different species of Dyckia are native to central Brazil, with some being found in Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, and Bolivia. Most are found growing among rocks in warm sunny areas ranging in altitude from sea level to 2000 meters.
The genus was introduced into Europe during the nineteenth century, and was named for Prince von Salm-Dyck, an early expert on succulents. Although Dyckias have no internal water storage tissue like true succulents, they are xerographic and survive long periods without water by going dormant. Their rosette of thick succulent leaves will eventually wilt, but recovery is rapid when watering is resumed.
Although the flowers aren’t large, bees, wasps and hummingbirds find them attractive. The plants themselves come in a range of colors (green, rose, maroon, tan, or silver), and a variety of leaf shapes (long and thin, short and fat, deeply lobed, or almost smooth).

	Light:	They like full sunlight. 5000 foot-candles, 50% shade, is probably the least amount of sun that they can have and still flourish.
	Temperature:	They prefer temperatures in the range of 40-90 degrees Fahrenheit, but they will withstand much lower and higher temperatures.
	Fertilizer:	Use full a dilute fertilizer solution (¼ strength or less) with every watering spring through fall, but eliminate fertilizer during cold weather. When plants are actively growing in strong light, it is hard to over fertilize an established plant, but they don’t appear to suffer if they are not fertilized, they just grow more slowly.
	Water:	Although they will tolerate drought, they thrive on frequent watering while actively growing, however keep plants on the dry side during cold weather or during periods of reduced light. In the summer time they tend to dry out rapidly; it is helpful to keep them in a shallow container of water.
	Medium:	Grow in a heavy mix that contains water retaining polymers and a large quantity of organic matter.
	Containers:	Dyckias probably do best when they are grown in the ground.  If you do choose to grow them in pots, use one that will accommodate the plant’s large root system. This is one plant that appreciates a pot that is about as wide as or wider than the plant itself.
	Propagation:	Most Dyckia species have leaves armed with sharp spikes that make working with the plants painful. It is often difficult to separate pups from the mother plant. It is helpful to remove the plant from its pot and try to work on it from the bottom. You want to bring out the heavy equipment when dealing with your Dyckia collection. Leather gloves, a sturdy knife, a small saw, and, in extreme cases, a hatchet could all come in handy when it is time to separate and repot large clumps of plants. When you separate a pup, try to preserve as much of its root system as you can. If it has no roots, treat its base with rooting hormone.

Sunpatiens

The Sunpatiens I got from Gwen at Hwy 200 greenhouse grew great in the garden in full sun.  It is a cross between New Guinea Impatiens and a wild impatiens.  It was very vigorous all summer and so I took cuttings for my winter water garden.  It has bloomed since I took the cutting and put it in water.
http://www.vivagarden.com/flowers/sunpatiens/index.html

red sky

Red sky morning of November 28, 2011.

Christmas decoration

The hypertufa studio is decorated for Christmas.

The baskets that held a few impatiens, just the ones the squirrels left alone, in the summer, are now holding evergreens, cranberries, rose hips and potato vine berries for Christmas.

Then the Christmas decoration inspector comes along.

Rock Garden in the fall

University Park Rock Garden in the fall 2011

Parmesan & Thyme Crackers
Ingredients:
1/4 lb(1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp.
4 oz (1 C) grated Parmesan cheese
1 t minced thyme leaves
1/2 t each salt & black pepper
1 1/4 C flour

Beat butter at room temp with mixer
Add cheese, thyme, S&P
Add flour
If using dry Parmesan cheese, add 1/4 C water
Make into log
Refrigerate 1/2 hr to 4 days -I refrigerated overnight
Cut into 3/8 inch rounds
Put on baking sheet lined with Slipat or parchment paper
Bake at 350 for 10 min.
I got 50 crackers.  On reading the recipe I found out I was only supposed to get 24 so I guess I cut them thinner than the recipe called for.  The recipe can be found in Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics.

Halloween at the Myra Museum 2011

Halloween at the Myra Museum.  The old post office.

Juneberry fall color & mushrooms

Juneberry is turning color for fall.

Hostas are down because of a hard frost.  Pulmonaria and heuchera are still OK

granite bench

Granite bench put in place by Hatton Granite.  This bench was donated to the Myra museum by the Grand Forks Horticultural Society and put in place on Oct. 26, 2011.  This site will also feature a garden based on native plants used by Fannie Heath the Flower Lady of ND.

Tricyrtis hirta - toad lily

Tricyrtis hirta 
Toad lily
Zone 4-9
Great for fall garden.  Purple speckled petals that look like orchids.
Good for part shade or sun.
Grows 2 feet tall with flowers at each node.

leucanthemella seritona

Leucanthemella seritona
Giant Daisy
Zone: 4-9
Family: Asteraceae
Native to Europe and central Asia
Height: 3-6 feet
Spread: 1.5 - 2.5 feet
Bloom Time: September - October
Bloom Color: White with greenish-yellow centers
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
I didn't know anything about this plant when I got it.  Didn't even know the Latin name or a common name.  It was sold to me as Aunt Ida's daisy.  That didn't stop it from growing.  I planted it in a partial shade area and its been moving slowly to a more sunny area.  It's a very reliable plant for fall blooming unlike its cousins the mums that keep dieing out on me.

freezing tomatoes in 2011

Freezing tomatoes
Peel tomatoes after dipping in boiling water for 30 sec or less.  Core with ceramic knife that was rescued from the back yard where it had been cutting twigs for plant markers(as per Martha Stewart).  Put peeled, cored tomatoes in ziplock bags that were marked with sharpie because everything looks alike when its got frost on it from being in the freezer.  Put peelings and core in compost.  Thanks Marlene for giving me so many wonderful tomatoes.

conifer conference

Marie & me at the conifer conference, on the left with the red hat.

bleeding heart & Kisoana primrose

Bleeding Heart

& Kisoana primrose are excellent companions.  They both like a little shade and moisture and they bloom at the same time and complement each other.

99 cent basket of impatiens from a sale last fall

Has been turned into a bunch of cuttings.

Gutter garden.  I think it need another layer,we'll see what Clem thinks.  Planted lettuce to try to keep it out of the reach of the bunnies.

plants

Plants 2011

UMC plant sale started it off, then off to Thomfords and then to Wagners.  Lots of plants.

BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES AT THE BELLAGIO

Bellagio Hotel & Casino

you could smell hyacinths the minute you stepped into the hotel.

Zagreb coreopsis

 Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb'
A threadleaf coreopsis that has a long season of bloom.  Darker yellow flowers than 'Moonbeam'
Grows to a foot tall in full sun and spread by rhizomes.  Zone 3.

Pulmonaria rubra 'Red Start'
Pulmonaria (pull-mon-nay-ree-uh) Lungwort in the Borage Family (Boraginaceae)  A European perennial with spotted, hairy leaves and funnel-shaped flowers in cluster.  Blooms early in the spring and can be grown in sun with enough moisture but best grown in shade in ordinary garden soil.  Zone 4.

Debs front yard in the snow.

Seeds are being planted.

Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster

2001 Perennial plant of the year in the Poaceae family.

A hybrid of C. epigejos x C. arundinacea found in the Hamburg Botanical Garden and introduced as C. epigejos 'Hortorum'

The name Calamagrostis comes from the Greek kalamose which means reed and agrostis which means grass.  It was introduced to U.S. in 1964.  Needs to be cut back early in the spring because it starts to grow early and blooms early.  A serrated knife works well for cutting it back.  It grows well in moist fertile soil but will grow in clay soil in full sun to part shade.  It is a long lived perennial that grows 5 to 7 feet tall.  The seeds are sterile so for propagation it must be divided.  It is a "thriller" or for containers can be used as a "pillar" since it will grow in zone 2.

Clif brought in lots of his metal art for the Olli class.

Don Engebretson , the Renegade Gardener, puts a pillar in his container, containing fillers and spillers.

Jerry Wenzel talked to the Grand Forks Horticultural Society about butterflies and plants for attracting butterflies.  He brought a lady bug bowling ball.

Rosa glauca or rosa rubifolia 

either name works for this rose.   The rose is a tall shrub rose (7-8 feet tall) that blooms once with single pink blooms in June.  It is hardy to zone 2.  The hips stay on all winter to add a red color to the winter landscape and it is tall enough so the berries stay out of the snow.

Billbergia nutans or Queen's-Tears, a native of Brazil, is one of the most common Bromeliads grown. They are a durable plant for the home -- often withstanding periods of neglect. The flowers come from long hot pink stems.  The petals are green outlined by navy blue,  the sepals are pink outlined by navy blue.  The stamens are yellow and stick out from the flowers.

Calamagrostis

the seed heads are gone but the stems hold up to the cold weather.  The word "Calamagrostis" is derived from the Greek word kalamos (reed) and agrostis (a kind of grass).  Several calamagrostis grow in my yard.  The green one - 'Karl Forester'

The white varigated one - 'Overdam'

The yellow varigated one - 'E-----