The Garden Buzz

Growing Frustration With Longest Winter Ever, Ever

I know. I was gone for most of the winter. I have no right to complain. But that snow isn't going away for a very long time and there's no big warm-up in sight.

Bachman's Garden Center plant bays still snow laden :(

  

This is a time when I agree with the notion that Facebook makes you feel bad. It's not the exotic vacations and high achieving children that are making me green, it's the green that the gardeners south of here (and that's most of them) are seeing in their flower beds and veggie plots. They're killing me.

So I set out yesterday afternoon to a local garden center with the hope of seeing something growing besides the snow pile by my driveway. Of course the outdoor nursery section was sad and snow-covered but inside among the potted pansies and purple crocus I found hope of brighter and warmer days.

Crocus anyone?

              

Entering the greenhouse and feeling the humid air, smelling the damp soil, yes, that's what I needed. I almost swear the garden chemical section had a somewhat nostalgic odor that cheered me up, see that's how far I've fallen into this frozen funk!

I thought I'd share a few photos of some clever ideas I discovered on my jaunt.

Upcycled baby pram with fairy garden

         

Love the red door, sap bucket address numbers

 

    

How cute are these felted woolly bird houses?

  

Succulents in sieves, brilliant!

 

                            

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Northern Gardener Magazine Goes Digital-Free Access Right Now

Rain. Ice. Sleet. Slush. Snow. Repeat.

And we're melting, melting. I hear it in my head in the voice of the bad witch of Oz.

March is not a pretty month in Minnesota. I'm back from Savannah just in time to witness the great thaw. How was a kid from Southern California to know she should learn to ice skate, that it would serve her well in the future, for simply getting down the sidewalk? It's slippery out there, be careful!

Many garden bloggers are posting pics of their first daffodils, some in the deep south are already harvesting peas, you might say I'm pea-green with envy. Patience, my dear.

I can't report any gardening going on but I can tell you that a great gardening magazine has gone digital. Yes, more ways to read Northern Gardener....and me.

Find out how to subscribe at digital.northerngardener.org

The March/April 2013 issue finds me full of beans. So what else is new you say? The humble bean has fueled armies and explorers for centuries. Now it's time to think beyond green beans and discover all the beautiful beans, both edible and ornamental that you can grow (as soon as the ground warms up to 55 degrees) in your garden.

Beautiful beans

Check out my article "So Many Beans", and be prepared to realize I only scratched the surface on this subject. Tasty heirloom beans with colorful names like Jacob's Cattle and Turkey Craw will entice you to try a few and delve deeper into their histories.

And is it too late to talk about mulch? When is the right time to remove it come spring? In the March/April issue my column, "Pushing the Zone",  I discuss the warm and toasty insulating properties of mulch and how it can help you extend your growing limits. Well, actually I compare the whole process to having hot flashes, maybe too much information, but it makes sense.

But it's definitely not all about me. This issue talks about "Magical Magnolias", U of MN seed trial results, making a difference in the world with your garden, beautiful container combos, and much more. 

The digital magazine will eventually be available only as an added benefit for MSHS (Minnesota State Horticultural Society) members and subscribers, but for the first three issues of 2013 access is open to everyone.