Growing Raspberries, part 3

(internet photo)

Once you've selected the type of raspberries you want to plant, prepared the raspberry planting area, and put the plants in the soil, it's time to think about how to care for them, to make it easier for them and for you.

Raspberries benefit from growing on some sort of support structure to increase light penetration to the canes, thus increasing fruit production; and to minimize the incidence of diseases related to overcrowding of the foliage. Those of us picking them benefit from that support structure as well - it's much easier to pick berries that readily accessible than it is to dig around in a thorny thicket. It's also easier to keep the weed population down when the raspberry plants themselves are supported and not lying on the ground. That said, if you choose to not trellis your raspberries, that works, too. 

Raspberries can be supported with a t-trellis, a v-trellis, or a hill or i-trellis system. Plants grown in rows are best trellised using the t-trellis or v-trellis system, while those that are planted in hills will do well with a simple hill system trellis.

T-trellis (internet photo)

A t-trellis is formed by using a 6-foot long 4 x 4 post set in the row. The post should be set two feet in the ground and tamped in solidly. The remaining four feet above ground should have a cross-arm anywhere from 20 to 30 inches wide, fastened a few inches from the top of the post to form a T. One t-post is placed at each end of the row. For rows longer than 4 to 6 feet, you will need to place additional t-posts in the middle of the rows to provide enough support. For shorter rows, a t-post on each end of the row should suffice. Once the posts are set, string heavy gauge wire from post to post on each side of the T, and train the raspberry bushes to grow between the two wires. For a sturdier trellis, you can place a second crossbar mid-way between the top crossbar and the soil and string a second wire between posts.

A v-trellis is formed by setting two posts at each end of the row and setting them at a 30 degree angle outward from the center of the row. The tops of the posts should end up about 30 inches apart and 3 1/2 feet tall. A heavy gauge wire is strung from post to post on either side. A v-trellis is stronger than a t-trellis, but is a bit more challenging to set the posts at just the right angle. As with the t-trellis, the raspberries are trained to grow between the two wires. 

V-trellis (internet photo)

An i-trellis or hill system is the simplest to build. It's a matter of sinking a sturdy post next to each raspberry plant and using a wire to train the raspberry foliage next to the post. You can string a heavy gauge wire between the posts to support longer canes. This only works well for raspberries planted in hills, rather than rows.

Hill trellis (internet photo)

The trellises will help you keep your raspberries growing where you want them to grow, but you will still need to use shallow cultivation and mulch to keep weeds and suckers in check. Mulch has the added benefit of holding soil moisture more constant, which will increase fruit production. Organic mulch is always the best. Wood chips, bark, leaf mold, or similar materials can be spread between and around the rows to a depth of about three to four inches. After the raspberries are well established, usually the year after planting, a cover crop of annuals such as oats or millet can be planted between the rows. At the end of the growing season. you can either allow the crop to rot into the ground on its own, or till it in to add organic matter to the soil.

After the second season of fruiting, you could opt to use a permanent cover crop such as a low water use grass. Planting grass requires that you keep it mowed and prevent the roots from sneaking into the raspberry rows. This is not my favored way of mulching, as it is much more maintenance than a good solid wood mulch that biodegrades into the soil slowly.

Raspberries require about an inch of water each week to do their best. If supplemental irrigation is necessary, it is best to irrigate using a drip system to keep the foliage dry. If you need to use overhead irrigation, always try to irrigate in the morning so that the sun and wind can dry the foliage quickly to avoid disease problems.

In addition to water, raspberries need food. The patch should be fertilized each spring, just at the start of foliage growth, using 10 pounds of 10-10-10  fertilizer per 1000 square feet of berry patch. If you use a heavy mulch, you should increase the application rate to 12 pounds to adjust for the nitrogen that can be used up by the breakdown of the mulch. A second application should be made four to six weeks later.

To maintain healthy a raspberry patch, the bushes must be pruned each year. It reduces the spread of diseases that can wipe out your patch, and increases the size and quantity of the fruits. Throughout the growing season, ruthlessly remove any suckers that spread out beyond 18 inches from the parent row. This will help you keep the spread of each row in check for easier picking and better airflow between the rows. Watch for and remove any canes that don't look quite right - dying leaves, black tips, or insect chewing on the bark itself. This will help you keep diseases and insect infestations in check.

At the end of each growing season, remove all of the old canes that have borne fruit that year. You will be able to tell these canes by their grayish, peeling bark and dead branches. The raspberries should also be thinned to only four to five canes per foot. Leave the thickest, sturdiest canes and trim others down to the soil level. Cut the remaining canes back to about 12 inches and attach them to the trellis wires with a soft twine to keep them growing upright and within the trellising system.

Ever-bearing raspberries will produce two crops each season if pruned this way.  The summer crop will be produced on the previous year's canes and the fall crop will be on the new growth canes. The fall crop will be less productive with smaller berries, but there is generally enough to give you a few really nice raspberry treats. If you choose, you can mow the ever-bearing raspberries back to ground level in early spring. You will sacrifice the summer crop, but will have a much better fall crop. I prefer to use this method of pruning. It is much easier than trying to pick and choose just the right canes. I manage a full season of raspberries without two crops from the everbearing varieties by planting numerous varieties with different production times. It is nice to have the ever-bearing crop in later fall to extend that good-eating season just a little bit longer.

Always, always, always remove all your pruning debris from the patch and destroy it, either by burning it or taking it to the landfill. Raspberries can harbor diseases and pests and are not the best suited for the compost pile.

Now, for the rewards for all that labor! Raspberries are ready to pick when a very gentle tug on the berry separates it from the core. During peak raspberry season, they need to be picked nearly every day. Their peak flavor and texture does not last very long, either on the bush or after they are picked. When picked, they should be stored in shallow layers and refrigerated immediately. If they are cooled to around 35 degrees shortly after picking, you can keep them in storage for three to five days before eating, freezing, or making into wonderful jams.

A well cared for raspberry patch can produce fruit for 10 to 20 years. That's a lot of good eating!

(internet photo)

Growing Raspberries, part 2

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While one can usually pick up a container of fresh raspberries at the grocery store, there is a great deal of satisfaction for me in seeing those berries, just bursting with flavor and juiciness, hanging heavily on the canes. There is a little work involved in getting those berries to produce in your garden, though.

Last week, I talked about raspberry varieties for northern gardens and some general raspberry knowledge that is useful to the home gardener. In this article, I'm going to talk about planting those raspberries.

As with most plantings, the key to success is starting with the proper site and good soil preparation. Raspberries like a sunny, well-drained location. They prefer sandy loam rich with organic matter, and a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5, or slightly acidic. That said, they do very well in my moderately alkaline clay soil. The key is to keep them in a location where water drains away, rather than sets and makes for soggy soil, and to keep the proper levels of organic matter in the soil. In clay, approximately 5% organic matter is a good range. In sandy soils, you can get by with about half that amount.

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I keep the organic matter in good supply by adding a top-dressing of about two inches of well-rotted sheep manure or other high quality compost each fall. I don't use horse or cattle manure on the perennial fruit and vegetable beds. Sheep digest any weed seeds they consume and render them unable to germinate. Other animals do not have that ability, and there is nothing worse than an infestation of Canada thistle or bindweed in your raspberry patch! The bags of composted manure that you can buy at garden centers are generally hot composted, which dramatically reduces the weed seed population that can sneak into your garden.  They are pretty safe to use, regardless of the source animal.

Adding organic matter and tilling it in for a year or even two years before you plant is helpful in incorporating the organic matter and also getting rid of any weeds that may be in the area. Having the soil tested if you don't know how much organic matter your soil contains or what the pH is might save you a lot of headache in the future. You can obtain instructions and soil test kits from your local land grant university extension office. They will even tell you what you need to add to make your soil the best it can be!

You should also stay away from garden plots where you have grown tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant within the last four years. These plants can all harbor verticillium fungi that loves to attack raspberry roots.

I should mention, too, that while it is not a key to successful raspberry growth, there is one other thing to remember in choosing your site that is the key to not wanting to pull your hair out when you find raspberry suckers in the middle of your formal perennial garden (or any place else you don't want them). And believe me, pulling your hair out just might be easier than getting rid of rogue raspberry roots. Choose a site that gives your raspberries room to spread their roots, and where you can easily cultivate or otherwise eradicate unwanted raspberry suckers.

If you are planting more than one variety of raspberry, it is advisable to keep black raspberries separate from red or yellow varieties to minimize the spread of diseases. Black raspberries are more likely to carry these diseases, and they are very attractive to the aphids which carry those diseases from plant to plant.. If you have no space to keep them separated, you can do the next best thing by planting the black raspberries downwind, based on your prevailing wind direction at the planting site. This will keep the aphids from being blown to your other raspberry varieties as easily.

Red and yellow varieties can all be planted together, however, if you want to keep your varieties separate, you will want to give them plenty of space. If you plant multiple varieties close together, over time they are likely to become indistinguishable from each other, and the more aggressive varieties will choke out the less sturdy plants.

If you have friends or neighbors who grow raspberries, you probably know someone who is willing to give you some starts. This is tempting, but it can also be risky. This is tempting, because, after all, who can resist free plants? But this is risky because those plants are much more likely to harbor hidden diseases that they will bring into your patch. I recommend that in this case, you spend the money to buy from a reputable nursery or grower who can guarantee that the plants you receive are disease free and "virus-indexed". Raspberry mosaic viruses can devastate your patch and older plants from home gardens are much more likely to harbor these diseases.

Raspberries should be planted in early spring, after all danger of killing frost is past. About two weeks before you plant the raspberries, spread some 10-10-10 fertilizer over your planting area and till it in. You should apply enough to provide about two pounds each of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium per 1000 square feet of planting area. I like to till the soil again immediately before planting, to break up any clods that may have formed and to nip off any brave weed seedling that might have tried to get a foot hold.

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Most raspberry starts come as bareroot. They like moisture, so it is a good idea to wet the roots well before sticking them in the soil. This can be accomplished by soaking them in a bucket of water for an hour or two. I prefer a little less "wet" so I like to moisten newspapers well and wrap them around the roots. This way, I can also gently separate the roots and wrap the plants in their own individual paper while I have them in a protected area.  I don't have to pull the whole clump out of a bucket of water and mess with the roots while they are exposed to the sun and wind. I keep the newspaper in place until I am ready to put the root into the ground, leaving the roots to have much less exposure to drying elements before planting.

Raspberries can be planted in rows or hills, depending on space and your personal preference. If you plant in hills, you will want to leave ample space on all four sides of each hill to be able to cultivate with whatever equipment you plan to use. If you plant in rows, bushes can be spaced about two to three feet apart within the row, but the rows should be far enough apart to easily pick between and to run whatever cultivating equipment you plan to use between the rows.

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Set the roots firmly in the soil, keeping them at the same depth they were in the nursery when they were dug, or that they are in the pot if you are planting potted starts.  Pat the soil firmly around the roots and water well.  Trim the canes back to about eight to ten inches. Water well, and keep uniformly moist throughout the growing season.

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Red raspberries will spread from suckers that grow up from both the crown and the roots.  Those suckers will grow together to form a solid hedgerow, whether you plant them in rows or hills. They should be cultivated periodically to keep the base of the hedgerow no more than 12 to 18 inches wide to facilitate picking and pruning. Black and purple raspberries send out suckers only from the crown of the plant, so they do not form hedgerows. They are more easily maintained in hill plantings than red raspberries, and the hills should be planted about four feet apart.

Most raspberries do best with some sort of support. In the next blog installment, I'll talk about trellising, pruning, and other maintenance for raspberry plants.

Growing Raspberries

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There is nothing better than wandering across the grass, climbing over the little rabbit fence, and reaching for a plump, juicy, sun-kissed raspberry. If a little juice runs down my chin when I bite into that luscious berry, so much the better. Add to that the fact that raspberries are highly nutritious - packed full of Vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants - and you just might have the perfect back yard fruit.

Raspberries are relatively easy to grow, and with a little care, you can have home-grown raspberries for a good long time. There are two types of raspberries: summer- bearing, and ever-bearing or fall-bearing.  Summer bearing produce one large crop per year in the summertime on last year's canes and ever-bearing or fall-bearing produce on both last year's canes and the current year's growth, so you can harvest two crops, one in the summer and one in the fall.

Summer-bearing varieties usually begin producing in early summer and produce for about two to four weeks. Fall-bearing varieties typically begin producing in mid-summer and produce up until a killing frost, or in the case of this past year when a killing frost came very late in the season for us, until the shorter days of autumn and winter in the north country discourage further fruit set.

Raspberry roots are perennials, which mean they come back year after year in their hardiness zones. The canes, which grow from buds on the root, are biennial, which means each cane lives for two years. Some raspberry varieties produce fruit on the canes the first year of growth; others produce fruit only on canes that are two years old.

Those which produce fruit on the canes the first year are called "primocane" raspberries, and are also identified as "fall-bearing" because fruit ripens late in the season. You can harvest fruit from those varieties the first year of planting, the first crop generally in July or early August, and the second crop later in the fall.  The first year canes become "floricanes" or second year canes the next growing season, and they will produce a crop again in early to mid-summer, but it is usually a marginal crop at best. Many growers prune all the canes down in the fall so that the next year's growth is all primocane, helping the raspberries to produce better.

An old standby primocane variety for zone 4 and warmer is "Heritage". Heritage produces large crops of good-sized berries that are good for eating fresh, freezing, canning, jams and jellies.  "Anne" is a yellow-fruited variety that has a hint of an apricot taste. Anne is good for eating fresh and freezing, but is not the best for canning or jams and jellies because it does not retain a nice color when heated. "Polana" is similar in taste and color to Heritage, but the fall crop ripens several weeks earlier, so it may be a better option for those areas where killing frosts come earlier in the fall. Polana is rated hardy to zone 3, so it is one of the hardiest of the primocane raspberries. Another earlier ripening variety hardy to zone 3 is "Autumn Britten".  Other zone 4 hardy varieties include "Polka", another Polish variety similar to Polana; and "Joan J", an early producer that has the distinct advantage of being borne on a thornless bush. "Caroline" produces a nice, large berry with an intense flavor. I find that this variety, while rated for zone 4, needs to be in a very sheltered location or have the root mulched in the winter. "Himbo Top" produces very large, deep red berries that hold their color better than most varieties. It is a favored variety for farmers' markets and roadside stands for that reason.

"Heritage" raspberries (internet photo)

"Anne" (internet photo)

Raspberry varieties which produce fruit on two year old canes are called "floricane" raspberries. The first year of growth on the canes will be only vegetative - there will be lots of green leafy growth, but no flowers or fruits. The next year, those canes will bloom and set fruit, while new vegetative canes begin to prepare for the next year's fruits.  There are more zone 4 and colder varieties of floricane raspberries than there are of primocane, and the nice thing about those varieties is that they come in early, mid, and late season fruiting, so you can extend your growing season significantly with a selection of several varieties.

Boyne is an early season floricane variety that is hardy to zone 3. It produces good amounts of nice, sweet berries that make excellent jam.  They are not a real firm berry, so must be handled carefully in picking and storage. Prelude is another early season variety hardy to zone 4 with excellent flavor, but also not a real firm berry.

"Killarney" (internet photo)

Killarney is an early-mid season producer that is a little finicky about growing in colder climates. I like the fact that it has very sturdy canes that stay upright even when loaded with fruit, making the berries easier to pick (and I am all about anything easy). Killarney has been around since the early 1960s, and while it is a zone 4 hardy variety, it has done well in my zone 4 but sometimes zone 3 climate. It does benefit from a protected location.

Latham is a North Dakota favorite and is really the workhorse in my berry patch. It is a mid-season fruiting variety that was released by the University of Minnesota in the 1920s and has been a favorite of home gardens ever since. The fruit is medium size and a light red that turns a deep burgundy color if overripe. Lack of cohesion of the drupelets (the little round balls that cluster together to form the berry itself) is a problem with Latham, but for jams and jellies, which are excellent when made from Lathams, that is not a problem.

Nova is another mid-season variety that was released from a breeding program in Nova Scotia in the early 1980s. Nova is tolerant of both extreme cold and heat, reliably hardy to zone 3, and is a heavy producer of medium to large red berries that have a longer fresh storage life than many other varieties. It also has the advantage of having fewer thorns than most varieties.

Encore is a late mid-season producer of large, firm red berries excellent for canning and freezing that grow on sturdy, nearly thornless canes. Now, if you have ever picked raspberries, you have a pretty good idea of why I am telling you about thornless and nearly thornless canes. While I love my Lathams, I hate that I have to pick those microscopic little thorns out of my finger tips for days afterwards.

There aren't any red raspberry varieties that are reliable producers for late season summer bearing in northern climates. Royalty is a purple variety that does ok in protected areas of zone 4, producing large, purple berries in August. The bushes are very prolific and will need trellising to stay upright.

Black raspberries are not as hardy and will need winter protection in anything colder than zone 5. Black raspberries should be planted separately from red and yellow varieties, as they are a closer relative to the wild varieties and tend to be more susceptible to pests and disease. Jewel is one of the hardiest black raspberry varieties.

In the next blog installment, I'll write about planting and care of raspberries.

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Growing and Preserving Horseradish

Prepared horseradish (internet photo)

Horseradish is a delicacy. Now, I know some folks don't agree with that, but according to the Horseradish Information Council (yes, it really does exist), there are about six million gallons of prepared horseradish consumed each year. That means a lot of people must like it. Horseradish even has its own international festival, celebrated each May in Collinsville, Illinois, where nearly 60% of that six million gallons of horseradish is grown.

Horseradish was introduced to this country by our German ancestors, which is probably why I can't ever remember a time when ground, creamed horseradish wasn't served with any pork dish, and especially ham. It was only when I was a little older that I was introduced to how wonderful it tastes with roast beef or prime rib.

Horseradish is a low fat condiment that is loaded with flavor for just about any type of meat. It may also kill harmful bacteria that found its way into the food. That same antibacterial action, coupled with natural diuretic properties, can help treat urinary tract infections. Some people believe it helps muscle and joint aches and pains. It is also guaranteed to clear your sinuses and unstuff your nose if you get too strong a whiff or take a big, savory bite.

Common horseradish (internet photo)

Horseradish is in the Brassicaceae family, a relative of cabbage, mustard, and broccoli. It is a perennial, hardy in zones 2 to 9. It grows best in the colder zones, as it needs a definite winter chilling period to produce dormancy and retain its best flavor and texture. There are two varieties of horseradish: common, which has large, crinkled leaves; and Bohemian, which has smooth, narrow leaves.

Horseradish grows in most soil types, but it must have good drainage. If the root sets in water logged conditions, it will rot.  Horseradish is a heavy potash feeder, so it may benefit from some extra compost or other source of water soluble potassium. The plant prefers to grow in full sun, but will produce just fine with part shade.

Think carefully about where you wish to plant horseradish because you will likely have it there - and in the surrounding areas - forever. Horseradish spreads by its roots, and even a tiny piece left in the soil will produce new plants. Never till an area where there might be horseradish roots - you likely will end up with horseradish everywhere!

Music Garden

Somehow, a tiny horseradish plant got started in my Music Garden a few years ago. Now, having grown up on a farm where horseradish made valiant attempts to take over the entire river bottom each year, I knew I had to get that plant out of there as soon as possible. I dug. And dug. And dug some more, until I was sure that I had every piece of that root out of there. We enjoyed the horseradish with our Christmas ham, and I was feeling good about things. Until April, when I found suspicious looking green shoots, spreading about three feet in all directions from where I dug all that horseradish out. Every year, I dig until I am sure I have it all. The next spring, I find more and more of it in that garden.

Horseradish is an impressive looking plant with its broad, paddle like green leaves. It just does not belong in the Music Garden. This fall, I dug all the desirable plants out of that area, rinsed the roots well to make sure there wasn't so much as a thread of horseradish root on them, and moved them to the nursery bed. Next spring, I will take the glyphosate broad leaf weed killer to every sign of horseradish I see. I hope that by next Fall, I have finally overpowered it so I can put my perennial flowers back in that bed.

To plant horseradish, you use plants or root cuttings, planted in either spring or fall. Take a piece of root about three inches long. Loosen the soil well to about a foot deep and large enough around that when held at a 45 degree angle, the top of the root will be about two inches below the surface. Add a shovelful of organic matter to loosen and enrich the soil before setting the root. One plant usually supplies more than enough horseradish for a family.

Once planted and established, horseradish needs very little attention. If you want the plant to look more ornamental, you can water it during periods of drought to keep the leaves from looking tattered and brown. Otherwise, just let it grow.

Horseradish root (internet photo)

You can usually harvest horseradish root the first year after the planting year. In North Dakota, conventional wisdom says you can harvest horseradish root in any month with an "r" in the name. I typically harvest mine in late October or early November, so it is still nice and fresh at Christmas time. In general, it is best to wait until frost kills the foliage, whenever that happens to be in your location.

To harvest, dig carefully around the main root. Remove the soil and loosen the side roots that shoot out from the main stem. You need to dig pretty deep to keep from breaking the root tip and leaving it in the ground. You will want to leave a bit of root in the ground for next year's crop. In my experience, this is not something I really have to think about - it just happens, but I give you that piece of advice just in case you are better at digging the stuff out than I.

Once dug, I brush off as much of the clinging soil as I can and then allow the roots to dry. Once the dirt is dried, I wipe the roots with a dry cloth, getting them as clean as possible. Then, I wrap them in paper towel to keep moisture from collecting right on the root, wrap the covered root in perforated plastic wrap,  and store in a cool dark place, like a crisper drawer. You can usually successfully store the root for three months or more.

To prepare it for use as a condiment, peel the root using a vegetable peeler or sharp knife. Cut it into 1-inch cubes and grind it. Make sure you have a well-ventilated area in which to do your grinding. My mom used to process many quarts of horseradish each fall. She would set up the meat grinder outdoors and grind away.  If we happened to come around the corner of the house at just the right time, we would end up nearly choking.  A whiff of freshly ground horseradish can be breath-taking - literally.

I have used a blender, food processor, and the meat grinder attachment of my KitchenAid mixer to process horseradish. I prefer the food processor, as you can obtain a finer grind, and the cover keeps most of the fumes contained until you are ready to open it. For a finer blend, add a couple tablespoons of water and some crushed ice to the bowl with the horseradish root, and process until it is the desired consistency. Open the container carefully - the fumes will be very potent when that cover first comes off.

Grinding horseradish in blender (internet photo)

The grinding crushes the horseradish cells and releases the volatile oils that produce the "heat". Those oils can be stabilized by adding vinegar. If you prefer a milder horseradish, add a few teaspoons of vinegar as you are grinding it. If you wish for a stronger, hotter flavor, allow the ground horseradish to set for a period of time. The longer you leave it set before stabilizing it with vinegar, the more "power" your horseradish will have. Most people find that waiting about three minutes between grinding and adding the vinegar give a nice degree of heat without it being overpowering.

Mix one cup of horseradish, 2 to 3 tablespoons of vinegar and a half teaspoon of salt. Stir together or pulse in the food processor, then pack tightly into glass jars. Don't use plastic containers, as the plastic can react with the horseradish and give it an off taste. Ground horseradish will stay fresh in the refrigerator for four to six months. It can also be canned or frozen, however, I find the quality remains best if it is just refrigerated after grinding.

When I want to use some as condiment on meats, I remove the amount I need from the jar and drain some of the liquid off. Then I add just enough cream to make a sauce and a half teaspoon or so of sugar to cut the vinegar taste. You can also mix it with sour cream or yogurt and some fresh herbs to use as a vegetable dip; or mix some into softened butter and other herbs to taste to serve on grilled steaks. You can stir small amounts into mashed potatoes to give them a little "zip". I like to stir a small amount of horseradish into barbecue sauce and use it on grilled foods. When using in hot foods, add after cooking, as cooking will neutralize the flavor of the horseradish.

Whatever way you find to use it, horseradish is good for you. It is high in vitamins, phytonutrients, and fiber, and aids in digestion by increasing the secretions in the mouth and intestines. Its high vitamin C contents may help boost your immunity and protect you from colds and flu. It's hard to beat a condiment like that!

Horseradish ready for storage (internet photo)

Fondly Remembering Summer

Wiese Acres -  Summer 2016

Crocuses in Spring

Bleeding Heart - Dicentra

Bleeding Heart

Helleborus

Heuchera, Hosta, and coleus in shade planter

A comfortable seating area just off the pond

What you do with a leaky bird bath

Hostas, Heuchera, and ferns

All my favorite books from my childhood, specially made by my
sister-in-law to place in the Nostalgia Garden

Garden books

Clematis

The water lilies are beautiful this year

Love the soft pink and yellow of this one

The Sun, Moon and Stars Garden

The Morning Garden

Mom's boat

The English Tea Garden

Rather than throwing my Easter lily bulbs a couple years ago,
I stuck them in the dirt. Look what they have done for me!

The Memorial Garden

Yes, Lady really does stay on the path in the gardens

Fall planters

The begonias love the shade of the box elder maple trees

The Welcome Garden

The Children and Butterflies garden in fall

The entrance to the Woodland Fairy Garden

Painted Lady enjoying the sedum

The Woodland Fairy garden

Autumn 2016

One of the construction projects that ran late,
but oh so wonderful now that it is done!

I have been very delinquent in writing for my blog this year. In spite of an early spring, I started out the season a couple months behind because of some late running construction projects here at Wiese Acres that kept me out of the gardens. I didn't catch up all summer long! Thankfully, autumn decided it was going to be fashionably late this year, so I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Tomorrow, I will clean off all the dried peony, daylily, and iris foliage and finish putting the gardens to bed for the winter.

We also remodeled my summer kitchen and made it twice as big.
The added space and convenience was well worth the delayed garden work.

 There were some other reasons why I never caught up this summer. We began the season very dry. In North Dakota, when it is dry, the desirable foliage putzes along while the weeds flourish. We didn't have the nice, lush perennial foliage that shades and crowds out the weeds by late June to early July. Thus, I battled weeds most of the summer. Add to that the fact that we had more wind this summer than anyone should have to bear, and every gust brought Canada thistle, dandelions, and sowthistle from the untended acres across the way. It made for wheelbarrows full of weeds being hauled out to the garbage. (No composting for those buggers!)

Late in the season, the rains began, which helped the perennial gardens catch their full glory and the vegetable garden began to inundate us with produce. In addition to gorging ourselves on fresh produce all summer, preserving all that we can possibly use (probably this year and next), and selling at a few Farmer's Markets, I was able to donate over 200 pounds of produce to needy families who don't have the space to grow their own. It's a good feeling to have all that food! Except for the back - that doesn't feel so great after bending over to pick all the produce.

The fruits (and vegetables) of my canning labors

I also had two gardens which needed to be completely replanted this year. One because I had removed everything from it last fall so that I could kill a nasty infestation of quack grass, and the other because the trees have grown to the point where the sun loving plants needed to be replaced with shade lovers. That, of course, meant that I had a lot of sun loving plants that needed new homes. So what is a gardener to do? Start a new garden bed, of course.

The new area that joins
 the Memorial and Nostalgia gardens

I moved some of them to an expansion between the Memorial and Nostalgia gardens, and the rest went to a new bed which is the beginning of the landscaping around our new barn. All in all, I was kept very, very busy over the summer, and winter hibernation has never looked quite so good.

As I write this on November 11, though, hibernation can't quite begin yet.  The strawberries are still producing, although not very much because we are already down to only about 9 1/2 hours of daylight.  The strawberries don't much care that the temperatures have been in the 60s and 70s if they aren't happy about the daylight. As soon as the foliage goes dormant, those strawberry plants will need to be covered with some type of mulch to protect the crowns over the winter. This year, instead of using straw, which can bring undesirable weeds into the garden, I am going to use shredded leaves and hope for the best. Once those are spread, I can officially go into garden hibernation until it's greenhouse time in the spring.


Sometimes, I need a garden fix during that hibernation time, and that is why I take lots of photos of the gardens throughout the summer. I love going back to see what things looked like in each of the months of the growing season. I'll be happy to share some of those photos with you in the next blog installment.