Picking Apples

Apples are a staple of Fall baking and no doubt some of you are throwing an apple pie or crumble in the oven for Thanksgiving. So many varieties to choose from. The horrible Delicious Apple that was in our school lunch box. The envied Honeycrisp from right here in Minnesota. I look forward to hitting a local orchard every season to celebrate the fruit. (A shout out to my personal favorite Pleasant Valley in Scandia MN.)

I have found a resource for you of All-Things-Appples. It is called Apple Rankings and is the brain child of a Brian Frange. No surprise that he is both a comedian and writer as well by trade. His website is a simple but worthy dive into everything you could want to know about rating said apples. 

 "Selectively bred to snap like a sweet piece of celery, this apple, available only in September and October (if we’re lucky) in certain super markets is the best apple ever to grace the world of Gods and men." 

"A middling sweet-tart taste and ordinary crunch is double majored with granular apple meat and electrical tape skin." 

"The perfect blend of sweet and tart, this fiery bitch is a headliner at supermarkets worldwide. Not as snappy as you’d like, and dense enough to hammer a nail, this unflappable cart-stopper is a true trailblazer as the first apple name to be awarded a trademark."

He is not one to mince words with strong opinions all around. I'll leave you to solve which varieties these quotes apply to. The site is easy to search in alpha order. The Apple page then notes the 3 Key Flavor options in the profile; Sweetness, Tartness, Intensity. As well as ratings on 9 other attributes from Cost to Skin & Density. So if you know what sort of pome hits your taste buds, the profiles should zero you in on a few matches guaranteed to please. There are great photos and usually a borrowed YouTube video highlighting the breed. Plenty of color codes. And most fascinating - comparisons: "Eat these apples instead..." That is not to say that many of the comments are not worth reading as well. It is obvious that many take their favorites seriously and eagerly defend the harsh remarks Brian utters! I love the box scores that go from Despicable to Nearly Perfect. None get a perfect one hundred. 

 

I am great with the Top 3 which includes a rare Kanzi imported from the Netherlands. I was lucky enough to stumble onto it in a Farmer's Market in Brooklyn and it has stayed with me some 10 years hence. I am on the lookout for them always, but they have not made it to the Midwest at this point. So I am fine with my 2nd choices of Honeycrisp and SweeTango. Check him out.

 Apple Rankings website.

Fashion Designs in 3-D with actual Flowers

Now that we are past the holiday rush and in for the long winter hibernation, what ways can we keep the art of the garden alive while inside? It is still too early for Spring seed plantings (although I am certainly in the planning stages.) In Minneapolis we have the Conservatory with its upcoming winter sunken garden show. It is a great January escape under a night sky with live music if you are wanting to join me. If you are past the fix for baking or movies & jigsaws are just too sedimentary .....

How about the world where Floral meets Fashion. I see a handful of friends doing the painting night out with wine. But how about pairing those creative instincts with fresh flowers and bright colors? I was inspired by an article in My Modern Met which features a Singapore based artist named Grace Ciao. Simply put, she combines couture sketches with textures of real flowers and vines. Imagine Barbie in Rose Petals and you get the drift. I can tell by viewing her work that color is the point of entry. But shape and dimension come a close second.

Obviously, she has a great sense of drawing skills. But it is her whimsy that commands your attention. I am curious which comes first - the floral or the apparel in the sketch? There are plenty of Roses. But who could have imagined what she does with a pair of Calla Lilies as Gaucho pants! Or how about layers of pink and lavender Alstroemerias? She uses a simple Parrot Tulip to create a tuille ballet tutu. Of course, a summer skirt of Sunflower petals. She calls the drawings Bloom Belles and now even has classes where others can create their own under her guidance. 

I find them all amazing. It is no wonder that she lists clients as Fendi, Chanel & Christian Dior. Her watercolor skills are lovely on their own and she also ventures into pattern designs for wallpaper and stationery. Here are only a handful to share. Visit her Insta page to see more of her incredible work.

Grace Ciao: Instagram

Serenity on the Prairie

Most of you know that Jeff and I love a good day trip outside the Metro. What I love is when one of these detours also taps into my joy of gardening & nature. A connection on social media led us out to Cambridge way and we found the unexpected gem of Angels of the Prairie.

It is a lovely small rural farm in Isanti County operated by Stacy and Chad Smith. Where to start....? It is used mostly as a very tiny event space for weddings in its quaint chapel. (We will talk about that in a paragraph.) But it is also a small flower farm which sells small cut bouquets in addition to floral events. There is a sweetest boutique store in a tiny shed that has everything from knick-knacks to collectible original art and photographs. It is a memorable enough destination to just walk the grounds of ponds, rolling plains of wildflowers, small sculpture art, lanterns among the tress and of course the hidden angels along the way.

Stacy & Chad were eager in conversations to talk about the care they put into the lot. He comes from a long career in landscaping and scrapes both plants and labor from his company to tend the farm. Stacy's gift is her love of plants from seed to harvest. Angels on the Prairie has only existed in this form for the last year. It is warming to see where they are in the process and what ambitions they have to add to it.

 

The Chapel is the anchor to the property. It is part original as well as a collection of authentic parts. This replica is based on small Midwestern Lutheran chapels that have become rare historical remnants. Parts come from Zion Norwegian Church which was located in Towner ND. The altar and bright stained glass windows came from there. Also a vintage painted portrait of Jesus the Shepherd  by Arne Berger hangs over the altar. These items were stored in a vault in Minot ND where Stacy rescued them from. The structure was built by Amish carpenters and incorporates Stacy's trademark to detail in the intimate and minimal objects found inside. The perfect time to catch the chapel is late in the day when the sun hangs low and shines through the stained glass windows. Weddings can also sprawl into larger groups on the grounds themselves.

 

 

The estate is currently only open seasonally during Spring - Fall, but I am very anxious to see what they do with this small gem and plan on catching it again. We share a fondness for dahlias and she is ambitious about expanding her fields and sharing the lovely tubers with others. I am so glad I got to see Angels in the final days of the season while the Blooms were magnificent and full.

 

Angels of the Prairie - website

Angels of the Prairie feature - the Norwegian American

Welcome to the Moon Garden

We are now into the Endless Summer Nights of August heat and increasingly shorter days. Hopefully some remaining time in the back patio with the night fountain on and an occasional firepit when it cools down (or we don't have horrible smoke in the air from the wildfires to begin with.)

Here is a post looking at the magic of gardens through the lens of nightime under the current full moon. I admit that my current space only has two of these unusual blooms. Like most of you, I spend my quality garden time in the daytime hours. But there is a small subset of plants that have a nocturnal habitat. Most of them are very fragrant and choose to open up in a cooler temps. And also, most of them have blooms that only last a single evening - adding to their mystique.

The following is an article that lists a handful of varieties, and I will highlight a few favorites.

The obvious sighting is traditional Datura/Moonflower or Devil's Trumpet. They are very large blooms with toxic, hallucinogenic bionics. Usually white, but other varieties are tinged in purple or pink. Part of the nightshade family, they are a relative of tomatoes or eggplants. Their fragrance draws the Sphinx moth if you are ever able to see them together. As the blooms crumple, they turn into very prickly pods that scatter 100s of seeds. So, once you have one in your garden, they will persistently appear year after year in places you never expect.

Another gift I got from my mother is the common Evening Primrose. A small fragile flower with 4 simple petals that resemble banana colored tissue paper with folds in them. They also are fleeting and when I am lucky enough watering in the early evening, I catch sight of a few just as they open. By morning they have shriveled without a sign. They also easily reseed. My trick is getting their small greens to the point of blooming before rabbits eat their shoots.

Another lovely plant is Angel's Trumpet which I fell in love with on a trip to Florida where they abound. The look similar to the Datura but are actually a member of the evergreen family and take over on huge vines that hang downward like a canopy. They need huge growing space and cling to entire walls. They are usually in gold tones, and I love them when they are vibrant apricot shades. They can be pruned in the tropics as a tree. I have tried them in a pot which is much less rewarding but was not able to winter it over in the basement. So, they are a guilty pleasure in the North.

A last one that caught my eye on this list is a Chocolate Daisy. How fun is that. Apparently, their blooms are a hint of cocoa & coffee. They are a member of the Aster family in the Southwest, but register as a Zone 4 which would possibly be tolerant of our MN winters. While they bloom at dusk, their scent is most noticeable in the early morning. I am going to track down one of these if I can - even ordering online.

There are several others on the list to take note of. Most of them are not stunners, but the whole offering is a different take on gardening which is worth a look for curious minds.

Night Blooming Gardens; Epic Gardening

Adopt a Tree in Minneapolis

I shared this resource last year, but it bears repeating again. Jeff and I were out on the creek just yesterday with Rosie. It is devastating to see how many tall trees are dead, brittle and marked with an X for removal. This is now the second summer in a row that we have been hit with unusually high temps as well as minimal rainfall at most. Chalk it up to climate change and it is only going to worsen. If you imagine how much water is needed to sustain a giant tree compared to those daily waterings you are giving to your lovely gardens and lawns - it does not come close. Especially during those first 3 years of planting from a sapling to something even bordering on a young tree with a root system underneath ground. Driving down Lyndale there are blocks of fancy new boulevards in the middle where the city has planted trees to encourage a canopy within the city. At least 75% of them are dead because the Park Board nor anyone else has taken the time to nurture them over these last two years. The same with trees in Painter Park a few blocks away. They are simply planted and left on their own. A waste of resources and "greenablity."

I am not sure why most of our residents are not aware of this Adopt a Tree program that is readily available. The nonprofit taking this on is called Brewing a Better Forest and is a simple game plan where a few invested urban foresters have come up with a brainchild and reached out to some local breweries who also get their passion. Somehow, they work with the city of Minneapolis on all the park and boulevard trees that are planted. And have created an interactive map where you can pull up your zip code and it shows every single tree planted in the Metro that has not been claimed. By clicking on a dot, just like you would pick a seat for a concert venue - you agree to water that tree for a period of a single season and make sure it stays healthy by watering once a week throughout this drought period. And for that simple task of helping Mother Nature, they will send you two random drinks at any of the participating brewers. How easy is that?

There are 1000s of trees to choose from. You are even given the option of naming your tree. I chose to name mine after my grandfather Basil and was lucky enough to find one planted right outside my front door. They even give you tutorial videos on how to best help your tree by keeping it watered & safe. Please give it a look. If I can get even 20 people to step up, it will make a difference to all those trees currently marked with an X that were forgotten. Do your civic duty!

Brewing a Better Forest.

Growing Floret

I did a first feature on Floret Seeds/ Farms back in March of this year after ordering some seeds from them. I had been following them on Instagram for a while because their video content of incredible cut flowers is astounding on a daily basis.

But as I keep digging deeper into their website and plant library, I am overwhelmed by the huge impact of not just their lovely gardens, but their mission to share their bounty with the rest of the gardening community. Much like a non profit arts group - they emphasize community. Free classes on all types of planting topics. A vast library of the magical plants they have in their fields. Even their daily posts are immensely topical and timely throughout the season and tap into the very things I am doing in my yard.

They have been touting a new television series that just premiered. They had done a Season 1 last year that had footage of their growth pre-pandemic in 2019. Now they have released a Season 2. I am only 2 episodes in an completely blown away by the gift of this small business out in rural Washington state. It is currently streaming on a variety of platforms; Hulu/ Max/ Prime and Roku ie... This is so far beyond the normal reality shows which have pampered gardens and competitions for fabulous landscape designs. These are true salt-of-the-earth gardeners with passion and love for the ground they work. Seeing the meager "seeds" where they started and where they have taken this is nothing short of astounding. Erin & Chris Benzakein are both heroes & pioneers. I will be a staunch supporter of them from now on and am proud to see what my seeds will yield in my lovely back garden raised bed.

If you love plants in any shape or form; watch this show!

Or follow their daily posts.

Growing Floret

Floret @ Instagram 

 

Crazy about Coleus

 I love flowers, whether annuals that keep on giving or a perennial that shares its beauty once a year. But for the last 5 years I have gone gaga over sweet leafy Coleus. They are a garden treat that keeps on giving. For starters, they are of the lowest maintenance, only requiring watering. They can thrive in almost any condition. They remain hearty into mid Fall while other plants are withering in the early frosts. But what used to be varying shades of green, has now exploded into wild colors of the rainbow.

Inferno

There are plenty of options available at all Garden Centers. Each year I try something new. But I am aware that I keep seeing the same 20+ options out there and wanted to dig a bit deeper this season. So, I found a handful of seed options online and narrowed it down to one called Swallowtail Seeds. I liked the name; the price was good, and it was hard to narrow my choices down to a mere 4-5 options.

I also found a great blog post from another vendor Seeds Needs that approaches this particular species with a hilarious take on them called Shasay! Shantay! Growing Coleus from Seed. (Their spelling is off, but I'm not going to scold them.) The tone of the post is endearing and should be read. I applaud them for their audacity. It calls Coleus "the Divine Drag Queen of the Garden" to which I heartedly agree. "If your cat got into RuPaul's makeup bag, then chirped all over your yard." Yessss Grl. That image is exactly on point. The article is downright "cheeky."

Kong Rose

Coleus was first noted in 1853 in the mountains of Java by botanist Karl Blume. Their name was originally Coleus Blumei after him. The blog post then goes on to state that there are now more identities of the genus than identities of any female impersonator! I ordered types with names like Volcano, Superfine Rainbow, Fairway Orange and Giant Magma. I would say these qualify.

Now onto my seeds themselves. I don't think I have ever seen something so small. I thought Poppies and Rudbeckia were tiny.... these are microscopic. Each packet contained 50 seeds (I am sure they were not hand counted.) They so fragile, you are not to press them into the ground, just gently scatter them on the surface of the dirt and then allow water and light to permeate the seeds. I started with tweezers, then quickly realized the one-at-a-time method was futile. So, I scattered them into pods and the 50 seeds went quickly. They supposedly germinate in a matter of 15-21 days. I am about halfway through and waiting patiently. They do need both warmth and sunlight which has been a hard commodity in our MN April. The blog notes they are NOT easy germinators and may have stage fright if not exactly the right temperature or UV light. I may also be behind in that they ask for a good 8-week incubation before putting plants outside. But since 70℉ is ideal for the soil, I assume that bench mark is going to be a wait for us this season also. But I'm hoping this next stretch will bring them out in the open.

Special Effects

 Even if you do not go the route of seeds and pick up your own 4 or 6 pack, here are my tips from experience. Put them along borders or edges of your planters - they go for width and not height. Don't get matchy matchy with color tones. They are meant to hold their own and the shades should pop next to the other plants. I am also surprised at how much they grow - build that into the space. This year I plan to feature them on their own, so I am giving them plenty of room. Their stems are fleshy like an aloe or cactus. I often pinch them back as they sprawl into other flowers of your basket or pot, but as mentioned, I am going to let mine thrive into their own this year. At some point around July, they will start to revert to flowers so they can reproduce. The flower is hardly as big a bang as their showy leaves - so snip those tops off and encourage as much growth during a season as possible. I also tried to bring a few inside at the end of last season. But again, like a true Drag Queen Diva - they are tropical in nature and don't thrive outside of their natural spotlight in the full sun. Keep them near a sunny windowsill where they may survive, but at some point, they will retreat as wallflowers until the next tropical Summer.

All this just goes to say, if you are not a Fan or Follower of Coleus - you should be! Please read the Seeds Needs blogpost and check back for a summer update to see how I fared with my Giant Magma.

Shasy! Shantay! Growing Coleus from Seed:

 

Fuzzy Feathers