Limelight Hydrangea Tree....

I counted 60 blooms on my little tree!  Love it! 

While admiring it, I noticed each flower had an ugly bug crawling around inside it!  UGH!
What to do?  Well, I posted it on Face book and sure enough got answers telling me what they are!  Soldier beetles or their other name is Pennsylvania Leather-Wings!  And they are a good insect to have around as they dine on things that aren't so nice!  So, I guess I'll keep the welcome mat out for the them!  Many thanks to my Face book garden friends!

Goodness Gracious.....

Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!

I just couldn't resist this bright eye-catching hosta at Turkey Run Hostas!  It's new home will be midst a bed of rich green pachysandra!  Oh my!

This is the one in their display gardens that caught my eye!  I simply love their display gardens so I can see what the more mature plant will really look like!

Goodness Gracious is a sport of H. Satisfaction with much showier and wider margins.  Plants produce large heart shaped leaves of good substance forming 30 inch wide clumps 20 inches high.  Light purple bell-shaped flowers emerge on 36" scapes in mid-July. 

I also have H. Satisfaction and it is a fantastic hosta! 

A snowball in August!

Yep, this is "Snowball" at work helping customers at 'Turkey Run Hostas' near Pine Island, MN! 

Ever been to a plant swap?

The garden club I belong to has a Plant Swap event that includes a fun social time each year!
 
It's a great time to chat "garden talk" with each other, get fun door prizes, swap plants and feast on everyone's good cookin' with a pot luck supper!    This year's event theme focused
on the '60's era with Flower Power'.  Some of us had fun dressing up as hippies and flower children to add to the fun!  Lots of tie dye shirts, faded denim jeans, peasant blouses, swinging long skirts, headscarves , headbands, beads and peace signs!  Indeed, 55 gardeners had a really good time!  

Centerpieces included incense and peace signs!

 

 

Add some zing to your late summer garden beds.....

Recently several gardening friends and I were touring gardens and saw some creative displays of elevated containers in garden beds, among shrubs and hosta plantings.

I recalled I have a similar container holder that I have not used the last several years since I reduced my amount of annual planted pots!  Since my friends expressed interest in having one of those type of holders, I suggested I consult with my husband, Denny, about the potential of his making some.  (He has a welder he has used to repair things and has created me some wonderful trellises.)  So, to make a long story short, he has his first batch of these awesome container holders made and we are able to make them available to area gardeners!

 


Note the prongs go into the ground
so it can be set in among plants!

 

Just in time to bring a bit of new zing to late summer garden beds or pair with your fall containers.  Also you can use these in your winter outdoor decorating!

I'm off to shop for some mum plants!  They will brighten up my hosta beds for fall!  And, ideas are popping into my head for winter!

Made of 3/4" cold rolled steel rod that is welded and powder coated to provide years of use.

Easy to use with your own existing container(s). They just need a 7/16" minimum hole in the center bottom.

Supports even heavy pots loaded with soil & plants!

 

2 sizes available now
18" & 24" height from ground to base of pot
$35.00 each

Ready for pick up or delivery now

Denny Noltee Sr   507-288-6730

boatbutt@charter.net



Going to the Mn State Fair?

Check out the Horticulture Building!  Minnesota State Horticulture Society has lots going on including several booths with gardening information for Minnesota gardeners.  One of the displays on Thursday and Friday (August 21st and 22nd) will be done by Shades of Green Hosta Society of SE MN. 

Our exhibit this year will be about the “old standard” hostas that many people have been growing in their yards because a friend gave them one, they came with the house, etc.  Susy O. has done up some great poster boards with pictures and descriptions of these hostas and Jean M. has done a brochure visitors can take with them.  We will also have leaf examples of these hostas on display!

We will also show some of the new directions hosta breeding has gone and have leaves and plants of those “new” hostas – featuring ruffled and rippled leaves, minis, etc.

 

2012 Award Winning Display

2012 Display with visitors

 


 

Raised bed gardening in your back yard?

Sharon P. has been veggie gardening in her city lot yard for years and she has always been creative in making it an attractive garden bed.  She's moved into 'raised bed' veggie gardening, which has increased her enjoyment and harvest as well.  You judge for yourself  how attractive it is! 

 

Sharon says it is so easy to plant and maintain!  No problem with our clay soil, you get to create the soil condition you want!  She had the wood framework made to the sizes and shapes she wanted, filled them with the soil and planted it this spring.  No getting shoes dirty or muddy even!   Gee, even if you only wanted some tomato plants,  a few peppers and edged it with some lettuce, wouldn't one of these be ideal!

I'm thinking one of these for my mini hosta bed would make it easier for me to tend and bring them up to a nicer viewing level! 

Contact me if you want more information!