Urban Farm

http://www.urbanfarmonline.com/

I could learn a lot from urban farmers.

Dark Reiter

http://www.greatgardenplants.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=1145

Geranium 'Dark Reiter'

The velvety black foliage could be a lot of fun.

Passion Frost

http://www.heronswood.com/product/pieris-japonica-%27passion-frost%27-pp19319-/

Pieris japonica 'Passion Frost'

Variegated foliage and gorgeous flowers.

Little Lime

http://www.provenwinners.com/plants/detail.cfm?photoID=9525

Hydrangea 'Little Lime'

I like the Zone 3 hardiness.

MGV Brown Bag

I attended the MGV Brown Bag today at the Milwaukee County UW-Extension offices on Watertown Plank Road.

The presenter was Dick Wiedman, Superintendent of the Peninsular Agricultural Research Station.

The topic was "2010 Fruit Production Update: The Year in Review."

Lots of information on apples, cherries, apricots, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, honeyberries, and grapes.

Judging from the number of questions from the audience at the end, I would say that there was a lot of interest in the topic.

Lippincott Flower Seeds

http://lacrossetribune.com/lifestyles/home-and-garden/4b121db0-138a-11e0-b3e6-001cc4c002e0.html

Lippincott was one of the largest seed companies in the world and vanished without a trace.

Very mysterious.

Beekeeping, Or Lack Thereof

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/bs-md-ho-honeybees-20110118,0,5553399.story?page=1

Thanks to Elizabeth for sending me this link.

It can be difficult to explain bees to the uneducated.

Chickadees in the garden

The Chickadees have started using the new feeder on the living room window.

Vancouver Centennial

http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/73112-product.html

Gorgeous Pelargonium.

Urban Garden Casual

http://urbangardencasual.com/

Lots of interesting information.

Urban Gardening

http://www.hortmag.com/gardening-book-reviews/book-review-i-garden-urban-style?et_mid=81959&rid=2093016

Sounds like an interesting book.

Gardeners with smaller suburban yards can often get a lot of good information from urban gardeners.

Venus Flytrap

http://www.botany.org/carnivorous_plants/venus_flytrap.php

Would make an interesting house plant.

Houseplants

http://www.midwestliving.com/garden/container/super-easy-house-plants/

I need more super easy houseplants.

Valepotriates

http://www.vitaminherbuniversity.com/topic.asp?categoryid=4&topicid=1070

Valerian is one of my favorite garden plants.

I encountered the word "valepotriates" in "Thyme of Death" (1992) by Susan Wittig Albert.

Alice's Bird

The varied thrush was eating off the picnic bench this morning but a squirrel ran it off before I could take a photo.

Peninsular Agricultural Research Station

http://www.ars.wisc.edu/peninsular/

Our tax dollars at work evaluating cultivars.

Queen Red Lime

http://www.parkseed.com/gardening/PD/51995/

Zinnia elegans 'Queen Red Lime'

Spectacular.

Black Magic

http://www.greatgardenplants.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=1177

Viola 'Black Magic'

Zone 6, so not reliably hardy here in Zone 5.

Would be worth growing as an annual.

Bark

http://www.finegardening.com/design/articles/intriguing-bark-enlivens-winter-scene.aspx

The garden needs better bark.

Doves in the garden

There was a flock of 16 doves in the garden today.

Alice's Bird

The varied thrush continues to come to the garden every day.

It was eating off the picnic table a few minutes ago but left before I could get my phone/camera to take a picture.

Backyard Poultry

http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/

A great resource for those lucky enough to NOT live in an ignorant backward medieval village.

Fox in the garden

There was a fox in the garden last night, visible against the snow cover.

Mantis

http://mantis.com/mantis-tillers.asp?gclid=CP3SifuY06YCFcNM4Aod9yjMIA

Lots of interesting information.

American Licorice

http://www.sandmountainherbs.com/licorice_american.html

Glycyrrhiza lepidota

I want to try to grow some.

Harry Lauder's Walking Stick

http://www.waysidegardens.com/gardening/PD/48562/

Since we are Zone 5, and it is Zone 3, we could grow it in a container.

Spring Peppermint

Magnolia 'Spring Peppermint'

http://www.songsparrow.com/2011/plantdetails.cfm?ID=3530&type=WOODY,&pagetype=plantdetails

Zone 4, very nice.

Appalachian Red

http://www.waysidegardens.com/gardening/PD/48543/

Discovered in Maryland.

Would be a welcome addition to the garden.

Biodegradable Planter

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/green-bamboo-planter.html

Interesting idea.

Recycle wreaths

http://www.gardengatenotes.com/2011/01/18/from-christmas-wreath-to-plant-support/

Clever idea.

Lily of Nepal

http://www.dutchbulbs.com/store/lilies/60954?utm_medium=email&utm_source=VR110123&mc_cid=36fa64c5d6&mc_eid=a231caf4b6

Great for naturalizing.

Dwarf Pampas Grass

Cortaderia 'Pumila'

http://www.greatgardenplants.com/index.php?pageId=668&utm_source=New+%26+Existing+Subscribers&utm_campaign=8bcbb99176-1_23_2011_Spring_Preview_of_New_Plants&utm_medium=email

Great winter interest.

Shrimp Plant

http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/1720/shrimp-plant.php

Will have to check Stein's, Prospect Hill, and Shady Lane.

River Mist

http://www.santarosagardens.com/Chasmanthium-latifolium-River-Mist-p/cha-riv.htm

Variegated Northern Sea Oats.

Would love to have some.

Cold Comfort

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/cold-comfort?cm_mmc=OGNews-_-2011_01_05-_-learnandgrow-_-cold_comfort

Good advice for trees and shrubs in winter.

Radiance

http://www.americanmeadows.com/wildflower-seeds/wildflower-species/cosmos-seeds-radiance?utm_source=012111&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Radiance+Cosmos+Seeds&utm_content=hcpudge%40gmail.com&utm_campaign=20110121wildflowerseed

Someday I would like to get to the point that Cosmos perpetually self-seed.

Ground Cherry

http://www.landrethseeds.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=5603

I would love to try some.

Bridal Silk

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plt_lst/lists/search/lst.srch.asp?prodid=3689

Gorgeous white annual poppy.

Cameo

http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/60916-product.html

Flowering Quince.

Tolerates some shade.

Marquis

http://www.waysidegardens.com/gardening/PD/49170?utm_source=lyris&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=110122-WebSpecials&utm_content=notjnp_notyahoo

There is a lot to like about this grape.

Cold tolerant, disease resistant, early fruiting.

Raptors around the garden

I saw one of the small hawks today (Cooper's Hawk or Sharp-Shinned Hawk).

And I heard an owl just after dusk.

Bonbini

http://www.dutchbulbs.com/store/lilies/60262?utm_medium=email&utm_source=VR110119&mc_cid=963f568102&mc_eid=a231caf4b6

I love Oriental Lilies but they are hard to keep going in this area.

Emperor 1

Reminder to self on details of the tree we won as a door prize at Boerner.

Monrovia Emperor 1 Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum 'Wolff'
USDA Cold Hardiness Zones 5-8
9.0 gallon pot

Gooseneck Loosestrife

http://www.heronswood.com/shop/20236?cid=2011_01_20_DeerProofyourShadeGarden&

Lysimachia clethroides 'Heronswood Gold'

Would love to try some.

Green Gambler

http://www.greatgardenplants.com/index.php?pageId=1148&utm_source=New+%26+Existing+Subscribers&utm_campaign=83a16101bc-1_20_2011_Deer_Proof_Hellebores&utm_medium=email

Gorgeous flowers and 100% deer proof.

Favorite Herbs

http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/favorite%20herbs.html

Basil, Parsley, Dill.

All good herbs but sort of a limited list.

Thatch

http://www.gardening-tools-guide.com/lawn-dethatcher.html

Interesting article on lawn thatch.

Good Foliage

http://plant-quest.blogspot.com/2011/01/its-easy-to-find-new-plants.html

I agree with this idea the the garden is based on foliage and the flowers are the icing on the cake.

Morning Glories

http://www.finegardening.com/item/17678/morning-glories-in-the-afternoon

Absolutely gorgeous.

Planting Shrubs in Clay Soil

http://www.hortmag.com/weekly-tips/shrubsonclay

Difficult does not even begin to describe it.

Varied Thrush

Hard to see the colors when it is backlit like this.

Varied Thrush

Our neighbor Alice has identified the mystery bird in our gardens as a Varied Thrush from the Pacific Northwest.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/varied_thrush/id

Tracks in the garden

Two deer tracks and one fox track in the garden this morning.

Comfrey

http://www.herbcompanion.com/in-the-herb-garden/grow-comfrey-bruises-eye-cream.aspx

Clever use of comfrey in eye cream.

Minette

http://www.parkseed.com/gardening/PD/0307/

Very nice ornamental basil.

Dave Wilson Nursery

http://www.davewilson.com/

They supply nursery stock to Annie's Annuals and Perennials.

Myco Pak

http://www.raintreenursery.com/catalog/productdetails.cfm?productid=T185

Mycorrhizae, need more of them.

Thousand Cankers Disease

http://mdc.mo.gov/landwater-care/plant-management/plant-diseases/thousand-cankers-disease

Walnut decline, the next Dutch elm disease.

Boskoop

Hamamelis mollis 'Boskoop'

http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/62261-product.html?utm_source=12MB+Active&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2011+01+15

Heirloom Witch Hazel.

Lead Plant

Amorpha canescens

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/leadplantx.htm

Interesting plant with nitrogen fixing and 15 foot central root.

Green Envy

Echinacea 'Green Envy'

http://www.greatgardenplants.com/index.php?pageId=100&utm_source=New+%26+Existing+Subscribers&utm_campaign=77c0cbf76e-1_16_2011_Deer_Proof_Fragrant_Coneflowers&utm_medium=email

Zone 3 and beautiful flowers.

Baby Joe

http://www.dutchbulbs.com/store/perennials/65641?utm_medium=email&utm_source=VR110116&mc_cid=b46b2ad0a2&mc_eid=a231caf4b6

I love Joe Pye Weed in all its forms.

Valley Rose

Pieris japonica 'Valley Rose'

http://www.waysidegardens.com/gardening/PD/48608/

Ideal for woodland garden.

Flower Mat

http://www.parkseed.com/gardening/PD/4003/

Instant cottage garden, clever idea.

Dotted Mint

Monarda punctata

http://www.prairienursery.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_plant_info&cPath=64_2&products_id=237

Always interested in a plant that provides nectar for a multitude of butterflies.

Dirr's Tree and Shrub Finder

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dirrs-tree-and-shrub-finder/id410437012

Makes me wish I had an iPhone.

Black Pearl

http://www.hortmag.com/plants/plants-we-love/black-pearl-ornamental-pepper?et_mid=65490&rid=2093016

We have grown Black Pearl.

Terrific plant.

Hellebore Companions

http://www.hortmag.com/headline/hellebore-companions?et_mid=65490&rid=2093016

I love ferns and epimediums.

Groundcover Conifers

http://www.hortmag.com/featured/groundcover-conifers?et_mid=65490&rid=2093016

As per the comments, shade can wreak havoc on groundcover conifers.

But I would still like to try some of these.

Growing Perennials from Seed

http://www.finegardening.com/design/articles/perennials-grown-from-seed.aspx

Very much want to try some of these.

Year of the Zinnia

http://wimastergardener.org/?q=zinnias

I love zinnias.

Rock Stars

http://www.rockstarplants.com/

Tough and cute is a good combination.

Lacewings

http://www.dirtdoctor.com/organic/garden/view_question/id/803/

Beneficial insects in the garden.

Ohio Heirloom Seeds

http://www.ohioheirloomseeds.com/Home_Page.html

Some interesting seeds and some interesting planters.

I particularly liked the one made from 2 x 8 Western red cedar.

Giant hawk over the garden

The giant hawk flew over the garden this morning, panicking all of the squirrels.

Fox in the garden

There was a fox in the garden last night just after dusk, only visible because of the snow cover.

Composting In Cold Weather

http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/composting-in-cold-weather.aspx

Some interesting ideas.

Marliner Kren

Horseradish 'Marliner Kren'

Herb of the Year 2011

http://www.dutchbulbs.com/store/fruits/66752?utm_medium=email&utm_source=VR110109&mc_cid=dec34c3f76&mc_eid=a231caf4b6

Pleioblastus viridistriatus

http://www.midatlanticbamboo.com/bamboo-frames/bamboo-0041.htm

Zone 7, but the Chicago Botanic Garden trials show that it re-sprouted from the roots.

Phyllostachys nuda

http://www.finegardening.com/plantguide/phyllostachys-nuda-nuda-bamboo.aspx

Another hardy bamboo that would be worth trying.

Phyllostachys bissetii

http://www.bamboogarden.com/Phyllostachys%20bissetii.htm

One of the hardiest bamboos.

I would love to try some.

Green Ice

http://www.heronswood.com/shop/12058?cid=2011_01_07_ShadeGardenExclusives&

A beautiful new Hellebore.

Grosbeak

There was a lone evening grosbeak in the garden today.

Fox in the garden

There was a fresh tracking snow last night, and fresh fox tracks in the garden this morning.

Then, at 8am, I saw a fox running east just behind the back line.

Maybe it can do something about the voles.

Finches in the Roosting Box

Yesterday, there were weaver finches (what we used to call sparrows) going in and out of the roosting box.

Finch in the garden

I safely removed a goldfinch that was trapped in the glass mason jar feeder today.

Not adaptively vigilant behavior by the bird.

2011 Year of the Vegetable

http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/2011/01/2011-the-year-of-the-vegetable/

Eat more vegetables.

Principles and Practice of Soil Science

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Principles-and-Practice-of-Soil-Science/Robert-E-White/e/9780632064557

Unfortunately there is no copy of this textbook in the MCFLS.

Soil Science and Management

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Soil-Science-and-Management/Edward-Plaster/e/9781418038656

List price $202.95 for a new copy of this textbook.

Herb of the Year 2011

http://wimastergardener.org/?q=horseradish

Horseradish is one of my favorite plants but I have a hard time keeping it going.

Water for the garden pool

The switch crapped out on the sump pump which supplies water to the garden pool.

The old pump was the upright model, but I replaced it with a submerged model.

My neighbors have been telling me for years that submerged models are better, so I finally made the change.

It is quiet and efficient so far.

All America Selections 2011

http://wimastergardener.org/?q=AAS2011

I particularly like the Salvia that attracts goldfinches.

Golden Trumpet

http://wimastergardener.org/?q=Allamanda

Allamanda cathartica

Would be difficult as a houseplant over the winter.

Wireless Outdoor Speakers

http://outdoorspeakerstore.com/100W_Wireless_Rock_Speaker_System_p_16368.html

Because plants are people too and deserve good music to grow by.

Hoar Frost

http://www.landrethseeds.com/newsletters/Latest/Current%20Issue/Garlic.html

Amazing photographs.

The Baggy Method

http://www.robsplants.com/seed/baggy.php

An interesting method for germinating seeds.

CompoKeeper

http://compokeeper.com/index.html

I am reluctant to buy from a website that cannot spell words like "dimension" and "receive."

Their product looks good, though.