Dig This!

Pollination: it's vital to life on Earth, but largely unseen by the human eye. Filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg shows us the intricate world of pollen and pollinators with gorgeous high-speed images from his film "Wings of Life," inspired by the vanishing of one of nature's primary pollinators, the honeybee. Be sure to watch this on the largest computer screen you have; (HD if possible) and have your sound turned on.  The hummingbird doing rolls chasing a bee is not to be missed. Be sure and watch closely, check out the baby bat under its Mother.   If you never knew what goes on in the garden when you aren't paying attention, watch this -  The Beauty of Pollination

Geum, also known as Avens, are certainly not counted among the most common perennials, despite having been cultivated in gardens for many years. A relative of roses, their brightly colored flowers bloom freely for many weeks in late spring and early summer.  Geum is perfectly sized for the front of the perennial border, as a single specimen or in groups. It’s a great companion for a variety of perennials and grasses such as cranesbills, sages, catmints, coral bells,  prairie dropseed, and little bluestem. Brightly colored orange and red geum are nicely paired with other strong colors, particularly deep blues and purples. They are also good in naturalized landscapes and container plantings, and in the case of prairie smoke (Geum triflorum), in rockeries, gravel gardens, and green roofs.  Hardy in zones 4-9, plant your geum in full sun to partial shade.   Keep the soil moist but not wet. Providing sufficient moisture throughout the growing season is importa...

Master Gardener Earth Day Challenge To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, Master Gardeners were challenged to CLEAN UP for Earth Day on April 22. Our goal was 50 hours of work cleaning yards, parks, streets and roadsides. We exceeded our goal: 85 hours.  Because we were in sequestering mode, we were not able to do this as a physical group but we can still enjoy our efforts with photos and quips. Kathy clocked 2 hours in her yard, 3 hours at a friend’s farm, and 1 hour picking up trash on the walking path.  As a result of recent surgeries, Karolyn has not been able to do much gardening, but she was motivated by the Challenge to spend 2 hours cleaning up her yard and planting some beautiful flowers. (At her request, no photos allowed of Karolyn bending over!) Julia and Becky did some clean up at the HCC garden and YMCA, then planted tomatoes for the kids at the Y. We had lots of "helpers", including spouses, granddaughter...