Northern & Central Midwest
March, 2007
Regional Report
National News - From NGA Editors
The Most Fragrant Peony
Peonies are widely grown spring garden plants, and their large, colorful flowers are showstoppers in the garden. The foliage provides three seasons of color and is seldom bothered by deer and...
The Pitchfork Gets a Makeover
The pitchfork is an agricultural icon that has many uses in the home garden. Its great for spreading bark mulch, turning compost piles, and moving hay, straw, leaves, and other bulk materials....
Where Have All the Honeybees Gone?
Honeybees are the unsung heroes of our food supply. Its estimated that up to one-third of the food we eat is dependent on honeybee pollination activity in spring and summer. In spring beekeepers...
Tree Lilac With Colorful Bark
Lilacs are common landscape plants, and while lilac shrubs get most of the attention for their colorful and fragrant flowers, tree lilacs, while lacking fragrance, have their own merits. The...
In the Garden
Organic Matter Makes the World Go Round
The garden season is coming, even though some of us are still buried under a foot of snow. As the ground begins to thaw and beds get ready to be turned, we should give some thought to just how we can make that soil better.
Organic matter is like...
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Resources
Books
Composting Let it Rot!: The Gardener's Guide to Composting , by Stu Campbell (Storey Publishing, 1998;...
Clever Gardening Technique
Sheet Composting Sheet composting is probably the easiest composting method in the world. Simply set aside one of...
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Regional Reminders
- Pot Up Tender Bulbs
- Give Geraniums a Fresh Start
- Give Houseplants Extra Care
- Use Dormant Oil to Control Scale
- Ventilate Cold Frames and Rose Cones
