NEW PLANTS FOR 2010 by Jan Cashman 1/30/10 In the past few years, “branding” of plants has become important in the nursery and gardening business. “Proven Winners”, the largest U.S. plant brand, was formed in 1992 by plant propagators to introduce new, unique, high-performing plants, and has really taken off. Plants are selected for [...]
Last Updated February 24, 2010 at 4:27 pmJunipers Deserve Recognition by Jan Cashman 1/5/10 They often get a bad rap, but junipers deserve a place in our landscapes. Junipers are native to Montana, found from Ekalaka to Troy, Plentywood to Lima. From the sites where they’re found growing native, you know they tolerate drought and poor soils. Junipers’ slow [...]
Last Updated February 1, 2010 at 12:16 pmAttracting Birds to Your Yard by Jan Cashman 12/12/09 It’s fun to watch birds out your window, especially in the winter. If you provide adequate food, shelter, and water for them, you can attract a wide variety of birds to your yard. Many species of birds are found in Bozeman and the surrounding area. Sparrows, finches, [...]
Last Updated December 22, 2009 at 3:25 pmFORCING BULBS FOR INDOOR BEAUTY THIS WINTER by Jan Cashman 11/13/09 By now, if you were going to plant spring-flowering bulbs in your garden, hopefully, you have completed that task. But, many of us like to plant bulbs in pots and “force” them to bloom early for flowers and color indoors during the winter. It is [...]
Last Updated November 25, 2009 at 12:16 pmDORMANCY AND WINTER INJURY by Jan Cashman 10/13/09 We tell kindergarten students when they tour our nursery that plants “go to sleep” in the winter. This is a simple explanation that small children can understand, but what does dormancy really mean? What happens to plants in the fall? Dormancy is a state of “rest” plants enter [...]
Last Updated October 28, 2009 at 5:03 pmTHE 2009 GROWING SEASON by Jan Cashman 9/15/09 Every year’s weather and growing conditions are unique and 2009 is no exception. After a number of years of hot, dry summers, 2009 was neither hot nor dry. In fact, March was one of the coldest and wettest in over a decade after a February whose average temperatures [...]
Last Updated October 10, 2009 at 10:56 amECHINACEA—PURPLE CONEFLOWER –HERB OR PERENNIAL FLOWER? by Jan Cashman 8/20/09 Echinacea can be classified as an herb or a perennial flower native to North American. Echinacea’s herbal uses go back to the Native Americans, who used various species of it for medicinal purposes to aid ailments such as snakebite and anthrax and for pain relief. Today, [...]
Last Updated September 10, 2009 at 4:50 pmObservations on the Garden Tour, July 10 & 11, 2009- by Jan Cashman This year, all except one of the gardens on the Emerson Cultural Center Garden and Home Tour were in the old part of town, with small lots that had mature trees, therefore, plenty of shade. The old neighborhoods of Bozeman are peaceful, [...]
Last Updated August 5, 2009 at 4:34 pmLINDENS by Jan Cashman 6/20/09 In the heat of the summer, a shade tree strategically planted on the west side of your house can keep your house a lot cooler. But which tree would be the best to plant? The only native trees that grow tall enough to provide some shade are quaking aspen and cottonwoods. [...]
Last Updated July 17, 2009 at 7:59 pmDWARF LILACS by Jan Cashman 5/30/09 Everyone loves the color and fragrance of lilacs in the spring. They are truly the favorite shrub for northern climates because of their fragrant flowers in May and June and their cold hardiness. Here are a few interesting facts about lilacs: * Lilac’s genus, Syringa, is taken from the word Syrinx, meaning [...]
Last Updated June 9, 2009 at 10:54 am