Minnesota: A Warmer & Drier State of Being

News from the Updraft weather blog reported recently that Minnesota is still in a drought.  The drought continues even thought we have received snowfall that will eventually melt.  Melted snow or melt-water run-off is great for recharging creeks, streams, rivers, ponds, marshes and lakes, but only helps some for melting and soaking into soils.  Currently, our soils are frozen.  The moisture in the soils are extremely low but enough to freeze and lock additional moisture until April.  Currently, there are many evergreen trees and shrubs showing signs of drought that were not seen last fall.  White Pine (Pinus strobus) and White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) and Arborvitae cultivars are showing brown or dried foliage on younger plants.

Meteorologist Paul Huttner reported recently in the Updraft Blog that Minnesota is the fastest warming state in the United States since 1970.  This data supports anecdotal observations made by Minnesota gardeners regarding our warmer winters, "gentle soaking rains" are becoming less common, earlier springs, longer autumns, and more common rainfall events (1" to 3" events).  

Local Watershed districts, gardeners, permaculture practitioners are responding to our warming climate treads and the increased occurrences of droughts with shift in their approach to landscaping.

Rain barrels and other water harvesting  methods are becoming common place, native plants are often used to attract insect pollinators.  Natural landscaping techniques to reduce run-off, includes rain gardens, dense hillside plantings, and infiltration planting strips help rain water to soak into soils.

Other observations related to climate change made by gardeners and urban ecologists in Twin Cities area include:  increasing gray squirrel populations, steady rabbit populations (year around browsing), and American Robbins are overwintering (often feeding on persistent fruit and berries).  Early warm spring weather is not good for gardeners.  Early warm weather followed by hard freezes, then followed  by warmer weather often damages flowers of trees, shrubs and perennials.  In spring 2012, there was substantial damage to apple tree flowers in southern MN.  This was followed in the autumn with very low apple crop yields and higher prices at the grocery store.  Spring flower damage to woodland  ephemeral wildflowers add more stress to these plants which are already diminishing from exotic alien earthworms and white tail deer eating them out of extinction.  Great Lakes Worm Watch website explains how invasive exotic aliens (earthworms and common buckthorn) and climate change are causing alarming changes to Minnesota forest ecosystems.  

Don Gordon's Growing Fruit in the Upper Midwest is a book essential for anyone interested in growing edible fruit in Minnesota.  Our climate in Minnesota has warmed since 1991, when this book was published.  Some fruiting trees like peaches and pears may be possible now.  However, our spring weather may not cooperate consistently.  

The book discusses classic crops like apples, cherries, plums, pear, peaches, raspberries with easy to access useful information.  He includes many natural composts and mulches choices.  Arrangements for small orchards can be adapted to the even smaller back yard garden. 

As a natural landscaper, I find Gordon's suggestions very helpful for people who want to grow fruiting native plants that humans and birds can both feed on.  He includes Elderberry (Sambucus), Currants and Gooseberries (Ribes), Serviceberry (Amelanchier), Buffaloberry (Shepherdea) and High Bush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum).  

Eco-Gardening Trends 2013

This is the time of year when (consumer) trends for the upcoming year filter into gardening websites, garden centers, and magazines.  They are published in to excite us for the upcoming spring season.  I admit that I look at these lists but I often find them predictably the same.  The lists often include the latest cultivated perennials, garden decorations and opulent landscape designs,.

This year seems different.  Garden trends this year are ushering in a new age of  eco-friendly landscape products and services.  These lists indicates that new and experienced gardeners are looking for ways to be more earth-friendly.   

Here are some of the trends that pertain directly to urban native landscaping:

1.  Wild Edibles at home

Popular native shrubs like low bush Blueberry, Raspberry, Elderberry, Juneberry, wild Plum and American Hazelnut offer edible fruit for people and wildlife in the back yard.   Wild strawberries, Fragrant Hyssop, Wild Bergamot, and Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) lead the way with edible wildflowers.  

2. Vegetable Gardens 

People are growing more vegetables and herbs in their yards because they know if they are "organically grown" by avoiding harmful chemicals.  Gardeners are using native wildflowers to attract bees to their vegetable gardens.  Integration of cultivated and native plants is becoming more common place.

3.  Natural Weed and Pest control

Gardeners are using products like Phydura (a vinegar, soybean oil, clove oil mix) as an alternative  herbicide.  Soapy water is sprayed on plants to fend off aphids.  These methods take a little longer but are less problematic.  Some gardeners are carefully selecting certain native wildflowers to attract insect predators to their gardens to control insect pests.

4.  Building the Soil

Gardeners are using more compost made of yard waste and leaves to feed plants and microorganisms that live in the soil.  Natural, non-dyed wood mulches reduce weeds and natural compost to feed plants.       People are using leaves (also known as "brown gold") as a mulch.

5.  Water-wise 

Gardeners are using more drought tolerant plants, prairie plants as garden plants to reduce the demand for watering gardens.  Rain harvesting (often rain barrells) are used to water non-edible plants in gardens.  Rain gardens are used for reducing water run-off from properties.  Rain gardens help reduce sediment and organics from entering our local lakes and streams via storm sewers.  Ornamental water features and fountains are getting smaller to conserve water.  These small water features are purposefully used to attract birds with the sound of babbling water. 

6.  Light

Gardeners like to use landscape lighting to highlight their landscape but they are doing it with solar lights and are avoiding up-lighting for outdoor paths and gathering spaces.  Down-lights reduce light pollution for migrating birds.

7.  Community Gardening

Gardeners who don't own property often garden in shared wildflower gardens by maintaining them by weekly or monthly group efforts.  These gardens are often located in local parks in the neighborhood.  Invasive plant species removal projects in city parks are often performed by volunteer gardeners, and residents in the local areas which benefit the greater society and wildlife.  Community gardens for vegetable gardeners are in growing demand.  

8.  Buying Local

Native plant growers are often located at the just outside of the city.  They often use seeds and cutting sources within 100 miles or closer to where they are grown.  Gardeners who use native plants prefer to use "local genotypes" because they are more likely to survive fluctuations in the climate.

9.  Gardening for Relationships

Native plant gardeners are carefully selecting plants to deliberately attract birds and beneficial insects to their yards.  The Wild Ones (a non-profit organization), Audubon Society and various university websites are sharing information about native plants and how they attract birds, butterflies and bees.

SEMINAR:

Beyond Coneflowers:

Native Gardens for City Living

Sunday April 15 2:00-3:30pm

St. Timothy Lutheran Church

1465 Victoria Street N. Saint Paul

Erik Olsen, neighborhood resident and landscape designer with Out Back Nursery and Landscaping, will share his expertise in a beautiful, compelling presentation on Sunday, April 15 from 2:00 until 3:30 p.m. at the St. Timothy Lutheran Church.

Come learn how native plants differ from non-natives and how you can pick from a palette wider than the popular coneflower and goldenrod. Olsen will advise on ways to integrate natives into small urban properties and how to transform our backyards into beautiful butterfly and bird sanctuaries and outdoor living spaces.  This presentation is free to the public.



USDA Plant Hardiness Map updated

The USDA recently updated its USDA Plant Hardiness map for the United States. The 1990 USDA map is the one that I have used for using native plants in natural landscaping and design. (Map credit. Top Map. University of Minnesota)

The new map (on the bottom) shows a warming trend. In the Saint Paul/Minneapolis metro area shows that we went from Zone 4a to Zone 4b. I am not sure what this all means for gardeners and natural landscapers who use native plants. As a landscape designer, I am will continue to create gardens with native plants from Minnesota. There will probably be some attention given to exotic invasive plants and insects and how these plants and insects are adapting to the warmer climate changes.

Using native plants with local genetic sources has always been a good way to ensure that your plants are genetically adapted to your area. It is also helpful to check native plant books and catalogs that may list the hardiness zones of native plants.

SEMINAR: Ecological Planting Strategies

Ecological Planting Strategies
Speaker: Carmen Simonet, ASLA, RLA

Tuesday March 20, 2012    6:30 - 8:30 pm

Wood Lake Nature Center
Richfield, MN

Understanding landscape as life in process allows us to relax and enjoy the spontaneous nature of our gardens. Plants spread,move around, grow larger then expected, and sometimes disappear entirely. Carmen will explore the dynamic nature of plant communities and natural processes and show us how we can apply this knowledge to our planting designs to create beautiful, low maintenance, and diverse plantings.

Carmen Simonet is a landscape architect focusing on creating environmentally friendly landscapes. She's also an avid gardener experimenting with regenerative techniques, edible landscaping, and native plants.

Native Evergreen Shrubs of Minnesota

Evergreen (conifer) shrubs are often prized by gardeners and landscape designers who use native plants.  They "stay green" all season long.  In Minnesota, many plants go dormant and lose their leaves of brilliant fall colors during September-October.  Then during November-December, most plants offer a subtle variety of brown and tan colors.  Finally, Winter becomes a frozen desert of snow punctuated with bare trees and rectangular buildings.   

Evergreen shrubs are important plants for foundation of buildings or in gardens as accents, because they provide greenery all season long.  Our native evergreen shrubs are useful for natural landscaping because they are not too tall.  Many of our attractive (deciduous) native shrubs are tall (6' or taller).  However, these three evergreen shrubs can be used closer to buildings and won't block windows.   

In Minnesota we have 3 native evergreen shrubs that are conifers.  These shrubs are important in another way.  These shrubs help songbirds.  Common Juniper and Canada Yew provide food (berry-like fruit) and cover for birds during the winter.  Creeping Juniper does not provide much cover.  However, Creeping Juniper fruit is sought after by Mourning Doves, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Blue Jays, Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Chipping Sparrows and Yellow Warblers.  Canada Yew is known to attract Robins and Cedar Waxwings.  

Juniperus communis (Common Juniper)

HEIGHT: 3'-5' WIDTH 6'-12'

SOIL: prefers sandy,sandy loam,
average garden soil

NATIVE HABITAT: sandy barrens, abandoned fields and pastures,bedrock outcrops and savannas

LIGHT/SHADE: Full sun; moderately shade tolerant (20-50% shade).  Shade is often described as dapple shade from canopy trees.

NATIVE GARDEN USE: full sun prairie gardens, partial shade savanna garden, foundation plantings

CARE: Prune as desired (Mid May-Mid June)
Remove leaves from center of plant.  Always sharpen and clean your pruners before pruning your shrubs.  70% isopropyl alcohohol and a paper towel  can be used to clean the blades and handles of your pruner thoroughly to prevent the spread of plant diseases.

Common Juniper can be used as a foundation plant for along foundations of houses.  These shrubs can be pruned to create a more formal appearance.  The best time to prune Juniperus communis is during mid-May to mid-June when the plant is developing much of its new growth. 

Juniperus horizontalis (Creeping Juniper)

HEIGHT: 6"-9" WIDTH 6'-8'

SOIL: prefers sandy,sandy loam,
average garden soil

NATIVE HABITAT: sandy barrens, abandoned fields and pastures, bedrock outcrops

LIGHT/SHADE: Full sun.  Shade intolerant.

NATIVE GARDEN USE: full sun prairie garden, full sun rock outcrop garden, ground cover; plant next to edge of a retaining wall so it will drape over the edge; large planters.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES: Plant next to short growing grasses or wildflower species.  Avoid aggressive short growing native perennials that spread and could shade out this plant.

CARE: Prune as desired (Mid May-Mid June)
Remove leaves from plant.  70% isopropyl alcohohol and a paper towel can be used to clean the blades and handles of your pruner thoroughly to prevent the spread of plant diseases.

Taxus canadensis (Canada Yew)

HEIGHT: 2'-3' WIDTH 4'-6'

SOIL: prefers loam soils, well-drained humus soils

NATIVE HABITAT: Cool moist forested hillsides; margins for forested swamps. Companion plants are often moss, woodland sedges, Birch spp. and White Cedar

LIGHT/SHADE: partial sun to full shade. 

NATIVE GARDEN USE: Massing in woodland gardens; areas shaded by a house; under canopy of trees.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES: Slow growing.  White-tailed Deer browse it often.

CARE: Prune as desired (Mid May-Mid June)  70% isopropyl alcohohol and a paper towel can be used to clean the blades and handles of your pruner thoroughly to prevent the spread of plant diseases.


Canada Yew has ascending branches and when massed can have a nice appearance in a woodland garden.

Availability: Common Juniper, Creeping Juniper, and Canada Yew are all available at Out Back Nursery Landscaping in Hastings, MN.

Hillside Planting (Retaining Wall Alternative)

This house is located on the corner of a city block in Saint Paul. The homeowners had to remove the original retaining wall because it was falling apart. The homeowners found that the cost to rebuild the retaining walls would have been very expensive. Instead they decided to use native plantings to stabilize the hillside on two-sides of their lot. The west side is partially to mostly shaded from street trees. The south side (the long side) is half partially shaded all day and the other half is in full sun for most of the day. To compound the challenge, the soils are sandy fill soils with some compost material. This is how I met the challenge.

I used Minnesota native woodland plants in the shaded areas and native prairie plant species in the sun. The planted areas in the shade didn't fill in nicely until last year (5 years after original planting). The sandy soils slowed down the root establishment of the plants. The homeowners even used drip-irrigation to help sustain the plants during a longer than usual establishment time. New plants usually root into soils well after 2 or 3 growing seasons.

In stark comparison, the native prairie plants adapted very well to the sandy soils within 2 growing seasons. Some Prairie Dropseed Grass (Sporobolus heterolepis) was added to ensure that there was good coverage of the ground. Roots of prairie grasses run 4ft. -5ft. deep or more.


Over the years, I have showed this hillside to people for ideas regarding hillsides in small city lots. People who love native plant gardening/landscaping like how this garden hillside evolved over time. People who are still hesitant about using native plants (because they still cling to the formal landscaping ways) often remark that "they like certain parts of the planting" while "other parts look neglected or messy".

I don't mind hearing these kinds of comments. These comments help me evolve as a landscape designer. I strive to understand native plants and native plant communities to improve how to blend the "natural" and the"built" realms.