Home & Garden: Research center at Morris home to delightful garden experience

Just a two hour drive southeast will take you to Morris, Minn., for a delightful garden experience. Morris is home to the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC).

• WCROC

Old-fashioned biennials popular choice in the garden

Many of the popular and old-fashioned flowers we grow are neither annuals nor perennials. They are biennials, which are plants that require two growing seasons to complete their life cycle.

• English daisies
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Home & Garden: Container gardening revisited, to satisfy planting yen

At this time of year with frequently sunny skies and warm breezes, I am overcome by the desire to plant. However, there is still a chance for frost and the ground is still cold. I satisfy this yen by planting my containers.

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Beautify your landscape with various shrubs

April is a good time to plant new shrubs. Shrubs, along with trees can increase the value of your property and make it more attractive.

• Shrubs
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Create a garden sanctuary

Spring has arrived, and as we look around all we see is the work that it entails.

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Cacti and succulents make great dish gardens

It is popular these days to create dish gardens with a combination of succulent plants.

• Succulents
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Maddening March frustrating month for gardeners

We have had enough of winter, yet spring is at least a month away.

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Seed starting a good way to proceeed even though a challenging process

I am often asked if I have started seeds inside yet. Years ago, I would start many seeds under lights, but after a whole flat of impatiens succumbed to ‘damping off disease,’ my enthusiasm was dampened.

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Houseplants are a wonderful decorating tool

I again managed to overwater my once gorgeous poinsettia, neglecting to use the finger test to see if there was moisture at the level of my first knuckle.

• Orchid
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Winter is the perfect time to catch up on reading

Since we are snowed in for the winter, it is a good time to catch up on some reading.

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Certain plants add special appreciation to winter landscape

The winter landscape has subtle beauty that we can all enjoy. I have observed this year that the flowering crabapple trees are especially laden with their red fruits.

Wreaths appropriate decor for any seasonal event

My husband and I celebrated Thanksgiving in Northern California with three of our children and our granddaughter. As we left for home on December 1, the deciduous trees were just past their colorful fall prime. The maple tree across from my son’s home was still a brilliant red.

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Fall garden cleanup necessary task

The leaves of brown (red, yellow and even green) have tumbled down and raking them is a major fall job. Most years we have many pleasant days to accomplish this, but not this year.

Ireland trip a dream come true

My husband and I recently visited Ireland, a trip that has always been a dream of mine. Ireland claims to be the land of saints and scholars and there are certainly enough churches to support the saint part. We toured an ancient monastic community and some castles, but the gardens and floral displays are what always attract my eye.

Fall into Spring by planting blooming bulbs

Autumn can be a wonderful time of year, even though darkness comes so quickly to shorten the days.