Gurneys, Johnnys, Jungs

"Gardening, forever. Housework, whenever." That's the motto that hung in my Mom's house. She was a dedicated gardener whose artistic side made her gardens unique. The deluge of seed catalogs (Gurneys, Johnnys, Jungs) in my mailbox and this story and video about a front yard garden in last week's Star Tribune make me want to get out the graph paper and start laying out a new garden, just like Mom did every winter.

Bemidji has a lot of gardeners and the Front Yard Garden of the Week program sponsored by the Master Gardeners helps showcase their dedication and hard work. Each week all summer long, the Master Gardeners choose a yard to honor with a sign and a story in the local paper.



The Front Yard Garden program is a just one way that volunteers help beautify our community. The Master Gardeners are also one of the sponsors of Bemidji in Bloom, our version of America in Bloom for improving communities by improving civic pride and community involvement. They also sponsor a summer garden tour every other year. Its an opportunity to visit 8-10 outstanding gardens and visit with the homeowner/gardeners. The tour never disappoints and I always pick up a lot of great gardening tips. I took a lot of pictures during the 2008 tour.









The parks department takes care of the trees, parks and public spaces in Bemidji. They also get help from Park Partners. Park Partners is a program that encourages groups and individuals to adopt a park. The Bemidji Garden Club has adopted the garden outside of the Library (thank goodness!). They have spent countless hours weeding and thinning the daylilies that grace the building's foundation.

The Downtown Development Authority takes on the job of cleaning, planting, and maintaining the planters downtown. To jump-start the project, the DDA sponsors a spring cleanup event for all the business owners and their staffs. This year's cleanup night is scheduled on May 5th.





Bemidji State University does a fantastic job of creating colorful flower gardens. They are also a Park Partner for Ralph Gracie Memorial Park across from Deputy Hall.





The City appreciates the many individuals and organizations that help to make Bemidji colorful every season, but especially in the summer. If you know of any organizations that help beautify our community, please post them in the comments.

I hope you enjoyed these scenes of summer. Anxious to get going on your garden too? Get a a gardening fix at the upcoming one-day gardening workshop sponsored by the Beltrami County Master Gardeners. "Green Looks Good on You" will be March 28, 8:30-3:30. Brochure and registration online --limited to the first 175 people. Happy gardening.