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.

Got Local?

Many people are talking about local foods--eating local, buying local and growing local. If you listen to KAXE on Wednesday mornings, you will hear Scott and Maggie and their interviews with local producers.

The City of Bemidji has had a free community garden for anyone's use for several years. It was located behind Northview Manor, a senior apartment building on the north side of town. This year may be the first time for many years that the City will not be providing a garden. The property was sold to a private firm and community members are no longer be able to use it. The City is currently looking for a new site. Unfortunately, one was not found in time to till last fall. Here are some requirements for a new site:

• City owned
• Access to City water
• Easy to get to
• Safe from vandals
• Reasonably good soil

The picture above is of my brother in his community garden spot in Littleton, CO. We both like to garden and come by it naturally from my mom who was a dedicated gardener. At my house, I grow flowers and my husband grows veggies including parsnips, which I love. I am always surprised at the number of people who have never eaten them. At the grocery store I have had the checkout ask me how to cook them. Here is my favorite way to fix them.

Cut 3 or 4 strips of bacon into 1" pieces and sauté until crispy. Pare parsnips, quarter and cut into 3" to 4" sticks. Add parsnips to pan with bacon and cover. Fry/steam until parsnips are tender-stirring occasionally. (Parsnips can be par-boiled first if desired.) You may have to add a bit of water during cooking. You can also add onion wedges for flavor. Enjoy!

If you are interested in local buying and growing, you may want to attend an upcoming one day conference, "Got Local? Farmer/Buyer Networking" on February 9th in Bemidji. The event will be held at BSU Crying Wolf Room from 10-4pm. It is presented by the Renewing the Countryside and you can register on their web site. More information is available from Margaret Schnieders at margaret@rtcinfo.org.