Carrie Barre-LiBaire's Gardening Column

Down to Earth Gardening

With the holidays in full swing, it’s time to make the transition from fall to winter. For me, this means decorating, decorating and more decorating. I think filling the house with greenery, whether real or not, makes me feel like I am still surrounded by the green of outdoors.

The first thing I do is clean up any remaining outdoor fall decorations. I bring in the resin containers that had ornamental Kale and annual grasses, not for the winter, but to thaw out. I thaw them enough to remove the soil and then place a few bricks or other heavy items in the bottom. It’s important to weigh these lightweight containers down, because once filled they tend to be top heavy. When I’m done I also douse the containers with water inside and out to create an ice ring that helps keep them from blowing over, but this is not foolproof. Inevitably I’ll be out some windy day chasing them around, but its good entertainment for the neighbors, watching me chase my containers down the road.

Then I fill the containers halfway with sand, then leftover potting soil. Next, I add spruce tips, white pine and fir trimmings to make an attractive container that I will leave out until spring arrives. You can buy evergreen bundles or lightly prune your own. Light pruning means just removing a few branches that may have become too low or intrusive. Save the majority of tree pruning for early spring.

I also add red or yellow dogwood branches to the containers. I love these varieties of dogwood, from the native Red-osier dogwood and the hybrids “Garden Glow”, “Cardinal” and “Isanti”, to the yellow twig “Bud’s Yellow.” They are outstanding in the growing season, provide winter interest, and their branches are great for decorating any time of the year. In the spring I’ll use the yellow dogwood branches with pansies in the same container as another transitional planting until it’s warm enough to plant tender annuals.

So what do gardeners do until then? If you love to garden, love talking to people about gardening, or want to expand your gardening knowledge, then you should think about becoming a Master Gardener. To become a Master Gardener you need to submit an application to your county Extension office. Upon acceptance and your tuition payment, you attend 48 hours of class instruction by the University of Minnesota. The first year after completing the course you volunteer 50 hours, then at least 25 hours the following years. You also get to expand your knowledge by attending at least five hours of education each year.

Don’t let the “Master” in Master Gardener intimidate you. Master Gardeners are volunteers of the University of Minnesota Extension; it does not mean that you know everything about gardening. Master Gardeners are trained to help the people in their communities with horticulture. The training courses are being held in St. Cloud, Perham, Moorhead, Thief River Falls, The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and online starting in January 2009.

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