Jan Riggenbach
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Butterflies magnolia tree brings color to springtimeNov 03, 2021 6:08 pm - Imagine coming upon a tree filled with blossoms resembling bright yellow butterflies spreading their wings in the springtime sunshine. That's the scene Michigan magnolia...
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Mind your p's and q's: Plant sweet peas early for best resultsNov 03, 2021 4:07 pm - Some say the most intoxicating perfume in the world comes from sweet peas. The sweet scent is often described as a mixture of honey and oranges. You can grow sweet peas ...
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Pasque flower among first jewel of the prairie to bloomNov 03, 2021 12:13 pm - In early spring, I eagerly anticipate the opening of the first pasque flower, with blossoms often pushing up through the season's last snow. I can only imagine the joy t...
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Lots to do to prepare garden for growing seasonNov 03, 2021 11:14 am - Leaves from a gardener's notebook: • For the easiest way to prevent troubles in the iris patch, remove all old iris foliage and bloom stalks before new spring growth app...
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It's not too early to plant seeds for flowering annualsNov 03, 2021 10:13 am - There's no such thing as instant gratification in gardening, but some flowers come close. The wait for spring is over if you have seed packets of bachelor buttons, Calif...
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Some shrubs a natural for attracting hummingbirds, butterfliesNov 02, 2021 7:53 pm - Beating around the bush … are hummingbird and butterfly wings. Here are three often overlooked native shrubs that are just the ticket for attracting more of these welcom...
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Bloodroot makes brief appearance in early springNov 02, 2021 6:51 pm - A few years ago, on a quest for white-blooming perennials for a green and white garden, I found some delightful woodland natives that soon worked their way into my heart...
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Versatile climbing vines the perfect cover storyNov 02, 2021 5:05 pm - Vines, versatile vines! You've probably noticed that vines are "spreading" in popularity, showing up in garden magazines, beautiful landscapes and on trellises near you....
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Get a jump on gardening season by starting plants indoorsNov 02, 2021 4:01 pm - Have you seen William Alexander's book, "The $64 Tomato" (Algonquin Books, $13.95)? Subtitled "How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existe...
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Kids can learn a valuable lesson about the outdoorsNov 02, 2021 3:00 pm - Nature nurtures. I've watched this nurturing when my grandkids play in the garden or at the woodland edge, as they happily collect pods under the Kentucky coffee tree, ...