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Outdoors
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August Weed of the Month: Porcelain berry
Department of Agriculture Porcelain berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) is a vigorous, deciduous, woody vine in the grape family (Vitaceae) that climbs via tendrils to grow up to 20 feet. It was introduced to the United States from its native range of temperate Asia as a landscape plant in the 1870s.
MASTER GARDENER
It shouldn’t’ surprise anybody that a former high school agriculture teacher would like to write about educational opportunities for gardeners. The first opportunity I would like to discuss is the county fairs throughout northern Minnesota For me, county fairs are a celebration of the rural arts. I love rural America and I love to participate in this celebration by turning out to see the abundance that our local area can produce and in turn I like bring my own garden produce to show others what we are capable of growing, If you are not already preparing exhibits you are probably too late to prepare for showing this year but it is a great time to think about exhibiting next year. At last year’s Beltrami County fair I saw statice flowers on the Table of Champions and I decided to grow them this year. They look like dandelions in the early stages of growth and mine were nearly pulled for looking like weeds. I also saw the competition for the combination flower/ vegetable containers. I hope that one of my six attempts will be good enough to enter this week.
Set the hook!
The Rainy Lake level is back to normal and the temperature throughout the water column is consistent. This makes the shoreline breaks and weed lines more productive.
Mural celebrates VNP influences
A mural now at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center should remind viewers of the people and cultural richness of the land that became Voyageurs National Park and continues to influence the park. Created by Duluth artist and educator Sam Zimmerman, the three-panel mural “Giiwedino-Manidoog” or in English, “Spirits of the North,” celebrates the land, water and sky and animals, as well as the culture that now are a part of Voyageurs National Park.
VNP flood update
Lake levels on the Rainy Lake Basin of Voyageurs National Park have receded to the level allowable for the lifting of the nowake restriction on Rainy Lake within the park, effective Friday. As a precaution and courtesy, park staff encourage all boaters to reduce their wake when traveling near any docks or infrastructure to minimize further challenges related to flood recovery.
Companion Planting for Insect Control
Last month, I wrote about companion planting in a vegetable garden with specific herbs and flowers to lessen potential problems with harmful pests and related diseases. Three of my favorites companion plants are versatile marigolds, aromatic alliums, and stalwart nasturtiums. I’ve been planting these reliable, easily maintained, and multi-purposed plants for many years in my gardens: ground, raised bed, and container.
Rainy Lake Conservancy to host ‘Manidoo Ziibi’ authors
RLC REPORT Year-round and seasonal residents interested in maintaining the natural beauty of area lake waters are invited to attend the Rainy Lake Conservancy’s Annual… Login to continue reading Login…
VNP flood update
VNP REPORT Lake levels on the Rainy Lake Basin of Voyageurs National Park have receded to the level allowable for the lifting of the no-wake… Login to continue reading Login…
Set the hook!
When the walleye fishing slows up during midsummer changeover…move! That’s my remedy for slow fishing: Moving from spot to spot right now is the best solution. If you are seeing fish on your graph and they won’t bite just continue to another area.