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In the Field
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Prioritizing Pollinators
GrowHaus recently got some new permanent residents! The
University of Minnesota Bee Squad helped us install two new bee boxes by 'splitting' the colony at Heidi's home.
Hive splitting is only possible when there is a large, healthy population with an abundance of brood. So we're doubly excited: not only are Heidi's bees thriving, but we've also got full-time pollinators living at our nursery now. Come see what the buzz is about!
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In the News
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This
Wednesday, June 8th @4pm
catch Heidi on Kare11 to watch her discuss pollinator plants! She'll share tips to strategically plant your next butterfly garden or pollinator haven.
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Microbe Madness
So what's really going in your soil?
Our friends over at Purple Cow Organics have sent along some microscopic footage of the Soil Food Web in action!
In the video, arthrobotrys fungi (brown blob) can be seen capturing a nematode (worm-y thing). This is a great example of how nutrients are made available via microbe predation!
We use Purple Cow Activated Compost in all of our compost tea--you can find it as well as other great products at
GrowHaus!
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About Town
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June 11, 11am-12pm
Garden Tour of Karamu
Karamu is a vibrant community garden cultivated in partnership with Project Sweetie Pie and neighborhood leaders. Last year, HLG team members installed a new hugelkultur during their annual celebration. Stop by to check it out.
June 17-19
Take action towards a more sustainable future at this fair that features
250 workshops and over 200 exhibitors, with live music, inspiring keynotes, a silent auction and family activities.
June 24-25
Become inspired by empowering speakers, enhance your horticulture knowledge, engage in exclusive workshops, network with your peers, and explore the ways you can use horticulture to make a difference in our environment to create a healthy planet, through healthy plants, for healthy people.
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| Did you know... |
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Did you know...
...the word 'Rhubarb' used to also mean 'a heated argument or debate'?
Did you know...
...MN has more than 400 species of native bees
? Many of them don't produce honey and live solitary lives.
Did you know...
...95% of plants on the planet rely on symbiotic relationships with fungi? These relationships are known as mychorrhizal associations.
...the permitted level of glyphosate in American tap water is 7,000 times higher than that of european standards
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 Did you know...
...using natural remedies from local plants is more effective at treating allergies than remedies made from non-regional plants?
Did You Know...
...carp have moved up the Mississippi eating plankton and detritus which puts our native species of mussels and paddlefish at risk?
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Our installs are done and they're ready to GROW!
The buzz of our planting season has slowed down now that all our annuals are happy in the ground. Now it's time to sit back and watch the magic happen!
In the weeks ahead, we'll wrap up mulching and then proceed to our regular maintenance routine. Now is the time to rest and reflect to garner strength for the cultivation that lies ahead. A necessary part of this process is observation and interaction--tools that enhance our connection with the natural world. As your gardens grow into maturity we encourage you to get out and enjoy their bounty! Let your senses take over and guide your meandering through the landscape. We hope that doing so will bring you peace and clarity. Bloom on!
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| Environmental Message |
The Devastating Reach of Toxic Glyphosate
We are what we eat. Which is a grim reality to face in the wake of industrialized western agriculture.
A recent publicly-funded research project conducted by University of California at San Francisco has
found glyphosate, the most used herbicide in the world,
in the urine of 93 percent of the American public. This is alarming considering that the World Health Organization recognizes glyphosate as a "probable human carcinogen". Perhaps most alarming is that the concentrations of the toxic chemical were highest in children and had a tendency to be higher in the Midwest.
Of the samples that tested positive for glyphosate, the average concentration was 3.096 parts per billion (PPB). This is three times higher than levels found in Europeans and 300 times higher than the amount shown to alter gene function and cause organ damage in lab rats. However, because glyphosate is an endocrine disruptor, lower concentrations or exposure don't necessarily mean that we're in the clear.
This study warrants a radical shift in the way we approach agricultural chemicals and their regulation. Glyphosate has never been studied by regulators or the chemical industry at levels that the human population in the U.S. is being exposed to. This represents a massive hole in risk assessment that needs to be addressed--and soon.
Resorting to chemical usage means we all lose in the long-run. Even when used in monitored, localized applications, glyphosate finds it's way into our water and eventually our bodies. It's time to end the poison-for-profit model.
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| Featured Product |
Two Mikes Fish Hydrolysate
Made in the Twin Cities, Two Mikes harvests invasive species of carp to make this ecologically balanced fertilizer. The benefits of hyrdolysate stem primarily from the fact that it is cold processed instead of heated. Because of this, the end product has a wider range of nutrients, enzymes and growth hormones for plants. Soil microbes LOVE fish hydrolysate...that's why we use it in our compost tea! You can find Two Mikes and many other fantastic garden products at
GrowHaus!
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Plant of the Month
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Solomon Seal -
Polygonatum biflorum
This native perennial wildflower is named after its rhizamatous roots that have scars
resembling the ancient Hebrew seal of King Solomon--some also say that the root has wound-sealing properties. The plant is
upright with an arching lean which occurs in rich woods throughout our great state. The leaves have parallel veins and are a glossy-green that turns to an attractive yellow in autumn. In spring the upper lengths of growth are adorned with bell-shaped flowers that hang on the underside of the arch giving way to blue-black berries in the fall. Watching these woodland beauties change through the seasons is a real treat! They'll make a wonderful addition to a shady garden or a landscape filled with other woody natives.
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| Recipe of the Month |
Rhubarb Kimchi
Spring is essentially over. Which means our crisp, tender rhubarb plants are becoming fibrous with maturity. For those looking to maximize their crop, this recipe is a great way to get even more mileage out of your rhubarb plants. The process of lacto-fermentation allows tough stalks to become crisp again and the blend of spices will boost the flavor.
Ingredients:
- 12 oz/3ish cups sliced rhubarb (about 8 med stalks)
- 1 bundle of spring onions (scallions), sliced
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- Juice of an orange, and its zest
- 3 generous tablespoons hot pepper powder
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 thumb of ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 3 tablespoons onion seed (coriander works too)
- Place sliced rhubarb and scallions into a bowl.
- Mix all other ingredients until well-incorporated into a paste.
- Wearing gloves (spicy!), massage paste onto rhubarb and scallions.
- Transfer mix from bowl into a crock or mason jar. Mash down with potato masher until juices are rising to the top.
- Place jar on saucer in a cool place to allow fermentation to occur. Taste everyday until desired flavor is reached and then transfer to fridge where it will store up to 6 months.
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