Ramsey County

June 23, 2008

Howdy!!!!

We are finally seeing some summer like weather.  This sun is great and our plants are showing the signs of the welcomed warmth.  My wife and I are struggling with our yard a little as we would like to add a few more plants but have run out of space unless we add a raised flower bed and I am not so sure that I am running out of energy.  It is hard to pass up on those great looking roses, around town.  This past Sunday our garden tour was held and was a huge success.  We saw three yards that were outstanding to say the least and all of them with their different styles.  The first yard featured a backyard hideaway with bird houses as part of the main theme.  From the home to the grove of trees was really secluded and felt as if you were living in a different location.  Thanks Sonja Donahue for your warm hospitality.  Our next stop was a few miles to the southeast at the Ross and Gay Messner home.  A beautifully designed yard, with an emphasis on dwarf and different shaped trees and shrubs.  I have kind of directed my yard to the dwarf type plants to take away some of the work involved with perennials.  Gay’s yard featured a water pond along with a waterless feature, flowing down the backside of her home.  She planted many different plants in the outlying rocks which included a bridge over the feature.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  Gay also had designed a raised flower bed to hide some of the normal farm things like the old well.  She also mentioned that moving plants around to fit the site was also part of her design.  We all like to plant things but forget how big some things get and run out of room very quickly.  Thanks Gay and Ross for sharing your home, yard and deck, for our lunch.  Hospitality with passion.  Our next journey took us to Corine’s Garden along the Sheyenne River south of Lakota.  You talk about seclusion at its peak.  I am not sure how far from the highway we drive back to the east but it does make me wonder how she gets out in the winter months.  Upon arriving, everyone on the tour was in amazement.  Corine has a beautiful yard stuck back in the woods along the river.  This gal has a true passion for her yard and it shows.  She not only knows each plant and its growth habit but also the species and genies names of each.  I do not know how each of these gardeners find time to take care of their gardens like they do.  Absolutely beautiful.  It is hard to imagine how beautiful these yards would be in full bloom.

Which brings me to one more point, before signing off today!!!!  This tour was held for just the reason mentioned.  We tour and look at many yards during the peak flowering time forgetting there is much time in the mix of this wait where all we see is foliage.  I wanted gardeners to see how yards can look without flowers and the beauty that is shown.  I remember coming home from a hard days work and admiring something that was soothing and relaxing.  Keep in mind; back in my farming days I did not take the time to have a nice yard so anything different was still relaxing.  Driving around the county there are many beautiful homes and farm yards and waking up that beauty is really relaxing and gets you in the mood for a hard days work.  Your mentality for caring is showing up every single day you go to work.  I even find myself backing out of the driveway in the morning and admiring my yard a little before I head to town.      

524 4th Ave NE #5, 2nd Floor Ramsey County Courthouse
Devils Lake  ND  58301
701-662-7027
email - ramsey@ndsuext.nodak.edu

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