Kids Garden Club
MD Nursery has been offering free gardening classes for kids each summer for over 12 years. Many a youngster has passed through our doors and some are now our employees! We are proud to offer these classes once again beginning June 3rd. Classes are held each Tuesday (except July 1st) rain or shine until August 12th. Classes take place at our Children’s Garden and Education Center. Space is limited. Call 208-354-8816 ext. 119 to reserve your spot. Visit our website for more information
Father's Day Special: 20% off Potted Colorado Spruce (June 13th and 14th only).
Big Zucchini Contest
Back by popular demand, our Big Zucchini Contest will take place August 16. Bring in your homegrown zucchini for judging between 9:00 am and noon. Zucchini must be grown in Teton County Idaho or Wyoming. Contest is free to enter and fun for all ages. The winner gets bragging rights and a $50 MD gift card. Limit of one entry per household. (left: Eric Schroeder with last year's 10.2 lb. winner!)
Cafe News!
Introducing The Marigold Café at MD Nursery. The Marigold is slated to open mid June, offering light breakfasts and lunches, coffee, deserts and ice cream. We have re-decorated the café space upstairs to offer a vibrant and cozy dining space. Hours will be 8-4 Monday to Saturday.
10 Edible Plants Landscape Plants for the Tetons
Food gardening is nothing new to Teton gardeners. Many of us have had great success growing vegetables in our gardens. How about expanding your food gardening out of the veggie patch and into your permanent landscape? Enjoy the benefits of fresh foods grown in your own backyard. Try adding one or more of these beautiful, hardy and edible plants into your landscaping.
- Serviceberries: These 6-8 foot natives are adorned with small white flowers in the spring giving way to blueberry-like fruit in late summer. The berries can be eaten fresh, made into jam, syrup or pie. Serviceberries are adapted to poor, dry soils and have brilliant orange fall color.
- Chokecherries: Another Teton native, this large shrub has hanging clusters of fragrant white flowers in the spring. The tart berries are excellent for making syrup. The foliage turns deep orange or red in the fall. These can grow 15-20 feet high, so give them ample space to grow.
- Chives: This versatile herb has limitless uses in the kitchen, but also adds pretty purple flowers to a perennial bed.
- Oregano: Another tough perennial herb, oregano thrives in hot, sunny spots. Pretty pink flowers add interest to flower bouquets and the leaves are wonderful used fresh or dried in savory dishes, or salads.
- Apples: This is the most successful fruit tree to grow in our climate. It is important to have two different varieties to cross pollinate each other. Native bees are the most important pollinator; never use any insecticide while apple trees are in bloom.
- Gooseberries: A lesser-known small shrub, gooseberries have grape-like fruit borne on thorny branches. Super hardy and drought tolerant, these mix in well with other shrubs.
- Currants: Currants are one of the first shrubs to leaf out each spring. Golden currants have bright yellow fragrant flowers followed by small dark fruit by midsummer. Red Lake currants steal the show with bright red clusters of tart fruit midsummer. Currants can be eaten fresh or used to make jam.
- Sage: Garden sage is a tough perennial herb that is a standout in the garden. The grey-green leaves contrast nicely with many perennials. Light purple blooms appear later in the summer. Use sage stems in flower arrangements to add an aromatic and soft texture. The leaves are wonderful roasted with potatoes, fried in butter or paired with pork.
- Dolgo Crabapples: Many gorgeous crabapples adorn our yards throughout the Tetons. Dolgo crabapples have pretty pink buds which open into white flowers in the spring. The one inch fruit turns brilliant red in late summer and is one of the best eating crabapples. The tart fruit is excellent for making jelly.
- Rhubarb: This hardy perennial is well-adapted to our climate. Big, showy leaves add interest to a perennial bed. Use the red stalks in pies, muffins, sauces or drinks (see following recipe).
An edible landscape will add interest and provide healthy, fresh food through the growing season. Expect more wild bird visitors and be prepared to share the harvest especially with the small fruit shrubs like currants. Netting can be used to cover shrubs that you’d like to protect from birds. If you live in bear country, apples, crabapples and berry bushes will be an attractant and should be avoided.
Recipe Corner: Rhubarbaritas
It’s fun to say and a delicious way to prepare rhubarb. Omit the tequila for a tasty virgin drink.
Rhubarb syrup:
- 4 Cups chopped rhubarb stems
- ½ Cup water
- ½ Cup sugar
Combine all ingredients into a saucepan. Boil until rhubarb is mushy about 15-20 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing to extract all the juice. Chill the syrup until cold.
For the margaritas:
- 4 cups ice
- 2/3 cups tequila
- Lime wedges.
Place chilled rhubarb juice, ice and tequila in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into 4 glasses and garnish with lime wedges.
Product of the Month: Smart Pots Big Bag Planters
Grow food without gardens in these re-useable grow bags. Simply unfold, fill with soil and plant. The woven poly material allows air to permeate throughout the entire root zone, allowing for healthy, vigorous roots. Smaller bags are perfect for tomatoes, squash and cucumbers. The biggest size makes for an instant raised garden bed.
What Bugs Us: Flea Beetles
The summer growing season brings with it summer pests. For the next few months, we will be featuring a pest each month and provide solutions for managing them.
Flea Beetles:
These tiny pests look and act like their namesake, the flea. They often go unnoticed due to their size. Flea beetles chew tiny pin holes into food crops. Their favorites include arugula, radishes and the cabbage family. Flea beetles lay their eggs in the soil. Once temperatures warm up, they hop onto their favorites and start to chow. They typically die out by midsummer. To protect your crops, cover with light weight seed guard fabric. Ensure the edges of the fabric are secured to prevent beetles from coming in under the edges. The fabric can be left in place until mid summer, when flea beetle season is over. If you’ve already noticed beetles on your crops, spray with an insecticide with pyrethrins, such as Safer™ Tomato and Vegetable Insect Killer. Although damage can be unsightly, bigger seedlings will often survive infestations and only suffer cosmetic damage.
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