As we are winding down the gardening year, this is a good time to reflect on what went well and what didn’t, what should we do different next year, etc. Several of the Kandiyohi County Master Gardeners have offered their insight into the 2025 garden year and the next several columns will be devoted to their observations and experience.
Not counting the rain in April, since the first of May nearly 38 inches of rain has fallen at my farm. Some of you might have received more. Never have I seen this much rain in a growing season.
This has brought all sorts of problems not only for farmers but gardeners as well. One big problem was the 18 inches of rain in June caused the south fork of the Crow River to flood its banks for six weeks.
Becky West, of rural New London, says her biggest success this year is swamp milkweed. ”I have a native perennial in place three to four years. It has produced many monarch larvae in 2025. I also have a hybrid swamp milkweed. … It has had more beautiful blossoms than the native, but it has also produced several monarch larvae.
“Contrary to its name, it doesn’t require a moist home. I do make sure when first planted that it is heavily mulched. I will collect seeds and make sure I have more of each variety next year.
“I love natives and the giant blue lobelia now blooming in August is another winner. I’m not great at weeding … but that lapse is now rewarding with a seed-spread second lobelia.
“I couldn’t stop counting garden success without noting how much I provided deer diets. The deer have stripped almost all hosta leaves leaving me with a spaghetti garden … green hosta stems!
“Every garden year is different, but success is beautiful in all the variety of green. Even weeds add to the pollinator paradise I’m blessed with watching every day.”
Mary Hagen from Belgrade reports: “The spring began chilly and windy so ornamental apple blossoms only lasted about three days. I now have 50% fewer apples than last year.
“Spring blooming bulbs were amazing. By summer I realized I lost a lot of perennials, I believe to the drought of last fall. My lawn is rebounding after the drought of the last few years.
“I am enjoying the fall blooming perennials like echinacea, phlox, sedum, and asters attracting many bees, butterflies and humming birds.”
Pat Evermann from Spicer reported: “It was an interesting year, my veggie garden was iffy. Tomatoes were slow in production and ripening. Green beans were normal. Onions and garlic were small in size and zucchini had all male flowers at first but then started producing, however not overly.
“The flower pots were amazing, full, with more blooms than ever. I grow grape hyacinth and scarlet runner beans as ornamentals over a pergola and they went wild and are still blooming like crazy.
“For the first time ever, I grew Imperial Star Artichoke (which I’ve named Arti) from seed just to see if I could, and it’s growing and producing well. I did not harvest them but have sure enjoyed the blooms.
“I’m starting to collect seeds from the garden to give away at next year’s Master Gardener events. My list for new seeds is growing daily as I sure like to try new plants.”
Master Gardener Sue Morris has been writing a column since 1991 for Kandiyohi County newspapers. Morris has been certified through the University of Minnesota as a gardening and horticulture expert since 1983. She lives in Kandiyohi County.
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