Easter is the one holiday that jumps to a new date from year to year with very variable light and temperature conditions during that growing season. Host, Mary Holm visits with Chris Bergen, owner of Bergen’s Greenhouses to find out how growers, even with a moving target, get lilies and other spring holiday flowers to bloom right on time each year?
Host, Mary Holm travels to a tree arboretum at Absaraka, North Dakota, to visit with researcher, Dr. Todd West. This North Dakota State University professor is doing his best to develop new trees and shrubs that are pest resistant, hardy, and adapted for the soils and weather conditions for the North Central region of the US.
Love plants and love to garden but have no room. No problem! Suzette Nordstrom of Monrovia comes to the rescue with Host, Mary Holm to talk about tropicals. Find out what tropical plants are, how they can be used in small areas or large gardens, deck or patio containers, or even by a pond to brighten each space.
Everyone has gone to a county or state fair & seen the exhibits of beautiful flowers & vegetables displayed there. Maybe, we’ve even thought about exhibiting ourselves! But, what is the judge looking for when giving out the ribbons & awards? Judge Jeff Walker teaches Host Mary Holm what is beauty in the eye of the beholder when he evaluates the flowers & vegetables that have been entered.
Those gardeners who love tomatoes and other fresh vegetables live for the harvest when the smell and taste of home grown produce is the reward for a job well grown! Sometimes Mother Nature will throw a disease curve in the garden growing season. Join Host Mary Holm as she visits with Michelle Grabowski of the University of Minnesota for gardening methods and tips.
Just a few years ago, Monarch butterflies were very plentiful, but their numbers have taken a very steep drop. University of Minnesota professor, Margaret Kuchenreuther, visits with Host Mary Holm to explain what has happened to the monarchs and what the public, especially gardeners, can do to help the butterfly numbers recover?
Host Mary Holm visits with Landscape Designer, Steve Deal, to learn how planting projects can improve water quality. Rain gardens, buffer strips, and shoreline restorations are discussed along with plant recommendations to improve water quality and improve pollinator habitat as an additional side benefit.
Geraniums are one of the most recognized flowers around. They are often thought of as old-fashioned as they were the favorite flowers of many grandmothers. Host, Mary Holm visits with Master Gardener, Donna Christen, who shows many new and different varieties of geraniums in her collection and explains why they are still a great choice for today’s gardens and containers.
Mike Knutson of Glenwood, Minnesota, had the idea of growing a garden to help produce fresh vegetables for the people in the community. He shows Host Mary Holm, how he and a group of volunteers along with community business support, have turned that idea into reality.
Looking ahead to the fall when Jack Frost has come to visit and some of our garden and container plants will be looking pretty sad, Prairie Yard and Garden host Mary Holm interviews Master Gardener Randee Hokanson of Morris as she rearranges her plants, uses dried flowers, seed pods, and vines to extend the outdoor season. In addition, Randee shares her special tips for fall decorating.
Join Host Mary Holm and Dan Miller at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum to discuss the Arboretum’s educational exhibit about weeds and learn how to prevent and control “Those Pesky Weeds.”
Many gardeners have shady locations under trees or north sides of buildings. Others have trouble growing plants because they have sunny exposed locations. Host Mary Holm visits with Steve Kelley and Arla Carmichiel, homeowners who have both conditions and yet have a created an oasis of beauty on their city lot.
Host Mary Holm visits with gifted artist, Della Conroy at her studio at Hancock, Minnesota. Della demonstrates how her garden flowers, vegetables, and the beauty in Nature inspire her still life paintings, pictures, cards, and artistic creations.
A retrospective look of the popular horticulture program through the people who helped shape the program through its three-decade long run on Pioneer Public Television. Included to appear are Roger Boleman, Ansel Doll, Jim Thoreen, Sue Gooch, Larry Zilliox and more.
Black Chokeberry sounds dangerous! Host, Mary Holm visits with Kathy Wiederholt, Fruit Project Manager at the Carrington Research Center in Carrington, ND and finds out that the Black Chokeberry is a great plant to grow. Kathy also recommends adding other nutritious and underused fruits like Cherries, Currants, Honeyberries, Haskaps, and Juneberries to your garden palette.
Host, Mary Holm travels to Benson, Minnesota to visit with Jill Stevens, a Swift County (Minn.) Master Gardener, who grows hundreds of different varieties of peonies. You may think there are only red, pink, and white peonies, but be prepared. Just like Jill, you will have a hard time picking your favorite with all the beautiful peonies on this show.
Many people in the upper Midwest grew up on farms or in homes surrounded by shelterbelts of trees to protect from the sun, snow, and wind. The trees also provide shelter and food for birds and wildlife. But, where do all those shelterbelt trees come from and how are they produced? Host, Mary Holm visits with Blaine Martian, manager of Big Sioux Nursery in Watertown, SD to find those answers.
The International Peace Garden is dedicated to continuous peace between Canada and the United States. It straddles the border between the two great countries and is home to a stunning display of flower beds, fountains, sculptures, and many more features. Go on a tour with host, Mary Holm and Garry Enns, CEO of the International Peace Garden and horticulturist, Connie Lagerquist.
Some people are very creative, and some people just love old antiques. Host, Mary Holm visits with Kathy Eystad of Donnelly, Minn, who along with her family, fits both descriptions. The Eystads use tractors, grindstones, antique equipment, and containers to decorate and add interest to their yard design.
Join host Mary Holm as she visits a garden center that has kittens to play with, fresh herbs to snip, hydroponic tomatoes, lovely planters, and fresh melons to sample. This is just a start to the many unusual things you will find with Tom Meinhover and his cohorts at Grass Roots Garden Center near Ottertail, Minn.
The summer kitchen was one of the most important buildings on pioneer farms. It was used to can garden produce, bake, and most important of all, prepare meals for large families and harvesting threshing crews. Host, Mary Holm visits with Kathy Olson, who has preserved and restored a very unique and beautiful octagon summer kitchen near Dawson, Minn.
Bromeliads, Orchids, and Carnivorous plants like the Venus Fly Trap are all beautiful plants that many homeowners find hard to grow and keep alive. Host Mary Holm travels to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum near Chanhassen, Minn. to visit with Ricky Garza who is an expert in the care of these specialty plants.
Host Mary Holm learns that Jody Olson loves to garden and try new things. Both Jody and her late husband were Master Gardeners in Canby, Minn. which is evident when seeing all the unusual plants and plantings in their yard. Additionally, Jody has carried her love of plants into the future with a memorial garden, called Creekside, for the entire community to enjoy.
The only thing better than having beautiful flowers is being able to share them with other people. Host, Mary Holm, visits with Mary Solbreken of Rustic Designs Flower Farm, near New London, Minn. who produces lots of wonderful flowers. She then sells them at Farmers’ Markets, delivers them to individual customers, or uses them for weddings & other special occasions.
One of the largest cactus and succulent collections in the world is in North Dakota of all places! Don Vitko started collecting in 1963 and has traveled the world to amass nearly 6,000 cacti and succulents. Learn about this amazing collection with Host Mary Holm as she visits with Johannes Olwage, the caretaker of this special collection that now resides at the International Peace Garden.
Having a garden is a great way to grow healthy food for yourself and your family. The first tomatoes are especially tasty, but by the end of summer, you may have a big harvest. Carole Johnson comes to the rescue as she teaches Host Mary Holm and all the viewers how to preserve that harvest goodness for enjoyment into the cold winter months.
Join Host Mary Holm as she visits with Troy Lucht of Malmborg Garden Center between Rogers and Maple Grove, Minn. Together, they discuss the container plant trial area with close to 600 species of plants. After seeing their plant trials, the verdict is in, and you may be found guilty of having even more beautiful flower containers too.
The premiere of the 31st season of Prairie Yard & Garden features the eclectic gardens of Marilyn and Donovan Folden of Pelican Rapids.
Mary Holm travels to Dent to visit with Jo Meyer, owner of Meadows of Minnesota, who gathers flowers, grasses, twigs and weeds to create beautiful wreaths and arrangements. Anything from the wild is fair game for this creative and talented artist.
Many successful people can trace their achievements back to a favorite teacher who really challenged or inspired them. Mary Holm travels to the New London-Spicer high school to meet Laura Molenaar who is just that kind of teacher. Laura applied for grants and obtained the help of many people to build an outdoor classroom which is now used by students year round.
Anyone who enjoys uncommon gardening practices is going to love this episode. Prairie Yard & Garden's Mary Holm visits with Ken Hovet of Long Prairie who grows his garden in buckets. The buckets provide a style of gardening designed to eliminate sore knees and aching backs. His setup is pure genius and so easy that anyone can copy it.
Mary Holm travels to Granite Falls to visit with Steve Snortum and Chris Howard. Snortum does landscape design and installation as the owner of Snortum’s Nurseries and Howard was the project manager, who oversaw the landscape project at Pioneer Public Television's new studio in Granite Falls.
It seems like the weather is often too wet or too dry, making growing plants a real challenge. Mary Holm has a fun visit with Mary Meyer at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum to find out what the term “xeriscaping” means and to get some great recommendations for plants that can survive and thrive under the less-than-ideal conditions mother nature can throw at us.
Jeff Cihak works with antique decor and shade-loving plants to turn his beautiful property a heritage farm showcase. And a few miles down the road, in the flat, former glacial Lake Agassiz lakebed land of the Red River Valley, his sister Jill Rodgers’ sun-filled farm supports a different mix of flowers, but she shares her brother’s love for beautifying her farmstead.
PY&G host Mary Holm visits with the husband and wife team as the Jerome and Diane Winter plant and care for dahlias and many other flowers used for cutting and arrangements. Jerome does much of the flower care and Diane is a very talented floral designer. Together, they brighten the days of many people and organizations in the region.
The popularity of succulents has been surging due to their beauty and versatility: They thrive in dish gardens, fairy gardens and many other arrangements. Mary Holm travels to Kelly’s Cottage Garden near Park Rapids where owner Kelly Kyllenon is a master of making beautiful succulent arrangements. This episode will shine light on why people travel from miles away to see and purchase her creations.
Host Mary Holm visits with Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Education Program Coordinator Ping Honzay to find out all about the new Tashjian Bee and Pollinator Discovery Center which serves as a hub for community outreach and education grounded in the world-renowned bee research of University of Minnesota Scientist Marla Spivak, Ph.D.
With well over 100 craft breweries in Minnesota, craft beers have become increasingly popular in recent years. There are even craft beer super fans who enjoy growing hops for their own home brews. PY&G Host Mary Holm talks with one of these super fans. Homebrewer John Miersch grows his own hops for his homemade frothy ales — a hobby learned from his father.
