A focus on 'yardening'

The Dickinson Research Extension Center is wrapping up its summer season with the second annual "Focus on Yardening" Tour and Clinic.

The evening program begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7, with a welcome by Director Kris Ringwall, in the DREC classroom.

"This is something for everybody...yard and trees, shrubs and veggies," said Horticulture Specialist Jerry Larson.

"The focus is on what's new at the research center. We have a pretty good list of things that we've added. Of course, we rap up with a question and answer session. Fall care of trees and shrubs is certainly one of the topics," he said.

Participants begin the tour with a review by Larson of the hybrid tea rose varieties, container-grown tomatoes and annual flower varieties.

"We have many different types of roses. We're using hybridization to improve characteristics of rose plants," he said.

Sharpness of color, quality and number of blooms, variations of bush sizes and fragrance are among the considerations, he added.

"We have about 23 varieties. I've got more preliminary data to share. I've been evaluating on a weekly basis. I've been watching for disease. Most of the varieties look pretty good for a disease-tolerance standpoint," he said.

He said the roses come in various sizes, including tall and upright, medium-sized and small low-growing.

"Most are available. Some of these are former All-American winners," he said.

The hybrid tea roses need more protection than shrub roses and the next consideration is winter survival, he added.

Tomatoes are currently being harvested for evaluation.

"We have different types from the small cherry types to roma types and large slicers. We have a newer variety called 'health kit.' It's supposed to be one of the healthy varieties in preventing cancer," he said.

"These are container-grown in whiskey barrels. I was looking at how successful tomatoes are in containers. They are doing quite well. If we have an opportunity, we'll do a taste test," he said. "That's the important thing to everyone. The person tasting is right."

Another segment of the tour involves the herbs and spices from the garden to the table.

"We have about five or six basil varieties, then of course the common ones like parsley. We'll evaluate flavor and aroma," he said.

The Dickinson High School Family and Consumer Science Teacher Pam Moormann and two students will talk about ways to use spices and preservation.

"We're going back to the classroom to taste herb spreads," he said.

Being a Norwegian, Larson said he grew up with salt and pepper, meat and potatoes.

"I'm happy some people have developed more flavor. We talk about eating the aroma," he said.

Larson said the tour includes an evaluation of over 100 varieties of annuals and flowers growing in the xeroscape plot.

"The xeroscape plants require less water and are more heat tolerant. We have some gaps to fill in the existing bed. We've added lots of different plants, most are identified," he said.

The annual plots are ablaze in color at this time of year and Larson is hoping the frost holds off until after Sept. 7.

"With the little showers and cooler evening temperatures, the plants have really responded," he said.

In this evaluation, Larson is looking at the unique colors and different leaf patterns. Some flowers have the flexibility of growing in shade and sunlight.

"One of the things everybody is always impressed is the grass row down the middle," he said.

Notice the fountain grass, along with the sweet potato vines.

"More than blossoms can be utilized...different colors and different textures to accent the bright things," he said.

The tour includes a review of ornamental corn and pepper studies by Frank Kutka, sustainable agriculture specialist and assistant DREC director.

The pepper studies involve new and enhanced varieties of peppers. The ornamental corn was grown in plots just northwest of the center. Participants will examine the various colors of corn, including shades of blue, white, red and yellow.

Larson said the tour and clinic are the results of this year's work at the research center.

"We hope people see how these plants are performing in southwestern North Dakota under our climatic conditions and we hope they take the ideas and incorporate them into their own yards," he said.

For additional information, contact Larson at 483-2348 ext. 107.