Shrubs

Shrubs for Your Landscaping

European Mountain Ash with fall berries
European Mountain Ash

Here are some shrubs for your landscaping that will take anything from the heat of the summer to the coldest winter. Starting with the mountain ash. A compound leaf shrub growing to 15 tall and 10 feet wide. They can be trained into a single trunk looking small tree. Noted for their showy white flowers and red to orange cherry-like fruit in clusters. There used to be beautiful ones along the old Farmer’s State Bank in Winner, SD years ago.

Serviceberries blooming in early spring
Serviceberries

Saskatoon Serviceberries grow 12 feet tall and 5 feet wide. One of the first blooming shrubs with white plum-like flowers. The purple fruit ripens in mid to late July and is eatable. Deer resistant.

European Viburnum blooming in early summer
European Viburnum

European Viburnum grows 8 feet tall and wide. Can be grown in the shade bloom with white flat flower clusters followed by bright red berries later in the summer. The best trait is the fall color of red to purple.

Siberian Peashrub in early spring
Siberian Peashrub

Caragana or Siberian Peashrub are still growing in our old shelterbelt which means they are over 50 years old. Blooming with yellow flowers in the early spring followed by pea-like seed pods. Grow to 6 feet tall with 4 feet spread on golden color bark. The Walker’s Weeping Peashrub is the toughest weeping shrub I know of.

Smooth Sumac in the fall
Smooth Sumac

Any type of sumac can grow in our area. Grown in wet or dry soils. The shrubs get taller in wetter soils. Most have a fall color of bright reds and oranges. Smooth Sumac has smooth bark and the Staghorn Sumac has hairy bark. They will get reddish berries on the top of the canes. Both grow to around 10 feet and wide because it does sucker.

American Elderberries in mid summer
American Elderberries

American Elderberries grow 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide. You will get white flower clusters 10 inches across followed by dark purple or red berries. If you want the berries, plant two varieties.

Ninebark species blooming in mid summer
Ninebark

Ninebarks are a family of shrubs of different sizes, leaf color (bright green to reddish), flower color, and fruit color. Most get around 6 feet tall with similar widths.

Crafts, DIY Projects

Making the Basic Candle

Making the basic candle takes three ingredients which are wax, wick, and container.

The first step is to place the wick into the container putting a weight on the bottom so it does not float up. You can use an old candle container instead of throwing it away. Then heat the wax gently, some people use an old crockpot. Lastly, gently pour the melted wax into the container and let set. Trim the wick to size.

The types of wax you can use are paraffin, beeswax, and soy wax. Paraffin is colorless and odorless which makes using color and scents easy. Beeswax has been around since ancient times but is more expensive. It does not have petroleum byproducts that wax has. Soy wax is cheaper but does not take color well.

You can buy candle dyes in almost any color. They come in liquid which you only use a few drops per pound of wax. and powder.

If you wish to add a scent, there are fragrant oils to use. The most popular are citrus, floral, and berry.

Most know the soft wicks, however, there are wooden wicks. These wicks provide a crackling sound of a campfire. They also will burn cleaner and longer.

Vegetables

Different Types of Vegetables

Luffa Squash

Here are some different types of vegetables to grow this season if you are feeling adventurous. One is a luffa squash. Grown for the luffa sponges you see at expensive retail stores. You can even eat the “zucchini-like” squash if picked under 6 inches or let get full-grown for the sponge.

Fennel

Fennel is a licorice-tasting herb growing to 3 feet tall. I place them in containers as a filler plant. Snip and use the fern-like leaves in cooking. You can plant them into the garden and they get a bulb-like base that can be cooked and eaten. The seeds can be used for muffins and loaves of bread for an anise-like flavor.

Sweet Potato

Many have tried growing sweet potatoes. Make sure you get the early maturing ones like Georgia Jet or any other varieties maturing under 120 days. They will grow well in large tires (like the ones you feed or cattle in) or in loose, amended soil.

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is related to the cabbage family. It forms an apple-like bulb above the ground. The bulb can be eaten raw when young or cooked.

Winged Bean

A winged bean is an actual bean. The pods have serrated, fleshy wings on the pod. Cook as a regular string bean.

Black Carrot

Black carrots were grown well before the orange carrot. The black carrot is a deep purple. Higher in nutrients and cooked like a regular carrot. It keeps its color when cooked.

Cape Gooseberry

Cape gooseberry is a ground cherry looking like a little yellow tomato with a husk around it. Easy to grow and getting to 4 feet tall. Great for eating out of the garden.

Alpine Strawberry

Alpine strawberries as annuals grow well in containers, which I grow. The little strawberries are yellow or red with an intense strawberry and pineapple taste. You will get the little fruits all summer long.

Okra

I do not know why okra is not grown much around here. Easy to grow the 5-foot tall plants. With 6 plants, you will be harvesting every other day. Pick the pods under 6 inches and fry with a side of cornbread. My favorite variety is Cajun Jewel.