new to site/forum

15 years ago

hello,

i am new to the G.W. and still finding my way around the various forums etc. i was especially excited to find the MN gardening forum!

we live west of the cities, and converted an old church into our house/home. that's been an ongoing six year project, but house part just about done. working on an outdoor kitchen right now.

we have many kinds of gardens/plants/water features (including one large pond)/vegetables and a cactus garden. major garden project this year is work on a shade garden. we are never afraid to "push the zone" and have pretty good luck.

i am especially interested in finding sources for winter hardy cactus, Z5 is ok, because we do a good job of protecting them.

we live right on US HWY 12 so we get our share of "tourists" maybe some of you have stopped by.

so thanks for listening, have good gardening and a good cup of coffee.

michael

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Comments (5)

leftwood
15 years ago
Welcome Michael!
I'm probably not far from you: I live in St. Boni.
crocosmia_mn
15 years ago
Opuntia macrorhiza
Opuntia humifusa
Opuntia cymochila
Opuntia fragilis (4 varieties)
Opuntia polyacantha (6 varieties)
Opuntia x 'Smithwick'
Coryphantha vivipara

All at the Friends School plant sale, Mother's Day weekend at the State Fair Grandstand.

This year I am not starting a cactus garden like yours, but I am going to get some of these as part of a somewhat strange spiny & prickly garden with Echinops, Eryngium, Leonotis, Solanum pyracanthum, artichoke, etc. I am guessing that it won't look as good in real life as it does in my head...

Here is a link that might be useful: Friends School Plant Sale
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churchhaus
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the welcome! out a little more in Waverly.

i've already downloaded the catalogue for Friends School Plant Sale, never been there, but plan to go this year.

have a bunch of opuntia, but need to expand varieties. have five or six varieties of the small "barrel" cacti, echinocereus, corypantha, escobaria, pediocactus, including a couple cholla.

i've got a bunch of seedlings going, a mix that i have no clue as to what they are. and just received seeds for about 24 varieties i'm about to start (these i do know).

i'm always looking for sources, to expand, they're such a challenge and i love these things! thanks!!

take care, good gardening
michael
zenpotter
15 years ago
I have a cactus garden and have purchased from High Country Gardens, The Friends Plant Sale and traded on Dave's Garden. Also Rice Creek Gardens when they were North of the Cities.

I am guessing the Friends sale is going to be a zoo this year since so many people are going to be adding vegetable gardens and the sale has been mentioned in the paper and on TV as a good place to buy veggie plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: High Country Gardens
crocosmia_mn
15 years ago
The secret to avoiding the crowds at the Friends School Plant Sale is to go later in the afternoon (say, after 1:30PM until closing) on Friday or Saturday. I would be surprised if the cactus was sold out.

If you're concerned about that, get there early on Friday: wristbands are given out starting at 8:00AM but I would certainly get there earlier than that. Then return closer to the opening at 11:00AM. They will tell you what time your group can enter the building.

Of course, the other method is to volunteer for four hours and then go to the Thursday night pre-sale with only 700 or so other volunteers. 700 in 2 1/2 acres is not at all bad.