DOWN TO EARTH

The Beehive: Bees are ingenious at cooling their hives down

Welcome back to the 5th installment of the Beehive. s July comes to a close, the honey flow is still strong.

By Brett Kent , August 03, 2011

Rural gardeners are awash in color, deer and rabbits

It’s Dave’s zinnias you notice from the highway. Traffic-stopping spectacular. This year they’re about three weeks late due to a cold spring. Still spectacular.

By Sarah Smith , July 27, 2011

The Beehive: Swarms of bees are a mixed blessing for beekeepers

Welcome back to the third edition of The Beehive. The past three weeks have been busy ones for the bees.

By Brett Kent , July 06, 2011

The Bee Hive: Splitting the hives, boosting honey production

Welcome to the second installment of the Bee Hive. In this weeks column, I am going to focus on what going on in the bee hives right now. I was inspecting some hives today, and I found that the bees are busy drawing out the wax comb, and filling it with honey.

By Brett Kent , June 16, 2011

Promoting active living in Hubbard County

Last week Hubbard County commissioners approved a resolution to promote active living as a cornerstone to enhancing the overall community.

By Sarah Smith , June 08, 2011

Alpacas provide cuddly retirement experience

Scott and Linda Elmore bid farewell to their occupations in the metro, but concluded, “55 was too young to retire.”

By Jean Ruzicka , June 08, 2011

Cows and pigs and goats, oh my!

The Menahga FFA group organized a Barnyard Day at Menahga School this week. Barnyard Day has become a tradition at the school, with a variety of animals on hand for students to see and pet. This year a cow, horses, chickens, pigs, goats, dogs, cats and even a peacock were at the school. National FFA Week was also celebrated this week, Feb. 19-26.

By Anna Erickson , February 26, 2011

HORTISCOPE: Strawberries need winter blankets without weeds

Q: A person I know had ant problems on rhubarb roots. To get rid of the ants, I suggested sprinkling corn meal around the plants. Ants cannot digest corn meal and will take it back to their hive. I have used this method with good success around my yard for the last five years.

By Ron Smith , September 22, 2010

Garden is therapeutic for caregiver

If you’ve ever imagined what the Garden of Eden must have looked like, there is a living reincarnation of it tucked into a shaded residential neighborhood in north Park Rapids.

By Sarah Smith , August 25, 2010

Hortiscope: Hostas can be cut back to improve their aesthetics

Q: I have two apple trees with branches that die every year. It starts in the spring when these branches leaf out later than the others. The leaves that do grow on the affected branches are small. During the course of the summer, the leaves dry up and the branch dies.

By Ron Smith , August 18, 2010

A bumper crop growing in a confined space

Nicole Guida overlooks her wondrous garden and lets out a moan. “Other people have red tomatoes,” she said. “I don’t have red tomatoes.”

By Sarah Smith , August 18, 2010

Dying petunias may have tobacco mosaic virus

Q: I took two cuttings from a white lace cap hydrangea. Both flourished and are blooming this year, but the flowers are pale pink. I understand the different color could be because of the soil. Will you clarify this for me?

By Ron Smith , August 11, 2010

4-H dog trainers learn the patience of Job

We can all relate to the day Caroline Drury was having Saturday – you know, one of those days when you wished you’d stayed in bed.

By Sarah Smith , August 11, 2010

Maple colors reflect extreme environmental changes

Q: We had several autumn blaze maples planted on our property during the spring of last year.

By Ron Smith , August 04, 2010

Free nitrate testing clinic draws 150 residents with water samples

Hubbard County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Minnesota ag department conducted a free nitrate testing clinic July 23 in Park Rapids. Residents were asked to bring two cups of water in a sterilized container for analysis. Lawrence Garber , who brought in a sample, said last year, his nitrate level on Long Lake measured 16 parts per million, more than the 10 ppm considered safe for drinking. This year his sample measured 19 ppm. Nitrate contamination in local wells has been steadily rising due to farmers and homeowners fertilizing the ground. It has necessitated the closure of two city wells and drilling a new deep water well for city residents. “Year to year that much movement isn’t alarming,” ag department water quality advisor Luke Stuewe told Garber. “But if it trends longer term it could be a problem.” Tests revealed 12 percent came in higher than recommended levels of nitrates, with the highest sample registering in the mid-30s ppm.

By Sarah Smith , July 28, 2010