This is always a great activity for families to get out and enjoy together.

The Garden Center was filled with new arrivals of brightly-colored flowers, plants, and shrubs of all kinds. Petunia, begonia and fuchsia baskets hung throughout the greenhouse.

Lively background music played and everyone seemed to have an enjoyable time visiting and looking for things to purchase.

Several green-shirted Nelson employees answered questions and directed customers to the various sections of the center.

Chi-Essentials had a booth displaying their hand-mixed essential oil products. Samples and information were available on how these oils are used.

Brenda Wickenhauser from Bailey Nurseries spent the day in the Bare Root Barn. She discussed bare root trees and shrubs and the best ways to plant and care for them.

Master Gardener, Shirley Miller and Master Gardener Intern Laura Pipenhagen were available to answer questions.

They taught about growing potatoes, treating bug infestations, and what the best plants are for particular soils.

Hot dogs and soda pop were served in the back part of the greenhouse and were a welcome treat.

Children met in front of the Lil’ Roots playhouse to make and decorate May Baskets to take home and give out to friends and neighbors on May Day.

The Nelson Nursery Open House was very well-attended, despite the windy, overcast weather.

It can only mean one thing – people are anxious to get started on their gardens and landscaping!

Deb first demonstrated these gardens at the Zimmerman Business Expo in March. Another workshop was held due to popular demand.

A fairy garden is an easier version of a terrarium, without the concern for proper humidity as a constant worry. They are very simple to create.

A container, soil, rocks, plants, and decorations are used to create a little world that is fascinating to watch as the plants grow and fill the container.

This is an activity that parents and children can enjoy together. Deb taught the class that, “Fairy gardening brings out the child in you.”

For boys who may not want to create a fairy garden, some alternative names might be Troll Garden or Monster Garden. This is a project where more imagination is a good thing.

She used a broken birdbath top for the garden base. Because it had no holes in the bottom, she suggested placing small rocks and charcoal in the bottom to absorb excess water and keep the water from developing a foul odor.

Good plants to use in a fairy garden are both succulents and cactus plants. Tropical plants can also be used but require additional water.

One of the class attendants suggested placing tropical plants inside a mini-cage to separate them from the other plants to aid in watering schedules.

Stop by Nelson Nusery for a complimentary information sheet on Fairy Gardening and start your miniature garden today!

The event is sponsored by the Young Women’s program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The church-wide program is designed to help girls from the ages of twelve through eighteen learn necessary skills and teach important values as they grow into adulthood and prepare for college, employment, marriage and raising families.

The proceeds from the day will go toward the cost of a regional youth conference that will take place in this summer in Duluth.

Registration for the event is $25 and participants can start registering at 7:30 am that morning. Pre-registered runners should arrive no later than 7:45 am.

The race will include a twenty-mile route, but individuals racers can choose to go for as many miles as they feel able to complete. This is a wonderful opportunity for people who are training to run in a full marathon.

The race will begin and end at the LDS Church on the corner of 100th Avenue and Highway 95, where bathrooms and parking will be available.

Water stations will be available throughout the route and refreshments will be provided at the finish line. Prizes have been donated by local businesses in the Zimmerman and Princeton areas.

Massages and massage chairs will be provided by Great River Spine and Sport of Big Lake, Monticello, and Becker.

Random names will be drawn to determine who the prize winners will be. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and these girls will have a great turn-out!

For more information or questions, visit the Young Women Facebook page.

Kids learn about the environment and how to care for it, and they participate in hands-on activities that center around plants and gardening.

Eight new club members attended the class which was taught by Lora Jacobson, a kindergarten school teacher in Cambridge, Minnesota. Parents were asked to attend with their children.

Lora gathered the children in a circle and gave each a club pin. They introduced themselves and each told what their favorite color flower was. Some were shy at first, but seemed to quickly warm to the others.

Lora read a book entitled, “Bluebird Finds a Home” which was written by her husband, Ryan. She definitely demonstrated the skills of a kindergarten teacher in her capacity to keep the everyone engaged and entertained.

Next, the children were each given a bluebird bird house to paint and decorate. They all appeared eager and delighted to get started.

They enjoyed the freedom they had to choose as many paint colors, and as much glitter, and attachable sequins as they wanted to use. Everyone stayed relatively clean – not always the case when young ones cross with art supplies.

After a light snack of juice and cheese sticks, club members took their birdhouses home. Hopefully, they will come back with tales of the birds that moved in to their creations.

The Lil’ Roots Club is sponsored by Nelson Nursery at no charge. For more information or to sign up for upcoming classes, visit the Nelson Nursery website.

Prairie Restorations provides homeowners and organizations with the resources to recreate their own prairies – very cool! We are attempting to do that on the back acre of our property. Growing anything in the sands of Orrock is difficult, so we figured why not let the things that grow do so naturally!

I’m anxious to see all the Prairie Day activities – it should be fun!

Here is the information from their site:

Prairie Day has been scheduled for August 20, 2011.

After a 3 year hiatus, we are very excited for the arrival of Prairie Day this August 20th from 9am to 3pm. Typically held in July, this year’s event is being held in late August so that visitors can experience the late summer beauty of the prairie. This is also the time of year when the farm is gearing up for the all-important fall harvest.

Scheduled Events:

10:00 & 11:00: University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center
10:30: Story telling with Doug Wood
12:00: “Minnesota Bounds” Bill Sherck
12:30: Monarch butterfly release
1:00: Live music by Douglas Wood & The Wild Spirit Band
2:00: “Important Life of Bees” by the University of Minnesota Bee Lab with Dr. Spivak and Elaine Evans

Kids Activities:
Scavenger hunt with prizes
Face painting
Crafts
Story telling

Other Attractions:
Farm Tours
Grass Maze
Guided Plant Walks

Representatives from other Organizations:
Bluebird Recovery Program of Minnesota
Sherburne County SWCD
University of Minnesota Bee Lab
Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge

Food and beverages will be available for purchase – provided by the Princeton Wrestling Booster Club.

For any questions please call 763-389-4342

Visit the Prairie Restorations website at:

http://www.prairieresto.com/

It is being held on and around the grounds of the Holiday Inn right off 169 as you are leaving Elk River heading south. Parking was plentiful last year, as they used the open field north of the hotel as a parking lot. It was kinda fun, as they had a couple of tractors pulling open carriages as shuttles to and from the event. It really wasn’t that far anyway, but the kids seemed to enjoy it.

Unfortunately, we will be picking up our children that weekend from Tennessee, so we will miss it. Headlining this year will be Travis Tritt and the Marshall Tucker Band. Pretty cool, huh? Here is a link to the event site for additional information.

http://otsegojamfest.com

Along with the CERT display, the local ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services) had members there to promote the great work they do to help Sherburne County be prepared in the event of an emergency. Amateur, or “ham” radio operators are uniquely prepared to offer communication services when normal communication modes are unavailable or inoperative. Land phone lines and cell phones work only if the infrastructure exists (phone lines, cell towers), where as ham radios operate independently, therefore offering a back up to the more common methods of communication.

We had a good time getting to know some of the ARES group, and meet members of the community who stopped by. Unfortunately, the rainy weather kept fair attendance down on Thursday, but I’m sure the drier weather will bring them back out these remaining days of the fair.

Come on out and stop by the Sheriff’s building (right next to the 4 H building) to see what we do, and hopefully encourage some of you to join our group.

(Click on each picture to see a larger version)

Wristbands for unlimited games are available for $15 ($10 each additional). Individual tickets are also available. Come on down this Friday, May 6th, to Meadowvale Elementary School  at 12701 Elk Lake Road N.W., Elk River. Carnival runs from 5:30 t0 9:PM

In addition to your dinner, tickets include a one year membership to Ducks Unlimited. Doors open at 5:30 PM. April 15th 2011

http://www.ducks.org/minnesota