Dakota Blooms: Your Guide to Midwest Gardening

          The fall season of the year can be quite chaotic and challenging trying to manage a household and take care of chores in a timely fashion. The kiddos are going back to school, the weather is changing, and you forgot about those tomatoes that finally ripened in the garden and now they started to rot. You just spent tons of money on back-to-school supplies and were not anticipating a grocery store trip for tomatoes. Never fret; I want to share some time and money saving tips and tricks to help you make the most of (if at all) your free moments and pennies. These practices will also help you become more resourceful and innovative, and hopefully , you won't end up losing any more tomatoes.  Meal Prepping.      I know a lot of people might hate that phrase, and sometimes so do I. Meal prepping is pretty much the same things as saying, "eating leftovers". I am not saying you need to make 3 meals a day for an entire week all...

       Hello fellow garden enthusiasts! Today, I am thrilled to share some exciting news with you all. Dakota Blooms has been featured on the illustrious platform called Matthew's Planet . This website seeks out unique niche blogs that offer captivating content, and I feel incredibly honored to be chosen.       Matthew's Planet is dedicated to capturing the essence of a diverse range of niche blogs. With an appreciation for both intriguing content and stunning art designs, they curate a collection of blog posts that take readers on an inspiring journey within various fields of interest. By offering an opportunity for bloggers to gain exposure and reach new audiences, Matthew's Planet has become a go-to platform for discovering exceptional blogs that stand out.       Thank you to Matthew's Planet for recognizing the quality and niche of Dakota Blooms. This recognition is deeply treasured and encourages our continued growth with...

       Gardening is more than just a hobby or way to beautify our surroundings; it is a valuable tradition that has been handed down through generations. As I weed my garden every morning (okay, maybe not EVERY morning), I am reminded that the seeds of my gardening knowledge have been shared with me by friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. Those knowledge seeds have been watered by their ancestors before them. It is easy to do a quick google search to find the relevant information you are looking for, but the most admirable wisdom comes from those who have endured many years of failures before us. I want to pay a tribute to the wisdom acquired from our ancestors and emphasize the passing down of knowledge to the next generation. Therefore; Here are some tips and tricks I have learned recently: Prune your tomatoes.      This technique is very new to me. After planting your tomato plants and after the initial transplant shock, you should prune all b...

   Have you ever seen a bush that looks like it has poop all over the branches?     Cherry, plum, apricot, and chokecherry are some of the most common shrubs in the Midwest because they grew some of the few types of fruit that survives in this climate.   However, you may have noticed a black yucky-looking substance all over on them at some point. Dibotryon morbosum, also known as "black knot", is a disease that encompasses these certain types of shrubs.     Black knot is caused by the fungal pathogen Apiosporina morbosa and affects primarily trees of the Prunus genus. It appears to have a black, rough texture often resembling 💩 or swollen, elongated knots. Some prevention steps for this disease include pruning, sanitation, and maximizing tree health. In other words, regular inspection of shrubs is crucial to prevent the spread of this disease. To treat black knot, you can cut off the affected branches, and/or spray the shrub with fungicides.  It ...

  I think it's safe to say most of us would rather use rainwater over city water, just for the mere fact that it's free! Unfortunately, we can't always rely on rain to water our garden throughout the entire season. Unless you have a very large and awesome rain barrel to use the whole growing season, you will eventually have to use the city water. (P.S. Blog article about collecting rain in barrels coming later). Let's talk about the major differences between the two hydration sources. Rainwater: -Free! -Eco-friendly -Hard to collect large amounts (and sometimes illegal depending on where you live) -Large, collected amounts will need its own filtration system -No contaminants City Water: -$$$  -Easy to use and readily accessible -Endless supply -Contains hard minerals that can sometimes build up in plant containers -Not as eco-friendly due to increased energy consumption -Treated for contaminants      You watered your garden with city and/or rainwater, now you're...

      I have a bad habit of buying plants that sound fun or unique, but when it's time to harvest them, I realize I don't know anything about it. Thus, here I am writing to tell you what I have learned about the ever-so-spreading peppermint plant in my backyard. Thankfully, I planted it in a container. I'm sure I had plenty of ideas on how to use the peppermint plant upon purchase, but here I am now wondering what I am going to do with all of these very aromatic leaves. Let's dive in and discover the many uses of the medicinal herb. Starting with my favorite so far: Homemade Peppermint Essential Oil     Although you cannot make "true" essential oil from the peppermint without proper distillation (which requires some equipment if you're wanting to try), you can make a similar variation. Here is the recipe I follow: 1 cup peppermint leaves 1 cup olive oil (or another similar oil such as grapeseed) Directions: 1. Crush the leaves by using a pistil and mor...

      It's that time of the year here already in the Midwest. If you know what I'm talking about, you know that it's time to keep your car doors locked at all times. If you don't, you just might find some zucchini in it. If you're new to gardening, you might not know that zucchini grows almost like a weed here. Everybody and their cousins will try to give it away if you're not careful. But what will you do if you find yourself in an abundance of that ubiquitous green summer squash? Never fret, I have some ideas for you. Here are some of my favorites: Oven baked zucchini pizza bites Grilled Zucchini strips Vegetable soup with cubed zucchini Zucchini bread Banana zucchini chocolate chip muffins Zucchini brownies Zucchini spaghetti boats Breaded zucchini fries Add zucchini to smoothies (practically tasteless) Add zucchini to stir-fry or tacos Pickle them     Don't feel like using them up right away? That's okay, they can keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks and...

 The 2023 North Dakota growing season has kicked off! Here is what I planted this year: tomatoes (sheyenne, better boy, and cherry) 💚 parsley 💚 zucchini 💚 lettuce (loose leaf variety) 💔 radishes 💛 sugar snap peas 💛 purple beans 💚 celery 💚 strawberries 💚 peppermint 💚 sweet lavender 💚 sunflowers 💚 chokecherries 💛 maple bush 💚 maple tree (silver) 💚 marigolds 💚 wildflowers 💛 I also acquired a few house plants that I am currently learning about! (tradescantia zebrina, aloe, snake plant, and a mystery one 🙈) 💚= doing well, 💛= doing okay, 💔= not doing well What did you plant? How are they doing? Comment below!