Everyone knows that Minnesota's state bird is the loon, but did you know that Minnesota's state bee is the rusty bumblebee, which was named in 2019?
This bushy bumblebee has rust-colored spots on its abdomen. It is currently listed as endangered in the United States and Canada and is found in small numbers in only a small part of its former range.
The other day I was so excited to see a butterfly flitting from flower to flower, sucking nectar from some of my annuals. I wanted to take a photo, but it was moving too quickly for me to get one.
It is much larger than most of the bees I see in my garden. I am glad he found what he was looking for in my garden.
Over the years I have purchased quite a few rose bushes, at one time growing over a dozen hybrid teas and filling them each fall with the Minnesota tip method.
I think hybrid teas have the most beautiful flowers of all roses, but after a while I got tired of all the work – it's just too much work.
New hardy roses are introduced every year as breeders race to develop the next great hardy rose. Most roses are grafted onto common rootstocks.
If winter damage kills the rose down to the graft, when new growth emerges in the spring it will be a wild rose, which is undesirable. Morden Roses are bred and grown in Canada and are a reliable variety that thrives in our climate.
Knockout roses are disease resistant and can survive in our region's climate if planted deep enough.
The easiest rose I've ever grown is a William Baffin climbing rose. I bought one in 1999 and it still blooms profusely every year. I have two.
The William Baffin rose bush at the home of Candiyo County Master Gardener Susan Morris is 7 feet tall.
Contributor / Master Gardener Susan Morris
This rose was introduced at the Morden Research Station in Manitoba, Canada. At first, we used a trellis, but then we realized that the stems are so sturdy that we didn't need a trellis.
At this time of year, the plant is full of bright pink flowers. After flowering, the petals are removed to prevent rose hips from forming. The plant will flower again in summer, but not as much as the first bloom.
Late flowering rose hips can be left alone – they help prepare the plant for winter. I've been cutting them back to control their height for years – the rose hips I have in my garden are now about 7 feet tall.
Several years ago, the Woody Landscape Plant Breeding Program at the University of Minnesota developed four cold-hardy polyantha rose cultivars: Lena, Ole, Sigrid and Sven, and I purchased three of them and grew them in my garden for several years.
Master Gardener Sue Morris has written a column for the Kandiyohi County newspaper since 1991. Morris has been certified in gardening and horticulture by the University of Minnesota since 1983. She lives in Kandiyohi County.
