Blogosphere

by Rich Larson Nine months after a fire destroyed the interior of the Archer House, the building itself remains a crumbling eye sore on Division Street, surrounded by concrete barriers and chain link fence. A statement issued yesterday by Rebound Partners, the company that owns the land and the building, cast some doubt on any

Today in the ArtZany Radio studio Paula Granquist welcomes Heidi Nelson, Executive Director of the Paradise Center for the Arts to preview new shows in the galleries, the 100 Club Membership, and a concert with Harmonious Wail on Friday, 27 August. paradisecenterforthearts.org Paradise Center for the Arts 321 Central Avenue North, Faribault Hours: Wednesday, Thursday,

Movie producer Erik Helgeson and director Philip Harder discuss their movie “Tuscaloosa,”  much of which was filmed at Carleton College and areas of Northfield in 2019.  This weekend the film premieres on the big screen in Minneapolis. The movie will be featured at The Parkway Theater tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets at www.theparkwaytheater.com.

KYMN Radio, 95.1 The One, is seeking to fill the position of Account Executive. This position requires dealing directly with clients to establish a tailored marketing campaign and requires advanced inter-personal, organizational, and writing skills.  The successful candidate must be self motivated with the ability to work independently.  An established account list will be provided,

Whether you’re interested in alleviating erosion in your yard or improving water quality in lakes and rivers, rain gardens are a worthy endeavor.  Not only utilitarian, rain gardens add interest and beauty to your landscape and make a great conversation piece.

If you’re curious about rain gardens but don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered! Read on for the inside scoop on the brand new Knecht’s rain garden and some resources to help you make your very own. Bonus: now is a great time to plant! 

The Basics  of Rain Gardens

A rain garden is basically a bowl in a low spot that catches water and lets it soak into the earth rather than run off even further. The soil and roots collect and filter polluted water that would otherwise go into lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Rain gardens can also help reduce soil erosion and washouts.

Low spots that experience large amounts of runoff from downspouts and hard surfaces are excellent candidates for rain gardens. Wherever you decide to put your rain garden, the drainage should be good enough that the bowl drains within a day or two. The plants that sit in the bottom of the bowl should be able to tolerate high moisture levels and occasional standing water.

The University of Minnesota has an excellent guide on the benefits of rain gardens. The guide includes pointers on installation, size, and testing for appropriate drainage. They also have a helpful list of plants that are suited to each zone of the rain garden.

Our Rain Garden

We’re jumping on the bandwagon! Knecht’s just installed a rain garden in front of our greenhouses in an area that needed some runoff control. Why not turn a practical need into a beautiful garden? 

The moisture lovers for the low spots:

“Iceberg Alley” Sageleaf Willow (Salix candida ‘Jefberg’)

Iceberg Alley Willow provides great leaf texture and color and thrives in high moisture.

Lobelia siphilitica

Blue Lobelia brings in the bumblebees and hummingbirds and is a big fan of moist areas.

Lobelia cardinalis

Native cardinal flower is a hummingbird magnet and loves moisture.

Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana ‘Vivid’)

Obedient plant is a pollinator favorite and loves moist areas. The flowers stay in place if you move them!

Chocolate Joe-Pye (Eupatorium rugosum)

Chocolate Joe-Pye loves moist soil and provides interesting leaf color and texture and white blooms in late summer.

The dryer zones of the rain garden:

Butterfly flower (Asclepias tuberosa)

Butterfly flower hosts monarch caterpillars and does well in the upper zones of the rain garden. Bright orange flowers and interesting seed pods.

Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)

Sneezeweed does well in medium moisture and brings in the pollinators with its late season blooms. 

Panicum virgatum ‘Cheyenne Sky’ 

Panicum ‘Cheyenne Sky’ is a beautiful switch grass with excellent fall color. Birds love the snackable seeds.

Follow along with us as we watch our rain garden grow! Not signed up for our newsletter? Sign up here for weekly updates on specials and sales, new arrivals, and helpful blogs.

The post Rain Garden Basics appeared first on Knecht's Nurseries & Landscaping.

Yes, they are following a Rolling Stones show with another Rolling Stones show, but our hosts will not ignore the passing of a legend. Charlie Watts, the drummer of the Rolling Stones passed away this week, and Rich and Dan do their best to show him a little respect.

It could be another two months before what remains of the Archer House River Inn is cleared from Division Street.

MICHIGAN_gov.uscourts.mied_.350905.172.0_3Download

There are so many good paragraphs in here that I can’t pick out just a few!

Naturally when some people think of fall, apples, pumpkins and all things red, orange, yellow and brown come to mind.

by Rich Larson Northfield Hospital + Clinics has made a series of announcements regarding both revised visiting rules, and how they are approaching Covid-19 vaccination booster shots.  In a statement, the organization said visitor restrictions have been tightened as cases of COVID-19 increase, driven mostly by the highly contagious delta variant.   All visitors must be

Assistant Professor of Economics Marcus Bansah is sharing his expertise in economics inside and outside the classroom.

St. Olaf College will become a tobacco-free and vape-free campus on September 1, 2021, a step that furthers the college's commitment to provide a healthy and safe campus environment for all. 

Elizabeth Child, Executive Director of the Rice County Area United Way, discusses the organization and the distribution of funds.

Bridgewater Township is taking the next step in developing what could be a new industrial park.

Find a list of the Rice County Fair winners in the Aug. 21 edition or online at bit.ly/3mxsHGF.

Yeah, just WOW! I cannot believe… in 25+ years practicing before the Commission I’ve not seen such utter failure to include public comments and address the concerns raised. Their notion of public participation is a farce.

In the Walleye Wind dockets, PUC Dockets IP7026/CN-20-268 and WS-20/384, PUC staff utterly excluded the Comments filed on May 20 by Walleye Neighbors of Minnesota and South Dakota. Our comments? Pretty weighty:

Walleye-Neighbors-Comment Aff Exhibits_5-20-2021Download

I doubt these comments were ignored. My guess is they didn’t want to deal with it and so swept it under the rug. Nope, ain’t gonna let that slide.

Here are the briefing papers, search for “Walleye Neighbors,” and you’ll find just one reference:

20218-177246-01_Staff Briefing PapersDownload

Whatever happened to public participation?

We’re on it:

Notice of Motion and Motion & Attachment1Download

The Commission meeting is tomorrow, starting at 9:15 a.m. Do I really need to get dressed and go to St. Paul? ABSOLUTELY!

by Rich Larson After an emotionally charged school board meeting on Monday night, when the board heard a number of opinions about the mask mandate the school district has put in place to begin the school year, both for and against, Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said that he is sympathetic to the

Host Jon Olson talks with University of Minnesota Professor Mark Bell. They continue their discussion on advanced nuclear delivery capabilities and their impact on nuclear deterrence.

Northfield Mayor Rhonda Pownell and Claudia Garcia discuss Claudia’s role as a Spanish translator at City Hall.

The Rice Soil and Water Conservation District has selected Dan and Erin Honken as the 2021 Outstanding Conservationists for Rice County.