Hey, hey, hey! It's me, Kirsten, again. We just can't seem to escape the rain lately. We've needed it though, near drought conditions (before these recent spouts of rain) were really taking their toll on the trees in addition to the harsh winter.

Are you ready for this week's "... of the week?" I'm excited, you are in store for a real treat!


During this week's segment of "...of the week," I'll be sharing about one of my favorite perennials- the Blue Mouse Ear Hosta. Growing up, I'd never understood why my mom loved her hosta plants so much. Maybe its an acquired love for the plant (or maybe because the name of the plant reminds me of the story 'The Tale of Desperaux'- great read, highly recommend it).

What a sweet little hosta, almost as cute as the mouse itself- of course both are always most beautiful OUTSIDE!

The Blue Mouse Ear's beautiful foliage forms a symmetrical mound of heart-shaped leaves that curl slightly on the edges, much like a mouse's ear, hence the common name. During bloom, lavender flowers stand tall above the clumps. The blue-gray foliage clumps can reach dimensions up to 6-7 inches tall by 12 inches wide.

Hostas are know to be quite the hardy plant, but ideally grow best in areas with full shade or filtered sun. They prefer slightly acidic, well-drained soils. Like most Hostas, they should be watered regularly, more often in extreme heat or when kept in containers. In addition, the thick foliage makes itself resistant to damage from slugs. Typically grown in zones 3-8 (most of MN is Zone 4), they can withstand various soil types, frigid winters, and even the occasional munch from a goat. Yes, this happens at our house all too often...

The herbaceous perennial was named "2008 Hosta of the Year" by In The Country catalog after catching Hosta growers by storm.Originally a mutation from a group of Blue Cadet Hostas, Blue Mouse Ears was almost discarded in 1987. The owner of the nursery chose not to throw it away, but rather give it to his friends, Emile and Jane Deckert, who began growing the mutation in their garden for the next 12 years. Emile and Jane were not Hosta fanatics, but after it's bloom several years later- it caught Emile's eye for its curved leaves.

Dare I say this Hosta caught my attention from day one. Wether you have been a lover of Hostas or not, Blue Mouse Ears will steal the heart of any passerby.

Bring Blue Mouse Ears home next Saturday between 8:00 and 3:00 p.m. to add to your garden. It's companion plants include several varieties of Coral Bells, Astilbe, Mukdenia, and Bleeding Heart.

"No need to convince me, Kirsten, Blue Mouse Ears are just what I need to add to border the side of my house." Yes. Yes, they are. :)

Have a fantastic week everyone! If you haven't already, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram.

Hello! I'm Kirsten Barott, the farm's newest summer intern. I'm a student of South Dakota State University where I major in Agricultural Communications, Public Relations, and Leadership. I assist in social media activity, sales, promotion, and production during my time here. I love my position here because everyday is sure to bring new adventure!

Anywho...

Welcome to Kahnke Brother's newest segment series "...of the week."
We have such a wide variety of shrubs, trees and perennials here on the farm. In an effort to reach and educate our customers about not only the farm, but the plants here on the farm, we've created a weekly segment to highlight the species we grow.

I've decided to start with a shrub- the Blizzard Mockorange. Fitting to be the first "...of the week" feature, this shrub is in full bloom right now! It first caught my eye as I was passing while assisting a customer last Saturday in the retail area. I should say, it first caught my nose- what a fragrant shrub! It's biggest asset, known to many, is it's fragrance.

With an appealing image to accompany it, the profuse clusters of tiny white flowers blossoming from the hardy shrub add purity and elegance to any garden or landscape project. Blizzard Mockorange prefers to be planted in full sun or partial shade, but flowers will be most abundant in full sun. This shrub can grow to be 4-5 feet tall by 3 feet wide. Plant this shrub close to the deck or patio and enjoy
it's border growing

The shrub gets it's name not only from the white-out of
flowers it produces, but also from it's ability to endure harsh winters. Introduced from Canada, zoning for Blizzard Mockorange typically ranges from 3-7, which is perfect as most of Minnesota is within zone 4. It is very tolerant of most soils. This species of Philadelphus was named after Meriwether Lewis who found it in 1806 during his famous Lewis & Clark expedition to the northwest. Native Americans once used the wood for arrow shafts, combs, bows, cradles, and other products. Bruised leaves and flowers formed a soapy lather. Blizzard mockorange is produced for ornamental purposes and hedgerows in part because of its large, showy, fragrant blooms.

Pest threats are close to none, however, seedlings are susceptible to damping off. Also, it has been known to pose threat to animals as it can be very poisonous, stated by the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

That's all for today folks! Please leave your experiences with these shrubs or further insight in the comments below. Catch ya next time on "...of the week."

Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up with the hustle and bustle of every day life at the farm!