Recent research shows that certain plants, specifically Jasmin, can improve concentration and give one a better night’s sleep.

As with most research, these benefits are not proven to work for anyone, nor are they proven to work at all. However, there is scientific evidence that indicates certain plants will improve cognitive functioning and overall quality of sleep.

Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, assistant professor of psychology at Wheeling Jesuit University (WJU) and his colleagues studied 20 people while they slept for three consecutive nights. The study consisted of three different groups of people: those who were exposed to a Jasmine odor, those who were exposed to a Lavender odor, and a third ‘control group’ who was exposed to no odor at all.

After comparing the data it became evident that subjects who were exposed to Jasmine had a better night’s sleep.

Medicinal plants and blossoms are mainly used for their oil, however, does not discredit the findings of the sleep study.

Caring for these plants isn’t always easy here in South Dakota.

Jasmine and Gardenia’s are tropicals and will not survive our winters. They can be planted in pots and set outside during the summer and then brought into the home before Fall frosts and treated as houseplants.

Lavender is a perennial meaning it blooms year-round without having to be replanted.

Whether you like the plants for their natural beauty or scientific health benefits, Oakridge Nursery has what you need. They carry both lavender and Jasmine, as well as the pots, soil, tools and other accessories needed for your home gardening needs.

Get updates from Oakridge Nursery!

Join our email list or like us on Facebook to receive updates about new store deals and products.

Passion in a garden, are you out of your mind?  That’s it! That’s what it’s  all about. When it comes to designing a garden, first I think it starts with finding your passion.  If you take a moment to think of some of the most important things in your life I am willing to bet there is a place for it in the garden.  There are so many different elements that can be part of a garden. Size, family, utility, sport, entertainment, retreat, therapy, education, healing and family this is a list that could help to root out what or where your passions may lie.  Maybe in just one or all of the areas and believe me my list is just a start.  There are a lot of crazies out there, who knows maybe garden Gnomes will have a comeback.  Most gardens will have a few of these elements incorporated, but the true passion needs to come from within the end user of any garden.

Not to state the obvious, but size first is going to be determined by how much space there is to work with and where your passion lies and let me tell you size does matter.  Whether we are talking about the Grand Canyon or a prized terrarium, your options are endless.  Ok, maybe the Grand Canyon is a little over the top to fit into the average garden, but the beauty and serenity of the Grand Canyon isn’t.  Available space, large or small presents the same challenges.  A lot of times people want to be able to entertain 30 people in a postage stamp sized yard or need a quaint place to reflect amongst two acres, rarely do we get the ideal backyard for our different passions.  Some of the most challenging sites are almost always the most rewarding.  What if you are lucky enough to have say, the Grand Canyon, the Rockies, the Tetons, the Adirondacks or maybe just a simple Lake Michigan at your back door. When your lucky enough to have these awe inspiring views at your disposal you have the ability to be connected, space to be alone for reflection and plenty of room for your 30 friends.  What if you’re also lucky enough to have a 20×40 billboard or a new apartment building that was a surprise to everyone, replace your view of say, the Tetons?  Bummed, I would guess as much.  Again some of the most challenging sites often provide the most reward.  Now that we have determined the size of the garden we have to work with, it is time to do a little dance, make a little list and get down tonight.  Ok, Ok some of my passions are starting to leak, and make a little list is probably not one of them.

After reflection maybe utility is your pick.  Getting your fingers dirty and plunging your hands into the soil gives you a sense of connection to something much larger and is one of your passions that provides you the most therapy.  When you are knee deep you are finally at peace.  Who knows your passion might include a community garden in a metro area that teaches kids and adults where tomatoes actually come from and how they don’t just magically appear from the back room of their local grocery store.  Maybe a local farmers market and its customers will be the benefactors of your hard work and back breaking therapy.  I know this is an old fashioned thought, but just maybe our families could be lucky enough to have garden fresh at every meal.  I think the time to grow gardeners is upon us.  Welcome to the revolution.

If utility is definitely not in the cards, maybe you are a sports fanatic.  Golfing, football, basketball, baseball, horse shoes, bean bags, shuffle board, ice dancing; well maybe not ice dancing, but to list a few of the options for sports in your garden.  Size surely can play a role in your passion for sports and how it fits in the garden.  Golfing could be just a simple putting green with a couple of holes or a bulls-eye on your neighbors deck, dog or …, you fill in the blank for you to practice with your new set of Taylor Made woods.  Basketball could be a simple one on one afternoon spare or a full on dunk contest with the gang, trying to find out who the next Michael Jordan is on a seven foot rim.   Maybe it is playing a simple game of catch or half of the sandlot with the beast always in the shadow waiting for the next trophy.  Sometimes sport can spill over into entertainment.  What if you could have the boys over this year to watch March Madness on the big screen next to the outdoor fireplace while cooking a pizza in your new pizza oven.  Now that’s entertainment!  What if watching the crazy next door spend a Saturday watering, weeding and pruning the day away. Entertaining?  Depends, it could be like watching a car wreck and you know you shouldn’t watch, but you just can’t help yourself. Or you happen to live next door to the desperate housewives, or who knows it is the twenty first century and the newest show on the block might be the desperate househusbands.  I know, it doesn’t have the same ring to it.  Where ever your passion lies get it on the list.

Sometimes you just need a spot. That could be a sprawling meadow were its just you, the birds, bees and a boulder to sit on and all the fresh air you can handle.  If all you have is a 10×10 spot. Great, all you need is a few grasses, a couple coneflowers a nice big boulder for a seat and if you are in the city maybe a small little fieldstone fountain to loose the noise.  Even In the city you might be able to entice a few of the birds and bees to join you.  Once you can get to your spot all that might be all the therapy you need.

Therapy and healing can go hand in hand.  To find a place that you can dump the stress from the day can be is a great start to a new therapy treatment.  Healing gardens can be a place to get out of the house take a small stroll through a garden.  I am positive that the opportunity to get fresh air in your lungs and some sun on your back will start you on a path to healing what ever ailment you have been fighting.  Hopefully the hospital community starts to see the opportunities in seeing what fresh air and a stroll through a meadow might provide vs. a sterile hospital bed.

Last but surely not least is family.  It doesn’t matter if it is one or twenty.  I can’t thing of a better place to start a family get together than a garden you have put all your passions into.  A great time to share your talents and visions and maybe test out a few new recipes. Most of which were grown in the utility part of your garden and prepared in the cooking part of your garden and then enjoyed in the entertainment part of your garden.  Maybe after supper there is still time to play a game of bean bags and then off to the fire pit for a night cap and maybe a roasted marshmallow or two.  I would encourage you with spring fever in the air to start to think and dream about what your passions might be and get ready to be invited out into your own little slice of heaven.  Just remember the bees are almost a buzzing and there is no better time than now to start making your list.  Passion in a Garden?  Imagine…

Arbor Day is this Friday, April 27th. The Arbor Day Holiday was founded im 1872, by J. Sterling Morton in Nebraska City, Nebraska. The Arbor Day Foundation began September 3, 1971 with a mission “to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.” The Arbor Day Foundation is the world’s oldest and largest tree-planting organization. Its million members plant millions of trees every year.

Tree planting can result from many objectives. Maybe a quiet retreat is what’s wanted… a place of beauty and solitude away from the noise and bustle of the city. Maybe a landowner needs to control soil erosion or to keep a favorite trout stream or lake running clear. Recreation may be the goal. Or maybe just needed shade or protection from harsh weather. My in-laws, growing up in South Dakota in the “dirty thirties” remember the dust storms rolling across the plains and how important tree belts were for stopping the blowing dirt. Tree planting is very important to our planet’s survival.

Not only is it important to plant trees, but to plant the right trees for your area. The United States Department of Agriculture has a hardiness zone map to ensure the survival of trees in your area. Most of South Dakota is zone 3 or 4. That means plants used in South Dakota should be hardy enough to withstand temperatures of -20 to -30 F. It is very important to know if your tree, selection has “hardy northern grown” root stock. Most trees are grafted now; so the root of the tree is probably different than the top of the tree. Having a “hardy northern grown” root stock means we can have many more varieties of trees that would not have survived South Dakota winters in the past.

Other factors that contribute to the survival of trees are site protection (less exposure to desiccating winds), slope (provides air, drainage, and influences maturity), humidity, sufficient moisture supply, adequate drainage, deep fertile soil, neutral to slightly acid soils and dependable winter snow cover as a tempering mulch. Our area, the southeastern comer of South Dakota, has higher humidity and rainfall, more temperate winter temperatures and a lesser degree of exposure than other zones in South Dakota.

Celebrating Arbor Day can be as large or small as you want to make it. Your Arbor Day can be a few neighbors gathering to plant trees in a park behind your homes or at a nearby school. Arbor Day can be a single class project or an event for the whole school. The City of Brandon, a member of Tree City USA, will be hosting an Arbor Day celebration on Friday, April 27th at 10:30 in McHardy Park. Whether you attend a local celebration with your family, plant a tree in your own yard, or just read a book about trees to your children, make Arbor Day an annual celebration to be continued in future generations!

Here is the full April Care Checklist!

• Uncover and remove winter mulch from roses, spring bulbs, and perennials
• Divide and replant overgrown perennials.
• Till flower and vegetable garden soil and add composted cow manure, peat moss, or compost.
• Remove rose cones.
• Plant trees and shrubs as soon as the ground is dry enough for digging; late frost and snow will not hurt newly planted trees.
• Apply fresh mulch around trees and shrubs for weed control.
• Prune hedges and summer flowering shrubs; check for damage and remove broken branches.
• Remove tree wrap when snow melts.
• Fertilize trees and shrubs.
• Fertilize spring bulbs when foliage emerges.

Displaying your tree in water in a traditional reservoir type stand is the most effective way of maintaining their freshness and minimizing needle loss problems. Make a fresh cut to remove a ¼” to 1” thick disk of wood from the base of the trunk before putting it in the stand. Don’t cut the trunk at an angle, or into a v-shape. This makes it much more difficult to set the tree in the stand and also reduces the amount of water available to the tree. Avoid whittling the sides of the trunk down to fit the stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking water and should not be removed. Use a stand that fits your tree.

Once at home, place the tree in water as soon as possible. If needed, trees can be temporarily stored for several days in a cool location. Place the freshly cut trunk in a bucket that is kept full of water til you place it in your stand. When choosing a stand, use one with adequate water holding capacity for the tree. As a general rule, stands should provide 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter. Maintain a constant water level in the stand. This may require filling the stand several times the first few days. Check the stand daily to make sure that the level of water does not go below the base of the tree. Once the tree goes dry, it will form a seal over the cut base and it is very difficult to get it to draw water again. Drilling a hole in the base of the trunk does not improve water uptake.

Keep trees away from sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, direct sunlight). Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process, resulting in less water consumption each day. Use lights that produce low heat, such as miniature lights. Always inspect light sets prior to placing them on the tree. If worn, replace them with a new set. Do not overload electrical circuits. Always turn off the lights when leaving the house or going to bed.

Monitor the tree for freshness. After Christmas or if the tree is dry, remove it from the house. Remember, once a tree is cut, it is in the process of dying. The usual life for a live cut Christmas tree indoors is approximately 2-3 weeks. If you want a real Christmas tree indoors for a longer length of time, consider a flocked Christmas tree which is sprayed with a fire retardant and will last longer.

When removing the Christmas tree from the home, find a recycling program near your area. Never burn any part of a Christmas tree in a wood stove or fireplace.

General Fall Season Care Tips

• Plant perennials.  Fall installations gives plants time to develop a strong root system; most perennial plants flower in the spring, but if planted then, they may not bloom the first year.
• Split and replant bulbs that have become overgrown.  Dig up the bulb after the foliage has died and allow bulbs to thoroughly dry. (After drying, the bulbs can be split and replanted.)
• Cut perennials to the ground after hard frost and use foliage for compost.
• Gather newly fallen leaves for mulch and compost use.
• Dig summer blooming bulbs after the first killing frost and save for next planting season.

September Care Tips Checklist

• Take advantage of fall’s cooler weather by planting trees, shrubs, and evergreens; use root stimulating fertilizer to promote root growth.
• Plant spring flowering bulbs and work bone meal into bottom of planting holes for better growth.
• Divide and replant perennials such as peonies and irises.
• Continue to water young trees and shrubs as needed.
• Cooler and longer nights make this month a great time to seed new lawns, patch bare spots, and install sod (there’s also less weed competition in the fall). Typically seed before September 15
• Plant chrysanthemums, pansies, asters, and flowering kale for fall color.
• Apply weed killer and fertilizer for fall lawn care (not to newly seeded areas).

• Remove spring bulb foliage as it browns.
• If spring flowering bulbs aren’t doing well, dig up the bulbs after the foliage has died and divide them.
• Before late summer, transplant and divide perennials.
• Water, weed, fertilize, and harvest vegetables.
• Trim maple trees.
• Continue to water young trees and shrubs as needed.
• Deadhead annuals for more blooms.
• Divide irises and daylilies
• Complete evergreen pruning before the end of the month to prevent possible winter injury.

Tree, Shrub and Evergreen Pruning Guidelines

Plant, Shrub and Tree Watering Guidelines

Summer Plant Care Tips

Here is the full care checklist for the month of May!

• Apply crabgrass preventer to lawns.
• Work fertilizer into vegetable and flower gardens before they are planted.
• Fertilize roses and begin maintenance program against black spot and mildew.
• Mulch flower gardens to conserve moisture and reduce weed growth.
• Install peony hoops.
• Protect garden from deer browsing.
• Plant summer blooming bulbs
• Plant annuals and geraniums after frost is no longer a danger.
• Apply pre-emergent weed control in shrub and planting beds.
• Remove accumulated leaves and debris from underneath evergreens and shrubs.
• Prune forsythia, azaleas, magnolia, mockorange, and lilac after they have flowered; all spring flowering shrubs should be pruned right after flowering
• Begin apple tree spray programs after blossom drop
• Make sure freshly planted trees and shrubs are watered (see watering guidelines).
• Prune mugho pines when new growth is fully grown and soft.
• Fertilize established trees, evergreens, and shrubs; start fertilizer program.
• Rake, over seed, and fertilize the lawn; avoid applying crabgrass preventer to newly over seeded areas; seed new lawns while nights are still cool and the weather is wet.
• Control dandelions and creeping Charlie by applying herbicide before heads are formed