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march | april | may 2012 • free redouxhome.com
northfield • red wing • faribault • cannon falls st. croix and mississippi river valleys
the spring issue rain gardens
creating healthy landscapes while managing runoff
out of the ashes
an explosion levels a rural pepin township home forcing the owners to rebuild
keeping the bees
to become a beekeeper is really to become a local hero
editor’s note
“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” – Mother Teresa Think about this: You can be a local hero. By making plans early in the growing season, you can contribute to the health and well-being of your community and your world. This issue highlights several local heroes: •
Chris Sullivan Kelley keeps bees, which are in danger of extinction. She harvests the honey as well as the sweet reward of inspiring our readers to help the bee population survive.
•
Dakota County Urban Conservationist Mike Isensee is dedicated to helping households create rain gardens that are not only beautiful, they filter water, cleansing the runoff that ends up in our streams and rivers.
•
After a devastating house fire in the Mississippi River Valley, Art Gannett and Barbara Andersen are rebuilding their home with geothermal energy to substantially decrease their family’s energy use.
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Yours, Elizabeth Child, Editor editor@redouxhome.com
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Take up the challenge to be a local hero with sensitivity to the way you manage your summer home and garden projects. No doubt you already do the basics like recycling, but consider stepping up your commitment this year. The truth is, there is only so much our cities can do to keep our environment clean. Most property is private, and while we must follow some mandates about environmental practices, we still have a lot of latitude. Keeping your environment clean is a choice – one that’s redefining what it means to be a good neighbor.
PUBLISHER Nichole Day Diggins | Flying Pan Productions EDITOR Elizabeth Child COPY EDITORS Jodi Ohlsen Read Linda Day Dunlap CONTRIBUTORS Elizabeth Child Nichole Day Diggins Chris Sullivan Kelley Tom Quanrud ART DIRECTOR / DESIGN Nichole Day Diggins SALES Karen Griffiths Linda Day Dunlap Peter Diggins
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spring renewal
march • april • may 2012
features 05
keeping the bees To become a beekeeper is really to become a local hero.
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out of the ashes A house explosion leveled Art Gannett and Barbara Andersen’s rural Wisconsin home. A year later life is slowly returning to normal.
departments
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05
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editor’s note Local heroes.
in the garden Rain gardens create healthy landscapes while managing runoff.
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on the table Recipes: Cooking with honey.
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Don’t wait for April showers to fill your home with color.
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inspirations
Beyond woodworking: Bringing artistry to use.
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home
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interiors
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Why Keep Bees? By CHRIS SULLIVAN KELLEY Becoming a beekeeper sounds like a mysterious and daunting task, but did you know that unless you live within a mile of an apiary (a ‘bee yard’ where colonies of bees are kept) you are unlikely to see a honeybee? The American Honeybee population has declined precipitously since the 1980s, by almost 80 percent. The American Honeybee, which originally came from Europe, has been attacked by non-native parasites like tracheal and varroa mites, diseases like foul brood, and now by the much talked about Colony Collapse Disorder. So, to become a beekeeper is really to become a local hero. Without beekeepers to protect and nurture honeybees, many crops that rely on these important pollinators (like pumpkins, apples, pears and cucumbers) would be less productive, which would mean fewer pumpkins at Halloween and more expensive food.
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Getting Started Getting started is easiest when you can find a course to take or a mentor to teach you. There are great resources in our area. Many beginners choose to take the beekeeping class offered by the University of Minnesota called “Beekeeping in Northern Climates.” Another great resource is the South East Beekeeping Association that meets in Rochester. Both will provide you with practical knowledge, hands-on opportunities, and connect you with other beekeepers. The Rochester group has a monthly meeting where they discuss topics associated with each season and then offers hands-on demonstrations in the bee yard they manage at Assissi Heights. My favorite catalog, Betterbee, (www.betterbee.com) contains lots of detailed information about equipment and offers a Beginner’s Kit (tools, bee suit and woodenware) for one fully assembled hive for $289.95.
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I decided to keep bees to pollinate my large garden and for the honey when we moved to our farm in Nerstrand in 2001. The previous homeowners had kept bees and a new friend said, “I know just the person to help you start!” So, I found mentors – a little group of country neighbors keeping bees – and we were off. Did you know that with two beehives you can produce up to 15 gallons of honey in a good season? That is enough to supply your family for a year with plenty to sell or share with friends. And, the bees are an endless source of fascination.
The Steps The first step is to figure out if you have a good place to keep bees. Check your local ordinances to see if bees can be kept in your neighborhood. Bees like to be placed in sunny areas, oriented to the south, and need a source of water nearby. They will fly in and out of the hive in a fairly straight path, so you can orient them away from paths that people travel. Ours are about 30 feet from our house, but they fly away from where our children and pets play. I’m happy to report that in 10 years only one child has been stung.
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Chris Sullivan Kelley and youngest daughter, Meaghan
Meaghan Kelley helps tend the hive
Next, purchase the equipment you will need. (Do NOT buy used equipment, for diseases are transmitted this way.) Decide which type of bee you would like to keep. Italian bees are reputed to be more aggressive but good producers, Carniolans are gentle but they tend to swarm, and Minnesota Hygenics (developed right here at our University of MN) are bred to keep a clean house and fight off mite infestations. Learn about whether organic or conventional management practices best suit you. Then, order your bees! Bees can be ordered by mail (can you believe it?) or ordered and then picked up from a nearby dealer. Some good local places to order are from Mann Lake, Nature’s Nectar in Stillwater or B & B Honey Farm (a source of MN Hygenic bees). All of these also sell equipment and Nature’s Nectar offers classes. When the bees arrive in April you install them in their hives, feed them sugar syrup until the dandelions bloom (I bet you didn’t think those flowers were good for anything!), and then check on them every week for a few weeks to be sure the Queen is laying eggs and all is well. For the rest of the summer you can check on them every so often to look for signs of disease and to decide when to add the queen excluder and super up. The Queen excluder is a grate that keeps the queen in the lower part of the hive where she will continue to lay eggs and raise brood. This grate has openings large enough for the worker bees to get through to the upper hive bodies, called supers, where the honey will be stored. Watch them go! One of the joys of having bees is watching them work. Honeybees are docile and very focused on gathering nectar and pollen. You can get quite close to the hive and watch them come in with their pollen baskets full of yellow grains of pollen.
You can see the guard bees greet the field bees at the hive entrance to be sure that they are the “right” bees and belong to that hive. If you open up the hive and look at the frames where the bees are working you can see them perform the “waggle dance” where they “tell” the other bees where the best nectar can be found. You can witness the Queen searching for the next empty honeycomb cell in which to lay her egg. And, later in the season, you can watch the fuzzy drones laze around and “watch TV” as we describe it at our house. The Best Part Harvesting the honey is the best part of keeping bees. You will need to buy or borrow extracting equipment. (I know, more equipment!) A good way to keep costs down is to buy equipment with a group and then share it. You will also need a bee escape board, my favorite way of gently getting all the bees out of the honey supers without getting stung. Then, transport your equipment and honey supers to an indoor location (to keep roaming bees out) where you can work and make a mess that is easy to clean up. We usually invite friends to come in late August, set up in our garage, and work like mad all day. It’s a wonderful harvest activity. Our children enjoy this part—there is nothing like sticking a spoon into the stream of liquid gold as it runs out of the extractor and into a clean bucket! We filter the honey and store it in 5 gallon buckets and bottle it as we need to (mason jars work well for this). Be a Local Beekeeping Hero! So, as you can see, while there is a lot to learn, beekeeping is a fun, important pastime with clear benefits to your family and your community. You will produce a clean, local honey for your family and friends, and have an amazing outdoor activity to enjoy as well. Beekeeping takes more time and energy in the spring and then again in the fall at harvest time, but the rest of the year less. It can be done in the country or in town. And maybe best of all, beekeeping can connect you to the seasons in a way you never imagined as you notice what flowers and trees are in bloom and when. I love telling people I am a beekeeper; it is an endless source of dinner party conversation. So join me and be a local beekeeping hero! Chris Sullivan Kelley is a beekeeper, gardener and teacher at Shattuck St. Mary’s School.
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of the OutAshes Last spring, an explosion leveled Art Gannett and Barbara Andersen’s rural Wisconsin home, leaving nothing more than a pile of debris. A year later they’ve moved into their rebuilt home as life slowly returns to normal. BY NICHOLE DAY DIGGINS Art Gannett and Barbara Andersen’s home and studio are set back from a winding country road, surrounded by the gently rolling hills and wooded bluffs of Little Plum Valley, near Pepin, Wisconsin. Gannett and Andersen are both artists and have lived and of the region. Yet the past year has been decidedly less than idyllic for the couple and their family. Last spring Gannett and Andersen had been planning a long overdue vacation to Switzerland. They made arrangements to have a new kitchen floor installed while they were away, and, the day before they left they cleared everything out of the kitchen and disconnected the gas stove. The stove operated off the two-LP-bottle system common in rural areas. As Art closed the shut-off valves for the system, he was aware that one of the bottles was empty but never considered the possibility that the gas company might come out and replace it. However, the following day that is exactly what happened. The delivery person did not recognize that the system was compromised and put on a fresh bottle of gas, opening the valve before he left. Inside the house, the gas line was wide open and disconnected from the stove. Nine hours later something ignited the gas-oxygen mixture, resulting in a tremendous explosion. The house was completely destroyed (their cat, Felix, was in the house at the time). That evening, neighbors contacted Sadie Gannett, the couple’s daughter, to tell her about the house explosion. She lives in the Twin Cities and attends the University of Minnesota with a major in housing studies and a minor in sustainability (she recently made the Dean’s List). Sadie anxiously waited until 1AM (8AM Swiss time) to call her parents and tell them the devastating news. It took us two days to decide to abandon the vacation and return to (the ruins) of what was once our home.”
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This was their awakening their first day in Switzerland. “The news was stunning,” says Art. “It was very hard to come to grips with.
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worked here since 1980, when they established Little Plum Pottery. It’s an idyllic setting in arguably one of the most beautiful areas
Above: Sadie Gannett was very involved with the home’s construction, from start to finish.
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Below: the new home is insulated with an off-peak geothermal system. Sadie and her brother, Casey, had grown up in the turn-of-thecentury farmhouse, which had been abandoned for thirty years and relegated to pasturing cattle when her parents bought it in 1979. The house was run down and neglected when they first moved in, but over the years they lovingly brought it back to life. Sadie was ten before they had running water. “I think the history of the old house is fascinating and explains why I was so attached to it,” says Sadie. “It grew with me and I feel that it had a huge influence on how I view housing and family today. It also influenced my perception of our resources and how we truly take them for granted. It is an extreme luxury when you are able to turn on the faucet and have hot water. The house was very important to me. It was one of my favorite places on earth, so losing that was very traumatic.” There was one piece of good news awaiting Gannett and Andersen’s return. Their first morning back (about six days after the blast) they heard a mournful meowing coming from under the studio. When they went to investigate, out crawled Felix the cat. She was thin and her whiskers and the tips of her ears were burned. She had a slight limp and her fur was singed, but miraculously, she was otherwise fine. In fact, she became friendlier and more talkative after the ordeal.
Barbara and Art pause for a photo during the long clean-up process
Reconstruction The clean up and rebuilding process was daunting. The couple’s first goal was to have a house they could move into by winter. Some years ago they had moved an old mobile home onto their property, which had electric service and a stove and refrigerator, but only marginal heating capabilities. With a primary goal of speedy construction, they approached the design with three specific criteria: the home should be simple and straightforward to build, pleasant to live in and consistent with the surrounding geography. Beyond that, they wanted a place for the two of them to live the rest of their lives together and that would accommodate occasional gatherings and parties. The home essentially has four levels: a basement, the first floor living space, the second floor (a 20’x 20’ master bedroom and bath), and a third floor. “One point which may confuse some people is why, as both Barbara and I are already ‘old’ and will only get older, we didn’t design a home all on one level to eliminate the need for climbing stairs,” says Art. “The first time that question was raised, my answer was simple: as far as I’m concerned, you go upstairs to go to bed. I’m a climber, I always have been. Consequently, including the walk-out basement, we have a four-story house.” Sadie was very involved with the home’s construction from start to finish, loaning her parents books about ‘green’ building practices and talking with them throughout the process. She was even able to get a directed study approved for three credits. Because of her influence, ecofriendly features were added to the design. The foundation was built with insulated concrete forms, a relatively new product. The basement and first floor will be sided with stucco (not done at this point). The construction in general was done with an eye to tightness and thorough insulation. The home is heated with an off-peak electric ‘geothermal’ system.
“’Geothermal’ is really a misnomer,” says Gannett. “The heat being tapped by the system is really solar energy stored in the earth’s crust, and the appropriate name for the system would be a ground- or earth-exchange heat pump. The way it works is fairly simple; essentially there is a 400-foot ‘ground loop’ of water pipes running through the earth about nine feet below the surface, and the water/antifreeze mixture which is pumped through these pipes absorbs the ambient heat in the ground which is then concentrated (to achieve a higher temperature) and used to heat the house.”
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Felix the cat has been friendlier and more talkative since surviving the explosion. The ‘concentrating’ is done through the use of a compressor, compressing and decompressing a refrigerant, the same way an air conditioner or refrigerator works. “In real simple terms, a refrigerator takes heat out of the inside of the refrigerator and exhausts it to the outside, which is why you will feel heat rising from behind a refrigerator when it’s running,” says Gannett. “An air conditioner takes heat out of the house and exhausts it to the outside. A heat pump takes heat from (in this case) the earth and exhausts it into the house. And yes, simply reversing the operation serves to cool the house, discharging the heat it removes from the house into the ground. A pertinent point is that, with the earthexchange, this is a much cheaper system to operate than normal air conditioning, also than an air-exchange heat pump. Ordinary air conditioning relies on exhausting the heat it removes from the house into the air outside, which is already hot and absorbs the excess heat quite slowly. The system we have exhausts that heat into the relatively cool ground, which is also solid and dense (as opposed to air), and will absorb the heat much more readily, dramatically limiting the amount of work the system has to do.” To reduce the materials needed to construct the home, tongueand-groove pine was used on top of Glulam (see sidebar) beams on four-foot centers. This allows the underside of one floor to be the ceiling of the next floor. “It’s more expensive, materialwise, to do it this way instead of using traditional joists and plasterboard with a subfloor and a finished floor,” Gannett says, “but the labor costs are considerably lower and you gain ceiling height by eliminating the empty space between ceiling and floor. You also lose the ability to run wiring and ductwork through that empty space, so you’d need to plan accordingly. Depending on your needs, it can be a smart and attractive way to construct a floor or ceiling.”
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What is Glulam? Glued laminated timber, or glulam, is a highly innovative and versatile construction material engineered for a host of residential and commercial construction applications. The strength and durability of glulam beams make them an ideal choice for large, open designs where long spans are required. Glulam beams can also be manufactured in virtually any size or shape. In fact, Glulam is the only engineered wood product that can be produced in curved shapes. Glulam optimizes the structural values of a renewable resource - wood. Because of their composition, large glulam members can be manufactured from a variety of smaller trees harvested from second- and third-growth forests and plantations. Glulam provides the strength and versatility of large wood members without relying on the old growth-dependent solid-sawn timbers. It reduces the overall amount of wood used when compared to solid sawn timbers by diminishing the negative impact of knots and other small defects in each component board.
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A house created by creative types is bound to have some out-ofthe-ordinary characteristics, like the conversation pit: a sunken 8’ x 10’ area on the first floor where the woodstove will be installed. It’s a cozy spot to gather on those chilly winter days, and the design allows heat to be pulled from that enclosure into the basement. Another fun feature is the bonus third floor space. “I was prepared to abandon the third floor if my builder thought it would complicate things too much, but he liked the idea so we went with it,” says Gannett. “It’s only 8’ x 8’ and it just sticks up out of the roof of the second floor. Access is by a ladder. The height was determined by how much I wanted it to stick up on Above: Art and Barbara try out the conversation pit during construction. Below: On the balcony as the home nears completion.
the outside, and it ends up being ten feet tall inside on the high side. How I intend to finish it is yet to be determined, but I’m glad to have it. And the view from up there is excellent.” It has been a long and arduous process, but finally, an end is in sight. Now begins the next phase – turning the house into a home. “I have viewed the building of the new house the same
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way that my folks do their pottery,” says Sadie. “My dad makes the form and my mom glazes… With the house, my dad designed the form and my mom will decorate it.” Nichole Day Diggins is the publisher of REDOUX HOME and creative director of Flying Pan Productions.
Art Gannett has worked as a professional potter since 1974 and is currently the lead thrower at Red Wing Stoneware. Barbara Andersen, a graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, does the glazing on all Art’s stoneware and porcelain. Their wood-fired stoneware and porcelain pieces showcase the vibrant and unpredictable glaze results that can be achieved with wood fires and reflect their passion for excellence. To see Gannett and Andersen’s artwork, visit littleplumpottery.com
in the garden
Rain Gardens Clean our Waterways
Learn how to cultivate your eco-friendly rain garden. BY ELIZABETH CHILD Rain gardens let you contribute to water quality while cultivating beautiful indigenous plantings. Your garden of tall grasses and butterfly friendly plants controls erosion and filters rainwater. The gardens are made of perennial flowers, though some gardeners like to create borders of annuals for showy color. In the very first year, your rain garden will already bring you beauty, and after two years, your garden will be mature. Your rain garden will look like a varied Minnesota perennial garden, but you’ll know it’s protecting the environment. In the process of making your garden, you’ll learn about native flowers like delicate pasque flowers with soft purple petals that look like tulips with yellow stamen, pink prairie smoke and pussy toes with low growing flowers that remind one of kitten paws.
are among the butterfly attractors.
every year.
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How rain gardens help Most people don’t realize that the storm sewer inlets on their streets and backyards drain directly to lakes, ponds, wetlands and streams without being treated. In our area of the state, they end up in the Mississippi River – a source of drinking water for many. Because most land is privately owned, Dakota County Soil and Water District helps residents create successful rain gardens that keep our waters cleaner in partnership with Blue Thumb (bluethumb.org), a group of professionals from local watershed and conservation districts, cities, counties, nonprofit and community organizations, and nursery and landscape professionals. Dakota County Urban Conservationist Mike Isensee says he expects the county to help residents install 60 to 70 new rain gardens this year, and the number grows
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Other rain garden plants are monarch magnets delighting children who can watch the magestic insects from cocoon to butterfly stage. Milkweed, gay feather and native blazing star
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in the garden
Even if you don’t live in Dakota County you can take advantage of free classes (see list, p. 18). Residents of the county can also receive grants and one-on-one help in creating their gardens. Or Blue Thumb can give you a list of landscapers to help you follow the principles of rain gardening. Do-it-yourselfers can find books and detailed online manuals. The University of Wisconsin’s manual is highly recommended (learningstore.uwex.edu). What you’ll learn The particulars of a rain garden make it worth your while to get the extra help of a class or good manual. Some key facts to note: To avoid water seepage in your foundation, your rain garden’s closest border must be at least 10 feet from a house. And, rainwater must be channeled to a flat place a few inches below yard level, just low enough for water to pool. Your garden may look like a pond when it rains. Isensee says it takes a few hours for the water to drain and that’s the point – slow drainage through the soil cleanses the water before it seeps into waterways. Meanwhile nutrients from the rainwater boost the health of plants. Once complete, a rain garden can endure most summer droughts without watering. If only the same could be said of weeding! But once deep, thick root systems are established, weeds are often crowded out and the promise of a lush garden is yours for years to come.
in the garden
2012 Landscape Design Grand Honor Award Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association
Planting for Clean Water Workshops Rain garden workshops are held by the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District at 6:15 p.m. in varying locations, and are open to all. For location addresses and to register, visit dakotaswcd.org. Burnsville, Tuesday, March 13 Farmington, Monday April 3 Eagan, Monday March 15 Hastings, Tuesday, March 20 West St. Paul, Thursday, March 22 Farmington, Monday, April 2 Lakeville, Tuesday, April 3 Apple Valley, Thursday, April 5
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on the table
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Cooking with Honey
Honey-Glazed Biscotti Ingredients 1 cup butter 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla 4 cups flour 3 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/3 cups chopped pecans or walnuts 1 1/3 cups white chocolate chips Preheat oven to 275 degrees and lightly grease a cookie sheet. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture. Fold in nuts and white chocolate chips. Divide dough into four parts. Place each quarter of dough on cookie sheet and form logs about 14� by 1 1/2�. Bake 25 minutes until lightly browned. Cool and cut diagonally into half-inch slices. Arrange slices on baking sheet and continue baking eight more minutes until golden.
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on the table
Honey Roasted Nuts Ingredients 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup butter 1 tsp. cinnamon 4 cups nut halves (walnuts or pecans) 2 to 3 tbsp. raw sugar Preheat oven to 325° Line pan with foil and grease foil. In saucepan over medium heat, combine honey, butter and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Put nuts into medium bowl. Pour honey mixture over nuts and stir until evenly coated. Spread on prepared foil-lined pan. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until nuts are glazed and lightly browned. Cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan. In medium bowl, combine sugar and remaining cinnamon. Toss with glazed nuts to coat. Recipes courtesy the Oasis Eatery at Nesbitt’s Nursery. www.nesbittsnursery.com
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Makes 4 cups
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417 Main Street • Red Wing
APRIL 20th
GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION Ribbon cutting with fundraiser reception to follow at the St. James Hotel. STAY TUNED - Mark Ritchie, MN Secretary of State will be joining us along with additional special guests, musical performances and food!
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Everyone Welcome!
on the table about honey
Try our delicious pancakes RED WING, MN
Just Add Water!
Honey is made by bees in one of the world’s most efficient facilities, the beehive. The 60,000 or so
Raspberry
bees in a beehive may collectively travel as much
Pancake Mix
as 55,000 miles and visit more than two million flowers to gather enough nectar to make just a
contact: 1-800-201-9650 www.sturdiwheat.com pancakes@sturdiwheat.com
pound of honey! The color and flavor of honey differ depending on the bees’ nectar source (the blossoms). In fact,
Locally made in Red Wing, MN
All Natural!
there are more than 300 unique kinds of honey in the United States, originating from such diverse floral sources as clover, eucalyptus and orange blossoms. In general, lighter colored honeys are mild in flavor, while darker honeys are usually more robust in flavor. The benefits of honey go beyond its sweet flavor. Among its many health benefits is that it’s a powerful immune system booster. Honey has antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties that help improve your digestive system, which helps you stay healthy and fight disease. Honey is also believed to have antibacterial properties which help prevent infection and cause it to act as an anti-inflammatory agent, reducing both swelling and pain. Honey is said to cure some allergies, particularly honey localized to an area, which can help minimize seasonal allergies as bees feed on pollen from local plants. Additionally, honey has been used for centuries to treat sore throats and coughs, and according to recent research, it may be as effective as many common cough medicines.
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651-388-6099
Bring Home an Early Spring
Don’t wait for April showers to fill your world with color. By Tom Quanrud This time of year, it seems like everyone gets a bit antsy for spring to arrive, but there are many ways you can invite spring into your home a little early. Fresh tulips and daffodils will instantly bring a little spring into your life. You can also display silk flowering branches in a brightly colored container or start a couple of craft projects that are fun and easy but yield a colorful breath of spring air. Bulb gardens Your local florist will have bulb gardens available for those who love to watch as green sprouts and flower stalks emerge from the soil. Bulb gardens come in a variety of sizes suited for
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any budget and are the perfect gift for anyone who has been housebound during the cold winter months. Bright yellow mini-daffodils or purple muscari (grape hyacinth) planted in small four-inch pots are easy to grow and fun to watch day to day. Even larger bulb gardens, from six to eight inches, may contain a variety of spring-blooming flowers including vibrant tulips, sweet-smelling hyacinths, cheery daffodils and crocuses. Remember that yummy, decadent trifle you made for the family gathering during the holidays? Re-use your footed clear-glass trifle dish as an interesting container for your bulb garden. Children especially enjoy watching as the soil fills with white, succulent roots. Find your childhood Easter basket or other decorative container, line it with plastic and carefully place one, two, or even three bulb garden pots in it. Add small pots of ivy or other small houseplants, or cover the surface with colorful Easter grass and “hide” some colorful decorative eggs.
interiors Branches You can try forcing many kinds of branches this time of year. Simply harvest some branches from shrubs or trees in your yard and bring them inside. Look for a container that will comfortably hold the branches and fill it with tepid water. Give each branch a fresh cut and immediately place it in the container. Evenly space the branches to create a pleasing arrangement. Place the branch-filled container in a bright spot; within days you should see green sprouts emerging. Lilac branches and forsythia work especially well for forcing indoors. Blossoming
silk
branches
are
a
perfect
no-
maintenance option for spring and early summer color. Visit your local florist to get inspired by the array of flowering branches available: white, pink and green crabapple and cherry, southern dogwood, forsythia and magnolia, to name a few. Use several stems to create a dramatic arrangement for your home, or place just one or two flowering branches in a tall narrow vase for a simple yet elegant pop of color. Treat yourself to a few stems of fresh flowers each week. Place an assortment of tall colorful bottles or vases on your kitchen windowsill, and place a stem or two in each one. Wrap colorful wire around the necks of colored bottles and hang them from the top of the window trim so they dangle randomly in a window. Arrange a few fresh flowers in each bottle; the colors and whimsy will surely bring a smile to your face while dull snowless lawns many of us have had this winter. It’s never too early to start welcoming warmer, lengthening days with open arms. Colorful blooms, whether fresh or silk, will surely brighten your home or office, and remind us that spring truly is just around
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the corner.
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looking out at a snow-covered yard beyond – or the
MARCH | APRIL | MAY 2012
Fresh flowers
The twice-a-year Fresh Art Tour gives visitors the opportunity to have
an art adventure in one of the Midwest’s most scenic and picturesque areas: the Lake Pepin and Chippewa Valley regions of Wisconsin. Homes, studios, galleries and some old
farms have been made into spaces of beauty, with artistic touches and stunning gardens. The artists in Pepin and southern Pierce Counties have a big presence. It’s the usual story – the country farmsteads were cheap and artists moved here in the 1970s with a ‘back to the land’ intention. It’s like a lot of areas where artists move in (think Santa Fe, New Mexico): the artists begin to settle somewhere and eventually quaint little shops and interesting restaurants and galleries follow. Over time the town becomes a destination. Today a thriving art scene is located in these villages of Pepin, Stockholm, Maiden Rock, Durand, Arkansaw, Plum City and the rural areas they serve. With theaters, music, artists, writers, a film festival and more, the area draws tens of thousands of people every year. Traveling along the river and into the countryside you will discover the scenic winding roads, and every once in a while, the talented artists and craftspeople on the tour. There are great cafés, galleries, restaurants and inns in the area, presented in a low-key manner, typical of the Midwest, yet the quality is startlingly good. The Fresh Art Tour this spring, May 18–20, is the 14th annual tour. It has grown in popularity as many attendees return year after year, bringing friends and family to share this experience. The tour is comprised of 14 sites from Durand,
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MARCH | APRIL | MAY 2012
WI, on US Hwy 10 to Maiden Rock on US Hwy 35 (the Great River Road). For more information visit freshart.org or call 715.672.8188.
JOIN US for the FRESH ART SPRING STUDIO TOUR! VISIT 14 ARTISTS’ STUDIOS AND GALLERIES IN THE PICTURESQUE LAKE PEPIN & CHIPPEWA VALLEY AREAS OF WISCONSIN.
May 18 – 20, 2012 10am – 5pm
www.freshart.org
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d,
2 m
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Open May 5th - June 24th
Visions & Viewpoints Art of the DAkotA AnD ojibwe people
Artwork by Nakoma Volkman
plus, distinctive gifts at the historic Depot Gallery & Gifts 418 Levee Street, Red Wing 651.388.7569 www.redwingartsassociation.org
expressions
Beyond Woodworking Bringing artistry to use
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redouxhome.com MARCH | APRIL | MAY 2012
Steven Hodgson, of Hodgson Woodwork in Northfield, raises custom cabinetry and furniture making to the level of art. He spoke with REDOUX HOME editor Elizabeth Child about his designs. What makes your furniture and cabinetry unique? SH: “I’m very meticulous. I’ve never wanted to pump out work for the sake of it. Every piece is unique. I’m really hands-on that way. I try to put one-of-a-kind design elements into each piece. For example, the legs on a chest might be hand-shaped to give them an elegant curve, or the top is inlaid with stone. In one kitchen I incorporated textured glass in the doors and all the cherry boards were matched with each other to flow in a pattern.” Who has been your greatest mentor? SH: “One of my mentors was Arnold Flaten, who ran the art department at St. Olaf College. He also was a wood and stone sculptor. I met him through a relative and he would invite us to the St. Olaf Christmas concerts right when I was getting into woodworking. I was intrigued with the kind of work he did. He was also one of the reasons I moved to Northfield. I was living in Minneapolis with my wife and daughter and had dreamed of getting out of the city. In 1980 we bought a little farm north of town.” Is there a piece you’ve made that stands out for you? SH: “[Northfield attorney] John Ophaug came to me with an idea for a desk for his office. He was researching Stickley and found a Stickley piece that resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We literally called the museum and got the overall dimensions. There were a couple design elements we didn’t like. The bottom looked to us like duck feet so I added a bottom shelf instead. Other than that, it’s true to the original. [Northfield stained glass maker] David Kjerland did the glasswork and I had the hardware custom-made to match the original.” Is there a Hodgson style? SH: “I like to work in all different styles but I really enjoy the Mission and Shaker styles. The nice thing about what I do is that every piece presents a different challenge. I do like to incorporate materials like textured glass, stack stone or contrasting wood.”
expressions
“I hand pick almost all of the wood that I use. That allows me to get interesting colors and grains. It’s harder to pick these days. Most companies frown on it. But I’ve developed a good reputation and even if they won’t let me pick, they’ll select the finer material for me.” What defines furniture as Mission style? SH: “Mission pieces were rather simple designs, very functional, made in the early 1900s. Most of the designs are made with quarter-sawn oak.” What is quarter-sawn oak? SH: “Take a tree trunk [he draws the rings of a tree]. Most of the boards are cut at angles and that creates the traditional flame pattern. Quarter-sawn oak boards are cut from the outside to the middle so they end up with perfectly straight grain. All species of wood have ‘rays’ that allow moisture to flow out from the center of the tree. In most species the rays are small enough to be indiscernible. Oak is unique in that it has a large ray pattern. By cutting through the face of the rays, you get a figured pattern.”
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What is your dream project? SH: “I am privileged in that most new projects provide me with creative challenges. My dream would be to have a home and shop in the country, and pursue my craft at a more leisurely pace so I have the time to build wonderful heirlooms for my children and grandkids.”
MARCH | APRIL | MAY 2012 redouxhome.com
Do you have a signature process to bring art into your craft? SH: “I like to look at what clients have in their homes, and find out where their thought process is leading. Are they looking at matching something or do they want something that complements what they have but is individual and unique.”
redoux home bazaar Structural Integration Rolfing & Yin Yoga The Rolf method of structural integration helps you find stability and alignment to increase flexibility, decrease pain and create a sense of peace. Call for individual sessions in: • Structural Integration (Rolfing) • Yin yoga Daniel Martin Certified Guild for Structural Integration practitioner and yoga instructor Northfield Buddhist Center 313 ½ Division St., Northfield 507.664.9418
JENNIFER WALLIN – NATIONALLY CERTIFIED MASSAGE THERAPIST Massage Therapy helps rid the effects of stress and can decrease tension headaches. New modality MyoKinesthetic focuses on bringing balance back to your posture, which can reduce chronic aches and pains and even headaches! $35 for 30 minutes $60 for 60 minutes $65 for 75 minutes $75 for 90 minutes Noble Chiropractic Clinic 507.645.8242
JULI SKROVE - WATKINS Someday all natural products will be this good. Just give them 143 years. JOURNEY INN, an eco retreat, announces the opening of EarthSky BodyMind Center in Maiden Rock, Wisconsin. Come for a day visit or spend the night. • massage & energy therapy • life direction coaching • Passage Program for life transitions www.earthskybodymind.com info@earthskybodymind.com www.journeyinn.net 715.448.2424
THE INDIGO CONFERENCE ROOM IS AVAILABLE FOR BUSINESS MEETINGS Features: • Roof Deck overlooking the Mississippi River • Elevator Access • Special Daytime Rates • Downtown Red Wing in the restored Indigo Building 325 Main Street • Red Wing 651.267.0076
Since 1868, Watkins has proudly been America’s pioneer in natural products. Our diverse offerings of natural herbs and spices, natural personal care and natural home care products make Watkins the brand to turn to for all of your natural living needs. Juli Skrove / Watkins ID 047419 507.663.0460 bamboowatkins@msn.com watkinsonline.com/jskrove
Fine furniture and cabinetry
Hodgson Woodwork Co. Steven Hodgson 304 Poplar Street Northfield, MN 55057 507-645-9671 steven@hodgsonwoodwork.co www.hodgsonwoodwork.co
SHEPHERD’S WAY FARMS Minnesota Artisan Sheep Cheese Shepherd’s Way Farms, a local family-based sheep dairy, produces award-winning artisan cheeses on the farm, just outside Northfield. Find Shepherd’s Way cheeses at Just Food Co-op in Northfield, or other local coops, specialty cheese shops, or Byerly’s, Lunds & Kowalski’s. shepherdswayfarms.com 507.663.9040
Custom cabinetry and furniture. Traditional. Modern. Local.
nestwoodworking.com 612.716.5347