Eric Kodner CRS, ABR, e-PRO, CLHMS, Madeline Island Real Estate Wisconsin

The sixth annual "Bayfield in Bloom" celebration is on its way!

From May 16 through June 15, Bayfield will be alive with springtime events and activities. The event kicks off with an on-location broadcast of "Garden Talk" at the Bayfield Lakeside Pavillion, with Wisconsin Public Radio personality Larry Meiller. Garden Talk features an "Ask the Experts" segment and audience members are invited to participate as part of the studio audience.

Other special events during the month-long celebration will include

Chequamegon Bay Birding and Nature Festival, May 16-18

Twenty-seventh annual 10K "Apple Blossom Run", May 17

Bayfield County Orchard Tours, May 24

Bayfield "Bloomin' Yard Sale" and city-wide Garden Tour, June 7

Madeline Island Ferry Line "Free Passenger Day", June 8

"Blessing of the Fleet" at Bayfield City Harbor, June 15

This year's Bayfield in Bloom celebration is sponsored by the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce, with participation and cooperation of area businesses, including several on Madeline Island.

A second home is an affordable luxury.

Discover why a vacation retreat on Lake Superior is the ultimate indulgence!

Contact Broker Eric Kodner today at 612.670.2539.

Eric Kodner is a luxury property specialist and real estate educator with a unique perspective on the Madeline Island real estate market. Madeline Island Realty is a member of the LuxuryRealEstate.com luxury properties network.

© Copyright 2007-2008 Eric Kodner & Madeline Island Realty

Yesterday, I posted about the challenges and how-to's of gardening on Madeline Island. For that matter, gardening anywhere in the far north can be a challenge!

I'm following up with a post about resources for gardeners who want to tackle gardening on Madeline Island.

There's a quote from a Clint Eastwood movie where he says, "This is an island. If you didn't bring it with you, you ain't gonna have it"! And that's certainly true when it comes to gardening or landscaping on Madeline Island. You could hire a nursery company to deliver what you need, but you may want to consider transporting your own gardening supplies to the Island.

There aren't a lot of garden or nursery stores in the Chequamegon Bay and Apostle Islands area, but here are a few places you can find the basics, such as garden implements, fertilizers and pest control items:

Friends of the Earth Garden Center (off Highway 13, near Washburn, Wisconsin)

Ungrodt Do-It-Best Hardware in Washburn

Bayfield ACE Hardware (there's also an ACE hardware store in Ashland)

Wal-Mart in Ashland, Wisconsin

To the list, I'd add Winfield's Garden Emporium in Bayfield, Wisconsin. The Garden Emporium stocks more decorative garden accents, like statuary and fountains, but it's worth a look, especially if you're landscaping rather than working on a garden.

A few other gardening tips --

Get yourself a copy of the 2008 Old Farmer's Almanac (by Robert B. Thomas). You'll find lots of garden hints and information there! Visit Almanac.com for more information.

Check out the Bare Bones Gardening website. This site is a fabulous resource for inexpensive and organic solutions to garden problems.

The Gurney Catalog is the gold standard for gardeners! The catalog is available online, but there's no better sign of spring than when the paper catalog arrives in the mail. I hope they never stop printing it.

I'll try to upload some Madeline Island garden photos as the season unfolds.

A second home is an affordable luxury.

Discover why a vacation retreat on Lake Superior is the ultimate indulgence!

Contact Broker Eric Kodner today at 612.670.2539.

Eric Kodner is a luxury property specialist and real estate educator with a unique perspective on the Madeline Island real estate market. Madeline Island Realty is a member of the LuxuryRealEstate.com luxury properties network.

© Copyright 2007-2008 Eric Kodner & Madeline Island Realty

Lake Nebagamon is getting its own Organic Farmer's Market this summer!

Sharon's Lakeview Cafe in Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin, will sponsor a farmer's market and outdoor art & craft sale each Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to Noon, beginning in June. Participating organic farmers will include Brent ("the Garlic Man") Campbell of Iron River, Wisconsin, who has appeared on PBS channel eight's "Venture North" television program.

[Venture North is produced in Duluth, Minnesota by PBS eight and is currently broadcast on PBS stations in Minnesota, parts of Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Wyoming, and now on the island of Guam.]

Area artists Becky Loken and Maureen McGrath will be among the artisans and craftpersons participating in the Farmer's Market this season.

One of my clients asked me about the feasibility of having a vegetable garden, with maybe a few flowers, on Madeline Island.

I could write a book on the subject. Maybe I should.

The good news is, La Pointe Township is in USDA Hardiness Zone 5. That means you'll have a longer growing season than nearby Hayward, Wisconsin. The reason for the isolated Zone 5 classification is the moderating influence of being surrounded by Lake Superior. Once the water warms up in spring and summer, it holds thermal energy and the prevailing winds from the west and south cause a delay in the date of first frost each autumn.

We're seeing a late start to spring this year in La Pointe. We had a particularly cold winter, and there was a thick blanket of ice along the south shore. It will take longer for Lake Superior and Chequamegon Bay to warm up in 2008.

Climate isn't the only issue to discuss when considering a garden on Madeline Island. Our soil on Madeline Island is mostly clay, with some areas of rock outcropping. Topsoil, if any, is sparse. If you attempt to garden in your yard, remember that decaying vegetation such as pine needles and decayed oak leaves may slightly acidify the soil over time, creating the need to raise soil pH. It's worth taking the time to test your soil pH before you plant your garden.

Clay soils are also a challenge for gardeners. There are tons of sites on the Web that deal with improving clay soils.

Composting is a great idea, but be aware that cool temperatures may interfere with the efficiency of your compost pile.

Now, let's move to the subject of pests. Deer will raid an unprotected garden and will strip it of vegetation or trample most of your crop in minutes. I've seen backyard gardens on the Island surrounded with tall electric fences, but remember that deer are capable of jumping quite high. The United States Department of Agriculture reports that an average whitetail deer may jump as high as twelve feet. If they're motivated (and hungry) they'll get at your garden. And on Madeline Island, deer are nearly as plentiful as seagulls!

Bears may also do damage to a garden. They will strip raspberries, blueberries and any other edible berry off vines and canes in the blink of an eye.

Solution? Consider a greenhouse garden, with a free-standing greenhouse (or one attached to a structure) that is sturdy enough and durable enough to keep out animal visitors. Another alternative would be a patio garden on a balcony or deck well above ground level.

What to grow

With the high cost of produce and particularly the cost of taking the ferry to the mainland for a trip to the Bayfield or Washburn IGA, or Peterson's Grocery in Red Cliff, wouldn't it be nice to be able to pick a handful of cherry tomatoes or chives or lettuce for a salad? Consider planting along the lines of the "square foot gardening" concept. Start with tomatoes (cherry or staked), lettuce, radishes, chives and peppers. A bit more challenging may be string beans, peas, carrots and onions.

Planting hardy varieties is a good idea, but La Pointe's Zone 5 advantage means you can get a bit more adventurous about which vegetables and flowers you experiment with.

Best of luck with your Madeline Island garden!

A second home is an affordable luxury.

Discover why a vacation retreat on Lake Superior is the ultimate indulgence!

Contact Broker Eric Kodner today at 612.670.2539.

Eric Kodner is a luxury property specialist and real estate educator with a unique perspective on the Madeline Island real estate market. Madeline Island Realty is a member of the LuxuryRealEstate.com luxury properties network.

© Copyright 2007-2008 Eric Kodner & Madeline Island Realty

This is a true story that happened to me a couple years ago while I was showing lakeshore property on Madeline Island.

I was on the north end of the Island with a couple, showing them lakeshore property. We had looked at quite a few lake lots that afternoon and I think we were all a bit fatigued after hiking uphill and down for nearly three hours.

We hiked uphill to the bank of one property, overlooking Stockton Island. The Lake Superior panorama was awesome and the weather was gorgeous. My clients paused to take it all in. And just at that moment, a bald eagle swooped down in front of them and landed in a tree about thirty yards away.

The husband turned to me with a look of surprise and said "tell me, did you arrange for that to happen"?

I replied, "Yeah, there's a guy hiding in the trees over there and I picked up a walkie-talkie and whispered "Cue the bald eagle"!

He broke out laughing.

They wrote their offer for the property later that afternoon.

A second home is an affordable luxury.

Discover why a vacation retreat on Lake Superior is the ultimate indulgence!

Contact Broker Eric Kodner today at 612.670.2539.

Eric Kodner is a luxury property specialist and real estate educator with a unique perspective on the Madeline Island real estate market. Madeline Island Realty is a member of the LuxuryRealEstate.com luxury properties network.

© Copyright 2007-2008 Eric Kodner & Madeline Island Realty