The Drift - Planting Season

Author: Cayla Bendel

After a devout turkey season, I always find myself a bit behind. Household obligations, preparations for fishing, and garden plans have all temporarily fallen to the wayside. Memorial Day weekend has quickly become the catch-up, kick-off to summer weekend and this year was no exception.

We spent most of that Saturday on a morning scavenger hunt for all the plants and seeds we’d need and fencing material for our newest garden pest, Rhett. Back at home, just unloading it all quickly turned into getting it all either in the ground or in a pot. With Fischer helping intermittently, although mostly requesting he be sprayed with the hose.

Instead of readying the boat, we opted for an impromptu trip to Jamestown Sunday to Monday for some camping, shore-fishing and beach time. It did not disappoint, given the sunshiny weekend we were gifted.

But Memorial Monday found us back in the garden tending to already grim-looking plants from just two days in the ground after the heat spell.

Tuesday night after work I made a quick trip to a pollinator plot I had helped a local Pheasants Forever chapter plant in 2025 to clean it up and get it some water, and Wednesday night found me at the 2026 chapter pollinator planting, helping to broadcast seed and plant native plugs.

Thursday I had the good fortune of travelling to Audubon Wildlife Management Area to “help,” by that I mean mostly banter and snap a few pictures, install a water pump that will eventually be used to fill a series of wetlands for waterfowl and other wetland bird production, as well as waterfowl hunting access in fall.

By the time Friday rolled around I got to thinking about how much time over the last week I had dabbled in planting, habitat projects, gardening and the likes thereof. Much of the office was quiet last week, not from prolonged holiday vacations but because it’s go-time here on the prairie.

Some folks were out capturing the inaugural plantings of the Governor’s Legacy Soil Health and Habitat Program, while our wildlife crews were out seeding food plots and habitat plantings on WMAs. Tis the season as I’ve seen plenty of tractors on roadways and in fields getting crops in the ground.

In a matter of days, spring arrived in full force and there’s only so many days to make habitat and grow plants in North Dakota. No matter, a garden-raised bed or a quarter section, cherry tomatoes, soybeans or native grass, it just felt like one of those times of the year, where we’re all in the same boat. Just not my boat, because, unfortunately, it’s still covered in the driveway.

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