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KJJP-FM 105.7 is currently operating at very reduced power and signal range using a back-up transmitter. This is because of complicated problems with its very old primary transmitter. Local engineers are currently working on that transmitter and consulting with the manufacturer to diagnose and fix the problems. We apologize for this disruption and service as we work as quickly as possible to restore KJPFM to full power. In the mean time you can always stream either the HPPR mix service or HPPR connect service using the player above or the HPPR app.

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Growing on the High Plains: Lilac Time

High Plains Public Radio | By Skip Mancini

Published May 17, 2018 at 10:35 AM CDT

Blink and you’ll miss the brief, springtime bloom of these purple-hued beauties. But not to worry—they’ll be back again this time next year…and the next…and the next. Because believe it or not, these sweet-smelling shrubs can have a lifespan of more than 300 years.

On today’s Growing on the High Plains, we’re talking about lilacs. Revered worldwide for their intoxicating fragrance and graceful cascading flowers, it’s actually their resilience to travel and transplantation that placed them on American shores early in our history.

Here on the High Plains, lilacs thrive in our dry climate and alkaline soil—and their thick, woody branches provide excellent protection from the wind and snow. While these fleeting flirts have long been associated with love, some have had a more somber take on their symbolism. (Just ask poet Walt Whitman.)

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Skip Mancini

Years ago Skip Mancini left the rocky coast of Northern California to return to her roots in the heartland. Her San Francisco friends, concerned over her decision to live in a desolate flatland best known for a Hollywood tornado, were afraid she would wither and die on the vine. With pioneer spirit, Skip planted a garden. She began to learn about growing not only flowers and vegetables, but hearts and minds. If you agree that the prairie is a special place, we think you'll enjoy her weekly sojourns into Growing on the High Plains.

See stories by Skip Mancini

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Growing On The High Plains: Much Ado And Adieu, Azalea

Skip Mancini

The High Plains region isn’t for everyone, especially azaleas, which adorn themselves in an array of reds and blues – when, that is, they're planted pretty much anywhere but here.On today’s Growing On The High Plains, I’ll talk about the trials and tribulations I've shared with azalea plants have faced together and about my final farewell to the finicky flower.
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Growing on the High Plains: Lovely Lavender

Skip Mancini

Today on Growing on the High Plains, we're going to keep it clean with a walk throught he wafting felds of an aromatic herb most associated with washing.…
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Growing On The High Plains: House Plants For Health Care

Skip Mancini

We often choose to surround ourselves with living organisms because we can indeed feel their presence. After more than a year of lockdown, quarantine, and…
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Growing On The High Plains: Lincoln Center—This Summer

Skip Mancini

As we march past a full year of pandemic anxiety, it’s refreshing to know that some improvements have been made to a return to community arts. As the…
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Growing On The High Plains: Memory Of My Mother ... And Sun-dried Tomatoes

Skip Mancini

Today’s Growing on the High Plains features an anecdote about my late mother and her unfortunate encounter with a peculiar addition to her artisanal…