As you get excited about the growing season really getting going, you may also be seeing weeds popping up amongst your more intentional plantings. Wondering what you can do to keep those weeds in check? Read on for information from Master Gardener Marjory Blare on identifying weeds and some ideas for managing them.

I have heard it said tongue in cheek that Minnesota’s average weather is the midpoint between two ridiculous extremes, because when we talk about averages, it can be misleading. Sometimes it happens that one huge deluge of rain will offset a long dry spell, at least on paper, where the average rainfall for the month or year may appear as normal in the record books. But those long drought periods are not so easily erased in the lives of the trees.

“Time spent in nature is essential for our health and comes with myriad benefits,” says
Dr. Jean Larson, the manager of Nature-Based Therapeutics and Nature Heals Initiative at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and faculty lead of the Nature-Based Therapeutic Studies at the Earl Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing of the University of Minnesota. Read on for Master Gardener Mickey Scullard’s article about the therapeutic applications of horticulture and ways to make the benefits of gardening more accessible to many different levels of ability.

In May, the annuals were planted, but as the hot and dry days of July arrive are some of your annual planters looking overgrown or have they lost their curb appeal? Are your children still wanting to play in the dirt? Then look no further than the world of succulents. Succulents can easily be added to existing planters to refresh the look or they can be planted alone in a container. Explore with your child what makes succulents so unique and start planting!

The Dakota County Master Gardeners partner with the Dakota County Juvenile Services Center in Hastings to plant and nurture a garden that teaches important lessons to the residents of the Center and provides produce for the county’s food shelves. The garden is part of the New Chance day treatment program. Male youth have the opportunity to work in the garden with the guidance of Master Gardeners. Read this article to learn more about how this important project serves as a teaching tool for youth and a source of food for county residents in need.

What leafy vegetable could be a more fitting staple of summer than the humble lettuce, which makes up the backbone of a refreshing salad and adds a fresh crunch to any picnic sandwich? Cultivation of lettuce dates back to the ancient Egyptians, who used the plant as an important food crop and seed oil source. Today, there are hundreds of varieties of lettuce grown across the globe. Keep reading to find out how you can grow this quick-growing crop in your own garden.

Petunias! Bi-colors, tri-colors, bright colors, stripes, ruffles . . . What’s not to love? If you’ve seen petunias in July and August you know what’s not to love. Starting off full and fluffy, as the summer wears on petunias drop their blooms, grow long and scraggly and much less lovable. Read this article to learn what to do to keep your beautiful petunias looking full and fluffy.

Some shrubs can be pruned later in the summer but not all of them. Some plants must be pruned right after they bloom so as to not cut off the beginning of next year’s blooms. Learn when it is okay to prune the shrubs in your yard. This article will tell you what you need about grooming your shrubs to keep them healthy and looking their best.

Do you have some beautiful plants or vegetables in your garden that you would like to replicate next season? You can make that happen by saving the seeds from that plant and growing them yourself. If you haven’t given seed saving a try, now is the perfect time to start. As the season starts winding down, it’s a great time to look around your garden, assess what you’ve planted, and decide if you would like to grow it from seed next year. Read this article for a few tips on making your seed harvesting a success.

A warm summer night and the fragrance of wisteria is in the air. Okay, I admit to being a bit of a romantic, but this gorgeous native perennial invites images of lost gentility . . . even if it never really happened. Learn why and how to grow this lovely climbing vine in your garden in this article.

Summertime - a flower extravaganza! The beauty of flowers cannot be beat, but now what do we do as summer comes to a close. Is there a way to preserve or hold onto the flowers throughout fall and winter? Did you say throughout winter? Yes, it is possible to preserve your summertime flowers throughout Winter in a fun and creative way with the Little Sprouts in your life using simple items you may have at home!

As the summer growing season comes to an end, we in the gardening community know our work is not quite done. With the end of the season comes the start of the next, and before you know it, it's already time to clean up your garden. Before you start this necessary process, consider how a few simple sustainable practices can help support your garden’s long-term health while helping local systems thrive.