< Back The Power of Edamame Edamame is a recently popular vegetable that deserves a place in your garden and kitchen. Rich in protein, antioxidants and fiber, it has many health benefits. Edamame can be eaten in many different ways. Read more about this powerful vegetable in this article. Marjory Blare, Master Gardener Edamame is a name for immature green soy beans. It has been enjoyed in Asia for a long time and now it is catching on in western cuisine. In the U.S., you will find it in the frozen vegetable section. It will be in the pod and is meant to be steamed or boiled. The pod isn't edible, but the beans slip out easily after cooking, to be eaten immediately or used in other dishes. They are good cold too. In addition to tasting good, there are some promising health benefits. A life-long diet rich in soy has been linked to a reduced risk of breast cancer. Edamame can reduce the LDL (bad cholesterol) if soy protein replaces animal protein. Isoflavones found in edamame can have an effect similar to estrogen, and may reduce menopause symptoms. Edamame is low on the glycemic index making it attractive to people with type II diabetes. It is a good source of vitamin C, calcium and iron. https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-edamame Edamame can be eaten raw or cooked, tossed in a salad, mashed with garlic on toast or put into pasta or hot dishes. You can find dry-roasted, salted edamame snacks that are vegan, gluten free, Kosher, and non-GMO. If you grow you own, you can make your own snacks! With all these benefits it is great to learn that edamame is also easy to grow! Many seed catalogs will carry Tohya seed (an early variety, 78 days to maturity), but there are also Karikachi (85 days) and Chiba (83 days) varieties. The last and first frost dates for Dakota County are May 8th and October 10th. Knowing these dates and the days to maturity will help inform your choice of variety. Plant the seeds about 6” apart and 1” deep, after the last frost date. They do not respond well to being started indoors and transplanted. They need well-drained soil and don't like wet feet. They have very few pests and most vegetable varieties have been bred for resistance to aphids and Phytophthora root rot. The plants can be up to 2.5 feet tall, the pods are about 2.5” and contain 2-3 beans. Most pods ripen at nearly the same time, but if you leave the smaller pods they will get bigger later. They are open-pollinated, so it is possible to save seed. Try this is recipe from the North Carolina Cooperative Extension: Crispy Edamame Ingredients: 1 (12 ounce) package frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans) 1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper to taste Directions: ● Preheat the oven to 400° F (200°C). ● Place the edamame into a colander and rinse under cold water to thaw. Drain. Spread the edamame beans into the bottom of a 9 × 13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle cheese over the top and season with salt and pepper. ● Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is crispy and golden, about 15 minutes. Read more at: https://lenoir.ces.ncsu.edu/2018/02/dont-be-afraid-of-the-little-green-bean-2/ Growing edamame is easy and rewarding. Eating it is delicious! Give it a try! Photo credits: www.ourfood.nl (1), www.flickr.com (2), Pumpsandiron.com (2)

< Back Ethnic Heritage Food Joy Johnson, Master Gardener With the onset of cold weather, embrace your comfort food roots. Joy Johnson shares two of her family’s comfort recipes. Try them and they may become your new comfort food recipes. With the onset of cold weather, my thoughts and appetite go back to the “good old days” when I was a kid. The foods my mother, grandmother and aunts prepared always seemed to be just what I needed. Today we call that ‘comfort food’, going back to what made you feel good as a kid. Thinking back to those wonderful meals, I realize that I have a divided gastronomic family. Half of it is Hungarian and half of it is German. I have terrific recipes from both sides of the family. One year we grew over 30 cabbages. My young daughter and her friend were having such a fun time planting, that I just let them keep going and didn’t realize what I huge harvest we’d have. We fermented over 30 quarts of sauerkraut that year. The soup recipe below is a delicious one to try if you have homemade sauerkraut. It works well with the store-bought kind too. I think it’s fun to try new recipes, especially if they are someone else’s ‘tried and true’ ones, because then you know they’ve been taste tested and honed to perfection over the years. Here are two family tested recipes, one from my Hungarian side and one from my German side. Hmmm, it’s kind of funny, but my mom started serving them both at the same meal, with additional Hungarian dishes on the side. That’s now our newish family tradition, a delicious mixture in one comforting and very satisfying meal. Sauerkraut Soup (from the German side) 1 quart sauerkraut; rinse, squeeze, chop 1 pound Polska Kolbasi sausage ½ cup rice (I use brown rice) Brown flour for thickening (2/3 cup flour toasted in 3 tablespoons butter. Stir constantly until flour turns golden brown) 1 teaspoon caraway seed Cut sausage into bit size slices, cover with water and cook a few minutes to remove fat. Remove slices from water, save water, refrigerate so fat will harden. Remove hardened fat from water and discard. Add sauerkraut and caraway seeds to this water, cook about 15 minutes, add sausage slices, cook 10 minutes, whisk water into the browned flour in a separate bowl until smooth, add a little of this to the soup, add rice. Cook slowly until the rice is done. DON’T add all the browned flour mix at once, see how it thickens, it varies depending on how much water you started with. Bobyka (from the Hungarian side) Take any white bread recipe (or frozen bread dough works). Take a portion of the dough, place in palms of your hands, rubbing back and forth, make it like a rope about a half inch in diameter. Cut into 1-inch pieces and roll them into balls in the palm of your hand. Place on a greased cookie sheet (or cover it with parchment paper). Bake until golden brown at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Immerse them in boiling water for just a few minutes ‘til softened, not too long or they will fall apart. Melt ¼ cup butter, add dough balls (bobykas), add about 1 tablespoon ground poppyseed and about 1 tablespoon honey. Serve warm. They taste like little breadsticks.

< Back Fall Perennials Leah Randt, Master Gardener Creating season-long interest in your flowerbed is a rewarding part of our hobby. Watching as plants come alive and change throughout the season creates renewed interest and excitement. When the temperatures start to cool off with the approach of fall, you may find a lack of flowering plants in your bed. There are several choices of striking ornamental grasses to choose from, but what about flowers? Creating season-long interest in your flowerbed is a rewarding part of our hobby. Watching as plants come alive and change throughout the season creates renewed interest and excitement. When the temperatures start to cool off with the approach of fall, you may find a lack of flowering plants in your bed. There are several choices of striking ornamental grasses to choose from, but what about flowers? I have picked my top four fall flowering perennials that you can plant for keeping color in your flowerbed until frost hits. Anemone x hybrida , commonly called Windflower or Japanese Anemone , is in the buttercup family and can bring color to your flowerbed just as summer is fading. The dainty blooms can come in snow white, pink, or even dark purple, and they are a favorite of bees. This perennial is a vigorous, low-maintenance plant that forms neat, dense, compact mounds of foliage. Japanese Anemone can grow to be 3-4 feet tall when blooming and will bloom for 5-8 weeks from late summer into early fall. The plant grows best in full sun to part shade, in evenly moist but well-drained soil. However, it has been known to do well even in clay soil. Deer and rabbits will leave Japanese Anemone plants alone, and they do not have any serious insect or disease problems. This perennial makes an excellent choice all around, especially for cottage-styled flower beds. Helenium autumnale , commonly called Helenium or Sneezeweed . Allergy sufferers need not fear the name - Helenium blooms around the same time as wild ragweed. Ragweed is a major source of hay-fever-inducing pollen, and Helenium is falsely blamed for this because it blooms at the same time. A member of the Asteraceae family, these daisy-like flowers resemble coneflowers and come in many different varieties from yellow to coppery brown and red. Preferring full sun and moist conditions, Helenium will quickly mature to three to five feet tall and have a spread of 24 inches wide. This fall blooming perennial is a great choice for pollinator beds or cut flower gardens. Balloon Flowers, Platycodon grandifloras , are a clump-forming perennial flower. They are well named for their puffy, balloon-like buds that swell up to produce 2-3-inch star-shaped flowers. Just before the blooms burst, kids love to pop them open. It can be a great way to get children enthusiastic about gardening. These flowers are an excellent choice for any gardener because they are resilient and demand no special treatment. You will get the most flowers if you plant in full sun (but part shade is also acceptable) and if you deadhead spent blooms. Providing cheerful lavender/blue flowers P. grandifloras will grow to a height of 24 to 36 inches. They make a great middle to back of the border plant because they rarely flop over and their soft color compliments many other plants. Balloon Flowers also make lovely additions to containers. Asters make a wonderful addition to any flower bed looking to continue color into fall. Asters flower in response to the shortening days of fall. They bloom from August through October, sometimes into November. There are dozens of cultivars of Asters, and their daisy-like flowers range in color from purple, blue, or pink. Pollinators will flock to this plant as it provides a rare source of late-season nectar. Asters prefer to be planted in an area with full sun and well-draining soils. They need plenty of room to grow in your flowerbed, reaching mature heights of 1-6 feet tall and 1-4 feet wide, this size can vary by type. I prefer to prune mine back mid-season to keep them bushier. Asters also make a lovely choice if you wish to feed wild birds. If left standing through winter, finches and chickadees are fond of Aster seeds. Creating color interest in your flowerbed through fall can be made possible with the additions of Japanese Anemone, Helenium, Balloon Flowers, and Asters. All these flowering perennials are unique and easy to care for. They come in a variety of colors, so you will be sure to find one that compliments your garden design. With added benefits, such as attracting pollinators or feeding wild birds, this group of perennials are excellent for anyone looking to support wildlife going into our cold Minnesota winters. If you are looking for more information on what to plant in your flower bed, be sure to check out the U of M extension website or contact your local Master Gardeners. Japanese Anemone Sources: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/anemone-honorine-jobert/ Helenium Sources: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/helenium-helenium-autumnale/ Photo credits: University of Wisconsin Extension (1, 2), gardenia.net (3,4)

< Back March is a Great Time to Prune Many Trees and Shrubs Sally McNamara, Master Gardener Don’t let the fact that there is still snow on the ground deter you from getting outside and pruning the trees and shrubs in your yard that need it. Late winter and early spring is the best time to prune most trees and shrubs. This article will provide some advice on how to go about it to make your plants and yourself pleased with the result. Don’t let the fact that there is still snow on the ground deter you from getting outside and pruning the trees and shrubs in your yard that need it. Late winter and early spring is the best time to prune most trees and shrubs. This article will provide some advice on how to go about it to make your plants and yourself pleased with the result. Believe it or not, the biggest mistake with pruning shrubs is being too conservative. While it is certainly possible to REMOVE too much, most pruners LEAVE too much. The other major mistake is not using sharp, effective pruning tools. Cutting is easier and better for the plant with the right size sharp tool. Disinfecting tools with a disinfecting wipe between plants is ALWAYS a good idea to prevent any potential for disease spread. There are 5 reasons to prune: 1) Remove diseased, damaged or dangerous material 2) Develop a strong framework for growth 3) Improve air circulation and fruit production 4) Improve a plant’s shape 5) Control size - although planting the right-sized plant initial is a better solution Timing Most pruning of both trees and shrubs is best done in late winter/early spring when the plants are just coming out of dormancy, the form of the plant without the leaves is visible, and the sap is beginning to flow. Sap moving into the pruning wounds helps the healing process and prevents drying out of the plant material. Winter winds will extract moisture from the plant through the pruning cuts so fall is NOT a good time to prune. The one big exception to this rule is maples and birch which can be pruned after the spring sap flow has slowed. Spring flowering plants should typically be pruned AFTER they flower. Summer and fall bloomers are best pruned in the late winter/early spring. Pruning during the growing season opens the plant to disease and insect damage. Oaks especially should not be pruned between April and August to avoid the picnic beetle which spreads oak wilt. Plant material damaged by storms, etc. should be removed as soon as possible if it could cause harm to people or structures. Diseased or insect damaged material should be removed to limit spread of the problem. Discarding of diseased material should be done with care - bag and discard in the trash for small amounts. Transfer to a facility that composts material to a proper temperature for larger quantities. Proper cuts The magic words in pruning are “branch collar” followed by “branch bud”. Using the t hree-cut method to remove most of the branch weight before complete removal is important on large branches to prevent ripping the bark down the tree. Branches should always be cut back to the branch collar and cut cleanly at that point. Cutting further in or leaving a stump out decreases the tree’s ability to grow protective bark over the wound and increases the chance of disease and insect damage. Smaller branches should be cut at a bud point to encourage growth and not leave material for decay. When pruning away dead material, prune well back to living material. General pruning of shrubs should be done to improve overall plant health. Recommended. Removing old growth to the trunk or soil results in a refreshed plant, such as pictured below. Discouraged. Shearing the plant encourages more growth in the top part, limiting light and air to the interior, causing dead inner branches. An excellent reference book on pruning is ESSENTIAL PRUNING TECHNIQUES: Trees, Shrubs, Conifers by George E. Brown and Tony Kirkham. So, put on your warm jacket and boots and give your trees and shrubs a proper haircut before the warm days of spring! Photo credits: theiowagardener.com (1), Alden Land Nursery Livermore CA (2), thisoldhouse.com (3, 4, 5)

< Back Beyond Rosemary, Basil, and Thyme Stacy Reeves reviews Beyond Rosemary, Basil, and Thyme, a book that describes the many ways to enjoy a variety of herbs. The book talks about seventy herbs both common and uncommon. It includes history, growing tips and recipes to help you enjoy herbs that you can grow in your own garden. Stacy Reeves, Master Gardener Theresa Mieseler’s book, Beyond Rosemary, Basil, and Thyme, is aptly named. After many gardeners’ first plants of the season, their next thoughts often move to next season, next harvest, and how to go beyond. My personal beyond has always been something edible in my garden, but Mieseler highlights the many uses of herbs, such as for flavor, garnishes, spiritual and cultural rituals, medicines, and aromas. Though the author is Minnesotan she details herbs from all over the world and includes an outline of growth habits, favorite uses, and even offers some recipes. The pictures included in the book are beautiful and aid the author’s explanations of the varieties. Walking through a seed catalog can be delightful. However, Mieseler's inclusion of her farm, grandfather, and even the weather as characters made the book more interesting to read. She recounts the herbaceous varieties she’s loved over the years and why she would recommend them. Readers are sure to learn new things about both familiar and unfamiliar herbs. Photo Credit: Theresa Mieseler (1)

< Back Minnesota Arbor Day - April 28, 2023 Mary Gadek, Master Gardener “He who plants a tree, plants hope.” ~Lucy Larcom Each year, Arbor Day is celebrated around the world. Each state in the United States sets aside one day each year for its Arbor Day to think about why trees are important to the world and to celebrate them. Minnesota has chosen the last Friday in April for its Arbor Day. Click here to learn why there is an Arbor Day celebration and how to celebrate it with your family. Let’s celebrate our Minnesota trees on Arbor Day, April 28, 2023! Everywhere you go in Minnesota, you see many trees of different types, sizes and shapes. Why celebrate Arbor Day? Arbor Day highlights the power and importance of trees in the World. Trees help our climate . The bad emissions from things like some vehicles and machinery and land use changes have added too much carbon dioxide into our air. Trees can improve the air by pulling in carbon dioxide and then, in exchange, releasing oxygen back into our air. Trees benefit our communities . In addition to cleaning our air, trees filter water and slow storm flooding in our neighborhoods. The shade of a tree near a home or building can keep it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter as well as provide a beautiful area for physical activity. Also, trees have been shown to calm stress when doing activities, like resting under a tree or strolling through a forest. Trees maintain the biodiversity of the environment . “Biodiversity”, or the collection of plants, animals and other creatures in an area, fosters balance among each other that is needed to live, providing food and shelter in an environment. A tree can give shelter on its branches or under its canopy as well as provide seeds and nuts for food to the wildlife around it. How to celebrate Arbor Day? Plant a tree . Arbor Day is celebrated by planting a tree or trees to continue the benefits of trees in our world. Starting as early as February through May, many cities in Dakota County have tree sales, of smaller, bare root trees for economical prices. Perfect for a yard with little to no trees! See links below for some Dakota County tree sales. Participate in one of the many educational activities . The Arbor Day Foundation’s website has many educational resources, including activity sheets and interactive learning pages, to further your child’s knowledge about trees. https://www.arborday.org/kids/ Read about a special tree . The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is a picture book for all ages with the main character of a tree giving love and acceptance all of its life. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein . Check it out at the Dakota County library. Or purchase on Amazon : So, help you child plant a tree or take part in one of the many educational activities related to trees. Or, on any old day, just take a walk among the trees and help you child appreciate all that trees do for us. Dakota County tree sales links: (this is not an exhaustive list; more sales will become available through May; check your local city or township website if it is not listed below): https://dakotaswcd.org/2023-tree-sale-2/ https://www.lakevillemn.gov/723/Annual-Arbor-Day-Tree-and-Shrub-Sale https://cityofeagan.com/treesale https://www.burnsvillemn.gov/1008/Tree-Sale https://treetrust.org/non-profit/trees-for-sale/mendota-heights/ Photo credits: Mary Gadek (1, 2), Matt Gadek (3), book cover (4)

< Back For Healthy Plants, Understand Your Soil First As you start to prepare your garden for spring planting, attending to the quality of your soil is one of the first things on the list. Testing and possibly amending your soil may not be as fun as planting, but these steps are crucial to the health of your plants. This article explains how to understand your soil and how to make it a beneficial host for your vegetables, shrubs, trees or flowers Mickey Scullard, Dakota County Master Gardener It all starts in the ground! Soil – or ‘dirt’ – is a critical component of gardening, along with water and sunlight. Soil is often the cause of plant problems and for this reason, it is important to understand what kind of soil you have. While this could become quite technical, there are some basic concepts that will help you understand what kind of soil you have and what actions you could take to improve it. As Dr. Anne Sawyer, from the University of Minnesota Department of Soil, Water, and Climate says, “healthy soils, healthy plants”. Dr. Sawyer explains that the soil is alive, full of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and other organisms that support plant growth. In an ideal planting situation, the soil would be loamy. This means water moves through the dirt, it has a good mix of nutrients, and provide plants with the ability to grow their roots out with ease. Loamy soil looks black and crumbly and if you squeeze it gently, forms a ball or log. Clay soil is the least ideal type of medium for growing plants. If you squeeze it, it will form a solid ball. Clay soil does not allow water to filter through the soil particles, often creating puddles or little ponds. It is very compact. Plants struggle to grow their roots and often look stunted and unhealthy. Fruit and vegetables are unlikely to produce a good harvest. Sandy soil, like loamy soil, filters water but it filters water quite quickly, making it difficult to maintain a good moist soil. If you try to squeeze sandy soil, you will not be able to form any kind of structure. Plants grown in sandy soil require frequent watering and may sometimes look a little wilted. To further test your soil, you can do an infiltration test , which can be done with a soup can! This is a simple way to see how well water is draining and how long it takes your soil to absorb water. When possible, it is best to perform this test when the soil is dry so you can get a more accurate test. This infiltration test site provides step by step instructions. The good news is that you can amend most soils. That means you can improve your soil by adding organic matter. This can help to improve the soil’s water filtration (permeability) and aeration (air flow, oxygenation), which helps it to become similar to that ideal loamy soil. Soil amendments can also bring in nutrients that plants need to grow and thrive. For sandy soil , you would introduce materials that will give it more structure and help hold in the water or slow its movement. The amendments may include compost, peat moss, or decomposed/composted manure (never use ‘fresh’ manure – it can burn plants). For clay soil , you want to try to break up the solid mass. You would also thoroughly mix in compost and peat moss or other organic materials. However, to be frank, clay soil can be daunting to amend. Many people find they are not able to improve the soil sufficiently to create a better growing environment. Often the best solution for those with clay soil is installing raised beds and filling them with good garden soil. This article is not going to delve into several other important factors present in soils but you should know that plant problems may also be caused by several other soil-related factors. For example, knowing the ph of your soil (is it acidic or basic) can significantly impact plants. For this reason, it is usually recommended that you test your soil. Other articles in the Garden Buzz have talked about soil testing. You also can go right to the University of Minnesota website to learn more about soil testing and get instructions on how to take a soil sample and where to send it for testing. As you start to prepare your garden for spring planting, attending to the quality of your soil is one of the first things on the list. Not only will your plants be happier, so will you! Resources: Healthy Soil, Healthy Plants Managing soil and nutrients in yards and gardens Soil Testing What’s My Soil Type? Photo Credits: University of Minnesota Extension (1,2), www.flickr.com (3), Pngimg.com (4)

< Back Sedum in Your Fall Garden Tracey Scurto Autumn Joy Sedum is a perennial with thick, succulent leaves, fleshy stems, and clusters of star-shaped flowers. There are many varieties of Sedum. Adding them to your garden will extend interest and color well into the late Fall. Looking for the perfect plant that is easy on the eyes and provides beauty all year round? Then maybe adding Sedum to your garden or containers is the answer. All gardeners, from beginners to seasoned professionals, can find a place for Sedum in their gardening plans. This diverse group of plants has many varieties, and even in September and October, Sedums will bring color and interest to any landscape. One of the most popular and easiest Sedum to grow is Autumn Joy . Its dramatic presence can be used in a variety of ways. Use it as a backdrop for other early blooming perennials or plant it center stage where its beauty will create a pleasing focal point. Autumn Joy’s popularity for use in containers is expanding due to its rich fall color, which is a perfect complement to any autumn themed planter. Though popular in the fall, this reliable bloomer looks fantastic all year round. In late spring its thick stem starts to appear with a sturdy uniformed look that has a stunning polished appearance. The flower heads, composed of mini blossoms, appear in early August and can remain vibrant through November. The bloom’s first color appears in a pale pink and then slowly develops as the weeks progress into a deep shade of copper. When other perennials are fading, Autumn Joy hits its stride. During September and October its large flower heads are in full bloom. These late bloomers are also a fall favorite for bees and butterflies and help extend the pollen that is available in your garden. If left standing, Autumn Joy looks exceptional, even after first frost. By forgoing deadheading, it will provide a good source of food for birds and provide year end interest. This easy to care for perennial prefers full sun and well-drained soil. It is drought tolerant and in fact prefers dryer conditions. Autumn Joy can be pinched back in the spring to encourage bushier growth and prevent flopping. Any variety of Sedum can be a wonderful addition to any gardener’s pallet. It is easy to grow, extremely hardy and drought tolerant. Autumn Joy is a favorite of many gardeners for its vibrant fall color. With so many varieties to choose from, you will be able to find one best suited for you. Can’t decide? Plant an entire garden bed of different varieties of Sedum! It will not disappoint. Photo credits: Tracey Scurto (1, 2, 3, 4)

< Back Minnesota’s Garlic Festival Do you love to flavor your food with garlic? If your answer is yes, you may be interested in Minnesota’s super fun Garlic Festival. Every year, Minnesota’s Garlic Festival celebrates all things garlic. Read this article to learn about the education, food and fun you will find at the festival, which is coming up on August 15th. Mickey Scullard, Dakota County Master Gardener Every year for the past 19 years, on the second Saturday of August, Minnesota’s Garlic Festival ( https://www.mngarlicfest.com/ ) kicks off a day of celebrating all things garlic. Hosted by the Crow River Chapter of the Minnesota Sustainable Farming Association, the festival includes Minnesota garlic producers, celebrity chefs, artisans and vendors selling a wide range of fun items, and of course, food flavored with garlic. For the more adventurous eater, garlic ice cream is often available. Chefs create garlic forward dishes and cooking demonstrations provide attendees with ideas for using the fresh garlic they have just purchased. Classes on growing garlic are often offered, too. Photo credit: Mickey Scullard The festival is held at the McLeod County Fairgrounds located in Hutchinson, Minnesota – a little over an hour west of the Twin Cities. This year, the festival is on Saturday, August 15 and runs from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. There is an admission charge – last year, it cost $10. There is onsite parking usually hosted by a local boy scout troop, and the parking fee has been about $1-$3. You may be surprised to learn that garlic has many varieties, and many people develop a preference for particular ones. Some of the common varieties are Music and Inchellium, but you might want to try the mild flavored Leah or Georgian Crystal, or those with a hotness like Romanian Red, Georgian Fire, and Lorz (Italian), or the hot peppery taste of Susan Marie. If you like a lingering flavor, you’ll want to try Chesnok Red. Other garlics grown in Minnesota and available at the Garlic Festival include Belarus, Korean Red, Krasnodar White, Chrysalis Purple, Purple Glazer, Red Grain, Polish, and Zemo, among others. Garlic is planted in the fall before the ground freezes. It emerges very early in the spring, produces ‘scapes in June, and is harvested in July. It has to dry for a couple of weeks to cure, which helps it last longer ‘Scapes are the curling top of the garlic and many people consider them a great delicacy. They are cut off the stalk of the garlic plant and can be fried in butter or chopped up and added to food for a nice mild garlic flavor. To learn more about growing garlic at home, the University of Minnesota Extension Gardening program has excellent information: Growing garlic in home gardens ( https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-garlic ). Photo credit: Mickey Scullard The garlic purchased at the festival is not only excellent for eating, but also is a good way to get ‘seed’ garlic for planting in April/May. The garlic is grown by local Minnesota growers. While you could plant garlic from store bought bulbs, they may or may not grow in Minnesota. Photo credit: Mickey Scullard Garlic growers, it turns out, like to celebrate the garlic harvest and have a promenade twice a day. People in garlic costumes walk the short parade route along with Heart of the Beast puppeteers, musicians, and others creating a very quirky and unique parade. Numerous activities are geared toward kids. None of the fun intrudes on the main event – garlic for sale! Photo credit: Mickey Scullard

< Back Let’s Grow Cranberries! What is Thanksgiving and Christmas without the sweet and tart flavors of cranberries? Did you know that 20% of the cranberry harvest is consumed Thanksgiving week! Wisconsin is the number one producer of commercially grown cranberries in the U.S. while Minnesota has only one commercial cranberry farm in the state. But have you ever asked yourself if you can grow cranberries in your garden? Read this article, if you are interested in growing or just learning more about cranberries. Janelle Rietz-Kamenar, Dakota County Master Gardener Wisconsin is the number one producer (or 60%) of commercially grown cranberries in the U.S. For Wisconsin, it’s a $1 billion industry covering more than 21,000 acres with over 250 farms. By contrast, Minnesota has one commercial cranberry farm in the state located a few hours north of the Twin Cities. But have you ever asked yourself if you can grow cranberries in your garden? If you are interested in learning more about what it takes to grow cranberries, read on. Large Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is a native plant whose berries are similar to what we purchase in the grocery store. The native woody perennial plant grows naturally in bogs and sphagnum swamps which are common throughout central Minnesota, eastward through the Great Lakes, up into New England and parts of Canada. It prefers full sun. The plant height is only 4 to 6 inches! The fruit is 1/3 to 2/3 inches in diameter. Cultivated varieties of this plant found in the stores are even larger. The flowers are white to pinkish (size ¼ to 3/8 inches long) that resemble a small lily. The bloom season is June through August. The leaves are leathery and evergreen and measure 1/3 to 2/3 inches long. The cranberry native plant can be grown in Dakota County but the soil has to be amended significantly in order to do so. Much of Dakota County has clay and alkaline (pH around 6-7) soil. Cranberries prefer acidic soils with a pH of 4.0 to 5.5. They like moist, well-drained sandy soil so you need to emulate this environment. Their roots, however, do not like standing water. So, planting them in a sunny, raised bed location where you can add compost and sand will create the desired environment for them to grow. Plant cranberries in early spring or early fall. Plant them 2-3 feet apart to allow for growth and spread. Please note that the cranberry plant roots, called stolons (runners), sprawl out horizontally and create dense mats. Because of the shape of their flowers, cranberries do not usually self-pollinate but rely heavily on bees. They produce green berries which turn white and eventually a deep red when ripened. It usually takes 60 to 120 days to fully ripen (average 80 days). Even though they can create dense mats, you still need to weed and prune them as well as maintain their acidic soil. Commercial growers will vary the planting and harvesting processes based on the fruit’s end use such as fresh fruit, dried cranberries, juice or sauces. They will be dry harvested for fresh fruit with a mechanical picker similar to a lawn mower which rakes them up. More often, commercial cranberries are wet harvested, which means the ground is flooded with 6 to 8 inches of water. Then specialized tractors with agitators and rollers will loosen the berries from the plant and allow the berries to float on top of the water where they are loaded onto a conveyor. A home gardener will obviously pick them manually. While this article has focused on the native Large Cranberry, it should be noted that Minnesota also has another native plant called Vaccinium oxycoccos (Small Cranberry). Moreover, you may have heard of American Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum opulus var. americanum) which is not a cranberry at all but a berry-like drupe that turns translucent red upon maturity and has a single seed in it. The fruit tastes similar to a cranberry, hence the name. They are a great shrub though, especially for windbreak plantings. It may be a challenge but if you want to supply your own cranberries for next year’s holidays, do some research and give it go. https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/impacts/files/2024/09/WisconsinCranberriesSupportingaBillionDollarIndustry.pdf https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2019-11-12-cranberries https://minnesotawildflowers.info/shrub/large-cranberry https://minnesotawildflowers.info/shrub/small-cranberry https://minnesotawildflowers.info/shrub/american-highbush-cranberry Photo Credits: Peter Dziuk, Minnesota Wildflowers (1-2), Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association (3)

< Back Let Your Yard Take Flight with Bats Cherise Skeba, Dakota County Master Gardener Attract bats to my garden? Why would I want to do that? To understand why, you must read this fascinating article about the benefits of bats in the urban, suburban or rural garden. Learn more about how bats help to reduce the pesky mosquito population and benefit your garden soil. Learn how to attract local bat species and provide shelter for them. Beyond the benefits bats provide to our environment, they are interesting creatures as this article explains. If you want to reduce the insect pests in your garden or simply enjoy a more insect-free evening in your yard, consider gardening techniques that attract bats. Each Minnesota bat consumes about 1500 mosquito-sized insects each night, a meal equal to between 25% and 100% of the bats’ body weight. [1] Reduction in the mosquito population by bats has led to the reduction of mosquito-borne diseases, including the West Nile virus. Bats also come with the added benefit of natural, organic fertilizer – i.e. bat guano – that automatically helps fertilize your lawn and can be captured to help fertilize your garden. Beyond the gardening benefits of bats, bats devour enough insects every night to reduce agricultural pesticide use in the U.S., saving farmers about $3.7 billion dollars a year. In a similar fashion, bats eat forest insects that help preserve trees planted by the lumber industry [2]. In addition, bat research has led to advancements in navigational aids for the blind, use of sonar technologies and new medications (e.g. vampire bat saliva helps manage blood clots). [3] Read on to learn more about bats, gardening to attract bats and bat houses. Minnesota Bats (primary citation [1]) There are eight different bat species found in Minnesota, 42 species in the U.S. and over 1400 species around the world [4]. If you see a bat in Dakota County, you are likely observing a Big Brown Bat which is the most common bat species in Minnesota. Big Brown Bats are 4 to 6 inches in length and like most bats are very light, weighing 12 to 15 grams (less than 0.06 pounds). Their wingspan ranges from 12 to 14 inches in flight and they can often be seen flying 20-30 feet above ground near treetops. Big Brown Bats will swoop through the air and to the ground to capture their preferred meal of flying and ground beetles. However, Big Brown Bats are feeding generalists and will devour many insects including mosquitoes, flies, stink bugs, wasps, moths and leafhoppers. [5] Big Brown Bats have long golden-brown fur on their backs with lighter fur on their bellies. They also have large pointy snouts, bright eyes and large rounded ears (see image A). Big Brown Bats are prevalent in Dakota County because they have adapted to urban living and can often be found roosting in buildings and other man-made structures. Big Brown Bat Each pregnant Big Brown Bat has a baby (called a “pup”) in June or July and will nurse their pups for 4-5 weeks. Big Brown Bats hibernate from November through April and generally will not travel more than 50 miles from their summer roosts to their winter hibernation site. Big Brown Bats are the only known Minnesota species that can hibernate in buildings to survive the winter. Other Minnesota bat species must find a cave or other underground habitat or must migrate over winter. The other species of bat that you may encounter in Dakota County is the Little Brown Myotis, also known as the Little Brown Bat. Little Brown Bats have also adapted to urban areas and may be found in buildings and other man-made structures. Little Brown Bats are 3 to 4 inches in length and weigh 7 to 12 grams (less than 0.03 pounds). Their wingspan ranges from 8 to 11 inches in flight and they are often seen flying a few feet above water or near the top of bushes. Their preferred food is water insects like mayflies and midges. In addition, Little Brown Bats will eat mosquitoes, little flies, moths and beetles. [6] Little Brown Bat Little Brown Bats have short brown fur on their backs with lighter fur on their bellies. They also have small snouts, small eyes and pointed ears (see image B). Little Brown Bats hibernate in caves or mines and mate just prior to hibernation or during hibernation. Sperm is stored over the winter with female ovulation occurring just as the bats awake in the spring. Pups are born in May or June and are nursed for 3-4 weeks. Little Brown Bats will skim over the surface of water to drink or catch water insects. Therefore, proximity to water is important for Little Brown Bats. Little Brown Bats were the most prevalent bat in Minnesota but the species has been decimated by disease in recent years with a 90% population loss. The remaining species of Minnesota bats include the Eastern Red Bat, the Evening Bat, the Hoary Bat (Minnesota’s largest bat), the Northern Long-Eared Bat, the Silver-Haired Bat and the Tri-Colored Bat. It would be uncommon in Dakota County to observe any of these six species of Minnesota bats since they mostly live in forested areas and have not readily adapted to urban areas. Gardening to Attract Bats (primary citations [7]-[9]) Attracting bats to your yard starts by attracting the insects that bats eat, especially nocturnal insects. Moths may be the most well-known nocturnal insects and will be more prevalent in gardens that contain native plants with open blooms at night. Bee Balm, Evening Primrose, Goldenrod, Phlox, Purple Coneflower and Yarrow are good examples of native Minnesota flowers that have open blooms at night. A more comprehensive list of plants that attract moths has been supplied by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. [10] Gardeners may be leery about attracting moths because of the perceived damage that moths inflict on plants. Moths do not eat plants; moth larvae eat plants. You can reduce the damage that moth larvae cause to garden plants by planting milkweed and native grasses in a remote location where the grasses can provide food and shelter to the moth larvae. The University of Minnesota has created a list of native grasses and the insects that the grasses attract. [11] Many insects create their homes in dead tree branches and dead trees. Therefore, you can increase the insect population and attract bats by allowing dead tree wood to remain in your yard. To attract beneficial beetles that are the favorite of Big Brown Bats, maintain a compost pile, keep piles of leaves, plant taller grasses, stop mowing part of your lawn and plant clover which attracts beetles. A couple of simple things that all gardeners can do to attract beetles is to maintain a container of rotting sticks and dead leaves and/or a mound of dirt without plants where beetles can make their homes. [12] In addition to attracting insects, additional tips that can help attract bats to your yard include: Plant native, flowering vines at the base of walls or fences. The vining spaces serve as temporary protective bat roosts when bats are flying at night. Minimize use of pesticides which can poison the insects that bats eat. Avoid using treated lumber in your yard because the chemicals may be absorbed by bats that come in contact with the lumber. Keep cats out of your yard since they will hunt bats. Provide a large-surface water source for the bats if a natural water source is not available. Install a bat house. Access to bat guano is an extra benefit to having bats in your yard. Always wear gloves and a mask when handling bat guano and wash your hands and clothes after working with bat guano. Bat guano has an NPK of about 10-3-1 and is a longer lasting fertilizer that is not easily washed away with the rain. Using bat guano that you collect rather than buying bat guano fertilizer helps conserve bat populations since store-bought fertilizers generally require people to disrupt bat caves. You can differentiate between bat guano and droppings from other animals by squishing the poop and holding it up to a light. Bat guano will glitter due to the remains of hard insect shells that cannot be digested by bats. If the poop you find is dull, it is not bat guano. Moderate amounts of bat guano may be added to your compost pile and may accelerate the decomposition process. In addition, gardeners may sprinkle bat guano in the garden or make bat guano tea to spray on leaves to protect the plants from fungal diseases. You can make bat guano tea by wrapping ½ cup of bat guano in cheese cloth and letting the guano stew for three days in a gallon of water. Excess bat guano may be disposed of at The Recycling Zone in Eagan and should not be added to any curbside pickup bins. [13][14] Interesting Bat Facts and Myths Bats are the only mammal capable of true flight. [19] Bats can live to be over 30 years old in the wild but the average life expectancy is between 6 and 7 years. About 50% of bats die during their first winter. (a) Female bats typically have one baby per year with little reproductive decline as they age. Gestation time varies based on bat species, temperature and precipitation. Minnesota bat gestation times range from 40 to 70 days. (a) Some bats in warmer climates eat nectar, helping to pollinate plants such as agave which is critical in the production of tequila. There are also bat species that eat fruit, fish, frogs and lizards. [4][19] Bats do not drink the blood of humans. However, there are three species of vampire bats primarily found south of the U.S. that will bite animals such as livestock and lick their blood. [20] Brown bats use echolocation to detect objects up to 30 to 66 feet away. Bats are not blind and may use vision to see beyond their echolocation boundaries. [15] Bats do not sweat but will drink water, lick themselves, or sometimes urinate on themselves to cool off. [15] Bats may enter a state of “torpor” to conserve energy during cooler hours. Bats take 40 minutes on average to emerge from torpor and be able to fly, which puts bats at risk from predators or other negative disturbances during the torpor period. Torpor is different from hibernation in that torpor can last a few minutes to a few hours whereas hibernation can last the entire winter season. [21] Bats reduce their energy expenditure by 98% during hibernation, lowering their heart rate from 200-300 beats per minute to 20 beats per minute. [21] Bats prefer to fly where there is protective cover within 30 to 90 feet. Bats will rarely cross more than 300 feet of open space since it makes them vulnerable to night-flying predators such as owls. [15] Seeding a bat house with bat guano to attract bats is a myth and has not been proven to help attract bats to a new bat house. [16] Some bats will somersault in the air when approaching a roost in order to land up-side-down which is their normal position while roosting. [15] An estimated 200,000 to 500,000 bats are killed each year by wind turbines. This number is expected to grow as use of wind energy grows. Scientists do not fully understand why bats do not naturally avoid wind turbines. [4] Less than 0.5% of bats contract rabies each year, making rabies a rare disease among bats. [15] Rabies is even more rare in humans with fewer than 10 cases a year reported in the U.S. Humans may contract rabies if bitten or scratched by a rabid animal or directly exposed to fluids of a rabid animal. [22] Humans should avoid approaching bats and should never touch a bat without wearing gloves and possibly other protective clothing. As a precaution, pets should be vaccinated for rabies if bats live nearby. Bats are more closely related to humans than to mice. [19] Guidelines For Bat Houses (primary citation [15]) If this article has convinced you about the benefits of bats in your area, you may want to consider a bat house. A bat house may be beneficial if some natural habitat features exist and: the natural habitat is not sufficient to support the local bat population, or you are trying to increase the local bat population, or you plan to move bats out of a local building (never disturb bat roosts during March through August, the gestation and lactation months). Not all bat species will utilize bat houses but Minnesota’s Big Brown Bats and Little Brown Bats have been observed in bat houses. Generally, if a bat species is willing to live in a building, the species will also be willing to live in a bat house. Bats may occupy bat houses from early spring through early autumn. Bats do not overwinter in bat houses but instead find more suitable hibernation habitats (e.g. caves, mines, buildings) to protect themselves in winter. When considering a bat house, first assess the area for natural habitat that my attract bats. Natural bat habitats include a nearby body of water, large tree canopy cover for bat protection, sufficient sunlight to warm the roost and an abundance of flying insects. Bats naturally roost in tree crevices and cavities where tree rot, birds (e.g. woodpeckers) or other animals have created holes in the wood. Bats prefer roosting in live trees but will also roost in dead trees. Little Brown Bats will sometimes roost under peeling or loose tree bark. Bats may also roost in caves, mines and rock crevices. Bats require multiple roosting sites in an area because mothers and their pups roost separately from males and non-maternity females. In additions, multiple roosting sites are needed to accommodate microclimate changes – e.g. bats may move to a cooler site on hot days. Bats usually adopt a primary roost along with several secondary roosts and have been observed to switch roosts as often as every 2 to 3 days. However, mothers and babies will remain in a roost longer during the maternity and lactation periods and typically return to the same maternity roost year after year. If you install a bat house, will the bats come? Bats identify new roosts while foraging at night. Attracting bats to new bat houses will be more successful if bats are observed close to the planned bat house site before a house is installed. About 50% of urban bat houses and 60% of all bat houses are inhabited by bats. These figures rise to 80% for bat houses that are at least 25 inches tall with the highest inhabitant rates observed for multi-chamber maternity houses and rocket houses. Of the inhabited houses, 50% were inhabited in the first year with 90% inhabited within the first two years. A small percentage of houses were inhabited in the three-to-five-year range but you may want to consider relocating and/or upgrading your bat house if the house has been empty more than two years. [16] Note that bats may treat your bat house as a temporary migration site or a short-term secondary roost site. Both of these uses are important for bats but may make it challenging to verify that bats occupy the house. Install a bat guano catch container beneath your house or install a camera near the bat house to better determine if bats are using your house. Follow the guidelines noted below regarding bat house placement and design to maximize your chances of having bats move into your bat house. Locate bat houses in sites that meet the natural habitat requirements as much as possible – i.e. multiple houses with diverse designs should be placed where there is water and trees nearby, with some houses in sun and other houses in part shade. Bats may overheat in bat houses on sunny, hot days so bats need nearby cooler houses to survive the heat. Ideally, three bat houses should be installed in the same general area (less than 300 feet apart), with one facing east (morning warmth), one facing south (all-day warmth) and one facing west (evening warmth). North-facing houses will likely be too cold to attract bats. Bat houses may be attached to buildings (retain the most heat at night), to poles or to trees that have tall, pole-like trunks that are clear of branches. When attaching a bat house to a building, use 2” to 4” spacers behind the house to reduce the amount of bat guano that may land on the building. Bat houses attached to trees will generally be used by bats as secondary houses due to shade and lack of clearance around the house. Poles or trees should be wrapped with metal or another surface that discourages ground predators from climbing into the bat house. Bat houses should be installed at least 10 to 16 feet above ground level with 10 feet of clear space below the bat house since bats usually drop from the house and then take flight. Remove any thorny bushes or plants with burrs found underneath the bat house to protect the bats from potentially getting tangled in harmful plants. If water containers (e.g. bird baths, cattle troughs) are near bat houses, ensure that each container has rough sides or some device that would allow bats to crawl out of the water. Do not install bat houses close to wires, poles or tree branches that could interfere with bat flight or where predators may wait to attack bats as the bats emerge from their houses. Avoid sites that are noisy, dusty (e.g. near dirt roads) or subject to industrial pollutants. Do not put bat houses where there is artificial light at night (e.g. near a streetlight). Find alternative sites if local insects are regularly subject to pesticides or other substances poisonous to bats. Avoid sites with high human traffic where bats may be vulnerable to human interference. Finally, steer clear of windy sites, especially around wind turbines that are known to be lethal to bats. Once you have selected a bat house site, you may choose to purchase or build your bat houses. Good bat houses will be much larger than bird houses (typical size is 35” x 18” x 7”) and should contain multiple interior chambers that allow bats to move to the best microclimate within a house at different times of the day. Bat houses should be taller than they are wide and contain a few vented chambers which also helps create multiple microclimates within the bat house. Bat houses should not be built with chemically treated wood because bats may absorb or ingest the chemicals during grooming. However, the exterior of bat houses must be waterproofed, seams should be caulked and a roof should be installed to protect the bats from precipitation. Bats have shown a preference for dark-colored exteriors but secondary bat houses may be lighter colored to accommodate a cooler interior. Wooden bat houses should be constructed with screws rather than nails since nailed seams are more likely to gap open as wood ages. bat houses The interior chambers of bat houses should include grooved sides which aids bats when crawling around the bat house. Screening or other similar material is not recommended for the interior of bat houses since bat guano may become lodged in the screen. Bat houses should be inspected monthly when inhabited and cleaned once-a-year during winter when bats are hibernating at a different site. Spiders, spider webs, wasps and wasp nests should be removed from the bat houses during the annual cleaning. Although some wasps may survive in concert with bats, wasp nests may grow large over the years and take over too much space in the bat house. The bat house may be washed out with water or a 5%-10% bleach solution which can reduce parasites. If you want to build a bat house, free bat house plans with detailed instructions are available from Bat Conservation International [17][18]. If you want to purchase a bat house, be cautious when exploring non-specialty retailers. You may get a higher qualify bat house if you buy from organizations that have been certified by Bat Conservation International such as BatGoods.com ( http://www.batgoods.com/category/Bat-Houses-by-BCM-58 ) or Fly By Night Inc. ( http://www.flybynightinc.org/houses_files/bhbuy.html ). Bibliography (a) “Bats of Minnesota”, Minnesota DNR, 2025 http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/bats.html [2] USGS, FAQ: “Why are bats important?” http://www.usgs.gov/faqs/why-are-bats-important#:~:text=By%20eating%20insects%2C%20bats%20save,53%20billion%20dollars%20per%20year . [3] “The Benefits of Bats”, Bureau of Land Management, http://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/benefits_of_bats_brochure.pdf [4] “State of the Bats, North America 2023”, Bat Conservation International http://digital.batcon.org/state-of-the-bats-report/2023-report/ [5] “Big Brown Bat”, National Park Service, http://home.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/big-brown-bat.htm#:~:text=Numerous%20feeding%20studies%20of%20big,Whitaker%20and%20Hamilton%2C%201998 [6] “Little Brown Bat”, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, http://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/little-brown-bat/ [7] “Creating a Garden for Bats”, Bat Conservation International, March 2023, http://www.batcon.org/creating-a-garden-for-bats/ [8] “Night Shift Pollinators”, Minnesota State Horticultural Society, June 2021 http://northerngardener.org/night-shift-pollinators/ [9] “Bats & Blooms: Creating a Bat-Friendly Native Plant Garden”, National Wildlife Federation, http://gardenforwildlife.com/blogs/learning-center/bats-blooms-creating-a-bat-friendly-native-plant-garden?srsltid=AfmBOorPeLd4w409QCgIl-bdZG3ZqArTpV6i4aUkXEuN7LTurgZpfjy2 [10] “Native Plants for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects: Midwest Region”, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, http://xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/22-025_01_NPPBI%E2%80%94Midwest_web.pdf [11] “Native Grasses Benefit Butterflies and Moths”, University of Minnesota Extension, http://grasses.cfans.umn.edu/sites/grasses.umn.edu/files/files/native_grasses_benefit_butterflies_and_moths_0.pdf [12] “Gardeners urged to help beetles”, The Wildlife Trusts, http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/gardeners-urged-help-beetles#:~:text=Build%20a%20beetle%20bank%20%E2%80%93%20Adding,Beetle%20%C2%A9northeastwildlife.co.uk [13] “The Scoop on Bat Poop”, Bat Conservation International, http://www.batcon.org/the-scoop-on-bat-poop/ [14] “How to Use Bat Guano Fertilizer Safely in Your Garden”, Epic Gardener, http://www.epicgardening.com/bat-guano/ [15] “Best Management Practices for the Use of Bat Houses in U.S. and Canada”, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada produced in cooperation with US Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, September 2023, http://iris.fws.gov/APPS/ServCat/DownloadFile/241311 [16] “Attracting Bats”, Bat Conservation International and Colorado State University, http://sam.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/attractingbats.pdf [17] “Four-chamber Nursery Bat House”, Bat Conservation International, http://www.batcon.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/4-Chamber-Nursery-House-Plans.pdf [18] “Two-chamber Rocket Box”, Bat Conservation International, http://batcon.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/RocketBoxPlans.pdf [19] “Beneficial bats help control insects in the garden”, Oregon State University, May 2023, http://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/beneficial-bats-help-control-insects-garden [20] USGS, FAQ: “Do vampire bats really exist?” http://www.usgs.gov/faqs/do-vampire-bats-really-exist [21] “How Bats Survive Minnesota Winters”, Three Rivers Park District, http://www.threeriversparks.org/blog/how-bats-survive-minnesota-winters [22] “Bats Lead in U.S. Rabies Risk”, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019 http://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/media/releases/2019/p0611-bats-rabies.html Photo credits: Minnesota DNR. http://images.dnr.state.mn.us/natural_resources/animals/mammals/bats/big-brown-bat.png (1), Minnesota DNR. http://images.dnr.state.mn.us/natural_resources/animals/mammals/bats/little-brown-myotis.png (2) , Conservation Society Canada, produced in cooperation with US Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative. http://iris.fws.gov/APPS/ServCat/DownloadFile/241311 (3)

< Back The Midwest Native Plant Primer Alan Branhagen is a well-known expert on native plants in Minnesota. Jim Lakin reviews Branhagen’s “Primer” on why you should consider planting natives in your yard. Once you are convinced, learn which plants to grow. Reviewed by Jim Lakin, M.D., Master Gardener So many plant guides, trying to be encyclopedic, become as engaging as a phone book. Alan Branhagen’s latest addition to the literature of Midwestern botany happily avoids this pitfall. A native of Decorah, Iowa and current Director of Operations at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Alan is passionate about the plants he describes. In this concise yet informative sourcebook Alan deftly describes 225 plants for an earth-friendly garden. This is a timely addition to our reference library as we become increasingly aware of the vital importance of native plants to the support of our complex and interwoven ecosystem. A well-considered introduction discusses plants native to the heartland of North America. As we Minnesotans well know, “No place else on earth has such an extreme continental climate , yet ours is a region filled with plants of every size in every hue…Native plants are important because they sustain all life in this landscape. Many animals, mainly insects, through millennia of adaptations and evolution are viscerally linked to a specific plant.” He discusses the various subregions of this vast and varied land, enabling us to understand the diversity of environment that must be kept in mind in selecting native plants. The mantra “the right plant in the right place” holds very true for natives. Other considerations include “who are you planting for...birds, insects, humans? The answer will influence the plant to select. The aesthetics of the garden may come into play for the Homo sapiens. For birds or insects, that may not be the prime criteria. But each species may have quite stringent requirements for the right plant species to provide the food and/or shelter for survival. For example, wild grapes act as host for the Pandora Sphinx caterpillar. This fellow in turn provides protein rich food for young birds. Absent the plant, the web of life is broken. Alan discusses designing with native plants, considering various styles—prairie, woodland, water, rock or edible gardens—along with a few words on maintenance. One thing about maintenance of native plants: they’ve been getting along just fine without humans for millennia. So, in a properly constructed native landscape maintenance should be minimal relative to our more formal gardens of exotic cultivars. Finally, the author provides a listing of the 225 most desirable native perennials for the various micro-climates discussed. Plants are listed in order of common names, a plus if you are not a Latin scholar. For easier reference they are subdivided into trees, shrubs, groundcovers and vines. The book itself is lavishly illustrated with a plethora of photos by the author and other photographers. Once again Timber Press produces a handsome volume that will grace the gardener’s library as a valuable and engaging reference. * Branhagen, A. The Midwest Native Plant Primer, Timber Press, Portland Oregon, 2021, 253 pages. Photo credit: Book jacket (1)