< Back Imagining Your Garden’s Possibilities January is a month of fresh starts, a time to renew and begin again. Whether you were pleased or frustrated with your garden in 2021, the new year is a great time to dream about your 2022 garden’s possibilities. Valerie Rogotzke shares some thoughts about how to reimagine your garden. Valerie Rogotzke, Master Gardener January is a month of fresh starts, a time to renew and begin again. This might not seem to be the best time to be thinking about the garden for Minnesotans, but the frozen ground outside gives gardeners a reprieve from weeding and a chance to imagine possibilities for the future. Perhaps your dream garden evokes a specific place. Imagine an English cottage garden with meandering borders bursting with colorful perennials and a bench under an arbor of hardy wisteria, like one of Gertrude Jekyll’s horticultural masterpieces at Hestercombe House or Lindisfarne Castle . Picture a formal French garden with manicured hedges and a water fountain, like the grounds of Vaux-le-Vicomte or the Tuileries in Paris. Envision a Japanese garden such as Kenroku-en or Koraku-en with winding stone paths through mossy undergrowth, evergreens in abundance, and a pool of still water. Which small elements from these styles could be transplanted to Dakota County? Perhaps your dream garden serves a particular function, providing you with flowers for cuttings, bees for pollinating, or vegetables for eating. To have flowers for bouquets all through the growing season, gardeners must plant with an eye to the calendar, making sure there are options peaking in each month. In addition, it is helpful to have flowers of different scales when assembling arrangements, with larger blooms like dahlias and roses balanced by smaller blooms or ornamental grasses to fill the vase. To encourage bee populations, begin to dig around in the UMN Extension program’s resources on choosing the best pollinator-friendly plants for our area and creating habitat and nesting sites for pollinators. To maximize your success with vegetables and fruits in your garden, take some time now, in winter, to take stock of what has been growing in your garden and what you would like to cultivate this year. Perhaps you have always wanted a small plot of asparagus or a pizza garden with basil and tomatoes. Maybe it’s just time to try something new: sorrel, maybe, or endives? Browse the U’s vegetable guides for ideas and tips for healthy vegetables. A vegetable garden need not be a grand ornamental potager like the kitchen gardens of Villandry – just consider what things you want to eat. Perhaps your dream garden includes time-intensive projects that will not be ready in a year or two, like espaliered apple trees . Perhaps you’d like to rewild an area of your land to encourage native prairie growth , build an Elizabethan knot garden out of interlocking hedges, or develop a natural dye garden with madder and indigo and coreopsis in order to dye fabrics. Whatever your dreams are for your garden, do your dreaming now and dream big! There will be time to prune these dreams back later when practical concerns are considered but January belongs to the imagination. Photo credits: University of Minnesota Extension (1, 2, 3)

< Back Cooking with Native Plants Joy Johnson, Dakota County Master Gardener It’s just past harvest season in most of Minnesota, but depending on the weather in your area, you may still be harvesting brussels sprouts, potatoes or pumpkins. This time of year, Master Gardener Joy Johnson thought you might enjoy trying some recipes from two of Minnesota’s Native American cultures – Chippewa Blueberry Wild Rice Pudding, Ojibwa Baked Pumpkin, pumpkin seeds. Yum! It’s just past harvest season in most of Minnesota, but depending on the weather in your area, you may still be harvesting brussels sprouts, potatoes or pumpkins. I thought you would enjoy trying a couple of recipes from two of Minnesota’s Native American cultures. Several Native American cultures consider wild rice to be a sacred component in their culture. The rice is harvested with a canoe: one person “knocks” rice into the canoe with two small poles (called “knockers” or “flails”) while the other paddles slowly or uses a push pole. For these groups, this harvest is an important cultural (and often economic) event. Commercial cultivation began in the late 1900’s in California and Minnesota. Wild rice has a delicious nutty, hearty flavor and a chewy texture. Today it is mainly cultivated in paddy fields, although I’ve seen traditional harvesting areas in northern Minnesota. Wild rice is primarily a source of carbohydrates and contains a moderately high amount of fiber. It also contains a variety of vitamins (Folate, B2 and B6 are the top 3) and minerals (Copper, Zinc and Magnesium are the top 3). Compared to white rice, wild rice is lower in calories, higher in fiber, sugars, fat and protein as well as Omega-3 and Omega-6. [insert photo 1] Chippewa Blueberry Wild Rice Pudding Ingredients : Wild Rice part: 4 cups water 1 cup Chippewa wild rice 1 tsp salt ½ tsp vanilla extract Blueberry Mixture: 1 cup blueberries, dried 2 qts Milk 2 Tbsp vanilla extract 16 eggs warmed to room temperature 2 cups sugar Dash freshly grated nutmeg, to taste Instructions for the Wild Rice part : Wash the Chippewa wild rice Put the water, wild rice, vanilla, and salt in a two-quart saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the mixture for 45-60 minutes. Simmer with the cover on and stop when you notice the rice is puffy and the liquid has been completely absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork and continue cooking with the lid off until any excess liquid evaporates. Set aside. Instructions for the Blueberry Wild Rice Pudding : Oil a large baking pan (13” x 9”) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare blueberries by pouring enough boiling water over them to cover them and let them soak for five minutes. Place the cooked wild rice and blueberries in the oiled baking pan. Heat the milk and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat, until the milk is scalded. Mix the eggs and sugar in a separate bowl at high speed until the mixture is foamy. Whisk the scalded milk into the eggs until thoroughly blended. Pour the mixture on top of the rice and blueberries and stir it very carefully just until blended. Top with nutmeg as desired. Place it in the oven and bake it for 1 ¼ hours, or until edges are golden brown. Ojibwa Baked Pumpkin Pumpkins are actually considered a fruit, not a vegetable, and belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes cucumbers, melons, squash, and gourds. They did not always appear as they appear today. They resembled something like the Crooked-neck squash of today. Native Americans called pumpkins “isqoutm squash” and used them as a staple in their diets centuries before the Pilgrims landed. A non-food use was drying strips of pumpkin, pounding it flat, then weaving it into mats. They would roast long strips of pumpkin and seeds on the open fire, or it could be boiled, baked and eaten. It could be easily stored and dried for extended use through the long winters. Pumpkins were used to feed livestock and still are. When my family lived on the farm, every November we would haul our trailer to the pumpkin farm down the road and load up all their unsold, old, damaged pumpkins and feed them to our pigs. That pork was tender, delicious and low fat with a slight hint of pumpkin flavor. Ingredients: 1 small pumpkin (use a pie pumpkin, like Baby Bear, Cinderella or Dickenson; this is the pumpkin that Libby uses for its canned pumpkin) ¼ cup maple syrup ¼ cup apple cider ¼ cup butter, melted Instructions for the Pumpkin : Preheat oven to 350 degrees Place whole pumpkin in oven for 1 ½ to 2 hours Remove pumpkin from oven Keep the oven on and maintain 350-degree temperature. Cut a hole in the top and remove it Scoop out the seeds Set seeds aside for later eating Scoop out the pulp into a large bowl Add the maple syrup and apple cider to the pulp, mix well Pour back into pumpkin shell Bake for 35-40 minutes Cut into wedges and serve Instructions for the pumpkin seeds : Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Wash the seeds well Spread evenly, without layering them, onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt Back, checking often until seeds are dried Remove from oven and serve Photo Credit: Joy Johnson (1,2,3)

< Back What to Do With a Round Zucchini? Joy Johnson, Master Gardener Have you ever been gifted with a vegetable that you didn’t know what to do with? Read this entertaining article to find out what Master Gardener Joy Johnson made with the large, round zucchini she received from a family member. Her clever recipe will inspire you! My brother-in-law stopped by for a visit on Monday. He handed me a round zucchini when he walked in the door with a big grin on his face. I didn’t know what it was at first. It was the size of a cantaloupe, dark green with dark orange stripes. I didn’t believe him when he said it was a zucchini. Have you ever been gifted with an interesting vegetable that you didn’t know what to do with? I gave my neighbor a kohlrabi last summer and she had the same look on her face that I gave my brother-in-law when I handed it to her. I love to share my garden produce and I also enjoy trying new foods and veggies. I watched the large round zucchini for a couple of days as it sat on my counter staring back at me. It seemed friendly enough. I was scheduled to make dinner at my dad’s apartment on Thursday evening. I needed to come up with something I could make at his place that wouldn’t take too long, use too many dishes and utensils but would be healthy and tasty. I grabbed the zucchini, a half-used package of Cotija cheese (that was left from when I made Chile Rellenos), a handful of dried parsley. I stopped at the grocery store and bought a package of Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice (Red Beans & Rice flavor). That is something I’ve never used before. I usually make rice from scratch, but that takes time, and I knew I’d need something with a lot of flavors because zucchini is so mild. I also had a couple of slices of leftover ham. Now I just needed some side dishes to serve with the zucchini. I quickly made a lettuce salad and grabbed some leftover butternut squash. So, this was going to be a summer and winter squash supper! Here's my improvised recipe for the large round zucchini. Ingredients: 1 large round zucchini 1 pack Uncle Bens Ready Rice, Red Beans & Rice flavor 1 handful of dried parsley 2 thick pieces of ham, diced ½ cup Cotija cheese, crumbled Process: Slice the top off the zucchini as if you are going to carve it like a Jack-o’-lantern. Scoop out the seeds and stringy middle flesh and discard. Scoop out a little more flesh so you have about a 2-cup hollow. Cover the zucchini with its lid. Cook it in the microwave or oven until it just starts to get tender. It took mine 20 minutes in the oven, then 5 minutes in the microwave. If you bake it in the oven, put it in a pie plate and add water to the pie plate before putting it in to bake at 350 degrees. Dice the extra zucchini flesh that you scooped out. Cook the rice according to package directions, add the diced zucchini, the handful of dried parsley and the chopped ham. You may need to add 1/3 cup water or broth. You don’t want it soupy, but you need to cook the ham and the diced zucchini. Remove the large round zucchini from the oven or microwave. Scoop the cooked rice mixture into the zucchini, stir in the crumbled cheese, put the lid on it and heat it through in the microwave for about 3-5 minutes. Eat and enjoy! Photo credits: Joy Johnson (1,2)

< Back Jicama – Not Just in the South Anymore What starchy, tuberous vegetable has the refreshing crispness of a fresh apple, abundant nutrients and fiber, all with a deliciously low glycemic index? It’s the unassuming, turnip-shaped jicama (pronounced híh-ka-ma), sometimes called “Mexican potato” or “yam bean.” Read on to learn more about this interesting vegetable and a pleasant surprise for Minnesota gardeners. Anita Oakman, Dakota County Master Gardener The jicama plant belongs to the genus Pachyrhizus and is a native of Central and South America. It has been a cultivated vegetable there and in southeast Asia for hundreds of years. The seeds, which range in color from pale to dark brown, have also been cultivated for their high content of rotenone, a toxin used as a pesticide, an insecticide, and a piscicide (fish killer). (Remember the 1950’s B-movie horror flick “Creature from the Black Lagoon”?) In fact, nearly all parts of the jicama plant - its bluish green vining foliage, beautiful bluish purple and white flowers, the subsequent lime green seed pods, and even the light brown peel of the tuber - are known to contain rotenone and should not be eaten. The only safely edible part is the white flesh of the tuber. From seed to harvest, the length of maturity for jicama is 4-9 months. After transplanting seedlings 12 inches apart in well-drained loamy to sandy soil warmed to at least 70 degrees, the plant can be trained up a trellis and fed a low nitrogen, high phosphorus and potassium fertilizer monthly to keep it thriving. For the best root production, flowers should be removed at an early stage. As with nearly any root vegetable, it’s possible for the curious gardener to check on the size of the growing tubers by pulling soil away temporarily. They should be covered up though, to resume growth. Jicama tubers must be allowed to remain in the garden as long as possible, however, the plants will not tolerate frost. Record late season warmth has produced the largest and heaviest yields for commercially grown jicama. So, why feature a vegetable whose digs (pun intended) are in the subtropics? Why tempt Minnesotans with a food item they can find only in a grocery store and not in their own backyard gardens? Wonder no more - jicama seeds can now be found locally and grown locally! Pachyrhizus erosus is a cultivar that produces a smaller root but has the shortest maturity of approximately 150 days. By starting seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost and continuing with the above growing instructions, it is possible to produce jicama tubers of your very own. Photo Credits: Photo 1, www.ourfood.nl (All Creative Commons) Photo 2, Powo.science.kew.org (All Creative Commons)

< Back Cooking with Frozen Vegetables (And a St. Patrick’s Day Nod) Joy Johnson, Master Gardener It’s not too early to order seeds for your vegetable garden this summer but first, you need to use up all those vegetables left over from last summer that are sitting in your freezer. Joy Johnson’s Minestrone soup will help you do just that. Add some Irish soda bread for a great St. Patrick’s Day meal. The ground is still frozen in Dakota County and I don’t have anything growing in my garden. However, I have received some seed catalogs already and I’ve even seen a rack of seed packets for sale at the store. You may be thinking about starting some vegetable plants early indoors. It’s always so fun to see the little seedlings sprout. I just realized that if I’m going to grow more vegetables this year, I need to clean out my freezer and use all the ones I froze last year. I have been using my frozen produce all winter long, see my past recipes! But I do still have a variety of veggies in my freezer. I like to cook in large batches so I have food to share with other family members, or just so I don’t have to cook for a few days, and we can live on leftovers. I have a recipe that I’ve been making for years that uses my frozen veggie stash and makes plenty to share. A bonus – everyone who has eaten it has loved it. The recipe is flexible, so if you don’t have one of the veggies, or you want to add in something that is not listed, feel free to experiment. This recipe is from The Saint Paul Farmers Market Produce Cookbook. Minestrone Soup 6 cups beef broth 1 (15 oz.) can great northern, cannellini or lima beans 1 large potato, peeled and dices 2 carrots, sliced 2 ribs celery, sliced 1 white or yellow onion, chopped 1 small green pepper, chopped 1 tbsp olive oil 1 ½ cups green cabbage, chopped 1 cup zucchini, cubed 1 cup green beans, cut in 1-inch lengths ½ lb. spinach or Swiss chard, chopped 3 cups Italian plum tomatoes, chopped ½ cup small shell macaroni or other pasta, uncooked ½ tsp each dried oregano and rosemary (or 1 tsp. each, fresh or frozen, chopped) 1 tsp dried basil (or 2 tsp fresh or frozen chopped) 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper Grated Parmesan cheese In a large stockpot, bring beef broth to a boil. Add cannellini beans, potato, carrots and celery. Simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté onion, garlic and green pepper for 5 minutes. (If using frozen peppers, no need to sauté). Add to broth mixture and simmer another 15 minutes. Add cabbage, zucchini, green beans, and spinach or Swiss chard. Simmer 10 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, pasta, oregano, rosemary, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer another 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Makes 15 servings. A bread that goes well with Minestrone, and gives a nod to Saint Patrick’s Day, is Irish Soda Bread. The recipe that I’m sharing with you here is an authentic Irish recipe. My elderly neighbor who is 100% Irish has verified that it is a true Irish soda bread because it has raisins and caraway seeds. Irish Soda Bread 3 ½ cups flour 2/3 cup sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 ½ cup raisins Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together these wet ingredients: 1 1/3 cups buttermilk 2 eggs beaten 4 Tbsp melted butter ½ tsp vanilla 1 Tbsp vanilla 1 Tbsp carraway seeds Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until well blended. Grease and flour baking dish. I use an actual Irish soda bread pan, it’s like a 9” round cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons (1) & Flickr (2)

< Back Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) Jim Lakin MD, Master Gardener Jack-in-the-Pulpit is a shade requiring native plant best grown in rich, moist woods or marshes. Read about this unique and fascinating long-lived perennial here. It takes a special kind of plant to survive near our marsh. The ground ranges from damp to soggy, the shade is at best partial but mostly deep once you step a foot or two into the surrounding woods. Yet it is in this challenging environment that Jack in the Pulpit is most content. This unusual but long-lived native perennial is found in moist woodlands throughout most of the eastern half of the United States. It is prevalent throughout Minnesota and most of the Upper Midwest, hardy up through Zone 3. The flower is 3 to 4 inches tall and about 2 inches across. It is made up of a 2- to 3-inch-long club (the “Jack”, or spadix) sitting in a tubular base with a hood (the “pulpit”, or spathe). The spadix is light to reddish green. The spathe is light to purplish green and often dotted with white or purplish stripes. Plants are either male or female but you can’t tell without peering into the “pulpit”. It is there that either the staminate (female) or pistillate (male) organs are to be found. Speaking of gender, Jack in the Pulpit is rather fluid in that department. A given plant can change sex from year to year. Apparently, this is a function of how successful they were or were not in pollinating during the previous season. Once the plant decides if he/she is to be a boy or girl for the season its structure differentiates accordingly. Males tend to be smaller than females. They sprout from an underground corm which can send out runners producing additional plants. Consequently, Jack-in-the-Pulpits are usually found in colonies with a tall female plant surrounded by smaller male plants. The male plant has a hole in the bottom of its spathe (“pulpit”) which provides an easy exit for pollinating insects, usually small flies or gnats. In contrast, females have no such exit in their spathe, forcing a would-be pollinator to squirm around a bit to get out. This increases the likelihood of pollen being deposited on the staminate structures within the spathe. Pretty clever interior design! Jack in the Pulpit can be grown from seed but it takes four to five years before the plant flowers. So, if you are thinking of planting some, you might consider buying a corm instead of seed. Once mature, the female plant produces flowers in late spring to early summer. When fertilized smooth green berries are produced. In late summer they ripen to a deep red as the leaves wither. These berries are about a quarter inch in diameter appearing in ovoid shaped clusters which can be up to 2 inches long. Each berry contains one to seven small seeds. These prove tempting to many woodland birds, including wild turkeys, who eat the ripe berries and excrete the seeds. So, if you have a moist shaded spot in your garden and are looking for a suitable native perennial, the unusual but showy Jack in the Pulpit may just be your guy. Photo credits: Flickr.com (1, 2)

< Back Delectable Strawberry Shortcake (and a Bonus Rosemary Recipe) Joy Johnson, Dakota County Master Gardener It’s August and our gardens are in full growth mode, what a delightful exciting growing time of year. One of the most popular fruits that are ripening now is strawberries. Joy Johnson offers a mouthwatering recipe for strawberry shortcake. And – a repeat of a former favorite rosemary recipe. What a great time of year for eating fresh food in Minnesota! It’s August and our gardens are in full growth mode, what a delightful exciting growing time of year. I had doubled the size of my vegetable garden this spring and am enjoying even more abundance of fresh fruits and veggies. Unfortunately, last year’s torrential rains wiped out my raspberry and strawberry patch, so I don’t have any of my own berries this year. I am thankful so many people share their bounty at local farmers markets because one of my all-time favorites is strawberry shortcake. Here is a recipe for whole wheat shortcakes, they are heartier than the lightweight store-bought chiffon cakes. I prefer them and enjoy serving them in a bowl and adding a little almond milk to the bottom for the short cake to soak up. Since I planted blueberry bushes last spring, I enjoy a sprinkling of those on top of the whipped cream. You can never have too many berries! Strawberry Shortcakes Ingredients: 1-quart strawberries, cored and sliced 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup shortening 2 cups white whole wheat flour 2 tablespoons sugar 3 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt ¾ cup almond milk Sweetened Whipped Cream Process: Mix strawberries with 1 cup sugar; let stand 1 hour. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut shortening into flour, 2 T. sugar, the baking powder and salt until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in milk just until blended Gently smooth dough into a ball on lightly floured board. Knead a bit, until it’s well combined, but not sticky Roll out gently to about ½ inch thick Fold the dough over on itself and gently roll out again just to loosely stick the folded dough together. Cut with a knife or biscuit cutter into rounds or squares. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Split apart while still warm, stack in a bowl with strawberries and whipped cream I met one of our new Master Gardener interns while working on a project team a couple weeks ago. We, of course, got to chatting about food and using herbs we grow. She requested a reprinting of my recipe for Rosemary Shortbread, since she wasn’t a Master Gardener when this recipe was first published in the Garden Buzz years ago. The Rosemary shortbread is a mouth-watering treat and definitely worth repeating. I hope you all enjoy it. Rosemary Shortbread Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt 1 cup unsalted cold butter, cut into 1-inch chunks 1-2 teaspoons rosemary, chestnut or other dark, full-flavored honey Process: Heat oven to 325 degrees In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, rosemary and salt. Add butter and honey and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some crumbs start to come together, but don’t overprocess. Dough should not be smooth. Press dough into an ungreased 9-inch baking dish. Prick all over with a fork. Bake until gold brown, 35-40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares, bars or wedges while still warm. Photo Credit: Joy Johnson (1), pixabay.com (2)

< Back Vexing Vole Damage Julie Harris, Master Gardener As the snow melts this spring, you may observe trails of dead grass in your yard. Or, you may find that the bark near the ground of your small trees or shrubs has been chewed bare. What is the cause of this damage that occurred over the winter? Most likely, the culprit is voles. Read this article learn more about voles and how you can reduce the damage they may bring to your yard. Voles or field mice are small brown rodents about the size and shape of a mouse. There are several species of vole. In Minnesota, the most common species are the meadow vole and the prairie vole. While voles don’t live long (2 – 16 months) they breed abundantly. One female vole can produce 3 – 5 babies, 5 – 10 times a year. They nest a few inches into the ground in small nests or tunnels. Voles generally eat grass and plant bulbs. They feed day and night throughout the year. Evidence of voles is a series of criss-crossing trails in the grass. You might also see patches of dried grass. This may be a storage area for food and nesting materials. Voles also make small holes in the grass to get to bulbs and tubers. Voles can damage or destroy trees and shrubs by gnawing and girdling of the plant. Of course, other animals, such as rabbits, also gnaw on plants in the winter. Vole girdling can be differentiated from girdling by other animals by the non-uniform gnaw marks. They occur at various angles and in irregular patches. Rabbit gnaw marks are larger and not distinct. Rabbits neatly clip branches with slanted, clean cuts. How can you prevent vole damage? You can’t entirely. Voles are so plentiful that you cannot eliminate them completely. However, there are some steps that you can take to reduce the threat. Remove woodpiles and debris that provide a hiding place Keep your grass trimmed short and your bushes trimmed up Remove birdfeeders or keep the ground around them very clean Loosely wrap your trees with a light-colored tree guard up to the top of the snow line It may be possible to trap voles using a standard mouse trap baited with peanut butter; but this only works on small populations It may be possible to use a toxic bait but this should be used only by certified pesticide applicators. Voles are a food source for many animals. However, this doesn’t control the vole population because they reproduce so rapidly. The good news is that voles rarely invade houses. And, while vole damage is annoying, it is generally not permanent. You can rake of the dead grass and reseed the damaged area. References: https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/vole-damage#pesticides-1901264 ; authored by Jennifer Menken, Bell Museum of Natural History http://pcwd.info/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/1994Voles.pdf ; authored by John M. O’Brien, Nevada Department of Agriculture Photo Credit: University of Minnesota Extension (1,2,3,4)

< Back Investigating Insects in the Garden Mary Gadek, Master Gardener Calling all Family Insect Investigators! Along with plants and people enjoying the summer, many insects are traveling around in our yards and parks, too. Gather your family and friends in July to investigate insects in the Minnesota outdoors. Learn how to identify insects from other types of bugs, view some common Minnesota insects and how to do your own investigations of these creatures. Insects are bugs but not all bugs are insects There are many types of bugs in the world, like insects or spiders. Scientists that study bugs, called entomologists , group bugs into different categories. One category is insects . When you are looking around to find insects, use this insect checklist to determine if it is an insect or not: Three basic regions of the insect body- A. Head - (front of body) includes an antenna, eyes and mouth parts; B. Thorax - (middle of body) has three pairs of walking legs; C. Abdomen - (back of body) contains a heart, reproductive organs and digestive system. 2. Legs - depending on the insect, the legs are shaped to help carry out their day to day activities, including swimming or holding prey. 3. A pair of compound eyes - their eyes can see multiple images that appear like many dots and can judge distance and movement with ease. The special eyes allow the insects to catch their prey to eat. 4. Antennae - The body segment located on the head helps the insects smell and taste, and, sometimes, determine air currents. Some insects have wings, while some do not. For more details, see: https://www.amentsoc.org/insects/what-bug-is-this/insects.html Insects found in Minnesota Our Minnesota yards and parks contain many different insects. Many are pollinators , which help fertilize our plants so more plants can grow. Pollinators are important because we rely on the earth’s plants to give humans and earth’s creatures food to live. Here are some insects you can find in Minnesota: Bumble bees These very hairy creatures are usually 3/8 - 3/4 inch long with black and yellow or orange striped bodies. Bumble bees pollinate our plants. Nests can be found in the ground or little spaces of a garden, like in a retaining wall. 2. Honey bees are about ½” long, with a golden brown color, a fuzzy body and wings. They are pollinators , which help fertilize our plants so they can grow. 3. Ladybugs More than 50 species of native lady bugs reside in Minnesota. They have many names, but are all the same insect: ladybugs, lady beetles or ladybird beetles. When full grown, most ladybugs have domed, hard, round to oval bodies, usually with a red color with black spots, but some with black, yellow, pink, and orange shells. Gardens benefit from ladybugs because they are pollinators as well as eaters of some insects that harm plants. 4. Butterflies Minnesota hosts many types of butterflies for their short life of about 4-6 weeks during mid-Summer (See list of Minnesota butterflies at: https://www.learnaboutnature.com/insects/butterflies/list-of-butterflies-in-minnesota/ ). The orange and black monarchs hold the title of “Minnesota State Butterfly”. As these beautiful insects fly from plant to plant, they pollinate our plants, too. 5. Ants A common ant in Minnesota’s outdoors is a field ant . In July through September, look for the black, brown or red creature measuring 1/8 to 1/4 inch long in exposed dirt areas, making dirt mounds up to 10 inches across. They can also nest under objects, such as wood, stones, and patio blocks. The ants benefit our gardens because they eat live and dead insects. Investigate Want to be an Insect Investigator this summer?! Using the information in this article, head outside to your yard or local park to do one or all of these fun, family activities : Scavenger Hunt: Look high and low in your yard or local park to see if you can find the following common insects described in this article: bumble bees, honey bees, ladybugs, butterflies and ants. Extra Challenge Scavenger Hunt- Gather family and friends along with some paper, pencils and a timer. Set the timer for 10 minutes (or whatever time limit you wish). See who can find and write down the most of the listed insects (can find repeats) before your timer goes off. The winner can be declared the “Insect Champion of the Day.” Try again later in the season to see if everyone finds more, less or about the same amount of insects compared to the first challenge. Insect Hotel- You can make a “hotel” for insects to live in and for you to watch them live in your garden. Using a clear, clean container, with at least one opening, such as a recycled plastic bottle, carefully remove the top with the help of a grown up. Gather outside leaves, flowers, sticks and other natural items and put them inside the container. Now you have an “insect hotel”! Place the filled container in a location in your yard where you can observe any insects that come to live in your “insect hotel”. Use your investigative skills to determine if you found an insect or if it is a little creature from another bug category. Keep a journal or take pictures of all the insects you see. To continue more investigation, find out more through these programs in Minnesota: READ I Love Bugs! Philemon Sturges A book for younger learners with simple, yet useful descriptions of common bugs. Available at: Dakota County Library, ISBN: 9780060561680, 978006056169, or on Amazon Bugs!Bugs!Bugs! Bob Barber Colorful book for younger children describing common bugs in our yards and containing a useful chart to assist with identification. Available at: Dakota County Library, Digital Format or Amazon References : https://www.amentsoc.org/insects/what-bug-is-this/insects.html https://extension.umn.edu/wildlife/wild-pollinators https://extension.umn.edu/beneficial-insects/lady-beetles https://www.sos.state.mn.us/about-minnesota/state-symbols/state-butterfly-monarch/ https://www.learnaboutnature.com/insects/butterflies/list-of-butterflies-in-minnesota/ https://extension.umn.edu/insects-infest-homes/ants#odorous-house-ant-42365 https://extension.umn.edu/projects-and-more/4-h-entomology-project Photo Credit: Mark Gadek (1,2,4,5) & University of Minnesota Extension (3,6) & Philemon Sturges (7,8)

< Back Pumpkins that will “Melt” Your Heart Julie Henrichs, Dakota County Master Gardener Intern An Amazing Pumpkin Creation for all ages! Are you looking for a fun way to make a unique and stunning looking pumpkin for Fall, but would prefer not to carve one? We have a simple decorative pumpkin idea that takes only a pumpkin of any size, shape or color (faux or real), a handful of broken crayons, a permanent marker, tacky glue, a hairdryer and don’t forget the optional googly eyes. Read on to learn how to make this adorable pumpkin craft for Fall that will “Melt” your heart. Supplies Needed for (1) Pumpkin Creation: Pumpkin - faux or real - any size, any shape - any color (colors really stand out on white pumpkins) 1 bottle of glue (tacky glue is best) Crayon pieces - paper peeled off Surface Coverings as crayons splatter when heated Googly Eyes (optional - size appropriate for pumpkin) Permanent Markers (optional - if choose to draw face on the pumpkin) Hairdryer (to be used under adult supervision) Let’s Get Set: Prepare work surface by covering with cardboard, tablecloth or similar covering because crayons splatter as they melt. Choose the crayon colors randomly or choose crayons to form a pattern of colors. Unwrap all crayon pieces that you plan to use. Kids usually enjoy unwrapping the crayons. On the top of the pumpkin (near stem) place several drops or light strips of glue and then place the crayons you have chosen on the glue. Crayons should be facing up and down. Let the crayons set in place before beginning the melting process. The more crayons used will result in more of the pumpkin being covered. Optional: Choose googly eyes and glue onto the pumpkin or use the permanent marker to draw a face on the pumpkin before melting the crayons. Let’s Get Melting: (adult supervision is required) Once the crayons are set in the glue, you are ready to begin the melting process. Make sure that the pumpkin is set on a sturdy and covered surface Have an adult prepare the hairdryer. Depending on the age of the child, additional adult supervision will be needed or the adult may need to run the hairdryer Turn on the hairdryer and point the hairdryer toward the crayons. The crayons will slowly melt and run down the side of the pumpkin. Caution: crayons may splatter while melting Please remember to only run your hairdryer for a short time to let it cool down and do not touch the hairdryer because it will be hot. Additional crayons can be added to provide various dimensions on the pumpkin. Make sure to let your Pumpkin creation cool. (If you set it in the sun or in a bright area place it on a plate or cloth to prevent damage to any surface.) Enjoy your creation through the Fall Season. If you used a faux pumpkin, then you can carefully pack away your creation for next Fall. Photo Credit: platein28.com/fun-with-melting-crayons-on-pumpkins ( https://platein28.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Melted-crayon-pumpkin-1-1.jpg ) (1), rawpixel.com/search/crayons?page (creative commons) (2), pexels.com/photo/orange-pumpkin-on-hay-field (creative commons) (3), the idearoom.net/halloween-crafts-for-kids (4)

< Back Tomato Problems Homegrown tomatoes are the highlight of a summer garden. In this article you will learn some very helpful tips to achieve the best possible harvest. Janice Gestner, Master Gardener Tomatoes (Solanium lycopersicum) are among the most commonly grown vegetables by gardeners. The joy of using vitamin-rich, low-calorie tomatoes in fresh summer salads, in sauces, and many more ways make it one of the most versatile vegetables grown. The easiest way to avoid tomato problems is by giving them the site, space, and conditions they want as a plant that originated in South America. Tomatoes along with its Nightshade family members, including eggplants and peppers, love the sun-filled days with temperatures between 65°F and 95°F. They love well-drained, fertile soil, pH numbers between 5.5-7, mulches to regulate soil temperatures and moisture, and plenty of space. Cages, stakes and careful pruning help keep plants clean and less prone to disease. Consistent watering until tomatoes are ripening is also important to overall plant health. Gardeners who carefully follow all of the growing tips for tomato plants will avoid many of the disease and insect issues that can be problems for tender tomato plants. However, sometimes climate conditions, gardening errors, insects and other problems happen. The University of Minnesota Extension site titled “Tomato Disorders” at https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/tomato-disorders provides information about possible disorders. A summary of the information found on this site includes the following: Disorders may be caused by varietal choices. If gardeners have provided good management, trying different tomatoes varieties might be the best answer for the location. Seed catalogs can give information on disease resistant varieties. Blossom-end rot is an issue where fruit has a tan/black flattened spot on the end of the fruit. This is usually caused by inconsistent watering or possibly too heavy rains. The plant has a calcium deficiency that is not usually caused by soil deficiency but the inability for the plant to take up calcium through the roots. Gardeners should remove all tomatoes with the disorder because they will never develop correctly. New fruit coming on the tomato plant may be okay if watering is carefully controlled. Blossom end rot Sunscald can be seen on tomatoes that have a pale yellow or white side surface. It is caused by too much sun, the result of leaf loss due to over-pruning, insect damage or disease damage. The spots can be an entry point for decay, and tomatoes should be picked immediately since they will not develop properly. Continue to harvest developing tomatoes. Sun scald Early blight is caused by either of two pathogens called Alternaria tomatophila and Alternaria solani . They attack the plant either by being blown in on the wind, splash up from contaminated soil, humidity, wet weather, or even from human contact. They usually start at brown spots on the lower part of the plant. Safe practices to avoid the contamination include watering low to the ground and adding mulch around the plants to avoid soil splash up. Prune away any leaves on the low part of the plant that you see with brown spots. It is okay to remove up to a third of the bottom leaves if necessary. Be sure to wash your hands and clippers to avoid passing the fungus on to other plants. Early blight Growth cracks circling the stems on tomatoes may happen because of fast growth. Heavy rains and high temperatures can also cause these cracks. Regulating watering is the best way to try to avoid the condition. Tomatoes can be used if you cut off the cracking area and use the rest of the tomato. Growth cracks Healthy tomato plants depend upon us to provide the best growing conditions we can provide as described above. Remember to rotate tomato crops to other sunny sections of the garden to avoid leftover pathogen and tomato problems from past years. Last, sometimes gardeners do everything correctly, but weather conditions may still control the harvest outcome. There is always a new year to try again. Photo Credit: University of Minnesota Extension (1,2,3,4,5)

< Back How Trees Talk to One Another Karna Berg, Master Gardener Have you ever walked in the woods and thought there was someone there, someone talking? Well, if you have, you were right. It was the trees talking to one another. Oak trees are the perfect example. My back yard has a small, wooded area of mostly oak trees. I now feel them talking to each other. Or are they talking to me? Are they saying they need more water? Would like a sunny day? Just what are they saying? As we all know, our trees are under attack from pollution, drought, pests, and disease. And while trees cannot just move to a more hospitable spot, they can help one another deal with all the stresses on them. Scientists have discovered that trees, and specifically oaks, have developed a root system, or network, through which they communicate. That root system is populated by fungus that aids them in this process. Let’s say a pest is moving into the neighborhood. As we know, they move in slowly, often tracked by tree specialists providing warnings to the public on what to be on the lookout for. Well, the trees are tracking the pests as well. And as the pests land on their branches, they signal ahead through the network that their neighbor trees should be prepared. Oaks and other trees will then produce chemicals and enzymes that help to ward off the pests. It sounds impossible, right? But it is true. Some scientists now even believe that trees also communicate through their leaves. If this is as fascinating to you as it is to me, you can read more about it in some of the books I relied on here. They include: “The Life & Love of Trees,” Lewis Blackwell; “The Hidden Life of Trees: What they Feel, How they Communicate,” Peter Wohllenben; and “Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest,” Suzanne Simard. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. Photo credits: Julie Harris (1), seeing-nature.de (2)