< Back Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World Mushrooms – not just for eating anymore. Ren Henry reviews Paul Stamets’ fascinating book about the value that mushrooms bring to the environment. It turns out that mushrooms can help the landscape in ways you probably have never thought about. Paul Stamets Reviewed by Ren Henry What do we use mushrooms for? Mostly we eat them, and that’s about it. Have you ever stopped to think about the other uses for mushrooms? In Paul Stamets’ 2005 book, Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World , the celebrated mycologist explores the various ways mushrooms can be used in the landscape to help remediate various ecological settings. This is what he terms “mycorestoration”. The book is divided into three parts: first explaining how mushrooms grow, then how mycorestoration works, and finally how to grow specific types of mushrooms. Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of the mycelial mat, which intertwines within the soil. Stamets’ view is that the mycelial mat can be used to provide additional nutrients to plants and to more quickly remediate soil after a forest fire. He also provides evidence that some mushroom species are hyper-accumulators of heavy metals and could theoretically be used to clean up waste sites by inoculating the soil with mycelium and harvesting the mushrooms for incineration. He also demonstrates that the use of mycelium when returning old roads to nature speeds up the process significantly. In sum, Stamets’ main point is that the mycelial mat and the mushrooms it produces could be a tool for improving our landscape and remediating ecological disasters in a quick and cost-efficient manner. The book, deals with some technical topics but is easy to read and understand. While somewhat out of date, the website that the text often refers to is still accessible today, with current information. Even sixteen years after publication, the book still has lots to teach about the value that mushrooms can bring to the landscape, even when they aren’t an edible variety. Photo Credit: Ren Henry (1)

< Back Boxelder Bugs Julie Harris, Master Gardener It’s cool but sunny outside and I would like to walk into my front door but the door and wall are covered with black and orange bugs! They are boxelder bugs and they are looking for a warm home for the winter. Read how to manage these nonharmful but annoying pests. As the weather is growing cooler, have you wondered what are those black and orange (or red), half-inch long bugs clinging in swarms to the sunny side of your house or door? Most likely, they are boxelder bugs. These bugs may not be noticeable in the summer when they live and feed in boxelder and maple trees. As the weather grows cold, however, they look for ways to get into your warm house. Boxelder bugs belong to the same family as stink bugs, cicadas and insects with “piercing and sucking mouthparts.” They release a bad odor when crushed. They emerge, bright red, in the spring and feed on female boxelder trees; although they may also feed on maple or ash trees. Boxelder bugs are most prolific during hot, dry summers following warm springs. This year may have produced the right conditions for them to be quite plentiful. In the fall, the bugs look for cracks and spaces around doors and windows to sneak into your house. They are not generally harmful but they can be an annoyance. Other than removing your female boxelder trees, the best way to manage boxelder bugs is to seal cracks and holes around windows, doors and foundations. If you have large invasions, you can treat the outside of your home with an insecticide treatment. The best time to spray is late summer and early fall. Once inside, your best option is to remove them with a vacuum or broom. Boxelder bugs do not live for more than a few days inside your home when they are active but they can be a nuisance, staining surfaces with their excrement. Some boxelder bugs remain inactive in your home over the winter. If you see them inside in the spring, they are waking up and trying to go outside. References: https://extension.umn.edu/nuisance-insects/boxelder-bugs https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/boxelder-bugs-5-522/ Photo credits: University of Minnesota Extenison (1, 2), CooperPest (3)

< Back Making Something Lovely After the Blooms Have Faded Joy Johnson, Dakota County Master Gardener It’s October in Minnesota and most of your plants are no longer blooming. It’s always a bit sad to see your colorful garden fade for the season. But many of these flowers leave behind lovely seed pods or lovely flowers heads. This article shows you how you can take dried plants from your garden and turn them into a beautiful wreath to enjoy inside. It’s October and most of your flowers are probably no longer blooming. Last year at this time I took a walk around my yard and noticed how many lovely seed pods, dried flower heads, and grass stalks were still waving in the fall breeze. Usually, I fill baskets with them or vases (no water) and set them all over the house for natural, soft color pallet decorations. This year I decided to try my hand at making a wreathe. It wasn’t difficult, just took some time. Boy did it make a mess, but that’s what vacuum cleaners are for, right? Since I had so many dried flowers and grasses, I bought a very large grapevine wreathe to use for my base. I thought I would have to hot melt glue the stems to it, or wire them, or sew them, like I did with the cayenne pepper wreath that was featured a few years ago in the Garden Buzz. This time I kept the stems long when I cut everything out of the gardens, and it worked just fine to gently weave them through the grapevine. Take some time to plan your layout, coming up with a pleasing design based on what you have. For the wreathe pictured here, I used Globe Hydrangea, Garlic Chive, Pampas Grass, Pearly Everlasting and a few ornamental thistle heads. It’s a good idea to spray the entire thing with cheap aerosol hairspray when you are done before you hang it up. Spray it outside. This will help hold the blooms and grasses as they continue to dry out over the years. Photo Credits: Joy Johnson (1-4)

< Back The Food Explorer (The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats By Daniel Stone Do you ever wonder where the tasty vegetables, fruits and spices we consume come from? No, I am not talking about the grocery store, or your backyard garden. I am talking about where in the world they originated and how they got to North America. Enjoy this review of “The Food Explorer” by Daniel Stone. And I am certain that you will be tempted to click on your Amazon app and purchase the book! Review by Linda Holt, Master Gardener Did you ever wonder where your banana came from? Or how about that juicy navel orange you crave every morning not only for its sweetness but also for the healthy dose of Vitamin C it provides? Avocados, surely, they are a California staple, along with the almonds we enjoy in everything from the true nut to the almond milk used as a substitute for dairy milk (originally brought to California from Spain by the Franciscan Padres). I must admit that I have always been under the false assumption that America just had these treasures in abundance when this country was founded. I, like many Americans, assumed that the variety of food grown in my garden or purchased from farmers markets and grocery stores, has always been a part of our heritage. However, “The Food Explorer,” corrects the false idea that the incredible wealth of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and even cotton, that we enjoy originated in the United States. This fascinating book explains the origin of these plants from many varied countries and jungles around the world. Author Daniel Stone, armed with a multitude of seemingly endless journals, letters and records, shares the delightful and fascinating story of David Fairchild, a late-nineteenth century food explorer and his benefactor Barbour Lathrop, a wealthy, private citizen whom he met aboard a ship bound for Italy. As a 20-year-old botanist, David left his Kansas home to work for the Department of Agriculture. There he studied ways to combat plant fungus. Along with a colleague named Wallace Swingle, he created a new government agency that they called the “Office of Seed and Plant Introduction”. Between the years of 1894 and 1904, David (consumed by his wanderlust for travel) searched the far reaches of the world for the unusual and delectable. Over that time he transported an inventory of over 4,000 plants; including avocados and watermelons from Chili, Soy Beans from Indonesia, Meyer Lemons from China, nectarines from Pakistan, kale from Croatia, hops from Bavaria and pomegranates from Malta to name a few. It wasn’t always easy, as some of the plants would not survive the journey or due to the abundance of plants and the lack of qualified people to handle them at home, some would eventually die before they could be moved and reproduced. Additionally, he suffered diseases, bargained with island tribes and was once arrested. One of the most fascinating things that Daniel Stone contributed to our nation is the introduction of the cherry blossom tree from Japan. After David fell in love with and married Marian Hubbard Bell (daughter of Alexander Graham Bell), he decided to relinquish his extensive travels and purchase a 10 acre parcel located near Chevy Chase Maryland. There he began to fill the space with his favorite trees and shrubs that he found during his travels. Marian had only one plant request: the Japanese flowering Cherry tree that she referred to as “Cherry Blossom.” The consequential history of this famous tree that outlines the DC Capitol streets is quite extensive and is best read rather than condensed herein. David Fairchild did lead an enviable life that was made possible by happenstance and living during a time period known as “the Gilded Age,” a time of rapid economic growth and industrialization. His story, as told by Daniel Stone, is a fascinating read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Photo credits: book jacket

< Back Put these insects under gardening law until you annihilate THEM! Marjorie Blare, Dakota County Master Gardener This is the time of year when bugs, not eliminated earlier in the year, try to take over your plants. Don’t get those creepy-crawly pests ruin your houseplants. Read this article to learn how to prevent getting those bugs and how to eliminate them if they manage to creep in. THEM : A HORROR HORDE OF CREEPY-CRAWLY PESTS CLAWING OUT OF THE SOIL AND FROM UNDERNEATH LEAVES! Kill one and two take its place! Steps you can take to reduce the chances of an infestation: Chose the right plant for the place it will live; take into consider light, temperature, soil/air humidity and air circulation. Before bringing them inside, inspect stems, tops and undersides of leaves (also the pots), for insects, webbing, holes and eggs. Things you can do to treat infestations: Use a forceful stream of water to dislodge insects. Physically remove pests with fingers or tweezers. Use yellow sticky traps to trap flying insects like whiteflies, fungus gnats or thrips. Small numbers of scale insects can be scraped off with a fingernail file or the like. Re-pot using new soil and sterilized pots, making sure to thoroughly wash off old soil. Prune if a pest issue is limited to a few leaves, stems or branches. Dispose of the entire plant if it’s heavily infested. Indoor Plant Insects Aphids Fungus gnats Mealybugs Thrips Whiteflies Spidermites Scale Insects Boston Fern x x x Crotons x x x ZZ plant x x x x x x Snake Plants x x x x x x Easter Cactus x x x x Fiddle leaf fig x x x Spider plants x x x x x Monstera x x Pothos x x x Jade plant x x x Rubber plant x x x Prayer plant x x x x Air plant x x Peace Lily x x x x String of Pearls x x x African violets x x Cyclamen mites Chinese Evergreen x x x x Insecticides Aphids Fungus gnat larvae Mealybugs Thrips Whiteflies Spidermites Scale Insects Pyrethrins x x x x x Insecticidal Soap x x x x x Plant oil extracts x x x x x Neem Oil x x x Bti strain AM 65-52 * x Imidacloprid ** x x x x(soft) *Used in mosquito dunks **Toxic to Bees Insecticide Precautions: When using a product that requires mixing with water, make only as much as you expect to use in one day and use it that day. Apply chemicals outdoors whenever possible. Use a well-ventilated area to spray plants indoors. Enclose your plant in a plastic bag and seal shut. Cut a small hole and insert your spray nozzle. Spray your plant, especially under the leaves. Remove the nozzle and quickly cover the hole with duct tape. Keep it out of direct sun until dry. CAUTION: Mention of a pesticide or use of a pesticide label is for educational purposes only. Always follow the pesticide label directions attached to the pesticide container you are using. Be sure that the area you wish to treat is listed on the label of the pesticide you intend to use . Remember, the label is the law. Never use any pesticide on a plant that is moisture-stressed. Water the soil a day or two before applying pesticides. extension.umn.edu Managing insects on indoor plants With no natural enemies indoors, inspect your houseplants weekly for insect pests like mealybugs and scale. Photo credit: Marjorie Blare, artist (1)

< Back Chow Mein – A Vegetable “Left-Overs” Recipe Joy Johnson, Master Gardener Joy Johnson is a prolific vegetable grower. She has found this recipe for Chow Mein not only delicious but helpful in making use of the abundant vegetables in her cupboards. Whether using your own vegetable stash or those purchased at the grocery store, you will enjoy this recipe! Are you buried in vegetables from your garden? Like me, can you not bear to weed out plants or seedlings? I am always sure that everything will fit in the garden and that not everything will grow and produce. I am usually wrong on both counts! I have a very full garden with the raspberries hanging over the broccoli and the beets, the cucumbers growing on the fence because there is no room for them on the ground and the tomatoes growing up and over the fence, with no room to walk in between the plants. And then I’m always sure I’m never going to get very many vegetables as they start out few and far between, suddenly I’m buried in bowls full of veggies on my kitchen table! Here is a recipe that I’ve been making for years to use some of my mountain of vegetables. Since the words “Chow Mein” actually mean “left-overs”, I have proven over the years that it turns out no matter what vegetables I put in it (don’t put in tomatoes though) and no matter what quantity of vegetables are used. You don’t have to put in the chicken, and if you want it spicier, you can add Italian sausage. If you need to add more sauce because of the quantity of vegetables, you can easily double that part of the recipe. I often serve it topped with the crunchy Chinese noodles and/or cashews. Chow Mein Prepare and have ready: 1 lb pork, beef, chicken or shrimp. (I usually use chicken) cut in thin slices. 3 c. celery, sliced diagonally 2 c. onions, sliced lengthwise ¾ c. mushrooms, fresh or canned (drain) 3 c. fresh bean sprouts Combine in a small bowl and set aside: 1 T. fresh ginger, chopped OR ¼ tsp powdered ginger 1 tsp sugar 3 T. cornstarch 5 T. soy sauce ¾ c. soup stock or reconstituted bouillon Heat in a large skillet: 1 T. oil. Add meat and stir-fry just until done. Remove from heat. In another skillet, stir-fry in 1 T. oil each vegetable just until slightly cooked. Add each vegetable to meat skillet after stir-frying. Just before serving, reheat meat mixture and add sauce. Cook just until sauce thickens and clears. Serve hot with rice and enjoy! Photo credits: www.angsarap.net/All Creative Commons (1), Joy Johnson (2)

< Back Making Delicious Meals with Hardy Vegetables Joy Johnson, Master Gardener Master Gardener Joy Johnson is an accomplished vegetable grower but even she struggled this year with the effects of the hot weather and drought on her crops. Still, she offers 4 tried, true and delicious recipes for using the vegetables that were garden champions this year. You will want to read this article for inspiration in the kitchen! It’s the first of August and I’m hoping your garden is flourishing this month. I must tell you, with the drought and the rain and the storms, some of my veggies are doing great and some are struggling along. Gardening is always a gamble, we do our part to plant, weed, fertilize, mulch and water, but sometimes even with all that TLC our veggies might not produce like the seed catalogs promised they would. I consider it a challenge. My garden has thrown down the gauntlet, asking me if I can make something nutritious and delicious with its sometimes-meager offerings. I accept that challenge! Since I like to eat lighter in the summer, I have been focusing on soups and salads. Here are a couple of soup recipes and a colorful salad. The Italian Garden Vegetable Soup is vegetarian and is quick and easy to make. The Zuppa Toscana is my hack of Olive Garden’s soup of the same name. This is a heavier cream-based soup, and makes great use of tons of kale, which you may have in abundance right now! And the Broccoli Slaw is a triumph over critters and heat. This month I also included a Martini drink recipe. My brother and I grow lots of basil and this cocktail that he came up with is a cool, refreshing use of basil. Grapefruit is one my favorite fruits. You can use canned grapefruit juice, but fresh squeezed elevates this cocktail to a gourmet level. Italian Garden Vegetable Soup (makes 6-8 servings) 2 medium zucchinis, sliced 2 medium yellow summer squash, sliced 1 small or medium eggplant, peeled and diced 6 medium tomatoes, diced (whatever variety you grew are fine) 2-4 ears of corn, kernels cut off the cob (steam first, then it’s easier to cut them off) 2 parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 2 cups veggie broth (store bought or homemade) 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (dried is fine too. You’ll see I used dried in the photo. My parsley didn’t do well this year, but I have plenty of dried from last year) 1/4-1/2 tsp onion salt Salt and pepper Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to steam vegetable in broth for 10 minutes. Add more salt and pepper if you’d like. Zuppa Toscana (make 8-10 servings) 1 large white onion diced 1 ½ pounds ground Italian sausage. I have a home blend of venison and spicey Italian port sausage that is quite spicey. You can use a mild Italian sausage or a spicier variety depending on how much heat you want. 7 small red potatoes, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced 2 cups chicken broth 4 cups water 1-2 tsp red chili flakes (don’t use this if you use a spicier sausage) 1 pint whipping cream 1 large bunch of kale, tough stems removed, and leaves chopped Chicken bouillon powder. In a large pot, brown the onion and sausage; drain fat. Add potatoes, broth, water, and chili flakes. Cover pot and bring to a boil for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Stir in the cream. Soup will thicken the longer you keep it warm and stirred. Mix kale into hot soup for about the last 5 minutes of cooking. Taste and adjust seasoning with small addition of bouillon, if desired. Cashew Broccoli Slaw (makes 6 servings) I grew tiny cabbages, a couple of red ones and a couple of green ones (lots of insect damage). But you don’t need a lot to make this tasty salad. My broccoli also didn’t produce much. I consider it a triumph that I can use what I grow to make something good regardless of its quantity or quality. Dressing: 1 cup plain yogurt 1/3 cup sugar 1 T apple cider vinegar In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, sugar, and vinegar until smooth. Salad: 1 medium sized head of broccoli, washed, peel the stems and chop 1 small head of red cabbage, washed and thinly sliced and chopped 1 small head of green cabbage, washed and thinly sliced and chopped 1 carrot, grated or julienned ¼ cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed ¼ cup chopped green onions 1 cup raisins or craisins 1 cup cashew pieces, salted Add broccoli, cabbage, green onions and raisins/craisins to the bowl. Fold slaw mixture into dressing until evenly coated. Chill until ready to serve. Toss cashews into the salad right before serving. Dale’s Grapefruit-Basil Martini 3 parts fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice 1 part grapefruit vodka (Dale uses Citron – the one with no added sugar) ½ part Elderflower liqueur (Dale uses St. Germain) ½ part fresh lime juice ½ part simple syrup to taste (1 part sugar, 2 parts water) 1-2 springs fresh basil 2-3 drops grapefruit bitters Muddle basil in the grapefruit juice and refrigerate for 24 hours in a Mason jar. Stir or shake periodically. After 24 hours, strain out the basil (a few remaining green flecks are okay). Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with basil (which really provides more of a basil punch!) Photo credits: Joy Johnson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

< Back Rain Gardens Whether you live in a city or along a lake or river, managing storm water run-off is something to consider in your landscape. Read this article to finds ways to do it. Whether you live in a city or along a lake or river, managing storm water run-off is something to consider in your landscape. Roof tops, roads, driveways and sidewalks create impervious surfaces. These surfaces cannot absorb water. If rainwater and snow melt is not able to be absorbed into the soil, run-off occurs. Run-off can carry sediments and pollutants such as oil, pet waste, debris and nutrients from lawn clippings and fertilizers. These pollutants can then end up in our rivers and lakes. Even municipal storm sewers may lead directly to rivers and lakes. Simply put, a rain garden is a shallow depression filled with selected trees, shrubs, flowering plants and grasses designed to allow rainwater run-off to absorb into the soil. Rain gardens help to filter pollutants, absorb nutrients and allow sediments to settle before entering the ground water. Rain gardens are also useful in controlling erosion by trapping and allowing the water to infiltrate rather than run down a slope. Also, rain gardens may add interest and beauty to a landscape, or add elements to attract butterflies and birds. While rain gardens are a popular trend right now, not all landscapes offer suitable sites. There needs to be enough room to allow water to be absorbed into the soil and not seep into a nearby building or basement. Also, if the soil is heavy clay or already saturated ponding may occur; and ponds have a different purpose in the landscape. Some situations can be amended to allow for proper infiltration. In these cases it is best to consult a specifically trained professional. Dakota Soil Water & Conservation District offers Landscaping for Clean Water workshops in rain garden design and implementation. Site selection, size, shape, choosing proper plants and other materials, and maintenance are all topics covered in the workshops. Demonstration sites have been planted as part of previous workshops to show how attractive and beneficial rain gardens may be.

< Back Fall Scavenger Hunt by Mary Gadek, Dakota County Master Gardener Come join the adventure of a fall scavenger hunt as a Junior Fall Garden Detective! Teach the child in your life how to detect the arrival of autumn in Minnesota. Read along here for a guide to gathering clues and using some scientific observations in an outdoor search to confirm fall’s arrival. It is time for all Junior Fall Garden Detectives to investigate how we know that fall has returned to our yards and gardens. Let’s find the clues, scientific observations, and evidence your child can collect about fall. Then, participate in a scavenger hunt revealing autumn’s cool air, shorter daylight, and changes in gardens, creatures, and our lives. CLUES As the seasons change from summer to fall, the air temperatures drop and the days get shorter. Look for these clues to determine when the seasons change: ● Air temperatures . The Minnesota average temperatures on September 1 are 77 degrees daytime, 59 degrees nighttime. By November 1, the temperatures have decreased to an average of 50 degrees daytime, 35 degrees nighttime. ● Daylight . From the start of school in early September through the end of September, you may have noticed less daylight each day as you hop on your school bus in the morning until you are playing at the park at the end of the day. Daylight on average decreases by one hour and 15 minutes from August 1 through October 15. The equinox is when the days and nights are said to be equal in length for the entire globe. For the Northern Hemisphere, (the northern half of the world), where Minnesota is located, the fall equinox will be on September 22, 2024, at approximately 7:43 am, kicking off the start of the season. EVIDENCE Some scientific observations, or evidence, of the seasonal changes may include: ● Trees . Trees and bushes are dropping an array of leaves with bright reds, yellows, oranges, and browns. Burning bush (or Euonymus alatus), along with oaks and maple trees create intense red leaves. River birch and yellow poplar trees have showy yellow displays in the fall. ● Plants. Flowers and plants around the yard have lost their blooms and dropped their leaves as their energy returns to their roots below the ground. The final fruits of many plants are ready for harvest, like apples and pumpkins. ● Creatures. The arrival of fall invites the creatures in your yard, or local park, to either migrate to the warmer south or prepare to hunker down for the Minnesota winters by making nests or dens. Birds, like Canadian geese, wood ducks, and the loon, form flocks and fly south. Look up to the autumn sky as the migrating birds fly in a triangular formation to head to warmer locations. Butterflies, like the monarch, partake in a long journey to winter in warm Mexico. You may notice that the butterflies are no longer to be found in the garden. Other animals, insects, and birds remain in Minnesota during the winter by hibernating, or sleeping, in covered areas or under the brush of the colorful fallen leaves and nearby evergreens. Look closely, squirrels are collecting seeds and acorns to save up for their winter meals. SOLVE Now, it’s time for a fun expedition outside in your yard, neighborhood, or local park to search for these clues and evidence of fall and its impact on our daily lives. See the attached printable Junior Fall Detective Scavenger Hunt here for an activity for your child. Read: The Very Hungry Catepillar’s First Fall by Eric Carle, to help the younger child understand the concepts of fall. Buy: https://www.amazon.com/Hungry-Caterpillars-First-World-Carle/dp/0593384768/ref=sr_1_9?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.A2F_T8wwaRnCdivgPFsO5IGQdF9pZTxxKDdCxuOob5ZqKJsb9GrsLZpjRJcRKDZYUNGuHZCHYHX_e8MHQvAJkzW395e8Fx-vGN33AGJElFC0Z90rjHwbxCeAW2LiN9yJ7_WKZFEFEdHzs73L8bOLnimVG-Kyp0ToP86gekzJ3TbV6lm2nXsLTSc9RXsDg8869p7rgyugXEC8AbMsmNIqPx8NLF3aH0GyyaNHQu0G2CV6pzrwh-kBl_hlGAwVcSoWjQ5joGUsi5uXMPuh0mioWjIbNHYFa-O5W8JldhCx2Lo.Yk6T3qxBgI-pxXL1PXwWEEU0LP9Vk1wi_gt3CVSyKPY&dib_tag=se&keywords=Fall+Children%27s+Books&qid=1721076061&sr=8-9 Or go to the Dakota County library and check out the book: ISBN: 9780593384763 Photo Credit: Mary Gadek (1,2,3)

< Back Herbs For A Winter Lift Does the cilantro go limp before you use it? Is the basil brown when you remember to reach for it? Does your store tend to not have chives when you need them? Remedy these issues AND cheer up your indoor space by growing a few pots of herbs in a sunny window. Read this article to learn more about which herbs will grow best inside your house this winter. Sally McNamara, Dakota County Master Gardener Does the cilantro go limp before you use it? Is the basil brown when you remember to reach for it? Does your store tend to not have chives when you need them? Remedy these issues AND cheer up your indoor space by growing a few pots of herbs in a sunny window. West or east facing are best. One can use grow lights but herbs can be happy with good light from windows. Which herbs could you grow? Aloe does not usually show up on an indoor herb list but it is super easy to grow, and share, and is really handy in the case of a kitchen burn. Slice a spear and spread the goo on the burn. Aloe reproduces readily and either needs to be shared or thinned or your kitchen will be full of aloe plants. Aloe can be planted in cactus mix soil. Basil is easy to find as a potted plant but is not long lasting. It is nice to have fresh basil leaves exactly when you need them but it might be challenging to grow enough for a good pesto in a window pot. Be generous in using it and replace it when it gets spindly. Chives take a while to fill a pot if planted from seed but are handy to have on hand. Cut them and they will regrow from the roots. One option is to pot up a piece of an outdoor bunch in fall to have on hand over the winter. Cilantro is a good choice if enough is grown to really be useful. A few sprigs usually is not what the recipe wants. Cilantro, like basil has a short life span so starting pots in a sequence will give a more continuous supply. Good draining and adequate water are important for success with cilantro. Sage , thyme and oregano all do well indoors. Drainage is important. Cutting the plants to use them encourages more growth. Lemon balm is not as useful in meal cooking as the herbs above but it is an easy to grow, very fragrant and attractive plant which goes into desserts and drinks and is a stress reliever. Snip and bruise some leaves for a quick lift of the spirits. It might want a little more space than some others. Rosemary might be one of the most useful and attractive herbs to grow because it doesn’t take many leaves to enhance a recipe but it can be fussy indoors. Good drainage, good light and letting the soil dry between waterings are important. This is a prime candidate for overwintering as it grows bigger each season; it is a shrub not an annual plant. Often an overwintered rosemary blooms with blue flowers inside in winter. Check for insects when bringing it in the fall. Warning: overwintering rosemary is a competitive sport to some of us. Indoor plants are mood enhancing generally but even more so when they are useful and decorative. The worst that can happen is learning how NOT to care for your herbs. We all grow by trying with some success and some failure. Photo Credit: www.pickpik.com (All Creative Commons) (1), en.wikipedia.org (All Creative Commons) (2), Whitwam Organics (3), The Growers Exchange (4), www.publicdomainpictures.net (5), kathleenkirkpoetry.blogspot.com (6), commons.wikimedia.org (7)

< Back Why Weigela? Marjory Blare, Master Gardener Weigelas are beautiful, deer-resistant, flowering shrubs. There are many lovely varieties to choose. Learn why you should consider this shrub for your garden. Wine and Roses Weigelas (wy-GEE-la) are a hardy shrub that can vary in size from 1.5 feet to 12 feet high, depending on the cultivar. Funnel-form or bell-shaped blossoms can be white, yellow, pale pink, deep-red or maroon. Some varieties bloom only in the spring, some follow-up with a steady supply the rest of the year, some will re-bloom later. Leaves can be dark or light green, variegated or 'purple/bronze'. Weigela is hardy in zones 4 – 8 and does best in full sun to dappled shade. They are tolerant of most soil conditions, even clay, but they don't do well in soggy conditions. For planting instructions see: https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/planting-shrubs-correctly/ This link has a very good explanation of how to plant container-grown shrubs, but also has a great explanation of why they recommend these procedures. They also tell you how to “root-wash” (my favorite method) container plants, and why this method is recommended. In this age of invasive species, this can be one way to avoid jumping worms. Make sure to dispose of the discarded soil. Be aware that this link is from South Carolina, so, the advice to get a soil test ( https://soiltest.cfans.umn.edu/ ) is valid, but Dakota County soils are not generally acidic, we do not rarely need to amend the soil with lime. Red Prince Rubidor Fertilize Weigela in the spring just before new growth appears. It may not be necessary to prune at all, (except for winter die-back and any crossed, rubbing, branches), if you've chosen the right cultivar for the available space. Pay special attention to mature plant size and USDA zones when you buy. Some growers “push” the limits of the zones and sizes for the cultivar. Check several different catalogs to see what zones and sizes they list. Weigelas bloom on “old” wood. That means that next year's flowers will be produced on wood that grew this year. Prune immediately after flowering, if you wait longer, you will remove next year's flowers. Some varieties send up a “horn” that you may want to prune, also. In a dry spring, direct sun can burn the leaves of yellow-leafed varieties. Prune burned growth after new growth has come in. There are two more intensive kinds of pruning that you may want to consider at some point. The first is re-rejuvenation. This would be your choice if the shrub is looking worn-out, overgrown or raggedy. Simply put, you cut all the stems back to about 6”. It will take time to recover and fill in the space, but will have good results. The other is renewal pruning. Each year prune out about 1/3rd of the oldest stems. Both of these techniques will result in renewed vigor and blooming in the future. These methods will work on many other shrubs as well. Polka Weigelas are a pollinator-friendly, deer-resistant, drought-resistant, reliable addition to your home landscape! Photo credits: Marjory Blare (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

< Back Yes, You Can Grow Shade-Loving Plants Marjory Blare, MD, Master Gardener Many people think that shade just creates problems for the garden. This article explains how wrong that can be. Read on to learn more about which trees, shrubs and perennials can prosper in your shady garden. You may consider your garden to be “shady,” but is it in full shade or part shade? Full shade is defined as an area that receives less than 4 hours of direct sun per day. Part shade is defined as a garden that receives 4 to 6 hours per day. How much sun (take into account reflected or filtered sun) does your garden get? The easiest way to measure sunlight exposure is to simply observe your planting area every 30 minutes or so throughout the daylight hours over a week or two. Use those observations to determine the average amount of time the area receives sunlight, dappled sunlight, or shade. When you have determined the average amount of sunlight an area receives, you can choose plants that match the conditions of the site. Research the plants before buying and planting. You should also take into account the condition of your soil. Is it clay, sandy or loamy, is it dry or wet, acidic or alkaline? (Click here to find out about soil tests: https://soiltest.cfans.umn.edu/ ) Consider the following plants for your shady garden. SMALL TREES Saucer Magnolias Saucer Magnolias (30’) are shrub-like trees. They grow at a moderate pace producing goblet-shaped flowers in shades of white, pink, and purple. The buds are attractive to deer and rabbits. They grow well in many soil types, especially organic-rich soils that stay moist. They are useful in tight spaces and can be near a foundation without causing problems. Eastern Redbud (zones 4-9) Eastern Redbuds (20’-30’ x 25’-35’) produce violet-pink blossoms on bare branches in early to mid-spring before heart-shaped foliage emerges. Eastern Redbuds grow at a medium rate, and tolerate many soil types, from clay to sand, from alkaline to acidic. Water regularly when young; once established, they’re drought-resistant. SHRUBS Azalea The University of Minnesota’s Northerns Lights series has a wide range of colors. https://mnhardy.umn.edu/azaleas . If you look at other growers, be sure to purchase plants grown in Minnesota. Acidic soil (pH 4.5-6.0) is very important. Try to site azaleas at the edges of shade. Aronia, Chokeberry Aronia does best in part shade. In the spring they are covered in white blossoms, in the fall they provide bright color. Chokeberry Aronia Snowberry Snowberry produces tiny pink flowers and white berries the size of peas. Is is very hardy with a wide tolerance of soil types, and moisture conditions. The drupes attract many birds. Weigela Weigelas, like azaleas, bloom better with more sun rather than less, but are not so picky about pH. The blossoms are white, pink, mauve and red. The leaves can range from light green to dark and many have stunning bronze foliage. Weigela PERENNIALS If you would like more ideas, please download this table. It should dispel any question in your mind that there are a wide variety of perennials that will grow well in your shady garden. Shade Plant Table .pdf Download PDF • 131KB Photo credits: Marjory Blare (1), www.flickr.com – All Creative Commons (2), www.thisgrandmothersgarden.com – All Creative Commons (3), www.publicdomainpictures.net – All Creative Commons (4)