Events Every year the Master Gardeners in Dakota County share their knowledge of research-based horticultural and environmental information by hosting classes and events. Most events occur in spring, summer and fall. There’s something for everyone. Let’s Get Growing is an event for home gardeners of all skill levels looking to learn more and have a good time. This event includes classes, keynote speaker, lunch, silent auction and a chance to win door prizes too. Classes are taught by U of M Master Gardeners as well as horticulture professionals. Spring Plant Sale Get beautiful, hardy Minnesota grown plants at a great price and benefit the Master Gardener program of Dakota County too. Classes and Workshops If there is a gardening topic chances are there is a Dakota County Master Gardening speaking about it somewhere. Classes are offered throughout the year at a variety of locations throughout the county. Farmers Markets Friendly Master Gardeners ready to answer your toughest gardening questions can be found at Farmers Markets in Lakeville, Eagan, Burnsville, and Apple Valley. Look for our table at both summer and winter area markets. A complete listing of dates, location and times can be found on our Event Calendar . Community Gardens Master Gardeners participate in comparison vegetable trials and then share their results with you on this website. This year we cooperated in a state-wide trial to look at attractiveness of annual; flowers to various pollinators. Data was collected each week for eight weeks and will be compiled into a report. We are hoping that the information will help gardeners choose flowers that will improve habitat for pollinators.

REGISTRATION FOR LET'S GET GROWING 2026 IS OPEN! Let’s Get Growing is an event for home gardeners of all skill levels looking to learn more and have a great time. This event includes classes, a keynote speaker, lunch, silent auction and a chance to win door prizes too. Classes are taught by U of M Master Gardeners as well as horticulture professionals. Consider coming to enjoy friendly people and a garden marketplace where you can purchase books and garden décor in a spring time atmosphere! Date Saturday, March 14, 2026 Time 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Central time Location Eagan Community Center 1501 Central Parkway Eagan, MN 55121 Schedule 8 a.m. Check in, vendors, and refreshments open 9 a.m. Welcome 9:45 a.m. Session 1 11 a.m. Session 2 12-1 p.m. lunch 1-2 p.m. Keynote speaker Laura Irish-Hanson Session 1 options Enjoying birds and animals in your garden — Matt Schuth Exploring native plants for your garden plans — Andy Scott Diseases in lawns — Jon Trappe, Extension turfgrass educator Helping trees survive and thrive in a changing landscape — Gary Johnson, Extension forestry educator Session 2 options Container garden like a pro — Michelle Mero Riedel Landscaping for clean water — Victoria Ranua Diseases in plants: Prevention, management, and detective work — Laura Irish-Hanson, Extension horticulture educator Stone sculpture in your garden — Peter Juhl (class limit 20) Cost $45 Accommodations University of Minnesota Extension is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and activities. To request accommodations for persons with disabilities, reach out to the event contact two weeks before the start of the event. Requests received after this date will be honored whenever possible. Language This offering is delivered in English. Interpreter services may be available with an advance request. Speaker Bios Register here Read more

Annual Plant Sale Saturday, May 17, 2025 8:00 a.m. - Noon Rain or Shine ***NEW LOCATION!*** Western Service Center 14955 Galaxie Avenue Apple Valley, MN Plan to gather your gardening friends and bring a box or wagon to bring home healthy, Minnesota-grown plants at reasonable prices! Click here for a list of available plants. Shop our wide variety of sun and shade perennials, natives, and woodland plants, grasses, groundcovers, and other landscape plants, along with herb and veggie plants too. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, The Buzz, to receive information about all our events and garden information.

LET'S GET GROWING 2026 REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Let’set Growing is an event for home gardeners of all skill levels looking to learn more and have a great time. This event includes classes, a keynote speaker, lunch, silent auction and a chance to win door prizes too. Classes are taught by U of M Master Gardeners as well as horticulture professionals. Consider coming to enjoy friendly people and a garden marketplace where you can purchase books and garden décor in a spring time atmosphere! Friendly Master Gardeners ready to answer your toughest gardening questions can be found at Farmers Markets during the spring, summer, and fall in Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, and Lakeville. During the winter, you can find them at winter markets in Eagan and Apple Valley. A complete listing of dates, locations and times can be found on our Event Calendar. Gardening Problem or Questions? Garden Information Ask a MG Ask a Master Gardener Extension Yard & Garden Extension Yard & Garden Garden Information 1/3 Upcoming Events View All Events Get the Buzz Don’t miss out on the Garden Buzz, the Dakota County Master Gardener’s monthly newsletter bringing you interesting, timely, research-based information on best practices in consumer gardening and caring for the environment. Monthly gardening tasks Master Gardener events Plant diseases, insects or other garden problems Tips to enhance your garden and the environment; Ideas for sharing the joy of gardening with the children in your lives Recipes, gardening books and much more! Subscribe Now

Edible Plants Edible Plants Bitter Melon – The Bumpy, Spiky Gourd Loved ‘Round the Sub-Tropical World’ How about growing “bitter melon” for a change of pace. You may not be familiar with this vegetable as it is more widely grown in the tropics and subtropics. But bitter melon can be grown in Minnesota and has many health benefits. Read on to learn more about how to grow this lesser-known vegetable and when you are finished, read the Garden to Kitchen article about how to use bitter melon. Read More Brussels Sprouts Brussels sprouts are one of the few crops usually harvested in late fall – late September through late October, depending on your location. Flavor improves with cooler fall weather and they can stay in the garden as long as temperatures remain above 20°F. Read more about how to grow and enjoy this late season vegetable. Read More Brussels Sprouts: The Last Gasp of a Northern Garden Brussels sprouts need a northern garden environment to thrive. Cool autumn air and frost intensifies the sugars in the sprouts, enhancing their flavor. This characteristic means that brussels sprouts are often the last plants standing in a Minnesota garden. Read on to learn more about Brussels sprouts and discover the best way to care for sprouts from late summer through harvest. Read More Butternut Squash – The Best Flavor of All Winter Squash? December marks the beginning of winter – the time of year when winter squash seems like just the right vegetable to enjoy. Butternut squash is often described as having the best flavor of all winter squash. After you enjoy eating butternut squash this winter, you will want to grow some of your own next spring. Read on to learn how to grow butternut squash successfully. Read More Carrots and Parsnips Carrots and parsnips are favorite “winter” vegetables. They are “root” vegetables that are staples of Minnesota gardens. You can save the carrots and parsnips that you grew in your garden for eating in the winter. Even if you didn’t grow them yourself, carrots and parsnips are a great addition to a winter meal. Learn more about how to grow and enjoy these healthy and tasty vegetables. Read More Cat-Grass Learn how to grow your own! Many cats like a little salad now and then – cat-grass that is. Grass is not a necessity if your cat its eating a well-balanced diet. But cats can enjoy it and grass provides environmental enrichment for an indoor cat. With the help of the child in your life, you might want to grow some cat-grass as a treat for your cat. It’s also a fun and easy activity. Read More Discover Delicata Squash? Delicata Squash is favored for its delicate, edible skin. No peeling necessary! This squash is booming in popularity. Here are some growing tips. Read More Eating Jicama Jicama is a light brown skinned root vegetable that can usually be found in the produce section of most major supermarkets, and more commonly in Hispanic and Asian markets. Peeling away its leathery, toxic skin with any kitchen knife or vegetable peeler reveals an opaque white, fibrous flesh that can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Read on to learn how to use this interesting vegetable Read More Eating Winter Melon Looking for a comfort food that can come straight from your garden? Try this recipe using winter melon. Winter melon, also known as ash gourd, is a fruit native to parts of Southern Asia. The fruit grows on a vine and matures into a round or oblong melon that is approximately the same size and color as a watermelon. When it is ripe, it’s exterior turns a greenish-powdery ash-color. It tastes a bit like cucumber and is delicious in the soup described in this article. Read More Food for Thought in the Home Landscape Everyone wants a yard that is both beautiful and functional. For anyone wanting to grow food and make their landscapes more productive, there are many ways to incorporate both, outside of the usual raised beds, berry bushes, and fruit trees. Many more plants and plant parts than you might think are edible, and you can create layered designs to maximize density and diversity. Read this article for ideas and resources that you can put to use in your own yard. Read More Foraging 101 Foraging is the oldest form of food procurement. Here are some suggestions on how to get started. Read More Gai Lan: The Versatile Chinese Broccoli Expand your vegetable choices with Gai lan. Also known as Chinese broccoli, Gai lan is a leafy green vegetable that is a staple in Chinese and Asian cuisine. It is a close relative to broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Its harvest time and preference for cooler growing conditions makes it a great vegetable option for spring and fall in Minnesota gardens. Gai lan has its own unique flavor profile and texture compared to American broccoli. Read this article to learn more about this healthy and flavorful vegetable. Read More 1 2 3 4 1 ... 1 2 3 4 ... 4

Trees & Shrubs A Rapid Growing Native Shade Tree: The Birch (Betula spp.) The birch tree is so much a part of Americana and so dear to the hearts of all Northern Midwesterners, it’s a pretty easy sell to suggest adding some to your landscape. But, hold on, there are facts to understand about various types of birch to ensure that the one that you choose will thrive in your yard. This article focuses on three types of birch that are commonly used in Minnesota. Read More A Tree for All Seasons: Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp) For the smaller yard, a smaller tree can be just the right touch. A forty-foot oak might be a bit overpowering, but a so-called “understory tree” can be the perfect landscaping accent to make the house appear to be a welcoming homestead. One excellent candidate is the native Serviceberry. Read More American Beech (Fagus grandifolia): An All American! Think of the majestic forests of the early Midwest and you think of glorious beech trees. They and their cousins, the oaks and chestnuts are the noble components of a climax mesic forest. This magnificent tree has a unique trunk and puts on a beautiful show of color in the fall. But there are some things you need to know to grow this tree successfully. Read this article to learn more. Read More American Holly (Ilex opaca): Deck the Halls! American holly is a tree that breathes festivity! In winter’s white silence, American holly radiates merriment showing red berries on olive green leaves. Boughs often find their way into Christmas wreathes. But this tree is also a great year-round addition to the landscape. Read this article to learn why. Read More American Smoketree - An American Beauty This month, MG Jim Lakin continues his series on smaller understory native trees with an article on the American Smoketree. This beautiful specimen can be pruned to be a small tree or large bush. It features stunning “smoke-like” clusters of flowers from which its name is derived. Read Jim’s article to learn more about this stunning specimen tree for your yard. Read More Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea): A “Star of the North” It might seem a bit early to talk about native evergreens but as this article explains, providing greenery in Minnesota winters is just one of the benefits of having a Balsam Fir in your yard. Balsam Fir is a beautiful native tree worth consideration for your part shady yard. Read More Best Time to Prune Trees Although trees are quite resilient and may be pruned anytime, there are both practical as well as biological reasons to prune or not prune during certain times of the year. Read More Beware the Majestic Black Walnut Tree The black walnut tree is beautiful in the landscape and provides food for wildlife and humans. But the chemical juglone, that is present in all parts of the black walnut tree, provides a cautionary tale for the suburban gardener. Read this article to understand the pros and significant cons of growing a black walnut tree near a garden where you plan to grow flowers or vegetables. Read More Black Chokeberry: Showy but Well-Behaved Read More Black Spruce (Picea mariana): A Northwoods Native As Master Gardener Jim Lakin explains, you don’t need to go to the Rhine country in Germany to see a cathedral of natural majesty. This month, Jim profiles the mighty and beautiful Black Spruce (pices mariana). Black Spruce is native to Minnesota and can grow to 50-100 feet under the right environmental conditions. But other varieties have been developed for landscape use. Read on to learn more about this magnificent conifer. Read More Buckthorn Removal Ah yes, the dreaded B word … Buckthorn! This noxious invasive species threatens residential, woodland areas, waters and grassland areas. Unfortunately, buckthorn is a multi-year commitment as the seeds in the soil can germinate for many years. So, you ask, what kind of treatment plan should you use? Read on for tips to use in removing this invasive plant. Read More Buttonbush (Queen of the Wetlands) Buttonbush is a great shrub for naturalizing in wet areas and attracts butterflies. Read more about its attributes. Read More 1 2 3 1 ... 1 2 3 ... 3

Lawn Care Dormant Seeding, Preparing Your Lawn for Next Year Plant grass seed in your lawn now? We may think it is winter already and the growing season is done, but November is the best time for dormant seeding! This is a late-fall technique that involves sowing grass seed after the growing season has ended and before the ground is permanently frozen. Dormant seeding has many benefits, as discussed in this article, but certain methods must be used in order to achieve success. Read on to discover how to dormant seed your lawn. Read More Healthy Lawn Care Believe it or not, fall is the best time to repair your existing lawn. And, with climate weather changes, it is also a good time to consider what type of lawn you want to have in the future. Sometimes it can be perplexing as to where to begin. If you are interested in lawn care, please read this article. Read More The Minnesota Lawn Guide: Attaining and Maintaining the Lawn You Want The Minnesota Lawn Guide, by Melinda Myers will give you tips on growing the perfect lawn in Minnesota. Whether establishing a new lawn, restoring an existing one or fixing spots, this easy to read book will help answer all your questions. Read More What to Do with All Those Leaves? Did you know that the trees in one acre of forest shed as much as two tons of leaves each fall? Your neighborhood may not have that many trees, but even a little bit of raking is hard on the back . . . and it’s no fun for anyone but the kids who jump in the piles! It doesn’t make sense to bag or compost your leaves. Instead, turn them into a valuable natural resource that delivers organic matter and nutrients to your landscape. Read More Fall Lawn Care Fall is the best time to prepare for next year’s healthy lawn. Most lawns in Minnesota have cool weather grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall and fine fescues and perennial ryegrass. Read More 1 1 ... 1 ... 1

Indoor Plants Humidity and Indoor Plants Are you filling your winter gardening needs by growing houseplants? If so, you’ve probably noticed that the air in our homes is dryer during the winter months. That not only affects us, but it also can have a significant impact on your plants. This is especially true for tropical plants . . . and many house plants do originate in tropical settings. In this article, Master Gardener Linda Stein provides advice about how providing humidity to your plants can help them through the winter. Read More Terrariums - A Garden in a Bottle Are you looking for an easy way to enjoy a live project with your child or grandchild over the Winter? How about creating a simple Terrarium that not only will be easy to care for but will also add a living garden to your home. All you need to begin is an open or enclosed glass or plastic container and a variety of planting materials. Read More Is it Time for Houseplants? It’s December. Everything in the garden is dead or hibernating. Assuming you did your fall clean-up in the yard, cleaned and sharpened your tools for next year and planted your spring bulbs, there is nothing to do in the garden. Feeling lost? Maybe it’s time to consider houseplants. Read More The Vacation is Over Your orchids have been enjoying an invigorating respite outside, but like all good things, it must come to an end. Orchids, like any indoor plant that has summered outdoors, have the potential of picking up nefarious bugs and potential diseases that you don’t want to bring into your indoor growing area. It is better to go on the offensive while they are outside because there are more treatment options available to combat the offenders when the orchids are outside. Read this article to learn how to return your orchids (or other house plants) indoors after their summer vacation. Read More Give Your Orchid a Vacation Orchids are like school children. They have been cooped up in your house all winter. They have treated you well, stayed healthy, and maybe even treated you to blooms; for that they deserve something special: a vacation! It is easy; you don’t need a travel agent, an airline reservation or even a hotel room: just set them outside. Read this article by avid orchid grower, Paul Wood, to learn how to safely grow your orchids outside in the summer. Read More How to Select an Orchid Have you been intrigued about orchids but don’t know where to start or how to keep them alive? Or, are you already an orchid grower but want some expert tips? This article on orchids is the first of three by orchid expert, Paul Wood. The first article provides great advice about how to choose the right orchid for you. Read on to learn how you can begin to be an orchid grower – and lover! Read More Moving Houseplants Outdoors for a Summer Vacation You have been enjoying your indoor plants during our long, cold winter. But soon it will be time to think about transitioning some of those plants outdoors. March might seem a bit early to think about moving your indoor plants to the outdoors but plants do require a transition time and warm weather will be here sooner than you think. There are many reasons that you might move your houseplants outdoors for the summer. But there are several things to consider to ensure that your plants flourish as a result of this move. Read More Indoor Allergen Friendly Plants Did you know that Americans spend roughly 90% of their time, on average, indoors according to US EPA report? As a gardener, perhaps it’s time we focus on our indoor space and the benefits and types of plants we could have indoors. Click on this link to learn more about Indoor Allergen Friendly Plants. Read More Pet-Safe Plant Choices There are a lot of us in Dakota County and beyond who love both plants and our pets. Not all plants are compatible with the dogs and cats who live with us. Read on to find out about safer plant choices to make for our furry family members - and a few plants to keep away! Read More Propagating House Plants Winter blahs got you down? Bring more green into your home by propagating your houseplants. It’s easier than you think for many plant varieties, and it’s a fun way to spend part of a gray day. Read More The Short-lived Beauty of Blooming Cactus Various cacti can provide gardening pleasure in Minnesota both outside in the summer and inside during the cold weather. There are thousands of varieties of cacti, many of which are different and exotic, in other words, pretty cool. But there are some tricks to growing cacti successfully. Here are some tips on growing healthy cacti and getting them to re-bloom. Read More African Violets African Violets are one of the most popular houseplants because they require little maintenance and, cared for properly, bloom several times a year. But, as with any plant, they do have specific needs that you must know and pay attention to in order to provide the color and pleasure that you are hoping for. Read this article to understand how to achieve a happy, healthy African Violet in your home. Read More 1 2 1 ... 1 2 ... 2

Annuals & Bulbs Planting Bulbs with your Growing Sprouts As the leaves fall and the temperatures begin to tumble, don’t forget to plant your favorite bulbs with a young gardener. Tulips are a perfect choice to plant in early November as long as you can dig in the ground. Daffodils’ ideal planting season is up until mid-October, but if the temperatures are warm and the ground workable, daffodils can be tried also. Your Growing Sprout will delight in the spring display. Read More Sunflowers - Bright, Beautiful and Fun to Grow Summer is upon us and what is better to grow with your child than flowers that are big, bright and beautiful. Sunflowers come in many varieties and heights and “Yes” they can be planted in containers too. Planting sunflower seeds with children is an incredible way to see the entire life cycle of a plant. This article explains how to engage in this fun and easy learning opportunity. Read More Spring in September Plan Now to Start 2025 Blooming in Color Spring begins this month! I know, it’s September, but on a gardener’s calendar, this is the month to begin planning for an awakening of eagerly blooming sprouts and a palette of spring colors. Whether you are a “bulb-beginner” like me or a bulb enthusiast looking to expand on some gardening ideas, continue reading as we discuss the what, where, when, how, and why of spring blooming bulbs with a few design tips planted along the way. Read More BULBS 101 Snowdrops and daffodils are harbingers of spring, the first flowers to appear after the snow has melted and the days start to lengthen. For many of us, these early bulbs are a wake-up call, reminding us that the growing season is beginning. Of course, if seeing daffodils makes us want them in our own gardens, it’s too late for this year! For many Minnesota gardeners, bulbs have been in our yards for decades. However, if you’re new to bulbs or would just like a more in-depth look at them, this Bulb Primer is for you! Read More Protecting Bulbs for Winter Autumn in Minnesota is the time to prepare your bulbs for next year’s growing season, whether that is tucking in your hardy bulbs for their winter sleep (and protecting them from foraging critters!) or retrieving your tender bulbs for indoor storage to spare them from the harsh cold. Read on to learn more about what to do this season for beautiful blooms next year! Read More Overwinter Geraniums the Correct Way As the end of the growing season appears it may be sad to think of your beautiful geraniums’ endless show of color coming to an end. Fear not! While non-hardy geraniums are considered annuals, overwintering your prized plant indoors can carry them through to the following year, giving you a jump start on spring and saving you some money if you usually replace them each year. But beware – it’s not quite as simple as carrying your geranium pot inside and waiting for spring. This article talks about two ways to overwinter geraniums in a way that will maximize your chance of success. Read More What Can Alliums Do For Your Garden? As fall approaches, you might be thinking about planting bulbs that will provide you with a beautiful display in the spring. In this article, Marjory Blare explains why you should consider planting Alliums for that purpose. You may be familiar with varieties of allium used for cooking (for example, onion, garlic, scallion). But there are many ornamental alliums with many different features and colors. Read this article to learn more about the virtues of alliums. Read More The Ws (plus an H) of Bulbs The great thing about planting bulbs is that they will bloom year after year. Here's what you need to know to grow bulbs successfully in your garden and look forward to early spring color. Read More Glorious Amaryllis Amaryllis is a beautiful plant with large, stunning blooms that can be grown as a houseplant year-round. Get ready for some beautiful inside blooms and learn all about growing Amaryllis this winter. Read More Zinnias: Vibrant Accents to a Northern Garden You know that zinnias provide a beautiful flourish to the summer garden. The varieties and colors are endless and can be enjoyed from late Spring into the Fall. But did you know that growing Zinnias from seed is both easy and rewarding? Read this article to learn why you might want to grow your own zinnias from seed this year. Read More Early Spring Blooming Plants Deep in the doldrums of winter, everyone is anxious for spring weather to arrive so that, once again, they can dig in the dirt planting flowers and vegetables. To entice us even more, we’re seeing bulb plants in the stores for sale so we can enjoy them at home until spring finally arrives. In this article, I’ll talk about some of the most popular spring blooming plants for your garden. Read More Harvesting and Preserving Herbs Harvest time is such a fun time of the year. There are so many herbs to harvest and preserve for the upcoming winter months. Some share their bounty year after year, like tarragon and oregano, and others, like basil and marjoram, are planted in spring for a fall harvest. Read More 1 2 1 ... 1 2 ... 2

< Back December - Feed The Birds That Live in Your Neighborhood Julie Henrichs, Dakota County Master Gardener Winter is upon us and as the temperatures drop and the snow begins to fall, our feathery friends need our help finding food. The first step is to understand what birds you have in your neighborhood. Different birds eat different foods. Observe with your young gardeners what birds frequent your area to determine the best way you can help. There are many different make-at-home birdfeeders but let’s get started on making mini frozen bird feeders that can be made, frozen and set out for our feathery friends this winter. But what do the birds in my backyard enjoy the most? The birds that most frequent our area include cardinals, bluejays, chickadees, various woodpeckers, titmice, grosbeaks, finches, sparrows, doves, nuthatches, bluebirds and juncos. Do all birds eat the same? No! The strength of the bird’s beak will help to determine what might be on their menu. Favorite bird seeds include black sunflower seeds which packs a lot of energy for a large number of birds with strong beaks (cardinals, chickadees, titanic); thistle seed (a finch favorite); millet (ground feeding birds); nectar; peanuts (a bluejay’s favorite) and fruit and berries, all provide a special treat for many types of birds. Mini frozen bird feeders are a way to help care for our feathery friends and our environment as well as provide a fun “kid size” activity. Mini Frozen Birdfeeder Supplies : Muffin Tin, Single Serve Empty Yogurt Containers, Small Bowls or Large Ice Cube Trays Bird Seed (1-2 cups) Water (1-2 cups) Cotton Twine Scissors Liquid Measuring Cup Fruits (berries, oranges) or Unsalted Peanuts Begin preparing the mini frozen bird feeders by filling the muffin tin, large ice cube trays or individual yogurt containers ¾ of the way full of birdseed, peanuts and or fruits. Then fill the container with water up to almost the rim. Cut and place a 7-9-inch piece of twine creating a loop. Push the cut ends deep into the bird feeder container to the bottom. Doing this with the twine will prevent the twine from falling out when hung. Place the containers into the freezer for 2-4 hours and then remove from containers when you are ready to hang the frozen bird treat outside. Once the temps fall below freezing outside your Growing Sprout and yourself will hang up your mini frozen bird feeders outside on tree limbs or shepherd hooks. Let the bird watching begin and observe what birds are visiting your neighborhood. Photo Credit: Flickr.com (1), pixnio.com (2), raxpixel.com (3)

Garden Prep & Care Avoid Overbuying Seeds Gardening season is over for this year. Or is it? Are you already dreaming and planning for next year’s garden? Soon it will be time to buy seeds. But don’t let your enthusiasm lead you to overbuying seeds. The best way to avoid overbuying is to use a systematic process for planning, purchasing, and storing seeds. Read this article for some tips to help you plan wisely. Read More Beware Garlic Mustard in Early Spring Garlic Mustard may be edible and tasty but unless you are planning to cook with it, you will not want it growing in your yard. One of the first weeds to appear in the spring, Garlic Mustard is a noxious weed that is difficult to get rid of. Read this article to learn how to identify Garlic Mustard and how to control it. Read More Companion Gardens Are the Best Linda Stein confesses that she used to arrange her garden by separating annuals from perennials from vegetables. But she has learned that there are many advantages to mixing these different types of plants in the garden. Read this article to learn more about why you would want to mix these plant types and what types of plants you might consider. As you prepare for the upcoming summer, learn more about mixing and matching your edible plants with flowering perennials and annuals to enhance the beauty of your garden, attract pollinators to plants that will benefit from these critters and reduce the need for pesticides by providing plants that serve as natural repellants. Read More Composting Would you like to save $$$ on your gardening expenses? Homegrown compost can be used to solve various garden challenges while saving you money from buying other product solutions in-store. Read More Cover Crops Cover crops? What are they and why might you consider growing one? Cover crops provide a way to add nutrients into the soil while also controlling weeds. Improving soil health is one of the best ways to improve plant growth and production as regular planting depletes soil of essential nutrients. Farmers frequently use cover crops, but many people don’t realize that they can enhance home gardens, too. Dig into this article to learn more about why and how to incorporate cover crops in your garden. Read More Cover Crops for the Home Garden As you harvest the last of your vegetables and fruits late in the gardening season, open soil space becomes available in your garden. Why not try something new and fill those spaces with cover crops? Read more about cover crops in the home garden. Read More Deciphering Seed Catalogs Seed catalogs start coming in January or February - a good time to start dreaming of your next garden! But there is so much information packed into a seed catalog it can be hard to interpret the abbreviations and array of plant varieties. This article will help you to decipher your seed catalogs so that you can choose the best plants for your garden. Read More 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 Read More Garden Mulch and Jumping Worms There are many things to consider when choosing which type of mulch to use. Aesthetics is one consideration but mulch that will help and not hurt your garden soil is another. This article will help you select the mulch that's right for your garden. Read More Garden in the Minnesota Winter with “Winter Sowing” Itching to get planting? Even in our cold Minnesota we can start our spring gardens. Winter seed sowing is possible using homemade miniature greenhouses and plenty of snow. Here's how... Read More Get to Know Your Good and Bad Weeds We are bringing you a new series this year, “Weed of the Month”. Some months, we’ll highlight a specific weed, show you what it looks like, describe its key characteristics, and methods for managing it. Other months we’ll focus on a special angle about weeds, for example, edible weeds because it turns out that not all weeds are bad! This article provides a very useful set of resources to identify and understand weeds and how you should handle them. Read More Growing Plants Without Soil Although the last few winter months hang on, the hours of daylight continue to lengthen and many of us, including the little ones in our lives, are itching to see green. Green grass. Green leaves. Any new green growth. But even with a desire to have living, green plants around us and in our homes, some kids just aren’t excited about gardening. One reason may be that they don’t like the feel of soil or getting dirty. If this sounds like a kiddo in your life, read on to learn how to grow lovely green things while staying warm, and relatively clean, inside. Read More 1 2 3 4 1 ... 1 2 3 4 ... 4

Pollinators All About Those Bee Houses Bee house? Pollinator palace? Bug hotel? Check out some ideas for building pollinator real estate with the child in your life and find out why we may want to invite pollinators into our yards and gardens! Read More Aster and Hyssop – Pollinator Magnets One of the goals for many gardeners is to have plants blooming in the garden all season. With a little planning, Minnesota native plants can help you fulfill this challenge. But having blooms in your garden all season isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, blooming native flowers are a constant food source for pollinators. This article focuses on two late summer plants loved by pollinators - Asters and Hyssops. Read More Attracting Monarch and Swallowtail Butterflies to your garden One of the sweetest events in a Minnesota June, is the appearance of butterflies in the garden. These delicate creatures are not only astonishingly beautiful but a key link in a healthy environment. In this article, you will learn about the life cycles of two butterfly species - Monarch and Swallowtail; along with what plants to grow to encourage them to take up residence in your garden. Read More Bees - Friend or Foe? Is There a Way I Can Help? As the weather warms, we are faced with the question -” Are bees my friend or foe?” What is your first reaction when you see a bee? Do you stand still and watch in amazement as a bee flies around or do you wave your arms, scream and run the other way. Little eyes are watching our reaction so before you turn and run, let’s teach our children and grandchildren to respect bees and remember how important bees are to us and how we can help them exist by making a Bee Bath. Read More Bug Hotels and Pollinator Habitats Insect populations are at risk around the globe, with 40% of all insect species in decline and roughly one third of all species endangered. Between the loss of habitat, climate change, and the extensive use of pesticides, our bees, butterflies, and beetles are dying off in unprecedented numbers. This seems an overwhelming problem, but it is one that all gardeners can begin to remedy. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said, “There is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.” No matter the size of the garden, every gardener has steps they can take in order to make positive changes for the insects we all need to keep our planet healthy. Read More Building a Pollinator Garden “If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.” This may or may not be a true Albert Einstein quote but the concept is valid. We need bees and all pollinators. Approximately 75% of the world’s flowering plants require a pollinator to reproduce. Pollinators help produce one-third of our food. It’s hard to imagine a diet without many fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Read More Do All Bees Sting? On one hand, a gardener’s tiny friend, the bee, is usually a docile doer of good, buzzing around from plant to plant, pollinating to provide a bountiful harvest in the future. On the other hand, many fear the small insect with the mighty sting. But do all bees sting? If you are curious, click on the link to learn more about our little friend, the bee. Read More Get to Know our Minnesota State Bee Did you know that the Minnesota state bee is the rusty patched bumble bee? This designation is intended raise awareness about the role of pollinators in Minnesota’s environment and preserving their habitats. Unfortunately, while historically, our state bee appeared widely in North America, it is now on the endangered list. In this article read more about the rusty patched bumble bee and the important role that you can play in Garden Scavenger Hunt preservation efforts. Read More Here a Pollinator Garden - There a Pollinator Garden – Everywhere a Pollinator Garden - Part 2 Master Gardener Brenda Scheer understands how important pollinator gardens are for the environment and wanted to start this type of garden. But how to start? This article is the second in a series of three in which Brenda describes her experience starting a pollinator garden in her backyard. Follow Brenda’s motivation, planning, lessons and tips to build your own environmentally friendly garden. In this installment, Brenda talks about how plan for and choose plants for her native garden. Read More Here a Pollinator Garden - There a Pollinator Garden – Everywhere a Pollinator Garden - Part 1 Master Gardener Brenda Scheer understands how important pollinator gardens are for the environment and wanted to start this type of garden. But how to start? This article is the first in a series of three in which Brenda describes her experience starting a pollinator garden in her backyard. Follow Brenda’s motivation, planning, lessons and tips to build your own environmentally friendly garden. Read More Here a Pollinator Garden - There a Pollinator Garden – Everywhere a Pollinator Garden - Part 3 Master Gardener Brenda Scheer understands how important pollinator gardens are for the environment and wanted to start this type of garden. But how to start? This article is the third in a series of three in which Brenda describes her experience starting a pollinator garden in her backyard. Follow Brenda’s motivation, planning, lessons and tips to build your own environmentally friendly garden. In this installment, Brenda talks about planting and lessons learned. Read More How To Identify Butterflies Few things in nature enchant both children and adults more than butterflies. Whether feeding on a flower or basking in the sun, butterflies, in every imaginable color, with patterns and markings that only nature could create, delight the soul. And like all things in nature we love, we want to know more about them. But butterflies are also important pollinators. Traveling long distances and responsible for one in every three bites of food we consume, butterflies contribute over 200 billion dollars to the food economy worldwide. It seems appropriate to know more about which of these essential creatures are visiting our gardens. Read this article for important advice about how to identify the butterflies that you see. Read More 1 2 1 ... 1 2 ... 2