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

< Back Cold Stratification for Seed Starting Starting seeds indoors can be a rewarding process for home gardeners. It provides a welcome activity as we anticipate the arrival of spring and it can be more cost-effective than purchasing plants. However, not all seeds are ready to sow directly from the packet and may require some extra preparation and time before sowing. Understanding the germination needs for specific plants is very important. By knowing these requirements, gardeners can successfully start seeds indoors and get a head start on the growing season. Read this article to understand how to provide cold stratification for the plants that need it. Jessie Thompson, Dakota County Master Gardener Cold Stratification Starting seeds indoors can be a rewarding process for home gardeners. It provides a welcome activity as we anticipate the arrival of spring and can be more cost-effective than purchasing plants. However, not all seeds are ready to sow directly from the packet and may require some extra preparation and time before sowing. Understanding the germination needs for specific plants is very important. By knowing these requirements, gardeners can successfully start seeds indoors and get a head start on the growing season. This article to explains the process of cold stratification for the plants that need it. Certain seeds, such as Milkweed, Purple Coneflower and Black-Eyed Susan, benefit from a period of cold stratification before planting. Cold stratification is a process where seeds are exposed to moisture and cold temperatures. This helps break their dormancy and promotes successful germination. Purple Coneflower In Minnesota, this process occurs naturally outdoors. Plants produce seeds in late summer, which are then exposed to snow and low temperatures during the winter. As the snow melts and the weather warms in spring, these seeds sprout. This adaptation ensures seeds and plants in areas with cold winters germinate in spring when conditions are optimal for growth instead of prematurely in the fall when new seedlings would be too fragile to survive the winter. Many Minnesota native plants require this cold stratification process to germinate. Home gardeners can mimic these cold, moist conditions indoors using a refrigerator. The length of time required for cold stratification varies by plant species, typically ranging from one to three months. For example, Purple Coneflower seeds require about 60 days of cold treatment. Always consult the seed packet for specific germination instructions, if stratification is needed and recommended time to start seed indoors. If seeds are collected and saved without packaging, be sure to research germination needs for the plant species. The beginning months of the year are an ideal time to begin cold stratification for seeds that require longer periods of cold. Starting early allows seeds to be grown indoors and planted outside in spring after danger of last frost. Artificial Cold Stratification at Home Refrigerator Cold/Moist Stratification Materials needed: Refrigerator, Paper Towel, Resealable Plastic Bag, Permanent Marker, Thermometer (if needed) Moisten a paper towel so it is damp but not soggy. Wring the paper towel out until no excess water drips out. Using paper towel that is too wet can lead to mold. Next, place the seeds in a single layer on half of the paper towel and then fold over other half so that it covers the seeds. Use a permanent marker to label a bag with the plant name, the date started and date to remove from the refrigerator after the amount of time indicated on the seed packet. Then transfer the paper towel and seeds into the bag and seal. Place the bag in the refrigerator at a temperature between 33°F and 40°F. Set a reminder on your phone or calendar for the future date when the seeds should be removed. Check the seeds weekly to monitor the moisture, ensuring that the paper towel does not dry out or has become too wet. If the paper towel is too dry, mist with a spray bottle until damp. If the paper towel is too wet, it could be replaced with a new damp paper towel. If any seeds have sprouted, they can be planted right away into small pots with a seed-starting mix indoors. If the seeds have not sprouted yet, they can be sown into pots once the cold moist stratification period is complete. Visit the University of Minnesota Yard and Garden site for useful tips for starting seeds indoors: https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/starting-seeds-indoors#when-to-plant-seeds-1178964 By following these steps and taking the time for artificial cold stratification, you’ll set up your seeds for successful germination. Common Milkweed Sources and for more in-depth reading : 1 . Seed stratification: What seeds require cold treatment. (2022, January 27). Illinois Extension. https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-01-27-seed-stratification-what-seeds-require-cold-treatment 2. Capon, B. (2005) Botany for Gardeners 3. Unknown. (n.d.). Native seed propagation methods. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Shaw%20Nature%20Reserve/PDFs/horticulture/Propagation.pdf 4. USDA NRCS Elsberry Plant Materials Center, Britton, N., 1913, Brown, N., Henry, J., Bruckerhoff, S., & Kaiser, J. (2003). Plant fact sheet . https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_ecpa.pdf Photo Credits: University of Minnesota Extension (1,4), Jessie Thompson (2,3)

Gardening by the Month Happy Feathered Friends Is it important for us to take care of our feathered friends when the weather turns cold and the snow begins to fly? Yes it is, because birds play an important role in the ecosystem of our garden from weed and pest control to pollination and fertilization, plus birds are fun for all ages to watch. Now it’s time to help the birds stay strong and healthy throughout the Winter with only a few simple supplies needed. Read More Guarding the Gardener: Cold Injury Most Minnesotans spend the month of January by a nice warm fire, or at least by a nice warm TV. Not so, the avid gardener! There are things to do, last minute trimming, tipping a floribunda rose that you missed in October, cleaning up all those dead stalks that didn’t get clipped. But working outside in Minnesota in January can lead to cold injury. An unwary gardener can easily lose bits and pieces of his anatomy out in the yard if he's not respectful of the cold. Read this article to help yourself to keep safe in the winter “garden.” Read More January, A Perfect Time to Re-Design Your Landscape When January brings us huge snowdrifts and blustery winds do you think of Spring? Yes, it’s the perfect time to be thinking about your flower and vegetable gardens and begin making plans for re-designing your landscape. If you have these thoughts, then click on the link to learn more about basic landscape design concepts and current 2024 trends in landscaping. Read More Winter is a Perfect Time to Start Seeds On a chilly February day, the thought of blossoming flowers and growing vegetables seems like a far-off dream. Despite this, February is the perfect month to begin planning your summer garden and organizing a plan for indoor seed starting. Read this article to learn the why, what. how and when for starting your own plants. Read More February - Starting Seeds Indoors If you want to grow plants from seed for your garden this spring, February is the time to start – planning and planting. There is a little more to it than dropping a seed in soil. Read More Extend the Growing Season with Greenhouses The doldrums of winter are upon us and gardeners are drooling over seed catalogs and dreaming of fresh vegetables and riots of flower colors. But spring planting is still several months away. This is an excellent time to research gardening season extenders such as greenhouses, cold frames, and low tunnels. They could help you start your growing season sooner in the spring and last longer in the fall. To determine which one(s) will best meet your growing needs, there are some key questions you will want to ask yourself and information you’ll want to consider. This article explains the basics and provides helpful resources to move your from – that’s interesting to – I’d like to try that in my yard. Read More Lop & Lose While March is the ideal time to prune most trees and shrubs in your garden; note that it is NOT the time to prune those that bloom in the spring. Pruning your spring blooming trees and shrubs may kill blooms that are forming. These plants should be pruned right after they bloom in the spring. Read this article for valuable information about pruning some of your most beautiful spring blooming shrubs. Read More Seed Bombs - An Explosion of Color The calendar has turned to March and the excitement builds in anticipation for Spring, but wait, I can’t plant seeds outside yet. Don’t worry, DIY seed bombs are a great way to get your hands dirty and also introduce your children and grandchildren to a way of transforming a barren or hard to grow area of your yard into a beautiful flower spot. Read More Snowdrops for the Early Spring Garden Are you a gardener that loves to have flowering plants staggered throughout the growing season? Then perhaps you should consider planting snowdrops in your yard. They are the first spring bulb to bloom and they are known to pop up amongst the snow melt. They usually bloom before larger daffodils and tulips. Read More Master Gardener Seed Trials – Choose the Best Varieties It’s March and you may be thinking about starting vegetable or flower seeds for your garden this summer. First, you have to decide what to grow - beans, basil, zinnias, tomatoes? But there are several different varieties of each of these plants. So, how do you know what variety to plant? You can look through the seed catalogs or go to the garden store and peruse the many different varieties on the racks. Confused? The University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners can help. Read More I Forgot to Plant My Garlic in October! Planting Garlic in March Are you a garlic lover? Yes, you can buy it at the grocery store but garlic grown in your own garden is so good. Garlic is normally grown in late fall BUT not to worry, if you act quickly, you can plant garlic in March and harvest it in July. Read this article to learn more about planting garlic in the spring or the fall. Read More April is Here! No Worries - Quick Seed Germination The first day of spring has come and gone, but it is still too early to plant seeds outside and maybe too late to start seeds inside? Or is it? Let’s try this quick germination activity with the little ones in your life to get a jumpstart on your flower or vegetable garden. Read More 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 ... 6

Books & Other Resources County Hosts Seed Collection for Dakota County Master Gardener Volunteers Read More Learning to Grow African Leafy Vegetables in Minnesota The number of African-born refugees and immigrants and their offspring living in Minnesota has grown significantly since the 1990s. With them has come vegetables native to Africa. Many of these vegetables are popular items at farmers markets. However, Minnesota’s short growing season and limited access to seeds has made it challenging to grow some of these vegetables here. This article identifies some native African vegetables and discusses an important plant breeding program started by the University of Minnesota and partnering with community members. Read More Shoot Your Plants Like a Pro July – when we can walk out into our gardens and are captivated by the beauty of our plants, vegetables or trees – nature. It’s natural to want to capture the beauty of nature in a photograph. With the advent of the iPhone, and its pal the Android phone, we have all become photographers, or so we think. Often the subjects we photograph do not come out looking as well as they did in real life. There is more to photography than pointing your camera and clicking the button. Here are some tips to help you take better photos. Read More Paper Poinsettias Here is a fun seasonal project for your Growing Sprout. Read on to find out how to make them and where poinsettias grow. It might surprise you! Read More Master Gardeners Answer Your Questions One of the most important services that the Master Gardeners in Dakota County provide to the community, is answering garden and environmental related questions. This article explains some of the ways that you can have your gardening questions answered by a certified Master Gardener in Dakota County. In particular, at Farmers Markets around the county, you can find MGs at their “Ask a Master Gardener” table, ready to answer your gardening questions. Read More Know Your Resources “Hey, Siri, what’s the best kind of mulch for my garden?” This is a question often overheard in a plant center from someone trying to make a selection for their yard. And while Siri can give some options, one has to doubt the accuracy of the reply. Questionable advice can always be found somewhere, whether that’s from artificial intelligence or your neighbor’s second cousin on Facebook, but surely there’s a better way to get the most accurate and helpful answers! This article explains how you can find answers to many of your gardening questions from experts and based on research. Read on to learn how to find reliable answers to your gardening questions. Read More Find Plants for Tough Sites Have you ever fallen in love with a plant that you know in your brain won’t grow in your garden but your heart made you buy it anyway? You bought that sun-loving plant and planted it – full of hope - in your shady garden. Didn’t work out? Unfortunately, wishing, and even tender loving care, can’t make a plant grow if it is in the wrong garden space. Fortunately, this article tells us about a resource that can help you find just the right plant for even tough garden sites. Read More A Versatile Understory Tree: Eastern Redbud Jim Lakin introduces us to another stunning, not-too-big tree native to Minnesota – the Eastern Redbud. This lovely specimen welcomes spring with rosy-pink pea like flowers and ends the growing season with large, heart shaped yellow leaves. It would make a lovely addition to your garden. Read on to learn more. Read More All About Upcycling By now, many of us have heard the phrase, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” Read on for ways to set up our youngest gardeners with good habits to “Reuse” or “Upcycle” what they already have. No purchase required! Read More The Dakota County Seed Library This month we would like to tell you about the Dakota County Seed Library, located in the Farmington Library. Read on to learn about how this important project contributes to the support of pollinators and sustainable landscaping practices and, most importantly for you, the home gardener, how you can benefit from and contribute to this project. Read More The Gardeners Guide to Prairie Plants: Written By Neil Diboll and Hilary Cox Interested in prairie plants for your garden or just to admire? Jim Lakin reviews one of the most indispensable books on the subject – “The Gardeners Guide to Prairie Plants.” The book includes photographs of each species described, along with a general description and listing of significant characteristics. But this book also contains more valuable information. Read More The Backyard Parables: Lessons on Gardening, and Life “The Backyard Parables: Lesson on Gardening, and Life,” is a gardening memoir of sorts writing by Margaret Roach. Roach, a former editor-in-chief of the ‘Martha Stewart Living’ magazine, quit her job to tend to her gardens full-time. In this delightful book, Roach dispenses both gardening and life lessons. Read this book review to learn more. Read More 1 2 3 1 ... 1 2 3 ... 3

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

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

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 Cold Stratification for Seed Starting Starting seeds indoors can be a rewarding process for home gardeners. It provides a welcome activity as we anticipate the arrival of spring and it can be more cost-effective than purchasing plants. However, not all seeds are ready to sow directly from the packet and may require some extra preparation and time before sowing. Understanding the germination needs for specific plants is very important. By knowing these requirements, gardeners can successfully start seeds indoors and get a head start on the growing season. Read this article to understand how to provide cold stratification for the plants that need 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 From Our House to Yours: Winter Sowing Native Plants for You! Master Gardeners strive to be stewards of the environment. To that end, the Dakota County Master Gardener program seeks ways to support the efforts of community members to practice good gardening in their own yards. Planting native plants in your garden is one of those good gardening practices. To support that practice, the Master Gardeners’ Propagation Team grows native plants from local seeds that you can buy at our annual plant sale in May. In this article, learn how Master Gardeners collect, prepare and grow the native seeds. 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 1 2 3 4 1 ... 1 2 3 4 ... 4

A Pest Above the Rest – Japanese Beetles It’s July and our gardens are in their prime! But wait, what is that insect on my beautiful roses? And why do the leaves on my raspberries look like skeletons? Read this article about the dreaded Japanese Beetle and what you can do to minimize the damage they cause. Read More Bird Feeding Bird-feeding is for all of us who enjoy and love watching birds. Inside this article you’ll find information on bird-feeding tips, preventing disease in your bird feeders and an update on the AVIAN (HPAI) bird flu that disrupted this summer’s bird-feeding habits. Read More Boxelder Bugs 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. Read More Creating a Butterfly Habitat Would you like to attract a variety of butterflies to your garden? Different plants and environments attract different types of butterflies. So, if you really want to focus on particular butterflies, you can do it by planting appealing plants and creating welcoming environments. Read this informative article about what you need to do to attract butterflies to your garden. Read More Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea} Is creeping charlie an unwelcome intruder in your garden? Read this article to find out more about why this plant is so hard to eliminate and, even, how you can appreciate and even live with Creeping Charlie in your garden. Read More December - Feed The Birds That Live in Your Neighborhood 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. Read More Don’t Let Powdery Mildew Haunt You! Powdery mildew is a very common garden fungus. This fungus was even more prevalent last year when our abundant rainfall increased our summer humidity. If you experienced powdery mildew in your garden during 2024, what can you do, if anything, to ensure the fungus does not continue to haunt your garden this year? Read this very informative article to understand what powdery mildew is, how it affects plants, what you can do to prevent it and how to control it when it happens. Read More Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis): Springtime Coquette The Eastern Red Columbine is an erect, branching perennial, up to 2 ft. tall, and is well known for its showy red and yellow flowers. Here are some reasons why they may be a great addition to your landscape. Read More Getting the Jump on Jumping Worms Many of us associate worms in the soil as an indicator of “good garden soil.” Unfortunately, that is not necessarily true in Minnesota these days. “Jumping worms” have become more common in local gardens recently and that is not a good thing. Read this article to understand why. Read More Grow Pear Trees Successfully In Your Back Yard Pear trees can be just as easy if not easier to grow than apples! Find out how in this article. I am sorry to report that Partridges are a mostly ground-dwelling bird, so you’ll likely not see any in your trees. Read More Hum along with HUMMINGBIRDS, NATURE’S FLYING GEMS In 1485, Leonardo da Vinci designed the first helicopter, though it was never built. 454 years passed before Igor Sikorsky finally developed an aircraft that could fly forwards, backward, straight up and straight down, and hover in air. Hummingbirds, meanwhile, have existed on our planet for roughly 42 million years and fossils of these aerial acrobats, dating from 30 – 35 million years ago, were unearthed in Germany in 2004. Those fossils reveal that the early ancestors of these birds, that capture our awe today, also hovered and flew in any direction they pleased. Read More Identifying and Attracting Beneficial Insects Now that the plants in our gardens are starting to bloom, we are also seeing insects on those plants. Some of those insects are certainly pests but others are actually beneficial. We know how pollinators are beneficial insects - many of the foods we enjoy rely on pollinators for fruit and seed development. But how do we identify other insects that are beneficial to our gardens and landscapes in other ways? Read this article to find out! Read More 1 2 1 ... 1 2 ... 2 Diseases, Pests & Wildlife

Recipes & Cookbook Peppers, Peppers, Peppers! Unfortunately, we have reached the time of year when fresh vegetables from your own garden are not available. If you were a diligent vegetable gardener, like Joy Johnson, you will be rewarded with a freezer full of fall harvested vegetables like peppers and tomatoes. In this article, Joy offers two recipes – pepper steak and stuffed peppers – that will be delicious whether the vegetables came from your garden or the supermarket. Just enjoy! Read More Cooking with Native Plants 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! Read More Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake Is there a food more identified with October than pumpkin! Of course not! So, here is Joy Johnson’s delicious recipe for Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake. Joy says she is targeting adults with this recipe but kids will love it, too! Read More Summery Chicken Salad and Easy Swedish Dessert If you grow vegetables in your garden or frequent farmers markets, you know that September can yield a bountiful crop. Yes, you might be thinking about canning, freezing, sharing or drying some of your harvest but this month’s recipes give you the opportunity to enjoy many of your fresh vegetables in a delicious, smokey chicken salad and traditional Swedish dessert. Yum! Read More Delectable Strawberry Shortcake (and a Bonus Rosemary Recipe) 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! Read More A Recipe for Your Early Vegetables Warm weather, warm spice, warm dinner! It’s wonderfully warm out and Joy Johnson’s garden is in all its glory. Zucchini, yellow squash, early tomatoes, spinach and sweet peppers are starting to ripen. It’s time to cook up a delicious turkey curry, with a homemade blend of spices. The fragrance will whisk you away to far off India. It’s a warm way to include all your early vegetables or farmers market purchases in one dish. To cool off, add a minty fruit salad. Read More Bright, Fresh and Easy Spring Salad There is nothing like a fresh salad made from ingredients grown in your own yard. If you were as ambitious as our author, Master Gardener Joy Johnson, and started your own lettuces earlier this year, you could enjoy this spring salad with your home-grown lettuce. Not to worry though, this salad can be enjoyed with grocery-bought, or perhaps, farmers markets ingredients also. This salad says – welcome spring! Read More Spring is the Time for Wedding Soup Spring is the season for weddings which prompts Master Gardener Joy Johnson to think about Italian Wedding Soup. Myth buster: it’s not called Italian Wedding soup because it’s served at Italian weddings; it’s called wedding soup because the flavors in it marry so well together! Read and learn how to make this soup part of your soup rotation – any time of the year. And, as a bonus, learn how to make Apple Butter to enjoy with your soup! Read More Roasted Spiced Cauliflower Cauliflower has taken the nation by storm. 40 years ago, no one had hardly heard of it, now it seems like everyone has their favorite way to eat it from crunchy and raw with dip or as pizza crust! Cauliflower is a mild flavored, versatile vegetable, so it adapts well to many recipes. It is easy to grow in your garden, but make sure you are diligent in watching and controlling for pests who love to enjoy it too. This recipe heats it up with a mind-blowing array of spices, serving it with cool and creamy Burrata cheese and a crunchy topping of browned nuts/seeds and herbs. It’s a real flavor explosion and impressive to serve as a side dish. Read More Garlic Butter Brussel Sprouts It’s March and this month green vegetables may be top of mind (thanks to Saint Patrick, I’m sure). Garden seeds are sprouting under their grow lights and we are excited for warmer days to come when they’ve grown large enough to transplant outside into our gardens. In the meantime, here is a recipe for one green vegetable – brussels sprouts. According to the author, Joy Johnson, even the pickiest of brussels sprouts eaters will love this recipe! Read More Give Dandelion Another Chance Not just a weed – dandelion is an edible plant worth your consideration as a culinary addition. Although, most of us spend time and products on eliminating dandelions from our yards, the truth is that dandelion is edible (so long as they have not been subjected to toxic chemicals) and can provide a tasty delight for your table. Read this article to learn more about edible dandelions and how you might enjoy them. Read More Turkey Wild Rice Soup It’s chilly outside and a bowl of rich, warm Minnesota style soup along with flavorful sides will certainly warm you up. Luckily, Joy Johnson has provided a luscious recipe for wild rice soup made with Minnesota grown wild rice. If you had Joy’s foresight, you could add dried parsley to the soup and roasted sweet potatoes from your storage cabinet. Hungry yet? Read on to learn how to warm your kitchen (and tummy) with these recipes. Read More 1 2 3 4 1 ... 1 2 3 4 ... 4

Gardening with Kids Autumn Leaves This page introduces books and fun activities that will help your child to understand why leaves change color and learn that leaves have some things in common with humans. Read More Bleach Dying Dark T-Shirts We’re always looking for activities for our children or grandchildren in the summer. A fun summer project to do with children, or adults for that matter, is bleach dying. It’s cheap, fairly easy, fun and educational. In this article you will learn how to use plants from your garden to create a fun and pretty design through bleach dying. Read More Caring for Indoor Plants with Young Children Even as the weather gets cold, we can still enjoy plants with our little ones. Click here to discover how to help your young child be successful in caring for indoor plants independently. You will learn how to set up the materials needed and show your young child how to dust, prune, identify, and water indoor plants Read More Create Frozen Luminarias Frozen luminaries are both fun and beautiful to create. This article will give you suggestions on using materials you may have around the house and in your winter garden to create a frozen luminary. Read More DIY Suet/Seed Feeders for our Feathered Friends As I write this, it’s nearly Halloween. Outside there is a flurry of activity. A multitude of birds including blue jays, cardinals, woodpeckers (both hairy & downy), house and gold finches, juncos, and my absolute favorites - chickadees, are flitting about. They voraciously attack and consume seeds and nuts in preparation for the rapidly approaching winter. Read this article to see how you and the child in your life can help our feathered friends. Read More Exploring Autumn Nature with Your Child Summer may be over but winter isn’t here yet. Now is a great time to have some outside fun with the children in your life. Take advantage of these last days of fall to show your children how to enjoy what autumn nature has to offer. Here are some ideas for how to make the most of this time of year. Read More Fall Scavenger Hunt 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. Read More Harvest Time with Kids! It’s time to get the kids in your life ready for harvesting all of the bounty around us. Whether you’ve been tending plants all summer or want to visit any number of “pick your own” locations in our area, harvesting is a great way to connect children to produce right where it grows. Read More How to Prepare Your Garden for Young Children Whether it’s children or grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or other little ones, it’s great to include them in the garden. Gardens are a place to grow fruits, vegetables, or flowers, and enjoy nature. Who better to enjoy gardens with than young children? But those little hands and minds can have a hard time if the garden is not designed with them in mind. This article will discuss how to design your garden considering the needs of little ones and how to prepare activities so they can be successful gardening and grow a joy for it. Read More It’s August - What Can You Find in Your Garden? The days of August bring a time for not only harvesting and additional plant and flower care, but it offers a chance to go out exploring in your garden with the kids in your life. It can be as simple as flower color or texture recognition to plant, fruit, bug and vegetable identification. Items found can be crossed off a list, collected for further exploration or even better - eaten fresh. Ready, set, explore! Read More Junior Fall Garden Detectives The blustery days of fall yield a kaleidoscope of leaves across our Minnesota yards and parks. Have your children ever wondered why these leaves transform to new colors in the fall? Help your child become a Junior Fall Garden Detective by gathering clues, using some scientific observations and then searching outside to solve this mystery of why leaves change colors in the fall. Read More Junior Spring Garden Detectives CALLING ALL JUNIOR SPRING GARDEN DETECTIVES! Do you know a child who has wondered how we know it is finally spring in Minnesota? After the long, cold days of our Minnesota’s winter, every child eagerly awaits the arrival of warm breezes, extended daylight and splashable puddles of spring. Help that child become a Junior Spring Garden Detective by gathering clues, using some scientific observations and then searching outside to solve this mystery of spring’s arrival. Read More 1 2 3 1 ... 1 2 3 ... 3

< Back From Our House to Yours: Winter Sowing Native Plants for You! Master Gardeners strive to be stewards of the environment. To that end, the Dakota County Master Gardener program seeks ways to support the efforts of community members to practice good gardening in their own yards. Planting native plants in your garden is one of those good gardening practices. To support that practice, the Master Gardeners’ Propagation Team grows native plants from local seeds that you can buy at our annual plant sale in May. In this article, learn how Master Gardeners collect, prepare and grow the native seeds. Marie Stolte, Dakota County Master Gardener Master Gardeners using cleaning boards to clean native seeds Did you know that Dakota County Master Gardeners grow many of the native plants that we offer at our annual Plant Sale? At next year’s sale (on May 16, 2026, at the Western Service Center in Apple Valley from 8 until noon), you will find the 48 types of natives that our Propagation Team is growing this winter. There will also be shrubs, native grasses, and other plants that we obtain from local vendors. Our growing for the Plant Sale actually started in September and October, when we collected ripe native plant seeds from our own gardens. In November, we brought bags of dried seeds to the new Dakota County Parks’ greenhouse in Lebanon Hills Regional Park for cleaning. The Parks graciously allowed our approximately 15 volunteers to use their cleaning boards to crush seed capsules, scrub away the fuzz and chaff, and sieve the seeds. Master Gardeners sorting and cleaning seed It’s a time-consuming process, but important--removing the chaff means the seeds can get better soil contact at planting time. instrument to remove chaff from the seed; seeds in bottom cup are blown to the top of the tube where the lighter chaff is collected in side tubes. Seed sinks to bottom with less chaff Cleaned seeds that need no stratification were placed in envelopes, and are being kept in a cool, dark place until planting time in April. The rest of the seeds that required cold stratification (see Jessie Thompson’s article describing cold stratification in this January issue) for 10, 30, or 60 days went on to a second group of volunteers for winter sowing. Winter sowing is an easy process you can do yourself at home. All it takes is a plastic container that is at least two inches deep, damp potting soil to fill the container, seeds, water, a magic marker, and Mother Nature. Right after we cleaned the seeds in November, our volunteers punched holes in the tops and bottoms of containers that once held lettuce, strawberries, and grapes. Each container was filled with dampened potting soil. We planted the seeds at the proper planting depth. Finally, we labeled each container with the plant’s name and the date those seeds would complete the necessary cold stratification. Three Master Gardeners took all the containers home, watered them deeply, and set them alongside our homes. Mother Nature has taken it from there. The containers behind my garage were exposed to rain in the fall and are now covered with snow. Starting January 15, the first group of native plant seeds will complete cold stratification. More volunteers will take those containers, bring them inside their warm homes, and put them under grow lights. They will keep the seeds watered until they germinate. The little seedlings will keep growing in our homes until they go to the greenhouse for transplanting on April 1. From there, more Master Gardeners will tend to the seedlings and help them grow into healthy, mature plants suitable for our May Plant Sale. Look for more information about our Plant Sale this spring and consider bringing some of these native, home-grown plants for your yard. native Common Ironweed Photo Credits : MB Kufrin (1-3), www.flickr.com (4)