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

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

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 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

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

< Back Groundnut (Apios americana): A Nutty Sweet Treat This month, Master Gardener Jim Lakin continues his series on native vines by profiling the American Groundnut. This vine not only produces interesting flowers but also both edible seeds and tubers. Historically, the groundnut has been a significant part of the Native American and European pioneer diet. Read this article to learn more about how you can grow this interesting vine and enjoy its seeds and tubers. Jim Lakin MD, Master Gardener One thing plants and animals have in common; they don’t like to be eaten. Plants, in consequence, have synthesized a staggering number of toxins, emetics, thorns and brambles to discourage their ingestion. Thus, what a delight to encounter an edible native perennial vine— groundnut . Both the tubers and the seeds are edible but should be cooked first. Some nasty enzymes need to be denatured by the heat. As you might expect, groundnut has been a significant part of the Native American diet over the centuries. Likewise, it was an important component of the diet of the early European pioneers. Inexplicably, however its popularity has declined as agribusiness has developed more profitable crops to drop into the commercial maw. groundnut tubers and flowers American groundnut is known alternately as hopniss, Indian potato, hodoimo, America hodoimo, cinnamon vine, potato bean or vine potato. It is hardy from Zone 4 through 9, so it will do well in southern and central Minnesota. Indeed, American groundnut grows wild from Eastern Canada down south to Florida and west to Colorado. American groundnut is the North American equivalent to the South American potato. However, it is a perennial flowering vine that sends out numerous tubers. Although the entire plant is edible, the tubers are prized, even today, by foragers. They have a nutty, slightly sweet flavor. They are cooked pretty much like potatoes. About a 30-minute boil, peeled or unpeeled, usually does the trick. photo shows the young groundnut vine Although rarely grown commercially in the United States, there is quite a bit of cultivation in northern Japan. Apparently, it is similar to a native Japanese Apios yet more amenable to commercial production. Growing American groundnut is fairly straightforward. You can plant tubers, similar to planting potatoes. In the spring, place them about two inches below the surface and about two feet apart. Water heavily. In about two weeks you should see sprouting. Provide support for the vigorously growing vine. As American groundnut is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae), it will fix nitrogen and replenish the soil. You should be patient, however. The initial crop of tubers is usually fairly scant and takes two years for the plant to firmly establish itself. However, your patience will be amply rewarded that second year with a bumper crop of nutty sweet Apios americana ! Here’s a helpful reference for more information on cultivation: https://www.gardenmyths.com/how-to-grow-harvest-and-eat-american-groundnuts/ Photo Credits: J. St. John, University of Missouri (1), https://ar.inspired pencil.com/pictures-2023/groundnut-plant (2)

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

< Back How to Avoid Problems When Gardening on your Deck Gardening on your deck or patio provides a number of benefits. It enables those in a multi-unit building an opportunity to grow plants outdoors. It provides an opportunity for those with physical limitations to garden. Growing plants on your deck or patio is a strategy for adding beauty and it might provide an opportunity to grow edibles near your kitchen. But gardening on a deck or patio does present its own potential problems. Read this article to learn how to avoid problems and how to deal with them if they occur. Linda Stein, Dakota County Master Gardener Just as there are potential issues to consider when planting in the ground, there are ones that might reduce your potential to have a successful container garden outdoors. Limited Space Not all plants are appropriate for growing in a container. Since most decks or patios have limited space, you want to avoid plants that require a lot of ground space. Consider plants that can grow along trellises or can hang over the edges of your container. Select plants that are recommended for pots and therefore will fit better into small spaces. When buying plants, think about the size when they have been with you for a period of time . . . not the size at the time of purchase. Getting Adequate Sun The direction your deck faces is only one factor to consider when determining how much sun light the plants will receive. In addition, watch for trees or other structures that might obstruct the sun. Remember that the sun’s path changes as we move from spring to summer to autumn. So, trees and overhangs will have a different impact at different times in the growing season. Prevent Other Environmental Factors from Negatively Impacting Plants Heat might be a bigger factor when growing in pots. Darker pots absorb the sun’s rays causing the soil to heat up and dry out more quickly. Consider using lighter colored pots if you are noting that your plants are requiring frequent watering. Also watering your plants mid-day can cool your plants. Consider the impact of wind on your plants and on the pots in which you are growing. If your deck is higher in your building or in a location that is exposed to significant wind there are several things you might consider. · Use clay pots instead of plastic pots since they are heavier. · Select plants that are less susceptible to the wind. The following are characteristics of plants that will more readily survive in windy conditions: o Shorter plants; o Plants with smaller and narrower leaves that would be less likely to be damaged by wind; o Plants with larger root systems that more effectively anchor the plant; and o Plants that like drier conditions since the wind will dry out the soil more quickly. Beware of Pests Pests can find plants even if they are not in the ground. Different pests can be found in the soil of your container, on the exterior of the container or on the plants themselves. Many of these pests may be a nuisance but will not cause permanent damage to your plant. The University of Minnesota Extension’s Yard and Garden website is an excellent source to help identify the specific pests that are impacting your plant and to determine how to address them. Photo credits: Scaniazblogspot.com (all creative commons) (1), www.Kittlingbooks.com (all creative commons) (2)

< Back April Bring Us – Asparagus! Julie Harris, Master Gardener If you are lucky enough to have an asparagus bed in your garden, you will probably be able to start harvesting this tasty vegetable in April. And look for fresh asparagus in the stores in April, as well. There are so many fantastic ways to eat asparagus – raw or cooked. But here is our family favorite recipe. Asparagus is one of few perennial vegetables suitable for growing in Minnesota gardens. If you are lucky enough to have an asparagus bed in your garden, you will probably be able to start harvesting this tasty vegetable in April. And look for fresh asparagus in the stores in April, as well. If you would like to start an asparagus bed this year, you should plant between early May and early June. An established bed can provide you with delicious and tender harvests for 15 years or more. There are many ways that you can use asparagus, of course. I ran across this recipe several years ago and it has been a family favorite ever since. Cheesy Asparagus Salad 2 ½ pounds fresh asparagus (white or green, or mix) 1 teaspoon of salt 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 ounce fresh thyme (or to taste) 1/3 pound Jarlsberg cheese or Swiss cheese, shredded ¼ cup spicy sprouts, optional Trim asparagus and break off thick ends. Place asparagus in boiling water with 1 tsp. salt; reduce heat and cook for 4 – 6 minutes. Cook until crisp-tender. Plunge into cold water to chill. Meanwhile, combine olive oil, vinegar, kosher salt and pepper. Remove leaves from 2/3 of the thyme stems; coarsely chop leaves and add to olive oil mixture. Place chilled asparagus on a platter; pour dressing over asparagus. Garnish with Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese, remaining thyme and spicy sprouts. Photo Credits: Photo 1 - Newsletter Intro - credit: publicdomainpictures.net , Photo 2: Credit – University of Minnesota Extension

< Back 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. Marjorie Blare, Master Gardener Who should plant bulbs? You! Why plant bulbs? Bulbs can provide color all in all three seasons and many bulbs will return year after year. Most bulbs prefer full sun but some bulbs even thrive in shade! What are bulbs and what kinds to plant? What we loosely call bulbs are actually a group containing: true bulbs (Tulips, lilies), corms (Crocus), rhizomes (Callas, Iris) and tuberous roots (Dahlias, Tuberous begonias). All of these plants have a self-contained food storage system that has adapted to living underground. Bulbs are either hardy (perennial) or tender (need to be dug and stored) and this will determine where you plant them. Most people are familiar with Tulips, Daffodils and Lilies. All of these come in early, mid-and late season, as well as short medium and tall. There are a host of small bulbs that are often overlooked. Many of these will grow well in areas under trees because they flower before the tree leaves out. Where should I plant bulbs? Most bulbs should be planted in full sun. They don't like wet feet. Most bulbs will do well in soils ranging from sandy to clay. Jack-in-the-Pulpits, Trillium, Tuberous begonias and Martagon lilies are bulbs that will grow in the shade. How do I plant bulbs? Dig a hole two to three times deeper than the bulb's circumference. Amend the soil with organic matter. You may have heard of putting bone meal in the hole, don't do this unless you have a soil test ( https://soiltest.cfans.umn.edu/ ) that shows your soil needs calcium and phosphorous. According to the University of Colorado, bone meal will only be available to plants in soil that has a pH level of 7 or lower. Dakota County soils tend to be naturally high in phosphorous. Make sure to plant bulbs deeper if your soil is sandy. Putting a wire barrier over the bulbs may deter digging critters. It is recommended to plant odd numbers of bulbs for aesthetics. Smaller bulbs can be planted on top of larger bulbs, rather like a fruit cake. When do I plant bulbs? Bulbs can be planted from late September through late October in Minnesota. If you are dividing bulbs, wait for the foliage to dry, but you can move them immediately. Some bulbs, such as lilies, can be moved “in the green”, as long as they are done blooming, and are taken care of through any dry, hot weather. If you wish to overwinter tender bulbs, plant them where it will be easy to dig them in the fall. For more information go to https://extension.umn.edu/how/planting-bulbs-tubers-and-rhizomes For information on growing bulbs indoors go to https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/growing-bulbs-indoors . Happy Planting! Photo credits: Carolyn Plank (1), Deborah Snow (2), University of Minnesota Extension (3)

< Back Wild Blue Violet (Viola sororia): One Name, Many Faces Jim Lakin MD, Master Gardner For lovers of that special harbinger of springtime, the wild violet, there are many fascinating and rewarding varieties to choose from and enjoy. In this article, Jim Lakin, describes various varieties and explores why you may want to add this native perennial to your woodland garden. I long ago realized I do not have the patience to be a taxonomist. The wild blue violet is a case in point. The battle raged among botanists for years as to whether or not to split a number of similar plants into separate species or to combine them into one. The “lumpers” finally won out over the “splitters” and today Viola sororia is the moniker for some quite different plants. We’ll discuss that in a bit. Wild blue violet as a native perennial found in almost all of Eastern North America including the entire Midwest. It is a woodland plant, loving humus-rich soils and tolerating a high amount of shade. Most varieties are pretty easy to grow in any rich soil that is moist in the spring when they flower. If the soil becomes dry in summer the plant may go dormant. A number of varieties freely self-sow although many propagate by rhizomes. Indeed, some varieties can be aggressive growers even moving into grass lawns. Nonetheless, they can be a wonderful addition to other woodland flowers in a shade garden. Wild blue violet can be an important ecological niche plant, hosting several fritillary butterflies as well as attracting a number of specialist bees and other pollinators. Happily, the fritillary butterfly which the plant hosts can keep the more invasive violet varieties in check by feeding off them during the butterfly’s larval stage. Mind though that this larval caterpillar emerges from its egg in the fall and overwinters in the surrounding leaf-litter. If you rake up the leaves in your wildflower garden in the fall, you will destroy the caterpillars before they can trim back the violets by feeding in the spring and subsequently emerge as fritillary butterflies. Viola sororia is variable in its form and behavior. Flowers are usually royal blue but the color can vary from light blue to white on one end of the spectrum to a deep navy on the other. Among the recognized strains is the woolly blue violet. This fellow is covered by short woolly hairs upon its stem, producing springtime flowers of a deep blue-violet. He is found in woodland flood plains and in upland oak-hickory woods. In the garden he is usually well behaved with limited self-sowing. Viola bloom color can vary Butterfly violet or dooryard violet is one of the largest and most aggressive strains of Viola sororia. It is a larger plant (one foot) and self-seeds freely. It can shadow out smaller wildflowers and even invade lawns. If you adopt a live-and-let-live attitude, however, the Fritillary butterfly caterpillars usually will keep the dooryard violet in check and have a good meal in the bargain. And you may have some spectacular butterfly watching later in the summer. Finally, there is a variety known as the Confederate violet. It forms a blue to grey flower with speckles. There are a couple of commercially marketed strains: “Freckles” with speckled blue flowers and “Rosie” a rosy-white form. For lovers of that special harbinger of springtime, the wild violet, there are many fascinating and rewarding varieties to choose from and enjoy. Photo credits: North Carolina State Extension (1), University of Minnesota Extension (2)

< Back A Cinderella Eggplant Recipe Joy Johnson, Master Gardener Fall is here, and Joy Johnson’s garden is harvested. She picked and stored her veggies with the best intentions to use them all at their peak of ripeness. But when she found a long, skinny eggplant that she forgot about in the bottom drawer of her refrigerator, she made sure not to waste it. Read Joy’s hearty eggplant recipe that tastes great. Fall is here, my garden is harvested. I pick and store my veggies with the best intentions to use them all at their peak of ripeness. Then about 3 weeks later I find one or two that I forgot about in the bottom drawer of my refrigerator. This year it was a long skinny eggplant. I can’t stand to waste anything, so here’s a hearty recipe that tastes great. My husband asked me for three days after I made it, if I’d written it down so I wouldn’t forget what I’d done. He would like me to make it again, and that’s saying something since he has often vowed, he doesn’t like eggplant. Eggplant Chicken Layers with a Crunchy Crust Ingredients: 1 large egg plant or two 2 large chicken breasts ½ cup breadcrumbs ½ cup chopped walnuts 6 Tablespoons Olive Oil 2 cups tomatoes, I used mostly Cherry tomatoes, but sliced one large also to make enough 2 Tablespoons + 1 Tsp minced garlic 2 Tablespoons dill seed 3 Tablespoons dried parsley ½ cup grated cheddar cheese ½ cup grated Romano cheese Process: 1. Adjust two racks to the top and bottom position of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. 2. Pierce the eggplants all over with a fork, and place on the foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast on the top rack until completely soft when pierced with a paring knife, 1 hour. 3. Meanwhile, toss the grape tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds pepper. Spread on a small baking sheet and roast in the same oven until the tomatoes are soft and wrinkled, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. 4. Put the chicken breast in a covered baking dish and bake it at the same time as the eggplant and tomatoes. Let it cool, then slice into thick pieces. Lay them in the bottom of an oiled 2-quart baking dish 5. Mix together the breadcrumbs, walnuts, about one teaspoon garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons olive oil and mix until the mixture starts to clump. Reserve. 6. When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, halve them and scoop the soft flesh into the bowl with the tomatoes. Discard the skins and stems. 7. Using a fork or spoon, mash the eggplant into smaller bite-sized pieces. (It's okay if the tomatoes get mashed in the process.) Add the garlic, dill and parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Check for seasoning and add more salt, if needed. 8. Spread the eggplant tomato mixture over the sliced chicken breast pieces in the casserole dish. 9. Sprinkle cheddar and Romano cheese on top 10. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top 11. Bake about 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown This was truly a garden to kitchen meal! I served it with homemade chunky cinnamon applesauce, with a sprinkling of a few late golden raspberries, home grown yellow beans, and homemade bread and butter pickles. Photo credits: Joy Johnson (all)