Looking for a small tree to add to your landscape? Consider the Pagoda Dogwood, it grows quickly and offers delicious berries for the birds in late summer. Read more about this attractive tree here.

In Minnesota, the winter color palette tends toward white, brown and gray. But we need not think of this landscape as drab or uninteresting. Fill your yard with interesting shrubs and sturdy perennials to enjoy a peacefully pleasing home landscape. Read this article for several plants that liven up a winter landscape.

Potentilla is a beautiful and useful native shrub. You may be familiar with the many cultivars of Potentilla that are on the market. But the native Potentilla has benefits that the cultivars do not. Read this article about the qualities of native Potentilla that may make it appealing for your garden.

We’ve all heard that there are only two seasons in Minnesota---Winter and Getting Ready for Winter (or is it Road Repair?).  In any event, Minnesota’s harsh winter can cause severe damage to landscape plants. The big three threats are sun, cold and critters.  Happily, there are a number of things you can do this fall to protect your trees and shrubs from the Terrible Trio.

What tree is as Minnesotan as hot dish or dessert bars? It’s red pine, of course. This state tree is not for the small lot but will be a striking addition to the larger lot or farmstead. Read more about this stately native in this article, the last of Jim Lakin’s series on native trees for Minnesota gardeners.

Shagbark Hickory is a striking tree, native to the Upper East coast and Midwest. It can be a bit “goofy-looking” with is rough peeling bark. Yet it is a huge, long-lived, strong specimen that you might consider for your yard – or just appreciate it when you see it. This article tells you more about this special Minnesota native.

With this article, Jim Lakin is launching a series on native Minnesota trees. The first of these trees is the sugar maple. Few native trees are as iconic as the sugar maple. This tree has so many attractive characteristics that it is widely revered across many northern states. In this article, you will learn why you might want a sugar maple in your yard and how to give it the care that it needs to become a beautiful specimen tree.

Trees add value in several ways: they have a cooling effect by shading homes during the warmer months, add property value, absorb carbon dioxide, and generally help lower stress levels of those around them. Here in Minnesota, our trees need some extra care going into winter. Read on for ways to help get them ready!

You may not be familiar with the Tulip tree, June’s native tree of the month, because until now our climate was not suitable. Although climate change is an existential threat to our planet, or at least to our species, it has made growing tulip trees a possibility in southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities. Aside from its intriguing name, the Tulip tree has lots attributes that make it an attractive option for your garden. Read this article to learn more.

Weigelas are beautiful, deer-resistant, flowering shrubs. There are many lovely varieties to choose. Learn why you should consider this shrub for your garden.

Have you heard of or planted Yellowwood? It is one of the rarest of native shade trees. But Yellowwood is large, beautiful native tree that will grow well in Minnesota. Yellowwood has a special feature in the spring that Master Gardener Jim Lakin discusses in this article. Read more about this unique native tree.

Buckthorn! It’s not native to Minnesota but it has made itself quite comfortable here, hasn’t it? Read on, as Dakota County Master Gardener Sarah Heidtke discusses some actions to take for buckthorn management after you’ve cleared this invasive plant species out of your property.