During a recent event, a local plant breeder went through all the new plants they would be introducing. With one plant after another, the same question from the audience came up: “Do deer like it?” With few predators, plenty of gardens to munch their way through deer are one of the biggest (both in number and size) pests that gardeners…
Read More
Buckthorn is a restricted noxious weed in Minnesota because of its invasive nature and its impact on wildlife habitats. Once buckthorn gets established, it takes over. There are two types: common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) and glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus). Common buckthorn came to the U.S. from Europe in the 1800s and was used for a hedge in many landscapes. By…
Read More
What an inspiring Saturday I had, hearing story after story about the work of several community gardeners who were the winners of the Minnesota State Horticulture Society’s Awards. These are folks who understand the power of gardening in community—the power to build connections, to increase understanding, to teach youngsters and to create beauty and food to be shared with others….
Read More
Last week, encouraged by comments from a friend and our warm spring, I planted a short row of spinach, a short row of mustard greens and a slightly longer row of peas in my vegetable garden. Today, two of the three of them have tiny shoots coming up. These are all in raised beds but none of them have row…
Read More
Yesterday, I wrote about how some experts suggest gardeners handle the extremely unusual warm spring we are experiencing. The usual advice for spring in Minnesota would be to back off and stay out of your yard and garden until at least mid- to late April. But I think this year we may need to shift away from the usual advice….
Read More