Agroecology in the Heartland
Have you heard about agroecology? There’s a movement among some farmers and growers toward “greener” crops—switching from genetically modified (GMO), non-native plants to native crops…
Have you heard about agroecology? There’s a movement among some farmers and growers toward “greener” crops—switching from genetically modified (GMO), non-native plants to native crops…
Beyond their value in the garden and the larger ecosystem, many native plants make excellent additions to cut floral arrangements. And many have vase lives…
Hügelkultur has been getting a lot of buzz lately. I’ve been practicing it for a while and I didn’t even realize it. In a nutshell,…
If you’re keen to help bees and butterflies—and as a gardener, of course you are—there’s a plant you’ll most definitely want to add to your…
Mason bees could be the most remarkable insects in the garden. Native to most parts of the country, they are quite passive; the males have…
Today’s question came to the hort via Facebook, and I sadly have personal experience with it. You’re trying to grow native plants and support pollinators…
I have a patch at the back of my yard where the ground dips to a low spot just beneath a silver maple tree. For…
Bees are vital pollinators, and their role in maintaining healthy ecosystems cannot be overstated. In Minnesota, both native and non-native bees contribute to the pollination…
A chickadee zips overhead, landing deftly on the edge of its tiny nest. Three bald babies bounce up for a bite from the bug buffet…
Mother Nature is on her own schedule; this spring proves it more than ever. No matter when the blooming begins, the spring parade of color found in shrubs and small trees is splendid, and these beauties display in a fairly predictable order.
Heart’s racing, hands shaking, you reach for the doorknob. The hinge creaks. Cobwebs stretch and snap as a widening crack of light seeps in, crawling…
Native plant seeds are drying and ready for collecting! First things first, always get permission from those who manage or own the site or garden….
“Judging from the many word battles now being waged by the organic vs. chemical gardening advocates, it would seem that the gardening crisis of our…
A lush carpet of green extends in all directions at calf-height, covering what used to be a boring lawn space with a vibrant community of…
Hello from South Minneapolis, where we have finally gotten some rain and slight relief to our drought conditions. This month’s Ask the Master Gardener question…
Rain gardens collect and filter storm-water runoff from impermeable surfaces such as building rooftops and parking lots. These surfaces often contain pollutants and debris like…
Julia Brokaw, a Como Park neighbor and University of Minnesota Ph.D. student in the Cariveau Native Bee Lab, helped germinate over 1,000 prairie plants from…
The MN SEED Project is growing almost as quickly as the hundreds of seeds its participants are sowing. A joint venture among the hort society,…