Shrubs to Plant Near Black Walnut
My massive black walnut tree has behavior issues. With the help of hordes of nut-addled squirrels, it drops a mess of debris and stains the…

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My massive black walnut tree has behavior issues. With the help of hordes of nut-addled squirrels, it drops a mess of debris and stains the…
Some plants reliably look good in a northern fall garden. Asters, goldenrods, sedums, maybe a Russian sage and some grasses. Add a hydrangea with big,…
Resistance may be futile, but try these tactics for keeping squirrels out of your garden. I like to imagine what a squirrel real estate listing…
As the summer days shorten and give way to signs of fall, our mature gardens wind down as well. It’s this time of the year…
Do you have Japanese beetles in your garden? I’ve had them for many years now, and I’ve tried several solutions for dealing with them. I’m…
Here’s to fathers who garden. To dads who get their hands dirty. To papas with patience for impatiens. To old farmers who can taste the…
In 2023, Northern Gardener® shifts to four print publications plus one shorter email supplement. This is based on extensive analysis, feedback from member surveys and…
Note: This piece was originally part of a series on historical articles from Northern Gardener and Minnesota Horticulturist. Everything about tomatoes speaks of summer—their tart…
There are plenty of tips from the past on seed starting that we cannot recommend anymore. Please do not heat garden soil in the oven…
Road salt and other de-icers are a fact of life in Minnesota winters, keeping ice from forming on roads and sidewalks. And, just as many…
Feel that chill in the air? Your plants sure do! The season of morning frosts is once again upon us, gracing our mums and pumpkins…
There is something magical about seeing a hummingbird darting from flower to flower in your garden. Some mornings, I sit on the back steps with…
It’s been great fun to be on garden tours again in 2021 after a year off during the pandemic. As always, I’m learning a lot…
Will you be entering the Great Gardening Contest 2021? MSHS started this garden photography contest in 2020 when the pandemic forced cancellation of the Minnesota…
Like many gardeners in Minnesota, I’ve been discovering crispy, browning leaves on my plants; the new hydrangeas I’m testing, winterberries that have been in the…
Whether it’s hot like it is now or you just want to conserve a precious resource, understanding effective watering strategies is important for northern gardeners….
Normally, we’re all about the tips for gardening in the cold and extending the season. But, in recent years especially, July and August tend to…
For vegetable gardeners, the first sign of an infestation of squash vine borers may be that their plants seem to be wilting. They may find…
We were hot. And, now we’re not. What’s a gardener to do in spring in our changeable northern climate when deciding when to plant vegetables….
Compost is decomposed organic matter—food scraps, dried leaves, grass clippings, spent stems and leaves, pine needles and other garden material. It’s filled with microorganisms and…
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