Northern Gardener

Pizza Nights at the Farm
2026-08-04 17:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-11 17:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-18 17:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-25 17:00 - 20:00, 2026-09-01 17:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Dr, Chaska, MN, 55318, United States
Enjoy the best of summer on Tuesday nights at the Farm at the Arb with live music and chef-crafted pizza fired in outdoor pizza ovens! The Arboretum’s Chef Beth Fisher will create pre-ordered pizzas featuring farm-fresh vegetables, greens and herbs while visitors relax under the summer skies, play yard games and listen to the music. And there is a pop-up bar for soda, beer & wine, plus the ice cram cart! Guests need an admission ticket that is at least 30 mins prior to their pizza time slot in addition to the pizza order. Pizzas are ready for pickup at the time of the pizza ticket ordered. The event is Bring Your Own seating so guests should bring a blanket, lawn chairs, or something to sit on to enjoy the pizza out on the lawn. Visit the website for complete details.

Introduction to Growing Peaches and other Stone Fruit in Minnesota
2026-08-08 09:30 - 15:30 | Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, 55056
Course Description: Whether on a scale as large as a high tunnel or in a shelter for one tree, this class explains protection system principles in which you can successfully grow peaches, apricots, plums and nectarines organically in a commercially viable way.
The student will learn what cultivars of fruit to look for, why grafting your own trees makes the system work better, soil preparation, fertilization, irrigation, pollination, insect and weed control, tree training and pruning, harvesting and preparing the winter protection system that allows all this to happen. One to two hours of instructional time will start at WEI and move to Stone Creek Farm, just 22 minutes away in Shafer MN, where you will tour a working example of the system in action, with more than 100 peach and apricot trees.
The trees in the system have fruited after a winter with multiple outside temperatures in the 20s and 30s below and as low as -35°f, so far, the research is showing that the system could work with outside temperatures as low as -42 to -45°.
Crops permitting, students may be able to purchase ripe peaches after class.
What to Bring:

Pen, paper, notebook and or laptop and a camera or cell phone to take pictures at the farm
Bring a lunch to eat at Stone Creek Farm during the tour; also bring water or other beverage and any snacks you might want
Outdoor wear including sunhat, sunscreen, and layers to protect from the sun or other weather

How should students prepare for class? Start a web search of cold hurry stone fruits including peach, nectarine, apricots and plums to help decide which of them you might want to draw in your system.
All are welcome. WEI classes are open to everyone.
Instructor Bio: Dan Sheild is a farmer in Shafer Minnesota who asked himself question in 2009, “Why can’t we grow peaches in Minnesota?” His curiosity and research led him to start asking other people why it can’t be done, the answers to that question provoked positive solutions, so together with Dan‘s background in construction, a system materialized and an unbroken run of ten peach-filled summers starting in 2015. The protection system Dan created has endured hostile conditions and temperatures as low as -35° and still produced crops of tasty organic golden orbs of goodness. Having started without any horticultural education, he sought every advantage to give him the resources to see his dream fulfilled, joining the Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable growers Association, the Land Stewardship Project, NAFEX (North American fruit explorers) as well as membership in the Organic Fruit Growers Association (in which he is currently a board member), and a mentor, horticulturalist Bob Purvis. Dan is also an accomplished grafter and teaches grafting classes regularly each spring.
Make a day of it! On the way to WEI, visit charming Lindstrom, MN, for Northwoods Roasterie coffee and a pastry from the Lindstrom Bakery. After class, visit Wild River State Park (only 10 minutes from WEI). Franconia Sculpture Park is also nearby and open ’til 8pm daily.
If you would be interested in staying overnight at WEI before and/or after this class, please reserve accommodations through our FarmStay.
Dan Sheild also operates a campground at his farm via hipcamp – search for Taylors Falls Stone Creek Farm.
WEI has an annual scholarship fund to support cost-accessible programming. Please see scholarship application instructions in the registration form below.

Discovery Booths for Kids
2026-08-08 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-08-15 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-08-22 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-09-05 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-09-12 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-09-19 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-09-26 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-10-03 10:00 - 14:00 and 2 more dates | University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Dr, Chaska, MN, 55318, United States
From pollinators and urban trees to ecosystems and everyday plant uses, Discovery Booths are sure to spark curiosity and inspire an appreciation for nature — at the Arboretum and elsewhere. Discovery Booths are included with general daily admission, which is free for members and ages 15 and younger and $20-$25 for non-members ages 16 and older. Every Saturday through October 17, 2026. Tickets must be reserved in advance of your visit. Be sure to check the activity board in the Visitor Center, for the exact location.

Forest Bathing
2026-08-14 09:00 - 11:00, 2026-08-27 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-09-11 09:00 - 11:00, 2026-09-25 09:00 - 11:00 | University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Dr, Chaska, MN, 55318, United States
Enjoy the tranquility and well-being of Shinrin-yoku (translation: ‘Forest Bathing’), a Japanese mindfulness practice that invites nature to be your healer. Practice learning through guided awareness. Discover how the process can awaken your senses and calm your mind. Leave feeling refreshed and encouraged to continue your Shinrin-yoku practice. See select dates through September and visit the website for tickets and complete details.

Arboretum Garden Tours
2026-08-14 11:00 - 2026-08-17 11:30, 2026-09-04 11:00 - 2026-09-07 11:30, 2026-09-25 11:00 - 2026-09-28 11:30 | University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Dr, Chaska, MN, 55318, United States
Learn what stories the plants tell about Arboretum history, people, research and more! Join Arboretum staff and volunteers for a 30-minute, 0.25 mile walking tour of the Arboretum’s formal gardens. This tour consists of 4-6 stops at various areas around the garden and is on a fully accessible trail. Tours are available Friday thru Monday at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m, through September 28, 2026. All ages are welcome! Please reserve your admission on the website.

Garden Club of Minneapolis hosts Annual Flower, Food & Foto Show
2026-08-15 13:00 - 16:30, 2026-08-16 10:00 - 16:00 | Bachman’s on Lyndale (Heritage Room), 6010 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55419, United States
The Garden Club of Minneapolis extends an invitation to all interested people to participate in its annual Flower, Food & Foto Show, a free and open-to-the-public competition celebrating horticultural and photographic achievements. Whether you are a beginning gardener or an advanced enthusiast, we welcome you to enter your best flowers, vegetables, floral designs, or photos. You do not need to be a Club member to take part in the competition.
This year’s featured flower is marigold, the featured vegetable is summer squash, and the floral design theme is “Art, Color, & Flowers.” Show entries will be accepted on Saturday, August 15th, from 7:30 to 10:15 am, with judging to follow from 10:45 am to 1:00 pm. Photo entries must be submitted by Friday, July 31st (full photo contest rules are on our website).
For more information, visit the Garden Club of Minneapolis Flower, Food & Foto Show page at https://gardenclubmpls.org/flower-food-foto-show/ Links to the 2026 Flower, Food & Foto Rules and Schedule, as well as photo contest rules, can be found towards the bottom of the page.

Books in the Garden
2026-08-19 12:00 - 13:30 | University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Dr, Chaska, MN, 55318, United States
Join other literature aficionados for thoughtful discourse led by UMN Distinguished Teaching Professor Emerita, Toni McNaron. Books in the Garden is a continuation of the ongoing series by the same title, but you do not need to have attended any previous series to join us for the 2026 course. In each of these books, the class will explore this existential question: What can the natural world and its many creatures teach us about our human world? Please visit the website for ticketing details.

Music in the Garden
2026-09-06 13:30 - 2026-10-25 15:00, 2026-10-04 13:30 - 2026-10-25 15:00 | University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Dr, Chaska, MN, 55318, United States
Enjoy live music throughout the summer! This year, we welcome new and returning artists to our series, which occurs June through October. Join us every Sunday afternoon from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Music genres will include blues, folk, brass quintets, and orchestra. There’s something for everyone. Rootstock Cafe will be open with food, beer and wine available as well as the Rootstock Ice Cream Cart (weather permitting). The series is included with your general daily admission to the Arboretum, please reserve your admission on the website.

Aquaponic Farming: Growing Greens and Fish Together
2026-10-18 08:00 - 2027-05-16 17:00 | Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, 55056
A Seven-Month Training Course in Aquaponic Farming
This class meets the third Sunday of the month, Oct 2026-May 2027. Are you interested in pursuing a career in aquaculture, or diversifying your farm with aquaponics? Growing fish and greens together provides both fresh organic greens and uncontaminated protein from fish. This 7-month course will give you the foundational knowledge you need to build a functioning aquaponic unit and manage the system through the life course of your fish. We will be using yellow perch in a hoophouse at Amador Hill Farm as our lab.
Aquaponics is the art and science of cultivating fish and plants together in a constructed, re-circulating closed-loop ecosystem, utilizing natural bacterial cycles to convert fish wastes to plant nutrients. WEI’s aquaponic training program is a seven-month lecture and hands-on experience course. The class will begin with basics in aquaponics and aquaculture. Each month we will explore a new topic of study as it relates to aquaponics. The topics will range from aquaponic water chemistry and fish ecology, design and equipment for aquaponic tubs, fish and plant health, planting techniques for growing aquaponic vegetables, system maintenance and equilibrium, equipment resources, lighting/energy efficiency, spawning and fish ribbons, harvesting and market planning, and state regulations for aquaponic farming in Minnesota. This 7-month Training Course will provide you with basic knowledge and skills for building and managing a living aquaponic system.
All are welcome. WEI classes are open to everyone.
Instructor bio: Chad Hebert owned and operated the Urban Farm Project for more than 10 years. The Urban Farm Project successfully raised more than 30,000 pounds of yellow perch and almost 50,000 pounds of vegetables. For the past nine years, Chad has participated in a cooperative research agreement with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Science. Chad has completed his HACCP training for both AIS and seafood processing. The Urban Farm Project was involved in a number of aquaponic projects including the project at WEI. Chad is currently working with EPNI to coordinate and implement a larger scale operation. Chad Hebert started the Urban Farm Project with the belief that there was a need to build sustainable food systems that could be available to all people while protecting the planet we live on.
Register here: Aquaponic Farming: From Fingerling to Fish Fry – Women’s Environmental Institute
