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Growing Food

Vegetables

6 Tips for New Vegetable Gardeners

Just starting out? We can help.

Handling, Harvesting and Storing Veggies

Find the most effective ways to enjoy homegrown asparagus, beans, cabbage and other crops.

Why Grow Tomatoes in Containers

Here are a few reasons why you might want to consider growing tomatoes in a container.

Tips for Growing Garlic

A guide to growing garlic, plus tips on harvesting, storage, and more.

Grow Lettuce Longer: Tips for Extending the Season

Lettuce is a fast and steady crop to grow and harvest throughout the season.

How to Grow Horseradish

Check out this comprehensive guide to growing this perennial root vegetable.

Plant Profile: Sweet Potato

Though sweet potato plants are known to love heat, learn how it's possible to successfully grow sweet potatoes in colder climates.

Shade Tolerant Vegetables

Got shade? Don't let that stop you from growing your own vegetables.

Winter Sowing Vegetable Seeds

See how you can use inexpensive mini greenhouses to start vegetables from seed.

Organic Edibles for Small Spaces

Join the growing trend—try growing fruits and vegetables on patios and decks, in containers and small plots.

Vegetables to Plant for a Fall Harvest

Hoping to continue your garden's bounty? Learn about what to vegetables to plant towards the end of the summer for a fall harvest.

Plant Profile: The Humble Radish

A helpful guide to growing this hardy spring vegetable in your garden.

Spotlight on Kohlrabi

Read this article and you'll soon be wondering why you haven't yet grown this funky vegetable in your garden..

Fruits

Grow a Rainbow of Tomatoes

Our Community Programs Director, Courtney Tchida, has grown hundreds of varieties in cold-climates. Learn her favorite kinds and growing tips for best flavor.

Growing Day Neutral Strawberries Webinar

Strawberry plants that produce fruit all summer long? They exist and you can grow them in the Upper Midwest! Learn how.

Organic Edibles for Small Spaces

Join the growing trend—grow fruits and vegetables on patios and decks, in containers and small plots.

Apple Tree Pruning Made Easy

Learn how to prune your tree, look for disease and dead limbs and get as many apples as possible.

Growing Fruits in Minnesota

Fruits are perennials, so they require a bit more commitment than vegetables. That said, they can still be well worth the effort.

Caring for Espalier Fruit Trees

Learn how espalier creates functional, edible art on your landscape.

How to Grow Pears

Hardy pear trees grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 and 4—and they can be even easier to manage than their relative, the apple!

Herbs

Preserving Herbs: Ideas and Infusions

From pestos to herb vinegars, here are 4 ways to preserve herbs this winter.

Disease Resistant Basils

Basil Downy Mildew disease and a desire for something different have led gardeners to search for disease resistant varieties of basil.

Growing Patchouli

One of the more unusual herbs shown at the Minnesota State Fair is patchouli, a tender perennial that is often used in perfumes and is grown for its fragrant leaves.

Plant Profile: Lovely Lemon Balm

Learn about this aromatic, easy-to-grow herb and its many uses both in and outside the kitchen.

Plant Profile: Dill

Dill is a wonderful addition to your herb garden; it's easy to grow, beautiful, and a cooking staple.

Plant Herbs for Pollinators

Herbs are great plants for butterfly larvae, and they're a favorite of bees and other pollinators as well.

Plant Profile: Dill

Dill is a delight to grow because it blesses you in two ways: with its exquisite beauty and its extensive culinary uses.

Plant Profile: Lavender

With its deep purple flowers and scented foliage, lavender is a dream plant for many northern gardeners.

Plant Profile: Anise Hyssop

This biennial herb is a popular choice among pollinators, birds, and northern gardeners.

Plant Spotlight: Wild Ginger

Often found growing in deciduous forests, this ground cover plant is a great companion to other woodland plants.

Recipes

APPLE

Apple Chutney

ASPARAGUS

Spring Asparagus Salad

BASIL

Pineapple Basil Margarita

Fresh Basil Pesto

Watermelon Basil Ice Cream

BORAGE

Cucumber Borage Lemonade

CARROT

Carrot ginger dressing

CHIVES

Tuscan Potato Salad

CUCUMBER

Cucumber Borage Lemonade

DANDELION

Dandelion Jelly

EGGPLANT

Ratatouille

FENNEL

Fennel & Red Pepper Salad

GINGER

Carrot ginger dressing

LAVENDER

Lavender Bees Knees Cocktail

MINT

Strawberry Mint Smoothie

PARSLEY

Parsley Smoothie

Tuscan Potato Salad

PEA SHOOTS

Pea Shoot Pesto

PEAR

Caramel Spice Pear Butter

PEPPER

Fennel & Red Pepper Salad

Ratatouille

POTATO

Tuscan Potato Salad

PUMPKIN

Crusted Pumpkin Wedges

Pumpkin Bread

RADISH

Radish Butter—coming soon!

RHUBARB

Rhubarb Compote

Rhubarb Salsa—coming soon!

SAGE

Sage Honey Syrup—coming soon!

SPINACH

Moroccan Spinach Bowl

STRAWBERRY

Strawberry Mint Smoothie

Strawberry Ice Cream

Basic Sweet Cream

TOMATO

Fried Green Tomatoes

Cherry Tomato Vanilla Bean Jam

Ratatouille

Moroccan Spinach Bowl

WATERMELON

Sweet & Spicy Watermelon Salad

Watermelon Basil Ice Cream

Have a favorite recipe that uses ingredients from your garden? Email us and we'll share it here!

Vegetables

6 Tips for New Vegetable Gardeners

Just starting out? We can help.

Handling, Harvesting and Storing Veggies

Find the most effective ways to enjoy homegrown asparagus, beans, cabbage and other crops.

Why Grow Tomatoes in Containers

Here are a few reasons why you might want to consider growing tomatoes in a container.

Tips for Growing Garlic

A guide to growing garlic, plus tips on harvesting, storage, and more.

Grow Lettuce Longer: Tips for Extending the Season

Lettuce is a fast and steady crop to grow and harvest throughout the season.

How to Grow Horseradish

Check out this comprehensive guide to growing this perennial root vegetable.

Plant Profile: Sweet Potato

Though sweet potato plants are known to love heat, learn how it's possible to successfully grow sweet potatoes in colder climates.

Shade Tolerant Vegetables

Got shade? Don't let that stop you from growing your own vegetables.

Winter Sowing Vegetable Seeds

See how you can use inexpensive mini greenhouses to start vegetables from seed.

Organic Edibles for Small Spaces

Join the growing trend—try growing fruits and vegetables on patios and decks, in containers and small plots.

Vegetables to Plant for a Fall Harvest

Hoping to continue your garden's bounty? Learn about what to vegetables to plant towards the end of the summer for a fall harvest.

Plant Profile: The Humble Radish

A helpful guide to growing this hardy spring vegetable in your garden.

Spotlight on Kohlrabi

Read this article and you'll soon be wondering why you haven't yet grown this funky vegetable in your garden..