The May/June Northern Gardener is full information and inspiration for gardeners in USDA Zones 3 and 4, but it also has a something special— Dig In, a zine just for beginning gardeners.

In Dig In, we answer the questions new gardeners are itching to ask about how to prep and plan your garden for 2021, which chores you should do in May and which should wait until August, how many plants can you put in a small garden space, and what do terms like “part sun,” “perennial” or “deadhead,” really mean? If you are an experienced gardener, we hope you’ll pass the insert on to a young neighbor, friend or other new gardener.

Big thanks go to Dig In’s sponsors, Bachman’s, The Mustard Seed and Otten Brothers. Those garden centers will have extra copies on hand for customers as well.

Borders, Tomatoes and More

The rest of the issue is filled with useful, season appropriate information for cold-climate gardeners. Editor Mary Schier shares her visit to Ken Zimmerman’s Rochester garden with a fabulous perennial and shrub border. There are many lessons for gardeners in this experienced gardener’s landscape, especially about repeating colors and plants for stunning effect. The clematis image on the cover was taken in Ken’s garden.

This issue is also filled with information on great plants. Rhonda Hayes writes about the rainbow of cherry tomatoes you can grow in Minnesota; Gail Brown Hudson praises the virtues of bergenia, a perennial plant that should be used more; Michelle Mero Riedel recommends a dozen phlox varieties for northern gardeners and herb expert Theresa Mieseler suggests varieties of scented geraniums for northern landscapes.

If squirrels are your problem, be sure to check out Jennifer Rensenbrink’s article on how to foil those garden marauders.

Of course, we have our usual columnists with advice on plants, design, garden problems and more.

Find Us in More Places

If you are not an MSHS member or subscriber, you can find the issue at more newsstands than ever now. Of course, our discount partners have copies, as do Barnes and Noble, Byerly’s and Lunds, Whole Foods and more groceries around the region.