Is it important for us to take care of our feathered friends when the weather turns cold and the snow begins to fly?  Yes it is, because birds play an important role in the ecosystem of our garden from weed and pest control to pollination and fertilization, plus birds are fun for all ages to watch.  Now it’s time to help the birds stay strong and healthy throughout the Winter with only a few simple supplies needed.

The doldrums of winter are upon us and gardeners are drooling over seed catalogs and dreaming of fresh vegetables and riots of flower colors. But spring planting is still several months away. This is an excellent time to research gardening season extenders such as greenhouses, cold frames, and low tunnels. They could help you start your growing season sooner in the spring and last longer in the fall. To determine which one(s) will best meet your growing needs, there are some key questions you will want to ask yourself and information you’ll want to consider. This article explains the basics and provides helpful resources to move your from – that’s interesting to – I’d like to try that in my yard.

Most Minnesotans spend the month of January by a nice warm fire, or at least by a nice warm TV. Not so, the avid gardener! There are things to do, last minute trimming, tipping a floribunda rose that you missed in October, cleaning up all those dead stalks that didn’t get clipped. But working outside in Minnesota in January can lead to cold injury. An unwary gardener can easily lose bits and pieces of his anatomy out in the yard if he's not respectful of the cold. Read this article to help yourself to keep safe in the winter “garden.”

When January brings us huge snowdrifts and blustery winds do you think of Spring? Yes, it’s the perfect time to be thinking about your flower and vegetable gardens and begin making plans for re-designing your landscape. If you have these thoughts, then click on the link to learn more about basic landscape design concepts and current 2024 trends in landscaping.

On a chilly February day, the thought of blossoming flowers and growing vegetables seems like a far-off dream. Despite this, February is the perfect month to begin planning your summer garden and organizing a plan for indoor seed starting. Read this article to learn the why, what. how and when for starting your own plants.

If you want to grow plants from seed for your garden this spring, February is the time to start – planning and planting. There is a little more to it than dropping a seed in soil.

While March is the ideal time to prune most trees and shrubs in your garden; note that it is NOT the time to prune those that bloom in the spring. Pruning your spring blooming trees and shrubs may kill blooms that are forming. These plants should be pruned right after they bloom in the spring. Read this article for valuable information about pruning some of your most beautiful spring blooming shrubs.

The calendar has turned to March and the excitement builds in anticipation for Spring, but wait, I can’t plant seeds outside yet. Don’t worry, DIY seed bombs are a great way to get your hands dirty and also introduce your children and grandchildren to a way of transforming a barren or hard to grow area of your yard into a beautiful flower spot.

Are you a gardener that loves to have flowering plants staggered throughout the growing season? Then perhaps you should consider planting snowdrops in your yard. They are the first spring bulb to bloom and they are known to pop up amongst the snow melt. They usually bloom before larger daffodils and tulips.

It’s March and you may be thinking about starting vegetable or flower seeds for your garden this summer. First, you have to decide what to grow - beans, basil, zinnias, tomatoes? But there are several different varieties of each of these plants. So, how do you know what variety to plant? You can look through the seed catalogs or go to the garden store and peruse the many different varieties on the racks. Confused? The University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners can help.

Are you a garlic lover? Yes, you can buy it at the grocery store but garlic grown in your own garden is so good. Garlic is normally grown in late fall BUT not to worry, if you act quickly, you can plant garlic in March and harvest it in July. Read this article to learn more about planting garlic in the spring or the fall.

Believe it or not, the snow will melt soon and your thoughts will turn from shoveling to lawn care. Do you continue to use a lot of fertilizer and water on your lawn with mixed results? Are you concerned about the impacts of climate change affecting your lawn? Are you overwhelmed with all the lawn work in the Spring? If you said yes to any of these questions, click the link to learn more about the Science behind lawn care and how it can help you, your lawn and the environment.