Pots for Pollinators! That reads like a poster. It really should be on t-shirts too. Soon garden centers will be filling up with all sorts of amazing annual flowers. I had a chance to go on a Nursery Tour at Gertens and I can assure you they’ve got it growing on!
Why would a leader in the Gardening Industry choose a “weed” as their choice for perennial of the year? Easy, it’s not a “weed” but it can be abundant! I’ll have more on that in a moment…
Our “average” last frost date for Spring has been May 15th in zone 4 for a long time, but according to Dr. Mark Seeley, University of Minnesota professor emeritus and meteorologist, he reported in 2021 that we can expect new normals, adding that in the last 20 years, April 20th was the average date for the last frost in zone 4!
Preserve the beauty of your blooms! Drying flowers is easier than you think, just follow these simple steps to enjoy everlasting floral decor.
Propagating houseplants from cuttings is a great way to expand your houseplant collection, or give a plant to a friend! All this beginner-friendly process requires are a few materials (that you probably already have) and a little patience. Propagating houseplants is a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to buying more plants, but it's also highly rewarding!
As garden enthusiasts, many of us look to see what the new trends are for the coming year. Monrovia, one of the nation’s largest growers of plants, trees & shrubs, conducts surveys online, in garden stores and searches connections between gardening & art, design, cooking and all the other things that make “houses” homes!
Oh boy, All America Selections has chosen their winners in an array of categories but today, we're celebrating a few of their chosen Annuals. And, WOW, they are amazing. The 'Scoop gives some background on AAS and shares photos of these annuals along with a little story about a wild "pet" rabbit...
January 6th is the official last day of the 12 Days of Christmas, the Epiphany. The word itself has several meanings but for Christians it signals the coming of the Magi, or 3 Wise Men. Celebrations abound around the world, some involving plunging into icy water. For many of us it means packing away the Christmas decorations and taking out our fresh Christmas tree. Before you kick it to the curb, The Garden Scoop has some fun ideas to put that tree to good use!!
Many years ago, I went on a local garden tour and saw these AMAZING yellow flowers. I found these flowers were NATIVE annuals to Minnesota! Super easy to start from seed and a pollinator magnet.
"It's YOUR turn, Monstera", so says the National Garden Bureau, of which I am a member. From their website: Each year the National Garden Bureau selects one annual, one perennial, one bulb crop, one edible, one houseplant and one shrub as our "Year of the" crops. Plants are chosen because they are popular, easy-to-grow, widely adaptable, genetically diverse and veratile.
Literally, it's not easy to dig in clay soil. It's heavy, sticky and a bit stubborn to work with. You could work trying to amend the soil, but I choose to work with what I have and choose plants that naturally "thrive" in clay soil. A reminder of the Master Gardener creed, "Right Plant, Right Place". You may be questioning my sanity right now but stick with me... no pun intended.
Fall is here and we are now looking at our depleted vegetable gardens, spent perennials and brown lawns; our trees in various stages of color and/or "balding"! Is there anything we can do right now to help tuck them in for winter? Yup, there sure is. And in particular, new plantings.
Ahh fall... Our summer flowers are fading, and autumn colors are reintroducing themselves. Can anyone say, "road trip"? Heading north you'll find plenty of color change already.
There’s nothing like a home-grown tomato! Pick it, pop it in your mouth and savor that fresh flavor. Our Minnesota climate makes it a bit more challenging, but we don’t give up and that’s why, every year, we receive a lot of questions that start with, “What’s wrong with my tomatoes?”
Joanne is one of Gertens seasoned Annual House experts & here she shares her top ten list to help maintain your annual flowers through the season!
