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Gardening Resources for 2010
By Julie Weisenhorn, University of Minnesota Extension
With spring just around the corner, the following are some tips to get your garden off to a great start. Happy gardening!
Familiarize Yourself with a New Gardening Resource
University of Minnesota Extension has a newly designed gardening website that features a whole slew of great resources for gardeners. One such resource is Gardening Information — a one-stop shop for gardening enthusiasts and people with questions about flowers, trees, shrubs, vegetables, or fruits. Diagnose problems with insects, disease, and weeds with the diagnostic tools featured on the website. If you get stuck, you have a number of options for help: Ask a Master Gardener, the Yard and Garden Desk and Phone Line at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, or your county’s hotline.
Subscribe to the Yard & Garden e-News
Written by Extension educators about current conditions, plants, diseases, insects, weather, and more, the Yard & Garden e-News is published online twice a month during the growing season and once a month in the winter. It features articles about conditions that Extension faculty are seeing in the landscape. It also includes a calendar of horticulture-related events around the state and provides links to websites and resources for home gardeners and landscape professionals alike. Still not convinced? It’s free!
Attend Classes, Plant Clinics, and Events
Part of the Department of Horticultural Science, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum offers a wide variety of classes for gardeners of all levels and ages. From the Peapods classes to classes for preschoolers to adult education, the Arboretum is THE destination for gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts. Garden centers around the state may also host classes and seminars for home gardeners. Call your local favorite or visit its website for details. Click on the Classes & Clinics link on the Extension website to find Master Gardener horticulture days, plant clinics, spring flings, and other gardening events around the state. The Minnesota State Horticulture Society (MSHS) hosts classes throughout the year to satisfy just about every gardener’s need to learn. Visit MSHS’s website Northern Gardener and click on Classes/Programs.
Visit Public Gardens Around the State
Did you know that Minnesota has 47 public gardens open for visitors during the growing season? If you are planning to be out on the road in our magnificent state this summer, you’ll want to visit the University of Minnesota Extension Public Gardens of Minnesota website first. Find out about locations, history, features, and
collections housed in Minnesota public gardens, from Virginia to Rochester (best to call ahead to confirm hours of operation and to make sure a favorite collection is not under renovation).
