Northern Gardener - Winter 2024

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MOST RELIABLE & RESILIENT PERENNIALS FOR ZON ES 3, 4 & 5

Gardener Northern

®

W INTER 2024

GARDEN GREENER

Northern Native Partridge Pea

Winter Gathering Bring the Outside Indoors

GARDEN TO TABLE

An INSPIRING FOODSCAPE

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Perfecting the Greenhouse A Small Garden with Big Impact The Latest on Jumping Worms

HOLIDAY SEASONAL SHOWCASE

November 7 - December 8

holiday cheer STARTS

HERE.

Bring holiday cheer home with Bachman's-grown poinsettias, festive spruce top planters, and more. Discover inspiring events, from workshops to our Holiday Showcase, and don't miss the magic of Santa and Albert’s Holiday Play!

612 - 861 - 7311

Bachmans.com

Minneapolis | Apple Valley | Eden Prairie | Fridley | Maplewood | Plymouth

Contents W I N T E R 2024 / VOLU M E 152 / NUMBE R 4

50

40

34

Seasonal Guide

Spotlight

Garden for Good

10 Winter Checklist

34 The Latest on (Ugh)

23 Little Sprouts

What to do in the garden now.

11 Winter Garden Gathering Bring the outside indoors.

12 Ask the Expert

Prepare your garden for winter.

13 Pod Pizzazz

Holiday decorating with lotus pods.

14 A Window on Winter

Create a frame-worthy garden.

16 Coping with Construction Move your plants or lose ’em.

18 Garden Plan: Sow What?

Start a simple, affordable garden from seed.

20 Ginger

A rhizome for our zones.

Jumping Worms

These formidable garden pests continue to elude researchers.

40 Perfecting the Greenhouse Overcoming setbacks to extend the season.

44 Reliable and Resilient

Anyone can grow these hardy, climate-proof perennials.

50 Small Space, Big Impact

Embracing the challenges of moving from country acreage to a city lot.

55 Editing on the Edge

Let go and let grow—growing a garden with help from Mother Nature.

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A new generation of gardeners grows in Le Sueur County, Minn.

Garden Greener 26 Charismatic Partridge Pea

Consider planting this underappreciated northern native.

Garden to Table 30 Foodscaping at the Aboretum Mix food and flowers with inspiration from the Arb's new Foodscape.

In Every Issue 2 Editor’s Letter 6 MSHS Classes and

Community Events 59 Gardener’s Market 60 Growing Together

ON THE COVER: Daily treasure hunts for seed pods, leaves and sticks in her Shoreview, Minn. neighborhood started as a creative exercise but quickly grew into a passion project and mindfulness practice for Mary Jo Hoffman, who is always looking for beauty in nature.

EDITOR’S LETTER

Sigh.

Finally, a moment to breathe. No weeds to pull, no holes to dig, no tomatoes to harvest and no annuals wilting in the hot summer sun, begging for a drink. Yes, there are some perks to our notoriously long, cold winters—mostly the big, fat break ahead.

Have you seen that meme? The one showing us gardeners starting out as bright-eyed, eager beavers with armfuls of new plants and big spring plans? And then the shot quickly cuts to a haggard, dirt-crusted version of ourselves stumbling across the late-fall finish line? IYKYK. Gardening can be as grueling as it is glorious. You usually don’t have to twist even the greenest thumbs to take a few months off.

Whether you’re feeling nostalgic for a summer that passed too fast or ready to toss your garden gloves into a dark corner of the garage without looking back, we can all appreciate a little downtime.

Before the memories of summer fade with the last few aster blooms, join us in reflecting on a wild growing season that served up a shocking amount of rain, scorching heat, twisters, hail and everything in between. As you jot down wins and flops, sketch new

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WINTER 2024 / NORTHERNGARDENER.ORG

beds and list plants to add (and skip) come spring, we’re here to help. Michelle Mero Riedel recommends resilient perennials worth growing next year (pg. 44).

Facing a construction project? Kathy Purdy offers tips for saving any garden faves in the path of destruction (pg. 16). If your beds hug a prairie or woods, consider how to edit your garden’s edge with Burton Laine’s advice on keeping that thin fringe more wild than weedy (pg. 55). Nick Cardenas’ gritty greenhouse build inspires us to create our own and grow through winter (pg. 40). And Gail Hudson unearths cutting edge research and updates on northern garden Enemy No. 1, those dreaded jumping worms (pg. 34).

Take this time away from the trowel to reflect, dream and prepare for our best gardening season yet.

Enjoy some deep winter rest—the snowdrops and hyacinths will be popping back up before we know it.

Rebecca Swee, Editor in Chief editor@northerngardener.org

HEADSHOT: TRACY WALSH PHOTOGRAPHY | PINECONE PHOTO: REBECCA SWEE

Tiny pine cones pop against the barren mid-winter landscape in Rochester, Minn.

ARTIFICIAL & FRESH TREES ORNAMENTS & HOME DECOR

GERTEN GROWN POINSETTIAS

HOLIDAY LIGHTS & OUTDOOR YARD DECOR

FRESH HOLIDAY GREENS & ACCENTS

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO CELEBRATE THE

Holidays

5500 BLAINE AVENUE | INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MN 55076 | 651.450.1501 GERTENS.COM NORTHERN |GARDENER / WINTER 2024

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CONTRIBUTORS

Writers & Photographers / Winter 2024

Meg Cowden is a garden writer, speaker and author of Plant Grow Harvest Repeat (Timber Press, 2022) based in Orono, Minn. seedtofork.com | @seedtofork

Diane McGann is an award-winning writer who maintains perennial and shade gardens on 4 1/2 acres in Stillwater, Minn.

Soni Forsman is a garden

writer and avid water gardener in Eagan, Minn.

writer gardening on 10 acres in upstate New York.

Mary Jo Hoffman is the author

coldclimategardening.com | @kopurdy

stillblog.net | @maryjohoffman

Jennifer Rensenbrink grows a host of delicious treats in her south Minneapolis garden.

of STILL: The Art of Noticing, a stunning new book about her popular one-a-day nature photography project called STILL.

Gail Hudson is a horticulturist,

Emmy award-winning journalist, writer and video producer and avid gardener in Minneapolis. @gailhudsonmedia

Amy Kainz is an organic flower and vegetable gardener specializing in pollinator-friendly landscaping in central Minn. @milkweed.and.daisies

Burton Laine is an award-winning

photographer, writer, author and editor. He is a USDA Zone 3 gardener in Cloquet, Minn.

burtonlaine.com

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Kathy Purdy is an award-winning

WINTER 2024 / NORTHERNGARDENER.ORG

@jenniferrensenbrink

Michelle Mero Riedel is celebrating

15 years writing and photographing stories for Northern Gardener. She is a master gardener in Washington County, Minn.

riedelphoto.com | @riedelphoto

Taylor Tinkham is an editorial illustrator, Hennepin County master gardener volunteer and food preservation consultant living in south Minneapolis. taylortinkham.com | @ttink.art

Gardener Northern

®

Learn about our Garden-in-a-Box program on page 60.

Editor in Chief Rebecca Swee Creative Director Rose Daniels Horticultural Editor Debbie Lonnee Copy Editor Susan Barbieri Newsstand Consultant JK Associates Advertising Sales Manager Betsy Pierre

A PUBLICATION BY THE

A note from the MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY MSHS STAFF Lara Lau-Schommer Executive Director Rebecca Swee Communications + Marketing Director Erik Bergstrom Membership + Marketing Manager Anna Marhefke Programs + Marketing Coordinator Mary Riehle Office Manager

MSHS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Don Smith, Chair Jill Rulli, Vice Chair Paul Markwardt, Treasurer Renay Leone, Secretary Gail Hudson Neil Imsdahl Judy MacManus Mary Hockenberry Meyer

Randy Nelson Lisa Philander Robin Trott

ADVERTISE WITH US Contact Betsy Pierre at: Betsy.Pierre@Ewald.com 763-295-5420

Copyright 2024 by MSHS. Printed in the USA on recycled paper with inks containing soy and/or vegetable oils. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without permission from MSHS. The information published in Northern Gardener® reflects the experiences and opinions of the writers and is not necessarily endorsed by MSHS. Northern Gardener is a registered trademark of MSHS. (ISSN) 1529-8515. Northern Gardener is published quarterly (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) with an additional digital issue in January by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, Minn., and additional post offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Northern Gardener, 1935 County Rd. B2 W., Suite 125, Roseville, MN 55113.

It all started with the apple. Back in 1866, we took on the challenge of growing this tasty fruit in our northern climate. Over time, we spread deep roots, championing not only fruit growing but also the many areas of horticulture in rural and urban Minnesota and beyond.

The longest running horticultural society in the United States, we’re a trusted resource for thousands of northern gardeners.

Serving all ages and skill levels across USDA Hardiness Zones 3, 4 and 5 (Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Michigan, Montana, Alaska, Canada and more), we offer cold-climate gardening resources to support our members, garden clubs, plant societies, program participants, the horticultural industry and anyone who wants to grow plants in our challenging northern climate and positively impact the environment.

Deeply rooted in our mission to cultivate a healthy, diverse, sustainable community of northern gardeners, we publish Northern Gardener® magazine and grow cold-climate gardeners through educational classes, events and two signature community outreach programs, Garden-in-a-Box and Minnesota Green. Let’s grow!

Lara Lau-Schommer, Executive Director

@mnhort

MSHS COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS generously supported by

NORTHERN GARDENER / WINTER 2024

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MSHS CLASSES

WEBINARS & WORKSHOPS FOR GARDENERS

MSHS is excited to focus on growing the Northern Gardener Resource Hub this winter and will be temporarily pausing classes through 2024. Visit northerngardener.org/webinar-shop for immediate access to a library of online workshops, and bookmark our Community Events Calendar, updated weekly, to find gardening-related events near you.

Recommended Webinar

To register, visit northerngardener.org/classes

Sustainable Landscape Design Basics Five sessions: Wednesdays, Feb. 26 and Mar. 5, 12, 19 and 26, 6-9 p.m.

Register by Feb. 10, 2025 $199 members; $209 non-members. Price includes 15 hours of instruction, a comprehensive course packet of lab materials and a set of basic landscape design tools.

Learn theory and basic principles of sustainable landscape design from experts Julie Weisenhorn, UMN Extension Educator, and Jim Calkins, Ph.D., and avoid common mistakes made by novices and professionals alike. The curriculum is comprehensive and has been developed specifically to allow participants to use their own property as a class project by designing an entry garden, a deck/patio garden or other landscape space.

Each workshop session will culminate in a hands-on, take-home assignment that will allow participants to put pencil to paper and apply the techniques learned to their personal landscape project in preparation for the next class and the next steps in the landscape design sequence. The workshop also will include time for personalized critiques of your ideas during the last four sessions as you develop your designs.

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WINTER 2024 / NORTHERNGARDENER.ORG

Community Events Calendar Find gardening-related events in the Upper Midwest. See a sampling of upcoming events below and bookmark the full event list online—updated weekly! northerngardener.org/ community-events-calendar 19TH ANNUAL EMERGING FARMERS CONFERENCE Led by Big River Farms Nov. 1-2, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Minneapolis, Minn.

Innovative event focusing on the needs and interests of farmers facing barriers to building profitable agricultural businesses.

A collaborative of black, indigenous and other farmers of color, volunteers, government and nonprofits. Agenda planned by University of Minnesota. emergingfarmers.org BACHMAN’S WINTER MARKETS Saturdays, Nov. 9 – Mar. 8, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Minneapolis, Minn.

Find all your favorite vendors from Kingfield, Fulton and Nokomis farmers markets! Season kicks off Nov. 9, indoors at Bachman’s Floral, Gift and Garden. neighborhoodrootsmn.org/winter-markets PLANTING AND MAINTAINING A NATIVE GARDEN Garden Club of Minneapolis Nov. 12, 7-8 p.m.

Minneapolis, Minn.

Wild Ones - Prairie Edge Chapter founder Marilynn Torkelson explains the importance of planting and maintaining a native garden in connection to the environment and climate change. Free and open to the public. gardenclubmpls.org/calendar/events APPLEHOUSE IS OPEN! Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Aug. 22 – Dec. 20 Pick up the flavors of fall at the Arboretum’s AppleHouse. This seasonal shop features a rotating variety of freshly picked, inseason apples. Call (612) 301-3487 for a list of available apples. In addition to apples, shoppers will find apple cider, frozen apple pies, gourmet food items and seasonal decor. Visitors don’t need a reservation or a membership to visit the AppleHouse Holiday Boutique, and all proceeds from the store support Arboretum research and general operations. arb.umn.edu/AppleHouse

Shop Our 2024 Discount Partners Members save at all participating locations.

Not a member yet? Join today and start enjoying discounts at local garden centers and nurseries immediately.

VI E W F U L L PA RT N E R L I ST A N D A M A P

northerngardener.org/discount-partners

101 Market Otsego, MN Abrahamson Nurseries Scandia, MN

Flower Power Garden Center & Fred Holasek and Son Greenhouse Lester Prairie, MN

Landscape Alternatives, Inc. Shafer, MN

Paisley Gardens LLC Northfield, MN

Lilydale Garden Center St. Paul, MN

Patio Town Multiple Locations

Lynde Greenhouse & Nursery Maple Grove, MN

RT Dock and Yard Inc DBA The Green Lake Nursery Spicer, MN

All Seasons Garden Center Grand Forks, ND

Forest and Floral Garden Center Park Rapids, MN

Bachman’s Multiple Locations

Garden Divas River Falls, WI

Miltona Greenhouses Parkers Prairie, MN

Como Park Zoo and Conservatory St. Paul, MN

Garden Expressions New Richmond, WI

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Chaska, MN

Costa Farm and Greenhouse White Bear Lake, MN Countryside Lawn & Landscape Zumbrota, MN Dan and Jerry’s Greenhouse Monticello, MN Dolan’s Landscape Center Austin, MN Egg|Plant Urban Farm Supply St. Paul, MN Elk Mound Seed Elk Mound, WI Farmington Greenhouse Farmington, MN Fiddles and Fronds Spring Park, MN

Gordy’s Gift & Garden Duluth, MN Hartman Garden Center & Landscaping Victoria, MN

Sargent’s Landscape Nursery Rochester, MN Sargent’s Nursery, Inc. Red Wing, MN

Mother Earth Gardens Minneapolis, MN

Schulte’s Greenhouse and Nursery St. Michael, MN

Nagel Sod and Nursery Medford, MN

Seed Savers Exchange Decorah, IA

Heidi’s GrowHaus Corcoran, MN

Nature’s Garden World Fergus Falls, MN

Home Sown Gardens Eagan, MN

Nelson Nursery Zimmerman, MN

Hugo Feed Mill & Hardware Hugo, MN

Prairie Moon Nursery Winona, MN

Jean’s - The Right Plant Place Perham, MN

Prairie Restorations, Inc. Princeton, MN

Kern Landscape Resources St. Paul, MN

Otten Bros. Garden Center & Landscaping Long Lake, MN

Knecht’s Nurseries & Landscaping Northfield, MN

Pahl’s Market Apple Valley, MN

South Cedar Garden Center Farmington, MN Spring At Last Greenhouse Duluth, MN Terra Garden Center Lakeville, MN The Garden By The Woods Chanhassen, MN Wild Birds Unlimited Woodbury, MN Winter Greenhouse Winter, WI

In many cases, discount is 10% off select plants and merchandise. Visit us online for all discounts and details. Want a paper list? Grab a copy at any in-person MSHS event or visit northerngardener.org to print your own.

NORTHERN GARDENER / WINTER 2024

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A GIFT THAT

blooms ALL YEAR

Society Membership is the perfect gift for the gardener in your life. northerngardener.org/gift SO

BERSHIP

M WINTER 2024 / NORTHERNGARDENER.ORG

CIETY

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SO

EM

$62 •

+ 1 year (4 issues) of Northern Gardener magazine ($36 value) + Tickets to the 2025 Minneapolis Home + Garden Show ($30 value) + Discounts at local garden centers and businesses + Exclusive rates on gardening classes and merchandise + Positive Impact: Every membership helps us bring more gardening education to communities that need it.

M BERSHIP

INCLUDES

CIETY

EM

•

THIS SEASON IN THE GARDEN

Winter Wow! Plans + projects for snowy days

THE CHECKLIST

What to do in the garden now

Striking lotus seed pods stun as seasonal décor

POD PIZZAZZ

A WINDOW ON WINTER

Make a garden suitable for framing

Sow a radiant summer garden from seed

PG. 10

PG. 13

PG. 14

PG. 18

GARDEN PLAN

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Winter Checklist — W H AT TO D O I N T H E G A R D E N N OW —

November Plant tulips, the lone spring-blooming bulbs tough enough to withstand outdoor planting right up until the ground freezes.

Clean and store your garden tools.

Tips: northerngardener.org/clean-garden-tools Grab a soil sample from any poor-performing garden beds and mail it in to the University of Minnesota. Review the results and plan for any soil amendments so you can hit the ground running come spring.

Force bulbs indoors at home. From daffodils to paperwhites, plant now for sweet-scented blooms this winter. northerngardener.org/forcing-bulbs

December Order seed catalogs so you have plenty of time to plan your orders and drool over all the options during the dark of winter. For a list of catalogs we love: northerngardener.org/seed-catalogs-101 Dress up your porch or patio with festive container displays. Try scavenging your yard for evergreens, pine cones, pods, red twig dogwood and dried flowers (we love hydrangea heads).

Cozy up with some winter garden reading. Check out our favorite northern gardening books for gifting (or your own holiday wish list). bookshop.org/shop/northerngardener

Plant amaryllis bulbs indoors the first week of November and you’ll have juicy, red blooms by December 25. Who doesn’t want to enjoy big, beautiful flowers when the days are shortest and the ground is frozen?

Set up and planting is easy—here’s how: northerngardener.org/planting-amaryllis

Show your indoor plants some love. Move houseplants to sunsoaked, south-facing windows and away from drafty (hot or cold) spots. Skip the fertilizer (they’re resting right now) and check for pests and diseases.

Plan a vegetable garden. Get out a pencil and paper and sketch out plans for the upcoming season. What grew well last year and what new varieties are you itching to try?

Protect woody plants from nibbling. Repel deer and rabbits with fencing or earth-friendly repellents.

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AMARYLLIS PHOTO: REBECCA SWEE

Bring Beauty Indoors

January

como friends

Become a Como Friends Member

Join today with $10 off any level for Minnesota State Horticultural Society members.

ON THE COVER

Winter Garden Gathering S TO R Y A N D P H OTO MARY JO HOFFMAN

From the first frost in October to the first lasting snow in December, the transition from autumn to winter is my favorite time of the year for foraging. The dense green curtain of summer has been pulled back to re-reveal the long views of winter.

Low-angle sunlight slants through leafless trees, darkening the colorful mosses and lichens and lighting up the abundant fall berries. Before the wet snows bend and bury all those shapely stems, now is the time to get outside and bring the best of them indoors.

Take only a few stems or branches from each location, leaving enough of those nutritious seeds and berries for the critters to gather and add to their winter caches. Happy gathering!

Members save 15% off at Garden Safari Gifts at Como.

Free or reduced admission to hundreds of gardens throughout North America.

From nurturing healthy soil and spring bulbs, to designing floral displays and garden improvements, your membership grows flourishing gardens from the ground up at Como Park Zoo & Conservatory.

Discount not available online. comofriends.org 651.487.8229

Favorites to Gather Lichen-covered branches Red osier dogwood and copperyorange willow branches Goldenrod stems with galls Milkweed stems with bursting pods Cattail stems with dark seed heads Branches with red berries: rose hips, crabapple, highbush cranberry, staghorn sumac Mixes of evergreen branches with pine cones Winter garden seed pods: poppies, lilies, peonies, nigella, scabiosa Tall grass stems with seed heads Dried flowers: hydrangea and Queen Anne’s Lace

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Diane McGann

ASK THE EXPERT

Q A &

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is a University of Minnesota Tree Care Advisor, master gardener and Ask Extension panelist.

How should I prepare my garden for winter?

As another growing season comes to an end, our thoughts turn to protecting our plants and setting the stage for next year’s display. Good preparation is key—here are 6 ways to get your garden winter-ready.

PROTECT PERENNIALS

Many plants with sturdy stems can be left standing throughout the winter to provide structure and seasonal interest, food for birds and shelter for beneficial insects.

You’ll want to cut diseased plants back close to the ground right away but wait until after a few hard frosts before cutting back any other plants you want to remove. This allows perennials to move nutrients from the leaves to their roots and build strength for winter. I remove seed heads from perennials like rudbeckia that spread seed prolifically but leave the rest of the plant standing.

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MULCH

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PROTECT TREES AND SHRUBS

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PREPARE THE VEGETABLE GARDEN

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PROTECT THE POLLINATORS

Harvest all vegetables before the first hard frost and clear out any diseased or dead plant material to avoid disease carryover. Some frost-sensitive crops such as tomatoes and green fruit can continue to ripen indoors. Think about planting a cover crop to replenish nutrients in the soil. Then add a layer of compost, leaves or well-rotted manure to garden beds.

Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of leaves, straw or wood chips around your plants after the ground freezes. This important step insulates the soil and helps protect plant roots from freeze-thaw cycles.

Newly planted, thin-barked and some additional trees will benefit from extra protection. Consider installing white tree guards around trunks to prevent sunscald and frost cracks. A white guard will reflect light, rather than absorbing it, and will help protect the trunk from deer damage. If animal browsing is a problem, surround susceptible trees and shrubs with hardware cloth. If you have conifers less than 5 feet tall and deer are present, cover the terminal buds to prevent deer from topping your trees. Don’t wrap evergreens completely—they continue to photosynthesize in winter—and continue to water them well until the ground freezes. Avoid planting conifers within 8 to 10 feet of the road, but if they’re already there and have been previously damaged by de-icing chemicals, consider covering them in burlap during the winter months.

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OVERWINTER TENDER PLANTS

If you have dahlias, cannas or other plants that won’t survive the winter outdoors, carefully dig up the bulbs and tubers after the first frost, thoroughly clean off the soil and allow them to dry for a few days. Then store them in a cool, dry place, ideally at a temperature between 35 and 45 degrees. Add vermiculite, sawdust, wood shavings or coir in between layers.

Let fallen leaves remain in your garden.

This provides important winter habitat and insulation for pollinators and beneficial insects. With the exception of diseased plants, consider delaying garden cleanup altogether and wait until late spring before cutting anything back. This aids the pollinators that overwinter in hollow plant stems and under leaf litter and provides essential cover for overwintering bees and butterflies.

Top to bottom: Sedum Autumn Joy still shows its colors in early December in northern gardens. Alliums poke their heads above the leaf litter in early December in Minnesota.

A winter garden reminds us of what is to come.

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BONUS TIPS

Avoid pruning. Late fall trimming can stimulate new growth just as plants are trying to go dormant. The exception to this rule is oak trees; in most years, they should be pruned only between December and March.

Continue watering, especially newly added plants, until the ground freezes.

POD PIZZAZZ The short-lived lotus flower gifts us with captivating and long-lasting seed pods to use for fall and winter decor.

S TO RY A N D P H OT O S S O N I F O R S M A N

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agnificent flowers and stately, cup-shaped pads drew me in first. It wasn’t until I grew lotus for many years that I gradually became a fan of the seed pods that emerge as the flowers fade. Now, in late fall, I turn these unique-looking dried pods into natural décor, nestling them into festive outdoor container displays of mixed winter greens.

How does the sweet lotus flower become a tough, dried seed pod and much-loved winter container bauble able to withstand months outdoors in snow, sleet and subzero temps? The transformation from petals to pod takes several months.

Hiding in the center of each bloom is a small, young, greenishyellow seed head. One inch in diameter, the head’s round, flat top is dotted with tiny bumps (young seeds) arranged in a circular pattern.

A lotus flower lasts three days, sometimes four. Then the petals begin to drop, exposing a seed head resembling an upside-down cone. It is already taking on the look of the seed pod it will become.

It slowly increases in size to accommodate the expanding chambers that cuddle the growing, maturing seeds. During this time, the pod turns several shades of green before drying a dark brown. When mature, black seeds eventually fall out of the pod, leaving it empty and dangling from a soft, dying petiole. I cut pods off the petioles to prepare lotus plants for winter, and I hang any unripe seed pods upside down in the garage to dry.

Mature lotus seed pods vary in size from 2 to 5 inches across. I add the larger pods to outdoor arrangements.

Taller lotus reach 3 to 5 feet and produce pods with larger diameters. Save pods that do not fully develop or those from shorter lotus for indoor use. Toss them in a decorative bowl with other natural materials such as acorns, nuts and pine cones. During the holidays, add a few festive trinkets to the mix.

DIY

LOTUS POD WINTER DÉCOR SUPPLIES - Harvested, dried pods with any lingering petiole pieces removed - Package of 3-foot bamboo plant stakes with a 1/4-inch diameter - Winter greenery, pine cones, birch twigs and logs, eucalyptus, faux berries - Hot glue gun with a clear glue stick - Electric drill with a 1/4-inch diameter bit HOW TO Drill a hole at the base of each, taking care not to drill all the way into the pod. Gently wiggle the plant stakes into the drilled holes and secure with a dab of hot glue. Once the glue dries, use hand pruners to cut each stake to the desired height.

TIPS To deter squirrels and black-capped chickadees, spray the pods with an animal repellent once the arrangement is complete to help these festive displays dazzle all winter long.

When dismantling containers, save any undamaged pods to reuse the following year.

If a pod is damaged, keep the stake and repurpose next fall with a new pod.

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GARDEN DESIGN

A Window on Winter Create a garden suitable for framing.

Cabin fever isn’t for sissies. A string of days with wind chills so unforgiving that your eyelashes freeze can trap us northerners in the confines of our own homes well past our limits and drive even the coolest cucumbers crazy. How’s a northern gardener to cope?

Consider creating a garden bed outside your favorite window to spark joy and interest when you gaze out and wonder when winter is going to end.

STO R Y K AT H Y P U R DY I L LU ST R AT I O N S TAY LO R T I N K H A M

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GARDEN DESIGN

We often associate cabin fever with winter, but I think it’s worse during shoulder seasons when you first concede that the weather is too unpleasant to linger outdoors (stick season) and again when it seems like spring ought to be here by now but isn’t (mud season).

Stick season

When the leaves have fallen but the ground is snowless, it can be dreary. Bundle up during late October and early November and head out to see what you can add to your cabin fever bed. Look for any colorful foliage and remaining flowers to brighten up your landscape. Make note of these plants now but wait to divide and move them to the bed until next spring.

Look for perennials with colorful foliage, shrubs with berries or eye-catching bark, and yes, flowers. Some autumn blossoms tolerate frost and even light hard freezes.

Flowers turn to mush after a freeze, but new flowers emerge as the weather moderates.

Snow Season

The first snowfall often sticks to every branch. Even snow haters agree it’s pretty. Take advantage of snow’s ability to hug and outline shapes. Plant a weeping tree or contorted shrub in front of a dark background to highlight the snow. Man-made objects, such as an intricate tuteur (freestanding obelisk or trellis), will also delight. Most grasses can withstand several snowfalls and reward you with movement and subtle color. Seed heads and flower skeletons also catch fresh snow in attractive patterns.

Eventually, the snow piles up and covers all plant foliage, weighing down the grasses. Then what? Colored bark and brilliant berries come to the rescue on both shrubs and trees. Weatherproof garden art can also provide color—anything from gaudy birdhouses to brilliantly painted Adirondack chairs. Move these items from their summer locations into your cabin fever bed just for the winter. Consider acquiring over-the-top garden art specifically for winter viewing—something to make you smile.

Hang twinkly lights and light catchers such as chandelier crystals to amplify the snow glow.

Mud season

When the snow starts melting but the ground is still frozen and the air warms up before the soil, enjoy early blooming Ozark witch hazel and pussy willow. Then the earliest flowering bulbs open. The hellebores blossom next.

It takes time to discover what grows well in your garden and move plants where you can see them from indoors. For gardeners, being deprived of one’s garden only aggravates cabin fever, so put your garden where you can see it.

Plants Worth Framing SNOW CATCHERS

FOR SHOWY STICK SEASON FOLIAGE Siberian iris Iris sibirica, zone 3 Jacob’s ladder Polemonium reptans, zone 3 Dianthus D. plumarius, D. superbus, D. deltoides, zone 3

‘Red Majestic’ contorted hazel Corylus avellana ‘Red Majestic’), zone 4 ‘Scarlet Curls’ contorted willow Salix matsudana x S. alba ‘Scarlet Curls’, zone 4 Poppy seed heads Papaver somniferum, zone 3

FOR STICK SEASON FLOWERS ‘Rozanne’ geranium Geranium Rozanne® ‘Gerwat’, zone 5 Hardy chrysanthemums ‘Sheffield Pink’, zone 4 ‘Will’s Wonderful’, zone 3 ‘Cambodian Queen’, zone 4 ‘Mary Stoker’, zone 4 ‘Prairie Lavender’, zone 3

FOR MUD SEASON COLOR Pussy willow Pink - Salix gracilistyla ‘Mt Aso’, zone 4 Silver - Salix discolor, zone 3 Ozark witch hazel Hamamelis vernalis, zone 4

See more plant recommendations at: northerngardener.org/window-on-winter

BOOK LIST

Available on bookshop.org/shop/ northerngardener.

Plants for the Winter Garden

by Warren Leach New Naturalism

by Kelly D. Norris Shrubs: Discover the Perfect Plant for Every Place in Your Garden

by Andy McIndoe A Year at Brandywine Cottage

by David Culp

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GARDEN SOLUTIONS

Coping with Construction Move ‘em or lose ‘em.

S TO R Y K AT H Y P U R DY

BE PHILOSOPHICAL

You will lose plants, no matter how hard you try to save them all. But, hey, some plants die every year anyway. If you don’t try to save any of them, it’s guaranteed they will all die. If you can save some, you’re that much ahead of the game. Furthermore, every plant that dies is an opportunity to try a new plant, and your project is an opportunity to design a new garden.

BE STRATEGIC

How much advance warning do you have? If given enough time, you can do quite a few things to help the move go smoothly, such as collecting seeds, taking cuttings and root-pruning shrubs. But if you find out today that they’re breaking ground tomorrow, you might need to grab a shovel pronto and throw everything on a tarp.

PRIORITIZE

Realize that, while you are saving plants, you are spending time. If you’re rescuing plants to save money, how much is your time worth? What will you not be doing if you’re digging up plants instead?

Plants with sentimental value take precedence, but in general, the longer a plant takes to grow and the more expensive to replace, the more likely it is worth saving. By this criteria, trees are the most worth saving but it’s difficult and expensive to do so because of their extensive root system. If the trunk is an inch or less in diameter you should be able to move it by

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yourself. You’ll need at least 10 to 12 inches of root ball diameter for every inch of trunk diameter. That gets heavy fast. Is the cost of renting a tree spade or hiring an arborist less than replacing the tree?

If your municipality is doing the work, talk to the workers about their plans to mitigate root damage.

Shrubs, perennials and bulbs are easier to save.

Ideally, you have an area in your yard where you can replant them. Consider creating a new bed! Or take over the vegetable garden—temporarily, of course.

You can also pot up divisions of perennials and shrub suckers. Make sure you have a good supply of potting soil, pots and labels. To keep multiple pots watered, group them in an inexpensive kiddie pool and add water to the pool as needed.

Some shrubs that don’t make suckers can be rooted from cuttings. It will take several years for them to reach a good size, so this technique is best for difficult-to-find specimens as a back-up in case a shrub move is unsuccessful.

Bulbs can be hard to locate when dormant. Dig them while “in the green,” pot them up and let them go dormant in containers. Or, dig just as the leaves go brown and store in net bags for replanting.

BE FLEXIBLE

Most of the techniques to save your plants work best at a certain time of year, which may not be possible for you. For example, peonies are best dug and moved in the fall, but you may need to move them in spring. Only you can judge whether

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO: MARK GOLBACH | HYDRANGEA PHOTO: KATHY PURDY

Uh-oh. The city is upgrading the water main on your street, the roof must be replaced or, happily, you’re finally adding on to your house. Whatever the situation, some part of your garden is usually in the path of destruction. What do you do? Maybe nothing. If the foundation shrubs are overgrown and you can afford to replace them, let them go. There’s no reason to save plants you don’t like. But what if the peony you got from Aunt Rosie is in harm’s way? Time to make a plan.

COWSMO THE FINEST QUALITY ORGANIC COMPOST

Suckers of hydrangea waiting for new home

it’s worth the time and effort to pot them up or replant them at the “wrong time.” If they die, you’ve lost that time and effort. But they might struggle a little bit and then be fine with some extra care. You won’t know until you try!

Ask friends and family for help and use their support wisely. My son offered to help me for an entire day, and I put him to work digging the plants I’d have the most trouble with.

A friend scooped up bulbs and tossed them in a basket as I unearthed them.

For emergency relocations, dig up as much of the root balls as possible and place plants close together on a tarp or in a kiddie pool. Keep the plants in the shade and their root balls moist. If you’re in the middle of a heat wave, mulching all plants on the tarp will help conserve moisture.

This can be effective for up to two weeks. Hopefully by that time the emergency will have passed and you can replant or relocate your plants.

TIP

SAVE YOUR SHRUBS How to propagate and transplant mature shrubs: northerngardener.org/ saving-shrubs

Packages for retail, and bulk for larger projects.

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NORTHERN GARDENER / WINTER 2024

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GARDEN DESIGN

G ARDEN PLAN

SOW WHAT? Start a simple, affordable and radiant summer garden from seed.

Want a stunning display of vibrant flowers next year? This spring, try sowing a variety of annual flower seeds directly in the ground shortly after winter’s last frost. By midsummer, these easy-to-grow annuals will transform your garden into a lively and colorful showcase of blooms that will last until early autumn. Follow this simple plan for a flourishing summer garden that requires minimal effort for maximum wow.

S T O R Y A N D I L L U S T R AT I O N S A M Y K A I N Z

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GARDEN DESIGN

The Plants

These annual flowers bring a beautiful mix of color, texture and variety to the garden. Bold blooms and a no-fuss nature make them ideal for a striking, low-maintenance display.

A

Sunflower ‘Moonshine’ Helianthus annuus

B

Bachelor buttons ‘Blue Boy’ Centaurea cyanus

C

Bachelor buttons ‘Polka Dot’ Centaurea cyanus

The Plan

D

Lacy phacelia Phacelia tanacetifolia

This 4-foot by 7-foot annual flower bed features a tiered design for maximum visual impact.

Sunflowers and cosmos anchor the back, providing height and vibrant blooms, while a climbing vine on a trellis in the middle adds height and texture. Bachelor buttons, lacy phacelia and zinnias fill the midsection, with marigolds and more bachelor buttons forming a colorful front border. This arrangement ensures a stunning, long-lasting summer show.

E

F

G

H

Marigold Cardinal Cosmos Zinnia ‘French Double climber ‘Sensation Mix’ ‘State Fair’ Dwarf’ Ipomoea x Cosmos Zinnia elegant Tagetes multifida bipinnatus patula

SPRINKLE & BLOOM Growing a summery, flower-filled garden can be as simple as scattering seeds. Tips to get started: In a sunny spot, gently sprinkle seeds over well-prepared soil, aiming for even coverage.

Lightly cover seeds with 1/4 inch of soil.

Thin the seedlings if they are a bit dense in patches.

Water regularly to promote germination and growth.

MORE TIPS: northerngardener.org/seed-garden-plan

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PLANT PROFILE

GINGER

A Rhizome for our Zones Who would have guessed that a tropical perennial, ginger (Zingiber officinale), would burst onto the Upper Midwest small farm scene as a high-value crop? Sometimes the most unexpected and seemingly far-fetched foods are actually the easiest and most reliable to grow in our cold climate. Ginger has quickly become a fun and easy staple in our garden, and it can be for you, too.

STO R Y A N D P H OTO S M E G C OW D E N

Northern gardens can produce a healthy ginger harvest.

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PLANT PROFILE

A

n ancient spice cultivated as far back as 5,000 years ago, ginger originated in southeast Asia, where it was a prized medicinal tonic. High in antioxidants, it’s commonly consumed for its anti-inflammatory and anti-nausea properties. (Remember those days off school sipping flat ginger ale and snacking on saltines, anyone?)

Curiously, it’s no longer a wild plant because it’s sterile and doesn’t produce viable seeds. Intensely cultivated for millennia by nomadic people known as Austronesians across southeast Asia, ginger was first exported along the ancient spice route around 1000 BCE. Ginger’s corky, brown-skinned nodules are rhizomes, or underground stems, commonly consumed fresh, dried, pickled and candied. It sprouts green shoots with narrow, alternating leaves. These are called pseudostems (the rhizome is the true stem).

Underneath the rhizome are thick, fat roots, some nearly the girth of a straw.

Ginger will make your gardening heart skip a beat because it won’t look lush and happy until at least July. Patience is the key to growing tropical edibles in cold climates.

Turmeric and, surprisingly, cardamom are ginger’s botanical cousins in the family Zingiberaceae.

Turmeric is commonly grown alongside ginger in many gardens; once established, they thrive in similar growing conditions. Grown for its seeds, not its rhizomes, cardamom takes many more months before harvest.

Sourcing seed

Ginger is propagated solely by rhizomes. There are debates about whether buying seed ginger from a seed company is necessary, because ginger is readily available at the grocery store (and at a deep discount). As a gardener who orders both seed potatoes and garlic rather than picking it up in the grocery aisle, I lean more in the camp of ordering seed ginger from a reputable company such as Hawaii Clean Seed.

Author Meg Cowden hugs her hearty homegrown harvest in Orono, Minn.

However, for many years I purchased co-op ginger (and turmeric). I’d select large chunks that had several eyes. But they didn’t always grow as vigorously as I’d hoped. So, in 2024, I spent an extraordinarily irresponsible amount of gardening dollars on seed ginger and turmeric.

As it happened, they grew better than both my saved seed and the organic ginger from my co-op. And I finally sprouted turmeric for the first time ever!

I’m not here to mandate spending $60 on an excessive amount of seed ginger that you’ll need to divvy up among your favorite gardening pals.

My saved and store-bought ginger rebounded eventually. But I observed a significant difference in the “seedling stage”—my saved ginger stalled and developed brown tips while my seed ginger never suffered such maladies.

Contain your excitement

Once you have successfully sprouted ginger in about four weeks, you can transplant the seedlings into deeper pots, 4 inches or so, sometime in late April. The width of your container is

more important than depth. I’ll even confess I’ve left my sprouted ginger in wide, shallow germination trays from mid-March until early June without (much) harm done.

I started using 4-inch pots to sprout and grow indoors last year, eliminating the need for transplanting.

I transplant two sprouted rhizomes to a 10-gallon container, spacing them about 6 inches apart. If you prefer growing in-ground, space them 5 inches apart in rows 5 feet apart. Then throw some light row cover over them for the season to give them a microclimate.

If you have a small greenhouse, ginger will happily thrive there, too.

Now comes the long wait—it’s close to four months from planting to harvest, and it will test your patience, looking lackluster until mid-July after the first big heat wave. Trust the process.

Hilling is key to yielding abundant rhizomes. They grow both horizontally and vertically, so covering up the new growth when you see the pinks of emerging rhizomes will encourage the largest harvests. Be strategic: use compost to keep the plants happy.

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PLANT PROFILE Six weeks after planting, a ginger seedling thrives in a 4-inch pot.

Ginger rhizome planted in a shallow germination tray.

ROOTED in PATIENCE Here’s where I’d tell you how successful I was with bi-weekly fish emulsion foliar sprays, but I am not one to follow through on such routine (tedious, to me) garden tasks, even though it’s often recommended. Despite my neglect, they still produce well. I’m certain it’s the compost that does the job for me.

From fabric pots to lightweight aluminum patio planters, we can easily move them indoors in early fall when nighttime temperatures dip below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pesky diseases

Up until this point, you might be wondering if it’s really this easy. Not necessarily, according to the University of Minnesota Extension Agency.

Over the last two seasons, ginger wilt (Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum) was detected in high tunnels (makeshift greenhouses) where it’s grown as a high-value crop. Since wilt is a soilborne bacteria, growing in containers eliminates any threat to your prized produce, unless it arrives on the seed ginger, which can happen when you purchase ginger at a store.

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Enjoying and extending the harvest

Now comes the delicious part. Ginger is entirely edible and can be harvested at any stage. You can dig up little rhizomes during summer for your meals or wait patiently for four to five months until it’s more mature. You can even use the leaves to make tea if you can’t wait that long.

Young, fresh ginger is the best we can grow here in our short growing season. It’s thin-skinned, less pungent, and smaller than the seed ginger you started with. Being so tender, there’s no need to peel it.

We store the majority of our ginger whole in the freezer. Grating it with a microplane is easiest when frozen.

We also thinly slice and dehydrate a portion of it after harvesting, which gets ground into the most pungent ground ginger ever. We also love pickling ginger for our vegetarian sushi rolls. As with all homegrown food, fresh ginger is unmatched in quality and flavor.

Sprouting ginger is a rewarding early-season project—dig in.

Ginger can be tricky to germinate. For best results, you’ll need: 1. Time. Be patient with this luxurious homegrown spice.

Start in mid- to late March for a June transplant.

2. Warmth. Keep a heat mat on 24/7. Warm soils are ideal growing conditions.

3. Nutrient-dense soil. Start rhizomes in a few inches of 50/50 compost/soil blend.

4. Full-spectrum grow light.

Use a combination of warm white and cool white or full spectrum LED lights; a windowsill is not up for the task.

5. Moisture, maybe? Go light on watering as ginger will sprout faster in drier conditions.

6. Shallow container. Plant ginger right below the surface in a standard 1020 or other 4-inch pot that fit well under your grow lights.

Garden for Good Students show off their gardens and shirts they made—each student drew one of the flowers.

Little Sprouts A new generation of gardeners gets hooked on growing in southern Minnesota’s Le Sueur County.

STORY A N N A M A R H E F K E + R E B E C CA SW E E ​​

W

atching children from all backgrounds come together to plant their first seeds, nurture them into seedlings and eventually harvest the fruits (or vegetables) of their labor?

Beautiful.

Seeing future gardeners and stewards of the land grow in community, empowered by peers and mentors as they cultivate new skills and confidence and connect with friends and neighbors? Priceless.

These lessons of love and growth were on full display in the garden beds of south central Minnesota daily this past summer.

After signing up for a day-long training to support master gardeners in utilizing gardens as living laboratories for science and nutrition learning, Le Sueur County master gardener Cheryl Amundson left compelled to

share what she learned with local students.

She applied to join the Minnesota State Horticultural Society’s Garden-in-a-Box program, which gave her access to nine free garden kits, including raised garden beds, seeds, plants, soil, compost and educational support. She was ready to grow.

Materials in hand, Cheryl wanted to expand her reach and impact, forging community partnerships with Le SueurHenderson Public Schools and Community Education, Le Sueur Garden Club, Ney Nature Center, Le Sueur County Extension, 4-H development and SNAP-ED, as well as the Rotary Club of Le Sueur’s pollinator project. She also worked with seven additional master gardeners who supported the educational component of this experience.

GROW FUTURE GARDENERS You can support valuable community outreach programs, such as Garden-ina-Box, by visiting northerngardener.org/ Garden-in-a-Box.

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GARDEN FOR GOOD

In just one growing season, this small group of master gardener mentors made a big difference in the lives of the participating children, who quickly fell in love with gardening (mission accomplished!). Students regularly declared their wish to “stay at the garden all day” and were disappointed when their weekly class was interrupted by the 4th of July.

One parent even noted that they “will have to put up a garden in the backyard” because of how much this program impacted their child.

Introducing the next generation to the power of gardening with a hands-on and curiosity-focused approach is the goal of the Garden-in-a-Box program. The statewide program has grown from 170 participant gardeners in its first season (2008) to more than 9,000 in 2024. When given the opportunity to engage with and grow their own healthy food, students are able to observe and develop a love and appreciation for the environment around them, feel a sense of accomplishment and pride, establish personal practices to reduce stress and enhance overall well-being, cultivate balance and enjoy an enriching, educational experience that will fuel their future success.

At first glance, you might just see little ones squealing with joy when they unearth their first homegrown carrots and tomatoes. But we see a powerful movement as the next generation falls in love with growing.

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Above, clockwise from top left: Master gardeners Connie and Katherine help students learn the basics of flower beds. Student Sophia proudly presents the first cucumber harvest of the season. All Garden-ina-Box beds are provided to at no cost, thanks to many generous sponsors and donors. Right: Christian shows off the beautiful bouquet he collected to use as a classroom visual aid for identifying different parts of a plant.

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NORTHERN GARDENER / WINTER 2024

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I M PA C T

S U S TA I N AB

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E

ILITY

GARDEN GREENER

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PO

SITIV

NORTHERN NATIVE

Charismatic Partridge Pea Unfussy and underappreciated, this northern native is a worthy garden addition.

STO R Y A N D P H OTO S M E G C OW D E N

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A sea of sunny blooms steals the show during the hottest months of the year, inviting gardeners to stop and marvel at the beauty.

GARDEN GREENER

Blue-green, compound leaves yield to a display of erect seed pods in late summer.

I

remember the first time I identified partridge pea plants growing in pea gravel (fitting) on rural land we owned 15 years ago. A pioneer species, it forges a path for other plants to follow. Fixing nitrogen and flourishing in marginal land, this leguminous annual unapologetically stands out. It leads the way, making the soil rich in available nitrogen, so a myriad of non-leguminous plants may follow.

From those liminal woodland edges to recently disturbed land, you’ll find this plant dancing with the edges, making good out of seemingly nothing and creating opportunity where others overlooked potential.

Native from Maine to Florida and west through Minnesota and south into eastern Texas, this plant will grow just about anywhere. According to the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, it prefers sun or part shade, dry or moist soils, and can grow in sandy, clay, acidic or alkaline soils. So there’s no excuse for not giving this annual a try in a tough spot in your yard this year.

Partridge pea came onto our property from our prairie seed mix in 2018. But I have no idea how or when the seeds jumped the driveway (a good 30 feet) and made themselves at home in a sunny patch of wood chips. I’m sure glad they did.

Here’s why I love having it in my yard: Its oval leaves (leaflets, really), each smaller than a bean seed, neatly stack up along delicate 1- to 2-foot-long stems. Individually unremarkable yet cohesively notable, all 20 itty-bitty leaflets (yes, I counted) make one modest-sized, pinnately compound leaf about the size of a pinky finger.

There’s something mesmerizing about seeing all those leaflets en masse.

Legumes are one of earth’s most diverse plant groups, and compound leaves like these are merely one branch of the pea family tree. Its relatives include honeylocust, chickpea, lupine, fenugreek and distant cousins like the Eastern redbud and the old, familiar garden pea.

After these intriguing leaves come the luminous flowers. Racemes of bright yellow landing pads include an attractive red mark and a cluster of maroon stamens, a magnet for pollinators.

In a strategic ploy to protect itself, the plant dishes out nectar through extrafloral nectaries at the base of the leaves. These oval, minute sugar fountains attract wasps, lady beetles and ants in a meaningful kinship. Well-fed by the nourishing nectar, territorial ants reciprocate by protecting the plant from insect herbivory, a lovely reminder that community is the foundation of life.

NORTHERN GARDENER / WINTER 2024

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GARDEN GREENER

Partridge peas bloom profusely for many weeks in summer. Bumblebees clumsily negotiate around each other, taking extra wide turns, fumbling from flower to flower.

Then there’s the boisterous seed sendoff in autumn. Dried pods burst open at the slightest touch, propelling their progeny far and wide. Rich in phosphorus and low in lignin, the seeds are delicious, digestible and hold well even through winter.

Many birds rely on these seeds in the dark, winter months. In the southern grasslands, winter’s decay is a well-documented safe haven from predators and nourishment for songbirds, wild turkeys and northern bobwhites.

Add these seeds to an area of your yard or garden where you like it a little wild.

Luckily, partridge peas are shallow rooted and easy to edit out. As I’ve let a small patch outside our deer fence flourish, the plants have made their way deeper into the garden over the past year. A single plant grows amid our heirloom tomatoes. Another hugs a corner of an overgrown flower bed, making its best effort to secure the next generation.

This amazing native plant is destined for the most far-flung reaches of your garden. Instead of setting deep roots, it makes proteinrich seeds and friends with songbirds.

Partridge pea exemplifies the whimsical and adventurous nature of embracing marginal spaces, literally and figuratively.

Above: Buttery yellow blooms line partridge pea stems. Right: Long, slender pods split in half, revealing angular, black seeds resembling tiny teeth.

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MEG’S TIPS for PARTRIDGE PEA

Partridge pea plays nice (mostly) You may be wondering if this plant will take over your property, and the answer is probably not. The reason it’s often included in prairie seed mixes is that it establishes early and then fades out. So, while I had a nice patch of it growing this year, I know it will move on to new opportune areas of the landscape in future seasons. One exception: Cattle farmers take note— partridge pea is toxic to cattle and difficult to eradicate from pastures once established.

Direct seed: Partridge pea is easy to grow from seed. No need to start indoors.

Cold stratify: Sprinkle the seeds in late fall through late winter to ensure the seeds stratify. The cold, damp exposure encourages germination in spring.

Front and center: Partridge peas make a great border plant. Sow them 1-2 feet in front of an annual or perennial bed for added texture and color all summer long.

Let ‘em grow: No need to thin plants since peas thrive when densely planted.

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Join a circle of visionary gardeners.

Learn more at northerngardener.org/ heirloom-circle

NORTHERN GARDENER / WINTER 2024

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Garden to Table

Foodscaping at the Arboretum Want to blend a delicious mix of food and flowers in your home landscape?

Whet your appetite with a visit to the Arb’s new Foodscape.

STO R Y A N D P H OTO S J E N N I FER RENSENBRI N K

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GARDEN TO TABLE

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n edible front yard, traditional rowbased vegetable gardens, a living grass patio and a flowering meadow. That’s what the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is serving up with its new Foodscape project, a food-focused landscape bursting with annuals and perennials, most of them edible.

A new building, the Burton and Virginia Myers Education Center, houses adult education, the state’s master gardener program, the University of Minnesota Extension’s horticulture team and even a professional kitchen that doubles as a classroom.

The construction created a great opportunity for horticulture educators Julie Weisenhorn and Jon Trappe, who created the Foodscape with help from a team of master gardener volunteers, University of Minnesota students and Arboretum staff.

Weisenhorn, Trappe and new addition Laura IrishHanson are dedicated to experimentation in the Foodscape, from demonstrating answers to common questions, such as which vegetables can be grown in shade, to inspiring visitors to grow a diversity of plants they haven’t tried before in new and innovative ways.

“The goal of mixing the plants together based on texture, color and bloom time and trying to make all those things work together, it’s a big experiment,” says Weisenhorn. “To my knowledge, there are not a lot of foodscapes around. This is about the ornamental value of plants, having them be edible, and demonstrating sustainable design principles like unity.”

Opposite page: Peppers grow in tidy, traditional rows on the south side of the new building.

This page clockwise from top left: The Arb grows tomatoes in a variety of ways, including large pots next to the barn. Flowering dill attracts beneficial insects such as this ladybug larvae. Nasturtium and peppers make great companions in a container planting. Pole beans add edible beauty to the foodscape.

Onions are cured until ready for long-term storage.

GARDEN TO TABLE

Practical meets beautiful

Top right: A mix of cosmos, beets and perennial grasses provides a continuous edible bounty for pollinators and people. Right: Bumble bees bounce between upside-down blooms on prolific borage plants.

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A LIVING GRASS PATIO Trappe devised the plan for growing a unique, living patio. The goal? To create an area for congregating that also provides the benefits of water infiltration and the cooling aspect of a lawn. He and Weisenhorn also anticipated high foot traffic. “We laid down a grid system of 2-foot by 2-foot plastic panels over the soil and seeded it with turf-type tall fescue,” Trappe says, adding that the grids help protect the grass plants’ crowns from heavy foot traffic and reduce soil compaction over time.

“The living grass patio is a beautiful, fine-textured mass planting that shows off other plants,” says Weisenhorn.

LIVING GRASS PATIO PHOTO: JULIE WEISENHORN

Some of the Foodscape growing techniques are very practical—for example, interplanting onions with rainbow chard, and basil with tomatoes. “We knew we would need lots of different kinds of basil for our classes,” said Weisenhorn. “Interplanting allowed us to grow more in this space, and it looks great. We also like the combination of foliage textures, plant forms and flowering.”

Other growing techniques demonstrate plants that Minnesotans might not even realize are possible to grow here, such as saffron (Crocus sativus). One of the most expensive spices in the world, saffron is a fall-blooming crocus that’s planted in summer when it is dormant.

Flowers emerge mid to late fall and are harvested for their stigma. Because saffron requires good drainage, Weisenhorn and Irish-Hanson planted it in a raised, dry bed at the Foodscape this summer. “They like hot, dry conditions so we built the bed up, and now we’re waiting for them to grow. The flowers bloom before the leaves emerge,” said Irish-Hanson. Late fall rains usually trigger saffron to flower, so Weisenhorn and IrishHanson plan to start watering them frequently in late autumn if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

Will the experiment work? Weisenhorn admits that some of their experiments don’t always turn out, but it’s all part of the education process for both her team and Arboretum visitors.

The Foodscape also demonstrates season-extension techniques. They start the earliest spring vegetables under temporary greenhouse structures called hoop houses and succession plant quick-growing lettuces and other greens in raised beds by the entrance, where visitors can’t miss them.

Container plant combinations, such as hot peppers and nasturtium, are both beautiful and functional— nasturtium attracts pollinators which boosts pepper production. Cosmos, eggplant, low-growing roses and sweet alyssum grow together along the southern wall of the building, deterring garden pests while providing a continuous buffet of nectar and pollen for pollinators all summer.

GARDEN TO TABLE

Arboretum volunteer Nancy Vogt helps class participants make fried green tomatoes.

Classes bring it all together

New this year, the Foodscape added a “Grow. Harvest.

Eat.” class series to their education programming.

Participants learn how to grow and harvest food plants from master gardeners. After the gardening lesson, Chef Beth Fisher and Arboretum volunteers teach students how to prepare meals from ingredients they harvested. Finally, everyone gets to savor and share in the delicious results.

The classes change with the growing seasons, featuring seasonal dishes like salads to roasted garlic to ratatouille.

The Foodscape also incorporates flowering plants in many pockets to provide nectar and pollen for pollinators as well as beneficial insects like wasps and ladybugs that feed on aphids and other garden pests. Pollinatorfriendly flowers abound in the Foodscape, from milkweed and tithonia for monarchs to prairie dropseed, which supports several moth species, including the endangered Dakota skipper.

Many flowering plants here perform double duty— they’re both edible and attractive to beneficial insects.

These include yarrow, nasturtium and borage, alongside more traditional flowering herbs like dill, fennel and cilantro.

A teaching opportunity

Operating a foodscape on a farm is not without challenges, but Weisenhorn, Trappe and Irish-Hanson also turn those into teaching opportunities. For example, many plants must be protected in cages from hungry deer and turkeys, but the cages themselves become educational fodder for Arboretum visitors. Trappe is also establishing turf plots to demonstrate various grasses that can be used in Minnesota as sustainable lawns requiring fewer inputs and less maintenance.

The Foodscape will be in its third full year in 2025, with many plants reaching maturity and the landscape plan coming together. Each season brings something new to see as edible plants are harvested, replaced and harvested again. Watch for added educational and volunteer opportunities on the arboretum’s website, arb.umn.edu.

INSPIRING FRUITS The Foodscape shines a spotlight on unusual fruits. Hardy kiwis, honeyberries, chokeberries, buffalo berries and jostaberries grow alongside familiar favorites, such as strawberries, blueberries, pears and apples. Rose hips (photo above of Raspberry Rugostar® shrub rose) are harvested in late summer for jellies and syrups, dried for tea or simply left for a nutritious winter treat for birds. Even traditional fruits are grown in unexpected ways: Weisenhorn is currently experimenting with container blueberries and the best way to overwinter them.

RECIPE

Sweet Corn Relish

Adapted from Savoring The Seasons

by Lucia Watson and Beth Dooley 8 cups corn, cut off the cob 2 cups green bell pepper, diced 2 cups red bell pepper, diced 2 cups celery, diced 2 cups yellow onion, diced 2 cups apple cider vinegar 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon mustard seed 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon white pepper 2 teaspoons celery seed 1. Place all ingredients into a 4-quart saucepan.

Slowly bring mixture to a simmer and cook 15-30 minutes.

2. Spoon into sterilized hot jars and process for 15 minutes in a hot water bath, or place directly in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

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The Latest on (Ugh)

I U G P J M N

WORMS STO R Y A N D P H OTO S G A I L H U D S O N

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Small but formidable garden pests, these escape artists continue to elude researchers.

ne of the newest pests to haunt northern gardeners, jumping worms (Amynthas agrestis) wiggle and slither like tiny snakes in the top 2 or 3 inches of soil. They like it cool, moist and shady, ideally in mulched beds and any other “places where the soil never goes above 85 degrees Fahrenheit,” says Lee Frelich, director of the Center for Forest Ecology at the University of Minnesota. “And that’s not very hot.”

Why you might find more worms in one place than another is just the beginning of what researchers like Frelich have learned as they studied the behavior and biology of these invasive species over the past 18 years. Armed with field research conducted during the summer of 2024 and years past, Minnesota’s experts hope to jumpstart the search for answers to the big question worrying gardeners and green industry professionals: How can we deal with jumping worms once they appear?

For now, prevention (not bringing jumping worms into your garden in the first place) remains the only viable solution for gardeners. Thanks to a handful of studies by U of M researchers, new management tools may be on the horizon.

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JUMPING WORMS

The invasion and impact

“A single [jumping] worm, and potentially a single cocoon or egg, is all it takes to start a new infestation,” writes James Calkins, regulatory affairs manager for the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA). What’s even scarier is the impact these small pests can have.

Jumping worms have been reported and confirmed in Minnesota counties from St. Cloud to Rochester, as well as Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay, Wisconsin, and central and eastern Iowa.

Jumping worms can damage the roots and even kill plants; they make soils easier to erode, inhibit the establishment of seedlings and regeneration of native plants; they damage critical connections between soil fungi and plants, and experts believe the worms may stop soil from absorbing and holding water.

From home gardens to nurseries to forests, officials at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) warn this invasive species may cause recreational, economic and ecological damage. In July 2024, the agency declared jumping worms (Amynthas and Metaphire species) a prohibited invasive species in the state. That means it is unlawful (a misdemeanor) to possess, transport, purchase or introduce jumping worms without a permit. (For people who unintentionally have the pesky creatures on their property, no permit is necessary.)

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Clockwise from top left: Only a skeleton remains after the Arboretum’s jumping worms eat leaf litter on the top of the soil. Integrated Pest Management Specialist Erin Buchholz sprinkles an Arboretum trial plot with a fungicide.

Research assistant Andrea Rodriguez scoops up a jumping worm found in the Arboretum hosta garden.

What can a gardener do?

That’s exactly what Integrated Pest Management Specialist Erin Buchholz and Frelich have been attempting to figure out at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. For three years, researchers conducted field trials in a wooded area, testing seven different treatments to eradicate the worms.

The study concluded in the fall, and Buchholz says she expects the numerical data to show no cure-all for jumping worms. At first glance, Buchholz says none of the treatments were 100 percent effective. “I tried to use more horticulturally accepted practices like sulfur or diatomaceous earth or fertilizer—stuff that you are going to be using in your garden anyway,” she says. “Each treatment had at least one worm [remaining] in one replicated plot.”

Some preliminary observations? Buchholz found fewer jumping worms and/or European nightcrawlers (Lumbricus sp.) after treatment with tea seed meal fertilizer which is high in saponins, a soap that injures their skin, and where researchers had removed leaves on the ground (a preferred food source for worms). The fertilizer is currently used to destroy earthworms on golf course greens. Buchholz says dusting a plot area with diatomaceous earth or the native, beneficial fungus in BotaniGard ES insecticide had moderate or noticeable effect.

JUMPING WORMS

A closer look at containers

What about jumping worms found in the soil of a pot? “Horticulture, unfortunately, is one of the main vectors for their spread,” says Brandon Miller, an assistant horticulture professor at the U. For example, whenever a landscaper unknowingly moves a plant from infested soil or a nursery unintentionally brings shipments of plants with jumping worms into Minnesota, he says they help the worms invade more gardens and even wilderness areas.

But Miller says a new study, initiated by graduate researcher Jenna Simon, is already showing surprising results. Eight different chemicals were applied to a soil media mix in 90 pots containing sugar maple saplings and six jumping worms each.

The treatments included several insecticides, a fungicide, a fertilizer and a slug repellent.

Currently, unless the product label provides clear approval, using these chemicals to kill jumping worms is illegal as it could have ecological impacts.

The containers were zipped tight in mesh laundry bags to prevent the worms, which Miller calls “escape artists,” from getting away.

After four weeks, students sifted through the soil to count how many worms were left. “Two of them are effective and we’ll have more certainty by next spring,” says Miller. But he reminds gardeners that the results will be only applicable for plants in containers, not plants in the ground.

Students pull maple tree saplings to search for jumping worms in their containers.

DIGGING FOR WORMS

Student helpers search for jumping worms in container soil.

Graduate researcher Jenna Simon examines soil carefully for worms.

Simon holds a jumping worm found in chemically treated soil.

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JUMPING WORMS

Examining erosion

As jumping worms munch their way through mulch, compost and leaves, they excrete poop that resembles loose coffee grounds, causing a change in the soil structure. Researchers want to measure what happens because they believe the worms’ impact could be devastating to forests, affecting their long-term sustainability.

“The first time that we thought about erosion was when we were walking on a steep slope of a jumping worm-infested forest,” says Kyungsoo Yoo, a soil scientist at the U. “We found the ground was so unstable… everything was sliding down when you stepped on it.”

Yoo and his students are working at the Arboretum, too, taking measurements with erosion pins and sediment collectors to see how much erosion occurs, particularly after strong storms. Another erosion study is happening in southeastern Minnesota with the help of volunteers. Both results won’t be ready until 2025.

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Clockwise from top left: Research scientists scout Arboretum sites for their erosion study. Soil scientist Kyungsoo Yoo, graduate student Nate Lund, forest ecologist Lee Frelich, visiting professor Jongmin Byun from South Korea and graduate student Siera Asenzuna. Frelich stands in his jumping worm-infested shade garden next to Loring Park. A jumping worm laying on top of its characteristic coffee ground-like soil.

Graduate student Nate Lund sets up a stake to measure slope erosion.

JUMPING WORMS

BEST PRACTICES The Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association reports jumping worms have been found in compost, organic landscape mulches, container-grown nursery plants, yard waste and landscape soils. To minimize spread:

A race for more research

Since jumping worms are extremely attracted to mulch, Miller’s students are also testing whether infested bagged mulch can be solarized or heated up to kill the worms and their eggs. Another study by entomologist Vera Krischik is designed to develop the safest and most effective integrated pest management strategies to control jumping worms without impacting beneficial insects.

Making peace with the worms

Until we have answers, can we live with these pests?

Frelich tends a jumping-worm infested woodland garden next to his downtown Minneapolis condo.

He was the first to discover the worms in Minnesota in nearby Loring Park. Since then, he’s decided to accept them. “If you have a flat site and you don’t have a lot of foot traffic, you can get along with jumping worms,” he says.

Be careful when sharing and moving plants.

Know where they came from and look for jumping worms.

Do not store mulch on the ground or purchase mulch in bags with holes. Look for a supplier that heat treats compost to 131 degrees F for at least three days.

Don’t buy or use jumping worms for composting or bait.

Dispose of worms in the trash, not in your compost or yard waste site.

Water less in established garden beds. Jumping worm populations at Arboretum test sites plummeted during the drought in 2022 and 2023 but did not decline in irrigated areas.

If your beds are heavily infested, do not add mulch (a food source). This includes wood chips, cocoa bean hulls, shredded coconut, leaves, compost and pine needles.

Clean all garden tools and footwear when moving from one area to another.

Remember, it’s illegal to use a product for a pest that’s not included on its label.

DO YOU HAVE JUMPING WORMS?

TIP

Not having jumping worms in the first place is the best way to prevent them.

Learn how to identify them at northerngardener.org/jumping-worm-id

Worm cocoons are smaller than a peppercorn and the same color as soil so they can’t be readily seen.

While similar to earthworms in size, their collar-like ring (clitellum) and coloring are different.

Check your yard and garden for soil that looks like coffee grounds.

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Perfecting the

Greenhouse STO R Y A N D P H OTO S D I A N E M C G A N N

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A budding gardener overcame multiple setbacks to develop a flourishing greenhouse.

‘P

A twinkling jewelbox in the woods, Nick Cardenas’ hard-won greenhouse glows as the summer sun sets.

ersistence pays” should be nick cardenas’ mantra. While owning a greenhouse has transformed his landscape into a profusion of flowers, it didn’t come easily. Before the greenhouse arrived, he grew blueberries, raspberries and a few flowers “just to make the yard pretty.” The cost of plants drove him to find another way to achieve his goals. He tried starting seeds indoors but says “dirt got all over and there wasn’t enough sun.”

Knowing his desire to grow things and sensing his frustration, his wife Juleen suggested he buy a greenhouse. That’s when the metamorphosis happened.

After six months of searching to find the perfect greenhouse, Nick chose a 10-foot by 12-foot polycarbonate structure. The first hiccup was putting all 1,000 pieces together.

He persisted and placed the resulting building on a gravel bed. Unfortunately, the gravel proved unstable, so he built a wooden floor to serve as the base.

The next challenge was controlling the temperature in the greenhouse. He tried a propane heater and then an electric one—both failed even though he did manage to produce a few plants. Nick stayed home a lot, afraid to travel for fear of what he’d find when he returned.

His third time was the charm. By running electricity out to the greenhouse, he was able to control the temperature from his phone, calling it “the best thing I ever did.” The plants love it, he said. “The heater goes off during the day because the sun heats the greenhouse up.

It really did work.” Through trial and error, he’s made other improvements. A thermostat controls a fan and louvered windows open to let heat escape when the temperature rises too much. The result? Plants thrive and flower, often before he can even get them in the ground.

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PERFECTING THE GREENHOUSE

Left to right: From annual petunias to perennial daylilies, Nick Cardenas’ garden is bursting with color all season long. Vibrant red, pink and white dahlia blooms dot his garden beds.

The garden beds around Nick’s home serve up every color in the rainbow and are never without flowers and food for pollinators from early spring through late summer.

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Now that Nick has discovered the secrets to a productive greenhouse, he is learning the best times to start his seeds, again persisting through a few futile attempts. “In my first year, I was so excited to get a head start on planting as soon as March began,” he says. “I learned that was too soon, especially for larger plants like zinnias, dahlias and tomatoes. They were outgrowing their shelves and blocking sunlight from reaching the smaller plants.” He now restrains himself from starting seeds too early and has discovered optimum times to plant each type of seed, usually the middle of March for smaller plants and early April for vegetables.

The structure really comes alive in mid-March when he starts preparations for the season, spending about three hours a day all the way through April getting everything ready to plant.

He enjoys every minute of it, always trying new and unique plant varieties and growing methods.

Nick keeps a list of the seeds that he’s planted and is careful to label them. Mid-May sees Nick moving plants outside, hardening them off, and then returning them overnight to the protection of the greenhouse. Planting outdoors usually occurs around Memorial Day. He relishes the hard work.

“It’s good exercise; I love that part of it, bending and digging. It’s tough but if you keep doing it, after a while it doesn’t hurt as much.”

Nick began his growing efforts with annuals, and he has now expanded his efforts to starting perennials, vegetables and herbs.

WINTER 2024 / NORTHERNGARDENER.ORG

“There is no way I would have been able to afford the plants I have today without the greenhouse,” he says. Hibiscus, phlox and daylilies, all grown from seed, grace the yard, but it’s the annuals you notice because they’re so colorful, prolific and long-lived.

Nick’s latest adventure is growing grapes from cuttings given to him by a vineyard owner with whom he had traveled to Italy. The cuttings grew into vines in the greenhouse and now two-yearold plants are producing grapes. Nick is using the newest cuttings to install a grape trellis around his backyard patio. He recalls the failed first steps in this adventure. Having read that grapes don’t need continuous watering, he left town for 10 days only to discover dead plants upon his return. Nick says that not all gardening sources, especially those found in online forums, are accurate. He now looks for gardening advice from learning institutions and seeks online support from the Minnesota State Horticultural Society’s Northern Gardener Resource Hub and websites that include "edu" in the URL. Now that Nick can control the growing environment in his greenhouse, he is able to travel and pursue other interests without fear of failure. Reaping the rewards of his persistence, Nick comments, “I have peace of mind. Before, I was always thinking about my plants and hoping that they wouldn’t be dead when I got home. Now I can really enjoy just getting seeds in the soil and watching new plants come to life. It’s a lot of fun.”

Come late winter with the snow still on the ground, you’ll find Nick in his greenhouse with a cup of coffee, surveying his new plants and happily anticipating the future. “I just love it,” he gushes.

“After waiting all winter, now I can really enjoy planting my seeds and watching them grow.”

PERFECTING THE GREENHOUSE

DIY

GREENHOUSE BASICS Greenhouses are invaluable for gardeners seeking to extend their growing season and wanting to protect plants from harsh weather. They create a controlled environment offering optimal temperature and humidity levels, leading to healthy plant growth.

Greenhouses also serve as a year-round home for a variety of plants and offer space for starting seedlings.

Greenhouses come in all shapes, sizes and materials, from kits purchased online or at the local nursery or home improvement store to custom-built

NICK’S TIPS for GREENHOUSES

structures. Costs depend on size, features and materials; estimates of the average greenhouse price vary widely.

Forbes Home says that in 2024 an A-frame greenhouse, a type that works well in northern gardens, costs $25 to $35 per square foot, making the price of a 10-foot by 10-foot structure around $3,000. A quick survey of kits from big-box stores showed several available for under $2,000, with prices beginning at about $500. An effective way to save money is to search online sale sites such as Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.

1 Select yard placement

carefully. Think about the ground surface level, the angle of the sun and whether nearby trees will eventually block the sun. You may want to attach the greenhouse to your garage or house.

2 Build a deck platform to create a sturdy foundation and level floor surface.

3 Run water and electricity to the site. Invest in a thermostatic-controlled exhaust fan to get the best ventilation. When the sun is high, a greenhouse can get very hot very quickly, and it needs to hover around 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 50 degrees at night.

4 Get a heater. Nick

suggests using a 240-volt device—his plants died with a 110-volt version.

5 Research Wi-Fi

thermometer hygrometer monitoring systems to help maintain conditions inside the greenhouse. With this device, you’re able to monitor temperature and humidity from your phone. Learn more at northerngardener.org/ greenhouse-monitoring

6 Don’t rush to start

seedlings. Follow the weather forecast and err on the side of planting too late rather than too early.

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STO RY A N D P H OTO S M I C H E L L E M E R O R I E D E L

RELIABLE and RESILIENT Anyone can grow these hardy, climate-proof perennials.

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A technicolor mix of blazing stars, coneflowers, daylilies and bee balm is as hardy as it is showy.

A

s we slide into the throes of freezing winter temperatures, it’s time to plan for changes in our landscape. Maybe you had a perennial that didn’t recover from the drought of 2023, or one that drowned from all the rain in 2024, or a plant that required more maintenance than you had time for.

As gardeners, we have our share of plant complications and failures. I recently lost a hosta in a low-garden spot due to too much rain. My perennial pincushion flower (Scabiosa) disappeared, as it prefers ample moisture and was affected by last year’s drought. And a delphinium broke in half due to high winds.

Since our northern climate is ever-changing and increasingly unpredictable, consider these questions when adding a new plant to your garden: Is this plant weather and climate resistant?

Is this plant low maintenance? Will this plant support my natural habitat?

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RELIABLE AND RESILIENT

TIP

Choosing the best plants for your landscape Think local

When I need plant advice, I ask experienced gardeners, especially those who live nearby. My local friend and master gardener, Shell Sullivan, recently suggested that I add yarrow (Achillea millefolium) to my garden, specifically the cultivar ‘Paprika.’ “It holds up to all conditions, it’s resilient and the pollinators love the peppery red flowers,” she says.

If possible, purchase plants locally. Local plants won’t have to adjust to temperature swings during shipping. Local growers are familiar with the surrounding community soil, temperatures and environment. And plants grown in your area may be more affordable, with nurseries offering a limitedtime warranty.

Find out which perennials are native to your region. Just because a plant tag says “native” doesn’t mean that’s the case for your planting zone. Native plants are great for the environment and will naturally adapt to local weather conditions. Their best feature is their root system. Some tend to reach very deep to access hidden, in-ground moisture during drought years. When we have a wet year, they are resilient as well.

Find the right fit

Before planting, know your soil type and make sure perennials receive the desired amount of sunlight. Full-sun plants need six or more hours of sunlight, shade plants need less than four hours and part-sun/part-shade plants prefer four to six hours.

For soil, you want your plants to acclimate to all types, from clay to loamy to sandy.

Read plant tags when shopping. Note predicted height and width at maturity. When you add plants to your landscape, allow enough room for them to grow side-to-side. If a plant prefers moisture, add it to a low area. If a plant requires welldrained soil, add amendments such as compost.

Buy perennials that will succeed in your planting zone.

I garden in the Twin Cities (which is now USDA Zone 5), but I won’t add zone 5 plants to my wind-exposed landscape.

Buying zone 4 plants means I don’t have to worry about them surviving.

Since climate-resilient plants are easy to care for, consider growing them en masse. Cluster them in a big group or sprinkle the same two- or three-plant groupings throughout the landscape. You can’t go wrong planting many of the same low-input plants.

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ASK the EXPERT University of Minnesota Extension horticulture educator Laura IrishHanson is an expert in managed horticultural landscapes.

“As we experience more severe weather events in our northern gardens, it’s imperative to select plants that are able to survive in varying environmental conditions,” she says. “Not everyone will have success with the same plant, because individual site conditions vary. Make sure you take notes about your landscape and choose plants that fit with your growing conditions.”

She also recommends gardeners have patience with new and established perennials. Sometimes they need to recover slowly from long periods of moisture or drought conditions.

LAURA’S TOP 4 PERENNIALS: 1. Arkansas blue star (Amsonia hubrichtii) 2. Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) 3. Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) 4. Yellow coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)

Butterfly weed

Allium

Must-Have Perennials Tried and true, these standouts can withstand weather fluctuations in northern gardens.

Allium Aster Beardtongue (Penstemon) Bee Balm (Monarda) Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) Blazing Star (Liatris) Butterfly Weed (Asclepias) False Goat’s Beard (Astilbe) Goldenrod (Solidago) Hosta (Hosta) Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium) Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla) Milkweed (Asclepias) Phlox (Phlox) Tickseed (Coreopsis)

Black-Eyed Susan

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4 1

5

2

6

3

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Powerhouse Perennials Six herbaceous, climate-resilient perennials that will set your landscape up for success. Bonus: most are native to North America.

1

Daylily

Hemerocallis, zones 3-10 2-4 feet tall, full to part sun

4

One of the most robust, low-maintenance plants available, daylilies are known for their ability to withstand both dry and wet conditions. They are often planted to control erosion and stabilize sloping hillsides. Happy daylily flowers can grow up to 5 feet, but they are usually shorter. There aren’t any native daylilies in our zones, so here’s your chance to select a big, bold, colorful flower that comes in many shapes and sizes.

2

Coneflower

Echinacea, zones 3-9 2-5 feet tall, full to part sun

Yarrow

Achillea, zones 3-9 1.5-2 feet tall, full to part sun

Another low-maintenance perennial that thrives in many conditions, yarrow’s showy, nectar-rich flower head is long-lasting and easy to dry. It blooms all summer and through the first frost of fall. Yarrow performs best in full sun, but I have one thriving in part sun.

They can tolerate clay but prefer well-drained soil and dry, hotweather conditions.

Sedum species, zones 3-10 3 inches to 3 feet, full to part sun

Sedum is a garden staple and easy to care for.

It prefers dry soil but can handle wet soil, too, which is why you frequently see Sedum Autumn Joy ‘Herbstfreude’ in rain gardens. My favorite feature is sedum’s wide range of foliage, flower color and height. From groundcover to upright varieties, there’s a sedum for every area of your landscape. Pollinators flock to this plant for its late-summer nectar banquet.

5

Easy to grow, this tough perennial prefers adequate drainage but will thrive in any soil.

There’s a coneflower size for every area of the garden. I prefer ‘Magnus’ (Echinacea purpurea), native to the Central and Eastern United States, while Echinacea angustifolia is a wildflower native to western Minnesota. Birds and pollinators are attracted to this plant.

3

Stonecrop

Turtlehead

Chelone, zones 3-9 2-3.5 feet, shade or sun

This late-season wildflower is a mustplant perennial for the mid- to backgarden border. In full sun, it fancies moist, boggy soil. But, if you have a dry or well-drained spot, place turtlehead in the shade so it gets about four hours of sunlight.

6

Anise hyssop

Agastache, zones 3-8 2-4 feet tall, full sun to part-sun

As long as the soil drains well, anise hyssop can tolerate any type of soil. After it’s established, the mature plant is drought tolerant, low-maintenance, long-blooming, attractive, aromatic and pest-free. A nectarrich pollinator magnet, it encourages garden biodiversity.

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Small Space

BIG IMPACT 50

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After downsizing to a small city lot, this avid gardener transformed her new yard into a sparkling, compact landscape.

STO R Y A N D P H OTO S D I A N E MCGA N N

N

orthern gardener marge sagstetter embraced the challenge of moving from country acreage to a compact city lot just one-tenth the size of her former property. Her mission? To create a diverse, pollinator-friendly landscape that would dazzle in every season.

Rather than try to design her new landscape while still in her old house, Marge waited until after the move so she could fully assess the property, observe sun and shade patterns and determine what to keep or ditch. She advises others who are also downsizing to “create a long-term plan for your entire space and then decide how much you can tackle at a time.”

“Once my plan was done, I worked from the street to the backyard, doing one garden or foundation bed per year,” she says.

Once settled in her new house, Marge surveyed her surroundings and decided what to keep and what to toss. Out went the chain-link fence, cement bullet edging bricks, plastic shed and landscape rock.

“We put the rock on Craigslist,” Marge says, “and people came out and removed it for free, all in just two hours!” Landscape timbers that had previously edged a vegetable garden and 8 inches of gravel under the shed were set aside for later use.

One challenge that needed immediate attention was a narrow strip of land that separated one side of the house from a neighboring property. The strip was filled with large, old shrubs that blocked mower access to the backyard. After pulling out the shrubs, Marge reimagined the space with the goal of making it more attractive and functional. The solution? A series of trellises hosting clematis vines and a new foundation bed sporting grasses, sedum and daylilies. The trellises and plants take up little space, allowing for easy access to the backyard while providing visual interest.

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SMALL SPACE BIG IMPACT

NEXT STEPS Several of Marge’s beloved grasses found a new home in her yard. She planted one of her favorites, silver feather grass (Miscanthus ‘Silberfeder’), along the driveway. It creates a surprisingly effective natural fence between her lot and that of her neighbor and especially shines in the fall with large plumes of silver feathers capping 7-foot stalks. Marge installed flower beds around the home, paying special attention to the front of the house, sprinkling glass and metal art elements throughout. She placed another one of her favorite clematis varieties, virgin’s bower (Clematis virginiana), so that it climbs up the back deck and masks it in a profusion of white flowers followed by plume-like, feathery achenes (simple dried fruit) during the summer.

The set-aside landscape timbers found better use as a meandering staircase to carry visitors down a side slope. Marge suggests that treated wood timbers not be used to edge vegetable gardens because of chemicals they might emit, so she was

happy to find another use for them. She placed large stones strategically around the yard to create seating. A friend and landscaper whom Marge calls her “adopted son” placed the timbers and stones and took charge of the other heavy work.

More help was on the way. Visitors to Marge’s home usually leave with at least one plant, and her generosity is often reciprocated. Several plants donated by friends all reside in the yard, including a twisted willow that frames one border and provides privacy. Marge’s husband, Steve, 1 contributed to the makeover by crafting fencing and garden signs and installing the trellises. And the Washington County Conservation District came through with a $600 grant to design and plant a bog garden aimed at reducing phosphorus runoff between Marge’s yard and the wetland behind it.

This page, clockwise: Hot sun and abundant rain helped Marge’s clematis bloom prolifically this year.

Container gardens soften the corner of the garage.

Hulking boulders and garden art accent a birch tree bed. Opposite left to right: Gentle curves and shallow steps guide guests up a meandering staircase. A handcrafted wooden gate marks the garden’s entrance.

Ornamental onion (Allium ‘Purple Sensation’) stands tall beside a rock.

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SMALL SPACE BIG IMPACT

7

EASY WAYS TO DOWNSIZE YOUR GARDEN

Whether a new job, old knees or anything in between lands you in a smaller home and garden, downsizing can feel overwhelming. Take these baby steps toward a successful scale-down: northerngardener.org/ downsize-your-garden

CHALLENGES A hard-working master gardener and community volunteer, Marge maintains a busy schedule.

Because of the limited time she has available, she relishes having a smaller yard and estimates that she spends only two hours a week working in her garden. “It is small enough to keep weeded yet has different sun and shade areas to allow us to have a big diversity of plants,” she says.

Marge’s current challenge is to combat “critters” that invade her property and damage her plants.

Deer, rabbits and ants all come calling. “Ants have been a big problem this year,” she laments. “They push the plants, especially the native grasses,

right out of the ground!” Always looking for ways to deter these unwanted visitors, she now only welcomes animal-resistant plants to the mix.

Primarily turf when Marge first moved in, her yard now includes several garden beds, a curving staircase assembled from those discarded timbers and lots of trees, shrubs and flowers. The gardens are punctuated by metal, glass and rock art chosen for ease of maintenance and contrast to the softness of the plants. Her advice to newly transplanted gardeners? “Start small and be patient with yourself; there is a LOT to learn. Then just enjoy your very own new landscape.”

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SMALL SPACE BIG IMPACT A trio of trellises support clematis and line a stone path to the backyard.

DOWNSIZING RESOURCES Whenever she has a question, Marge leans on these trusted gardening books.

The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: The Essential Guide to Planting and Pruning Techniques

by Tracy DiSabato-Aust Available on bookshop.org/shop/ northerngardener

GRASSES

Offering an abundance of benefits in the garden, grasses add unique texture and movement and are deer resistant and low maintenance. They provide essential habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, particularly during winter months when food sources are scarce. Marge tended 52 varieties of grasses at her previous residence but has only 26 on her city lot.

She loves that they bloom in October and remain in flower during the entire winter, and she enjoys listening to the whispers of grass fronds stirred by a breeze. Her favorite varieties include the native prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis), silver feather maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder’), flame grass (Miscanthus ‘Purpurascens’) and zebra grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’).

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LANDSCAPE TIMBERS & VEGETABLE GARDENS

Food gardens and treated timbers aren’t exactly peas in a pod. If you’re committed to lining a bed of fruits or vegetables with chemical-soaked timbers, take note:

1 If purchasing treated landscape

timbers, make sure that the wood is treated with safe chemicals

2 Avoid older, arsenic-based timbers 3

Use a liner to prevent leaching of chemicals into the soil and regularly test soil for heavy metals

The Best Plants For 30 Tough Sites by the University of Minnesota Extension Service Available for free online at hdl.handle.net/11299/51549

BOOK PHOTO BY LLUVIA MORALES ON UNSPLASH

DESIGN NOTES

Ornamental Grasses for Cold Climates

by M. Hockenberry Meyer Available for free online at hdl.handle.net/11299/51550

Editing on the Edge Let go and let grow— sometimes the best garden plans come from Mother Nature herself.

S TO R Y A N D P H OTO S B U R TON L A I N E

EDITING ON THE EDGE

Plants on the Edge

A

dding, deleting, refining, leaving well enough alone. It’s all part of the editing process, whether in print or with plants. Now that my USDA Zone 3 gardens are mature and well-established, I look at how we make changes as editing. This can range from large-scale updates, such as removing (deleting!) large trees to adding new plants that jump the property line and migrate into our yard from the surrounding fields and woodland.

I take special delight in the everchanging edge of our mowed lawn, where planted beds ease into wild woods. I leave a 2- to 3-foot mow-free “fringe” because I never know what beauties might sidle over. I’ve spent most of my life photographing nature, capturing little wild moments that many of us traipse right over without even noticing. Through this lens, I observe and appreciate these lovely, unexpected additions to our landscape.

They’re delightfully low maintenance, no planting or upkeep required, and they usually aren’t devoured by deer and rabbits.

Over the years, many interesting native plants have appeared on the fringe. I watch closely for these and am extra careful to avoid clipping any with the mower. Some are fleeting, lasting only a few days, while others provide color much longer.

Every summer, I look forward to discovering new plants on the fringe and letting Mother Nature have a hand in my garden design. Her unexpected additions surprise and delight and, together, we cultivate a beautiful zone 3 respite.

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Ferns

Of the many fern varieties in our area, two decided to grace our yard. Ferns aren’t easy to transplant, so when one appears in the landscape, I usually let it stay. Ostrich ferns began creeping in a few years ago, and now a mature stand fills the back corner. I control the size of the patch and remove any unwanted strays with a lawnmower. Cinnamon ferns popped up in my perennial beds, adding welcome texture with wispy, whimsical fronds and lighting up the landscape with fiery orange, auburn foliage each fall.

Nodding trillium

About 10 years ago, a nodding trillium cropped up near a stand of Norway pines lining one side of our yard. I didn’t notice it at first; I wasn’t familiar with the plant and large overstory leaves hid and protected the small bloom that was bobbing underneath.

The petite plant is less than a foot tall. It doesn’t multiply fast, so every spring I have to keep my eyes open to see where the flowers will appear and then make sure I don’t mow or trample them.

EDITING ON THE EDGE

Jewelweed

A small orange flower caught my eye four years ago, standing out against some taller grasses. The 3-foot-tall plant is nondescript, but the jewelweed flower is truly a gem.

An annual plant, it self-seeds yearly.

That’s the magic! It only grows in a particular location for one year, and then it will pop up somewhere else when we least expect it. We never know when or where the elusive jewelweed is going to show up in the landscape, adding color to the fringe in mid-to-late summer.

Indian pipe

Also known as ghost plant, this short-lived native appears in the yard most years.

We never know where it will pop up, usually in the fringe but sometimes smack dab in the middle of the lawn.

They only last a few days in the heat of late July, sprouting to just a few inches tall, changing shape every day until they disappear within a week. It’s worth taking time to visit them daily, and when they are gone, I go back to mowing the area.

Native grasses

I could easily mow them and make the lawn larger, but I prefer to let them close in on two sides of the yard so we can see what they bring to the landscape. In early July, one variety blooms with yellow flowers that hang like ornaments on a holiday tree. Another variety reveals a beautiful purple hue. I enjoy their fleeting show and return to mowing that area when the grasses are done blooming.

Wild daisies

Wild daisies often dot the edge of the lawn, pushing cheerful, white blooms mid-June through August. They grow alone or in small patches, reaching up to 2 feet tall.

A single plant serves up one to a few flowers, and some stems have multiple blooms. Daisies will also self-seed in the lawn and perennial beds. A quick mow razes down any unwelcome volunteers in the lawn, and we pull by hand any others we don’t want in the perennial beds.

Jack-in-the-pulpit

Jack-in-the-pulpit appeared two years ago under one of our apple trees. The tree is mature so I rarely have to mow under it, which meant this undisturbed pocket was a perfectly peaceful and protected spot for this new addition. It came back in exactly the same place the following year. Less than a foot tall, it blends in with the other plants in this location and takes me a few minutes to find and appreciate its unassuming presence in our landscape.

NORTHERN GARDENER / WINTER 2024

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EDITING ON THE EDGE

Tansy Fireweed

Native perennial fireweed offers a showy burst of color at the lawn’s edge in late July and early August.

I traveled to Finland in the 1970s and saw fireweed there. When my ancestors moved to this plot of land in Minnesota, it must have comforted them to see a familiar plant. Once established, it spreads and blooms for 1 or 2 weeks on plants up to 4 feet tall. I let fireweed naturally grow into quite a large patch. It would take a lot of work to develop a color display like this in a cultivated perennial garden. Then the delicate filaments attached to seeds replace the blooms and add a touch of whimsy until a windy day carries them off. Mowing helps to contain it, and the stems can be mowed after they have bloomed and gone to seed.

This under-appreciated flower appears on the edge of the yard and adds a burst of color within a fireweed patch. I squeeze the blooms between my fingers and savor the sweet scent. Many homeowners don’t like how fast it spreads, but mowing is a simple solution. Tansy starts blooming in late July and lasts into late August—for beautiful arrangements, hang the flowers upside down to dry in a dark room with a fan.

Wild vs. Weedy Native plants add beauty and benefits for the planet, but may need some managing. A few tips: Study how they spread. Read and lean on local garden centers for guidance on how various natives seed and propagate. Tansy, for example, has a massive root system and spreads by runners—while mowing helps control, it's best not to let it seed in a perennial garden, where it can quickly become nearly impossible to eliminate.

Act fast. Spot something undesirable?

Pull it immediately—most plants are harder to remove once established.

Mirror nature. Observe a plant’s preferred natural environment before transplanting or adding to your garden.

Native plants, such as yellow sedum, that thrive along the rocky coastline of Lake Superior's north shore will grow well in a rock garden. A fern in dappled woodland shade will likely grow well in similar lighting in your yard.

Milkweed

We always wanted to grow milkweed on our property to support monarch butterflies. Years ago, we scattered a few seeds we’d collected, and one plant finally sprouted near our driveway. That lone plant has now expanded to a patch of 20. When blooming, it is one of my favorite summer scents. In fall, I enjoy the artistry of the seed pods and watching the seeds form before flying away.

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Minimize reseed. Cut down biennials before they can bloom, go to seed and reappear elsewhere. Thistle, for example, is a biennial with seeds that can survive in the ground for a long time.

Expect the unexpected. Keep your eyes open for any new developments. Note new varieties, locations, bloom times and other observations on a calendar so you can plan for next year.

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Growing together

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