In the coming weeks, there are several steps you can take to prep your yard and gardens for winter and continue to support pollinators, birds and other wildlife.
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All articles filed in gardening
Create pockets of habitat with native plants
Minnesotans can help to restore habitat for wildlife by planting native flowers, shrubs and trees in our yards to create pocket oases and connected corridors near larger parks and natural areas.
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Let the gardening begin!
Thanks to a relatively early start to spring this year, many people are already beginning to dream about gardens and planting projects. Here is a run-down of upcoming workshops and other support for eco-friendly gardening projects.
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Online classes for gardeners and nature enthusiasts
Explore new interests, build skills, begin planning for a summer landscaping project at your home, or simply enjoy a few hours of escape from the doldrums of winter.
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Fall yard care reminders and tips
Harvest the last of your tomatoes and herbs now before they’re killed by an overnight freeze. Wait to cut down old stems and seed heads until the late spring. Instead of raking leaves, mow your lawn a few times to mulch up the leaves and return nutrients to the soil. If you live on a lake, be sure that you hire a DNR certified contractor to remove your dock this fall.
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A walk in the woods, a planted seed, new skills to learn
We went to the woods on Sunday afternoon to enjoy fresh air, warm sun reaching through frostbitten air, and no other humans in sight. For the dog, it was just like any other day. She had no idea that the world was turning upside down as she galloped across the blackened prairie, still charred from…
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The hills [will soon be] alive with the sound of music
It is never a secret when my son and I go for a walk. You can hear us coming from at least a block away. I’m usually singing because I consider myself to be either Julie Andrews or June Carter, depending on the day. Charlie is tripping along behind me in oversized boots replacing all…
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Give me a home where the butterflies roam
On May 11, 1858, the United States of America welcomed its 32nd state to the union – 18 million acres of prairie, 21 million acres of wetlands, 31.5 million acres of forests, and 11,842 lakes, now lovingly known as Minnesota. Over the years, Minnesota has grown and prospered. Settlers drained wetlands to make way for…
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Ready, set, GARDEN!
Do you ever wonder how plants can grow so quickly and yet without making a noise? Spring somehow always catches me by surprise even though I’ve spent months waiting and yearning for its arrival. Day after winter day, the world is bleak and gray, and then one morning I step outside and find tulips and…
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Hopping into spring…again
Explore a local wetland or attend a Wonderful Wetlands workshop in Hugo, Oakdale or Lake Elmo The snow is melting again, which means that spring is just around the corner…again. Last weekend, I bundled up to walk the dog through 9-inches of fresh, fallen snow and paused with surprise when I encountered warm-ish air and…
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