A Better Yard

Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABetterYard.org .

Heather Holm is an amazing author on native pollinators and has an incredible Instagram Page sharing her love of native pollinators, bees, and wasps. In this episode, we talk about the need for protecting native pollinators, competition from non-native bees, and what we can do for our local ecosystems. Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABetterYard.org .

Meg Cowden is the author of Plant, Grow, Harvest, Repeat -  an incredible resource for all gardeners.  We are replaying this episode with Med all about succession planting from our Spring 2022 season. Right now is a great time to be thinking about succession planting and how you can make the most of your food gardens. You can find Meg at SeedtoFork.com where she has a lot of information and join h...

Tim Clemens of Ironwood Foraging joins me for this week's episode of Minnesota Gardening Podcast. Tim was awesome to talk with about foraging in an urban setting . Tim and I talk about the ethics of foraging, what people need to know getting started, and why foraging is a critical part of our culture. Learn more at MinnesotaGardening.com . Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABe...

Purchase STILL: The Art of Noticing on Bookshop.org I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved this interview. Mary Jo Hoffman started StillBlog.net with a personal project in 2012 to post one photo of nature each day on a white background. It was met with resounding praise and she is still going. Having been featured on Marth Stewart, Midwest Living, Better Homes & Gardens and many...

You spend hours on your lawn killing weeds, fertilizing, and spending tons of cash. Do you want an easier way that is safe for your kids, saves you money, AND helps the environment? Embrace MinnesotaGardening.com 's Lazy Lawn Care system to use less chemicals, water, and save you time. Download the free Lazy Lawn Care Guide here -> MinnesotaGardening.com . Learn more about getting your own...

Winter is an unfortunately forgotten season in our cold-climate landscapes. Today, Cathy Rees is guiding us on how to best take advantage of winter in our newest episode of Minnesota Gardening Podcast. Cathy takes us on a deep dive through her new book Winterland and how we can best utilize this wonderful and beautiful season. Learn more at MinnesotaGardening.com . Learn more about getting your ow...

We have had an incredibly unseasonable December with temps many degrees above normal across the state. In some places, this has caused plants to break dormancy and start growing. In this episode I teach all about how plants enter and exit dormancy and what consequences we may face for the plants breaking dormancy early this winter. Learn more. Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABet...

Our family has a tradition of winter sowing every year between Christmas and New Years. It is a wonderful - CHEAP - way to grow native perennials that are ready to plant in early summer. Michelle Mero Riedel, a master gardener and teach on Winter Sowing - joins me today to share all about winter sowing and how you can find success for your landscape. Learn more at MinnesotaGardening.com. Learn mor...

50 degrees on Christmas Eve?! This December 2023 has been more than twelve degrees above normal in parts of Minnesota with more heat to come. I am BEYOND honored to have Climatologist Dr. Mark Seeley join us for today's episode discussing this winter's weather expectations, climate change, and what it means for the future of our Minnesota landscape. Learn more at MinnesotaGardening.com ....

Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABetterYard.org .

Earlier this month, the USDA released new hardiness maps that made many changes in Minnesota. Author and podcaster Mary Schier shares what we need to know about those changes and how to deal with them. Learn more at MinnesotaGardening.com . Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABetterYard.org .

Apply this weekend to Minnesota's Lawns to Legumes program and get up to $400 in reimbursable grants to plant Native Plants at your home and community. Learn more at MinnesotaGardening.com ! Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABetterYard.org .

Professor Tallamy was extremely generous with his time. In Part Two (recently re-discovered after I thought I'd lost the recording), Doug Tallamy discusses his new book, Nature of Oaks, and takes us through a year in one of Mother Nature's most critical trees. Professor Tallamy's Books Nature's Best Hope Bringing Nature Home Nature of Oaks Learn more about getting your own Rebe...

This is a great weekend to get your tree wrap on fruit trees, ornamental trees, and young shade trees. This protects trees from bunnies and sun scald. Minnesota Gardening Club members can watch the new how-to video for everything tree wrap at MinnesotaGardeningClub.com . Have a great weekend!! Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABetterYard.org .

I am beyond honored to re-air this episode with Doug Tallamy as a guest this week on the Minnesota Gardening Podcast. He is a world-renowned entomologist teaching how we can save nature. This episode is full of action items and steps people can take to make the world a better place for birds, insects, and our entire ecosystem. Show Notes Professor Tallamy's Books Nature's Best Hope Bring...

This is a continuation of my rant (?) episode on Tuesday about invasive plants. Minnesota Gardening Club members should work to remove invasive plants in their landscape this weekend. Even if you love them. Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABetterYard.org .

Is this a sorry, not sorry moment? I think it is. It really does suck though. Many plants that we have long known as great landscape plants are becoming invasive due to climate change and other factors. We must remove them from our home landscape. Again...sorry. In this episode, we discuss what plants you need to remove and why. Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABetterYard.org .

November is notorious for temps going up and down and teasing us with the final throes of Fall versus the full on winter months. There are two things you should do this weekend if you haven't yet: Plant Garlic If you haven't planted any garlic yet, I suggest giving it a try. It is definitely one of the easier food garden plants to grow. How to grow garlic It is really pretty easy and we...

So excited to have Stephanie Thurow and Michele Bruhn on the Minnesota Gardening Podcast today! Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABetterYard.org .

Help your native insect, pollinator, bee, and caterpillar friends survive the winter; don't remove  the leaves and stems that grew on your property this year. This is going to save you a ton of time! We have been learning more and more about the importance of emulating our natural forests and prairies to protect overwintering insects. Learn more at MinnesotaGardening.com . Learn more about ge...

This weekend is a great weekend to make sure your tomatoes have the support they need and aren't growing too many side shoots that reduce production. Minnesota Gardening Club members watch the video here --> This Weekend: Prune and Support Your Tomatoes   Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABetterYard.org .

Thank you so much to Emma Schultz from the Minnesota DNR for being our guest this week discussing Emerald Ash Borer. I have seen so much damage this year across the metro and state. What are you seeing in your area? Check out photos of EAB and learn more at --> MinnesotaGardening.com . Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABetterYard.org .

Yesterday, the Twin Cities National Weather Service tweeted a crazy statistic about how dry we have been the last 31 days. So dry that is the is driest May 15 to June 15 that we have had (at the MSP Airport) since 1871!!! Learn more at MinnesotaGardening.com ! Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABetterYard.org .

Caterpillars are an important part of the ecosystem and most often aren't doing any harm to your landscape. Learn more at MinnesotaGardening.com . Learn more about getting your own Rebel Garden at ABetterYard.org .