Spring

You may be asking "Why is it such a big deal?" Simply put, healthy soil gives us clean air and water, bountiful crops and forests, productive grazing lands, diverse wildlife and beautiful landscapes. All of which enhances our lives. Fun fact: There can be a billion microorganisms in a teaspon of compost or soil! 

It happens every year. The beautiful native Goldenrod gets blamed for Ragweed's "achoo season". It's understandable as they belong to the same plant family but from very different genus. So which is really responsible for those sneezes and watery eyes? Find out...

Blight is baaack.... Coming out of a tough winter (2024/25) into a cool, wet spring, it was bound to happen. Lilac blight thrives in that environment. 

Sandy has been creating fresh cut flower arrangements for decades. Here she shares her favorite annuals to plant and then bring the beauty indoors. You'll learn best practices on cutting & care too.

Sandy has been creating fresh flower arrangements for decades! Here she shares her favorite perennials to plant and later cut to bring the beauty indoors. You'll learn best practices on cutting & care too. 

Creeping Bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides), a European import from colonial times (before they knew better) very easily escapes cultivation. According to minnesotawildflowers.com its status is Invasive – ERADICATE! No punches pulled there!

This year’s shrub choice is Dogwood aka Cornus. It’s been a part of human history for centuries and, since the 1800’s, it’s become a favorite of American gardeners. I’m one of them! 

The ‘Scoop has heard from so many of you about how your perennials have not come back or are late to the party. I feel ya.  My Joe Pye Weed that I planted a few years ago are just sticks poking out of the ground. Fellow longtime gardeners are bereft at the loss of so many long-established Coneflowers.

It’s a nay for the ‘Scoop’s lawn. There’s no doubt it was a noble endeavor to help the bees, but anything related to the world of nature takes time to consider all the ramifications. 

Your 2025 Spring Guide to Shopping at Gertens! Everything you need to know to be #ROOTEDINSUCCESS this spring. 

Oh boy, All America Selections has chosen their winners in an array of categories but today, we're celebrating a few of their chosen Annuals. And, WOW, they are amazing. The 'Scoop gives some background on AAS and shares photos of these annuals along with a little story about a wild "pet" rabbit... 

January 6th is the official last day of the 12 Days of Christmas, the Epiphany. The word itself has several meanings but for Christians it signals the coming of the Magi, or 3 Wise Men. Celebrations abound around the world, some involving plunging into icy water. For many of us it means packing away the Christmas decorations and taking out our fresh Christmas tree. Before you kick it to the curb, The Garden Scoop has some fun ideas to put that tree to good use!!

Many years ago, I went on a local garden tour and saw these AMAZING yellow flowers. I found these flowers were NATIVE annuals to Minnesota! Super easy to start from seed and a pollinator magnet.