EXTENSION

Try summer bulbs for a touch of tropics

I can’t imagine a garden without the lovely fragrance of acidanthera (peacock orchid). A type of gladiola, the acidanthera flower is a white bloom with a maroon blotchy center, and like the gladiola, is a summer bulb.

By By Robin Trott, Extension Educator , March 17, 2010

Let's get growing - learn about gardens

It’s that time of year again. Spring is just around the corner, seeds are ordered, and local master gardener groups are gearing up for their annual education days.

By By Robin Trott, Extension Educator , March 10, 2010

Does your yard fill with deep ponds during a summer storm? Is your garden plagued with erosion issues? Are you concerned about pollutants running into your lake or stream during heavy rains?

By By Robin Trott, Extension Educator , March 03, 2010

What kind of garden do you want?

The first question you should ask yourself when planning a new garden is, “Why do I want a garden?” Maybe you have a shady spot where grass won’t grow, but hostas and ferns would.

By By Robin Trott, Extension Educator , February 10, 2010

Get jump on gardening - start seeds

Now that you’ve selected the seeds you’d like to grow in your garden, you might be considering starting some of those plants indoors.

By By Robin Trott, Extension Educator , January 27, 2010

Top picks for gardening catalogs

The top question I am asked at this time of year is, “What garden catalogs do you like best?”

By By Robin Trott, Extension Educator , January 20, 2010

Extension offers training for 4-H judges

Youth development is the goal of 4-H, the youth organization of the University of Minnesota Extension Service.

January 13, 2010

Tips for growing winter plants

The spring garden catalogs have been filling my mailbox, and I am always impressed by the pictures of perennial borders filled to bursting with beautiful plants.

By By Robin Trott, Extension Educator , January 13, 2010

Native prairie plantings provide ideal habitat for wildlife

Douglas County sits just on the eastern edge of what once was a vast prairie; 18 million acres that stretched across the state from southeast to northwest.

By By Robin Trott, Extension Educator , January 06, 2010

Hoppin' John and black-eyed peas

Growing up in Maryland, and living much of my adult life in the southern United States, I have adopted the tradition of serving up black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.

By By Robin Trott, Extension Educator , December 29, 2009

Last-minute gifts for the gardener

Do you have an avid gardener on your Christmas list? There’s still time to shop for that special, gardening Christmas present.

December 16, 2009

Holiday flowers can lighten up dark winter evenings

I love a little color among my Christmas greenery, and am sorely tempted by all the beautiful Christmas flowers that show up this time of the year.

December 09, 2009

Caring for your fresh-cut trees

It’s beginning to feel like the holiday season, and that can only mean one thing to my family: the annual trek to cut down our own Christmas tree.

By By Robin Trott, Extension Educator , December 02, 2009

Welcome to winter

After a long day, I returned home yesterday to find the setting sun highlighting a lawn full of spider webs.

By By Robin Trott, Extension Educator , November 24, 2009

Getting rid of common buckthorn

Buckthorn, a small, shrubby tree, is a nonnative species that has become a big problem in Minnesota’s woodlands and wetlands.

By By Robin Trott, Extension Educator , November 18, 2009