Grow it, Minnesota

Growing Apples in the North with Bob Osborne May 23, 2022

What does it take to grow a delicious apple in cold climates? In this episode, we check in with orchardist Bob Osborne, author of the new book, Hardy Apples: Growing Apples in Cold Climates(Firefly Books, 2022). We talk about what an apple tree needs to grow well, grafting, pests and diseases, pruning and favorite apples for northern gardeners. Bob Osborne is the owner of Corn Hill Nursery in beautiful New Brunswick, Canada.

Turf and Turf Alternatives with James Wolfin May 09, 2022

Let's talk lawn! With the popularity of no-mow May, bee lawns and other alternatives to traditional Kentucky bluegrass turf, it seems a good time to bring in a lawn expert. James Wolfin of Twin City Seed is a proponent of lower-input lawns and has great information on how to have a good-looking lawn without a lot of work.

Let's Talk About the Weather Apr 18, 2022

No interview today, just some information about the weather — our late spring, what to worry about and what not to worry about, seed germination and soil temperature. It's a shorter episode and I hope it encourages you to remain calm and garden on.
Some links for more information:

The Art of Succession Planting with Meg Cowden Apr 04, 2022

Listeners may remember Meg Cowden of SeedtoFork.com from a previous episode on early seed starting. She's back to talk about succession planting and her new book, Plant Grow Harvest Repeat (Timber Press, 2022). Meg's book is filled with charts, plant lists, solid advice and inspiration for any gardener who wants to grow an abundant food and fruit garden, with plenty of flowers as well.
We talk about the importance of starting seeds over a longer stretch (always be sowing is Meg's mantra), learning garden lessons from the forests and prairies around us, managing soil health and insects, and ways to get the most from our food gardens through interplanting and other techniques. I also confess my absolute failure growing Brassicas, and Meg offers her secrets to growing huge harvests of broccoli, cabbage and more.
Check out Grow it, Minnesota on Facebook or Instagram where I will be giving away a copy of Meg's book.
More Links
Modern Garden Guild
Follow Meg on Instagram
Follow Mary on Instagram
My Northern Garden webpage

Growing Blueberries with Melissa Wilsford Mar 21, 2022

We're talking all about blueberries today and some of the challenges of growing them in the alkaline soil that many Minnesota gardens have. My guest is Melissa Wilsford of Rustic Hills Garden Co., a landscaping firm based in the Twin Cities, that specializes in creating edible landscapes. One of her favorite groundcover plants is the blueberry!
To grow blueberries well, you need an acid soil with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. Melissa talks about how to amend your soil to lower the pH, how to grow blueberries in containers, and even what to grow if you want berries but don't want the extra work of blueberries. It's a great episode!

University of Minnesota information on growing blueberries, with cultivar recommendations.
More about growing currants
Mary's currant jam recipe -- for grown up palates.
Melissa's plant sale -- order blueberries now for pickup in May.
Follow Melissa on Instagram
Mary's website
Follow Mary on Instagram

Teresa Speight on Black Flora and The Urban Garden: Two New Books Mar 07, 2022

This episode features podcaster, blogger and author Teresa J. Speight of Cottage in the Court. Her new books (she has two coming out this spring!) are Black Flora: Profiles of Inspiring Black Flower Farmers + Florists (Bloom Imprint, 2022)and The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City(Cool Springs Press, 2022) with co-author Kathy Jentz of Washington Gardener magazine.
Teresa is an inspiring gardener and communicator. We talk about her work as a community gardener, the inspiring African-American flower farmers and florists she met while writing her book, hydrangeas and other heritage plants, plus an abundance of tips and ideas for creating beauty in small spaces.
Links and More

Talking Pollinators with Heather Holm Feb 21, 2022

Today's guest is Heather Holm, author, speaker and horticulturist, who is an expert on pollinating insects, including bees and wasps. In this episode, we talk about habitat restoration, how home gardeners can bring in more pollinators, why the spring and fall are so important to pollinators and cultivars of native plants.
Check out these resources:
Heather's books:

WASPS: A Guide for Eastern North America (2021)
Pollinators of Native Plants (2014)
BEES: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide
COMING SOON: Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States (a pocket guide)

More about the rusty-patch bee
Woodmints -- plants Heather loves for shade
Mary's Boltonia -- It's big and the bees love it!
Mary's Insectary Garden

Tiny Victory Gardens with Acadia Tucker Feb 07, 2022

Author Acadia Tucker talks about her latest book, Tiny Victory Gardens: Growing Food Without a Yard(Stone Pier Press, 2021), including how to decide which containers to use, advice for making your own potting soil and even how to grow a consistent supply of salad greens in containers, indoors, in winter. Good stuff!
More about Acadia and her gardening books.
Why grow tomatoes in containers?
Tiny vegetables are a hot trend!
Follow Acadia on Instagram
Follow Mary on Instagram
Follow Grow it, Minnesota on Facebook

Growing Figs in Cold Climates with Lee Reich Jan 17, 2022

Author and soil scientist Lee Reich loves to experiment in the garden, and one of his first experiments as a young gardener was growing figs in Madison, Wis. In his new book, Growing Figs in Cold Climates: A Complete Guide (New Society Publishers, 2021), he offers northern gardeners tips on choosing varieties, pruning and how to get fig trees through the winter. Listen to how he does it.
Growing Figs in Cold Climates
Lee's website
Lee's book reviewed in the New York Times
Grow it, Minnesota episode on growing lemons in cold climates
Mary's website
Follow Mary on Instagram

The Winter Garden with Cathy Rees Jan 03, 2022

Welcome to another season of Grow it, Minnesota!
In this episode, author Cathy Rees talks about her new book, Winterland: Create a Beautiful Garden for Every Season(Princeton Architectural Press, 2021). She explains what to think about as you design a garden and landscape that will offer beauty and more all year.
We talk about the importance of texture, structure and light as well as ways to create habitat and enjoy watching birds and other critters in winter.
Helpful Links:

Trees and Drought with Jake McDougall Aug 02, 2021

With the drought in Minnesota moving from moderate to extreme, gardeners are wondering how to take care of their trees. In this episode, arborist Jake McDougall of Davey Tree Service talks about how to tell if your tree is experiencing drought stress, best ways to water and the value of mulch for keeping moisture on trees. We touch on a few tree pests and some of Jake's picks for resilient trees in our climate.
To Learn More:

Sustainable Roses with David Zlesak Jun 14, 2021

David Zlesak, plant breeder and professor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, is my guest today, talking about the American Rose Trials for Sustainability or A.R.T.S. program. In this program, roses are evaluated all over the country for their ability to thrive without fertilizer, pesticides or fungicides. Regional winners are named each year and there are more than 20 roses that are "Local Artists" for Minnesota.
David talks about the program, his favorite roses, tips for planting roses (hint: go deep) and our favorite rose nemisis, the Japanese beetle. If you love roses or think you would like to plant them but worry they are too hard, this is the episode for you.

A.R.T.S. Program in Minnesota (Plus Rose List)
More Sustainable Roses for the North
All Local Artist Roses for the North
Duluth Rose Garden
Lyndale Park Rose Garden
Mary's Blog
Follow Mary on Instagram
Follow Grow it, Minnesota on Facebook

Herbal Houseplants with Susan Betz May 10, 2021

Learn all about growing herbs indoors from author Susan Betz, whose latest book is Herbal Houseplants: Grow Beautiful Herbs Indoors (Cool Springs Press, 2021). Susan talks about the special needs of indoors plants, understanding why some plants have shorter seasons, the value of sending houseplants outdoors for a summer vacation and more. Susan is an herb expert and a generous gardener.
Links and Resources

Micro Food Gardening with Jen McGuinness Apr 26, 2021

Author and blogger Jen McGuinness talks about her new book, Micro Food Gardening (Cool Spring Press, 2021). The book includes information on how to grow food in containers, indoors or out, and it features 30 micro food gardening projects, from a cake stand for growing strawberries to how to grow basil in a muffin pan! Jen is known all over the internet as Frau Zinnie. You can follow her blog or check out her photos on Instagram.
To Learn More:
Small varieties Jen recommends:

Mary's blog
Mary's book
Follow Mary on Instagram

Growing Summer Bulbs with Mike Heger Apr 12, 2021

Longtime Minnesota plantsman and author Mike Heger joined me to talk about bulbs, particularly those that grow well in the summer. Mike covered the basics of bulbs and talked about planting and caring for bulbs that grow well in a northern climate. He even mentioned a few favorite bulb cultivars.
To Learn More
MSHS Summer Bulb Sale (order by April 16, 2021)
Growing Perennials in Cold Climates
Mike's Favorite Rabbit Repellent
More about Martagon Lilies
Planting and Care Tips for Summer Bulbs
Growing Gladiolus in Minnesota
Growing Dahlias in Minnesota
Mary's Blog
The Northern Gardener: From Apples to Zinnias

Rain Gardens with Maddie Poling of Sacred Space Gardens Mar 29, 2021

Maddie Poling of Sacred Space Gardens joins me to talk about rain gardens: why they are important, how and where to install one, which plants to choose for sun and shade and more. Maddie's company provides sustainable garden services to commercial and residential customers, including designing and installing rain gardens.
To Learn More . . .
Maddie's Videos on Rain Gardening
Rain Garden Alliance
Favorite Minnesota Native Plant Nursery
Plant List for Rain Gardens of All Types
My Northern Garden blog
The Northern Gardener book
Northern Gardener magazine

Growing Flowers from Seed with Amy Kainz Mar 15, 2021

Amy Kainz—known as Milkweed and Daisies on Instagram—is a Central Minnesota gardener who started growing flowers from seeds to save money. Amy offers great tips on starting seeds indoors and out to expand your garden and how beginning gardeners should approach the process. Her one-half acre garden is a Certified Monarch Way Station, too.
How to Become a Certified Monarch Waystation
Prairie Moon Nursery (Amy's and Mary's favorite source for native plants)
Botanical Interests Seeds (Amy's go-to seed source)
Cold Stratification of Seeds

7 Easy Annuals to Grow from Seed
Tips for Creating a Monarch-Friendly Garden
A Short Essay on Pansies
Mary's Instagram
Mary's Blog
Northern Gardener magazine

Companion Planting with Michelle Bruhn of Forks in the Dirt Mar 01, 2021

Community gardener, blogger and local food activist Michelle Bruhn of Forks in the Dirt joins Mary for a conversation about companion planting. Michelle is teaching an online class on the topic later this month. You can also enter a book giveaway of Jessica Walliser's new book, Plant Partners, by commenting on the Grow it, Minnesota Facebook page or Instagram page. Check out the links below for more information on companion planting.
To Learn More
Michelle’s Favorite Cover Crop
Perennial Plants and Pollinators for the Vegetable Garden
More About the Three-Sisters Garden
Companion Planting Class, March 15
Forks in the Dirt
Follow Michelle on Instagram

From My Northern Garden
How Some Plants Add Nitrogen to the Soil
Bringing Insects into the Vegetable Garden (video)
Mary's Book

Winter Sowing with Michelle Mero Riedel Feb 15, 2021

Sowing seeds using the winter sowing method has been one of the most popular trends in gardening over the past decade. Master gardener and professional photographer Michelle Mero Riedel walks us through the hows and whys of winter sowing, which she uses for perennial plants, and spring sowing, a similar method she uses for herbs, annual flowers and vegetables.
To Learn More
Michelle's Upcoming Class at Marine Mills Folk School
Riedel Photo
Michelle's Garden
Winter Sowing Handout
Mary's Blog
Follow Mary on Instagram
Northern Gardener magazine
The Northern Gardener book
Blog Post on How to Winter Sow Native Plants

Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of the Midwest with Matthew Alfs Feb 01, 2021

Herbalist and author Matthew Alfs joins Mary for a discussion of his new book, Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of the Midwest, Third Edition (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2020. We discuss plants Minnesota gardeners may be familiar with as weeds or garden plants and their edible and medicinal properties.
Disclaimer: Ingestion of any wild plant requires care in identification, selection and processing. Some plants may be toxic. Please take all reasonable care and consult a physician or other health care provider before using wild plants medicinally.
To Learn More
Matthew's book
Matthew's virtual book talk
Who was Euell Gibbons?
Stalking the Wild Aspargus
Mary's blog
Mary's book
Follow Grow it, Minnesota on Instagram
Follow Mary on Instagram
More about stinging nettles
More about anise hyssop

Spring Seed Starting with Meg Cowden Jan 18, 2021

Meg Cowden is a Twin Cities gardener, writer and photographer known for her amazing vegetable garden and beautiful Instagram photos. In this episode, she talks about spring seed starting and why spring is her favorite time to extend the season.
To Learn More
Meg's website
Meg's Instagram
When to Sow Vegetables for Continuous Harvest
How to Fold a Newspaper Pot for Seedlings
More About Soil Blocks for Seed Starting
Mary's Blog
Follow Mary on Instagram
Northern Gardener magazine
The Northern Gardener book
Mary's 6 Tips for Starting Seeds Indoors

Growing Vegetables Under Cover with Niki Jabbour Jan 04, 2021

In this episode, best-selling author Niki Jabbour talks about her new book, Growing Under Cover (Storey Publishing, 2020). Niki explains why row covers, cold frames, shade clothes and poly tunnels are great ways for northern gardeners to grow vegetables in our short seasons. She talks about how to build mini-hoops, the importance of using good-quality greenhouse poly for long-lasting garden structures and why using first and last frost dates is the best way to determine when to plant your vegetable garden. She even recommends a favorite melon for northern gardeners.
To Learn More
Growing Under Cover: Techniques for a More Productive, Weather-Resistant, Pest-Free Vegetable Garden by Niki Jabbour
Niki's website
The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener
Montreal melon
Montreal Market melon
Follow Niki on Instagram
Follow Grow it, Minnesota on Facebook
Follow Grow it, Minnesota on Instagram
Follow Mary on Instagram

Pollinator Friendly Gardening with Rhonda Fleming Hayes Dec 21, 2020

Rhonda Fleming Hayes returns to Grow it, Minnesota to talk about pollinator gardening. Rhonda is the author of Pollinator Friendly Gardening: Gardening for Bees, Butterflies and Other Pollinators. In this episode, she explains the basics of creating a landscape pollinators will flock to, why home gardens are so important to pollinator health and some of the plants that are guaranteed to bring in bees, birds and butterflies.
To Learn More
More about Rhonda
Rusty-patch bumblebees, red-belted bumblebees and other lookalikes.
The Garden Buzz Facebook page
Creating a Monarch Friendly Garden
Mary's blog
Mary's book
Follow Grow it, Minnesota on Instagram
Follow Grow it, Minnesota on Facebook

Creating a Landscape for Birds with Mark Moeller Dec 07, 2020

Arborist Mark Moeller joined Mary to talk about what you need in your yard to attract birds and other wildlife. Mark, who started his career climbing trees, recommended more than a dozen species of shrubs and trees guaranteed to bring in the birds and support wildlife.
Useful and Fun Links
Davey Tree Expert Co.
Bird Feeding Tips from the Minnesota DNR
Good article about arborvitaes
Recommended Resources on Bird Gardening
All About Birds, from Cornell University -- great for bird ID
Naturescaping -- an older book on planning a wildlife-friendly landscape
Birdscaping in the Midwest by Marie Nowak
Mary's Blog
Mary's Book
Northern Gardener magazine

Bonus: Gifts for Gardeners That Are Easy to Ship Nov 30, 2020

Will the gardener in your life be far away this holiday season? In this bonus episode, Mary suggests ideas for five gifts for gardeners that are easy to ship, which includes everything from experiences to tiny tools that make all the difference in the garden.
You'll find links to all the suggestions (and a few more) at My Northern Garden, or check out additional gift ideas for gardeners from the Minnesota State Horticultural Society.

Growing Lemons in the North with Steven Biggs Nov 23, 2020

Steven Biggs, horticulturist and author of Grow Lemons Where You Think You Can't and several other books on vegetable and fruit growing, joins Mary to talk about growing lemons indoors and out in the North. In this episode, you'll learn the best varieties to grow in northern climates, how to keep your lemons healthy in the winter, and how to use all your homegrown lemons in cooking.
To Learn More:
Steven's website
The Food Garden Life podcast
Grow Lemons Where You Think You Can't
Growing Figs in Cold Climates
Mary's adventures in lemon growing
How to hand-pollinate a lemon tree
Mary's book
Mary's blog

Growing Elderberries with Susannah Shmurak Nov 09, 2020

Today's episode is about Everything Elderberry, which is also the title of Susannah Shmurak's new book on elderberries—a superfood you can grow in your northern garden! Susannah describes the health benefits of elderberries and elderflowers, how to use them to get the most benefit, great cultivars to grow in home gardens, and even foods you can make with elderberries and elderflowers. (Did you know Prince Harry and Megan Markle's wedding cake was an elderflower cake?) Check out this episode to learn everything elderberry!
Useful and Fun Links
Susannah's book talk for the Minnesota State Horticultural Society
The University of Missouri Elderberry Research Center
A few good choices for home gardeners: Ranch, Bob Gordon, Marge
An at-home version of Harry and Megan's elderflower cake
More about SWD flies
Buy Susannah's Book
From an independent bookshop
From Barnes and Noble
From Amazon
Mary's blog
Mary's book

Advice for New Vegetable Gardeners with Melissa Wilsford Oct 26, 2020

Why start a vegetable garden? Why do some vegetable gardens succeed and others struggle?
Melissa Wilsford of Rustic Hills Garden Co., a company that helps new and experienced gardeners incorporate edibles into their landscapes, is my guest on this podcast. Melissa talks about why she decided to start a firm focused on edible garden design in 2018, some books and places that inspired her, the three most common reasons vegetable gardeners struggle, and what to grow if you want a sure win in the garden. It's all about vegetable gardens and inspiring new gardeners.
Useful and Fun Links
Melissa's firm: Rustic Hills Garden Co.
Follow Rustic Hills on Instagram
Melissa's Seed Starting and Transplanting Guide
Inspiring Books and Places:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy
Seed Savers Exchange
For More Information
The Lasagna Method
Another Lasagna Method
Three Books for Beginning Vegetable Gardeners
Mary's Blog
Mary's Instagram
Northern Gardener magazine

Talking Native Plants with Alan Branhagen Oct 12, 2020

Native plants are the original ornamentals of the Midwest! Alan Branhagen is the author of the new book, Midwest Native Plant Primer (Timber Press, 2020), and director of operations at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. In this episode, Alan explains how to incorporate more native plants in your landscape, why natives are so important, and some of his favorite plants for northern gardens.
To Learn More
Midwest Native Plant Primer
About Alan
Mary's review of the book on the Northern Gardener blog
The tree collection at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
How to sign up to visit the arboretum

Blog Post: Three Native Evergreens for Northern Gardens
Sign up for Mary's occasional newsletter
The Northern Gardener: From Apples to Zinnias
Northern Gardenermagazine
Follow Grow it, Minnesota on Instagram

Seed Saving and Community Seed Libraries with Dawn Lamm Sep 28, 2020

Dawn Lamm is the founder of Como Community Seed Library, one of several community seed saving and sharing organizations in Minnesota. In this episode, we talk with Dawn about why seed saving and seed stories are important, how to save seeds from beans, peas and tomatoes and how you can connect with a local seed library.
Useful Links
Como Community Seed Library
Como Community Seed Library Facebook page
Minnesota SEED Project, includes ways to sign up to join the project, resources for seed savers, and a seed saving kit.
How to Start a Seed Library in Your Neighborhood
Minnesota Seed Libraries
A visit to Seed Savers Exchange
Seed Savers Exchange
Chart on saving seeds -- very useful!
Follow Grow it, Minnesota on Instagram
Follow Mary on Instagram
Check out Mary's blog

Canning and Fermenting with Stephanie Thurow Sep 14, 2020

Your garden harvest is abundant. It's time to preserve it for the winter by canning and fermenting. In this episode, author Stephanie Thurow talks about how easy and fun it is to preserve the harvest. Her new book, Weck Home Preserving (Skyhorse Press, 2020), offers dozens of recipes for making your own relishes, pickles, jams and more, along with canning and fermenting instructions for beginners and pros.
To learn more:
Follow Stephanie on Instagram
Follow Grow it, Minnesota
Stephanie's book: Weck Home Preserving: Made-from-Scratch Recipes for Water-Bath Canning, Fermenting, Pickling and More.
Basic Food Safety for Home Canning
Classic Bread and Butter Pickles (canned version)
The Northern Gardener: From Apples to Zinnias
Mary's blog
Northern Gardener magazine

All About Annuals with Steve Poppe Aug 31, 2020

Welcome to Grow it, Minnesota. On this episode, horticulture researcher Steve Poppe talks about the work of the West Central Research and Outreach Center at the University of Minnesota Morris. The center tests new annuals and perennials, does research on how plants perform and has a beautiful trial garden to visit.
To learn more:
West Central Research and Outreach Center
One of Steve's favorite annuals for pollinators: Melampodium 'ShowStar'
All-America Selections: Top performing annuals and vegetables tested by trial gardens.
'Wicked Witch' coleus
Follow the show on Instagram
Northern Gardener magazine
Mary's book, The Northern Gardener

Growing a Kitchen Garden with Rhonda Hayes Aug 14, 2020

Welcome to the first episode of Grow it, Minnesota. On this episode, author Rhonda Fleming Hayes talks about growing a kitchen garden—what to plant, design advice and how a kitchen garden is different from a vegetable garden.
To learn more:
Rhonda's favorite Ruby Gem lettuce
Corten steel raised beds
Rhonda's potting shed, article includes some photos of her kitchen garden
Rhonda's book, Pollinator Friendly Gardening
Mary's Yellow Tomato Jam
Northern Gardener magazine (Mary is editor; Rhonda is a regular columnist)
Mary's book, The Northern Gardener

Grow it, Minnesota Trailer Jul 08, 2020

Welcome to Grow it, Minnesota, a podcast for beginning and experienced gardeners in the North. Host Mary Schier interviews expert gardeners about their interests and techniques in growing food and more in a cold climate. This trailer explains what the show is about.

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