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4 days ago | 
brainerddispatch.com | Jennifer Knutson
Answer: The fascinating ruby-throated hummingbirds return to Minnesota in May and hummingbird gardens are one of the most popular gardening trends for 2025. John Audubon said, “The best way to attract this glittering fragment of rainbow is to plant a rainbow of the hummingbird’s favorite flowers.” Flowers that attract hummingbirds have unique features.
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1 week ago | 
brainerddispatch.com | Jennifer Knutson
Dear Master Gardener: What can I plant to form a “living fence”? I have a dream of blocking out the neighbors with a mixed species hedge that would be good habitat for wildlife and pollinators. Answer: Shrubs can be planted closely to form a hedge or “living fence.” Here are a few recommendations to match your wish list (tall enough to block neighbors and good wildlife and pollinator habitat.) Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) is a native species that provides year-round interest.
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3 weeks ago | 
brainerddispatch.com | Jennifer Knutson
Dear Master Gardener: I remember my grandmother having bleeding heart plants in her garden and would like to have some in my garden too. Is this a plant for sun or shade? What are some planting tips? Answer: Bleeding heart (Dicentra) is one of the finest herbaceous perennials for the shade garden. They are easy to grow and offer delicate, blue-green foliage and uniquely shaped flowers that dangle from arching stems.
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1 month ago | 
brainerddispatch.com | Jennifer Knutson
Dear Master Gardener: A friend who is a native plant enthusiast has Lead Plant. Is that a good addition to a perennial garden? I am trying to add more native plants to our landscape. Answer: Lead plant (Amorpha canescens) got its name because it was common above the lead mines of the Driftless Area, an area that encompasses parts of southeastern Minnesota, southwestern Wisconsin, northwestern Illinois, and northeastern Iowa, and never glaciated.
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1 month ago | 
pineandlakes.com | Jennifer Knutson
Dear Master Gardener: I purchased a Minnesota wildflower book and would like to go out when the snow is gone and the wildflowers start appearing, take photos of them and learn to identify them. What flowers am I likely to see this spring? Answer: After long months without green and growing plants and flowers, we Minnesotans are eager to see them again.
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1 month ago | 
brainerddispatch.com | Jennifer Knutson
Dear Master Gardener: My husband and I purchased some perennials called Mukdenia on sale at the end of the season. We planted them in full sun as an edging plant in an island bed we filled mostly with native pollinator plants. Because they were planted late and there wasn’t much snow cover this year to protect them, we are worried about them coming back. How hardy are they? The foliage is lovely and we are wondering if they flower or are more like a foliage plant (such as a Hosta)?
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1 month ago | 
brainerddispatch.com | Jennifer Knutson
Dear Master Gardener: Can a dwarf Korean lilac be purchased in tree form? Answer: Yes, a dwarf Korean lilac, also known as a Meyer lilac (Syringa meyeri Palibin), is sometimes grafted on a separate rootstock to produce a small, globe-headed tree. It’s a stunning choice for a small garden or near a patio, where its compact size and lovely fragrance can be appreciated. Unlike its name suggests, this lilac originated in China — not Korea. Dwarf Korean lilac is hardy to 35 degrees below zero.
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2 months ago | 
brainerddispatch.com | Jennifer Knutson
Dear Master Gardener: A friend told me that it is illegal to pick a lady’s slipper because it is our state flower. Is this true? Is it possible to buy the plant for my garden? Answer: The showy lady’s slipper (Cypripedium reginae), an uncommon, native orchid, became the Minnesota state flower in 1902 and is considered by many to be the most beautiful flower in Minnesota. The showy lady’s slipper is one of 43 terrestrial orchid species that grow in our state.
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2 months ago | 
brainerddispatch.com | Jennifer Knutson
Dear Master Gardener: Can we grow any pine trees in Minnesota that have edible pine nuts like you buy in the store? Answer: According to the Garden Professors, the pine nuts sold commercially in the U.S. come from pinyon pine (Pinus edulis), which is native to the southwestern part of our country, and not hardy in the Midwest. The good news is there are other pine trees that produce edible nuts and grow in Minnesota — Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) and Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra).
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2 months ago | 
brainerddispatch.com | Jennifer Knutson
Dear Master Gardener: What’s a good replacement product for peat when I make or purchase potting mixes? Why shouldn’t we use peat products anymore? Are there any peat bogs in Minnesota? Answer: Gardeners have been adding peat moss to potting soil and gardens for years, and most commercial potting mixes contain it. It’s a popular amendment because it is organic, lightweight, allows for air circulation and holds moisture without being too wet.
