Growing guides
Plant-parenting advice from the family
Thirty-plus years of growing chemical-free teaches you a few things. These are the questions we answer most at the greenhouse — written down so you can take them home.
The Minnesota planting calendar
The whole growing year at a glance — what to plant when, and where the frost lines really fall.
Read the guide →Understanding your soil's pH
The single number that decides whether your plants can actually use the nutrients you give them.
Read the guide →Why are my leaves turning yellow?
Reading the pattern of the yellowing tells you whether it's water, nitrogen, or iron.
Read the guide →Zone 4 or Zone 5?
Minnesota's hardiness map changed in 2023 — what the new zones mean and how hard to push them.
Read the guide →Deer- & rabbit-resistant annuals
The annuals and herbs browsers usually skip, the "candy list" to protect, and how to tell who's eating what.
Read the guide →Deer- & rabbit-resistant perennials
The long-lived perennials browsers walk past — sun, shade, and native picks — plus the four to protect.
Read the guide →Pet-friendly houseplants
The houseplants that are safe around cats and dogs — and the popular ones that surprisingly aren't.
Read the guide →Hydrangeas, sorted out
Panicle, smooth, bigleaf, oakleaf — which ones actually bloom in Minnesota, and why yours might not.
Read the guide →Keeping hanging baskets happy
The watering rhythm that keeps a basket full and blooming all the way to frost.
Read the guide →