The Master Gardener program is an educational program designed to train volunteers to help others in their communities with horticulture. The 2012 Master Gardener Core Course will be held at the University of MN -- St. Paul Campus and online. A total of 48 hours of education, this class is taught by University of Minnesota extension educators and faculty. Some of the topics included in the core course will be: entomology, herbaceous plants, trees and shrubs, indoor plants, integrated pest management, lawn care, fruits and vegetables.

Upon completion of the Master Gardener program, each Master Gardener is required to complete an internship of 50 hours of volunteer time the first year, and 25 hours of volunteer time in following years. These volunteer hours can be achieved in a variety of ways including presentations and community service projects.

For more information, please contact, U of MN Extension Goodhue County, 651-385-3100 or 1-800-385-3101.

Buckthorn is designated as a restricted, noxious weed in Minnesota. So why is it so pervasive on my property and the property of so many landowners? Originally buckthorn was imported as an ornamental. Most Minnesota nurseries have voluntarily stopped selling this tree because of its ability to escape cultivation, which is the issue. When uncontrolled, buckthorn can form dense thickets in forests, yards, parks, and roadsides. It will crowd out native plants and displace the native shrubs and small trees in the mid-layer of the forest where many species of birds normally nest. It is important for property owners to recognize and remove buckthorn in order to protect their local environment.

Last season Japanese Beetles invaded Minnesota in a big way and unfortunately now that they have arrived, they are here to stay. Though they are fairly new to Minnesota, the first transplanted Japanese beetle was found in a New Jersey nursery in 1916. As the name implies they are native to Japan where they have several natural enemies that keep their population in check. Here in the U.S., however, Japanese beetles continue to spread to new areas every year and have become a highly destructive plant pest.

Bring excitement to your shade gardens with flamboyant splashes of color by planting bulblike tubers of "Fancy Leaf" Caladiums among your Hosta and Fern plants. Gorgeous hues of red, pink, and white heart shaped leaves move gracefully in the breeze bringing your shade garden to life.

View our PSA video on Plant a Row for the Hungry.

Why should you find and remove all buckthorn from your yard and gardens?

Let's start with why buckthorn is so destructive. Buckthorn produces berries with zillions of seeds that are eaten and then dispersed by the birds. The seeds germinate easily and then become zillions of baby buckthorns that soon grow into thickets of buckthorn that choke out all the existing native shrubs and other vegetation including the chokeberries, serviceberries and high-bush cranberries (Viburnums) that feed the birds and other fauna.