What's All This, Then?
January is a slow month for gardening, and I had an idea to talk about the beneficial things I've found where I am. Maybe there are similar things where you are.
I Live in Minnesota
I was neither born nor raised here, but I have lived here over 25 years. I like it, it's a neat place. For gardening, it has some nice assets; I'll describe them so you will know what I'm talking about. I suggest that you check where you live, and see if there are similar things that you can find, to help you with your gardening efforts.
The Minnesota State Horticultural Society (MSHS)
This is an organization dedicated to "growing cold-climate gardeners," according to their mission statement. They have a magazine with good articles and lists of events that is bimonthly, you get discounts on classes and purchases at select gardening centers, and two free tickets to the Minneapolis Home & Garden show.
You do not get a discount to visiting the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, but you do get a discount on buying a membership there.
It is nice to have access to resources geared for the state in which I live. I have on-line access to the archives of Northern Gardener, their magazine. The membership card is now digital, so it shows in my iPhone Wallet app, making it convenient to use, and it doesn't wear out from handling! I've gotten a lot of value from the garden center discount, and found out about such businesses that I didn't know about; they also have a better selection of the plants which interest me than the more mainstream places.
I've noticed, when helping others, that while a state may have a horticultural society, it may be an industry organization, not something geared for the home gardener. Check around and see what you can find, because there is probably some sort of organization in your area: if not for your state, maybe for your county, or region.
University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
This is over 1,200 acres of wild and cultivated land, with a driving route and multiple trails. What's nice about it is that if you want, say, a hedge in your yard, you can go here and visit the hedge section, and see what the various species look like in use. They have a big library, a nice cafeteria, a good store, and often have a Master Gardener on hand to answer questions. It is a beautiful place, and every gardener can find something of interest; for instance, there is a Hosta Glade, showcasing different varieties, and a Wildflower Garden, where you can see what the native wildflowers look like.
There is a lot the arboretum offers, and if your state has something similar, you should look into it. More likely than not, a local university (often a state school) will have something like this.
University of Minnesota Extension
We have a very useful extension service at the University of Minnesota. Extension services in the USA are a cooperative effort between the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and land-grant universities. They offer information and services like testing to residents in order to advance and benefit the community.
Our service has information on native plants, and also does soil testing. They also cover things like home finances, or commercial food production. For instance, the home page of the Yard & Garden section provides links for weed identification or "What's wrong with my plant?"
Chances are, if you live in the USA, there is a university offering an extension service in your state. Finding out what they offer and what information they provide will likely be of benefit to you.
Minnesota Wildflowers
This web site provides a listing of varies Minnesota wildflowers, as well as some bushes and trees. What's nice is that it tells you if something is native, or invasive, as well as what kind of growing conditions it requires, where in the state it has been found, how big it gets, and so on. I've found it helpful for understanding when the plants flower, and for hunting for plants for specific characteristics, like when plants flower or what color the flowers are.
It is free, but there is a suggested donation, which I heartily recommend. I find this to be a nice, state-focused resource that complements garden.org's extensive plant database.
While you may not find a state-specific site for your state, you may find some other sites if you start hunting for "(your state name) wildflowers" or "(your state name) native plants" on the Internet. Remember, though, that anyone can post something on the Internet, so check the quality of a site before you start relying on it.
Wild Bird Store
This is a local chain of stores that specializes in providing feeders, houses, and food for the wild birds which frequent our area. This chain in particular offers on-line resources, that you can also get on paper in-person, that tell you what sorts of plants are good to plant, how to set up a yard for feeders, and so on.
Chances are, there is something similar in your area. I didn't find out about this store until I was with my daughter, driving to a sandwich shop in a strip mall after she'd been to a rock-climbing gym, and noticed the store in that mall. If I were to move to another state, I know I'd be looking for something similar to this.
The Public Library
This is a useful way to review different books before you buy them. Of course, the public library may not have every book you want, and some books you find may be less than satisfactory. But as a free resource, it is extremely useful.
The Lawns-to-Legumes Program
This is something that probably isn't in your state yet, for Minnesota's program is only a pilot. In order to combat habitat loss for native pollinators, Minnesota started their lawns-to-legumes program to encourage people to replace lawns with Minnesota-native plants that would attract native insect species. The program provides a grant to help cover the cost of such conversion, and there's a lottery for winning the grants. However, they do provide resources on the kinds of plants to consider, and how to go about preparing to change over to a pollinator-friendly planting.
If your state doesn't have such a program, there may be a local group that is advocating for such a program, so hunting for this sort of thing, like "how do I replace my lawn with wildflowers", will probably help.
Beware Over-Indulgence!
I'm sure most people have found that for some things, like news of current events, you hit a saturation point where you just have to break-off in order to preserve your sanity (or avoid a headache). You can get the same overload with all the information on yards and gardening. There will always be conflict between different groups or books that tell you how or what to do.
What I recommend is that you figure out your own priorities. What matters most to you? What is your focus?
In my case, my focus is on attracting wild birds to the yard, and that means making plants which birds will use (as food or shelter), and doing things to attract more insects. I then found resources in support of that focus, from reputable organizations, and was able to work out what I wanted to do.
If your focus is a vegetable garden, or a rose garden, then concentrate on that. There is so much information out there that you will be quickly overwhelmed if you try to learn it all, or expand outside of your focus. It is OK to do things in small steps, working on small areas. Even planting something in a pot is a good start.
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