Great Links

This page brought to you by NorthernGardener.org

These links were compiled by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society and lead to wonderful websites of Northern Gardening, Local Community Gardens, Plant Societies, Community Gardening, Rain Barrels and Compost Bins, Insects & Diseases, and Other Associations, Societies & Organizations.

Northern Gardening

Gardening Questions Answered: U of MN Extension
Have a question about gardens or landscape plants? Insects or wildlife? Plant disease? Soil testing? Visit this excellent site.

Public Gardens of MN
Sponsored by the University of Minnesota. Each public garden site was visited and all garden photos presented were taken during these visits.

The Energy & Sustainable Agriculture Program, of the MN Dept. of Agriculture

Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series
a landscape developed with sustainable practices will improve the environment by conserving resources and reducing chemical applications. A sustainable landscape will also reduce labor inputs making it less expensive to implement and maintain. The goal of the SULIS is to provide sustainable landscape information to the public and to the horticulture/landscape industry.

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
is part of the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota. Its mission is provide a community and a national resource for horticultural and environmental information, research and public education; to develop and evaluate plants and horticultural practices for cold climates; and to inspire and delight all visitors with quality plants in well-designed and maintained displays, collections, model landscapes and conservation areas.

U of MN Department of Horticultural Science
Internationally known for research in cold hardiness and development of new plant varieties for northern climates, the Department of Horticultural Science is home to a highly respected faculty with diverse areas of expertise in plant sciences.

U of MN Gardening and Commercial Horticulture
Gardening and Commercial Horticulture programs include training, seminars, and short courses for Minnesota fruit and vegetable growers, Midwestern food producers, nursery crop producers, floriculture producers, apple growers, grape growers, turf managers/producers, and shade tree/landscape managers.

Minnesota Master Gardener Program
The Master Gardener program in Minnesota is administered at the State Office in the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, of the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota. Minnesota Master Gardeners are paraprofessionals who represent the University of Minnesota Extension Service and teach horticulture.

Vegetables: Insects/Diseases
A general site featuring articles on how best to fend off insects and diseases that could threaten your garden’s vegetables. Included are studies on integrated pest management (IPM), specific to the Midwestern U.S.

Center for Urban Ecology and Sustainability
CUES strives to educate landscape managers and urban residents about ways to embrace environmental stewardship by practicing sustainable management. A landscape managed through sustainable methods requires low inputs of labor, fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. Excessive use of these chemicals can pollute surface and ground water and disturb natural ecosystem processes.

The Men's Garden Club of Minneapolis
is a membership organization intended for all people interested in gardening.

South Dakota State University Extension Horticulture

North Dakota State University: College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources

The Tree Trust, St. Paul, MN
transforming lives and landscapes

Local Community Gardens

Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association

Center for Earth Spirituality

Common Ground Community Garden

Community Design Center of Minnesota

Como Corner Community Garden, Accord Community Garden, Gateway Community Garden, O.W.L.S. Community Garden

Dowling Community Garden

Duluth Community Garden Program

Farm in the City

Friends of Horton Park / Community Gardens

Longfellow Community Council’s Community Garden, Minneapolis

Olson Community Gardens

St. Anthony Park Community Garden
or view our blog

Stevens Square Community Organization

Vera's Garden

Youth Farm and Market Project

Plant Society Websites

Download the MSHS Directory of Plant Societies and Organizations. *pdf

African Violet Society of Minnesota              www.mninter.net/~rebels/AVSM_Page.html
Apple Growers Association                          www.minnesotaapple.org
Minnesota Bonsai Society                            www.minnesotabonsai.com
The American Chestnut Foundation             www.acf.org
American Conifer Society                            www.conifersociety.org
Daffodil Society of Minnesota                       http://daffodilmn.org
Minnesota Dahlia Society                             www.minnesotadahliasociety.org
American Hemerocallis Society,
Region I                                                   www.daylilies.org
Friends of the Wildflower Garden                 in development
MN Fruit and Vegetable Growers Assoc.        www.mfvga.org
Federated Garden Clubs of America              www.fgcmgardenews.org
Gesneriad Society, TC Chapter                     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AGGSTC
Minnesota Grape Growers Assoc                  www.mngrapes.org
North Country Herbalist Guide                     www.nchg.org
Duluth Garden Flower Society                     www.dgfs.us
Midwest Regional Hosta Society                  www.midwesthostasociety.org
American Iris Society Region 8 MN/WI          www.irises.org
American Society of Landscape
Architecture, MN Chapter                           www.masla.org
Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation       www.mtgf.org
International Lilac Society                           www.internationallilacsociety.org
North Star Lily Society                                www.nothstarlilysociety.com
MN Maple Syrup Producers Assoc.                www.mnmaple.org
Minnesota Mycological Society                     www.minnesotamushrooms.org
MN Native Plant Society                             www.mnnps.org
MN Nursery and Landscape Assoc.               www.GardenMinnesota.com
Landscape Plant Development Center          www.landscapecenter.org
North American Rock Garden Society           www.nargs.org/meet/chap_mn.html
MN Rose Society                                       www.minnesotarosesociety.org
Twin Cities Rose Club                                 www.twincitiesrose.org
MN Forestry Assoc.                                    www.mnforest.com
Minnesota Society of Arboriculture               www.msa-live.org
MN Aquarium Society                                 www.mn-aquarium.org
MN Water Garden Society                          http://mwgs.org
Lake Superior Rose Society                         www.dgfs.us/Isrs
MN Hosta Society                                      www.mnhosta.org
Shades of Green Hosta                                  
Society of SE MN                                      www.soghs.org
Iris Society of MN                                      www.irismn.org
Orchid Society of MN                                 www.orchidsocietyofminnesota.com
Ornamental grass Society of MN                  www.ornamentalgrasssociety.org
MN Peony Society                                     www.mnpeony.org

Community Gardening

The American Community Gardening Association
is a national nonprofit membership organization of professionals, volunteers and supporters of community greening in urban and rural communities.

A City Among the Trees
resource for citizens, planners, policy makers, and youth to actively plan and manage our urban forest to achieve a sustainable quality of life.

Gardening From USDA
This website is dedicated to all gardeners--young and old, novice and experienced, rural, urban, and suburban. In this website, they've pulled together years of research and experience to provide you with useful gardening information.

National Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils
represents America's 332 Resource Conservation and Development Councils. These local councils deliver coordinated resource conservation and rural development assistance throughout rural America.

National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council
supports education, projects, and groups related to urban and community forestry.

Soil and Water Conservation Society
fosters the science and the art of soil, water, and related natural resource management to achieve sustainability.

Urban Community Gardens
Community gardens transform empty lots into green, living spaces. They are collaborative projects created by members of the community; residents share in both the maintenance andrewards of the garden.

Urban Agriculture Articles
from City Farmer, Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture, Vancouver

www.gardenworksMN.org
Promoting and preserving community gardening in the Twin Cities Metro Area.  Based on the philosophy that community gardeners are the best experts on community gardening.  Our ambition is to connect gardeners from across the metro area so they can learn from and support each other in this great endeavor.

Rain Barrels and Compost Bins

Compost Bins:

Composting and Mulching:
GardenWorks
http://www.gardenworksmn.org/Resources/Compost_Mulch.pdf

How to Compost your Organic Waste:
Reduce.org
http://156.98.19.245/compost/

Build a Compost Bin:
Riverside County Waste Management Department
http://www.rivcowm.org/composting/compost_build_bin.html

Where to Purchase Compost Bins:
Dakota County Eco-Site
www.dakotacounty.us/environmentroads/ecosite (click on “Additional Services”)
651-905-4520
(You do not have to be a Dakota County resident to purchase these.)

City of White Bear Lake
www.whitebearlake.org (click on “Refuse and Recycling”)
651-429-8526
Cost per bin is $30 for White Bear Lake residents and $47.93 for non-residents.
Pick up bins at White Bear Lake Public Works, 4200 Hoffman Road. 
Pick-up hours: Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Hennepin County Compost Bins

Eureka Recycling
http://www.eurekarecycling.org/pdfs/WheretoBuyCompostBins.pdf

Rain Barrels:

Build a Rain Barrel:
University of MN Extension
Rain Barrels: A way of Collecting and Using Rainwater
http://www.extension.umn.edu/environment/00023.pdf

Constructing a Rain Barrel:
Leaves Dance
http://home.comcast.net/~leavesdance/rainbarrels/construction.html
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/region3/p2/make-rainbarrel.pdf

How to Assemble and Install your Rain Barrel:
Capital Region Watershed District
http://www.capitolregionwd.org/Education%20Outreach%20Events/Assemble%20a%20Rain%20Barrel.pdf

Where to purchase Rain Barrels:
Linder’s Garden Center
www.linders.com
651-488-1927
Rain barrels for $149 to $200.

ReUse Center
http://www.thereusecenter.com/
Call for requests: 612-278-7160.
Rain barrels for Minneapolis residents for $75.

Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed
http://www.rwmwd.org/

Dakota County
To reserve one, call 952-891-7000 or send an e-mail to water@co.dakota.mn.us,
Must be a resident of Dakota County to receive this price.

Insects & Diseases

Plant Disease Diagnostics
is a web page designed to help individuals from the state of Minnesota diagnose plant disease problems in their yard and garden. Diagnoses made by 'Plant Disease Diagnostics' are based on visual observations of symptoms expressed by the infected plant.

International Society of Plant Pathology
ISPP promotes the world-wide development of plant pathology and the dissemination of knowledge about plant diseases and plant health management.