Busting Common Soil & Gardening Myths

Dr. Joe Storlien

Assoc. Professor of Environmental Studies

Gardeners are always looking for tips and advice to keep their gardens healthy. Is all the advice you hear really based on good science? How do we know which advice is good, which is no good, and which does nothing at all? Join soil scientist, Dr. Joe Storlien, to break down the fact or fiction behind many common soil & gardening myths.

Maple Syrup 101

Emily Lindenfelser

U of MN Extension Educator, Horticulture

Emily Lindenfelser is the local horticulture Extension Educator and Master Gardener coordinator for Wright, McLeod, and Meeker counties. In her role, she delivers programming, supports volunteers, and answers a wide variety of technical assistance questions. Emily currently holds a bachelor of science degree in agricultural communications and marketing and is currently pursuing a masters of science degree in agricultural education and communication. She is also a certified tree inspector for the Minnesota DNR. She enjoys learning and expanding her technical knowledge in the field, especially in the area of natural resources. 

Tap into nature's resource, in your own backyard, by joining Emily as she discusses the basics of maple syrup by going through the history, tree species, equipment and processes, regulations, and more!

“Bee" a Pollinator Advocate 

Beth Geelan

U of MN Master Gardener, Wright County

Beth Geelan has been a Master Gardener in Wright County for 9 years and is currently a Pollinator Ambassador for the UMN Extension Bee Lab. Beth has been a hobby farmer in Chatham Township for 25 years.

Get to know the Minnesota pollinators and their relationship with flowering plants. Join Beth as she reveals actions you can take to help these amazing creatures

Color Through the Seasons

Julie Schroer and Jodie Ramsay

Owner, Jean's the Right Plant Place

Julie Schroer and Jodie Ramsay own Jean's - The Right Plant Place in Perham, MN. Jean's specializes in perennials for northern gardens, carrying over 1200 varieties each year. In the non-gardening season, Jodie teaches Biology and manages the greenhouses at Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD. After teaching college Biology for 23 years, Julie quit in 2021 to focus on Jean's and other projects full-time. 

While Julie and Jodie from Jean's - The Right Plant Place are definitely "pro-perennial", there is one major drawback to planting exclusively perennials; they have a shorter bloom time compared to annuals. Join us for a look at some of the beautiful perennials available today and learn how to coordinate them so that your yard or garden will have some color all season long. Bonus topics include some perennials to attract pollinators and some that are drought-tolerant.

New Perennials for 2025 

Julie Schroer and Jodie Ramsay

Owner, Jean's the Right Plant Place

Join Julie and Jodie from Jean's the Right Plant Place for a spirited sneak peek at some new perennials for 2025!  

Easy Foraging: Common Wild Edibles of Minnesota

Maria Wesserle

Maria has been gathering wild edibles since 2004 and loves sharing this skill with others. She has spent over 10 years teaching foraging and other nature programs at various organizations in the Upper Midwest. In 2017, Maria founded Four Season Foraging to offer monthly foraging workshops, creating a space where people can learn to interact with urban and rural wild places in meaningful and sustainable ways.

If you’re interested in foraging wild foods but don’t know where to start, look no further! Join Maria Wesserle of Four Season Foraging for an introductory lesson discussing common mushrooms, fruits, and greens. You will leave with basic knowledge of how to identify, harvest, and prepare several wild edibles on your own, impressing your friends and family with new tasty foods!

Gardening to Save the World

Jake Lunemann

U of MN Master Gardener, Wright County

Jake Lunemann is a 5-year Master Gardener and the current President of the Wright County Master Gardeners. Lunemann lives in St. Michael with his wife and three children. He works at Truterra, the sustainable agriculture division of Land O'Lakes, doing operations and statistical analysis. In his spare time, he coaches youth basketball and softball and volunteers with the St. Michael Friends of the Library. Jake also enjoys experimenting with plants in his yard, especially his

Frankenstein apple trees of many fruits.

101 ways to save water, lower your carbon footprint, promote biodiversity, and much more all in and around your home garden.

Finding Gratitude in Gardening

Kim Kane

Kim Kane is a retired educator; serving over 34 years. In addition, Kim is a national trainer/presenter on a variety of topics, with a primary focus on living in gratitude. Her book Sparkle On is an award winning one that emphasizes the importance of gratitude in our lives as we age and experience life. In addition to this book, she is one of the authors in the anthology book: Her Path Forward.

Kim entertains and informs many all around the world. Her mix of stories, both humorous and tender-hearted, help to create the sense that you are in her living room or garden having a personal conversation over a cup of coffee, or more often than not, a glass of wine. She takes ordinary experiences and creates stories filled with extraordinary learning and moments of gratitude for everyday living. This has become even more important as she partners her love of gardening with experiencing gratitude.

In attending this workshop, we will learn how gardening in some form brings us to a place of feeling gratitude. We will define gratitude and the important role it plays in our lives and weave in how gardening, big or small, can fill the soul. This session will address the importance of how nurturing gardens provides nurturing and healing for ourselves, importance of being mindful in creating space in our gardens to experience a feeling of gratitude, as well as setting a plan/goal for gardens and why this is important to help our focus and get the most out of our precious garden season.

Just Grow Up! 

The Ups and Downs of Vertical Gardening

Robin Trott

U of MN Extension Educator, Douglas County

Robin Trott is a well-known speaker, columnist, radio host, and horticulturist, currently serving as the University of Minnesota Extension Horticulture Educator in Douglas County. Drawing on extensive experience growing a variety of plants, from Ageratum to Zucchini, Trott offers a special insight into tackling and solving gardening issues. Her passionate commitment to sharing gardening knowledge shines through in her lively sessions, guaranteeing that every learning opportunity is not just informative but also captivating.

Explore the art and practicality of growing plants in small or unconventional spaces by going vertical! Whether you’re working with a compact backyard, a balcony, or just want to add dimension to your garden, this workshop will guide you through innovative techniques for vertical gardening. Learn about trellises, living walls, container towers, and other creative solutions to maximize your space while growing flowers, herbs, or vegetables. Discover the benefits, challenges, and strategies for successful vertical gardening and bring your garden to new heights!

Meet Your Local Master Gardeners 

Wright County Master Gardeners

Drop by the Art Room if you are looking for a quieter opportunity to engage with Wright County Master Gardeners. This is an opportunity for you to ask gardening related questions, see how the Wright County Master Gardeners impact our local communities, learn how to become a Master Gardener, or participate in a garden related activity

Humane Critter Control

Theresa Rooney

U of MN Master Gardener, Hennepin County

Theresa Rooney loves gardening in a small, turf-free, urban yard where she can indulge in her laziness and life-long love of nature. Theresa uses permaculture, sustainability practices, and lots of humor to work with the plants and animals within her ecosystem. Her yard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat. While mostly self-taught, Theresa incorporates much of her Master Gardener (Hennepin County) education and experience into her gardening practices.

When not catering to her pets, cooking, 'learning stuff', or reading murder mysteries, Theresa can be found talking about or teaching gardening. Theresa can be heard on WCCO radio "Smart Garden" about once per month.

Theresa Rooney is also the author of Humane Critter Control.

Theresa Rooney will share ideas to help us live with the critters we share our yards and gardens with. She will talk about preventive and reactive measures we can use, and will share ideas on how we having a flexible mindset can help too. 

Questions encouraged.

Growing and Using Herbs in Minnesota

Eva Knudsen 

U of MN Master Gardener, Anoka County

Eva Knudsen has been an Anoka County Master Garden for 30 years and specializes in insects, their habitat, growing foods and sustainable landscaping.

Whether you're envisioning a small container garden or a raised bed in your yard, herbs are a fantastic addition to any space, serving a wide range of purposes from providing food for pollinators to culinary and medicinal. From your garden to your table, and every step in between, come join Eva as she guides you through planting, growing, harvesting, preserving, and cooking with herbs.