Twenty years ago, Marilynn and Tom Torkelson moved into their new home in the rolling suburb of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, about 20 miles west of Minneapolis. Traditional gardeners, their primary interest was growing veggies and their biggest crop was turf grass. Continue reading "Member Garden: Marilynn and Tom Torkelson"
When Carol and Bob Niendorf purchased their home in 1987, there was minimal landscaping. Basically just two pines and three birch trees surrounded their home that was carved out of a 160-acre farm dating back to 1850. Continue reading "Member Garden: Carol and Bob Niendorf"
Todd Crail knows you don’t need a big to make a big impact. Crail of Toledo, Ohio, has only one-fifth acre city lot, but that lot, named the Metal House Farm and Preserve, is brimming with gardens that represent different communities of plants, as well as food gardens, chickens and just enough turf grass to […] Continue reading "Member Garden: Todd Crail"
Since 1972, it has been a work in progress. But in that time Ken and Judy Sikora, of Howard, Wisconsin, have transformed their yard once filled mainly with grass into a private nature preserve. Continue reading "Member Garden: Ken and Judy Sikora"
You can easily grow native elderberry (Sambucus L. ssp. canadensis) in semi-shaded areas with moist loam or clay soils, or in rain gardens. Their wild habitat is floodplains, shorelines and edges of swampy woods. Continue reading "Native Elderberry"
Starting from scratch took on new meaning for Kathy McDonald when she downsized and moved to an older home five years ago. Continue reading "Member Garden: Kathy McDonald"
Few voices in conservation have left as lasting an impact as Aldo Leopold. Known as a pioneer of modern wildlife ecology and land ethics, Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac continues to inspire those passionate about preserving and restoring the natural world. This timeless classic serves as a reminder of our responsibility to live in harmony with the land. Celebrate Leopold’s legacy by exploring his reflections on conservation and learning how to build a Leopold Bench – a practical and symbolic piece that embodies his philosophy. Continue reading "The Words of Aldo Leopold Never Grow Old"
When Dennis Nagan became ill with severe systemic rheumatoid rthritis, he could no longer get to boats or take long drives to north” anymore. So he brought “up north” to his backyard in Appleton, Wisconsin. Continue reading "Member Garden: Dennis Nagan"
In 1979, Margy Terpstra designed a garden for hummingbirds at their first home, hoping to attract the small, colorful bird to their yard. But she got more than hummingbirds. “The more birds I saw in the es, the more I wanted to learn about them,” she recalled. “Dan gave me a good pair of binoculars […] Continue reading "Member Garden: Margy and Dan Terpstra"
One of the most critical roles plants play in nature is supporting food webs—that is, all of the animal life as it exists and interacts in our ecosystems; it is in performing this essential ecosystem service that plants introduced from other parts of the Earth, do not measure up to our native species, in serving […] Continue reading "A Mystery Explored: Maintaining Biodiversity"