The basics on autumn colors
On average, peak tree leaf color in the Twin Cities is from mid-September to mid-October, but this year the color seems somewhat delayed. With the exception of …
Archive by category Outdoors
News and articles pertaining to our parks, events, gardening, and cooking!
Squirreling around
Written by Sarah Dugan, Naturalist, Kroening Nature Center Tree squirrels may be one of our most familiar, and sometimes troublesome, animal neighbors. The …
Trees along our Mississippi
This article was written by Rachel Putnam, Kroening Naturalist During the long dry summer, we have watched the Mississippi River water levels get lower and …
Fall yard and garden tips
September did not prove to be as great a gardening month as I had hoped. The temperatures were up and down and all over the thermometer. Some days the …
To-do list for basic fall gardening
Unbelievably, we are nearing the end of August and entering September, the beginning of meteorological autumn. Where have the days and weeks …
Buckthorn — bad for plants, animals, and you
Written by Madeline Vang, Kroening Outdoor Ed. Intern Common Buckthorn, also known as European Buckthorn or Rhamnus Cathartica, has been listed as a restricted …
Best ways to water your plants
In spite of the boatload of snow that fell last winter, we are experiencing our third summer of extreme drought. My summer water bill is rivaling my winter …
Amazing dragonflies
Written by Rachel Putnam Summer is a great time for watching dragonflies. Whether you are in the park or your neighborhood, chances are you’ll be lucky …
The sweet smells of summer
By Sarah Dugan, Naturalist, Kroening Nature Center One of the joys of summertime is the chance to see, and smell, so many flowers in bloom. While many gardens …
Jumping worms?!
It seems that all I am doing lately is talking about invasive pests that threaten our gardens. Several years ago I wrote about a threat to Minnesota …