Apple Valley Garden Club

07/17/2025

The dreaded Japanese beetles have been having a feast on my zinnias. 😡 Here is what you should do if you see a beetle with white eggs on their back!

Japanese beetles, an invasive species in Minnesota, become more active from late July through August. These beetles are destructive to plant life, feeding on the leaves, flowers, and fruit of over 300 plant species.

As you spot them in your garden or neighborhood, take a closer look - some may have tiny, white eggs stuck to their backs. These are the eggs of the winsome fly, a parasitoid insect introduced as a biocontrol for Japanese beetles. When the eggs hatch, the larvae enter the beetle and eventually kill it, helping to reduce beetle numbers over time.

See a beetle with eggs? Take a photo and report it to iNaturalist to support research and monitoring! For more information, visit: https://z.umn.edu/ParSciTIPS

© Brett Ortler, CC BY 4.0

04/29/2025

We had quite the crew working this morning to clean up our gardens at Redwood Park. It’s almost time for flowers!

02/18/2025

Are you looking at revamping your gardens this year? Take a look at this opportunity.

NEWS RELEASE: Anyone who lives in Minnesota and has an outdoor space for planting is eligible to apply for a fall 2025 Lawns to Legumes grant.

The Lawns to Legumes program aims to increase habitat for at-risk pollinators in residential settings across the state by providing reimbursement-based funding, workshops, coaching and gardening resources. People who live in Minnesota and have a yard, deck, or other outdoor space for planting can apply to be reimbursed for up to $400 in costs associated with establishing new pollinator habitat. The program is available to both Minnesota homeowners and renters.

HOW TO APPLY: Lawns to Legumes is administered by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) in partnership with Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water. Apply for Fall 2025 grants on Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water’s website: https://buff.ly/3AII7hC

MORE INFO: https://buff.ly/3WGhDs0

Photo provided by a Lawns to Legumes gardener.

10/25/2024

What a fun evening with Dot-A-Doodle Art! Check out some of our beautiful works of art.

Interested in joining our club and joining us for events like this? Regular meetings will start back up in February! Send us a message and we will get you the details.

06/15/2024

How are your patio pots looking? Club member Jane’s pot is loving all the sun and rain! Share your pic in the comments ☀️ 🌺

05/19/2024

Still thinking about our plant sale this morning! The weather was perfect and lots of plants headed off to their new homes. See you next year… Or better yet, let us know if you are interested in joining us for year around fun and become a member today!

04/25/2024

Planning your stops for the spring plant sales around the Twin Cities? Don't forget to include Apple Valley Garden Club on your list!

12/08/2023

One of our lovely members shared this with us. Happy planning, friends!!

Winter is no reason to stop gardening - even if it's only making plans!

09/29/2023

At tonight’s meeting we learned about the art of forest bathing! We took a sensory filled walk around Redwood Park as day turned to dusk. Thank you Kristen for teaching us something new!