Green Thumb Extension Master Gardeners

04/10/2026

Don't let the nice weather trick you!

In case anyone was wondering... no, you still shouldn't plant your garden yet. Our typical last frost of the year is still a couple weeks away yet. Be patient!

04/09/2026

Now is the perfect time to add spring interest to your garden with spring blooming bulbs! We have our tried and true Friends and Family mix (pre-chilled and ready to plant!) that features different daffodils along with pink tulips. This mix blooms up to 6 weeks! This mix is mostly made of naturalizing daffodils so you will have years of blooms. This mix has a total of 25 bulbs for $20.

New this year is our Blue and White Camassia mix. These beauties are relatives of the hyacinth and bloom in very early spring. Camassia features star shaped flowers that bloom from top to bottom on stalks that reach 22 inches tall. This mix comes with 5 blue and 5 white camassia bulbs for $15

Funds from this fundraiser are used to improve the Butterfly Garden located in Indianfields Park on M-81.

To purchase message the page to set up a meet!

04/07/2026

It's starting to look like spring at the Butterfly Garden! Early blooming bulbs have pushed through the leaf litter and are pushing lots of green growth! We should have the first blooms in the next few weeks!

Have you strolled through the garden lately? We found evidence of fun at the garden too! Check the comments to find out what it was!

04/07/2026

We couldn't agree more with Gardening in Michigan!

Callery pears are just about to bloom in Southeast Michigan. What's the best way to prune a Callery pear? 2 inches from the ground. 🤣

Callery pears are just about to bloom in Southeast Michigan. What's the best way to prune a Callery pear? 2 inches from the ground. 🤣

04/03/2026

What is something that would make Friday even better?

A bag of pre-chilled daffodil and tulip bulbs! Perfect for spring blooms!

Add some pansies for added color and interest!

Comment below if you want to snag a bag or two or more!

03/16/2026

Hello March weather! 70⁰ one day and 32⁰ the next! I don't know about you but I have been trying to think spring without getting too far ahead. Seed starting is in fill swing for me but I am running out of grow light space. So naturally I am looking outdoors! My porch pots are looking pretty sad. Then, light bulb! I can plant my pre-chilled tulip and daffodil mix in them! They will be glorious come April/May! I don't want to hog them all, I have several bags ready to go 25 mixed bulbs (heavy on the daffodils) for $20. The other option we have is a blue and white camassia bag, 10 bulbs for $15. These are beautiful tall spring bulbs that will multiply in the years to come!

Photo is of my pots with the tulip/daffodil mix in April of last year. The mix has mid and late blooming daffodils and tulips.

*cat not for sale*

02/18/2026

Right now — late February through early March — is the pruning sweet spot for most deciduous fruit trees 🌳✂️ Dormant wood heals faster, disease pressure is at its lowest, and you can see the entire branch structure clearly without a single leaf in the way.

- Apple trees — remove water sprouts, crossing branches, and anything growing toward the center to open the canopy for summer airflow and even fruit ripening
- Pear trees — thin out dense upright growth now because pears naturally grow narrow and tight, which traps moisture and invites fire blight once warm rain arrives
- Plum trees — take out dead wood and inward-facing branches while dormant because stone fruits are highly vulnerable to silver leaf disease if pruned in wet weather later
- Cherry trees — prune only during this dry dormant window because cherries are the most disease-prone fruit tree and every late-season cut risks bacterial canker infection
- Grape vines — cut back last year's growth to 2-3 buds per spur now because grapes bleed heavily once sap rises in March, weakening the vine before it even leafs out

Once sap starts moving, every cut becomes an open wound that bleeds sugar water and attracts fungal spores and boring insects — that is why this two-week window matters more than any other pruning advice you will read this year.

02/03/2026

Check out this beautiful winter interest out at the Butterfly Garden! Master Gardener Brenda Bauer captured these photos while attending the Caro Area District Library's Night Hike!

Leaving the plants at the end of the year provides forage for the birds and small animals along with providing visual interest. Hardscape items such as arbors, rocks and fountains also provide year long interest.

01/30/2026

One of the easiest quick adds you can make to your garden is a clipped on tool pot.

I just clip a decent size plastic pot right onto my cattle panel trellis, then drop a smaller pot down inside it. That inner pot holds all the little things that always seem to disappear when you need them. Garden clips, string, scissors, twist ties, or a spare hand tool.

I put these all around the garden so there is always one within arm’s reach. No more walking back to the shed or setting tools down in the dirt and losing them. It sounds simple, but it saves a surprising amount of time.

Spider proofing tip. Drill a couple small drainage holes in the bottom of the outer pot and dust a light ring of diatomaceous earth around the inside rim. You can also tuck a cotton ball with a few drops of peppermint oil under the inner pot. Spiders hate both and will usually move on.

Simple. Cheap. Practical. And once you try it, you will want one everywhere.

What is one small setup in your garden that makes a big difference for you?

01/25/2026

Interesting concept

01/12/2026

01/08/2026

If you are wondering what trees are around the Butterfly Garden when visiting, check out this identification guide from MSU. Let us know what trees you can spot!

Download the newest copy of Identifying Trees of Michigan from MSU Extension! Learn about the 75+ different species of native trees that grow in our state: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/identifying-trees-of-michigan-e2332-revised-2022