Dangers for birds eating from feeders in the winter include contaminated food, injury or disease.
Written By:
Jennifer Knutson | U of M Extension Master Gardener | 4:00 am, Jan. 3, 2021 ×
Photo courtesy Metro Newspaper Service
Dear Master Gardener: I’m worried about the backyard birds getting enough to eat in the winter. Is it a good idea to have bird feeders?
Answer: Winter is a favorite time to take care of our feathered friends. However, there are both positive and negative consequences to feeding them. Some of the risks include: contaminated food or feeders, window collisions, and increased dependence on supplemental food. Many birds have been killed because of disease outbreaks at feeders, so it is extremely important to keep them clean and disinfected. If a feeder is designed where birds can easily contaminate food with their droppings, this also increases the risk of disease.
Ask the Master Gardener: The potency of a potager is in its practicality for produce
A potager, French term for kitchen garden or vegetable garden, is an ornamental kitchen garden that combines aesthetics and practicality.
Written By:
Jennifer Knutson | U of M Extension Master Gardener | 2:00 am, Dec. 19, 2020 ×
Dear Master Gardener: What is a potager?
Answer: Potager is the French term for kitchen garden or vegetable garden. It comes from the French word potage, which means soup, so a potager provides the ingredients for soup. Potagers were established in monasteries by French monks in the 16th century to provide food and medicinal herbs. The Potager du Roi (kitchen garden of the king), designed in the 17th century, was part of the elaborate gardens at Versailles under the reign of King Louis XIV. It still exists today and is used for teaching purposes for landscape architects.
Research, indoor projects and preparation for spring are good options for gardeners in winter.
Written By:
Jennifer Knutson and Jackie Burkey | U of M Extension Master Gardeners | 9:00 am, Dec. 12, 2020 ×
Books on gardening are one way to occupy your time during the long winter months. Photo by Jennifer Knutson
Dear Master Gardener: What do Master Gardeners in Minnesota do during the winter?
Answer: Hunker down next to a cozy fire with a stack of tantalizing gardening books and magazines and a mug of cocoa. After all, now that gardening season and chores are on hold for a few months (or five), we have time to read up on the latest horticulture research. And in this frozen tundra we call home, we are still doing volunteer work, such as this column, for the University of Minnesota Extension. Please keep your horticultural questions coming to