Educational Resources

Missouri Botanical Garden - Plant Finder

Look up, view a photo, and read about the over 7,500 plants. Search by scientific name, common name and/or selected plant characteristics to find the name of the plant you’re looking at.

Prairie Moon Nursery - Guides & Information on Native Plants

This native plant nursery, located in Winona MN, also serves as a helpful catalog and resource on a huge variety of native plants. Look up site conditions, soil preferences, and ecological benefits of a specific native plant you’re thinking about.

Pollinator Partnership - Ecoregional Planting Guides

Invite pollinators to your neighborhood by planting a pollinator friendly habitat in your garden. These ecoregional planting guides, tailored to specific zip codes, can provide a free guide for selecting plants for pollinators relevant to your area.

Out Back Native Flora Nursery & Landscaping - Informative Catalog

This native plant nursery, located in Hastings MN, provides a helpful online catalog that includes useful information when designing a new garden, such as: bloom time, bloom color, fruit color, fall color, and other physical characteristics that help with envisioning aesthetic.

Recommended Materials

  • Barrina 4FT T8 Plant Grow Lights

    Great full spectrum grow lights for a new setup. They are best used for seedlings. They fit perfectly on a 4ft wide rack.

    ~$100

  • Suståne Compost Tea Bags

    Steep these “tea” bags in a gallon of water overnight, and use to water seedlings or grown plants. Provides nutrients and microbes for healthy growth.

    ~$11

  • Seedling Trays

    Use standard-sized trays to fit standard-sized containers.

    Prices Vary

  • Cowsmo Soils & Compost

    Cowsmo is a local (WI) soil and compost producer that can often be found sold at food coop plant sales. You can also purchase directly from them for bulk orders.

    Prices Vary

  • Blood Meal - High Nitrogen (N) Fertilizer

    Have you tested your soil? Your soils may already have sufficient levels of phosphorous (P) and potassium (K), so adding an “all-purpose” fertilizer with equal parts N-P-K can actually be harmful to your soil and surrounding ecosystems. Blood meal is the best fertilizer for adding N only.

    ~$15

  • Alfalfa Meal - High Nitrogen (N) Fertilizer

    Alfalfa meal is less intense than blood meal (lower N value), but is a great vegetarian alternative. Unlike blood meal, it will break down and contribute to the microbial activity in your soil (sort of like compost). Add it to the top of the soil surrounding the plant stem.

    Prices Vary