Val-o-ween 2026: Why This Is the Most Expensive Tulip Year in Decades By Diana Pierce, January 28, 2026 Inside the tulip growing greenhouse, Len Busch Roses. Photo: Diana Pierce Inside the floral industry, Valentine’s Day has earned a nickname: Val-o-ween. Like Halloween for candy retailers, it’s the single most critical sales window of the year—except it happens in the dead of winter, when nearly every risk in flower production can converge at once. In 2026, those risks are

Wednesday, January 21, 2026 By Diana Pierce Fuschia Phalaenopsis Orchids. Photo: Diana Pierce Winter has a way of lingering in Minnesota—gray skies, bitter cold, snowbanks that refuse to budge. If you’re craving something alive and colorful right now, orchids might be exactly what you need. Despite their reputation for being finicky, orchids are far more adaptable than most people think. Their blooms can last for months, and many return year after year if conditions are right

6 Smart Steps Northern Gardeners Need to Know Before Ordering by Diana Pierce, January 14, 2026 Seed Display Case, Bachman’s. Photo: Diana Pierce January is when the seeds displays go up and seed catalogs start arriving. I don’t know about you but I get that familiar feeling of wanting everything . If winter feels endless and this wall of seed packets suddenly looks like hope, you are not alone. Before you start circling everything in the catalogs, I talked with Master Garden

Expert Do’s and Don’ts from the University of Minnesota Extension By Diana Pierce, Jan. 7th, 2026 Kalanchoe rainbow of colors at garden center. Photo: Diana Pierce Winter is tough on indoor plants. It’s not because we’re doing everything wrong, but because light, humidity, and routines quietly change after the holidays. Drooping leaves, pale growth, or plants that seem “stuck” are common winter signals, not failures. To help make sense of these winter signals, I turned to Lau