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

Your most-loved stories of 2025 + plants to watch in 2026 By Diana Pierce, December 31, 2025 On this last day of 2025, I keep thinking about unexpected moments — the ones that arrive without announcement and change everything that follows. The moment a peony found its name-”Angelic Diana.” Photo: Keith Swenson Within moments of standing near this peony, with my camera in hand, Keith Swenson, owner of Swenson Peony Gardens, turned to me and said, “We should name it Angelic Dia

A quiet Christmas Eve note, and a song shared with you. By Diana Pierce, December 24, 2025 Christmas Eve doesn’t look the same for everyone. Some are gathering. Some are traveling. Some are staying close to home. Many of you know me through flowers and gardens and perhaps news reporting. But fewer know that singing has always been another way I share a story. Today, if you’d like a quiet moment, I wanted to offer this: my recording of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas ..

You'll Want to See This! By Diana Pierce, Dec. 17, 2025 Credit: Como Conservatory Webcam After the holiday meals are cleared and packages put away, you might be up for adventure—before you settle in for your long winter’s nap. In a recent poll, you told me what you wanted: Minnesota nature ideas, seasonal inspiration, and garden destinations. So here are adventures happening right now, whether you’re entertaining grandkids, meeting up with friends, or exploring solo. Shhh...

Start Growing Your Own Version Indoors Right Now By Diana Pierce, Dec. 10, 2025 Pantone Color Chip - Cloud Dancer (11-4201 TCX) from Pantone.com Pantone surprised everyone last week. The Color of the Year for 2026 isn’t bold or bright—it’s white. More specifically, Cloud Dancer, a soft, serene shade that feels like an exhale. The best part? You can start growing your own version of it today, right on your kitchen counter. White may seem like a “non-color,” but Pantone describ

When flowers sleep, evergreens take the spotlight By Diana Pierce, Dec. 3, 2025 Andrew Monson and Diana. Photo: Bachman’s staff. This time of year, my garden storytelling shifts from petals to pines. They’re wide awake and ready for their moment. Whether you’re browsing premium trees at your favorite garden center while it’s snowing or venturing into a National Forest with a $5 permit and a saw, finding the perfect Christmas tree is its own kind of bloom—one that fills your h

(You'll Want Everything!) by Diana Pierce, November 26, 2025 Diana standing in Bachman’s Greenhouse with Red Poinsettias. Photo: Bachman’s This photo of me taking pictures of the season’s #1 blooms captures what I love doing best. But my holiday gift guide was inspired by something even better: meeting the Schafer, Peterson, Adamietz and Sund friend group from Savage at this year’s Gertens Poinsettia tour. Schafer, Peterson, Adamietz and Sund friends. Photo: Michael Helmke Th

-A Pet Parent's Holiday Plant Guide- By Diana Pierce, November 19, 2025. Megan the cat looking directly at holiday greenery. Photo: John Plut. The holidays are officially here, and with Thanksgiving just a week away, our homes are about to get a whole lot more festive—and a whole lot more tempting for curious pets. From the poinsettia on your dining table to the amaryllis your neighbor brings as a host gift, this is prime time for our four-legged family members to investigate

Floral ideas for your Thanksgiving table By Diana Pierce, November 5th, 2025 Photo: Diana Pierce Now that November is here, I don’t know about you, but I’ve started thinking about our upcoming holiday season. Looking online, I’m seeing recipe after recipe on what to serve our friends and family on Turkey Day—green bean casserole, stuffing variations, the perfect roasted turkey. But what about the blooms we might like to have on our tables or sideboards? Just like you’d follow

Minnesota Blooms From Altar to Winter by Diana Pierce, Oct. 29, 2025 From golden marigolds honoring ancestors to the first spruce pots of the season — discover how our gardens, traditions, and communities keep blooming forward, even as the year grows quiet. Monica Vega with her Ofrenda (altar) at the Minneapolis Farmers Market. Photo: Diana Pierce Honoring Those We’ve Loved Community Ofrenda at the Weisman - Día de los Muertos Wednesday, October 29 | 5–8 p.m. University of M

Where nature's beauty takes a spooky turn By Diana Pierce, Oct. 22, 2025 Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscuipula) . Photo: Diana Pierce Welcome to the Dark Side of the Garden This Halloween, I'm looking past the pumpkins to the blooms that bite back. Some lure their prey with sweetness. Others defend themselves with poison or perfume. And a few — like the ones we've seen in pop culture — have become icons of nature's darker side. If you've ever wondered what Wednesday Addams, or Pr

A Second Bloom for Veterans By Diana Pierce, Oct. 15, 2025 Mourners honoring a loved one. Photo: Ivan Samkov, Pexels. With Veterans Day approaching on November 11th, many of us will honor those who served — perhaps by thanking a veteran in person, sharing their story, or visiting a cemetery to remember those we’ve lost. While Memorial Day in spring is traditionally the time for decorating veterans’ graves with flowers, the gesture carries meaning any time of year. Those bloom

Meet the couple behind fall's most diverse pumpkin display by Diana Pierce, Oct. 8, 2025 The Arboretum’s Pumpkin Tree on Dahlberg Terrace...

From your porch to the ends of the earth by Diana Pierce October 1st, 2025 Fall finally feels like it’s arriving here in Minnesota, even...

This Year's Surprising Prairie Seed Harvest September 24, 2025- by Diana Pierce Wild lupine created false hope for seed collectors who...

By Diana Pierce Fresh Cuttings- September 17, 2025 As autumn begins to peek through, there’s still plenty of bloom color waiting to be...

Following Arnie Sachs on his journey to the Nationals by Diana Pierce, Sept. 10th, 2025 Arnie Sachs, who is 6 feet tall, standing next to...