The dirt: Ask a Master Gardener

Updated: June 19, 2012 - 12:51 PM

Also: Honor the Queen with roses, hardscaping how-tos and some rosy advice.

"Growing Roses in Cold Climates" by Richard Hass and Jerry Olson.

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Ask a Master Gardener

How do you prevent insects from munching on your plants? How do you attract butterflies to your garden? Submit your gardening questions to the University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners online and get a research-based answer by the next day.

Visit www.extension.umn .edu/master-gardener/ask, type in your question, attach a photo if you like and submit. A Master Gardener will respond to your e-mail. Be sure to check out the U of M Extension Garden website (www.extension.umn .edu/garden) for the latest gardening information. Archives of answered gardening questions can also be searched at www.extension.org/horticulture.

Queen of Roses

The Twin Cities Rose Club show "Roses for the Jubilee" honors Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, from 1 to 5 p.m. Sat. and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun., Bachman's 6010 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls. Rose experts will answer questions about care and cultivation. Free. Call 612-861-7311.

How-to hardscapes

A smart way to extend your living space is by creating outdoor rooms with concrete pavers, retaining walls and other hardscapes. Bachman's will hold how-to seminars from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and June 30, 6010 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls. Free. Call 612-861-7311.

LYNN UNDERWOOD

Rosy advice

Roses are a thorny subject for many gardeners, but "Growing Roses for Cold Climates" (University of Minnesota Press, $34.95) takes the sting out with practical advice, straightforward direction and good old-fashioned Minnesota know-how.

Authors Richard Haas, Jerry Olson and John Whitman first published their rose book in 1998, and the revised and updated edition came out this year. It's easy to see why it is so popular just by reading the preface, where the authors' sage encouragement is peppered with reassurances that roses, just like all living things, "require care and a reasonable amount of effort and time to flourish."

The authors acknowledge that roses have a reputation for being difficult to grow, but they invite you to dig in and overcome fear of roses, giving reliable advice that appeals to every type of gardener, from beginner to expert.

This book won't sit on a shelf; rather it's one that will likely end up with bent corners on favorite pages and dirt smudges throughout chapters with names like "Understanding Roses" and "Solving Rose-Growing Problems." This soft-cover book is divided into two main parts and also has two appendixes crammed with supplementary information.

NANCY HUDDLESTON

Special to the Star Tribune