Gardeners use native plants for several reasons. For many, their initial attraction is to native plants’ reputation for being low maintenance, as well as their ability to survive difficult soil and weather conditions. But equally appealing is the joy of connecting with nature and our state’s natural heritage and the satisfaction of creating a real sense of place rather than just another cookie-cutter landscape. "Landscaping with Native Plants of Minnesota" is the first book designed to help you identify Minnesota’s native plants and plant communities and to demonstrate how to use them effectively in a typical home landscape. In this book you’ll find the basic gardening information you need for working with the native plants of Minnesota. You’ll learn what level of native-plant landscaping is right for you and get valuable information on the process of designing a natural garden that fits your lifestyle and family. You’ll also find lots of plant lists for specific styles of gardens. In the Gallery of Gardens section, you’ll be inspired by what your fellow Minnesota gardeners have done with native plants in their own landscapes, including a prairie restoration, a suburban woodland garden, and a garden for wildlife. The Native Plant Profiles section includes comprehensive descriptions of some 600 species of flowers and groundcovers, trees, shrubs, vines, evergreens, grasses, and ferns native to Minnesota, as well as information on planting, maintenance, and landscape uses for each plant. About the Author: Lynn M. Steiner is one of the best-known gardening writers in Minnesota. Her enthusiasm for native plants and gardening stems from her childhood curiosity about all things natural as well as 20 years of tending her own extensive home gardens. For 15 years she was the editor of Northern Gardener magazine, and under her direction it earned several awards for ""Overall Excellence"" from the Minnesota Magazine & Publications Association.
Lynn Steiner has been a professional garden writer since 1987, focusing her writing since 2003 on native plants and how to bring them into home landscapes. As a popular speaker she travels extensively, visiting natural areas, native plant landscapes, and botanical gardens wherever she goes.
Lynn grew up in northeastern Wisconsin, where she spent many enjoyable hours hiking and camping in the north woods. She has a Bachelor of Science in natural resources from the University of Wisconsin and a master's degree in horticulture with a minor in agricultural journalism from the University of Minnesota.
Lynn is the author of four books on using native plants in gardens and landscapes and is working on a book on rain gardens. "Landscaping with Native Plants of Minnesota" was a finalist in the 2006 Minnesota Book Awards in the Science and Nature Category. "Landscaping with Native Plants of Michigan" was named a Michigan Notable Book for 2007.
Lynn lives with her husband, a golden retriever, and two cats on a 100-year-old farmstead in east-central Minnesota, where she enjoys tending her gardens, watching the progress of her restored prairie and oak woodland, and hunting for native plants in the surrounding countryside.
