New gardeners and a philosophical take on gardening


Fri. Feb. 5, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: New gardeners and a philosophical take on gardening

With Covid-19 came a huge increase in new gardeners. Gardening offers so much more than the flowers, the vegetables, the shrubs and trees.

It’s enjoying the sunshine, the playing in the dirt, the thrill of creating something and watching nature do her magic. It brings an appreciation for our planet that we don’t always see in busy lives.

It’s my hope that this slow-down in running from here to there  … [Continue reading]

EAB, wasps and replacement trees


Thu. Feb. 4, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: EAB, wasps and replacement trees

Emerald Ash Borer is alive and well. So many cities that planted all Ash trees are now faced with Ash tree removal and naked boulevards. 

This is a good reason to use diverse plantings. Scientists working to contain EAB with progress using a type of wasp. The parasitoid wasp flies through the forest, heavy with eggs, following the scent of beetle infestation.

She locates a promising tree, lands and finds beetle larvae feeding  … [Continue reading]

Cankers and galls, oh my!


Wed. Feb. 3, 2021

Click on the link below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Cankers and galls, oh my!

Do you suffer from galls or cankers?

I just have to grin when I hear that.  The thought of some medication commercial coming up with side effects so horrific, I’d rather have a canker!  Maybe …

With all the leaves gone on our trees and shrubs, it’s a good time to take a careful look at their branches for galls or cankers.

Cankers and Galls [University of Minnesota Extension] This  … [Continue reading]

Milkweed and more milkweed!


Tue. Feb. 2, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Milkweed and more milkweed!

Milkweed, THE monarch magnet!

But it’s not just the common milkweed.  There are, in fact, several options. I’ll get to those.  Part of the massive decline of the monarch is weather related.  Early, warm springs tend to be associated with low monarch numbers. Habitat loss, is the number one reason for the decline.

While the common milkweed is easiest to grow and smells wonderful, there is also the ‘Rose Milkweed’ which prefers the soil  … [Continue reading]

New plants for 2021


Mon. Feb. 1, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: New plants for 2021

It’s the start of a new week, a new month and new plants!

Lantana is an annual that adds beauty AND nectar filled blooms that attract bountiful butterflies and bees! Luscious Royale ‘Red Zone’ is the 2021 introduction from Proven Winners.

Small fire red flowers are packed into clusters on deep green foliage. This mounded form can grow from 12 to 24 inches tall and wide. Gorgeous in containers or hanging baskets all season  … [Continue reading]

Forget me nots


Fri. Jan. 29, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Forget me nots

Some friends of mine live on land that’s in a State Park. Every spring they have a sea of blue in their yard. It’s not because it’s all that natural, but because, when their daughter was little she received a packet of Forget-Me-Nots.

I don’t know anyone that has donated for some school activity that hasn’t received a packet of Forget-me-Nots.

You can still almost see where they were tossed and Forgotten About! These  … [Continue reading]

Companion planting


Thu. Jan. 28, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Companion planting

Gazing out at a winter wonderland, I’m making soup using herbs from last year.  They are a wonderful family of plants. They offer fragrance, taste, medicinal properties and they repel some pests.

They offer fragrance, taste, medicinal properties and they repel some pests.  While not always substantiated by University based information, there are a number of books and articles, as well as old gardeners around that swear by the use of herbs and companion planting.

So  … [Continue reading]

Things that keep the birds away


Wed. Jan. 27, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Things that keep the birds away

One of the joys of winter is feeding the birds. But there are some things we do that keep them away.

Cats is one of the first things. In my neighborhood we have a lot of stray cats, one of the neighbors feeds them.

Don’t be THAT guy. While he’s trying to be kind, it’s not helpful to the bird population! Something I USED to do, give birds my stale bread. This  … [Continue reading]

Bunnies – the good, the bad and monitoring your plants


Tue. Jan. 26, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Bunnies – the good, the bad and monitoring your plants

It’s always a good idea to monitor your shrubs and newly planted trees this time of year to see if there’s been bunny, vole or deer damage.

If you wrapped the new trees with hardware cloth or put chicken wire around your shrubs, then good for you, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about!  I’ve lost a few shrubs by not paying attention.

Hardware cloth comes in a  … [Continue reading]

Native grasses


Mon. Jan. 25, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Native grasses

I talked about native salt tolerant plants last Friday, today it’s about grasses. As we know, using native plants in your landscape offers a lot of benefits other than just beauty.

Such as:

  • wide diversity – with an established track record
  • don’t require a lot of extra attention – just the right sun/shade and soil
  • environmentally friendly – they belong here, or there, depending on where you live!

Prairie Dropseed is a favorite of mine.  The  … [Continue reading]