with Teri Knight
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]
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]
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:
Prairie Dropseed is a favorite of mine. The … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Native salt tolerant plants
While our weather has been strange, pretty “warm” temperatures for most of us in the Midwest, we have had some snow… and that means salt trucks are out. Many municipalities are working on ways to reduce the use, still, we do need to keep folks safe on the roads.
That said, we know is that our plants are not fond of the seasoning. Road salt can damage plants by interfering with their water uptake … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Orchid Care
Did you receive an orchid as a gift this season? Phalaenopsis orchids are the most popular indoor houseplant gift. Catching your eye in the produce aisle of the grocery store or in local garden centers, they can often be an impulse buy.
The good news is they are relatively easy care. Light and watering, however, are always an issue with houseplants.
The American Orchid Society recommends using a pencil or wooden skewer to determine whether an … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Vegetable garden cost comparison
I’ve talked about this many times before and continue to get the question…
Do you really save money planting your own vegetable garden? That depends. Things to consider:
Your first … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Resolutions!
We’re into the 3rd full week of January and by now most of us have already recanted some of those silly resolutions we made in week one! I broke my resolution when that Snickers Bar wouldn’t leave me alone till I ate it. They can be relentless.
I shared earlier about resolving to start a garden journal. I hope you’ll do that.
There are also a few plant resolutions that I would like to share with you. … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Pantone Color of the Year 2021
Each year, Pantone comes out with their choice of Color of the Year. For 2021 I couldn’t be happier at the color, or rather colors, they chose this year! A beautiful yellow called “Illuminating” and… “Ultimate Gray”.
You might wonder why they would choose a gray? I did too. But hear them out, the message these colors together send is of happiness supported by fortitude. They continue… the combination of Ultimate … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Annual of the Year 2021 by NGB
What better annual to start 2021 than the Sunflower. Named annual of the year for 2021 by the National Garden Bureau (NGB), there are so many bright, cheerful shades of yellow, orange and even burgundy. The flowers follow the sun. That’s my mantra for 2021, follow the sun, that bright, warming light!
Sunflowers originated in the Americas and domestic seeds dating back to 2100 BC have been found in Mexico. … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Perennial of the Year 2021 – Monarda
The national Garden Bureau has selected Monarda as the Plant of the Year for 2021. To be honest I thought, REALLY? It’s prone to powdery mildew and can get leggy. Well, I had another think coming.
Also known as BeeBalm, this plant has been used medically for centuries. It’s nickname is beebalm, and not just because it is a bee attractor but it’s also a balm for bee stings. How … [Continue reading]