Three things NOT to do in your Garden


Fri. Jan. 8, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Three things NOT to do in your Garden

Time and Teri-tested things NOT to do in your Garden!

Planting “easy spreaders” or “fills in rapidly” plants.  Better known as invasive!  These plants will take over your carefully planned garden.  There may be areas you want to plant these, you decide!   Obedient Plant (ha!) is a great example.  It really is lovely but it really does spread.  If that’s what you want then go for it.  Breeders are creating  … [Continue reading]

Catalogs and 2021 plants!


Thu. Jan. 7, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Catalogs and 2021 plants!

Oh the catalogs are arriving! I love getting my new year plant catalogs and browsing on a cold ,snowy, Sunday morning!

There are so many cool new choices! First up, beets! I never liked beets when I was a kid, except pickled. Years ago I pickled my own but, dang, they were not quite cooked through! Tasty but you needed a good knife to cut into ‘em! Burpee has a new variety of 2021  … [Continue reading]

Scale, it’s a living thing


Tue. Jan. 5, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Scale, it’s a living thing

That term seems odd to me for a living creature but there it is sucking the life right out of your houseplants. Scale-damaged plants look withered and sickly. Leaves turn yellow and may drop from the plant.

If left, they will kill it and move on to your other plants nearby.  These little nasties also secrete a sticky substance called honeydew that attracts black fungus called sooty mold.

Young scale insects crawl to  … [Continue reading]

Why you should bathe your leaves


Mon. Jan. 4, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Why you should bathe your leaves

Uh, you might want to give that plant a bath. I’m not saying that there’s an odor, but… no, seriously, that crusty layer of dust is pretty thick… Teri. Yes, speaking to myself!

Periodically cleaning the leaves of your houseplants is actually less work than letting it go until a year down the road the sun shines in at just the right angle and you think, oh man, the air-cleaning machine is  … [Continue reading]

Popping the bubbly


Thu. Dec. 31, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Popping the bubbly

Here’s to saying HELLO to 2021…………

No day is more associated with Champagne than today, New Years Eve. The bubbly’s start was dubious and it’s history riddled with lawsuits.

Dom Perignon, (the guy from the Champagne region of France!) tried many times to get the fizz out of his wine. When wine has bubbles, it’s a sign that it has continued to ferment inside the bottle.  The quintessential guide to Champagne – a little history  … [Continue reading]

Greening up with gardening


Wed. Dec. 30, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite: Greening up with gardening

I have a saying “The garden is no place to stress for success but to soak up some sun and renew your spirit”.  I really do feel this way.  Not only does gardening relieve stress but it gives us a wonderful opportunity for fresh air, some exercise and fresh produce.  I love the feel of soil in my hands, the thrill of harvesting that first juicy tomato.  I pop that in my mouth without even a  … [Continue reading]

Clearing the air


Tue. Dec. 29, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Clearing the air

We may not be traveling much but I know there a lot of folks who cooked up plenty of feasts to drop off to family and friends this year. So, the aromas of holiday cooking still linger in our minds and perhaps in the drapes too if we’ve burned anything! A good time to “clear the air” with plants. They’re not just pretty things, they have a serious job!

Decades ago NASA, yes THAT NASA, … [Continue reading]

New plant introductions for 2021


Mon. Dec. 28, 2020

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

A new year is coming. I think we can all say we’re happy to say goodbye to 2020. So let’s talk about some new plants for 2021.

I found a canna from Growing Colors called ‘Angel Martin’. While I’m not sure how easy it will be to get, I just HAD to show you.

Showy peach flowers contrast beautifully against dark bronze foliage in summer. It prefers more shade than other Cannas  … [Continue reading]

Twas the Night Before Christmas – my Gardeners version


Thu. Dec. 24, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Twas the Night Before Christmas – my Gardeners version

It’s Christmas Eve so I’m sharing my gardeners version of an old classic. I wrote this over a decade ago but it still holds true for me. This year (do I have to say 2020?) we’ve all felt the sting of not being with loved ones, the unknowing of our lives, the disruption of our daily life, but there are some things that never change. I hope this poem  … [Continue reading]

Coleus crush


Wed. Dec. 23, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Coleus crush

I have a serious crush on coleus. This go-to annual is so easy to brighten shaded spots and there are now more and more varieties for sunny spots too!

New for 2021 is Red Flare and it’s just WOW. This TerraNova Nurseries introduction has bright foliage of deep red, lobed leaves with reddish-pink centers.

It has an upright, compact habit in addition to being slow to flower, making maintenance easy. Vigorous branching from the base makes  … [Continue reading]