with Teri Knight
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Rabbits – of romance and rage
Bunnies, the bane of gardeners everywhere!
They have a voracious appetite for fresh vegetation which they cut clean off. They’re also voracious at something else which makes them capable of producing up to 18 baby bunnies a year! The best defense is not giving them a homestead! I had a family of bunnies living under my raised porch… I put some hardwire cloth where I could and then used my barberry and
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Trees: Take 2
So often folks find a tree they like and then everyone plants it and then that’s all you see. And then they get taken out by disease and our boulevards are naked. Planting diverse species is the best way to protect them all. That said, here’s a look at more of the dirty dozen trees my favorite arborist, Faith Appelquist of Treequality warns against.
To quote Faith, “Japanese tree lilacs are a one-season wonder”. Her … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: In memory – Memorial Day and the Poppy
Garden Bite would like to thank all those who serve in the United States Military and their families. We honor those who gave everything.
Today is the day we reflect and remember our Soldiers. Memorial Day, which is celebrated every year on the final Monday of May was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union andConfederate soldiers who died. … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Container planting
Hey there Garden peeps, I know SO many people who, in the season of Covid-19, have been upping their garden game and bought a lot of annuals!
And then they had to be covered! That’s okay, I hope they all made it. I’ve not purchased any annuals as of this writing (May 17) because I saw the forecast! However, this weekend is gonna be fun!
I created a video on Container plants with tips on root … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Tomato and pepper planting
I know a lot of folks have already planted tomatoes. We then had a record cold of 26 degrees! BRRRRR…….. while it didn’t last, that did NOT make the tomato plants happy. Peppers like it even warmer.
The ground temperature should be at least 60 degrees for tomatoes and warmer for peppers. There are plenty of soil temp gauges out there, it’s worth your while to pick one up. When planting, be sure to … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Some like it wet, some like it dry
We talk a lot about sun/shade conditions and soil types but one thing we don’t always check on when pursuing our favorite plants is whether they like dry feet or wet feet. Some really have a penchant for moist soil.
Siberian Iris are graceful yet tough perennials that thrive in moist to wet soil, and they’ll form large clumps that bloom heavily after the first year. For most prolific bloom, … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Watering newly planted trees and shrubs
More than ever, folks are working on their landscapes and buying trees and shrubs. These aren’t the kind of plants you plant and forget about!
I planted the spirea on 5-11-19. It will need to be pruned after it flowers to help keep it from spreading but the color of the leaves is so pretty in Spring.
One important aspect of planting new trees and shrubs is, of course, the WAY they’re … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Trees are an investment – consider them carefully
Tree selection is a big deal, they’re an investment in dollars and time. There are lots of considerations, one of those is the mature size of the tree you select.
There are lots of considerations, one of those is the mature size of the tree you select. Oftentimes, homeowners don’t see the 4 ft. sapling they planted 4 feet from the foundation growing to 40 feet tall! That’s NOT a … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Plants to repel mosquitoes
Squiter season’s already here. I smacked one last weekend behind my ear, he’d already had quite a drink from the blood on my hand… and then I had a listener ask me about plants that repel mosquitoes. Good idea! Thanks for the idea, Avis!
There are some… perennials even! But let’s start with the annuals for our cold zones.
First is basil, one of my all time favorite herbs! Basil also keeps flies away … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Creating a bee home
Creating a HOME not a hive… for the bees.
Certainly planting flowers is a must…
but so is a nest for them. Thirty percent of bees are cavity-nesting, they’ll live in hollow stems or holes in wood.
There are pre-made nests but these are often more cute than useful, says the University of Minnesota Extension’s Bee Lab.
You can use your dried plant stems. They must be dead! Not the bees, the stems. … [Continue reading]