Highlighting Liatris – Blazing Star


Fri. Nov. 8, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Highlighting Liatris – Blazing Star

Among the native plants I purchased from my local Soil and Water Conservation District for my butterfly garden was the Liatris. This marvelous pollinator plant is also called Blazing Star or Gayfeather. 

It’s tough, it’s dependable and, among it’s species, is a monarch magnet! Yes, the monarch butterfly which favors milkweed, also adores Meadow Blazing Star. The links explain the Latin names of the plants.

Rough (or Button) Blazing Star is hardy  … [Continue reading]

Too much TLC can kill


Thu. Nov. 7, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Too much TLC can kill

Your tropicals you had outside all summer should be safely indoors now.   As we start turning indoors, we’re paying more attention to all of our houseplants.  Mostly that’s a good idea but too much T-L-C can kill a houseplant!

The elephant ear will go dormant. Last year I put it downstairs just to see, and I got a gorgeous plant… so, back into the basement this Winter!

Overwatering is the number one killer  … [Continue reading]

Saving your woodies over Winter


Wed. Nov. 6, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Saving your woodies over Winter

Before you start giggling… Tom, I know you are…. listen up, this is good advice!  ? A perennial topic this time of your is protecting your woodies.  Here’s the explanation! Woody plants are plants that have hard stems (thus the term, “woody“) and that have buds that survive above ground in winter. The best-known examples are trees and shrubs (bushes). These are commonly broken down further into the deciduous and  … [Continue reading]

Bringing fragrance indoors


Mon. Nov. 4, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Bringing fragrance indoors

We turned back the clock this weekend.  Hope you enjoyed that extra hour of sleep!  I sure did. I get up real early in the morning and have enjoyed the starry skies for the past month. I also enjoy the crisp fall air and the smells of Fall, especially bonfires.

But, we’re also moving more indoors and, as we clean for the holidays, perhaps you want to bring in some fragrance! Likely not smoke from  … [Continue reading]

November to-do’s


Fri. Nov. 1, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: November to-do’s

Garden cleanup… what to do and other tips for November

Debris removal is important particularly if you’ve had any disease. As  I talked about a couple of weeks ago, I had tomato leaves with septoria leaf spot in my vegetable garden. 

Another area of concern is the fallen leaves and rotten fruit at the base of your fruit trees.  Oftentimes, that debris is a hiding spot for disease that overwinters and then presents itself next season. … [Continue reading]

Traditions of Halloween and Samhain


Thu. Oct. 31, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Traditions of Halloween (Samhain)

When Halloween was started, I doubt they figured that retail sales in the United States would be predicted at nearly $9 BILLION!!!  That’s what the National Federation of Retailers are predicting for 2019.

Through the years, traditions were brought to America through European immigrants and the celebrations changed in a number of ways. Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was  revived.

Trick-or-treating was a way for an entire community to share  … [Continue reading]

Nature’s nocturnal creatures


Wed. Oct. 30, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Nature’s nocturnal creatures

When I lived out east, the night before Halloween was called “Mischief Night”, the night the older kids went out and soaped windows, tee peed trees and got into trouble!  Halloween lore from 1970 to 2000….. (this link tells the story… but also has swear words!)

What creatures create nighttime mischief in our backyards?

The top prankster has got to be that cute little bandit, the Raccoon!  From tossing our garbage to making their  … [Continue reading]

Storing chemicals


Tue. Oct. 29, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Storing chemicals

While there’s a big movement against the use of chemicals for our landscapes (gardens, etc.), there are still plenty of folks who use them.    Proper storage also INCLUDES your organic products.

If you’ve got chemicals in dispensers, it’s best to use them up according to directions, then rinse out your sprayers and allow them to drip dry.

Be sure you know what’s in your containers.  Don’t mix chemicals, even if they’re the same thing, if they  … [Continue reading]

Orchid love indoors and out


Mon. Oct. 28, 2019

Click below to listen to my  2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Orchid love indoors and out

While there are plenty of “grocery store” orchids (mostly phalaenopsis)  there are also a number of native orchids for our Upper Midwest area.

Yes, natives in Wisconsin and Minnesota.  In fact, the Showy Lady’s Slipper is Minnesota’s State Flower. Found living in open fens, bogs, swamps, and damp woods where there is an abundance of natural light, there are 17 orchid species that grow in Minnesota. The feminine-looking ‘Lady Slipper’ orchid grows slowly,  … [Continue reading]

Pumpkin seeds


Fri. Oct. 25, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Pumpkin seeds

Carving pumpkins is a tradition for nearly everyone I know.  When I was little, my mom would save the seeds, rinse them, soak them in a salt-laden bowl of water overnight and then bake them.  They were a treat then, but I’ve discovered a much tastier way to enjoy those seeds.

There are  a variety of methods to toast/roast your pumpkin seeds. While I don’t soak the daylights out of my seeds, I do clean them  … [Continue reading]