with Teri Knight
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: My Gardeners version of Twas the Night Before Christmas
It’s Christmas Eve and that means I bring you my gardeners version of an old classic poem written in 1823 by Clement Clarke Moore. I wrote my version well over a decade ago but it still holds true for me.
Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
not a plant was stirring not even a sprout.
The seedlings were hung by the glow of a grow … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Mesmerizing caladiums
I was perusing topics for today when I came across a caladium that screams Christmas! Since this IS Christmas week, I really wanted to share it. Heart to Heart “Mesmerized’ by Proven Winners is SO festive with various shades of greens and reds along with splashes of white in each leaf. This is definitely your Thriller in a container, growing to about 20 inches tall with a 14 inch spread.
Another Christmasy caladium is called ‘Fiesta’ … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Winter Solstice 2022
The Winter Solstice occurs at 3:48 this afternoon central time! While it marks the shortest day of the year, it also means that the days will start getting longer! YAY. I look forward to longer days, as I know LOTS of people do.
Western culture owes many of the traditional … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: American Lotus
Prairie Moon Nursery is an excellent native seed and plant company based in Minnesota. I’ve purchased many seeds and plants from them over the years. They just highlighted a plant whose seed pods are very often used in holiday container arrangements and more.
American Lotus (Nelumbo lutea). This aquatic plant is sought after for its huge flower, and also for the decorative dried seed capsules. Very large, 10″ or more across, and … [Continue reading]
Click on the link below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Taking care of our trees
Last week I talked about how road salt damages our plants and more. I discussed the care we need to use when our trees, evergreens and shrubs are laden with snow and ice. Then I received my Treequality holiday message from my favorite Arborist, Faith Appelquist. She talked about how she loves the Christmas lights but not when they’re strangling our trees.
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Knock it off or not? Snow and ice
Should I knock it off or not? A perennial topic.
When our timbers are shivering, our trees and shrubs are layered in snow and ice, our first instinct is to knock that stuff off, set the branches free, however, you might do more harm than good.
And put your own safety at risk. Always proceed with caution as you head out after a wintry mix. I’ve seen trees that literally … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Road salt alternatives
I’ve already had a couple of white knuckle commutes and watched semi’s jackknife and get t-boned.
Road salt and salt alternatives are today’s Garden Bite subject.
We all know by now that salt is NOT good for lawns or most plants. It’s taken years for state Departments of Transportation to figure out how to use it with more discretion and find alternatives. Back in the 1930’s New Hampshire was the first state to use rock … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: The case for the Northern long-eared bat 2023
I’ve written before about White Nose Syndrome and the Northern long-eared bat, and their situation is getting much worse. The US Fish & Wildlife service just announced that, starting in January of 2023, the state of Minnesota will reclassify the Northern long-eared bat from “threatened” to “endangered”.
In a press release, the Director said, “White-nose syndrome is decimating cave-dwelling bat species like the northern long-eared bat at unprecedented … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Pantone Color of the Year 2023
We’ll be seeing plenty of red next year, or rather reddish-purple. Pantone has chosen Viva Magenta as their 2023 Color of the Year.
While they wax poetic in their description, it’s really an amazing color. To quote Pantone, “Viva Magenta is brave and fearless. A pulsating color promoting joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.” That’s not all. It is a shade rooted in nature. It’s inspired by the red of … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: National Poinsettia Day and the Legend
The quintessential plant of the holiday season is due in part to Joel Roberts Poinsett who was the first U.S. diplomat to Mexico.
He took a fancy to the plant in 1828 and sent samples back home. Euphorbia pulcherrima was used by the Aztecs for dyes and medicines.