Dormant oils


Mon. Nov. 26, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Dormant oils

What are dormant oils and when would you apply them?  That is my mission today as a listener made the suggestion!  I did some research on this topic as it’s not been on my radar.

A true dormant oil originally referred to heavier weight, less well-refined oils that were unsafe to use on plants after they broke dormancy (started to bud out in Spring) because they would burn and kill plant foliage.

Dormant oil is an  … [Continue reading]

Shopping madness! Gardener gifts galore


Fri. Nov. 23, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min Garden Bite radio show:  Shopping madness! Gardener gifts galore

Yesterday we packed our bellies, today we’re packing shopping bags!

What do you get the gardener?  What do you, the gardener, ask for?  Oh the list is endless but here are some of my favorite things!

  • Gardener gloves – nearly every kind!  You can never have too many
  • Garden Fork – a must for digging up plants with as little injury as possible (although I’ve stabbed a few canna bulbs in my time)   
 … [Continue reading]

Thanksgiving… gathering around the table


Thu. Nov. 22, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min Garden Bite radio show:  Thanksgiving… gathering around the table

As you congregate around the Thanksgiving Table, what are some of the dishes you might be able to grow in your own garden?  Maybe some herbs?  Potatoes?  Sweet potatoes? Green Beans?  Pumpkins?  And  the list goes on!

My friend grew red potatoes! I snagged some from her and used the rosemary I grew and dried and roasted them!

As for decorations, well, if you’ve grown ornamental grasses, then bring some into the house,  … [Continue reading]

What to do with Asparagus


Wed. Nov. 21, 2018

Click below to listen to my  2 min. Garden Bite radio show: What to do with Asparagus

A Garden Bite listener told me she’d just bought a new home and there was an asparagus bed. She wondered what to do with it.  First it would be good to know how old it is, or that you know it’s at least 3 years old. That’s how long it takes for asparagus to really be harvestable.

Fall is a time when the plants, that fuzzy top growth, can be cut back all  … [Continue reading]

Gall talk


Tue. Nov. 20, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Gall talk

I sent out a shout out on my Garden Bite facebook page for my followers and received a suggestion to talk about galls!

First, what are they?  Galls are abnormal growths that occur on leaves, twigs, roots, or flowers of many plants.  There are a LOT of galls!!!

Just a little gall fun!  Those round growths are little homes for insects.  They have a small hole in each…

Most galls are caused by irritation and/or stimulation  … [Continue reading]

Oriental Bittersweet – Pretty but obnoxious


Mon. Nov. 19, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Oriental bittersweet – Pretty but obnoxious

This lovely looking vine is deceitful as it’s invasive qualities haunt our  forests, grasslands, and parks!  Sounds a bit harsh for such a well used holiday decoration but it’s true.  

It’s all good cheer as we use it for decorating, for YEARS, then the darn thing went wild and is now at the top of the hit list for many U.S. States.  The vine is heavily affecting the northeastern U.S. and is  … [Continue reading]

Types of bird feeders


Fri. Nov. 16, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Types of bird feeders

Yesterday we were all about the food, today it’s about the feeder…

There are numerous feeders out there.  Which ones work?  Well, they all do but which ones keep the squirrels at bay?  Ha!  None of them forever, unless you have them rigged for an electric shock when they touch it.

Someone I know actually did that!  He had fashioned a shocker that he could operate by remote control when the blackbirds would flock  … [Continue reading]

Foods for the Birds


Thu. Nov. 15, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min Garden Bite radio show:  Foods for the Birds

There’s nothing like calming your spirit after a slushy, bumper to bumper ride home than watching the brilliant Red Cardinal feasting on bird food out your window.   Bird Notes from Cornell U’s Ornithology lab is a great read on feeding birds.

For your enjoyment, make sure you locate the bird feeders where you can see them keeping in mind that birds want to feel safe.  So an area that will provide quick cover should  … [Continue reading]

Houseplant heat and humidity


Wed. Nov. 14, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min Garden Bite radio show:  Houseplant heat and humidity

There’s already below zero windchills!  Seriously not liking no Autumn this year, but Mother Nature is cranky sometimes…

So, our houseplants are in and the heat is on, which also means the air is already getting dry.

Houseplants, as a rule of thumb, require night temperatures about 10 to 15 degrees cooler than daytime.  For average homeowners, the daytime temps usually hang somewhere between 65 to 70 while night time temps are set around  … [Continue reading]

Battling buckthorn


Tue. Nov. 13, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Battling buckthorn

It’s that time of year…  although the cold and snow are early, the Buckthorn shrub/small tree still holds it’s leaves.  Which makes it a great target!  This terribly invasive shrub is easily visible this time of year as it holds it’s leaves and berries longer than most.

Buckthorn takes over our native plants and shrubs and is NOT good for birds. It’s not poisonous, it just doesn’t give them any nutrition as they don’t absorb it.  … [Continue reading]