The American Chestnut


Mon. Dec. 17, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  The American Chestnut

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire… or perhaps a grill…

Jack Frost nipping at your nose….  or Ole hoping for some lovin’

Though it’s been said many times, many ways…. Merry Christmas to you!

We had the opportunity to experience roasting real chestnuts last weekend at a friends home.  They host a wonderful party every year and decided to give it a try.  There’s an art to it!   Our friend, Dave Vesledahl, from Northfield Outdoors … [Continue reading]

Evergreens of another color


Fri. Dec. 14, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Evergreens of another color

Looks like most of us will have a white Christmas!  Snow pack is great for our plants, it acts as an insulation and it came just in time for those frigid temps.  Then in Spring, as the soil thaws it will soak up that snow for a refreshing wake-up call. With all that white, we do appreciate some color in our landscape.  Evergreens generally come to mind first.

But wait… there’s more!

It’s an  … [Continue reading]

The story of the Poinsettia – Flowers of the Holy Night


Wed. Dec. 12, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min Garden Bite radio show:  The story of the Poinsettia – Flowers of the Holy Night

Happy National Poinsettia Day!

The Poinsettia is a native of Mexico, where it grows like a weed and can reach 10 feet tall.  Mexican legend holds that the leaves, shaped like the star of Bethlehem, first bloomed red for a poor girl who wanted to bring a gift to the manger scene at the local church but had no money.  Her cousin, who walked to the church  … [Continue reading]

Gardener gifts 2.0


Tue. Dec. 11, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Gardeners gifts 2.0

Tools, an essential part of gardening!  This is the gift to spend the extra dollars for quality.  You won’t regret it. One of the top tools is the Hori Hori Japanese gardening knife.  Hori means “digging” in Japanese. This knife has been called the MacGuyver of gardening tools.  A brand that comes highly recommended at a reasonable price is Nisaku for about $22 bucks.

For those who are tired of trying to pull weeds from  … [Continue reading]

A low salt diet for our roads


Mon. Dec. 10, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  A low salt diet for our roads

It’s time to put us on a low salt diet… it’s snow and ice season in our cold climates and that means road treatments and sidewalk treatments are important for public safety.  But did you know that one teaspoon of salt pollutes 5 gallons of water? Neither did I!   From the MN Pollution Control Agency – what sodium chloride does

An estimated 365,000 tons of road salt is applied in the  … [Continue reading]

Bringing outdoors in


Fri. Dec. 7, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Bringing outdoors in

We’re headed to the shortest day of the year…  That means we’re living in darkness with mostly just the light of a computer/mobile device screen!  Not the healthiest of environments for our bodies OR our psyche! So, bringing outdoors IS IN.

According to Garden Trends, there has been a huge jump in houseplant purchases.  Millenials are spurring on the trend via social media. One garden research outlet calls them Plant Parents!  The point being that  … [Continue reading]

Sustainability


Thu. Dec. 6, 2018

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

Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword anymore.  It’s a necessity with multiple applications. Webster’s Dictionary defines it as “being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged”.  

Not all that long ago, many people seemed to think that our resources were endless and we could do what we wanted with the land and what was in it, be that plant or animal. Turns out, that’s not true!  

The  … [Continue reading]

Soothing bath salts


Wed. Dec. 5, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Soothing bath salts

Tis the season of gifting!  Yesterday I talked about infused sugars for a unique, personal gift.  

Today we’ll create soothing bath salts! Historically baths were a way of treating ailments..  

Holistic practitioners use salt and herbs for a number of maladies. There are different types of salts as well.  Epsom is probably the most popular and the one we’ll focus on. It’s actually magnesium and sulfate, minerals known for their medicinal value as well as  … [Continue reading]

Infused sugars


Tue. Dec. 4, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Infused sugars

This time of year our calendars are filled with party dates.  Hostess gifts are sometimes one of those last minute thoughts.  One super fun and easy idea, that’s also popular is Infused Sugar.  A small sweet token of appreciation in a cool looking jar.

Start with organic sugar, be it cane, beet or coconut;  and a dried herb or spice. Or a mix! Make sure your container remains dry.  Combine the sugar and herb or spice  … [Continue reading]

Time to mulch


Mon. Dec. 3, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Time to mulch

Last year record warmth… this year not so much!  Baby it’s been cold outside for those of us in the Upper Midwest.  And plenty of snow already too.  That’s a great insulator but it’s not a bad time to throw down some additional organic mulch for your newly planted plants!

It’s important to let the ground freeze first, then place your mulch.  We are looking to stabilize the soil temperature for our plants so that  … [Continue reading]