with Teri Knight
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Falling for the Season of Pumpkin Spice
Love it or hate, it’s pumpkin spice everything season. I have a friend who grinds her teeth every time the pumpkin spice comes out at her favorite coffee shop, another who can’t wait for the pumpkin spice creamer and sends her husband to buy as many as a husband is willing to do! About 3 bottles worth. In case you’re interested here’s a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Latte!
I happen … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Tenacious bulb eaters
Those darn little rodents!
Ya, you!
People have discussed ideas about what to do for as long as we’ve planted bulbs. The best method so far is to place chicken wire over your bulb bed, secure it with stakes or heavy rocks and then mulch it with woodchips, shredded bark or leaves. The plants will grow up through the wire or hardware cloth.
You could sink the wire into the ground, making a pen around … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Grab bag of gardening
Today we’re revisiting some emails I’ve received. If you’ve taken advantage of those plant sales but find you don’t have time to plant – Don’t panic. Find a spot in your landscape and plant those perennials still in their pots. Sink them into the ground up to the pot level, keep watered till the ground freezes and mulch.
Then come spring, after you’ve decided where you want to plant them, dig them up carefully … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Repellex – a later version
Deer are beautiful animals until they mosey over to my landscape and start munching !
As gardeners we’ve used loud noises, Irish Spring soap, pepper spray and a variety of other so-called surefire ways to keep the deer at a distance without consistent results.
There’s also another critter that creates chaos for young trees in particular, it’s the lowly mouse and it’s cousin the vole. Mice like to nestle up to young trees … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Crocus, hyacinth and iris too
Tulips and daffodils are lovely but oh, there’s so many other bulbs to plant! From early blooming Crocus to fragrant Hyacinths and later-blooming Alliums which keep the color coming until summer’s perennials start to flower.
I love the look of Spring lawns dotted with naturalized bulbs. Before the mowing season, there are some little delights. An early Spring crocus includes ‘BluePearl’ . White Flower Farm says the blue is pale and opalescent, giving … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Planting Spring bulbs
I remember many years planting Spring bulbs with my fingers so dang cold they felt like frostbite! Oh but the delight of spring blooms is worth it… most of the time!
There’s a tulip I’m tempted by called ‘Dancing Fairy’… seriously that just sounds fun! This tulip is from the western Alps region of southeast France. Its petite yellow blossoms are brushed with orangey red. How sweet would this May bloomer look under your … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: EAB – Chaos and creation?
You’ve heard me talk multiple times about Emerald Ash Borer, the bug that will destroy the vast majority of ash trees. Notice I said, WILL.
The exotic beetle from Asia, was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002. Since that time, it has been discovered in 33 states and 3 Canadian provinces. EAB has killed over 8 billion Ash trees and will continue.
The only places where the … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Vegetable harvest tips
By this time your vegetable garden is nearly compost, or is it?
Brussel sprouts are always late in the season. I’ve grown ‘Octia’, and while they were good, for me, the plants take up more garden space than I care to give up! Passing the Relish, is a Wisconsin gardener with tips on growing brussel sprouts.
Harvest the root crops you plan on eating soon but you can leave some carrots, late planted radishes, … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my Garden Bite radio show: Bringing plants indoors
Some crisp Fall air has lifted the humidity that makes my hair frizz and it feels good! For those who’ve had tropical plants outside it’s time to start preparing to bring them indoors. Some have already had to as temperatures dipped into the 30’s for northern zones and you’ve had SNOW! Well, some flakes anyway…
If it’s just one day of cold, consider a cloth or inside a shed or garage. The general rule of thumb is … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: October perennial care or not…
We just had some crazy wild weather where I live in southeastern Minnesota. There’s still debate over whether it was 10 tornadoes or 6, nonetheless, we’re all feeling grateful that no lives were lost but firewood is going to be real cheap next year!
The Old Farmers Almanac says our Upper Midwest weather for the winter is going to be a little warmer and drier. We shall see!
Aside from storm cleanup, there … [Continue reading]