with Teri Knight
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.
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Small space gardening 2022
With that in mind, I did some research on incorporating container gardening into your landscape. Plants such as the Petite Knock Out® rose are perfectly suited for this type of gardening. Click on the link to see it in the ground too!
It has the … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Striking houseplant choices
We all have or have had spider plants, mother-in-law tongues, philodendron and the like. How about adding a little bite, with the striking foliage of the Rattlesnake Plant also known as Calathea lancifolia.
It’s leaves are various shades of green with wavy edges and a reddish-purple underside. The leaves alone can grow to 30 inches in … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: 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 coming 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.
These evergreens are … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: 2023 AAS winners – Edibles
I love watermelon but don’t grow it due to size. ‘Rubyfirm F1’ is a personal size, very sweet tasting 2023 winner with crisp flesh and minimal seeds.
It yields 2 to 3 fruits on a 10 ft. vine. It also has good disease resistance. It must be grown in full … [Continue reading]