Moving indoors and thinking houseplants


Tue. Nov. 8, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Moving indoors and thinking houseplants

Winter approaches as daylight savings time just ended Sunday. So we get dark an hour earlier. To me that just means I have one less hour of getting things done since it feels like it’s time to go to bed an hour earlier also! It also means that many of us are putting more focus on our indoor plants.

Greenery during winter is proven to lift spirits. And that’s not all, studies have

 … [Continue reading]

The Dropmore Scarlet Saga


Mon. Nov. 7, 2022

Click below to lsiten to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: The Dropmore Scarlet Saga

Last weekend I culled my out of control honeysuckle vine ‘Dropmore Scarlet’.

Planted in 2014, this vine was a haven to hummingbirds but hid my view after all these years. Gorgeous but overgrown and the plant looked to be weakening.

Ideally Honeysuckle vine ‘Dropmore Scarlet’ will live up to 20 years but underneath, even after trimming it back multiple times, it just got to be more than what I want for that space. 

I  … [Continue reading]

Brighten up the winter landscape


Fri. Nov. 4, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Brighten up the winter landscape

If your winter landscape just feels brown and bleak, you might consider adding some color. While it’s too late to plant for many of those in my listening area, keep these options on your wish list this winter.

Evergreens certainly come to mind but I’m thinking more broadly.

Red-twigged dogwood comes to mind right away.

I saw a winterberry holly from Proven Winners that would definitely put a smile on your face! ‘Berry  … [Continue reading]

Preparing your trees and evergreens for winter


Thu. Nov. 3, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Preparing your trees and evergreens for winter

The blend of winter sun, wind, temperature fluctuations, snow and ice can make for a deadly combo for some of our trees and shrubs. 

And there’s critter crunching too. Wildlife needing sustenance during winter may gnaw on your nannyberry and other woody plants, especially young plantings under 3 years old. Tree wraps and guards can help substantially with that AND are a pretty decent guarantee against sunscald.

Sunscald happens when the  … [Continue reading]

Dormant seeding your lawn


Wed. Nov. 2, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Dormant seeding your lawn

While the best time to seed your lawn is mid August to mid September, we had some drought conditions going on that didn’t make that easy. Now’s the time for an easy option, dormant seeding.

This practice involves seeding when temperatures are too low for the seed to germinate prior to winter.

Cool-season grass seed germinates best when soil temperatures are 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Daytime air temperatures are generally in the  … [Continue reading]

November to-do’s 2022


Tue. Nov. 1, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: November to-do’s 2022

It’s November 1st! Weather at this time of year is a crapshoot. Some days still light jacket worthy (for some) other days get out the parka! I actually rode my motorcycle on October 29th… I didn’t even have to wear chaps!

An important part of the clean-up process is debris removal. I just took my spent annuals to our City waste site along with downed Black walnut branches and my massive sunflower stalks!

The two  … [Continue reading]

Halloween – American style


Mon. Oct. 31, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Halloween – American style

Happy Halloween! Last Friday I shared the traditions of Samhain, today it’s a little more history on how the American tradition of Halloween started and how it’s evolved.

When early settlers arrived on our Eastern Seaboard they brought with them certain traditions. All Hallows Eve was one of them. People originally carved out turnips and placed candles inside to ward off evil spirits, but Americans switched from turnips to pumpkins.

In 1820, Washington  … [Continue reading]

Happy Samhain – it’s Tradition 2022


Fri. Oct. 28, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Happy Samhain – it’s Tradition 2022

 Monday is Halloween or is it Samhain? 

According to the National Retail Foundation, Americans will spend an estimated $10.6 billion on Halloween festivities. Gen Z is reportedly going to spend the most this year post (sort-of) pandemic. The TOP celebration includes handing out candy!

The origin of the celebration began as a mark of the end of “light” and the beginning of the “dark”. The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced

 … [Continue reading]

The Poweshiek Skipperling – the Endangered


Thu. Oct. 27, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: The Poweshiek Skipperling – the Endangered

The Star Tribune has been doing a series on endangered native species. I was shocked to read this line from their latest article on the Poweshiek skipperling, “This prairie butterfly suffered one of the most sudden and complete population collapses of any species in North American history”. Let THAT sink in.

According to the U.S. Fish and wildlife service, these small butterflies were once found in native prairie in Manitoba, North

 … [Continue reading]

Lawnmower care 2022


Wed. Oct. 26, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Radio show/podcast: Lawnmower care 2022

My area has had a couple of hard frosts and then 79 degrees… wacky.  This is the time in cold climates to mow for the last time (if needed).

During the growing season your lawn should stay at about 3 inches but this last mow should be shorter, more like 2 to 2.5 inches.

The reason is to help prevent mold over the winter months. You could also start the process of getting your mower ready  … [Continue reading]