Prairie up and enjoy


Tue. Apr. 25, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden  Bite radio show/podcast: Prairie up and enjoy

Another author I’ve interviewed, and a MAJOR advocate of normalizing prairie lawns, Benjamin Vogt, has a phrase: Prairie Up. He’s referring to eliminating your lawn that offers pollinators nothing and is not the natural state of things. He uses ONLY natives. I have cultivars too.

While lawns have a purpose for those who play yard games, have pets or maybe used as a path, etc. the era of the Great expanse of lawn  … [Continue reading]

Re-thinking No Mow May


Mon. Apr. 24, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2  min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Re-thinking No Mow May

 As I close the chapter on my Garden Bite radio show this week, I’m going to focus on rethinking our lawns and my own gardening philosophy. Today I want to focus on a popular initiative that is getting a 2nd look. That is No Mow May.

The idea of it was to assist pollinators by allowing early flowering, however, I recently received information from University of Minnesota Extension turfgrass educator, Jon Trappe, wherein

 … [Continue reading]

Earth Day 2023


Fri. Apr. 21, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Earth Day 2023

Tomorrow is Earth day. During the pandemic we saw what our industry has done to the planet. We’ve noted how climate change has, literally, changed our climate zone map and we’re seeing a lot of native species become extinct. More on global warming from NOAA. 

However, I want us to focus on how beautiful Earth is and celebrate it. As Van Gogh said “if you truly love nature you’ll see beauty everywhere”.  It’s  … [Continue reading]

Pond and bog gardening with natives


Thu. Apr. 20, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Pond and bog gardening with natives

 I don’t have a bog or a pond but I know folks who do! Today I’m sharing some great ideas from my new favorite book, “A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators”.

Bogs and ponds are unique in that those areas are consistently moist so the plants that thrive in that environment have to be cool with wet feet.

Diversity in planting is not only more pleasing to the  … [Continue reading]

More fun plants for 2023


Wed. Apr. 19, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: More fun plants for 2023

Everyone I talk to is SO excited for gardening season this year. I love it! I spotted a beautiful verbena I plan to use in at least 1 container! ‘Sparkling Amethyst’ is a stunner in part to full sun with blooms from Spring to Fall.

Seriously! This Proven Winners addition is part of their Superbenas series which are their most vigorous, heat tolerant, and mildew tolerant plants.

The white and amethyst bicolor  … [Continue reading]

Annuals for 2023


Tue. Apr. 18, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Annuals f0r 2023

My local gardener friends are giddy. The 2022/23 winter was long but finally we’re on the other side with warm temperatures and drought conditions over, our local garden center flowers are on full display. Aisles of pansies and violas, petunias and impatiens, snapdragons and more coming out every day!

It takes years of trialing at various locations to finally introduce a new plant to the public although accessibility may still be a bit challenging!

Some  … [Continue reading]

Tips to keep your indoor seedlings thriving


Mon. Apr. 17, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Tips to keep your indoor seedlings thriving

If you planted seeds indoors, you’re seeing sprouts now. I’ve got okra coming big time!

Tomatoes, peppers and more.

Now is the time to give them some extra attention. The University of Minnesota Extension says one of the most common problems affecting seedlings is damping off. I had to remove the covers early, I was starting to see issues!

This problem is caused by a number of pathogens that I can’t  … [Continue reading]

Trendy bee hotels – yea or nay


Fri. Apr. 14, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Trendy bee hotels – yea or nay

Trends can be fun. Trends can also be wolves in sheep’s clothing. One of the latest trends plays on our desire to help pollinators. Bee hotels.

My good friend and arborist, Faith Appelquist of Treequality, once again gives me a great bit of information to share with you. Faith writes: Research shows that bug hotels are mostly a fad. There has been very little science applied to them to determine  … [Continue reading]

Planting the “Hell strip” aka boulevard


Thu. Apr. 13, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Planting the “Hell strip” aka boulevard

I shared about my favorite new book on Monday, “A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators”. Today I want to include some of their information on planting the “Hell Strip” also known as the boulevard.

This is the place that almost always looks lousy as it gets a beating from cars, trucks and road salt. Or drought…

Consider planting native wildflowers. DO make sure that you check your city  … [Continue reading]

Shrubs for containers 2023


Wed. Apr. 12, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Shrubs for containers 2023

Container gardening is a trend that continues. Proven Winners, a major plant breeding company, shares some perfect shrubs for your containers. First up is a native plant! Aronia melanocarpa aka Black Chokeberry.

Specifically Low Scape Mound (a nativar) is hardy to zone 3 and offers three-season appeal with masses of white spring flowers, black summer fruit and fabulous red fall color. Low Scape is under half the size of the native species growing  … [Continue reading]