Time saving garden products


Fri. Jun. 17, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Time saving garden products

We’re all busy but we also love to garden! Sometimes our garden chores get away from us. In come some time-saving garden products approved by members of the National Garden Bureau, including ME!

Do you have poor soil? Maybe NO soil? Consider Garden Soxx, a mesh containment system that’s similar to container growing—but without the container.

You place GardenSoxx® where you want to grow, fill the mesh with your own compost or potting  … [Continue reading]

Dandelions – the great debate


Thu. Jun. 16, 2022

Click below to listen to my  2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Dandelions – the great debate

 As you know, I’ve been an advocate of not using chemicals on my lawn, which means dandelions. Lots of gardeners, including me, have touted the benefits of those cheery yellow flowers. Bees enjoy them. However…

I just read an article from a man who really LIVES native plantings. Benjamin Vogt is an author I’ve interviewed a few times and he has just given me food for thought that I wanted to share with  … [Continue reading]

Plant diagnositcs


Wed. Jun. 15, 2022

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

What’s wrong with my plant? OH, such a loaded question.  UGH, I think the toughest part of gardening is trying to figure out why a plant isn’t thriving!  Sometimes it’s easy, like the photo below:

Much happier this year. PS, others know this plant by it’s more common name Coral Bells.

Sometimes, it’s not easy at all and could be a number of ailments at one time. Is it an insect, is it a disease, are  … [Continue reading]

Keep weeds away with ground cover


Tue. Jun. 14, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Keep weeds away with ground cover

Weeds a problem? Likely.. They are in my landscape. But ground covers come to the rescue!

Ground covers can mean several things, plants, mulch or something else, which perform in other ways.

Ground covers can also enhance soil health, provide food and habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects, and reduce soil erosion. 

Check out these plant options from the University of Minnesota Extension. It’s a great variety of plants that  … [Continue reading]

Watering tips for your lawn


Mon. Jun. 13, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Watering tips for your lawn

We’re expecting the heat to really kick in this week. It’s a good time to look over some watering tips for your lawn!

The University of MN Extension has some great ideas to train your lawn to be water-wise. Water lawns deeply and infrequently to encourage deep rooting. Shallow watering results in root growth in only the top few inches of the soil which means plants will be unable to survive hot dry  … [Continue reading]

2022 – The Year of the Phlox


Fri. Jun. 10, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: 2022 – The Year of the Phlox

The National Garden Bureau chose Phlox as the 2022 perennial of the Year! I have creeping phlox and I just planted a pink garden phlox late last year.

I’m excited to watch it this year!

Phlox are one of the classic American perennials and one of the earliest North American natives to enter cultivation. Colors range from white to pink to magenta, purple and blue.

There are roughly 2  … [Continue reading]

Vegetable garden tips for June


Thu. Jun. 9, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Vegetable garden tips for June

June is an exciting month for vegetable gardeners!  We’ve got our warm season plants in the ground and we’ve already been munching on salad greens!

I have two tomatoes, two peppers, some garlic growing from 2021, thai basil, regular basil, oregano and parsley… the sunflowers are starting to grow. Will show this in another post when they’re really showing off!

You can start successive plantings of beets, peas and shorter season crops. Also  … [Continue reading]

Shrubs, shade and dogs


Wed. Jun. 8, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Shrubs, shade and dogs

Want shrubs? Got shade? Got dogs? Hmmm, could be an issue.  One shrub that won’t work is the Yew…

It’s toxic to nearly everything. The seed inside the berries is toxic to pets and people. This from Science Direct: The taxine alkaloids contained in yew berries, needles or bark are poisonous. The lethal dose for an adult is reported to be 50 g of yew needles. Patients who ingest a lethal dose frequently die  … [Continue reading]

Ants – again


Tue. Jun. 7, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Ants – again

 If there’s one creature I really wish would social distance it’s ANTS. They were bad last year and are back in abundance this year.

They’ve lifted some sedums and hollowed out some of my Karl Forester grasses.

I tried the non-toxic diatomaceous earth, a fine white powder that sticks to their bodies and dries them out. It killed some and sent the rest of them fleeing. No suitcases necessary, they just scurried down a  … [Continue reading]

Audible gardens – for the birds


Mon. Jun. 6, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Audible gardens – for the birds

With the exception of hummingbirds, most of us plant gardens for beauty, fragrance and taste, not thinking too much about songbirds.

Birds sing for 2 reasons, for territory and for mating.   Native plants attract native insects which native birds eat. Seed eaters tend to go for native grasses and flower heads.

Follow this LINK for the bigger picture from the UofMN. And more on a native plant list HERE. These lists  … [Continue reading]