Strawberry patch renovation


Mon. Jul. 12, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Strawberry patch renovation

 Ahhh, strawberry season. Farmers markets and home gardens have been producing pounds of the delicious red berries!

The typical strawberry season is two-three weeks long but the length of harvest varies from farm to farm depending on varieties planted, weather, and soil type. Mild temperatures in the 70s and 80s extend the season and allow berries to ripen at a steady pace, while excessive heat can cause berries to ripen more quickly and shorten the  … [Continue reading]

Succulents are hot


Thu. Jul. 8, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Succulents are hot

Succulents have found increasing popularity. It’s easy to see why. There are numerous options, some really beautiful.

Northern Gardener magazine has a great article on outdoor succulent gardens. Writer Eric Johnson has some great ideas. Indoors, succulents can suffer without enough light, but outdoors we can create some pretty awesome container gardens. Or place a few strategically in a fairy garden.

If you want something that you can bring indoors, then consider echeverias. Take a  … [Continue reading]

Good bugs and bad a** bugs


Wed. Jul. 7, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Good bugs and bad a** bugs

I would call the  winsome fly a bad a** bug for laying it’s eggs on Japanese beetles! I talked about this bug yesterday…

And then there’s crickets…

They eat detritus, the plant parts that have died and fallen off the plant.  They then rid themselves of the plant in their waste which then goes into the soil, enriching it for the other plants.  We can attract them by leaving a layer of  … [Continue reading]

The beasts are back – Japanese beetles return (and some good news)


Tue. Jul. 6, 2021

Click on the link below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: The beasts are back – Japanese beetles return (and some good news)

The beasts are back. I found my first Japanese beetles on my native Leadplant. Grabbed him, squished him. Then I wandered over to my roses and found 2 more. Two days later, there were 10 of them munching on the last of the roses on my ‘Music Box’ rose.

I’ve armed up with my bucket of soapy water.

Japanese beetles feed on the  … [Continue reading]

Trees for allergy sufferers


Mon. Jul. 5, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Trees for allergy sufferers

 Last week I talked about how allergy season is growing. Climate change, with it’s warming temperatures earlier in the season has meant that trees are triggered into flowering earlier. Today I want to talk about trees that are less likely to cause the ah-choos. 

As mentioned, trees are the biggest contributors to allergy season. Some trees are monoecious, meaning that individual trees produce both male and female flowers. Other trees are known as  … [Continue reading]

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness in the garden


Fri. Jul. 2, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness in the garden

Sunday we celebrate Independence Day. But this year, again, is different for Americans. The pandemic is slowed but the scars remain and the call to remind ourselves of our Declaration of Independence: paraphrased, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. … [Continue reading]

Drought tolerant perennials


Thu. Jul. 1, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Drought tolerant perennials

While my area had some rain, still, it wasn’t nearly as much as the plants would have liked. There are some hardy, tolerant perennials I want to share.

Let’s begin with yarrow. One of my favorites for dry times and long lasting flowers. I have red yarrow now and it started flowering last week. Butterflies love to perch on it.

From ‘Moonshine’, with it’s silvery foliage and yellow flowers to red and pastels, these are  … [Continue reading]

Dividing iris


Wed. Jun. 30, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Dividing iris

Are your irises rising out of the ground?  They’ve been left alone for years and are now fighting for room!

Generally it’s a good idea to divide your iris every 3 to 4 years. Dividing iris should be done 4 to 6  weeks after blooming, so sometime between July and  August according to the University of Minnesota Extension. This year, 2021, it may be earlier since our plants have been blooming a little earlier with  … [Continue reading]

Climate change and allergies


Tue. Jun. 29, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Climate change and allergies

 If you have allergies, it’s probably felt like a long season… and it is. Yup, another issue you can associate with climate change. The wave of over 90 degree temperatures we’ve had has done more than make our lawns crunchy and our annuals wilt, it’s told other plants to kick into action and start producing… early!

Which means POLLEN! According to the Harvard School of Public Health, pollen counts have been increasing over the  … [Continue reading]

Lawns and drought


Mon. Jun. 28, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Lawns and drought

 Lawns are looking rough and we haven’t even made it to JULY!

Kentucky bluegrass, which is what most lawns are, can start turning brown after about 7 days without water. 

This browning appearance is the grass going into dormancy in order to survive the drought. Some leaf tissue will die, but the base and roots of the grass are still alive and will green up when water returns. (I’m hopeful, because I might as well  … [Continue reading]