Landscaping mythbusters


Fri. Jul. 30, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Landscaping mythbusters

Landscaping is what YOU make it. Form, function, color, site conditions and your imagination are all factors. Weather plays a role too…

Today, though, I’m going to bust a few myths I’ve been hearing over the garden fence.

I’ve addressed this one recently but am now seeing people shaving their lawns with the mower. This doesn’t mean you’ll have to mow less frequently, it means you’re killing your lawn!

Another one, there are no straight lines  … [Continue reading]

Pinching, is it rude?


Thu. Jul. 29, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Pinching, is it rude?

It certainly depends on what you’re pinching! 😉

Pinching, pruning, deadheading are all a good thing FOR THE MOST PART.  I would caution you to quit pinching your Mums right now.  If you don’t you might now have any flowers coming for fall.

Pinching your herbs is a great way to keep them growing bushier.  You want the leaves more than the flowers.  So pinch, prune or use scissors to cut back the flowers.   … [Continue reading]

Ground plum and the constant desire for more plants


Wed. Jul. 28, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Ground plum and the constant desire for more plants!

I recently posted on Facebook my admission of an addiction to plants! A friend responded:

Yup! Sums it up nicely!  So how am I connecting ground plums and the desire for my plants? Well, I saw this darling and had to get it….

Last year I planted this darling little native called Ground Plum. Latin name not quite as pretty, Astragalus crassicarpus…  is fabulous for bee lawns. This  … [Continue reading]

Who (plants) hangs out with who (more plants)


Tue. Jul. 27, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Who (plants) hangs out with who (more plants)

I love getting questions from listeners and suggestions for Garden Bite topics. A listener asked about what plants get along with each other and what plants might not…  Invasive plants don’t play well with others. 

IF you don’t mind a plant creating your garden, then buy that invasive or “easy spreader” as they are referred to in plant catalogs.  If you want creative control, then be careful. 

Now, who are  … [Continue reading]

Hardy Kiwi vine


Mon. Jul. 26, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Hardy Kiwi vine

Have you ever thought of growing kiwi? Me either. I mean, come on, we live in zones 3 and 4! BUT, Hardy kiwi (Actinidia arguta and Actinidia kolomikta) is the cold-hardy cousin of the vine that produces the familiar kiwi fruit sold at grocery stores.

Hardy kiwi is much more cold-tolerant and can be grown in zones 3, 4, or 5.  Primarily it’s grown for it’s heart-shaped leaves but it also delivers that tasty  … [Continue reading]

The Well Gardened Mind


Fri. Jul. 23, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: The Well-gardened Mind

Last year I interviewed Sue Stuart Smith on her book, “The Well-gardened Mind – the Restorative Power of Nature”, detailing her grandfather’s journey from POW in Turkey during WWII and his recovery back to his life. Here’s the link to the interview.

Her grandfather, a WWI British veteran, had nearly died as a POW in Turkey, made it back a shell of a man but his gardens restored not just his physical health but  … [Continue reading]

Lake shoreline plantings


Thu. Jul. 22, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Lake shoreline plantings

I visited friends on a lake and noticed the plantings (or not) of the various properties.

  1. Shoreline planting provides physical stabilization of a lakeshore or river bank. The extensive root systems of native plants embrace the soil and hold it in place.
  2. They also benefit the water ecosystem by filtering-out pollutants from water runoff, creating healthy shoreline habitat.
  3. Attracting birds, butterflies and hummingbirds.

While it’s a great idea to contact your local Soil and Water  … [Continue reading]

Second season planting


Wed. Jul. 21, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Second season planting

Midsummer is the time for zone 4 to 6 gardeners to begin planting crops like broccoli, lettuce, peas, spinach, kale, cilantro and arugula.

Planting now through early August will have you harvesting from September through November (maybe!). When planting in the heat of summer, it’s important to keep the soil surface consistently moist. If it dries out, newly sprouted seeds may die and you will need to start over.

As a general rule, seeds  … [Continue reading]

Perennial grasses


Tue. Jul. 20, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Perennial grasses

Perennial grasses are one of my favorite plants. We are fortunate to have so many natives as well as many cultivars of those native plants.

And then there are those grasses that might not be from around here but are hardy just the same! I’m thinking of Japanese Golden Forest grass aka Hakonechloa. I’ve planted this one but it’s not super pleased in it’s place just yet.

There are tall grasses, small grasses, green grasses, blue  … [Continue reading]

Blossom end rot


Mon. Jul. 19, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Blossom end rot

Ugh, blossom end rot….

My romas went crazy (as have all the types of tomatoes I planted this year). However, this black stuff bugs me! So, what is blossom end rot?

It’s a calcium deficiency. Oddly that doesn’t mean there’s not enough calcium in the soil. Uneven watering and rapid early growth of the plants can also cause the rot because the calcium is needed by the tomatoes when they are actively growing and the  … [Continue reading]