Perennials for dry shade


Fri. Jul. 16, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Perennials for dry shade

 Many areas within the Garden Bite audience are suffering drought conditions. Some more than others. What plants can handle dry shade?

Hosta, of course, is one clear choice.

Foxglove is a gorgeous flowering biennial that digs part shade. It IS poisonous. Also known as digitalis, it’s used medicinally for congestive heart failure.

If you don’t have small children visiting your gardens, then give this very tall flower a chance. It grows to 5 ft  … [Continue reading]

What’s keeping birds from your backyard?


Thu. Jul. 15, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: What’s keeping birds from your backyard?

Everyone loves having birds come to their landscapes, but some may find they don’t get much action even if they put out birdseed. So what’s going on?

One listener asked me how she could attract hummingbirds, then mentioned she has two cats. Well, first, leave the cats in the house. They are predators, regardless of whether they hang out on your shoulder.

Many people don’t like insects in their yard, so they  … [Continue reading]

Scarlet leatherflower


Wed. Jul. 14, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Scarlet leatherflower

Since it feels like we’re living in Texas, I thought I’d bring up clematis texensis, also  called Scarlet Leatherflower.

While a Texas native, it offers a possibility for those of us in zone 4b. Different from the clematis we’re used to, which prefer shade on their roots, this little beauty loves a southern or southwestern exposure and at least 6 hours of full sun. 

It’s also drought tolerant and blooms only on new wood.  That  … [Continue reading]

Fertilizing in hot weather


Tue. Jul. 13, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Fertilizing in hot weather

To fertilize or not to fertilize.

Hot weather and drought stress plants, adding fertilizer can do even more damage. If you haven’t been watering those plants, trees and shrubs and the soil is very dry, don’t waste your time and money. They won’t be able to absorb the nitrogen so rethink adding fertilizer.

Don’t just leave it on top of the soil. And just don’t fertilize your lawn. Wait until Fall.

If you do  … [Continue reading]

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]