Glazed pots and winter storage


Wed. Nov. 7, 2018

Click below to listen to  my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Glazed pots and winter storage

We’ve already seen cold rain, sleet and snow and the forecast doesn’t look like there’s going to be any “Dog Days” of Autumn coming…  My husband even got ahead of the game and put the bicycles away and started moving the porch furniture!

Another winter consideration are my glazed pots!

I’ve had the pot pictured below (actually have 2) for at least 10 years.  They’ve never been stored inside.  I noticed a small  … [Continue reading]

Too much TLC can kill


Tue. Nov. 6, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Too much TLC can kill

Your tropicals you had outside all summer should be safely indoors now.   As we start turning indoors, we’re paying more attention to all of our houseplants.  Mostly that’s a good idea but too much T-L-C can kill a houseplant!

Overwatering is the number one killer of houseplants.  Almost none of your houseplants like wet feet.  We often think water’s the cure-all for what MAY ail your plant.  The reality is, MOST of your  … [Continue reading]

Turn back the clock and bring in some fragrance


Mon. Nov. 5, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Turn back the clock and bring in some fragrance

We turned back the clock this weekend.  Hope you enjoyed that extra hour of sleep!  I sure did. I get up real early in the morning and have enjoyed the starry skies for the past month. I also enjoy the crisp fall air and the smells of Fall, especially bonfires.  

But, we’re also moving more indoors and, as we clean for the holidays, perhaps you want to bring in  … [Continue reading]

Storing chemicals for winter


Fri. Nov. 2, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Storing chemicals for winter

While there’s a big movement against the use of chemicals for our landscapes (gardens, etc.), there are still plenty of folks who use them.    Proper storage also INCLUDES your organic products.

Organic
Nope, not organic

If you’ve got chemicals in dispensers, it’s best to use them up according to directions, then rinse out your sprayers and allow them to drip dry.

Be sure you know what’s in your containers.  Don’t mix chemicals, even if  … [Continue reading]

November to-do’s


Thu. Nov. 1, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  November to-do’s

Got fruit trees?  Got rotten fruit debris?  Might want to clean that up!

Oftentimes, that debris is a hiding spot for disease that overwinters and then presents itself next season.  I also cut back any perennials with slimy foliage like hosta and heuchera, for instance.

Again, those leaves can harbor spores of fungi that can be rejuvenated in the Spring and start a disease cycle all over again.

If you have a paniculata hydrangea such as  … [Continue reading]

Halloween and tradition


Wed. Oct. 31, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show;  Halloween and tradition

There are differing opinions as to the origin of the celebration of Halloween.  For my purpose, I’m going with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced Sow in).  These people celebrated the new year on November 1st as the end of summer and harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter.

Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred.  … [Continue reading]

Nature’s nocturnal mischiefs


Tue. Oct. 30, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Nature’s nocturnal mischiefs

When I lived out east, the night before Halloween was called “Mischief Night”, the night the older kids went out and soaped windows, tee peed trees and got into trouble!  Halloween lore from 1970 to 2000…..

What creatures create nighttime mischief in our backyards?

The top prankster has got to be that cute little bandit, the Raccoon!  From tossing our garbage to making their home in our uncapped chimneys, they are a nuisance to  … [Continue reading]

Orchid love – indoors and out


Mon. Oct. 29, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Orchid love – indoors and out

When I say orchid, what’s your first thought?  Most likely it’s those gorgeous delicates you see on sale everywhere from grocery stores to gas stations, and, of course, in local flower shops.

However, there are some natives too!  Yes, natives in Wisconsin and Minnesota.  In fact, the Showy Lady’s Slipper is Minnesota’s State Flower. Found living in open fens, bogs, swamps, and damp woods where there is an abundance of natural light,  … [Continue reading]

Fall journaling


Fri. Oct. 26, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Fall journaling

Now before you get all worked up about another “chore”…. there are many reasons to journal the seasons…

  • For those times you can’t remember WHAT variety of tomato worked really well
  • For those plants that are beautiful but seemed to be plagued with disease every year, can you say “monarda” (at least some cultivars are NOT resistant to mildew
  • For those wonderful annual combinations you loved in your containers and swore you would remember what they
 … [Continue reading]

Tool attention


Thu. Oct. 25, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Tool attention

As a cold wind blows… it’s time to turn to our garden tools.  They’ve likely had a workout this year between gardening and storm clean up!  They could use a little TLC…

Every year I intend on putting neon tape on my tools so I can spot them when I get distracted to take a phone call or wander off to another project and nearly every year I still manage to lose a tool or two  … [Continue reading]