Re re re Repot!


Mon. Feb. 12, 2018

Click below to listen to  my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Re re re Repot!

reDuce, reUse, reCycle,…..  NOW rePOT

Now’s a good time of year to repot those houseplants that have outgrown themselves.  If their roots are coming out the bottom, or have circled around so many times they’ve formed their OWN pot, it’s time!

As you can see from the above picture some of those roots have circled around themselves and are of no benefit to the plant.  They’re actually strangling it.  There are plenty of healthy  … [Continue reading]

Growing Avocados in the North


Mon. Feb. 5, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Growing avocados in the North

I had a listener ask me about growing avocados in Minnesota.  He’d taken some pits and put them in water. One sprouted.  After months and months of sitting in water, it’s started to sprout leaves along with those roots.  The question from there was what to do with it!

A How-to guide on sprouting an avocado seed/pit at Inhabitat

I did some research and found that, based on the pictures and the information  … [Continue reading]

Social network for the garden – it’s a trend!


Thu. Jan. 25, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Social network for the garden – 2018

What’s trending?  Ever get tired of these new digital phrases?  I do, but I’m a bit old school!  That said, plants have been “social networking” for, well, just about forever.

They recognized early the importance of each other.  Social networking is now a term for the garden as well.  It’s a 2018 trend, according to landscape architect Thomas Rainer.

I’m always curious to give something a go!  Instead of seeing your  … [Continue reading]

Palmer Amaranth


Wed. Jan. 24, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Palmer Amaranth

All above and below ground parts of the plant must be destroyed. Additionally, no transportation, propagation, or sale of these plants is allowed. Failure to comply may result in enforcement action by the county or local municipality.  Whoa, what’s THAT about?

The dreaded Palmer amaranth, a runaway weed threatening ecological systems.  Palmer amaranth is an annual plant native to the arid southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

It is a traditional food of Native Americans including  … [Continue reading]

Let’s go googling and why does “Days to harvest” matter?


Wed. Jan. 17, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Let’s go googling and why does “Days to Harvest” matter?

Floating in a sea of catalogs, immersed in a maze of vegetables and perennials SHOUTING at you to buy them, try them, eat them!  While these companies are reputable, because most of my audience hales from the colder climate zones, I suggest googling!  I KNOW, there’s a lot of bunk on the internet, however, check your sources and take a peek at how these new plants grow in  … [Continue reading]

Rusty patched bumblebees


Tue. Jan. 16, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Rusty patched bumblebees

Yesterday I talked about the endangered dwarf trout lily, today, I’ll take you back to the rusty patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis).  Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the bumblebee is now protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Over the past two decades its population has declined 87 percent.  Once common and abundant across 28 states from Connecticut to South Dakota, the rusty patched bumble bee has experienced a swift  … [Continue reading]

Dwarf trout lilies


Mon. Jan. 15, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Dwarf trout lilies

Last weekend I had the opportunity to walk in the Big Woods State Park in Nerstrand, MN.  The frozen tundra that the Upper Midwest was locked in, gave us a glimpse of warm weather!  WHEW, we needed that respite!

While there, a friend who lives in the area told my husband and I that the roped off areas were to protect the Minnesota dwarf trout lily, an endangered species.  Now, the regular trout lily is  … [Continue reading]

Cultivar wishes and Spring dreams


Wed. Jan. 3, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Cultivar wishes and Spring dreams

I can’t hardly contain myself as I peruse my plant catalogs!  I fold over so many pages as I see plants I want to try.  Now, there’s no way I could possibly put all of those in my yard.  I call it “cultivar wishes and spring dreams”, if you ever watched  Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, you’ll understand.

I found a really wonderful new dogwood shrub called ‘Neon Burst’.  That should  … [Continue reading]

Conservation Districts – why are they important?


Thu. Dec. 28, 2017

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Conservation Districts – why are they important?

The United States has 3,000 Conservation Districts.  Many are called Soil and Water Conservation Districts.  They work with millions of cooperating landowners and operators to help them manage and protect land and water resources on private and public lands in the United States.

The association was founded on the philosophy that conservation decisions should be made at the local level with technical and funding assistance from federal, state, and local governments  … [Continue reading]

The art of Wabi Sabi in the garden


Wed. Dec. 20, 2017

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  The art of Wabi Sabi in the garden

What’s Wabi-Sabi?  Well…, I just found out, it’s the art of imperfect beauty.  And it’s a 2018 trend to carry into the garden!  I think I’ve already done that…

Wabi Sabi is an ancient Japanese practice that appreciates the imperfections in life and the ability to age gracefully.  Wabi Sabi gardens imitate nature in a way that allows you to relax and appreciate their humble, imperfect forms!  I can dig  … [Continue reading]