Mixing in annuals with your perennials


Thu. May. 12, 2022

Click below to listen to my  2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Mixing in annuals with your perennials

Finally, most of you are into full-on gardening! It’s been a long wait but we’re exploring all our local garden centers and finding so many plants to purchase! Or is that just me? No, I doubt it, especially based on the number of people I see!

I’ve always been one to plant annuals exclusively in containers but this year I’m changing it up. I bought a few packs of sunflowers this  … [Continue reading]

Nasturtium – the hat trick of annuals


Wed. May. 11, 2022

Click on the link below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Nasturtium – the hat trick of annuals

While I’m not a hockey player, living in Minnesota, a person comes to know a few terms anyway. What’s that got to do with gardening, you ask, well, this plant I’m highlighting today would be the Hat Trick of Annuals. Nasturtiums.

They are beautiful, edible and pollinators love them. Oh and they’re super easy to grow. They come in shades of yellow, orange, red and pink.

There is  … [Continue reading]

Summer blooming bulbs


Tue. May. 10, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Summer blooming bulbs

We are finally feeling warmer temperatures and seeing more sunshine! It’s been a long haul this spring.

Now is the time to plant gladiola, dahlia and canna bulbs for summer bloom! Alliums, oriental lilies, begonias and bulbs I can’t pronounce are also on that list. 

Glads need to be dug up after the first hard frost in the Fall when the plants are done! Cannas are the same way.  But they’re so lovely.  Their large  … [Continue reading]

Tips to grow veggies in containers


Mon. May. 9, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Tips to grow veggies in containers

Growing vegetables and herbs in containers is a great way to garden if you have less space or if your sunny area is smaller. 

The TYPE of container you use is important. For instance, tomatoes are super popular and grow well in containers but they need size! University based information says use AT LEAST a 12 inch diameter container, but honestly, bigger is better.  The larger pots provide more soil and hold  … [Continue reading]

Worms that eat plastic?!


Fri. May. 6, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Worms that eat plastic?!

Yesterday, jumping worms. Today, worms that eat plastic. Talking with friends about how complicated it can seem to recycle plastics, they brought up how there were worms that eat plastic.

I had to investigate! Wax worms have been found to munch on plastic.

According to Earth.org, Polyethylene (PE) is a plastic derived from petroleum. It’s the most common plastic used for grocery bags to children’s toys and food packaging. PE satisfies approximately 40%  … [Continue reading]

Jumping Worms


Thu. May. 5, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Jumping Worms

Jumping worms continue to be a big topic. It’s an Asian earthworm that turns your soil into something like coffee grounds while destroying your plants and lawn.

It’s been in the Twin Cities since 2006 and has been confirmed in over a dozen states in the Midwest. Wisconsin started seeing it in 2013. They’re called “jumping worms” because they wiggle intensely when disturbed and sometimes appear to be jumping. The video below is from  … [Continue reading]

Dividing perennials


Wed. May. 4, 2022

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

Now’s the time to divide your perennials.  (Divide spring bloomers in Fall) GENERALLY speaking, perennials can be divided every 3 years.  Hostas are one of these plants!  The plants below were too large for division.  Divide when the plants are peaking up about 4 inches or so.

hostas

I divided these hosta multiple times when I lived there and moved some out to wooded gardens.  A garden fork is your best friend for digging up plants.  You  … [Continue reading]

Who is in that cocoon?


Tue. May. 3, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Who is in that cocoon?

Discovered on April 19th, 2022 hanging on my ‘Candy Corn’ spirea… WHO is this?

Since the season is so late there were no leaves on the shrubs so the cocoon was very visible. I reached out to my listeners and found that it is, hopefully, the Hyalophlora Cecropia moth. In fact, I had several share their OWN stories of these moths.

This moth grows to 6 INCHES! It comes from a family of  … [Continue reading]

May Day and it’s origins


Mon. May. 2, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: May Day and it’s origins

Happy May Day! Okay so it was yesterday but why not get a little history about May Day anyway! 

There are multiple iterations of celebrations that include industrial workers, witches, flowers and more. In France, the King was given a Lily-of-the-valley as a lucky charm. He decided to offer one each year to the Ladies of the Court.

The Druids celebrated Beltane, the beginning of pastoral summer when livestock was led out to  … [Continue reading]

Arbor Day, diversity and the Musclewood tree


Fri. Apr. 29, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Arbor Day, diversity and the Musclewood tree

Arbor Day celebrates 150 years today! Planting, nurturing and celebrating TREES!

As we celebrate, we also should remember the demise of the American Elm tree due to disease and decades later we remain in the midst of the end of the Ash tree due to Emerald Ash Borer.

So, on this day, let’s also remember, the best defense is diversity.  More and more cities are offering multiple choices for planting  … [Continue reading]