Crop rotation in the vegetable garden


Thu. Mar. 23, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Crop rotation in the vegetable garden

We’re SLOWLY creeping into planting season and I wanted to get you thinking about crop rotation as we consider our vegetable garden. While there are many more disease resistant vegetable cultivars, crop rotation is still something to think about for a couple of reasons.

It’s really the single easiest thing we can do to keep soil nutrients working FOR us and to help prevent disease.  But what crops do you rotate with?   … [Continue reading]

Gardening in a changing climate


Wed. Mar. 22, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Gardening in a changing climate

 As mentioned yesterday I was at a Horticulture Day and was really looking forward to the main speaker, Meg McAndrews Cowden. She, sadly, had laryngitis and wasn’t able to give her talk on Gardening in a New Climate.

Her notes were in our material and I am sharing some of them with you today along with my own information over the years I’ve been doing Garden Bite. Meg has a book, “Plant, Grow,  … [Continue reading]

How NOT to kill your trees


Tue. Mar. 21, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: How NOT to kill your trees

 I just spent last weekend at our local County Master Gardener Horticulture Day and one of the speakers was a University of MN Extension Educator, Katie Drewitz. Her talk was titled How Not to Kill Your Tree.

She had some doozy stories and a lot of great reminders I want to share with you as we head into spring.

She told one story of a woman who called and wanted to  … [Continue reading]

2023 Spring Equinox – where are you?


Mon. Mar. 20, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: 2023 Spring Equinox – where are you?

Hello, Spring? Where are you? Today is YOUR big day and I haven’t heard a peep out of you. Seriously we’re all getting a big concerned! 2022/23 Winter will go down in history if you have been reading social media platforms.

Our LONG, very wet/snowy winter has started to wear on all of us. 

Ahh, but spring is here, maybe, hopefully. We look forward to the freshness of it, the hope  … [Continue reading]

Is Shamrock a real plant?


Fri. Mar. 17, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Is Shamrock a real plant?

“Top of the mornin’ to ya!”  and Happy St. Patty’s Day!  I may be slightly Irish but I am all American, as those phrases really are! But it IS St. Patrick’s day and that makes me think of Shamrocks and all things green. 

It was the Celtic druids who started the shamrock on its path to Irish glory! They believed the number 3 to be a perfect number and, as such, to have  … [Continue reading]

Rhododendrons vs Azaleas


Thu. Mar. 16, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Rhododendrons vs Azaleas

Are rhododenrons the same as azaleas?  Kinda. From the American Rhododendron Society comes this: All azaleas are rhododendrons but not all rhododendrons are azaleas. Azaleas have been reclassified and are now in the genus Rhododendron. There are no clear cut lines for distinguishing all azaleas from all rhododendrons WHAT?  Check out this past Garden Bite on Rhodos & Azaleas for the North. 

Very generally, Azaleas tend to be smaller with more pointed, narrow leaves  … [Continue reading]

A 2023 AAS winner that’s an Angel


Wed. Mar. 15, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: A 2023 AAS winner that’s an Angel

All America Selections judges have chosen an Angel for a 2023 winner. Leucanthemum ‘Carpet Angel’. The first-ever groundcover Shasta Daisy as well as the first-ever AAS Winner from this breeder! Green Fuse Botanicals’ First Light Perennials.

Large 3-inch flowers boast a second inner frilly bloom adding to the unique look of Carpet Angel. It grows to just 6 inches tall but boasts a spread of 20 inches making it a

 … [Continue reading]

Oh for Peats sake


Tue. Mar. 14, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Oh for Peats sake

It’s been a staple in potting mixes for something like forever. It’s water retaining qualities, ability to hold nutrients in the soil and leave space for oxygen make it valuable to gardeners. And we’re depleting this carbon sponge we so desperately need.

Another article in Northern Gardener magazine shares that peat creates ideal growing conditions for plants.

Peat moss comes from bogs, a kind of wetland that’s home to unique flora and fauna. It  … [Continue reading]

A whole new look at Bleeding Hearts


Mon. Mar. 13, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: A whole new look at Bleeding Hearts

My Northern Gardener magazine came!! It never disappoints, I always discover something. If you’re a cold climate gardener, check them out. No, I’m NOT paid to say that!

Common bleeding heart (the old-fashioned early bloomers) are native to Asia but there are several North American Natives!

The common bleeding (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) heart bloom early and go dormant over the summer.

There are lovely cultivars of them including ‘Alba’ (these 3 plants  … [Continue reading]

Change is gonna come 2023


Fri. Mar. 10, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Change is gonna come 2023

I’ve said it before and it continues to be relevant:  The only constant thing in life is change and that really follows us into the garden.

Whether it’s change WE choose, the PLANT chooses or even a hungry critter chooses! In particular this winter of 22/23 has been challenging to say the least.

Every one of my shrubs has been eaten by rabbits. I can’t really blame them as they need to eat  … [Continue reading]