More 2020 plants


Fri. Feb. 7, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: More 2020 plants

It never ceases to amaze me how plant breeders come up with some amazing choices. Feast your eyes on these beauties!

 SunSeekers® Salmon Coneflower was introduced by Breck flowers and is hardy to zone 3.  

Its semidouble flowers start as a lovely shade of salmon-pink with some soft yellow petals in the centre. As the aromatic blooms mature, their salmon-pink petals become pale pink and large, dark crimson cones form. Pollinators eat this flower’s  … [Continue reading]

Using the color wheel in garden design


Thu. Feb. 6, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Using the color wheel in garden design

Winter’s always a good time to make plans for your garden.  Yesterday I shared pre-planned garden designs, today I’ll talk about using the color wheel to help you choose colors that compliment!

Having a mishmash of color is certainly fine if it doesn’t give you visual overload, however, mixing too many colors doesn’t allow our eyes to gaze more thoroughly, but instead, can deliver a dizzying sight that isn’t necessarily calming. … [Continue reading]

Pre-planned gardens


Wed. Feb. 5, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Pre-planned gardens

If you’re new to gardening or if you don’t think you have an eye for garden planning, or you just don’t want to have to think about it too much; there are a LOT of tools out there to help you.   Garden Puzzle

From front yards to vegetable gardens to patios and more. They offer various price options.

When planning your perennial garden, keep in mind the hardiness zone you live in as some of these  … [Continue reading]

Worm composting


Tue. Feb. 4, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Worm composting

The worms crawl in the worms crawl out, they play pinochle on your snout!  They also compost your food scraps!  Really, who would have thought that we’d be welcoming worms inside our homes?  It’s called vermicomposting.

All you need is a box, moist newspaper strips, and worms. Worms need moisture, air, food, darkness, and warm (but not hot) temperatures. Bedding, made of newspaper strips or leaves, will hold moisture and contain air spaces essential to their  … [Continue reading]

Groundhog Day


Mon. Feb. 3, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Groundhog Day

Well, here he is….  the rodent responsible for Spring:

The little fella rose early yesterday morning, did NOT see his shadow and declared an EARLY SPRING FOR 2020! But I will say that statistically speaking, I wouldn’t bet on Punxsutawney Phil.  Apparently he’s been right 39% since 1887. He does have his own fan club! 

Phil is one old groundhog… according to legend, every summer, Phil is given a sip of what’s called Groundhog Elixir,  … [Continue reading]

Pericallis – pair o’ what?


Fri. Jan. 31, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Pericallis – pair o’ what?

As I was perusing new plants on the National Garden Bureau website, I found a beautiful white flower with dark blue/gray eyes. It looks like a daisy but it’s called Pericallis ‘Senetti White’.

Senetti is a series of cultivars created by a company out of Japan called Suntory.

Honestly, I’ve never heard of them but I’ve seen them and, likely you have too as you shopped for your annual Spring planting  … [Continue reading]

Romaine heaven


Thu. Jan. 30, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Romaine heaven

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced just a month ago that it had confirmed 138 cases of E. coli in 25 states, with the most recent one occurring on December 1. The good news, on January 15th of 2020, the CDC believes the outbreak over. 

But here’s even more good news. Grow your own romaine! 

And the National Garden Bureau suggests a window delight. It’s called Lettuce Bronze Mini Romaine. It’s a  … [Continue reading]

EAB treatment and tree replacements


Wed. Jan. 29, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: EAB treatment and tree replacements

The Emerald Ash Borer has slowly but surely made it’s way into many of our towns, if it’s not there already, it will be. 

Cities that planted all Ash trees because of Dutch Elm disease are now faced with Ash tree removal. The city I live in hired an Arborist to check over the trees and we have plenty that are on the chopping block, a few that will be treated. 

My friend  … [Continue reading]

Companion planting


Tue. Jan. 28, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Companion planting

Gazing out at a winter wonderland, I’m making soup using herbs from last year.  They are a wonderful family of plants. They offer fragrance, taste, medicinal properties and they repel some pests.

They offer fragrance, taste, medicinal properties and they repel some pests.  While not always substantiated by University based information, there are a number of books and articles, as well as old gardeners around that swear by the use of herbs and companion planting.

So  … [Continue reading]

Bunnies – the bad and the good? Monitoring your plants


Mon. Jan. 27, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Bunnies – the bad and the good? Monitoring your plants

It’s always a good idea to monitor your shrubs and newly planted trees this time of year to see if there’s been bunny, vole or deer damage.

If you wrapped the new trees with hardware cloth or put chicken wire around your shrubs, then good for you, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about!  I’ve lost a few shrubs by not paying attention.

Hardware cloth comes in a  … [Continue reading]