Pinching, is it rude?


Fri. Jul. 26, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Pinching, is it rude?

Only if you’re pinching someONE you ought not to!  Oh, this is Garden Bite and we talk plants!

Pinching, pruning, deadheading are all a good things FOR THE MOST PART.  I would caution you to quit pinching your Mums right now.  If you don’t you won’t have any flowers coming.

Pinching your herbs is a great way to keep them growing bushier.  You want the leaves more than the flowers.  So pinch, prune or  … [Continue reading]

Lake shoreline planting


Thu. Jul. 25, 2019

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

We were just at some friends place on a lake in southern Minnesota. Many of the properties had lawns, some had trees and shrubs, in particular where there was no home or cabin, and still others used boulders.

Others where there were homes, planted natives for their shoreline.

Why bother? Well… let me count the ways besides being beautiful.

  1. Shoreline planting provides physical stabilization of a lakeshore or river bank. The extensive root systems of
 … [Continue reading]

Drying herbs


Wed. Jul. 24, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Drying herbs

I love having fresh herbs!  The aromas are awesome.

I also love having them for the Winter. So, I dry them or freeze them. The dehydrator is my favorite method.

I use it to dry all kinds of herbs including tarragon, parsley and rosemary.  I also dry tomatoes and flowers too.

To prevent mold, don’t pack it too full, you want plenty of air movement, this also helps them dry quicker.

For the best results, cut  … [Continue reading]

Hogweed vs Wild Parsnip


Tue. Jul. 23, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Hogweed vs Wild Parsnip

Is it Wild Parsnip?  Is it Giant Hogweed?  Is it toxic?  Yes, Yes and yes…  in the last couple of years there’s been a concerted effort to eradicate the toxic Wild Parsnip which is now growing with abandon in many a ditch around Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.  But now there’s another contender for the top toxic title.  Giant Hogweed.   I first reported on this weed in 2014, it hadn’t quite made it  … [Continue reading]

Recent storms and heavy rain


Mon. Jul. 22, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Recent storms and heavy rain

Many of us have been hit with storms and heavy rain.  Effects can be dramatic or subtle.  The first step is check your gardens.  Large storm damage can be pretty easy to spot but there can be subtle damage you might not see unless you’re looking.

Check for small branch and leaf damage too and remove them.  Stake or support newer plants and trees that need it.  If the soil’s been saturated (like  … [Continue reading]

The robin families saga


Fri. Jul. 19, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: The robin families saga

As some of you know, I’ve hosted 2 robin families on my front porch so far this summer! When the first nest went up my husband wanted it taken down but mama robin was already sitting there. Those nests go up FAST!

She was pretty mouthy when we would come out on the porch to sit and to water plants but, I had a talk with her, my husband can attest to the fact  … [Continue reading]

Scarlet leather-flower


Thu. Jul. 18, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Scarlet leather-flower

So how does a Minnesotan see the state of Texas… oppressively hot? Yup! That made me think about this plant, clematis texensis also known as Scarlet Leather-flower , a native of Texas. Since our temps have been in the low 90’s…. this guy seemed appropriate to talk about!

So why do I bring it up?  Somewhat because I’m feeling like we’re in Texas lately, but the other reason is that this Texas native offers a possibility  … [Continue reading]

My clover lawn


Wed. Jul. 17, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: My clover lawn

I recently posted a picture of my clover-filled lawn with the hashtag #sorrynotsorry. What amazed me is the reaction! People loved it!

Granted, they’re not my neighbors but people understand that having pollinator friendly landscapes is a benefit to all of us. There’s also trying to be respectful to those you live around. That means my clover-filled lawn is kept mowed at a certain height. I, or my husband, mow the lawn to about 3  … [Continue reading]

Indoor plants outdoors and a free hibiscus


Tue. Jul. 16, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Indoor plants outdoors and a free hibiscus

I recently got a couple of hibiscus containers if I mentioned a certain radio station at a local garden center. Oh, they’re so pretty.

My point is that hibiscus are tropical plants so THEIR watering schedule is different than most of the other container plants I have outside, that I talked about yesterday. 

They can actually dry out and stay that way for a few days!  I’m going to move these  … [Continue reading]

Watering and caring for container plants


Mon. Jul. 15, 2019

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Watering and caring for container plants

It’s been hot, it’s been humid and our containers are looking a bit bedraggled. I’m not EVEN going to talk about what I look like in this tropical weather! It happens in midSummer.

 Don’t be afraid to pinch those petunias. Right about now they’re getting a bit leggy, you can pinch them back and watch for more growth. We should be fertilizing our annuals now as all the watering you we must  … [Continue reading]