What to Do Now Now you need to get into a routine of things to do to keep your garden at its best. Get in the habit of taking a few minutes, every couple of days to walk through your garden and get to know it. Look at the foliage, admiring any tiny blooms just … Read more
I LOVE THIS PLANT My selected plant to highlight is the Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’. Or, more commonly referred to as Virginia Sweetspire. As you may figure out with Virginia being in its name, Virginia Sweetspire is a native shrub to our area. Right now it is in flower. It has fragrant, white flower spikes … Read more
I was surprised to find out I could eat sweet potato vines—yes, that’s right—the VINES. I went to a friend’s house and she had a huge bowl on the table of greens sauteed with garlic. After eating them, her son said, “Bet you didn’t know these are sweet potato greens.” Well, he was right. I … Read more
WE HAVE WATER PLANTS NOW! Water plants represent yet another form of landscaping. Yes, it is not for everyone. But more and more homeowners are accenting their existing landscape with a water feature. This feature doesn’t have to be large. You can start small and then “grow” and expand your water feature as you get … Read more
Most people have heard of the Three Sisters garden—corn, beans, and squash. Well, believe it or not, it makes sense. The corn gives the beans something to climb. The beans affix nitrogen to the soil (and corn loves nitrogen), and the squash suppresses weeds by acting as a mulch. This is companion planting at its … Read more
MAY IS ANOTHER SPRING MONTH. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? Let’s recap the month of April. April can be considered a dryer-than-normal month. “April showers bring May flowers” does not apply this year. But overall, we are still ahead of rainfall for the year. Our soil temperature continues to warm up more each week. All … Read more
Allepathy is how a plant interacts with the growth or germination of another plant near it. Sometimes, it hurts. Black Walnut Trees, Hickory Trees, and Juglone – Oh My A Black Walnut tree releases a chemical called Juglone that can inhibit the growth of certain plants. It mainly doesn’t get along with Solanaceae (potatoes, tomatoes, … Read more
My neighbor came to me yesterday, showed me a bottle of insecticide, and said that caterpillars ate all of their parsley and dill last year. This year, he wasn’t taking any chances. Would this work? I asked him, “You plant milkweed for the Monarch butterflies, right?” He said he did. I said, “Well, the Monarch … Read more
THINK ABOUT ADAPTING TO SQUARE-FOOT GARDENING Last week, I wrote my blog on vegetable gardening. It is time to move forward and get our vegetables and herbs planted. Just keep in mind that vegetable gardening is just at the beginning stages. Early May is still a great time to get started. Now, back to this … Read more
Today, April 22nd is Earth Day. Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed it in 1970 in response to the environmental interest created by Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring in 1962. Let’s Thank Rachel Carson, Author of Silent Spring Rachel Carson, a marine biologist, voiced her concerns about DDT and certain other pesticides in her book. This … Read more
