For many people, fresh cut grass, watermelon, sweet corn and birdsong are the smells, tastes and sounds that epitomize the word “summer.” I’d add the sight of zinnias blooming cheerily in my garden to that list. I’ve grown zinnias every year since I planted my first garden over 30 years ago. My mother gave me [Continue]
June is Wisconsin’s Invasive Species Awareness Month, but May is a better time to control the invasive plants growing on your property. Plants are smaller and easier to remove and mosquitoes and deerflies haven’t yet arrived to make the work miserable. It is likely that you have invasive plants in your landscape. Buckthorn is a [Continue]
Every year I experiment with a new vegetable, herb, fruit or flower in my garden. Not this year. This year, in my new home, everything is different. The soil, light conditions, wind, water, surrounding vegetation, weeds, insect pests, the deer population, whatever critters live along the riverbank; it’s all unfamiliar. The ecosystem I created [Continue]
Celery can be grown in Wisconsin, but may be difficult to grow. And it’s an annual plant so once it’s harvested, its life is over. An easy-to-grow herb called lovage tastes just like celery and it’s perennial so it continues to produce year after year. It dies back to ground level each winter and [Continue]
Every occupation and hobby has its own unique language. Newcomers can be confused by terms that they haven’t heard before, or haven’t heard used in a particular way. Gardening is no different. Here are a few terms to know before you buy plants or seeds. Annual plants aren’t able to survive our winters so they [Continue]
Every once in a while, a book comes along that changes everything you’ve believed about a particular topic. “Grow a Little Fruit Tree” by Ann Ralph, is one that did so for me. Pruning is something I have fairly good knowledge of but I never questioned one of the basic tenets, the one that decrees [Continue]
The International Herb Association has chosen peppers as the Herb of the Year for 2016. Peppers seem an odd choice, given that past winners have included plants that we more normally think of as herbs: lavender, dill, sage, thyme, basil and rosemary. However, one of the many definitions of an herb is a “useful [Continue]
People plant vegetable gardens for many reasons – for exercise, to save money, to get outdoors, for relaxation, for better nutrition, to have control over their food supply, and to teach children. Are you ready to plant your first vegetable garden? Nothing matches the thrill you’ll feel the first time you eat a vegetable you’ve [Continue]
A few columns back, I mentioned that my husband and I have moved from our one-acre property to a smaller ¼-acre yard with many challenges. We closed the sale of our former home at the end of September leaving a garden still producing bountifully, apples and pears yet unharvested and grapes fermenting on the vines. [Continue]
The outdoor gardening season is over in Wisconsin, so it’s time to learn something interesting for which the average gardener will probably find no practical application. You can always throw your new knowledge and vocabulary words around to impress your friends though. Have you ever wondered how plants like clematis, grapes, peas, cucumbers, squash, ivies [Continue]