This summer has been a challenge in the yard and garden. I’ve given supplemental water to plants that I’ve never had to water in 21 years, and I’ve gotten lots of exercise walking between the rain barrels and the garden. There are several strategies you can use to help your garden through the toughest times. [Continue]
Isn’t it funny how you can have absolutely no interest in an entire group of plants and then you look at one of them one day and suddenly your interest is sparked? In my case, it happened with ferns.. There have been some ferns growing on the east side of my garage since we moved [Continue]
Well, this could get confusing. Anise, hyssop, and anise hyssop are three unrelated perennial plants, all having value in the garden, kitchen, or medicine chest. The overlap in common plant names is a lesson in the importance of using Latin names when you are looking for a specific plant. Anise – Pimpinella anisum – is [Continue]
June is invasive species awareness month. Why should you care? Because your ash trees are eventually going to be killed by emerald ash borer. Because your kids are going to cut their feet on zebra mussel shells on the beaches of Lake Michigan and Lake Winnebago. Because when you bike the Wiouwash Trail, you’ll see [Continue]
Beans are one of the easiest vegetables to grow. The large seeds are simple to plant, making them a good choice for a first planting experience for a new gardener or child. Before buying a packet of bean seeds, decide what kind of beans you want to grow. Will you use them for fresh eating? [Continue]
Just as a tree attains the majesty for which it is destined, its roots may begin to rise up from beneath the soil. These surface roots are difficult to mow and trim around and may cause a tripping hazard. While some tree species are more likely than others to form surface roots, the reason they [Continue]
Fairy rings are dark green open circles, like hula hoops, that appear on your lawn. The dark ring itself may be a couple inches to two feet wide and the diameter of the ring can be from two feet to fifty feet across. Almost every culture has its own folklore relating to fairy rings. Stories [Continue]
The three or four or seven-foot wide strip of grass or weeds between the street and sidewalk is mostly ignored by gardeners. But what an opportunity for gardeners to take on a new challenge! Typically this area, sometimes known as the “hellstrip,” is a hot, dry area subject to dogs doing their business, road salt, [Continue]
Since the early 1990s scientists have been studying a science called “phytoremediation.” The word comes from the ancient Greek “phyto” meaning “plant” and the Latin “remedium” meaning “restoring balance.” Scientists have found that plants have the ability to clean up polluted water and soil by taking up the pollutants into their roots, stems and leaves. [Continue]
Have you noticed how many awards and prizes people give to each other? Grammys, Oscars, CMAs, Golden Globes, People’s Choice, Nobel Prizes, Pulitzer Prizes and the list goes on. We also give prizes to plants. Here are some of the award designations I found in just one seed catalog, and what the award means. • [Continue]