As much as I love gardening, it’s terribly difficult to get inspired to write about it, and to find something seasonally appropriate in the middle of February. This past weekend my sister-in-law asked me to try to rescue her dying houseplant and I found some helpful information from Paul James, The Gardener Guy, on the [Continue]
There’s no doubt that August and September were drought months in our area. With global warming, there are likely to be more years like this in the future. As Master Gardeners we need to educate ourselves as to how to help our plants through drought conditions as well as learn what plants are best suited [Continue]
Only one tamarack tree grows within a mile of my home. The dry, alkaline farmland area is not conducive to the moist acidic soil conditions that my reference books say tamaracks need to thrive. Tamaracks, also called larches, are conifers, meaning they produce cones, but they are unusual in that they lose all [Continue]
When you were stringing the Christmas lights on that big evergreen or along the yew hedge in your front yard, did you notice that it was a little shaggy or misshapen and think it could use a little pruning? Don’t worry, it’s not a chore that needs to be finished along with the last minute [Continue]
Along with the Christmas decorations, local stores are stocked ceiling-high with bags of rock salt, the traditional fix for icy sidewalks and driveways. Rock salt does a good job of de-icing, but it can seriously injure or kill plants growing nearby. The most obvious damage occurs to turfgrass. The salt kills the grass leaves, [Continue]
When I first heard the term “rain garden” I thought it was something for people in Seattle. I was wrong. Rain gardens are a way all of us can improve the water quality of our Wisconsin lakes, streams and groundwater. Rain gardens are just that – gardens that soak up rain water from roofs, [Continue]
Over the past few years I’ve noticed an increasing amount of poison ivy alongside the Wiouwash Trail that runs from Oshkosh to Hortonville. But poison ivy isn’t found only in the wild; it can appear in woodsy corners of our yards as well. Poison ivy is tricky in that it can take several forms. [Continue]
During gardening season, my philosophy on housecleaning is this: it can wait until just before company comes. Many gardening chores are not as forgiving as dirty floors and dust bunnies, however. For example, when a plant starts getting too tall or top heavy and needs staking, don’t wait to do the job. A day’s [Continue]
You’ve planted, then watered and weeded all summer. But how do you know when your produce is ready for picking? Here is a quick harvest-time guide to some of the vegetables and fruits that are ripening now. Apples: Ripening dates vary from the first week in August to the third week in October. Taste is [Continue]
Purple loosestrife is evil! This aggressive perennial which grows two to seven feet tall with purple flowers on its long spikes invades wetland areas, literally shading out most other vegetation. Besides threatening plants, loosestrife also reduces populations or leads to the displacement of muskrats and several species of waterfowl. In Wisconsin, it is illegal [Continue]