March gardening reminders: If you haven’t already done so, it is time to prune apple and pear trees, grape vines, deciduous trees except for maples, evergreens and woody shrubs except for early bloomers like forsythias and lilacs. If you plan to start flower or vegetable seeds indoors for outdoor planting in May, check [Continue]
I first saw a broadfork in use many years ago when Eliot Coleman demonstrated its use on his HGTV series, Gardening Naturally. A few years later, retired DNR warden Wayne Jeidy taught one of our Master Gardener classes and he had high praise for the broadfork. I’ve wanted one ever since. A broadfork, [Continue]
Mulch offers many benefits to plants during the growing season and it is equally important to mulch plants over the winter. You may think that the purpose of winter mulch is to keep your plants warm but it is actually just the opposite. Mulch should be applied after the ground freezes, usually around Thanksgiving. [Continue]
The last two summers have been much drier than usual. Other parts of the country have been dealing with lack of rain for years, but in the Midwest, with a few exceptions, we’ve had ample rain for the past several decades. Xeriscaping is the term coined to describe a method of water conservation through [Continue]
When I went to visit Suzette Lazotte’s permaculture garden, she gave me her address and detailed directions how to get there. But I wouldn’t have needed either. Just the name of the street would have been enough – her yard is very different from her neighbors’. The bulk of Suzette’s yard is filled [Continue]
Permaculture, coined from “permanent agriculture” may seem an obscure or unobtainable theory that doesn’t apply to the average yard or garden. But there is no need to adopt the entire permaculture philosophy to derive some benefits. Just a few of the concepts can be applied to make your yard and garden more beautiful and [Continue]
Gardeners have known for centuries that some plants grow better when certain other plants are growing nearby. Science has determined some of the basis for this, but many successful plant combinations still have no explanation. The practice of purposely placing two plants in close proximity for the benefit of one or both of them is [Continue]
You’ve made the plans for your new flower bed and have just returned from the nursery with your trunk full of plants. You unload the car and wonder why you ever thought making a new flower bed was a good idea. How do you do this right and make it look good? Ideally, [Continue]
I was recently reading the newest novel by one of my favorite authors. The heroine was upset about the many ordeals she was facing so to relax she went outside to deadhead her perennials for an hour. So far, so good. Gardening is a wonderful way to relieve stress and spend some quiet time letting [Continue]
For the second year in a row, we are very short on the amount of rainfall we should have for the growing season. Most everyone has had to do supplemental watering to keep yards and gardens looking nice. Rather than setting a watering schedule and sticking to it religiously, you can prioritize your plants [Continue]