When I first heard the term “rain garden” I thought it sounded so exotic, like something that would be located in the rain forest of the Amazon or perhaps the Pacific Northwest. I soon learned that rain gardens can be installed anywhere it rains. They are a way that all of us can improve [Continue]
It’s been a long winter and a cold spring, but it’s finally time to go to the greenhouse to choose the plants that you will add to your landscape this year. There are three things you should be careful of before you buy. First, if you have young children or pets, make sure [Continue]
Driven by social media, the last few years have presented us many challenges – the 2014 ice bucket challenge that raised $115 million for ALS research, the 2012 cinnamon eating challenge that injured and even killed participants, and weekly step challenges where friends compete to see who can walk the most steps as measured by [Continue]
Seed catalogs began arriving in mailboxes several weeks ago. If you’re like most people, you tend to be loyal to one or two mail order nursery companies, but do you know where your loyalty actually lies? Many seed companies that appear independent are actually owned by other larger companies that may own more than [Continue]
The extended bout of cold weather this past week had many people grumbling and complaining. Extreme cold does bring good news though. Lee Frelich, Director of the Center for Forest Ecology at the University of Minnesota says that extended sub-zero temperatures can kill the larvae of emerald ash borer, the insect that is decimating [Continue]
Before modern medicine, before paper was made and books were written, before the internet, before any form of written communication, the only way people had to learn the uses of plants was by trial and error and by passing information along orally. Long ago, cultures all over the world independently came to believe that plants [Continue]
UW-Extension Master Gardeners must acquire ten hours of continuing education each year to retain Master Gardener certification. Most months, an hour of education is offered prior to our monthly business meetings. In September, our speaker was Patrick Lake from the Oshkosh office of the National Resources Conservation Service. He was an enthusiastic and entertaining speaker. [Continue]
Do you realize how often math is involved in gardening? Here is the answer to the oft-asked question, “When will I ever need math in real life?” Say you want to fence your garden. You measure two sides, add those measurements together and multiply by two to find out how much fencing to buy [Continue]
Over the 18 years I’ve been writing this column, I’ve mentioned the benefits of using mulch in the garden many times. In case you missed it, here it is once more, plus a few new and even more important reasons to keep soil covered. Mulch is a layer of material spread on the surface of [Continue]
Have you noticed a little blue and red “AAS Winner” logo on some of the flower and vegetable photos in mail order nursery catalogs? Have you wondered what that means and how a particular plant earns that designation? AAS stands for All-American Selection. The AAS designation is like the Good Housekeeping Seal of [Continue]