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Gardening

Green Thumb – What’s That Weed?

A weed is a plant in the wrong place. As a small child I got a kick out of picking dandelions just to blow away the fluff. Now I pluck them from the lawn in slow motion. Dandelions have a bad rap because they spread so easily, but it’s important to ...read more

Green Thumb – Garden Trends & New Plants in 2021

It is time to bid a less than fond farewell to 2020. This past year has been a challenge in many ways. Fortunately, we can now look forward to a brand new year and a brand new gardening season full of trends to discover and plants to inspire us. Garden Trends The ...read more

Green Thumb – Ask the Master Gardeners About Herbs

When people ask you how you take such good care of your herb garden... Tell them you have lots of thyme! Herbs are in a special category of their own because they are timeless. The ancient Greeks considered parsley sacred. In Medieval times, knights wore small stems of thyme on their ...read more

Native Prairies Being Established Locally

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres provide long-term benefits to the environment. When the last glacier left our area approximately 14,000 years ago it left behind moraines and glacial ridges. Eventually as the temperatures began to rise the tundra-like environment was replaced by cool moist deciduous forests and eventually by oak-hickory woodlands, ...read more

Green Thumb – Pruning Tips for Healthier Shrubs

Most of us take an interest in pruning when we become first-time home owners. In my case I thought it was my duty to maintain the shrubs like the previous owner. After all, cones, boxes and meat-ball spheres were the landscaping shapes we saw down the street. On Saturdays you ...read more

Green Thumb – Growing Milkweed for Monarch Butterflies

Whenever I see milkweed growing along the side of a road, I wonder if I’ll see Monarch butterflies. They lay their eggs on milkweed because it’s the only source of food for their caterpillars. Monarch Caterpillar Two years ago a patch of Common Milkweed showed up in my yard, and Monarch butterflies ...read more

What is a Pollinator Plot?

A pollinator plot is planted predominately with flowers that provide nectar or pollen for a range of pollinating animals. Most flowering plants rely on pollinators like bees, butterflies, birds and bats to help spread pollen. When pollinators eat flower nectar, pollen sticks to their bodies and is spread from flower ...read more

Green Thumb – A Garden with Good Bones

From April to October, we enjoy our flower gardens. We find their over all visual appearance pleasing. What if all the flowers were removed from the garden? Would our garden areas still be appealing or would they be lacking in form and design? One of the easiest ways to bring a ...read more

Green Thumb – Ask a Master Gardener about Vegetables

“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if greenvegetables smelled as good as bacon.”  Doug Larson This year, many people are showing an interest in growing their own vegetables. For some, there is comfort in having some control over their food source. For others it has been a search for ...read more

Green Thumb – Sensational Shrubs for Your Garden

Between the worlds of large trees and smaller annuals and perennials, we often overlook the beautiful and diverse family of shrubs. These plants are capable of supplying seasonal garden interest from early spring all the way through the winter months. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular shrubs for your home ...read more