Gardening has been a lifelong passion for Wende and she’d like to share her passion with her readers. Follow her as she writes about her gardening adventures, lists tasks to do depending on the season, and gives easy to understand gardening advice.
Now that February is coming to a close, some shrubs and trees can be pruned. This is an especially good time to do this because the leaves are not in the way and you can see where branches are rubbing on each other and causing weak places where insects and other diseases can get in. Here's information from the Steins Gardening Calendar:
September is here and soon it will feel like fall. I like to have plants in my yard that give nice fall color because after summer is over and flowers are mostly done blooming, I miss the color they offered. There are flowers you can buy (mums, ornamental kale, etc), but why not add some shrubs to you landscape that also give fall color? Here's a few that are beautiful in the fall:
I've been asked this several times and last week I responded off the top of my head azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and some types of berries. But then I got to thinking.... it would be nice to be able to plant a bigger variety of things under pines, since that understory of empty space seems like such a wasteland. I did some online research and came up with many choices and some that I will definitely try!
If you are interested in hearing what's going on "horticulturally" in Wisconsin each week, the UW Extension holds a weekly meeting where the Master Gardeners discuss the calls they have received from people and also the experts report on what plant, animal, disease or insect trends are happening. They create both a podcast and a pdf transcript of the meetings.
Great News! After 20 years, the USDA has updated the Plant Hardiness Zones! Beware, our Zone 4 (or 5 depending on where you live) has now become Zone 5b (-15 to -10F). The new 13 zone map has been brought into the internet age with GIS-based interactive maps and more accurate zones that take into consideration things like elevation, terrain, and closeness to bodies of water. Using a 30 year timespan (unlike the 1990 version that used a 13 yr span), many more weather stations, and expert input from the climatic and horticultural community, the map is much more accurate than it was plus it shows a 5 degree increase (warmer) overall for the US.
"America’s neighborhoods and forests are under attack. The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) beetle has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees. It lives in firewood. Move firewood and you spread the destruction. Help us protect the trees — and stop the beetle. Promise you won’t move firewood."
