Garden Bite with Teri Knight

I’ve talked about cuddling up with your plant catalogs but I want to share some terms with you that not everyone is familiar with. Knowing what these terms mean will guide you to the best options for your gardening experience. As always go to Garden Bite for more in-depth information! 

Those of us in cold climates (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, the Dakotas...) we like to stretch our zone occasionally. This zone 5 grass is gorgeous and, I think, worth a try in your zone 4. I talked about microclimates this week and planted Hakonechloa in "my microclimate". How did it work? Find out on today's Garden Bite . 

Every year the National Garden Bureau (NGB) chooses a bulb, an annual, a houseplant, a shrub, an edible and a perennial of the year. Plants are chosen because they are popular, easy-to-grow, widely adaptable, genetically diverse, and versatile. For 2022, they chose Gladiolus for the bulb of the year. Find out why and enjoy some beautiful options on today's Garden Bite . 

Reading my favorite magazine, Northern Gardener , I came across an article titled ‘Nativars’ by the Editor, and a friend of mine, Mary Schier. These are plants which are cultivars of our native plants. The question is, how do they relate to our environmental concerns? What is the difference between Selections and Hybrids? A quick overview of what nativars are and how they impact our environment on...

There's plenty of talk about microclimates but what are they and how do they relate in our own yards and landscapes? Can we change them? And how do we do that? It's on today's Garden Bite . 

The Perennial Plant Association announced their winner for Perennial of the Year 2022. It's Little Bluestem! A native with plenty of lovely cultivars. I share some beauties and one that was developed at the University of Minnesota Department of Horticulture and has become a standard! Listen up and take a look on Garden Bite . 

It's currently 9 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit) as I write this! Brrr. A great time to huddle indoors with those new plant catalogs and plan for the upcoming season. It's important for those of us in cold climates to really check out those catalog descriptions!  Learn more on today's GardenBite and also get a peek at Pantones Color of the Year for 2022.  

Today is Epiphany - the last day of the Christmas celebrations for Christians around the world. What is it and how is it celebrated? It has much to do with the Magi but the celebrations really vary! And it's time to take the Christmas tree down but there's much more life it can give. Learn all about it on today's GardenBite ! 

I’m having fun looking at new plant introductions for the 2022 season! I chose a few colorful options! Sun ball, Lemon Squeeze, Cupcakes White and Back in Black... ooo, what could they be? Find out on today's GardenBite ! 

Oh peperomia how I love your vast foliage options. I recently treated myself to a new plant and sassy pot. ‘Watermelon’ peperomia argyreia, is a sweet little beauty. There are more than a thousand varieties and they are great for small spaces! Check out today's GardenBite ! 

I talked about how plants help to clear the air in our homes but they can struggle to do that if they're covered in dust or cooking residue or whatever! Tips on cleaning your houseplants and clearing the air on today's Garden Bite ! 

There is an interesting history to Champagne. Fraught with intrigue and lawsuits on WHO can call their sparkling wine, Champagne! Was the bubbly always welcome? Find out on today's GardenBite . And toast to a new happy, healthy 2022... I think we can all say Amen to that! 

As gardening continues to grow (no pun intended!) I take a look at how it's grown! What plant breeders are doing to create vegetable and flower cultivars to fit urban landscapes as well as raise nutritional values. And also, what's a Duchene Smile?! That is on today's GardenBite . 

Around this time every year, after the holidays and when our winter in the Upper Midwest is really settling in, we are really needing our green fix and also need to clear the air in our homes. What are some of the best houseplants to do that? NASA proved decades ago that plants do have the capability of pulling toxins out of our indoor air! Learn more on gardenbite.com . 

Of 25 million acres of Tallgrass Prairie between Minnesota and Iowa only about 300,000 remains. Tallgrass Prairie are among the most decimated and threatened natural plant communities in the Midwest and the world. The tallgrass prairie ecosystem is dominated by native grasses and wildflowers. It's soil rich in nutrients. Learn what happened and how some are working to recover some of what's been l...

Every year plant breeders are coming out with new introductions. Hybridizing plants for a variety of reasons. Today I'm sharing some a few flowers and foliage plants that may not be AAS winners but have been trialed and are pretty darn gorgeous to look at! They also have additional attributes like staying power and disease resistance. Take a peek on gardenbite.com . 

It’s Christmas Eve and that means I bring you my gardeners version of an old classic poem written in 1823 by Clement Clarke Moore. Twas the Night Before Christmas and all through the house, not a plant was stirring, not even a sprout... hear the whole thing on today's Bite and find it on my website, gardenbite.com . 

While the American chestnut was for humans the American hazelnut is really for wildlife. I planted them on some property years ago primarily for the wildlife including pheasant, turkey, deer, woodpeckers and little mammals. Learn the ins and outs of growing American hazelnuts shrubs on today's Garden Bite and find additional info on gardenbite.com . 

Sowing seed in winter doesn't make sense... or does it? Talking with native seed companies, it's a perfect time to sow seeds of native plants with the right snow conditions and a prepared site. Learn all about the reasons why winter seed sowing is a great idea on today's Garden Bite . 

The Winter solstice takes place at 9:59am central time today. That got me thinking about the moon too, which leads to celestial gardening, also known as Biodynamics , which uses the movements of the moon and stars to guide planting and cultivation. Learn all about that on today's Garden Bite. How we can work WITH nature to renew soil. Check out my website too! 

Years ago the American Chestnut was the most important tree in eastern North America. Supplying excellent lumber and tasty nuts that fattened calves and people alike!  But in the early 1900’s a bark eating fungus came into New York on an Asian Chestnut. The blight spread with a vengeance and by 1950 the American Chestnut tree was gone. But decades of breeders have been working on bringing bac...

The plant and seed catalogs for 2022 are already arriving. I just received one from a company I’d never heard of, Seeds N Such. I did a little research and found some mixed reviews. That got me thinking about how we order things and our own expectations. Learn about reputable companies, shopping locally and to speak up if an order is wrong! Find more on Garden Bite . 

This time of year, for those of us in cold climates, snow and ice can accumulate on our trees and shrubs. Should we knock it off? That's a good question. The answer isn't always easy. I have some tips to consider before going out there and smacking that tree branch! Check it out on today's Garden Bite . 

As you go about your gift shopping, don't forget the little ones! Getting kids to enjoy gardening is a lot easier when the tools they use fit their hands! Provide them with good tools and teach them these aren't "toys". Find links to good garden tools for children and learn more on today's Garden Bite . 

Some holiday plants are heaped in legend. From Christmas trees to holly and mistletoe, where did those traditions start and why? It's all on today's Garden Bite .