Garden Bite with Teri Knight

Today I review a new book by Sarah Raven: A Year Full of Pots - Containers for all Seasons. It's a beautifully photographed wealth of information. You'll find more on my website gardenbite.com.

Those of us gardening in the North have been itching to garden since Mother Nature has given us some outrageous warm temps. But, please don't scratch! Learn all the why nots on today's Garden Bite! And check out GardenBite.com for more!

NASA did a study over 30 years ago giving houseplant lovers lots of excuses to buy more plants! That's good but the air-purifying qualities don't match up. So, what do plants DO? Find out on today's Garden Bite and check out my website for all the links more on why that study was debunked by those well above my pay grade! Let me know what you think.

Winter seems to have come early in my zone 4 area of Minnesota! Should you rake the leaves? What about your perennials? Cut them back or not. There are advantages and disadvantages to these options. Find more on today's episode and be sure to check out my website GardenBite.com for pictures and more!

There's a weird growth on my coneflowers? Oh no! What is it? On today's Garden Bite I share lots of information on what it could be and what it is. Check out my website for photos too.

Teri is interviewed by Jeff Johnson of KYMN radio regarding closing her gardening show on radio and her 31 year career on the air at various radio stations around the country. Teri remains very much into gardening and will continue to share here various adventures! Check out her website too! Garden Bite

In March of 2007 I started this 2 minute radio program after being approached by a local media distribution company. My background in radio and television along with becoming a Master Gardener in 2003 cemented my desire to create this show. I have loved producing a space for home gardeners who yearn to learn without feeling judged. Providing a fun, inclusive atmosphere and sharing my “nibbles of knowledge on all things in the garden”. Take a listen to today's show and see lots of photos and links! While I close THIS chapter, I will continue with my website, facebook and instagram pages and urge you to reach out to me through those channels and my email: tkgardenbite@gmail.com. I also intend on finishing and getting my first book published next year.

On today's Garden Bite I share a little history of Arbor Day and discuss the importance of planting diversity in your landscape as well as sharing a great under utilized tree. Check it out!

Trees and grass were never meant to live together... that's from my Arborist friend, Faith. Trees are in forests, they shade the typical grass. They are both wanting sun and water. Learn more about why they don't relate and how, if you must have grass, what types are best to grow around a tree on today's Garden Bite.

You could say Benjamin Vogt "coined" the term Prairie Up. He's an author I've interviewed a few times for his passion to change the homeowner landscape. I share his message but in a more tempered way. I have been taking small chunks of my lawn away and planting gardens, skipping chemicals and more. Learn about it on today's Garden Bite.

Check out my website, gardenbite.com, for the links and more information! Today I want to focus on a popular initiative that is getting a 2nd look. That is No Mow May. The idea of it was to assist pollinators by allowing early flowering, however, I recently received information from University of Minnesota Extension turfgrass educator, Jon Trappe, wherein he explains that the trend was first promoted by a research paper that has since been retracted!

Tomorrow is Earth Day. Check out today's Garden Bite website for Green Ideas and consider how we have damaged our planet, how we are working to help it and also just how damn beautiful it is! Let's celebrate our Earth!

I don't have a bog or a pond but I know folks who do! Today I'm sharing some great ideas from my new favorite book, “A Northern Gardener's Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators”. Bogs and ponds are unique. Follow today's Garden Bite for a lot more information and check out my website.

Everyone I talk to is SO excited for gardening season this year. I love it! I spotted a beautiful verbena I plan to use in at least 1 container! ‘Sparkling Amethyst' is a stunner. Sharing more fun plants for 2023 on today's Garden Bite.

My local gardener friends are giddy. The 2022/23 winter was long but finally we're on the other side with warm temperatures and drought conditions over, our local garden center flowers are on full display. Today I'm sharing some new annuals for 2023. Check them out on my website too.

If you planted seeds indoors, you're seeing sprouts now. I've got okra coming big time! Tomatoes, peppers and more. Now is the time to give them some extra attention. Today's Garden Bite is all about it. Check out my website for pics and more info.

Trends can be fun. Trends can also be wolves in sheep's clothing. One of the latest trends plays on our desire to help pollinators. Bee hotels. While there is one good thing, they can help introduce kids to caring for our bees, they can also injure those said bees. I know, it seems like every time we try to do something good, research shows us to be more careful. Listen to my podcast and check out today's Garden Bite website to learn more.

I shared about my favorite new book on Monday, “A Northern Gardener's Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators”. Today I include some of their information on planting the “Hell Strip” also known as the boulevard. I've also planted many of the natives they talk about and share those photos on my website, Garden Bite.

A look at some darling shrubs for containers on today's Garden Bite. These are zone 4 shrubs and a bonus zone 5 butterfly bush. Perfect for small space landscapes, you can plant them in containers, move them around or plant them in your landscape.

Rain barrels can save about 1300 gallons of water a year for homeowners! Learn more and my journey of a frozen barrel on today's Garden Bite as well as a look at what I want to build for a compost bin!

I am so excited to share this new book with you. I received a copy from the publisher to review and, I have to say, I am more than happy to report “A Northern Gardener's Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators, creating habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes and Upper Midwest” by Lorraine Johnson and Sheila Colla, is even better than I anticipated. Check out my website for photos and more information!

Sunday is Easter and there's no plant more associated with the Christian holiday than the Easter lily. On today's Garden Bite I share how to choose your Easter lily and the best way to care for it to prolong it's life. Also you'll find out how to plant it outdoors!

I read a statement from a reputable website that stated information regarding mulch. It's wrong IMHO. Today's Garden Bite is about what NOT to use and the best types of mulch for your landscape. One type in particular for pest resistance and another that's renewable! Check it out. PS, I haven't used the particular website that I won't mention after seeing several missteps. Again, it's my opinion after gathering a lot more information and my own experience.

Winter's been rough and although it WAS mostly over in my area, we just got dumped on again. On today's Garden Bite I share information on critter damage, how to tell what animal is doing the damage and what you can and cannot do.

In spite of the weather (snow) I started my tomato and pepper seeds. Learn more on today's Garden Bite and some tips to keep your costs down. There's really no need for a fancy grow light. Check it out and see what varieties I've planted on my website!

I've seen the buzz lately in trade magazines and websites discussing the fact that our climate zones are NOT absolute. This isn't really NEW news but it IS news that backyard weed warriors or weekend gardeners don't really think about. Again, it's about microclimates but I go a little deeper on today's Garden Bite.

On today's Garden Bite, I'm sharing some fabulous native perennials for those understory areas of your landscape. Instead of surrounding your trees with rocks, which we know is a no-no, plant some companions that will help ward off weeds and add some flare! Take a listen and a look on my website.

On today's Garden Bite I'm sharing a couple of gorgeous 2023 hydrangea introductions from Bailey Nurseries in my home state, Minnesota. Take a listen and a look on my website. 'Pop Star' is a perfect compact newcomer while 'Berry White' will grow tall and stunning.

On today's Garden Bite I share great native plants to attract birds to your landscape. These plants are vital in that they attract insects the birds need to feed their young. Natives also serve as safe nesting sites and perches.

The sap is flowing and you can make your own tree syrup. I use that term as maples aren't the only trees that you can tap for syrup. On today's Garden Bite I share details on the trees, the process and interesting information on where this happens and the precise temps needed.

Last week I talked about the depletion of peat bogs due to it's incredible value in the gardening industry. Today's Garden Bite is about options. Other forms of natural elements that can do about the same thing as peat including moisture retention, drainage and soil amending. Listen in and find more information on my website.

The Spring Equinox took place Monday but many of us are still dealing with snowy, wet, soggy soil. While our "garden muscles" want to go out into the landscape and start assessing and cutting back perennials and grasses; we need to tiptoe. On today's Garden Bite I share the do's and don'ts along with maps to frost depths and more.

Crop rotation isn't just for farmers. Different vegetables use different nutrients in the soil, and many the same, so crop rotation can really help your soil. You can "feed" it by planting in rotations of plant that are givers and takers. Learn much more on today's Garden Bite.

As mentioned yesterday I was at a Horticulture Day and was really looking forward to the main speaker, Meg McAndrews Cowden. She, sadly, had laryngitis and wasn't able to give her talk on Gardening in a New Climate. However, her notes were in our materials and I share some of them with you on today's Garden Bite. I have talked many times about using natives, Meg expands with more on vegetable growing and extending seasons.

I was at a recent Horticulture Day and loved a presentation by an Extension Educator in Minnesota who told stories of people who had no clue on how they were contributing to the death of their trees. They're expensive, long term investments. Learn the to-do's and NOT to-do's when planting and caring for your trees on today's Garden Bite. There are lots of pictures too.

Hello, Spring? Where are you? Today is YOUR big day and I haven't heard a peep out of you. Seriously we're all getting a bit concerned! We have the itch to get out into our landscapes but many of us are still either snow covered or wet and soggy. Learn more about that and the Equinox as well as who called this day "The Return of the Sun Serpent" on today's Garden Bite.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! A perennial question has to do with whether there really is a plant called "Shamrock" and if not, where did that name come from. I tell you on today's Garden Bite. A little history 'Bite and a lot of green on today's post!

It's the bout of the century! No, just kidding. I get asked what the difference is between these two beautiful shrubs, Rhododendrons and Azaleas. There are answers on today's Garden Bite along with some beautiful photos on my website. One thing they both need is a more acidic soil.

Instead of a carpet of snow, how about a 2023 introduction of an AAS winner called 'Carpet Angel'? This is a new Shasta Daisy that would make a fabulous groundcover. I share it on today's Garden Bite along with one of my favorite annuals. A new African Daisy in the Bright Lights series. Take a listen and a look and let me know what you think!

There's a growing movement to end the use of peat moss in gardening. There are a lot of articles on the matter and like any resource, humans tend to overuse it. Is it renewable? Are there alternatives? Take a listen and a look on my website for today's Garden Bite and the "possible" answers to those questions.

This old fashioned plant is not native. At least the "common" bleeding heart, however, there are natives to North America and you likely have seen them. Learn all about Bleeding Hearts, this wonderful plant for shadier areas. Also check out a cultivar introduced just last year, 2022, on today's Garden Bite.

Change is gonna come into the garden. Whether is weather (like the winter of 2022/23) or something we've done or a hungry critter has changed; our landscapes are always changing. Plants growing or not growing. Check out today's Garden Bite for pointers on those times when change happens.

March is here but for those of us in cold climates, and this winter in particular!, our weather just isn't suitable for outside growing yet! In come microgreens! They are really popular and super easy indoors. Check out today's Garden Bite for all the dirt on growing microgreens.

From now to about mid-April you can start planting seeds indoors. Be sure to adjust for YOUR climate zone. I am focusing on zone 4 mostly but that can translate to areas of 3 and 5 also. Find a list of dates of when to plant what along with detailed instructions and a video too on today's Garden Bite.

Admittedly I was not much of a fan of spirea but, wow, have they come a long way. National Garden Bureau has named their shrub of the year for 2023, it's Spirea! With nearly 100 unique species, NGB reports that this hardy group of plants boasts a wide range of colorful foliage ranging from blue to yellow, red, to orange, and everything in between. Check out some beauties and get more info on today's Garden Bite. Email me at tkgardenbite@gmail.com.

Prairie Moon is a native seed company that I utilize a lot! There recent catalog shares many host plants for butterflies and moths. I share some of them with you today. It's amazing the colors of these insects that we often pay no attention to or simply don't see. I would LOVE to hear from you! Contact me at tkgardenbite@gmail.com and take a look on today's Garden Bite!

While I don't enjoy the "news" much, I do enjoy reading the Sunday newspaper (crossword a fav) spread across the kitchen table and a cup of coffee within reach. Recycling your newspaper is, of course a good idea, but there are other ways to repurpose it. Learn more on today's Garden Bite.

Bareroot plants are a great way to get more bang for your buck. Learn more about bareroot planting on today's Garden Bite. They do have some special requirements but they also tolerate being planted as soon as the soil is thawed. No waiting for warmer temperatures! Now is the time to start ordering them.

Winter will end... you can get a jump on those summer blooming bulbs. On today's Garden Bite I share the how-to's and also include a video from another expert! Listen up and take a look at my website for more including the 2023 Caladium of the Year! It's a stunner.

After huge snowfalls, ice, cold and more, Garden Bite is anxious to talk about some new shrubs for 2023. Let's put a bow on February with some fun new shrubs. Listen up and take a peek on my website too!

Did you love "catching" fireflies as a kid? Maybe you call them Lightning bugs. On today's Garden Bite I talk about the loss of fireflies, what's happening and the plants that attract them. Did you know there are over 150 species of fireflies in the U.S? Learn more on my website too.