Favorite Plants: Bleeding Heart
Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis, the plant formerly known as Dicentra spectabilis) is one of the highlights of the spring gardening season in our family. Those delicate, dangling pink hearts with their backdrop of ferny foliage are so romantic and old-fashioned looking. I vow every year that I’m going to plant a few more. Hopefully, this...
How to Protect Your Garden from a Spring Frost
Whether you push the gardening season or not, here in Michigan there’s always a danger that a late spring frost will wipe out your lovingly planted spring veggies. The earlier you plant, the more likely this is. The easiest way to almost guarantee that you’ll avoid a frost is to resist planting your vegetable garden...
Michigan Gardening To-Do List: February
February is not exactly a flurry of activity as far as gardening is concerned, but there are definitely a few things you can do this month to prepare for spring. 1. Get Ready for Seed Starting There are a few things you can sow indoors now if you want an early spring crop (which I’ll...
Best Spring Perennials for Michigan: Bergenia
These gorgeous plants are grown as much for their foliage, which forms a pretty little rosette, and their flowers. Blooming in shades of white, pink, red, and purple, held aloft on sturdy maroon stems, they are a unique addition to the spring garden. Where to Plant Bergenia: Bergenia grows best in full sun to partial...
Michigan Gardening To-Do List: January
January. The holidays are over, and a long, cold Michigan winter stretches before us. While some of us embrace winter, some of us are chomping at the bit to get back out into the garden. The good news for those of us who are counting down the days until spring is that we can start...
Garden Tip: Make Your Own Seed Tape
Soon, we Michigan gardeners will be stuck indoors, staring forlornly out at our snow or frost-covered gardens. While I’m not in a hurry for that, I know that there are several ways I can keep myself busy, and get my garden off to a good start next spring. One of those ways is to make...
Michigan Gardening To-Do List: December
Here’s your garden to-do list for December: Seed Starting This month is generally when we begin winter sowing, as long as the weather is consistently below freezing. Even if you’re not able to wintersow yet, you can prepare your containers and make sure you have plenty of seeds and soil. Sow pansies indoors this month...
Michigan Gardening To-Do List: September
Here’s a quick list of what needs to get done in your garden in September: Herb/Vegetable Garden Keep watering and weeding. Harvest regularly to keep plants producing well. Deadhead herbs such as basil regularly to keep them productive. Check plants regularly for signs of pest or diseases. Remove any summer veggie plants that are looking...
Summer Blooms: Black-Eyed Susan
In July and August, the cheerful golden blooms of Black-Eyed Susan grace the garden. But before we talk more about them, we need to get something figured out: which Black-Eyed Susan, exactly, do you have in your garden? There are two very different plants that are both commonly called “Black-Eyed Susans,” (one example of why...
Michigan Gardening To-Do List: August
Here’s a quick list of what needs to get done in your garden in August: Herb/Vegetable Garden Keep watering and weeding. Harvest regularly to keep plants producing well. Deadhead herbs such as basil regularly to keep them productive. Check plants regularly for signs of pest or diseases. At least once this month, feed your vegetable...
