Are people seeing fewer bees? Elaine Evans, a professor at the U of M's Entomology Department, graciously let me repost this wonderful piece of information so many people are wondering about. A diversity and abundance of pollinators on the landscape can indicate...
Unusual Plant Names that Make you Say, WHAT THE HECK?
Unusual Plant Names that Make you Say, WHAT THE HECK? Unusual plant names are common. Sometimes I think the marketing comes from a group of avid gardeners sitting in a room thinking they are like Hallmark Card creators trying to come up with a clever and sellable...
Killer Pots for Your Patio to do NOW!
Killer Pots for Your Patio to do NOW! Killer landscape pots don't have to start in Spring; they can start now! If you head to the nursery and put a few dollars down on some larger specimens of the following plants they will fill an entire pot and look amazing...
Fiskars 4 Claw Weed Puller is the Best De-Weeder Ever!
Fiskars 4 Claw Weed Puller is the Best De-Weeder Ever! Seriously, the Fiskars 4 claw weed puller is absolutely the best tool for eliminating weeds in your yard and flower beds. This is a manual device that takes a little elbow grease, but it has advantages. For one,...
The Upside to our Weather Woes
The Upside to our Weather Woes The upside to our weather woes is something we all need to hear. As a landscape designer, I meet a multitude of people. The common thread I hear this Spring is the negativity about the extreme cold and wetness. As Minnesotans, we...
Cherry, Peony and Smoke bush are amongst thrilling new plants for 2022
Cherry, Peony and Smokebush are amongst thrilling new plants for 2022 Cherry, Peony, and Smokebush are classic varieties with unique new characteristics that will surely be thrilling to many gardeners in 2022. Most plant connoisseurs are searching for new...
Rabbits are going NUTS on plants this winter!
Right NOW Rabbits are Terrorizing New Garden Plants - what do I do? Right now rabbits are being very good at bringing terror to owners of new garden plants. This usually happens in late Jan and Feb when all the snow is piling up and the toothy critters have nowhere...
The Three E’s For my New Years Resolution.
The Three E's For my 2021 New Years Resolution in Review. The three E's, (Epson's Ecotank printer, Tesla's EV - the Model 3, and Ego's weed trimmer) as I call them, are very important products that have become commonplace in my life over the past year. Heading into...
Landscape Material Shortages and Potential Project Pivots
Landscape Material Shortages and Potential Project Pivots Landscape Material Shortages and Potential Project Pivots is the name of the game this coming year if you are thinking about landscaping. 2021 gobbled up a large portion of the available materials out there...
Critical Drought-Proof Things to do this Fall 2021
Critical Drought-Proof Things to do this Fall 2021 In the year of the 2021 drought, there are certain critical things that need to be done to make sure your plant and landscape pull through. Remember to water very deeply. Even if you have an irrigation system, that...