As a gardener I am sure you have experienced first hand the accumulation of salts on when using clay pots. Clay pots or a staple in the garden industry and to the home gardener. They are inexpensive and easy to use. In my family we have terracotta pots that have been passed down from our…
Roses – Prepping For Winter
Everyone loves a rose, whether it’s a gift for a birthday or an accent plant in the landscape. Here in eastern Nebraska, roses need a little care getting them ready to endure a typical winter…whatever may come our way. Each type of rose has its own set of prepping steps: Hybrid Tea Roses – Usually…
How to Become a Nebraska Extension Master Gardener
(Part 3 of 3) Nebraska Extension Master Gardeners are Extension-educated volunteers who make a difference in their communities, reaching people from all backgrounds and ethnicities about research-based gardening information. Knowing lots about gardening before joining the program is not a requirement. Becoming a Master Gardener involves a love of learning and the ability to volunteer…
The Wreath
December 15 is National Wreaths Across America Day. Wreaths, being the circular arrangement of plant twigs, leaves and fruits that they are, have been ubiquitous with Christmas. Historically, however, the wreath has long been representative of Mother Earth and the sun. With no beginning and no ending, the circle itself is symbolic of infinity. Today,…
Is That Your Natural Color?
A first it may look fun. Who wouldn’t be attracted to brilliant hues of green, blue, yellows? Glitter? You can never not have enough glitter during the holidays! But what happens once the season is over? What do you do with that poor hot pink cactus? How do you keep the lime-green poinsettia alive? You…
USDA Hardiness Zones
As a gardener it is a good chance that you know what hardiness zone you live in. You know that you need to choose perennials, trees & shrubs that are hardy to your zone or a zone colder. You also know that plants that are in a warmer zone will not overwinter where you are….
Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew is an obligate parasite. Huh? In short, powdery mildew doesn’t want to kill your plants – but it sometimes happens, by accident of course. We most often see this disease on plants outdoors where there is poor air circulation. You probably have seen peony bushes around town or even your own that ended…
It’s The Berries
As autumn’s colorful leaves fall to the ground, our attention turns to berries as a source of color in our landscapes and for cuttings to grace our tables and entryways. Crabapples represent some of the most reliable of spring’s breathtaking flowers, but the fruit they produce also offer an array of yellow, orange and red…
Sunset Bells
Sometimes I struggle grasping the diversity of the Gesneriaceae family. With over 130 genera and an untold (well not untold but greatly disputed) number of species I am always amazed by this family of plants. One thing that I do find fascinating is: there are no native Gesneriads to the United States and Canada and…
Streptocarpus
If you have ever grown an African violet you are may want to try your hand at growing Cape Primrose AKA Streptocarpus (strep-to-car’pus). Streptocarpus are in the Gesneriaceae family which includes the florist gloxinia, lipstick plant, guppy plant, flame violet, African violet, and many more. Recent genetic studies have determined that both the African violet…