Author: Doug Hackbarth

The month of July is a pivotal month for pruning flowering perennials from the past and for the future. Early to mid-season blooming perennials such as peonies, coreopsis, early daisies (there are so many varieties of daisies we will simply refer to them as early or late blooming varieties), daylilies,

Last week I went on vacation and some of my plants got too dry without me there to take care of them. I know that this has happened to all of us.

Almost always the damage can be repaired and with very little effort.

First, get out the pruners or your favorite scissors and trim off everything that has

Listed in Time Magazine as one of the Top 10 trending foods on the market, kale has taken its place as a great source of vitamins A, C and K with lots of iron, fiber and calcium. It’s easy to grow, fast and inexpensive and loves cool weather. In fact, it’s much easier to grow than tomatoes and

The weather is so great and the “Big Box” stores are offering everything from cabbage to tomatoes but beware of unforeseen weather changes in the future. I have looked at the 10-day forecast and I must say it’s all good. But I cannot see the 11th day, or the 12th, etc. and so I must rely on

With the weather going crazy this winter, we are all confused about what to do, what to expect and which way to turn. First let me tell you not to even think about tomatoes. All “warm weather” vegetables should be started in April or May, but never in February or March. “Cold crop” vegetables

Valentine’s Day comes every year on the same day, February 14th but it does not always fall on the same day of the week which could be good or bad, depending on your circumstances. If you are in the restaurant business Fridays and Saturdays are bad because they are already busy on those two days

For most people plants are difficult to grow and keep alive and healthy. This is especially tough inside the house during the winter months. But there are a few plants, both blooming and non-blooming that can be rather simple. Most tropical foliage, African violets, cactus and succulents are easy

I recently saw a TV commercial promoting healthful “Chia Pets” for growing indoors and I had to find out what that was all about. After looking Chia Seeds up online I have discovered that the original “Cha-Cha-Cha” Chia Seeds are not only edible but a great source of fiber and omega-3 and

Today is my birthday and believe it or not, the last time it was this warm was the year I was born, December 1952. While this weather is great for hanging up outdoor Christmas decorations it is not good for any of those live wreaths or live roping as they tend to dry up fast, especially if the wind

I am sure that there is someone reading this that still has onions growing outside in their garden. Well, it’s time to harvest.

Onions do like to be cold when they go into storage but any temperatures below freezing (32 degrees) is just too cold so dig them up now and prepare them for storage. Usually

It seems to me that most gardeners that grow potatoes are experienced gardeners, but please don’t let that discourage you from trying. Growing potatoes is very easy and almost a “no-brainer”. A couple of things you need to know is that the best way to get started is by using certified “seed

This past weekend while attending the “Walk for Cancer” which took place at the TinCaps Stadium, I had the opportunity to enter into the downtown “Farmers’ Market” which is also inside the warm confides of the TinCaps lower level of the parking garage. If you have never gone to the market,

There are approximately 5-6 weeks left of very good weather in which one can use these ideal outdoor conditions to re-pot their indoor, tropical house plants and allow them to adjust outside. And it takes the whole time for this adjustment to be fulfilled. Don’t wait until forecasts start calling

Gladiolus bulbs (corms) are generally purchased in the spring and then planted after threats of frost are over at about 4” deep, spacing 3” to 6” apart. Loosening the soil and adding composted materials before planting then packing the soil firmly is a great way to get things off to a good start.

Forty-four years ago when I was only 18 years old, my first job was to grow 350-6” potted “florist-quality” chrysanthemums each week, 52 weeks out of the year. The difference between a florist-quality mum and a hardy-garden mum is that the hardy mum is a cold weather perennial that should come

It has been said that, “If an activity doesn’t come with a remote control or a keyboard, then we are not interested”. But is the joy of gardening really declining? The answer is yes, but gardening has always been only less than 1% of a person’s annual income. So a person with an income of

We have all heard of outbreaks of E. coli in spinach crops as well as other vegetables, fruits and meats and poultry. But can this happen to us in our own gardens? Absolutely, this can happen to you in your gardens and in your kitchens. So what are the problems that cause E. coli to be found in your

The “Mosquito” plant, citronella geranium is in fact just one in a long line of scented geraniums that are on the market these days. Other scented geraniums include ones that smell like apple, apricot, carrot, cinnamon, eucalyptus, ginger, chocolate mint, lime, nutmeg, orange, peach, peppermint,

Over the years we have talked about some “home remedies” such as using a Pampers diaper in the bottom of a hanging basket or patio pot to retain moisture in the soil for a more even, watering technique. Also the use of Epsom Salts as magnesium sulfate either by mixing 2 tablespoons to

During the spring and summer gardening season plants seem to go through many changes due to the weather, soil pH, nutrient levels and air flow. How to determine the mysteries is mostly by examining the stems and the leaves of your affected plants. Look for veins that turn yellow or reddish/purple,

Just when you thought nothing new could possibly come along, we discover a “new” type of impatiens. It’s called “SunPatiens” and it seems to be a cross between the 20 plus years old New Guinea Hybrid Impatiens with the 1,000 plus years old regular impatiens giving us

Tomato Mosaic Virus is a virus that strikes not only tomatoes but also many other flowers and vegetables as well. Sadly, there is no cure for the virus so the only alternative is to dig up not just the infected plants, but also the ones on either side, then discard them. DO NOT through them into your

Normally I would say that all of this warm weather has us itching for a great spring but then I think, “What warm weather!?” We have hardly even experienced more than two days in a row of spring-like weather. As I recall, April is the month for spring and early garden plantings such as

Container gardening has become more popular these days as we are so busy with vacationing, lake cottages, work and family events, that many of us just don’t spend a lot of time with the traditional garden. The container, or combination pot can be made in just a short time and then sat on the