Around this time every year, after the holidays and when our winter in the Upper Midwest is really settling in, we are really needing our green fix and also need to clear the air in our homes. What are some of the best houseplants to do that? NASA proved decades ago that plants do have the capability of pulling toxins out of our indoor air! Learn more on gardenbite.com. 

Of 25 million acres of Tallgrass Prairie between Minnesota and Iowa only about 300,000 remains. Tallgrass Prairie are among the most decimated and threatened natural plant communities in the Midwest and the world. The tallgrass prairie ecosystem is dominated by native grasses and wildflowers. It's soil rich in nutrients. Learn what happened and how some are working to recover some of what's been lost. gardenbite.com. 

Every year plant breeders are coming out with new introductions. Hybridizing plants for a variety of reasons. Today I'm sharing some a few flowers and foliage plants that may not be AAS winners but have been trialed and are pretty darn gorgeous to look at! They also have additional attributes like staying power and disease resistance. Take a peek on gardenbite.com. 

It’s Christmas Eve and that means I bring you my gardeners version of an old classic poem written in 1823 by Clement Clarke Moore. Twas the Night Before Christmas and all through the house, not a plant was stirring, not even a sprout... hear the whole thing on today's Bite and find it on my website, gardenbite.com. 

While the American chestnut was for humans the American hazelnut is really for wildlife. I planted them on some property years ago primarily for the wildlife including pheasant, turkey, deer, woodpeckers and little mammals. Learn the ins and outs of growing American hazelnuts shrubs on today's Garden Bite and find additional info on gardenbite.com. 

Sowing seed in winter doesn't make sense... or does it? Talking with native seed companies, it's a perfect time to sow seeds of native plants with the right snow conditions and a prepared site. Learn all about the reasons why winter seed sowing is a great idea on today's Garden Bite. 

The Winter solstice takes place at 9:59am central time today. That got me thinking about the moon too, which leads to celestial gardening, also known as Biodynamics, which uses the movements of the moon and stars to guide planting and cultivation. Learn all about that on today's Garden Bite. How we can work WITH nature to renew soil. Check out my website too! 

Years ago the American Chestnut was the most important tree in eastern North America. Supplying excellent lumber and tasty nuts that fattened calves and people alike!  But in the early 1900’s a bark eating fungus came into New York on an Asian Chestnut. The blight spread with a vengeance and by 1950 the American Chestnut tree was gone. But decades of breeders have been working on bringing back to life the American chestnut. Learn much more on today's Garden Bite and also about roasting chestnuts. Pictures and links are on gardenbite.com. 

The plant and seed catalogs for 2022 are already arriving. I just received one from a company I’d never heard of, Seeds N Such. I did a little research and found some mixed reviews. That got me thinking about how we order things and our own expectations. Learn about reputable companies, shopping locally and to speak up if an order is wrong! Find more on Garden Bite. 

This time of year, for those of us in cold climates, snow and ice can accumulate on our trees and shrubs. Should we knock it off? That's a good question. The answer isn't always easy. I have some tips to consider before going out there and smacking that tree branch! Check it out on today's Garden Bite.