Garden Bite with Teri Knight

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. 

As you go about your gift shopping, don't forget the little ones! Getting kids to enjoy gardening is a lot easier when the tools they use fit their hands! Provide them with good tools and teach them these aren't "toys". Find links to good garden tools for children and learn more on today's Garden Bite. 

Some holiday plants are heaped in legend. From Christmas trees to holly and mistletoe, where did those traditions start and why? It's all on today's Garden Bite. 

Every year there’s a lot of social media chatter about those holiday cacti. Do you have an overachieving Christmas cactus or is it really a Thanksgiving cactus? And what about those Easter ones? Identifying those cacti isn't difficult, you just need to know what you're looking for! And THAT is on today's Garden Bite. 

Sunday, we celebrate National Poinsettia Day in the U.S.!  It's actually a native of Mexico, where it grows like a weed and can reach 10 feet tall. But here in the U.S., it is more of a houseplant and definitely a beautiful Christmas gift! Learn how to care for them and about the legend of WHY they're also named "Flowers of the Holy Night". I LOVE this story!  And check out all the colors of poinsettias on gardenbite.com. 

A couple of weeks ago I talked about the benefits of bats and birds. I want to add to the list of birds that bring joy AND munch on those unwanted pests such as beetles, caterpillars, grubs, snails and my recent nemesis, ANTS! Learn which birds will hang out all year if you give them what they need and how much they LOVE to eat!  Check out gardenbite.com. 

Gardening, being in nature, is one of the best things we can do for ourselves both physically and mentally. However, there are many of us with differing abilities that make movement and/or chores in the garden a bit more challenging. Today there are so many wonderful tools and advice on gardening with differing abilities. Learn more on adaptive gardening on today's Garden Bite. Be sure to check out gardenbite.com too.