Garden Bite with Teri Knight

The holiday season brings out the amaryllis bulbs for those of us in cold climates. We force them to bloom. Can we keep them? Can we force them to bloom next year? How would we do that? It's all answered on today's Garden Bite. And what are waxed amaryllis?  

There are plenty of reasons to leave your perennials up for winter. Find out what they are and how important it is for our wildlife. Check out some great photos on my website too. Gardenbite.com

The Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture has deemed it a noxious weed due to how it has overtaken as an understory plant in our forests, knocking out our natives. Wisconsin has already restricted it. Find out why and when you won't be able to buy this plant in Minnesota!

Vines are wonderful to soften fences. Annual vines are fun because you can change them out every year. Now is the time to unwind them from their temporary homes... you'll be glad you did. Find out why and why I do not like Morning Glories on today's Garden Bite! 

I love native plants for many reasons! But this guy, Wood Betony, I hadn't heard of until I opened my newest issue of Northern Gardener magazine. (I highly recommend this magazine, and no, I'm not getting paid to say that!) Wood betony is an unusual parasitic plant with a taproot and lateral roots that attach to the roots of grasses, asters and a few other plants, making it desirable to plant in prairie restorations to deter invasive species. The flowers are tubular, baby! And the foliage is rad... oh, wow, that sounds ridiculous but I hope you'll run with it!  tee hee. Check out my website for pics and more. 

It’s the first week of November already and you didn’t get to seeding those dead spots in your lawn. That’s okay, dormant seeding is doable. the Ins and Outs of dormant seeding. Check out my website for further details. gardenbite.com 

As you peruse garden catalogs and local garden center websites, there are some flowers you might think twice about planting if you have a pet or little person that likes to gnaw on everything. Check out the list of some poisonous plants you may reconsider planting. Make sure you check out my website for further information! 

While we place pumpkins on our doorstep and kids dress up for trick or treating, the origins of Halloween vary. I talk about the Celtic origins on today's Garden Bite. Can you guess how much Americans spend on this holiday? 

On the east coast the night before Halloween was called “Mischief Night”, that got me thinking about nature's nocturnal creatures! Learn more about our Upper Midwest native creatures that have a reputation for ferocity, some deserved, some perhaps not! That's today's Garden Bite and online too! 

Orchids are lining up in garden centers and grocery stores. Those are Phalaenopsis and not hardy to our Upper Midwest region. They DO make wonderful gifts! Today I give a primer on native orchids to Minnesota and Wisconsin and talk about those INDOOR orchids. Caring for them and showing off some gorgeous options on gardenbite.com.