Make plans now to join Melinda on her famous Garden Walks at Boerner Botanical Gardens in 2013! Download the schedule here.
Nationally renowned garden expert Melinda Myers helps everyday gardeners find success and ease in the garden through her Melinda’s Garden Moments radio segments. Melinda shares “must have” tips that hold the key to gardening success, learned through her more than 30 years of horticulture experience. Listeners from across the country find her gardener friendly, practical approach to gardening both refreshing and informative! On this page, Melinda shares some more extensive garden tips, which expand on the information provided in her one-minute radio segments.
New tips are added throughout each month, providing timely step-by-step tips on what you need to do next in your garden! Visit Melinda’s website www.melindamyers.com for more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and answers to your questions.
Add a bit of fiber to your garden and diet. Consider growing edible soybeans in this year’s garden.
Soybeans can be grown in a variety of soils and climate. They tolerate adverse conditions, but perform best in warm temperatures, full sun, and moist well-drained soils. Add organic matter to less-than-ideal soils to improve drainage and increase the water holding capacity as needed.
Plant and manage edible soybeans the same as you would lima beans. Try growing one of the edible soybean varieties such as Green Legend, Lucky Lion, Giant Green, Verde, or others suited for home gardens. They have a better flavor and are more suited to your garden and recipes than field varieties.
Harvest the soybeans when the pods are plump, green, rough, and hairy. They are usually ready to harvest in 99 to 120 days, depending on the variety. Check frequently and pick when the seeds are fully enlarged, but before they get hard.
A bit more information: Don’t wait too long to harvest. You’ll taste the difference as the flavor and quality quickly declines. And since the seed filled pods usually ripen at the same time, you can pull up the whole plant and harvest the seeds from the pods while sitting on a chair in the shade.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Celebrate Arbor Day by planting new trees or caring for your established ones in your landscape and community.
Spring is a great time to add trees to the landscape. Select healthy trees suited to the environment and available space.
Start by calling the free underground utility locating service at 811 at least three days before digging in. It can save you money and possibly your life.
Plant trees in a shallow hole at least two preferably three times wider than the rootball. Dig the hole only as deep as the distance from the root flare, the place where roots join trunk to the bottom of the rootball. Then backfill the hole with existing soil. Water thoroughly as needed to encourage deep roots.
Protect new and existing trees from mowers and weed whips. Plant perennial groundcovers under the tree or cover the soil with 2-3" of shredded bark or woodchips. Be sure to keep the mulch off the trunk of the tree.
A bit more information: Take a walk through your neighborhood, botanical garden or arboretum to look for champion trees. The American Forests Association is the organization that documents and records both native and naturalized tree champions in the United States. Visit their website for details on measuring and reporting champion trees at http://www.americanforests.org/our-programs/bigtree/
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
We all need a pick me up now and then and so do our gardens. Here are a few things you can do to add a bit of instant beauty to your landscape.
Fill in voids, replace tired flowers, and add season long color with annuals. Select varieties that blend well with perennials and your overall garden design. Consider plants like Blue Horizon ageratum, pentas, and classic zinnias.
Move a container into the garden. Set a favorite, unique or colorful pot into the garden and fill with flowers and grasses that complement the planting and container. Elevate smaller pots on a stack of steppers, pedestal, or an old chair.
Plant a few surprises. Combine old favorites with a few new varieties that require the same growing conditions. This also helps stretch your plant budget by using the more economic old favorites as the base or backdrop to the often-pricier new introductions. Or create new combinations with old favorites for a fresher look.
A bit more information: Create a focal point and add color with garden art, a birdbath, funky chair, or a great boulder. These can be added to existing gardens or the impetus for creating a new garden bed in your landscape. Then light it up. Colorful glass orbs, lanterns, and lights add beauty while lighting a path, bird bath, or outdoor living area. And consider up-lighting a tree or shrub to show off its colorful bark or interesting form.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Like many of you I try to squeeze way too much into one day. In order to accomplish many of my goals I try to look for ways to double, even triple the benefits of everything I do. This is why I combine my gardening activities and fitness program.
Gardening can help you burn calories, build your health and well being, while you take care of your landscape throughout the year.
Drink plenty of water and stretch before you start digging, raking and other garden activities. Slow easy bends can warm up muscles and help avoid strains.
Further avoid strain and injury with proper posture. Standing straight and using your core muscles will help avoid injury. Keep movements close to your body and your hands in a neutral position to avoid strain and injury that often occurs with repetitive movements.
And even better, gardening can burn anywhere from 155 to 260 calories per hour.
A bit more information: Don’t let arthritis, bad knees, and back problems keep you out of the garden. Look for adaptive tools and equipment to help you keep gardening. Consider incorporating raised beds, containers and vertical wall gardens as part of your landscape. They position the garden within easy reach, allowing you to keep moving and gardening.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
On April 22nd people around the world will celebrate Earth Day. Get involved by making a change in your own backyard.
A little change in our habits can go a big way to make a difference. As gardeners we do this every time we plant seeds and grow our own food or design gardens for birds and butterflies to enjoy.
But consider new ways to conserve our precious resources, such as water, for your garden. Collect water from your dehumidifier and use it to water houseplants or outdoor containers. It’s not only free, but free of chlorine and fluoride found in tap water. These compounds can cause leaf tips to turn brown on some plants.
And those with water-cooled air conditioners may want to start collecting this water as well. The Recycleholic estimates he collects 800-1000 gallons of water from his dehumidifier and air conditioner during the summer months.
A bit more information: Keep a five gallon bucket in the bathroom. Use it to collect the water that would otherwise be wasted when waiting for the water to warm up for your shower. Pour the water into a watering can and use for watering your indoor plants and outdoor container gardens.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Round out your meals with some fresh from the garden fruit. It is easier than you think to grow your own apples, plums, and berries.
Start by throwing out your old visions of an apple orchard or patch of strawberries. Instead look for creative ways to incorporate these edibles into your landscape.
Substitute disease resistant tree fruits suited to your climate and landscape design for more traditional ornamental trees. The flowers, fruit, and often fall color will provide seasonal beauty.
Use shrub-type fruits as hedges, dividers, and backdrops for other gardens throughout your landscape. Just be sure to leave enough space around the plantings for maintaining the plants and harvesting their fruit.
Grow strawberries as groundcovers throughout your yard. You’ll harvest an abundance of fruit from minimal space. Plus, the white flowers, tasty red berries, and beautiful fall color will brighten up the landscape at your feet.
A bit more information: Gardeners who like a challenge or lack even a balcony can try growing a few things indoors. You’ll need a bit of space near a sunny window and supplement with an artificial light for even better results. Consider starting with a Meyer lemon. Many gardeners have success growing these lemons indoors. Plus, the fragrant flowers are a nice addition to your indoor living space.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Add a bit of greenery to your indoors. Then extend your enjoyment by moving these beauties outdoors into a container or in-ground garden when the weather is suitable.
Grow ferns indoors in a bright location with high humidity and keep the soil evenly moist. Outdoors use them with other shade lovers like begonias, coleus, and impatiens for some contrasting texture in the garden.
Though not a true fern, the foxtail asparagus fern is another good choice. Grow this houseplant in the sunniest window available and water just as the soil starts to dry. Outdoors grow this member of the lily family in partial shade to prevent yellowing of the foliage.
The interesting and colorful foliage of Rex Begonias are a real plus in containers for shady gardens outdoors. Grow them in bright light indoors and shade outside. Keep the soil slightly moist, but avoid excess moisture that can lead to root rot.
A bit more information: Many indoor/outdoor plants can be propagated by cuttings or divisions, making it easy to expand your collection for the outdoor garden. As the growing season approaches consider taking cuttings of ivies and the Tradescantias or divisions of your ferns so you have a few more of these versatile beauties for your outdoor enjoyment. Click here to watch Melinda’s Garden Moments Starting Plants from Cuttings for more details.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Try a bit of preventative care in this year’s garden. You’ll increase your landscape’s beauty and productivity with less work on your part.
Improve your soil. Start with a soil test to be sure you are adding only the nutrients your plants need. It’s better for the plants, environment, and your budget. Plus, excess nitrogen promotes lush succulent growth that is more susceptible to insects and disease.
Add organic matter to improve drainage in heavy clay soils and water-holding capacity in sandy and rocky soils. Healthier plants are better able to tolerate seasonal stresses and pest attacks.
Mulch the soil to help prevent soil born fungus from splashing onto and infecting plants. Plus, you will conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and improve the soil as the organic mulches decompose.
Remove weeds as they appear. Not only do they compete with your plants for water and nutrients, they often serve as hosts, attracting insects and diseases into your garden.
A bit more information: Gardeners now have a new tool to help their plants tolerate environmental stress, insect attacks, and disease infestations. Plant strengtheners, like JAZ spray, act like an immunization for your plants. Scientists found that plants under stress produce certain enzymes. They isolated these enzymes and applied them to other plants. The treated plants were better able to tolerate stress and attacks by insects and disease.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Tired of looking at the fading foliage of early season bloomers? Mask the ugliness of these declining leaves and increase the beauty of your landscape this season.
Mix spring bulbs with perennials to extend bloom time and mask the fading leaves. Select early-blooming perennials that flower with your bulbs to double the floral impact. Or select a later blooming perennial to extend the flowering season. In either case make sure the new perennial provides season- long foliage that will mask the fading leaves of the early bloomers.
Or add a few warm season annuals. As the early bloomers fade the annuals grow, masking the declining leaves and filling in voids left by early bloomers.
Combine plants with similar leaves. Daffodils and daylilies make great planting partners. They are equally assertive and have similar foliage. As the daffodil leaves linger throughout the summer the daylilies grow through to flower and combine with the remaining daffodil leaves.
A bit more information: Combine daffodils, Virginia bluebells, and hostas for an attractive shade garden display. The daffodils and Virginia bluebells make an attractive spring display. As these spring beauties fade the hosta foliage emerges to mask their declining foliage.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
You can have a beautiful landscape and be kind to the environment by adopting an Earth-Kind landscape philosophy.
Introduced by the Texas Agrilife Extension Service, Earth-Kind’s goal is to help gardeners create easy-care landscapes, while preserving and conserving natural resources and the environment. These research-proven techniques combine the best of organic and traditional gardening and landscape practices. The strategies are designed to work in your landscape.
The process starts with selecting easy-care plants suited to the growing conditions. This will yield beautiful results with minimal water, fertilizer, pesticides and work for you.
Proper placement will not only improve plant performance, but can also help reduce heating and cooling costs. And, if you put the right size plant in the landscape, you will need to do less pruning and have less plant waste to manage.
Recycling fallen leaves and prunings into compost, wattle fences, and mulch will help you put this resource to work in your garden, while reducing waste sent to the landfill.
A bit more information: Take the Earth-Kind challenge at http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/challenge/ and find out if your landscape is contributing to a healthy and sustainable environment. The quick test will evaluate your current landscaping practices and provide ideas on how you can adopt Earth-Kind landscaping principles in your garden.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Florist and garden centers are filled with white lilies for Easter and spring celebrations. Get the most out of your purchase by extending their life into your garden.
Grow your lily in a cool bright location to maximize flowering. Clip off the faded blooms and move your lily to a sunny window.
Water often enough to keep the potting mix slightly moist and fertilize with a dilute solution of flowering houseplant fertilizer.
The traditional white Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum) is suited to zones 7 through 9, though I have grown them in protected locations in zones 4 and 5 with fairly good success. The Oriental and Asiatic lilies are more colorful and hardier.
Move the plants outdoors to a sunny well-drained location after the danger of frost has passed. Plant the bulb 6 inches deep, leaving the leaves intact to produce energy for next year’s bloom. Water thoroughly.
Then be prepared for beautiful blooms in next summer’s garden.
A bit more information: Stop, don’t rub the lily pollen that lands on your clothing. You’ll only stain your clothes. Grab the tape instead. Place the tape over the pollen and peel the problem away.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Vole Damage by Melinda Myers,posted Mar 22 2012 5:45PM
Missing bark at the base of trees and shrubs, damaged perennial roots, and trails in the lawn are sure signs that voles have been at work.
These small mammals thrive in grassy fields and feed on seeds, bark, bulbs, and fleshy roots of plants. Preventing damage is the best strategy for keeping your landscape looking its best.
Invite nature’s pest controllers into your landscape. Hawks, owls, and fox will help keep vole populations under control.
Use cylinders of hardware cloth around young trees and shrubs. Sink it several inches in the soil to reduce the risk of vole damage.
Some gardeners use snap traps baited with peanut butter and oats to control these pests. Tuck the traps into PVC pipe or under cover so birds, kids and desirable wildlife are not injured or killed. But first, check with your local municipality on regulations for controlling wildlife in your community.
Repair lawn damage by seeding damaged areas in the spring.
A bit more information: You may want to consider a natural vole and mole repellent. Messina Wildlife’s Mole and Vole Stopper is all-natural, smells good, and guaranteed to work. Use it to prevent chewing, digging, foraging, and tunneling damage to lawns and gardens.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Bring a little spring indoors by planting a container of fresh green grass.
Containers of grass make the perfect backdrop for cut flowers or colorful Easter eggs as well as an indoor play field for action heroes and dolls. Plus, it’s easy to do and you’ll get quick results.
Select a shallow container or decorative pot with drainage holes. Fill with a well-drained potting mix. Cover the soil surface with a quick sprouting grass seed like rye or wheat grass. Then gently tamp to insure good seed-to-soil contact and gently water.
Sprout your grass in a bright location and gently water often enough to keep the soil evenly moist. Once the grass sprouts, move it to a sunny window. Then water it thoroughly whenever the soil starts to dry.
Place cut flowers in floral picks and arrange them in your field of grass. Or display other spring decorations and use your pot of grass as a centerpiece.
A bit more information: Break out the scissors when it’s time to give your indoor lawn a haircut. And consider growing a pot of grass for your patio or deck. Kids playing in or visiting your landscape will find it the perfect place to play with dollhouses, play sets, animals and action heroes.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
How To Help Tornado Victims
The tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma, as well the twisters as Kansas and Texas, have killed dozens and left thousands homeless. Officials expect the death toll to rise.
Relief efforts are underway. Right now, the best way to help the victims is a donation to major relief organizations.
Here is a list of organizations that are accepting donations:
American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund: Click HERE to donate online. You can also text REDCROSS to 909999 to immediately donate $10 to the Red Cross Disaster Fund.
Phone: 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767); for Spanish speakers, 1-800-257-7575; for TDD, 1-800-220-4095.
Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief: The Oklahoma Baptist Convention says says donations will "go straight to help those in need providing tree removal services, laundry services and meals to victims of disasters." For more information, and to donate, visit Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief's website by clicking HERE.
You can send checks to:
BGCO
Attn: Disaster Relief
3800 N. May Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK. 73112.
Salvation Army - The Salvation Army is deploying mobile kitchens that can serve to 2,500 people a day. Click HERE to donate via their website. You can also text the word STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation from your mobile phone.
You can also donate to the Salvation Army via check: Put the words "Oklahoma Tornado Relief" on the check, and mail to:
The Salvation Army
P.O. Box 12600
Oklahoma City, OK. 73157.
Phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).
Feeding America - Feeding America says it utilize its 200 foodbanks to deliver food and supplies. Click HERE for their website.
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma - Text the word FOOD to 32333 to donate $10 to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
How To Help Tornado Victims
The tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma, as well the twisters as Kansas and Texas, have killed dozens and left thousands homeless. Officials expect the death toll to rise.
Relief efforts are underway. Right now, the best way to help the victims is a donation to major relief organizations.
Here is a list of organizations that are accepting donations:
American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund: Click HERE to donate online. You can also text REDCROSS to 909999 to immediately donate $10 to the Red Cross Disaster Fund.
Phone: 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767); for Spanish speakers, 1-800-257-7575; for TDD, 1-800-220-4095.
Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief: The Oklahoma Baptist Convention says says donations will "go straight to help those in need providing tree removal services, laundry services and meals to victims of disasters." For more information, and to donate, visit Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief's website by clicking HERE.
You can send checks to:
BGCO
Attn: Disaster Relief
3800 N. May Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK. 73112.
Salvation Army - The Salvation Army is deploying mobile kitchens that can serve to 2,500 people a day. Click HERE to donate via their website. You can also text the word STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation from your mobile phone.
You can also donate to the Salvation Army via check: Put the words "Oklahoma Tornado Relief" on the check, and mail to:
The Salvation Army
P.O. Box 12600
Oklahoma City, OK. 73157.
Phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).
Feeding America - Feeding America says it utilize its 200 foodbanks to deliver food and supplies. Click HERE for their website.
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma - Text the word FOOD to 32333 to donate $10 to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
Low Maintenance – Big Impact Perennials
Don't let a lack of time, energy or space stop you from growing perennials. Instead select and grow low maintenance plants with big impact.
Start with your design. Once you develop your plan, cut the number of different perennials in half and double the number of each. You will have fewer perennials to identify as they emerge in spring, less maintenance to learn and bigger impact.
Edge your beds to keep unwanted grass out of the bed and make managing the surrounding lawn much easier. I dig a small trench around the edge of my gardens and fill with woodchips.
Always select plants suited to your climate, soil and natural rainfall. You'll have healthier and more beautiful plants with much less work.
Look for perennials that require no staking and little or no deadheading. Avoid those that reseed, are aggressive and do not plant perennials that tend to escape the garden and invade our natural spaces.
A bit more information: Use color to help increase the impact without increasing the number of plants. Warm colors of red, orange and yellow grab your attention. Repeat colors, known as color echoing, from one plant to another to provide unity and balance. Use complementary colors, those across from each other on the artist color wheel, like red and green and blue and yellow to create a focal point.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Grow Your Own Pickles & Celebrate National Pickle Week
Celebrate National Pickle Week by growing a few of your own cucumbers for pickling.
All you need are a few seeds, a sunny location and a bit of garden space or a large container. Train these large vining plants up a fence, trellis or decorative obelisk to save space.
Consider planting National Pickling Cucumber Seeds developed by the National Pickle Packers Association and Michigan Agriculture Experiment station. These were bred for their versatility and perfect pickle shape. You'll be harvesting cucumbers in about 52 days after planting.
Or save some space with Bush pickle. This cucumber forms a 3 to 4 foot wide mound and produces an abundance of 4-inch fruit. It's a perfect size for containers. And save even more space and grow straighter fruit by training these smaller plants up a cage or trellis. Cucumbers are ready to pick in about 45 days.
A bit more information: Cucumbers are generally ready to harvest in 45 to 60 days after planting. This makes them a great option for mid and late season plantings. Just calculate the number of frost-free days left in the growing season to see how late you can plant. And further extend the season by using floating row covers like ReeMay, Harvest Guard, and Frost Covers to protect plants from frosty weather.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Celebrate Clean Air Month – Grow Some Air-Purifying Houseplants
Celebrate National Clean Air Month by growing a few houseplants to improve your indoor air quality.
NASA teamed up with PLANET (Professional Landcare Network, formerly ALCA) and found adding 15 to 18, 6 to 8 inch diameter container houseplants will improve the air quality in an 1800 square foot house. Keeping them healthy will increase their beauty and ability to cleanse the air.
Consider adding a bamboo palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii). Use this large houseplant to create a warm welcome for guests, dress up a blank wall or mix in with other houseplants for an impressive indoor garden.
This palm is an understory plant in Central America. It is hardy in zones 10 to 11 and adapted to the lower light conditions indoors. Grow it in a brightly lit location and keep the soil slightly moist.
Cut off fronds as they die, leaving the leafy stem covering intact. Once it is fully dried, remove to expose the attractive stems.
A bit more information: Start new plants by division. Remove suckers and offshoots that form at the base of the plant. Slide the bamboo palm out of its pot. Use a sharp knife or drywall saw to separate the offshoots from the main plant. Repot the parent plant and offshoots in a container slightly larger than the remaining root ball.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
We get your letters...
What an amazing weekend!
First of all, a very big THANK YOU to everyone who came out to Grafton and Mukwonago and waited in line amid cold, windy and rainy conditions for those Wisconsin Dells Season Opener Cards.
For me, it is a chance to meet / hang out with YOU the listener and give you goodies!
Second, got this letter from our 99.1 The Mix Contact Us forum, from the Dawson family of Port Washington and was truly surprised that my "simple gesture" warranted the following...
Question: Your Name:
Answer: Michelle
Question: Your City:
Answer: Port Washington
Comments:
Yesterday I took my parents to Grafton to wait for season opener cards. It was quite a cold morning. We arrived at 10 because in the past there have been huge lines. My mother is recovering from a recent open-heart surgery. She is a very petite older woman.
Van McNeil was interacting with people people in line and I asked him if it would be possible for my mom to going to the bank to warm up. He unexpectedly took my mom's hand and escorted her into the building. He was so kind to her and gave her a hug. He made sure she was warm and dry and took very good care of her.
My mom and dad are thrilled to be going to the Dells. Unknown to Van my dad just got out of The hospital last Friday after 4 1/2 weeks of being in. It's been a very rough couple of months for my parents and their health. My mother was just beaming about how nice Van was.
I wanted to thank you for the season opener cards which will allow my parents and my family to enjoy a vacation in Wisconsin this summer, and send a special thank you to Van for being so wonderful to my parents.
You're welcome and THANK YOU Michelle!
Just doing what I do because that's how my mama raised me!
Enjoy the Dells!
-Van
#everylistenermatters
Perennial Garden Renovations
Give your tired perennial garden a boost without a total renovation. Topdressing your garden with compost every year or two provides most if not all the nutrients your perennials need.
Pull back the mulch if needed. Then spread an inch of compost over the soil surface. You can buy a quality compost or make your own.
Leave the compost on the surface or lightly mix it into the soil. The earthworms, ground beetles, and other organisms will take it from there – moving the compost into the soil and around the plant roots where it is needed.
Or, do a bit of vertical mulching. Use an auger bit on your cordless drill. Simply drill holes into the soil between plants. Then fill the holes with compost. This gets the compost closer to the plant roots and soil organisms that will help mix it into and improve the soil.
Soil preparation and repair will help transform your garden.
A bit more information: Apply a plant strengthener such as JAZ spray to increase plant vigor and their natural ability to tolerate environmental stresses, insect attacks, and disease problems. These natural products aren't fertilizers or pesticides. They can be applied to established plants at the beginning of the season to boost their ability to deal with stress or as soon as problems arise.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Growing Banana Plants Indoors or Out
Add a bit of the tropics indoors or out with a banana plant.
The large leaves are great for screening views and creating a bit of privacy on a balcony, patio or in the yard. Add a wicker planter or chair and you have your own tropical get-away.
The fiber banana (Musa basjoo) is hardy in zones 5 to 11. It grows in full sun. It will die back to the ground and benefit from winter mulch in northern areas of its hardiness zone.
Less hardy and smaller, the blood banana (Musa acuminata 'Zebrina'), has large leaves with red markings on 6 to 8 foot plants. It's only hardy in zones 10 to 11, but can be overwintered as a houseplant or allowed to go dormant in other areas.
Combine these tropical beauties with palms, ginger and bird-of-paradise. Or add some hardy tropical look-alikes such as Japanese forest grass, large leaf hostas and trumpet vines.
A bit more information: Push the limits of your growing region with special wintering techniques developed by Dr. David Francko, author of Palms Won't Grow Here and Other Myths: Warm-Climate Plants for Cooler Areas. And for those in warmer regions check out Creating the Tropical Look.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Preserving the Asparagus Harvest
Preserve the flavor and nutrition of asparagus to enjoy year round.
This flavorful vegetable is low in calories and high in Vitamins A and C as well as fiber. Unfortunately, it is most readily available and at the best price in the spring.
Insure the best flavor with proper harvesting. Select young tender spears 8 to 10 inches tall. Wash, remove the ends, and then cut to fit the freezer bag or container.
Blanch the asparagus before freezing to lock in flavor, color and texture. Dip the asparagus into boiling water. You'll need a large pan with a lid. Blanch small spears for 2 minutes, medium spears for 3 minutes and large spears for 4 minutes.
Remove and immediately set the blanched spears in ice water for 5 minutes to cool. Drain and freeze.
And, if you don't have an asparagus patch, you may want to consider planting one this year.
A bit more information: May is National Asparagus Month. For tips on planting and harvesting asparagus listen to my audio tip. And check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation website for helpful tips and guidelines for preserving your harvest.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida)
Add a little color and flavor to your garden and salads with Mexican tarragon.
This subtle beauty is really a type of marigold, but the leaves and flowers have a tarragon fragrance and flavor.
Wait until after the danger of frost has passed to plant this zone 8 to 10 hardy plant. Grow it in full sun to part shade and well-drained soils. It is somewhat drought tolerant. Northern gardeners can treat it like an annual and those in the northern range of its hardiness zone may see it die back to the ground in a hard freeze. But don't worry its root hardy.
The yellow flowers appear in late summer and persist through fall. The 14 to 20 inch tall plants make a nice addition to herb gardens and flowerbeds.
Harvest the new growth to use fresh. Preserve the flavor by freezing the leaves or storing in vinegar. They tend to lose their flavor when dried.
A bit more information: You can find this plant listed under several common names including Mexican tarragon, Texas tarragon, pericon, and sweet mace. No matter the common name you can use the leaves and blossoms in soups, sauces and chicken dishes as well as salads. Some gardeners even seep it for tea. Visit Bonnie Plants for more information and gardeners ideas for growing and using this plant in the garden.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Year of the Watermelon
Year of the Watermelon
The National Garden Bureau has declared 2013 the Year of the Watermelon. Be part of the celebration and consider planting watermelon in this year's garden.
Don't let the sweet flavor deceive you – these are nutritious as well as delicious. High in Vitamin C, low in fat and calories - it is a great way to boost your energy. Plus, all parts are edible.
You can pickle the rind, eat the fleshy portion fresh or roast or grind the seeds for flavoring. In china they stir fry watermelon while the Russians often pickle it before eating. You may want to try some new ways of enjoying this tasty summer treat.
Grow watermelon in full sun and well-drained soils. Save space by growing these plants on a trellis or decorative obelisk. Just secure the heavy fruit to the support with a cloth or macramé sling. Or plant a few seeds in a container and let the vines wander over your balcony or trellis.
A bit more information: Try planting one of the large picnic-type watermelons that can weigh 15 to 50 pounds. These are sure to get everyone in the family excited about growing and eating this, the largest edible fruit in the United States. Or perhaps you want to try one of the icebox melons that is much smaller at 5 to 15 pounds and easier to squeeze into the fridge. And don't forget about those with unique colored rinds and flesh and of course those that lack seeds.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Clematis Stem Wilt
Clematis Stem Wilt
Your clematis looks beautiful until suddenly the stems and leaves start turning black. Though it looks bad your clematis will survive.
The fungus that causes this disease enters your plant through wounds and cracks in the stem near ground level. Fortunately new growth arising below this point will be disease free.
Reduce future problems by pruning out and destroying infested stems. Disinfect tools between cuts to reduce the risk of spreading this disease.
As new growth emerges from the soil carefully secure it to the support to reduce the risk of cracking and damage. Eliminating the entryways for the fungus will reduce the risk of disease.
In the future consider planting the crown of the clematis below the soil surface. This allows the plant to produce new shoots below the point of infection.
Try growing small flowered clematis that tend to resist this disease. Alpina, macropetala and the viticella types are a few to consider.
A bit more information: For a disease to occur you must have the causal organism (fungus, bacteria, virus) present, disease-promoting weather and susceptible plants. Remove one of these factors and you eliminate the disease. Keep this in mind when managing clematis stem wilt and other plant diseases in your garden.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
I'm a fan, are you?
Who doesn't LOVE a good Roller Coaster? Am I right?! I've been so very lucky to been have rasied in the Midwest, a stones throw away from Six Flags Great America, where I practicaly spent my summers as kid with my best bud Edgar!
Mom and dad would drop us off at open and pick us up at close. 10a-10p. Don't think I could handle that now. Heck, I could barley make it on one run of Batman The Ride Backwards!
Yes, that's right, for a limited time this season, (BTW... I tried to find out when from officials, they wouldn't budge, so get there soon!) Batman The Ride will be running BACKWARDS!!
MOBILE USERS: Click here to WATCH Van rides Batman: The Ride Backwards!
www.SixFlags.com
My Lucky Brewers Socks
I've been wearing these sock to the last few games I have attended at Miller Park and the crew always wins when I have them on. Do you think my socks lucky?
Matt Nathanson AND Plain White T's coming to Festa!
YES! That headline is correct...Matt Nathanson AND the Plain White T's will be performing at Festa Italiana, Saturday night, July 20th and I have the honor of being your ON STAGE HOST!!
I'm super stoked and looking forward to hanging with Platinum-selling singer-song writer Matt Nathanson, and Grammy-nominated Chicago-bred Plain White T's again!
Check out the videos from both groups last visit to The Mix Studios:
WATCH Matt Nathanson Interview and Performance.
WATCH Plain White T's Interview and Performance.
Watch for and Prevent Borers on Trees and Shrubs
Extreme heat and cold, droughts and floods can leave our plants stressed and more susceptible to damaging borers.
These insects are the immature stage of moths and beetles that feed under the bark and inside the stems of plants. Their feeding weakens and in some cases kills the plant.
Many borers are opportunists, attacking already stressed trees. We can't control the weather but we can help reduce stress on our plants. Start by growing plants suited to the climate and growing conditions in your landscape.
Mulch the area under and around the base of trees and shrubs. Organic mulches like wood chips keep the roots cool and moist and reduce competition from grass and weeds.
Be sure to water new plantings thoroughly and as needed the first few years. And do the same for established trees and shrubs during extended drought. This will keep them healthy and help ward off borers.
A bit more information: Incorporate trees and shrubs into perennial planting beds. You will create an attractive garden and better environment for the plants. Plus, planting beds as well as mulching will reduce the need for hand trimming and will keep weed whips and mowers away from the trunks of the trees. And don't pile soil or mulch over the stems of shrubs and the trunks of trees. These practices create entryways for pests and encourage disease problems.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Lawn Revival
If sparse, bare spots or lots of weeds describe your lawn, it is time for a little lawn revival.
Start by evaluating the current state of your lawn. If more than 60% is bare or filled with weeds, it is time to start over. Look at this as an opportunity to properly prepare the soil, select a more drought tolerant lawn or convert it into a no mow or low maintenance lawn or planting bed.
Overseed thin sparse lawns. Core aerate first or use a slit seeder to insure good seed-to-soil contact. For small bare spots use a lawn patch kit or make your own. Mix a handful of quality grass seed into a bucket of topsoil. Remove any dead grass and roughen the soil surface. Then sprinkle the commercial or homemade lawn patch over the prepared bare spot.
Keep the soil moist until the grass seed begins to grow.
A bit more information: Larger areas will benefit from the addition of organic matter into the top 6 inches of soil before sowing the grass seed or laying sod. Keep the soil moist until the sod has rooted into the soil below and the grass seed begins to grow. Consider overseeding the lawn to help create a more uniform appearance in the lawn. For more information, click here.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
soils to improve drainage and increase the water holding capacity as needed.
Grow ferns indoors in a bright location with high humidity and keep the soil evenly moist. Outdoors use them with other shade lovers like begonias, coleus, and impatiens for some contrasting texture in the garden.
Tired of looking at the fading foliage of early season bloomers? Mask the ugliness of these declining leaves and increase the beauty of your landscape this season. 
You can have a beautiful landscape and be kind to the environment by adopting an Earth-Kind landscape philosophy. 
Missing bark at the base of trees and shrubs, damaged perennial roots, and trails in the lawn are sure signs that voles have been at work. 
