The garden has peaked. The milkweed has faded, the rudbeckia is shriveling, and while a few flowers power on, the climactic moment has passed. The big show is about over. This is a good time of year for taking stock, as people do. Did projects go as planned? Did I get the results I wanted? […]
Category: Garden Nuisances
What killed my lawn? How to make organic lawns look good
New gardeners who wonder why their lawns died and what to do about it might be especially interested in this post
Pollen count: ways to beat seasonal allergies
Fall planting season is underway, and I’ve ordered a passel of plants to pick up at Saturday’s Missouri Prairie Foundation plant sale–but I can barely bring myself to think about them, I’m so tired. I have seasonal allergies. Maybe you do, too? When it’s allergy season, thinking about anything else is tough. What causes allergies? […]
Bright spots in a tough week: free plants and progress fighting pests
In a week filled with big stories, the news in my garden continues to be about free plants and discouraging pests—kind of a theme, come to think of it.
Missouri whine: meet the beetles
A post about protecting a grapevine from Japanese beetles and other dangers, plus some history of Missouri’s wine-growing industry
A deep dive into the subject of mosquito sprays
The lowdown on mosquito sprays and what you can do instead–because nobody likes mosquitos
Rabbits 101: baby cottontails and what to do about them
Everything you’ve always wanted to know and more
Doing an environmental good deed
Planting the prairie plants I bought at the Burr Oak Nature Center plant sale last month. Trying to stick to plan. Using plant markers. Plus, a little guerilla gardening.
Butterfly bush and its evil ways
New information can reveal that things we once assumed were good are actually more complicated than we thought. This is perhaps the case with Buddleja davidii, the Butterfly Bush.