While outdoor plants are tucked in under mulch, resting until spring it is time to turn some attention to indoor plants. Houseplants need a little different care during the winter. Conditions inside a Wisconsin home are significantly different during the winter than during other seasons and this leads to some challenges for houseplants.

In my life, garden styles have been an eclectic mix of whatever friends have given me, what I found on the cheap, or what I divided and spread around. There wasn’t a lot of “design” that went into it, other than the concept of “right plant, right place” and an emphasis on native plants.  However, there are several garden designs and styles that one might consider when planning a landscape.

If house plants have not been your forte, but you want to give them a try, seriously consider the spider plant, (Chlorophytum comosum). These plants are great for beginners as they are forgiving, easy to grow, easy to propagate, and lovely to look at.

As winter approaches and the landscape is full of deciduous trees, it might be nice to have a spot of green here or there. Now is a great time to evaluate and decide where a nice conifer might fit in next year. The tendency is to lump all conifers into one category: pine trees. However, that is not the case.

The importance of preserving pollinators has become a well-established fact in today’s world.  With one out of every three bites of food consumed dependent on pollinators, their impact cannot be overstated.  Honeybees aside, worldwide insect pollinators face daunting prospects.  With habitat loss and increased use of pesticides, pollinator decline has become a major concern.  However, increased attention on the situation has begun to turn the tide.

There are three species of knotweed that have invaded Wisconsin and spread across the state at lightning speed. Once thought to be an attractive landscaping plant, they are all regulated plants by the Wisconsin DNR due to their rapid growth and destructive ecological impact.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) is a native North American woody perennial that can be grown as either a large shrub or a small multi-stem tree. There are about 30 species of Amelanchier, some with very interesting histories.

Sometimes when an unrecognized insect wanders into the landscape, it is difficult to know if it is a friend or foe. Therefore, it is hard to know how to react. Soldier beetles in general, and the Goldenrod Soldier Beetle, (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus) specifically, are one of the good guys and should be encouraged to stick around.

Now that fall is on the horizon, it is time for gardeners to kick back, relax and enjoy a well-earned rest. Maybe not just yet. Fall is the best time to evaluate what was the good, bad, and ugly about the current landscape and plan for the spring. Plan a new bed, revitalize an old bed, or prepare the landscape for next spring.

Much has been written about invasive plants, but what exactly are they? Just because a plant is aggressive does not mean it is invasive. For instance, that creepy looking, vining wild cucumber, Echinocystis lobata, that winds through plants and trees along the roadsides in late summer is aggressive, but is actually a native plant. 

Living as we do in an area of abundant waterways; it is hard to meet a person who has not encountered dragonflies and damselflies. Dragonflies are the more widely recognized of the two, but damselflies play an equally important role in the ecosystem.

Gaillardia (Gaillardia spp.), also known as Blanket Flower, is one of the hardiest, longest blooming flowers available to Wisconsinites. With daisy-like flowers in abundant color, they make a great addition to any landscape.

Daylilies are the workhorses of perennial gardens. They fill in spaces where nothing else can fit, bloom reliably and stay green for the summer. Don’t be fooled into thinking that they are only yellow; they come in a dazzling array of colors to complement any palate.

From a horticultural standpoint, a pest is a destructive organism that has a detrimental effect on crops or landscape plants. Pests can include insects, pathogens or weeds.  Pesticides include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and repellents. Learning how to use these in the least toxic way is good for the environment and good for the humans who deal with them.

Most people think of flowering trees and bushes as a spring event. While there are many that are reliable spring bloomers, including lilac, magnolia, and crabapples, there are some that come later that can enhance the landscape.

During Victorian times tropical gardens were very popular. Massive outdoor displays were cultivated during the summer and the plants were then moved into greenhouses or other protected areas during the winter to be saved until the next season.  This concept is seeing a resurgence in today’s gardens.  If a tropical vacation is not in the budget, bring the tropics to the Midwest by placing just a few tropical plants strategically in borders or as specimen plants.  The impact will be impressive.

Daisies are the April birth flower, along with sweet peas. Both flowers have traditionally signified innocence, purity, and love. Regardless of the meaning, they are harbingers of spring and a good growing season to come. The two most common white daisies in landscapes are the hybrid Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum × superbum) and Oxeye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare).

Galls are abnormal growths that occur on twigs, branches, and leaves. Some are small lumps; others are large, more complicated structures. They can be green, plain brown, or brightly colored. Although they look disconcerting, for the most part they are not harmful to the plant.

Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is the one plant the proves the point that not all native plants are pleasing. It is a perennial, woody plant native to Wisconsin and all of North America.  It is quite adaptable, prefers to climb, but will creep along the ground if it cannot find something upon which to climb.