Anyone who has traveled with children knows it is inevitable that a sweet voice will come from the back seat and ask the question “Are we there yet?” Sometimes repeatedly. Sometimes within a mile of the driveway.

Hellebores (Heleborous×hybridus) are low maintenance perennials in the buttercup family that offer beautiful spring blooms with handsome evergreen foliage on sturdy plants that never need staking and are seldom bothered by pests or diseases.

Mulch is one of the most important tools in a gardener’s arsenal. In fact, it can make many of the other tools unnecessary over the course of the growing season. 

The days are getting marked off the calendar and we are moving closer and closer to spring. One sure sign of warmer weather is the emergence of spring ephemerals. In Wisconsin, these plants emerge typically between March and May only to quickly die away. In their short life span, they are an important part of the ecosystem, providing early pollen and fruit for bees and small mammals.

The decline of pollinators due to pollution, overuse of pesticides, and climate change is a widely recognized problem. Many gardeners are planting pollinator gardens to help mitigate the problem, but what about the lawn? Turf covers more than two percent of the land area in the United States and is an untapped resource for pollinator support.

Pineapple is the most economically important, easily recognized, and only edible bromeliad.  However, this tropical looking epiphyte (plant that grows on another plant, but is not a parasite) is an easy going, stunning house plant.  They are fun to grow with unusual variegated leaf colors and striking blooms.

Once indoor gardeners begin their houseplant journey, they often find that one or two plants just doesn’t satisfy the yen to have plants. This is a common problem for gardeners in general as outdoor gardeners suffer from the same quirk. Seeing plants just triggers some phenomena in the brain that makes accumulating plants a need rather than a want. Propagation is the process of growing plants from existing ones. It is inexpensive, relatively effortless, and yields more plants for either sharing with friends or increasing the current home population.

Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) is a group of herbaceous ornamentals that are noted for their importance in the lives of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Much has been written about the decline of the monarchs and the drive to preserve them.  However, not all milkweed plants are equal and some can cause homeowners to regret planting them if they are not managed properly.

The holidays are fast approaching and most people have a gardener or two on their gift list. An informal poll of Master Gardeners in the area yielded some excellent ideas for those folks on the list.

This was a tough growing season for many perennials. With the driving, extensive rains in the early spring followed by near drought conditions in the summer, fungal diseases flourished and plants suffered. However, one plant that seemed impervious to the onslaught of negative weather conditions was the dahlias. They continued to thrive and put forth stunning blooms.

While this season is winding down, it is never too early to begin to plan for next season. Herbs are always a good addition to any garden. If not used for culinary purposes, many are good for pollinators, not only for the pollen and nectar they provide, but also for reproductive habitat.

Black walnut trees (Juglans nigra) and butternut trees, also called white walnut trees (Juglans cinerea) are commonly recognized by gardeners as having a toxic trait. They contain juglone, concentrated primarily in their buds, leaves, stems, nut hulls, and roots. This chemical spells trouble for many surrounding plants, causing wilting and ultimately death. Juglone is the walnut tree’s ultimate survival technique as it reduces any competition for nutrients and water in the surrounding area.

Fall is creeping up quickly and there are many things to be done to wrap up gardens before winter strikes. Much has been said about not doing fall cleanup in perennial beds because pollinators need the debris for habitat and reproduction. However, that is not the case in vegetable beds. Fall cleanup is essential to mitigate the spread of disease and control the proliferation of harmful insects

Mock Orange (Philadelphus spp.) is a fragrant, white flowering, deciduous shrub native to Europe, Canada, and the west and northwestern United States.  There are numerous cultivated varieties that vary in flower size, fragrance intensity, hardiness, and growth habit making it a perfect specimen for the knowledgeable gardener.

This summer has been tough on lilacs (Syringa). There have been repeated reports across the state of dying plants, brown and curled leaves, white speckled leaves, and general demise of the bushes. As a rule, lilacs are relatively disease free, so what is causing the problem?

Ornamental grasses first began to gain popularity in Germany in the 1930s courtesy of nurseryman Karl Foerster. He spent years collecting samples and seeds from all across the world, including the Americas, to study them before introducing them to the landscape world. Today there are so many varieties available that there is one for every landscape. Those that are native are an exceptionally ecologically sound choice.

As a follow-up on a recent article, plants named after dogs is the topic for today. Botanists must be cat lovers because they lack creativity in naming plants after our canine friends. Some of the plants have quite unpleasant characteristics, making them unsuitable for the home gardener. Hound’s tongue (Cynoglossum officinale), mad-dog skull cap (Scutellaria lateriflora), Dogbane (Aposynaceae), Dogwood (Cornus), Dog violet (Viola labradorica), and Dog’s tooth violet (Erythronium americanum) round out the list.

Unfortunately having an allergy to cats is not uncommon. If a furry cat is out of the question, try a green one instead. Botanists seem to have a fondness for naming plants after cats or cat features, including cattails (Typha spp.), kitten tails (Besseya bullii), pussytoes (Antennaria), catnip (Nepeta cataria), cat mint (Nepeta xfaassenii), and pussy willow (Salix discolor).

Many gardens are developed for visual appeal and the other senses are overlooked. Some gardens have plants deliberately incorporated with a particular favorite scent like lilacs or hyacinths. However, sensory gardens are intentionally designed to either appeal to all five senses (taste, smell, sight, sound, and touch) or to intentionally narrow in on just one.