The time to prepare for garden pests is before they arrive. This holds true for squash bugs, one of the most problematic insects for pumpkins and squash. Because they can be a challenge to eradicate once they’ve taken hold, it’s important to stay ahead of the game. Summer Squash: Growing Advice and Recipes How to Spot Squash Bugs Roughly one-half inch long, these gray-colored bugs are often called “stink bugs” because they omit a foul order when disturbed. (Stink bugs are in a different family, though.) They’re sometimes visible as adults on the leaves and stems of squash plants, although many ..read more

I love cooking with red peppers. They have just so much more flavor than green bell peppers, and they add a touch of color—whether fresh or roasted—that makes a dish like a tabbouleh salad or pizza really stand out. The problem is, I have just never really been able to grow them. You may or may not know that there are several different types of sweet peppers. We all are most familiar with the bell pepper. I’d describe its shape as cubic—pretty make as tall as it is wide, and with a boxy shape. However, the type of red peppers that I lean toward in the market are the ones that are just as wide ..read more

How to Turn a Filing Cabinet into a Modern Garden Planter I have an enormous kitchen garden: 13 raised beds that evolved over the years to create a loved, but not well-planned space. While it’s my happy place, it boasts an aesthetic (a messy, casual look) that I no longer enjoy. With kids having left for college and a restaurant that I sold years ago, the need for so much produce has also diminished a bit. I decided to relocate the garden to a different portion of the yard and eliminate the old space. Alas, the manufactured metal beds I love range from $300-595 each. And I need 12. Woof. I’ve ..read more

As the growing season creeps closer to us, it’s time to look into the crystal ball to figure out what pests we might expect this season. With El Nino affecting much of the United States and Canada, many of us experienced warmer and drier winters than what is considered normal, if there is such a thing. Now we need to determine our best guess for this year’s pest report. Looking at the Big Picture Based upon an article from University of Minnesota Extension, the author, Dr. Anthony Hanson, Regional Extension Educator, pointed out that even though they had a handful of -25F nights in the mi ..read more

Last spring, a strong thunderstorm knocked down the cottonwood in our front yard. It left a gaping hole in the middle of a flowerbed that I didn’t have the energy to fill. I was so despondent by the destruction that I didn’t do anything with that flowerbed for the rest of the year. A month or so ago, a friend suggested turning it into a small bog or water feature. I liked that idea very much; water features are an easy way to create microclimates and microhabitats to benefit wildlife. A friend (thanks, Deb!) helped me find and install a small pre-formed pond liner. I added a hollow log, blue ..read more

Asparagus is my favorite opening act in the kitchen’s season-long romp with fresh farmers market ingredients. I rarely buy it out of season, as that means it has flown more miles than I have in the last six months. I love how fleeting it is when sourced locally. It’s only around for a little while, so we MUST have some for dinner tonight. My parents grew a small row of asparagus in our garden, but having it at ready access never gave me the same thrill as hunting for it along our farm’s hedgerows. Birds love to eat the little red berries that develop on the plants’ wispy branches. They pluck t ..read more

About a year ago, I created guidance for the Bootheel Arts Garden Shed Garden Bucket Project. This small community in Gideon, Missouri was a farming town that’s now a few generations removed from family farms. We gave away kits to allow about 200 families to create tiny, portable gardens to generate fresh food and gardening knowledge. The kits were a hit and I’m putting the gist of the project in writing as it’s a snap to replicate. See below how to make a bucket container garden! Five Gallon Buckets While you can use most any kind of large container to create a bucket garden, the most simple ..read more

The last time my lazy self posted a blog, it was the dead of winter and I listed my New Year’s resolutions and talked about protecting my precious hostas by using bobcat urine.  The hostas are showing above the ground, although still small.  Yesterday, I strengthened my resolve, and got out the bobcat urine.  Using gloves, I bravely opened the bottle.  Yes, I had to sniff to see how awful it really smelled.  Truth be told, I’ve smelled worse.  It was like a cat litter box which had been neglected far too long.  I dipped wooden popsicle sticks into the bottle ..read more

Once again, feral hogs are in the news as their territory expands beyond the southern states. While many of us complain about deer invading our gardens, I feel for those who have to deal with feral hogs. Keeping them out is not an issue easy. Here are why feral hogs are a problem and what can be done. Super Pigs Living a thousand miles from what I thought was feral hog territory, I never considered the impact of what they do to a landscape. But now that they’re found in Alberta, Canada — practically at our back door — I’m definitely taking notice. They ended up in this northern region after Eu ..read more

Spring arrived early here at SunDog House, and my non-native spring ephemerals – crocuses, daffodils, grape hyacinths, and tulips – are blooming. My native ephemerals are emerging, as well. My lawn has spring beauties (likely Claytonia virginica), and my native violets are blooming. Woodland phlox is coming up in its container. The calendar says we’re barely into spring, so it’s still a good time to plant native spring ephemerals. What are Ephemerals? A spring ephemeral is a type of herbaceous plant that typically emerges during the early spring months, quickly flowering and setting seed.&nb ..read more