2020 has been a challenging and unusual year. The gardening season was unusual as well, as I encountered considerably more fungi than I have seen in the past. While none of these fungi are pathogenic (disease-causing), they are a site to behold, and worthy of discussion.

The WDNR puts the 2019 deer population between 1.2 and 1.5 million deer. As their habitat overlaps with gardeners more and more, there is bound to be conflict.

A chill is in the air, gardens are dwindling, and it is time to close things up for the season. Gardeners should clean, sharpen, and store tools properly in the fall. Keeping your tools in good, sharp working order is an excellent step in making them efficient at the job they were designed to do.

Do you want a lush green “lawn” under that black walnut tree where turf will not grow? How about good-looking vegetation to soak up run-off rainwater from the low spot that perpetually floods? Then a sedge is the right choice for you.

Blazingstars, the namesakes of the celestial occurrence, blaze unforgettably in the landscape. This large group of native plants, also known as gayfeather or by its anglicized genus name, liatris, are found throughout North America. s

So how do you decide when to pick your apples? One would think it would therefore be easy to tell when they are ripe, unfortunately this is not the case. In Wisconsin apples ripen from August to October. A complicating factor is the difference between maturity and ripeness.

Oaks are unequivocally the most widespread hardwood, growing in essentially all 48 contiguous United States. They are prized for their beauty, shade, wildlife contributions, and economic value.