Articles written by Mike Heath Laramie County Master Gardners
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The Plants of Christmas - Part 2 The Poinsettia
WOW! The year just seems to be zipping by. It's hard to imagine that it's already December and Christmas is just around the corner. Even though I started writing about the plants of Christmas last...
The Plants of Christmas Part 1
As Christmas approaches, I can’t help but think back to my childhood and the Christmas traditions my family shared so many years ago. House plants were always a part of the season, but not all could be found in our house. Some were in relative’s...
As We Gave Thanks
It was cold, bitterly cold, on December 18, 1620 when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts to form their first colony in the New World. Since they had no shelter on land, they had to...
Town rallies to beautify Columbarium
In last week's column, I included an invitation to the residents of Pine Bluffs to come out and help plant bulbs at the columbarium last Saturday. The town responded and the Cub Scouts, American...
Tis the Season to ... Plant BULBS
If you're anything like me, you've been working fast and furious to get those last-minute outside chores finished before winter really gets here. We've been very fortunate to have such beautiful...
Betty Nussbaum receives Community Service Award
On Saturday, Betty Nussbaum of Burns received the Laramie County Master Gardeners Community Service Award. The timing was perfect with the award being given on Betty's 90th birthday. This is the...
Winterizing Your Lawn
We all know that we need to water our lawns and keep them mowed in the summer to keep that healthy well-maintained look. But what to do when winter is just around the corner? Just before winter is when we have that last, hard push to get everything...
Lavender - The Desert Island Plant
In "The Essential Oils Handbook", Colleen Dodt called lavender oil her desert island oil. I've changed the wording a bit because the lavender plant has so many more ways to be used than just...
Harvest to Table: Pickless, Peppers and Pumpkins
As I write this article, I'm a little bit concerned about all the produce I still have in the garden. Some if it I can pick anytime before it freezes, but some may end up being lost. My greatest...
Harvest to Table
By now, you're either right in the middle of harvest or on the tail end of it. What are you going to do with all the vegetables that you have stacked in those boxes, filling your kitchen, your garage...
Take a Break!
Relaxation. Rejuvenation. Restoration. That's exactly what Linda and I did this weekend. I had a topic all ready for this week, but after our little jaunt around southeast Wyoming and down into...
Fall is upon us and so is Harvest Part 2
I don't know where the time went last week. When I get to writing about something that truly interests me, I lose track of the words. Planting is nice, but the harvest, even with all the work that it...
Fall is upon us and so is HARVEST
I don't know about your garden, but I'm starting to see a lot of color in mine. That means that harvest is coming sooner rather than later. I ended up planting two to four weeks late this year, but...
Planning for Next Year's Vegetable Garden
So, the 2018 growing season is starting to wind down. Harvest is coming in and the canning season is literally right around the corner. And you really think it may slow down soon? Not so fast, Flash. Now it’s time to start planning for next year....
Watering 202
Since I was unable to finish what I started last week, I'll try to get it in this week. There really is simply too much to speak to when it comes to watering systems and watering to put into a short...
Watering systems for the home garden
By now I hope your garden and flower beds have been planted. I wish I could say that for mine, but I'm running way behind. I still have 144 lavender plants, 72 peppers, 200 geraniums and a host of...
Peppers, You've Gotta Love 'Em
I just love peppers. Hot, sweet, mild or whatever. I just love those little fruits. Mostly I like jalapenos. You see, I don’t eat peppers for the heat, rather for the taste. And jalapenos just have the best flavor in my book. That doesn’t mean I...
Raspberries, Raspberries and MORE Raspberries
Strawberries are easily grown and are a common plant in the garden. But, there are many other berries that grow well here and bear discussion as well. I don’t think we’ll ever be the “berry capital” of the country, but we can and do grow...
Spring is a time for trees
It’s spring and everything seems to be coming to life. Birds are nesting, yards are turning into jungles, and trees and shrubs are budding out. This is the perfect time to plant new trees. New trees can come from a variety of sources, but there are...
Strawberry fields forever
Berries, berries everywhere, but not a drop to...OOPS, wrong poem. What a concept, though. Strawberries everywhere. I've never met anyone who didn't like strawberries and they are very easy to grow he...
Warmer weather - tune up the lawn mower
Did you hear that? Listen close. That’s the sound of spring. The grass is starting to green up and push out new shoots. You’d better make sure that your lawn mower is tuned up and purring like a kitten because it’s about time to go to work. As...
Gardening for Success 2018 - a resounding success
The Gardening for Success 2018 regional conference closed Sunday after finishing an information packed weekend with a lot of fun mixed in. The conference kicked off Saturday morning with Scott...
Soil ...Just dirt...or is it?
Most people will look at soil and just see dirt. What is soil, really, and what makes good soil? Soil is productive. That means it will grow your plants from seedlings, whether flowers or vegetables,...
Soil preparation - the start of a great garden
So, you've finished your garden design and you know what plants you're going to use and the location for each of them. You even have your plants on order or at least started in pots. Good for you!...
Garden Design
Last week gave us a taste of what’s coming. Warm weather…SPRING! This is the season of planting so we can enjoy the delightful results of our labors later. But planting really isn’t quite as simple as just sticking plants in the ground. If you...
