Gardening

Landscape architect Mark Dwyer joined “The Larry Meiller Show” to talk about what he looks for when it comes to foliage and how he uses color and texture to design impressive sprawling gardens.

Just ahead of the growing season, author Jessica Walliser joined “The Larry Meiller Show” to discuss her research about the practice of companion planting and why it can be useful in the garden ecosystem.

Wisconsin legislators are looking to supersede a patchwork of local laws around owning backyard chickens. Right now, municipalities decide their own rules. Madison allows flocks of up to eight hens, Appleton allows up to six. Residents of Green Bay, Kenosha, and Racine can have up to four. But some jurisdictions ban the birds outright, while…

Several areas around Wisconsin are now in new planting zones, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture has updated its plant hardiness map for the first time since 2012. The zones are used by gardeners for selecting what plants will be able to survive and thrive in a given location. Despite the changes, experts say Wisconsin…

This year marks the 40th anniversary of a landmark ruling that reaffirmed the 1837 treaty rights of a northern Wisconsin tribe to hunt, fish and gather on ceded territory. In 1983, two brothers from the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Fred and Mike Tribble, were arrested for spearfishing outside the boundaries of…

Wisconsin could be the next destination of an invasive pest found in 14 states over in the last decade, though Wisconsin wildlife officials are hoping to prevent its spread. The spotted lanternfly is native to China and was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014. The insect has light brown wings, black spots and a streak…

One key to growing enormous pumpkins rests in the soil, said a Wisconsin farmer who recently grew a nearly 2,000-pound pumpkin. Jim Suchanek of Black River Falls said interested growers should run soil tests at least once a year. Phosphorus can promote root growth, and calcium will help the pumpkin’s shell grow hard and thick,…

In a lower Manhattan off-Broadway theater, tucked away from the traffic and bright lights, an old farm house nestled on 40 acres of remnant prairie introduces theatergoers to a Wisconsin woman making zucchini bread, and Rebecca Gilman’s play “Swing State” begins. The play, set “somewhere in the Driftless area of Wisconsin” in the late summer…

Hot weather is slowing down Wisconsin’s potato harvest. Around 70 percent of the state’s potato crop has already been harvested, but some producers are now delaying their work out of fear the unseasonable heat could cause the harvested potatoes to rot. Kevin Schleicher, sales director for Wysocki Family of Companies, said his Portage County farm…

Editor’s Note: “Garden Talk” is a weekly Wisconsin Public Radio program hosted by Larry Meiller. This column is a weekly recap of tips in response to caller questions. This summer in Wisconsin has been hot and dry, and those conditions have taken a toll on yards. For those looking to patch their lawns, remove weeds…