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327-The Nuances of Native and Non-Native Ladybugs and Other Insects 

| Care, Podcast

Promoting native insects via gardening is a worthwhile endeavor that is growing in popularity, but just because native insects are good to have in the garden, that doesn’t also mean all non-native insects are bad to have around. My guest this week, environmental studies professor Kaitlin Stack Whitney, Ph.D., encourages gardeners to examine the reasons […]

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324-The Potential of Mushrooms to Overcome Environmental Challenges

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Mushrooms can do some pretty amazing things, and as research continues, we are gaining an even better understanding of the potential of fungi to help us overcome an array of environmental challenges. Mycologist Tradd Cotter joins me on the podcast to share the emerging uses of mushrooms beyond food. Tradd started out as a mushroom […]

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319-Assessing Hydrangea Cold Tolerance

| Care, Podcast

This spring was not a great one for hydrangeas all around the United States, and according to my guest this week, Lorraine Ballato, the problem can be traced back to the wild weather that occurred over the winter. Lorraine shares the reasons your hydrangeas may be struggling, the various degrees of hydrangea cold tolerance, and […]

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316-Celebrate Pollinator Week with Pollinator Partnership

| Care, Podcast

Pollinator Week kicks off on June 19th, so I welcomed Kelly Bills, the executive director of Pollinator Partnership, to the podcast to talk about all the great work the organization does and how gardeners can get involved during Pollinator Week and year-round. Kelly has been with Pollinator Partnership, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, for […]

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314-Native Gardeners vs. the HOA: An Important Victory for Wildlife

| Care, Podcast

Living under the strictures of a homeowners association can be incredibly stifling for gardeners who want to work outside of the turf lawn and irrigation dynamic, but sometimes gardeners successfully stand up to their HOAs — and lawmakers in some states are making it easier to do so. Native gardener Janet Crouch joins me on […]

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308-Wildscape: The Sensory Wonders of Nature, with Nancy Lawson

| Care, Podcast

Out our back doors, animals and plants are doing amazing things and communicating and interacting via means we are only beginning to understand, as Nancy Lawson, the founder of The Humane Gardener, explains in her new book. Nancy returns to the podcast this week to discuss this “Wildscape” and how research is uncovering the surprising […]

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300-Assessing the Damage of the Polar Vortex, with Troy Marden

| Care, Podcast

Last year, just before Christmas, a polar vortex brought sudden sub-zero temperatures to many states in the South, wreaking havoc on gardens and landscapes that were not designed for that kind of cold. To discuss the damage that has been apparent so far and what could reveal itself come spring, my guest this week is […]

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294-A Primer on Bonsai, with Bjorn Bjorholm

| Care, Podcast

Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing trees in pots and shaping them to appear like miniature versions of full-size trees. Mastering the art takes patience, practice and commitment, but for novices, getting started isn’t as difficult as it may appear. To explain the basics of bonsai, my guest this week is bonsai artist and […]

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Leave the Leaves and Seed Heads to Support Overwintering Wildlife

| Care, Video

For years, horticulturists recommended cleaning up and cutting back plants in the fall as best practices to reduce recurrences of pest and disease issues, but we know so much more now — and we know better. In this video, I explain the benefits of leaving the leaves and plant debris all winter.       […]

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What Are Those White Spots on Zucchini Foliage?

| Care, Video

When gardeners find white spots on the leaves of their zucchini plants, no one can blame them for assuming the plants have powdery mildew, a very common fungal disease that looks like a white powder was sprinkled over the plants. But white spots are naturally occurring in the patterns on zucchini leaves, so there is […]

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284-Gardening Sustainably in a Changing Climate

| Care, Podcast

The reality of climate change should spark gardeners to both reduce their carbon footprints and adapt. With earlier springs, warmer summers, droughts and extreme weather events becoming the norm as climate shifts intensify, practicing sustainable gardening is more important than ever. To share how gardeners can have a positive impact on the environment while making […]

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282-The Vital Role of Soil Bacteria in the Garden, with Jeff Lowenfels

| Care, Podcast

Our understanding of the soil food web has increased rapidly in the 21st century as microscope technology improves and soil biology research continues, and this opens new doors for gardeners and farmers to employ organic solutions for healthier, more vigorous crops. To explain how soil bacteria play an irreplaceable role in our gardens, my guest […]

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278-The Seed Detective: Preserving Diversity & Uncovering the History of Remarkable Vegetables, with Adam Alexander

| Care, Podcast

Heirloom seeds are treasure troves of genetic diversity and hold stories that span generations and help us understand food cultures around the world. My guest this week, Adam Alexander, aka The Seed Detective, does the important work of identifying and saving rare and remarkable vegetable seeds and uncovering their stories. Adam is a producer of […]

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273-Healing Through Gardening, with Stephanie Rose

| Care, Podcast

When touting the benefits of gardening, the first things to come to mind are often beautifying spaces and providing fresh produce to eat, but gardeners also enjoy physical, emotional and mental health benefits. To talk about self-sustaining regenerative gardens and the power of gardens to heal, my guest this week is Stephanie Rose, a Master […]

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272-Plant Science for Gardeners, Part II, with Robert Pavlis

| Care, Podcast

There is so much that we can learn about plant science to improve our understanding of how plants work, so gardener, writer and biochemist Robert Pavlis is back on the podcast this week for part two of our conversation on plant science for gardeners. Robert is a plant collector with more than 3,000 species of […]

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264-Kiss the Ground: Thinking Regeneratively, with Finian Makepeace

| Care, Podcast

Regenerative agriculture is one of the best tools we have at hand for combating climate change and increasing biodiversity, but convincing lawmakers, farmers and the public at large of its merits is a challenge. To discuss those merits and how regeneration works, my guest this week is Finian Makepeace of Kiss the Ground, an advocacy […]

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261-All About Native Bees, with Heather Holm

| Care, Podcast

When it comes to bees, everyone’s familiar with the iconic honeybee, but what many don’t realize is that honeybees are not native to North America. The 4,000 or so native bee species in the United States behave much differently than honeybee colonies and are generally not well understood. To educate us on the diversity of […]

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258-Averting the Insect Apocalypse, with Dave Goulson

| Care, Podcast

The insect apocalypse is negatively affecting the world in ways that we are only beginning to understand, and if we continue on our current path, insect decline and the loss of biodiversity across all types of animals and plants will not only continue, but also accelerate. To help us understand the scope of the problem […]

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257-Uncovering Black Garden History, with Abra Lee

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When the history of American gardening is told, the contributions of Black Americans are often overlooked. My guest this week, horticulturist and writer Abra Lee, is working to rectify that, and she joins me to highlight a few of the little-known stories that deserve to be shared. Abra researches Black garden history and raises awareness […]

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255-Raising Carnivorous Plants, with Kenny Coogan

| Care, Podcast

Carnivorous plants pique the interest of every gardener and houseplant hoarder at some point, but bringing a Venus flytrap home on a whim with no idea how to care for it will soon lead to disappointment. Fortunately, to explain how to keep carnivorous plants alive and thriving, my guest this week is International Carnivorous Plant […]

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247-Promoting a New Garden Ethic, with Benjamin Vogt

| Care, Podcast

Collectively, the decisions we make as gardeners impact the ecosystem and the climate for better or for worse. To encourage us all to make positive choices for the planet and biodiversity, my guest this week is garden designer and writer Benjamin Vogt, the author of “A New Garden Ethic: Cultivating Defiant Compassion for an Uncertain […]

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245-The Hidden Life of Trees, with Peter Wohlleben

| Care, Podcast

In their own way, trees can see, smell, taste, feel and hear. In the wild, most trees live in communities and even have families. To reveal the hidden life of trees, my guest this week is forester and New York Times bestselling author Peter Wohlleben. Peter’s most recent book is “The Heartbeat of Trees: Embracing […]

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241-Tiny Victory Gardens: Tips on Growing Food Without a Yard

| Care, Podcast

Not everyone has a yard where they can start a garden, which is exactly why my guest this week, Acadia Tucker, wrote her book, Tiny Victory Gardens, including lots of tips on growing food without a yard. Acadia is a farmer, writer and climate activist who promotes gardening methods that increase food resiliency, feed pollinators […]

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239-Pollinators of Native Plants: How to Attract, Observe and Identify These Essential Insects 

| Care, Podcast

While many people understand that native plants are important, there’s often a large gap in understanding which pollinators rely on them. So understanding how to attract, observe, and identify these essential insects is vital to our role in helping them survive and promote biological diversity within the species. To discuss the importance of bees, wasps, […]

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237-Ecological Gardening: Creating Beauty & Biodiversity

| Care, Podcast

For centuries, the objective of gardening has been to tame the wild, and that led to many horticultural practices that are disastrous for wildlife and the ecosystem at large. The objective of ecological gardening, a new movement, is to create beautiful spaces in concert with nature rather than trying to overcome nature. To explain the […]

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232-Ecological Horticulture at Brooklyn Bridge Park, With Rebecca McMackin, Part I

| Care, Podcast

Ecological horticulture is one of the most important methodologies that gardeners can adopt to combat the loss of biodiversity, but the term is still unfamiliar to many. To explain ecological horticulture and how to practice it, my guest this week is self-described “ecologically obsessed” director of horticulture at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Rebecca McMackin. Rebecca is […]

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230-Monarch Rx: The Prescription for Healthier Butterflies

| Care, Podcast

As much as we love watching monarch butterflies fluttering in our gardens and landing on flowers to sip nectar, there is much about monarchs that remains a mystery to both gardeners and scientists. My guest this week, Nancy Lawson, is part of a new citizen science project named Monarch Rx, and she’s here to explain […]

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Feed Your Lawn Naturally by Topdressing with Compost

| Care

A healthier lawn comes with healthier soil, and there is no better way to improve soil health than by adding compost. You can feed your lawn naturally by topdressing it with compost. Compost contains the primary nutrients — nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium — and an array of micronutrients to naturally feed a lawn. But there […]

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221-Biggest Summer Garden Challenges: Your Burning Questions Answered

| Care, Podcast

Late summer is both a challenging and rewarding time in the garden as we deal with pest and disease pressure but also enjoy harvesting tomatoes, peppers and summer squash on a nearly daily basis. For this week’s podcast, I’m addressing some of the biggest (and most common) summer garden challenges and answering your burning questions […]

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219-Troublesome Garden Pests: Organic Control Strategies That Work

| Care, Podcast

Sometimes it’s the tiniest garden pests that cause the biggest problems. As responsible gardeners, we want to manage these pest issues while having as little negative impact as possible on the good bugs that visit the land that we steward. To share expert advice on responsible, effective pest control, my returning guest this week is […]

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218-Squash Bugs: How to Manage and Control This Challenging Pest

| Care, Podcast

Squash bugs are a hassle for growers of zucchini, pumpkins and other cucurbits, but there are steps that can be taken to manage and control this challenging pest. My guest this week is entomologist and pest management expert Diane Alston, and she’s here to share strategies to reduce squash bug issues. Diane is a professor […]

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211-Invasive Asian Jumping Worms: What Gardeners Need to Know

| Care, Podcast

The invasive and destructive Asian jumping worm has been identified and recorded in 37 U.S. states plus Ontario and continues to spread, but it is still a species that many gardeners know little about. To explain what jumping worms are and why they pose such a big problem, my guest this week is ecologist Brad […]

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195-Identifying and Controlling Garden Pests Organically

| Care, Podcast

Before attempting a pest control method that may prove to be unnecessary, ineffective or complete overkill, the first step a gardener should take is to correctly identify the problem. Positive identification of garden pests paired with the appropriate intervention will yield the best results while minimizing or eliminating negative impacts. My guest this week, Susan […]

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189-How Gardening Enriched Our Lives in 2020

| Care, Podcast

From a large back yard to the tiniest balcony, the garden is a place of refuge, and never has that been more true than in 2020. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, gardeners new and old have realized the many ways that gardening enriches their lives, and how that joy and satisfaction is compounded when they share […]

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How to Prepare Plants & Containers for Winter

| Care, Video

As winter approaches, it’s time to start bringing in those less-hardy plants until it warms up again next spring. But what about those bulky containers that are too big and heavy to move in and out every year? In this video, I share how to prepare plants and containers to protect them throughout winter.   […]

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How to Provide Water for Backyard Birds in Winter

| Care, Video

Providing a supply of fresh water is one of the best ways to attract birds to your garden and landscape, but this becomes a challenge in winter when water sources freeze over. If you want birds to come, you’ll need to make your bird bath or pond available to them every single day of the […]

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Why to Leave the Leaves

| Care

One of the best decisions that gardeners can make to increase the diversity of wildlife on the land that they steward is to “leave the leaves.” This easy-to-remember turn of phrase means refraining from raking, blowing, or mowing the fall leaves that butterflies, bees, moths, spiders, toads, salamanders and other critters rely on for habitat […]

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178-Selecting and Caring for Houseplants, with Jane Perrone

| Care, Podcast

Houseplants bring life to our indoor environment, and caring for them can bring both joy and challenges. To answer how to pick the right houseplants for your home and how to best look after them, joining me this week is Jane Perrone, the host of “On the Ledge,” the No. 1 houseplant podcast on Apple […]

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How to Protect Trees from Deer Rut Damage

| Care, Video

Deer damage in the garden isn’t just limited to nibbling and trampling. Male deer cause damage in the fall when they rub their antlers on tree trunks, a behavior called rutting, but there is a simple and inexpensive way to protect young trees.      Rutting damage typically occurs between September and November, during […]

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175-Decoding Gardening Advice, With Dr. Jeff Gillman – Encore Presentation

| Care, Podcast

Despite the best efforts of gardening educators to debunk poor gardening advice, bad information continues to be shared online and elsewhere by well-meaning, though ill-informed, gardeners. To keep up the fight against bad gardening tips that persist, this week I am sharing once again my conversation about decoding gardening advice, with Dr. Jeff Gillman, a […]

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A Guide to Using Cover Crops in the Home Garden

| Care

When vegetables are not actively growing in your garden, planting a cover crop can be an excellent, and potentially better option to both protect and improve your soil. It’s beneficial to plant a cover crop any time a bed is allowed to go dormant. This could be in anticipation of winter or between plantings of […]

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Japanese Beetle Prevention and Control

| Care

Japanese beetle prevention and control is one of the most common challenges for gardeners each summer. Although they are one of the most visually stunning insects, with their bronze and green coloring, these invasive pests are also one of the most destructive — they damage and can sometimes even kill flowers, shrubs and trees when […]

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Powdery Mildew Prevention & Control

| Care

Powdery mildew is a widespread plant fungal disease that affects both edibles and ornamentals, but when you find that your squash vines or rose bushes appear to be covered in white dust, all hope is not lost. You can control or eliminate powdery mildew, and there are preventative measures you can take before it appears. […]

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Squash Bug Prevention & Control

| Care

The squash bug (Anasa tristis) is a pest to plants in the cucurbit family (squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelon, etc.) and one of the most difficult garden pests to control organically — but it can be done! Squash bugs (not to be confused with the Squash vine borer) not only damage plant foliage as they feed, […]

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171-Gardening Mistakes to Avoid

| Care, Podcast

I like to encourage risk-taking in the garden because the stakes are usually very low, and we know that “mistake” is another word for “learning opportunity.” However, there are some common gardening mistakes to avoid that you don’t need to learn about the hard way. In this week’s episode, I identify 10 of the most […]

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Squash Vine Borer Prevention & Control

| Care

Squash vine borer (Melitta curcurbitae) is a garden pest that destroys squash plants and is almost impossible to stop once it has gotten inside a squash vine, but there are smart, organic gardening practices you can adopt to prevent this pest from ever becoming a problem. The name squash vine borer applies to both the […]

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169-Your Biggest Garden Challenges of Summer, 2020

| Care, Podcast

Coming up on the middle of August, it’s clear that the 2020 gardening season is one for the record books — not for its performance, but for its challenges. Having been a gardener my whole life and in professional horticulture for more than 30 years, I can say that this was the year of all […]

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162-Plant Disease Fundamentals: Understanding the Basics and Beyond

| Care, Podcast

How are the plants in your garden doing so far this season? I don’t know about you, but here in my Atlanta-area GardenFarm™, disease is already rearing its ugly head. I had a conversation with extension plant pathologist, Dr. Janna Beckerman, of Purdue University to explore the world of plant disease, so she could share […]

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160-Gardening Pet Peeves – My Top 10 from Joe Lamp’l

| Care, Podcast

Fair warning: This week, you’re in for a bit of a rant. I’m sharing with you my top 10 gardening pet peeves. No, I don’t mean those things like finding some pest has taken a bite out of an almost perfectly ripe fruit (although, that drives us all crazy too). I mean the human behavior […]

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159-Catching Up With Joe Lamp’l: Spring-2020 Q&A

| Care, Podcast

For this week’s episode, I invited my Director of Online Media back to join me for another Q&A session. We haven’t done a Q&A episode in awhile. Erin is my co-host when I have one, and when I want to have a conversation with somebody from my team. Our talks are always fun, and it […]

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153-The Science Behind Great Soil

| Care, Podcast

I don’t know if you know this about me, but soil is my favorite topic. I love all things gardening, and I’ve even hurled myself into a large heap of finished compost. Still, soil is king in my book, and the more we learn about the science behind great soil, soil health, and all of […]

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145-Fundamentals of Gardening: Confidence Through Key Principles

| Care, Podcast

It never hurts to go back to the basics from time to time, and that’s what today’s episode is all about – the importance of the fundamentals of gardening. My guest, Daryl Beyers, is author of the just-released book on gardening basics – The New Gardener’s Handbook. Daryl earned a degree in landscape design, and […]

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143-Gardening Products You Don’t Need, and Why

| Care, Podcast

This week, garden myth-busting expert Robert Pavlis joined me to talk about gardening products. Robert has a background in chemistry and biochemistry and is an avid gardener as well. He owns and runs a 6-acre botanical garden packed with over 3,000 different species of plants, trees and shrubs. So, he offers some valuable insights when […]

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139-Houseplant Myths: The Facts Behind Caring for Indoor Plants

| Care, Podcast

I’m betting that you have a little green in your home right now. No, I’m not talking about seedlings. I’m talking about houseplants. Nearly all of us have at least a few these days. Houseplants have been a hugely popular trend the past few years, with some plant-a-holics spending big money on a single showstopper. […]

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136-Top Garden Takeaways From 2019: Lessons Learned

| Care, Podcast

It doesn’t matter how big or how small your growing space is, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or have decades of experience under your belt. Every year brings new lessons, challenges, disappointments, and wins in the garden. With the end of another year just around the corner, I wanted to share with […]

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134-Bird Population Decline and What Gardeners Can Do to Help

| Care, Podcast

Many gardeners have an appreciation for backyard songbirds. It’s a natural fit. As gardeners, we do a lot to invite them into our landscapes with food and shelter. All the more reason it’s concerning to know that many bird species are rapidly falling in their numbers, some at alarming rates. It’s time we all learn […]

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115-Understanding Tomato Diseases and How to Deal With Them

| Care, Podcast

Tomatoes are one of the most popular garden edibles. Unfortunately, they are also one of the most challenging. Highly disease-prone, tomato plants often start strong and set a tantalizing crop of fruit only to transform into a living laboratory for pathogens – practically overnight. This season, I’m growing 43 tomato plants of differing varieties – […]

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114-Understanding Hydrangeas: Pruning, Blooming, Color-Forcing & More

| Care, Podcast

Hydrangeas are some of my favorite ornamentals shrubs, and this week’s guest shares my love of this beautiful plant. Well actually, Lorraine Ballato has a special appreciation for all hydrangea varieties, and she has become a recognized expert on the care of this sometimes finicky species. She contributes to many respected horticultural resources, like a […]

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107-Encore Presentation: Tomato Care Checklist with Craig LeHoullier

| Care, Podcast

Tomatoes. They just might be the hands-down most popular plant for home gardeners, but they sure aren’t easy. Last year, my friend and tomato-growing expert, Craig LeHoullier, joined me for a podcast about his recommended steps for healthy tomatoes. He called it his tomato-care checklist, and it is so packed with good information, that I […]

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105-Gardening Questions Answered: Expert Advice from Joe Lamp’l

| Care, Podcast

Between my podcast listeners and members of my e-newsletter and social media channels, I receive a lot of gardening questions. This week, I’m highlighting questions asked by students of my new Beginning Gardener Fundamentals course. I introduced the course at the beginning of this year to teach the fundamental garden basics I’m asked all the […]

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101-A Way to Garden: Observations and Lessons, with Margaret Roach

| Care, Podcast

Do you love books? I have a fairly large library, and you probably won’t be surprised to learn that it’s comprised of mostly garden-related volumes. One of my favorites has long been A Way to Garden, written 21 years ago by Margaret Roach. So, I’m pretty excited that Margaret has just released a fresh publication […]

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