The plants that we choose to include in our landscapes can be life-sustaining, invaluable resources for our native wildlife or they can just be plants that just look pretty while contributing little to nothing to the ecosystem. My guest this week, entomologist, speaker and author Doug Tallamy, explains how we can make better plant choices […]
The Cherokee discovered long ago that many native plants in the Southeastern United States hold remedies for a range of ailments, from burns and bug bites to migraines. My guest this week, naturalist, survivalist and author Mark Warren, has studied and experienced firsthand the effectiveness of Cherokee healing practices and shares them in his books […]
Propagating native plants from seeds protects genetic diversity and is simple to do. To discuss all the benefits and the steps for the easiest way to start and grow native seeds in winter (no special equipment required) is my guest this week, Heather McCargo, the executive director of the Wild Seed Project. Heather now lives […]
When planting a naturalistic garden, is having more plants always better? If you ask Kelly Norris, my podcast guest this week and the author of “New Naturalism: Designing and Planting a Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden,” the answer is, unequivocally, “yes.” He is an advocate for biodiverse, abundant landscapes that use every square foot to […]
Another spring brings the excitement of a new garden season. For most of us, that means adding more plants to our landscape. Well, today’s episode is a reminder that your plant choices matter, especially when it comes to supporting biodiversity and wildlife. Guest Uli Lorimer is the Director of Horticulture at the Native Plant Trust. […]
This week, I’m excited to bring you an episode I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. My guest, Dr. Anurag Agrawal is the author of Monarchs and Milkweed, an engrossing look at the intricacies of the monarch life cycle and the role a single genus of plant plays in their migration and survival. […]
I am a huge fan of this week’s guest, Doug Tallamy. He’s the author of the blockbuster book “Bringing Nature Home.” It introduced many horticulturists and backyard warriors to consequences — or benefits — of our plant choices. So, I was really excited to sit down with Doug to talk about his brand new book, […]
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 […]
How do you define a beautiful garden or landscape? Is it a perfectly manicured space, free of weeds with coordinated blocks of color? Perhaps it’s more relaxed and informal. In this episode, we focus our discussion around native plant design in a post-wild world with Thomas Rainer, author, teacher, and landscape architect. Thomas describes his […]
This week is part two of my conversation with Charles Fishman, author of the compelling book, The Big Thirst. He’s a powerhouse of fascinating facts about our planet’s water – including some thought-provoking details on our infrastructure and our water spending. Now may be just the time we should be reshaping how we think about […]
This summer, the crew and I wrapped up filming for the tenth season of our Emmy Award-winning show, Growing a Greener World®. It has been humbling to look back and really let it sink in that we’ve been creating these episodes for an entire decade. Not many shows last so long these days. Along the […]
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 […]
Water – When it comes to the garden, water can be a blessing and a curse. One year brings heavy rain, while the next might bring severe drought challenges. Mother Nature can definitely wreak havoc on our garden success, but there are steps we can and should take to offset those wild swings in moisture […]
When you hear the term “meadow” what do you envision? For most people, the picture in their mind’s eye is a sweeping field of grasses and multi-colored blooms. The thing is, a meadow doesn’t require much space, and it could become a favorite spot in any urban garden setting. Meadows aren’t difficult to create, and […]
This week’s podcast is a slightly different format. I enjoyed a little Q&A session with Erin, my Director of Online Media. She asked me some questions to give you a little behind-the-scenes take on my joe gardener world. For that reason, show notes are a slightly different format too. Unlike all our other show notes, […]
My guest this week is Barbara Damrosh. An icon in the world of gardening, Barbara began her horticultural career in the mid-1970’s and has always been driven by the desire to help others get into gardening. To that end, she published her first of many books, The Garden Primer, in 1988; and she’s spent time […]
You may have noticed that I’ve been focusing on native plants a lot lately. They have so much to offer in the garden – both to you, as the gardener, and to the wildlife in your area. I’ve been an advocate for native plants for many years, but a recent trip lit a new fire […]
Lately, I’ve really been focused on identifying all the ways we can attract more wildlife to our gardens. Diversity in our little, individual ecosystems not only helps us to be better gardeners, it strengthens our environment at a national and global level. With that in mind, I invited Dr. John Rowden of the National Audubon […]
Having seen many gardens over the years, I’ve been on a mission to inspire people to think more towards eco-friendly gardening. My experiences led me to write a book, The Green Gardener’s Guide: Simple, Significant Actions to Protect & Preserve Our Planet focusing on creating an eco-friendly garden and landscape. In the book, I […]
Here at the GardenFarm™, I proudly display a sign that designates my five-acre property as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. What does that designation mean and where does it come from? Well, I dive into that with this week’s guest, David Mizejewski of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). David, who considers himself a nature geek since […]
How well do you know the insect world of your garden? Can you tell the good bugs from the bad bugs? Did you know there are prey and predator insects? This week’s guest, Jessica Walliser, used to be a bug hater. As a horticulturist, she was trained that bugs were the enemy, and she spent […]
For most of us, having access to water means simply turning the faucet handle. Voila! Water in abundance, right? Well, this convenience is incredibly deceiving. Although 75% of our planet is covered with water, only a minuscule 1% is available as pure, clean water for use by the entire world population. That’s right – 1% […]
This week, my podcast guest was Dr. Holly Scoggins. Holly is Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Virginia Tech and Director of the campus’ Hahn Horticulture Garden. She is also a member of the esteemed Garden Professors Group. I was curious to hear Holly’s take on the state of horticultural education and job […]
This week, I take a look back at a conversation on conservation – with Nan Sterman, co-author of Water-wise Plants for the Southwest and expert on waterwise gardening. Although she spent some years away, Nan grew up in and returned to southern California and has become known as a water-wise guru. Nan speaks frequently on water […]
Acclaimed gardener and passionate bird enthusiast Margaret Roach will often say that the birds taught her how to garden. Accordingly, she found herself gardening for the birds. Over time, Margaret created a 365 day-a-year bird-friendly garden that also provided year-round beauty. Today, countless birds and over 1000 people a year visit her stunning 2-acre wildlife […]
This podcast episode format is a first for me and quite a departure from our usual format. In this episode, I take the mic and recorder outside for a behind-the-scenes day in the life at the GardenFarm™. I’m calling it an “audio journal” – snippets of a typical weekend Saturday for me. From the time […]
When it comes to bringing nature home, no one understands the critical relationships between native plants and the creatures that depend on them better than expert on garden insects, Doug Tallamy Ph.D. A professor at and chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware; Doug is also […]
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