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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
As we approach Thanksgiving, a time for taking stock of all the things we are grateful for, it feels like a good time to reflect on our gardening successes this year. I’ll admit I’m guilty of talking about how challenging this summer was in the garden for many of us while failing to highlight the […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
It’s safe to say that mid-June is sort of the “honeymoon” phase of gardening. The final cold snaps are behind us. The plants in our landscapes are abundant in foliage. Many of us have just begun to harvest the first fruits of warm-season crops or are, at least, watching fruit develop in eager anticipation of […]
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 […]
One of the inevitabilities of gardening is the presence of weeds. There are lots of poor weed management approaches out there, many of which have been used for decades. So, I thought it was high time to explore the not-so-wonderful world of weeds, and I invited Dr. Andrew Smith to share his expertise on the […]
As a gardener, you’ve probably learned that it’s the little things that can sometimes have the greatest impact. Well, this episode focuses on some very little things – nematodes. These microscopic creatures are a part of the soil food web. They play a key role in nutrient cycling, but some of them can also devastate […]
Have you ever thought about living exclusively off the land for an entire year? Likely not considering how much of our daily lives revolve around food. For those of us who garden, our passion can also provide food freedom through foraging and harvesting up a healthy bounty for our table. Even so, most of the […]
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 […]
For many gardeners (myself included), the passion for producing our own food and caring for the natural world around us leads us to another hobby – keeping backyard chickens. My guest this week, Lisa Steele, is the go-to authority on that subject. Lisa discusses many aspects of keeping backyard chickens, including the benefits and challenges […]
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 […]
Last week was the first in this two-part conversation with British gardening legend, Charles Dowding. If you missed it, I recommend you start there. That episode focused on Charles’ background and the no-dig garden method for which he is so renowned. Today’s discussion focuses on how Charles is using compost for more than just a […]
No matter where you garden, chances are good that you struggle with deer damage. Deer are a constant issue here on my rural 5-acre GardenFarm™ north of Atlanta, GA; but they can be just as prevalent in the midst of urban spaces too. Gardeners often turn to deer-resistant plants as a solution. The fact is, […]
Once in a rare while, you attend a presentation that leaves you speechless and amazed. A few years ago, internationally-acclaimed mycologist Tradd Cotter’s presentation at the University of North Carolina Botanic Garden in Charlotte had that effect on me. He was on stage describing the power of mushrooms, and what he shared blew me away. […]
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 […]
Save the bees! That’s a statement becoming more commonly heard these days. The decline in honeybee populations has been a hot topic in recent years, but there is another story to be told. Our greatest ally in the home garden and food production across the U.S. isn’t the honeybee at all – it’s actually the […]
As winter slowly yields to spring, the call to get our hands into the soil becomes irresistible. These spring tips for vegetable garden success are a valuable guide to the essential steps everyone can and should take for a bountiful and productive garden. Pick the best location You may have heard the phrase, pick the […]
In this week’s podcast, I’m talking hobby greenhouses with Sheri George. A lifetime master gardener, Sheri has been greenhouse gardening for over 20 years. Her experience has put her in a unique position on what to know before you buy (and after you do) when it comes to setup and growing conditions within the space […]
For this week’s podcast, I polled the joe gardener Facebook Group to ask what garden questions they would like answered. This is a great community of engaged and supportive gardeners. There is never a shortage of questions. Here, I selected the most commonly-asked topics (some of which I’m asked frequently through my other social media […]
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 […]
Would you say you had a resilient garden? Did it stand up to the challenges of this past growing season? This year has been especially difficult for many of us, and while we’re in the middle of my favorite garden time – fall – I’m also already in planning mode for next year. Each season, […]
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 […]
Last week, we began a two-part series on garden pest predators with Jessica Walliser and discussed the predator/prey cycle taking place in all our landscapes as well as the cues that signal to good bugs that a meal is available. If you haven’t checked out that episode, I recommend you begin there before diving in this […]
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 […]
Garden mistakes challenge us, push us to do better and teach us lessons we utilize for years to come. I ought to know – I’ve made my fair share of them over the years. When you think about it, gardening is as much about making mistakes as it is about celebrating the wins. That said, […]
We all know how hectic summer can get, and for me, this summer is certainly no exception. Filming for Season Nine of Growing a Greener World®, keeping up with the many happenings and garden growth at the GardenFarm™, planning upcoming projects for joe gardener – whew! I’ll be the first to admit, I’m long on […]
Vacation season has arrived, and if you’ve got a trip planned, you need to take some key steps to prepare your garden for your absence. After all, you’ve probably invested more than your fair share of time (and money!) nursing your plants through a difficult spring, getting new vegetables established, and planting up those containers. […]
This week’s guest is Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, the Bug Lady of Bug Lady Consulting. To say that Suzanne – an entomologist and expert on biocontrol who I’ve known for many years and interviewed multiple times – is a wealth of information… well, that would be a true understatement. Our conversation is so jam-packed with pest management […]
Welcome to the last in our series on raised bed gardening. As you probably know by now, we received so many responses from my email group that this raised bed podcast turned into a three-part series. If you would like to join the conversation and contribute to future topics, I invite you to click the red […]
When it comes to maintaining a healthy garden, organic disease control comes down to a few main options. In this podcast episode, we close out our 3-part series with Dr. Jeff Gilman. This time, we’re discussing the most common steps anyone can take towards organic disease control for creating and keeping a healthier […]
In this podcast, we’re talking organic pest control with Dr. Jeff Gillman. While currently the Director of the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens in Charlotte North Carolina, Jeff has spent his career getting to the truth behind the rhetoric in matters involving both the garden and the environment. Jeff holds a master’s degree in […]
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