Whether planting just a few trees or embarking on a large-scale ecological restoration project, you will have the greatest chance of success if you choose to use saplings over containerized or balled-and-burlapped trees. To explain the many reasons why saplings are the best option, tree care expert Basil Camu returns to the podcast this week. […]
Landscape designer Darrel Morrison is a vanguard of the land ethic promoted by early conservation hero Aldo Leopold. He joins me on the podcast this week with Curt Meine, a senior fellow of the Aldo Leopold Foundation, to share how a landscape can be both aesthetically pleasing and ecologically restorative. Darrel is a fellow of […]
How much of our time and focus we can spend on gardening can shift overnight as we experience a major life change. My Growing Epic Tomatoes course co-leader Craig LeHouiller can speak to that fact as this season he began juggling being a first-time, very involved grandfather and keeping up with his garden. Craig has […]
Danish gardener, designer and television personality Claus Dalby has been called “the Scandinavian Martha Stewart.” Speaking from across the pond, he joins me on the podcast this week to discuss two of his specialties: cottage gardens and container gardens. Claus Dalby lives in a 1908 home in Risskov, Denmark, where he has a garden that […]
An area smaller than a parking space can be transformed into an ecologically powerful, carbon-sequestering, biodiverse native mini-forest in a few short years using a dense planting technique known as the Miyawaki method. To share why and how to plant a Miyawaki forest, joining me on the podcast this week is Andrew Lampl, a sustainability […]
Starting a native, organic garden is a big step on the ecological gardening journey, and once you’ve made it that far, you’ll have even more questions than you did before. Garden designer Kelly Norris joins me to shed light on what comes next and discuss his new book, “Your Natural Garden.” Kelly is a gifted […]
Germinating native flower seeds is more involved than the seed starting you may be used to, but it’s not hard and it will scratch your gardening itch in winter. Wild Seed Project founder Heather McCargo joins me to explain how to start native flower seeds and the biodiversity benefits that it provides. Heather served as […]
Spring’s flower garden starts with fall bulb planting. To share everything you need to know to plant and grow flowering bulbs successfully, Brent Heath of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, the celebrated mail-order bulb company, joins me on the podcast. Brent and his wife, Becky, are flowering bulbs icons. Brent’s family has been growing bulbs since […]
Poisonous plants like poison ivy and giant hogweed can cause irritation, pain and scarring, but there are other plants — wicked plants — that are downright deadly. Joining me this week to discuss the stories behind the world’s most dangerous plants is New York Times bestselling author Amy Stewart. Amy lives in Portland, Oregon, where […]
A naturalized bulb lawn provides beautiful blooms each spring continuously with no need for additional plantings. In this week’s encore, I’m joined by horticulturist Peggy Anne Montgomery to discuss the history and techniques behind bulb lawns and to share how to start your own. Peggy Anne hails from Minnesota but later lived in Germany and […]
Mastering succession planting takes knowledge and practice, but it’s not that tall of a task. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll enjoy the benefits of an extended growing season and a greater harvest. To help you make the most of your garden space, this week I am reprising my conversation with Meg Cowden, […]
A cut flower garden, when planted in succession and harvested frequently, provides a continuous source of joy to hobby gardeners — and great revenue source for commercial growers. To share her advice on how to start and maintain a cut flower garden, returning to the podcast this week is flower farmer Lisa Mason Ziegler. Lisa’s […]
The gardening culture in the United Kingdom is strong and ingrained in society, much more so than it is in the United States. To talk about what it’s like to be a gardener across the pond, joining me on the podcast this week is Bunny Guinness, a regular panelist on the long-running BBC Radio 4 […]
A fall vegetable garden is a treasure too many gardeners miss out on. In fact, fall is my favorite growing season, a time when I can grow an array of cool-season vegetables with relief from the pest and disease pressure that comes with summer. In this week’s podcast, I share the best crops to grow […]
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 […]
Whether you want to grow a cut flower garden for your own enjoyment or to start a business, you will find Lisa Mason Ziegler’s advice on succession planting with flowers very useful. Lisa, a cut flower growing expert and author, returns to the podcast this week to share her tips. Lisa is the founder of […]
I’ve already sown countless seeds this year, with still more to go, and many seedlings are taking off in the warm, bright environment of my new greenhouse. Greenhouse growing is a new experience for me, and I talked all about it and shared seed starting updates with my friend Craig LeHoullier, a frequent guest on […]
Winter sowing native seeds is an easy process that requires no special equipment, and the best part of propagating native plants from seeds is that it promotes genetic diversity for a more resilient ecosystem. To share her methods for simple winter sowing, my guest for this encore presentation is Heather McCargo, the executive director of […]
It’s fall, and that means it’s time to get spring flowering bulbs planted. So I can enjoy blooms and pops of color from early spring all the way up to the start of summer, I use a broad array of bulb species and varieties. In this video, I demonstrate several ways to plant bulbs and […]
Wherever you live, if you’re a gardener, you should get to know the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Their mission is to inspire gardening for the greater good. On this week’s podcast, PHS President Matt Rader is here to share all the good work the society does to beautify communities and improve the health and well-being of […]
It’s easy to naturalize flower bulbs under turf to create a bulb lawn that will put on a spectacular display each spring indefinitely with no further bulb plantings necessary. To share the history and methods behind bulb lawns, joining me this week is horticulturist Peggy Anne Montgomery. Peggy Anne is from Minnesota and later lived […]
For earlier pops of color, a buffet for pollinators, and overall hardier plants, gardeners should be growing cool-season annuals — flowers that are started in fall or very early spring and bloom weeks or months earlier than heat-loving plants. To offer a primer on successfully planting and growing these flowers, my guest this week is […]
The hardest part of growing a gorgeous flower garden that provides interest in all seasons is getting started. Until you’ve done it, you don’t know where to begin. Lucky for us, my guest this week, gardener, writer and educator Jenny Rose Carey, has a new book, The Ultimate Guide to Flower Growing, that walks readers […]
Native plants are all the rage right now — or all the buzz, considering how much pollinators love native flowers. But finding a nursery that sells the right native plants for your area can be a challenge. To explain why native plants are vital to wildlife and how we can find native plant collections that […]
Succession planting is a gardening method that extends the growing season and yields a greater harvest, no matter how much or how little space you have to garden in. To discuss how to get the most out of your garden, my returning guest this week is Seed to Fork founder Meg Cowden, a succession planting […]
Dahlias are tuberous tender perennials that are not only some of the most beautiful flowers on the planet, they’re also a blast to grow once you get the hang of it. My guest this week, Kristine Albrecht, is a dahlia expert who is here to share dahlia basics as well as the advanced techniques for […]
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 […]
Starting a food forest may sound like it requires more space than many of us have to work with, but the reality is even gardeners with small yards can implement this permaculture growing method. To share food forest methods and principles, my guest this week is Darrell Frey, a sustainable design expert. Darrell lives in […]
To bring you the best advice there is on planting flowering bulbs in fall, for this week’s podcast I turned to none other than Brent Heath of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, the renowned mail-order bulb company. Brent’s family has been growing bulbs since 1900 in Gloucester, Virginia, and he is a wealth of knowledge on […]
Peas, as one of the first crops that can be sown outdoors in spring, are a harbinger of the growing season. There are climbing-type and bush-type peas, peas with colorful and interesting flowers, shelling peas and peas with edible pods. If you want to grow peas in your garden, here’s everything you need to know. […]
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 […]
Many factors affect whether seeds started indoors will grow to become seedlings that are strong and healthy enough to transition into the garden, survive and prosper. On this week’s encore episode, John Porter of The Garden Professors shares his non-negotiables for success when seed starting. John is currently the urban agriculture program coordinator for the […]
Indoor seed starting time is nearly upon us, and whether you are starting seeds yourself for the first time in 2021 or you have prior experience, I’m certain you’ll find my discussion with tomato growing expert Craig LeHoullier enlightening. In this encore presentation, Craig and I share tips and tricks to successfully start seeds indoors. […]
Once established, blueberries are easy to grow and require little care, but there are things you need to know at planting time for long-term success. In this video, I share tips for ensuring your blueberry plants will thrive. Blueberries are one of my favorite plants to grow. In addition to producing amazing […]
Winter sowing is an easy and fun way to scratch the gardening itch in the coldest months while also getting a head start on growing flowers and cool-season crops that will then take off in spring. In this week’s encore episode, I explain how winter sowing works and identify the types of seeds that are […]
Not only is it possible to start beet seeds in containers — it can also lead to better results. In this video, I show you how I do it and explain why it’s the easier way. Beets are one of those crops that you always hear must be direct-sown into the garden. […]
Starting seeds indoors is a great way to get a jump on the growing season, save a ton of money, and grow out varieties that you normally can’t find in a nursery. In this video, I share the basics of indoor seed starting to easily and successfully sow seeds. Seeds can be […]
There is an easy way to tell if the seeds inside an old seed pack are still good — before going through the time and trouble of planting the seeds in the garden to find out. In this video, I’ll show you how to check seeds for viability and test their germination rate. […]
Starting seeds indoors is a fun activity that helps you make the most of a short gardening season, but some seeds are harder to germinate than others. In this video, I share tips and tricks for seed germination success. Outdoors, Mother Nature does a great job of breaking through the seed coat […]
If you’ve never grown onions, you’ll be pleasantly surprised because they’re super easy to grow, hardy through winter, and ready to harvest anytime you are. Young plants are harvested as green onions or scallions. But the longer you wait, the bigger the bulb — at least until they reach full size at maturity. Here, I’ll […]
When you plant vegetable and flower seeds in your garden, do you ever think about where exactly those seeds came from? Could you even imagine certified-organic seeds being collected from a one-acre farm in the middle of the second-largest city in California? That’s exactly where my guest this week, seed grower and farmer Brijette Peña, […]
Ornamental grasses are eye-catching, low-maintenance additions to home landscapes that offer color, texture and seasonal interest, but they continue to be underutilized. To share the many benefits of growing and using ornamental grasses, my guest this week is horticulturist, lifelong gardener and author Brie Arthur. Brie has written two books on gardening, “The Foodscape […]
Ornamental grasses are now common sights at nurseries and garden centers, but that hasn’t always been the case. One of the earliest advocates of incorporating native and ornamental grasses and grass-like plants into American gardens was horticulturist and landscape designer John Greenlee — a well-known and respected expert in grass ecology known as the “Grassman” […]
To help you get started on a fall vegetable garden, I am sharing my 10 favorite easy-to-grow cool-season crops. Beyond the summer crops that we so often associate with an edible garden — tomatoes, squash, corn, green beans — there’s a whole other world out there that doesn’t get started until things cool down. Plant […]
What is succession planting? Succession planting is how gardeners make the most of limited space and extend their growing season beyond what’s considered typical of a region. To speak to this topic, I invited succession planting expert Meg Cowden of the blog Seed to Fork on the podcast for a previous episode, and I am […]
The anticipation and excitement that come from sowing seeds for a favorite flower or vegetable can lead to disappointment weeks later when many, if not all, of those seeds have failed to germinate. While many factors affect germination — from the age and quality of the seed to the depth of planting — the most […]
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, […]
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 […]
Last year, I shared a podcast series devoted to starting seeds indoors. It has been incredibly popular as more and more gardeners develop an excitement for this aspect of gardening. In fact this year, I’ve been hearing from even more of you who are starting seeds for the first time or who missed this series […]
Why buy organic seeds? How much do you even think about the seeds you buy? Did you know that most seeds are grown with a lot of chemicals? You may never have considered the differences between non-organic and organic seed, but after this podcast episode, I predict you won’t look at seeds the same way […]
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 […]
We all love bringing new flowers, trees and shrubs home from the garden center. These plants add color, texture or flavor to our landscape – sometimes all of the above. Unfortunately, they leave a less desirable legacy too – a pile of empty plastic nursery pots and trays. You might say this is the darkest […]
More often than not, those new plants we pick up at nurseries or home improvement centers are in a plastic pot. As responsible gardeners, we all hate to simply throw those pots away and add them to the landfill. Most of those pots are made of recyclable plastic, but if you’ve watched a related episode […]
In this podcast, I explore succession planting techniques with my guest, Meg Cowden. Meg and her husband are well-versed in the art of succession planting. Living in southern Minnesota, on the outskirts of Minneapolis, they garden in USDA Hardiness Zone 4B. While many gardeners in a Zone 4 environment see their season as Memorial Day through […]
Welcome to Part Three of Starting Seeds Indoors: The Non-Negotiables for Success series. Hopefully, you have already enjoyed Part One and Part Two , during which we spoke with Craig LeHoullier to learn the seed-starting techniques he has developed during the past 20-plus years. Parts One and Two provided lots of basic (and in-depth) information on seed […]
In this podcast, we continue our seed starting discussion with guest Craig LeHoullier. In Part One of the Starting Seeds Indoors: The Non-Negotiables for Success series, we brought the seeds from initial planting through germination. We also touched on how to harden off seedlings as well as methods for providing moisture and light. At this point […]
Have you considered starting plants like tomatoes, eggplants, lettuce, and herbs from seed but worried that it was too hard and that you would kill them before they even get started? According to Craig LeHoullier, a frequent podcast guest, and joe gardener® blog team contributor, you’re not alone; but don’t let this hold you back […]
Even in ideal conditions, I believe there are five key steps when it comes time to plant trees and shrubs. Follow these, and you can virtually ensure that whatever you are putting in the ground will have the best chance for long-term success. While you can plant trees and shrubs any time of year, fall […]
Knowing what to plant in a fall vegetable garden will open your eyes to a whole new world and extend your edible gardening season for many weeks or longer. Some varieties even get better after exposure to a few frosty nights. I’ve had great success buying and planting cool-season vegetable seedlings in early […]
Several years ago, I was challenged to offer my top money saving garden tips. At the time, the economy was down and a lot of people started growing their own food to try and save on their grocery bill. Unfortunately, a lot of that was often spent gearing up, negating any savings they could have […]
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 […]
As a guy who is always looking for ways to save time in the garden (without cutting corners), I’ve developed a short list of favorite tools over the years that are my go-to options season after season. The planting board is one such tool I can’t live without. Think of the planting board as a […]
Understanding plant propagation basics will equip any backyard gardener or a weekend warrior with the skills they need to confidently take on the exciting and rewarding activity of making more plants for free. The following information has been provided by our podcast guest for this episode, Brie Arthur. Brie’s extensive experience as […]
With a little luck and good timing, sometimes simply sticking a tree in the ground and walking away can be enough for it to survive. But knowing how to plant a tree the right way, will ensure success every time. In my book, there are seven steps for planting success which I share below. Suffice […]
Over the years, I’ve learned a thing or two about what makes a garden look good not only throughout the year but from one year to the next. In fact, I’ve distilled it down to five steps to your best garden ever. And why what you do now matters most for getting there. Get the […]
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