Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries

We start the episode reflecting on invasive anger between neighbors and the analogy of the territorial behavior of the North American Robin crashing into windows, fighting their reflection out of fear. And ways to resolve it.  Then chat about the Asian species of Wisteria, invasive in the US, and a native alternative, plus ways to encourage blooming and manage their size.  Then we wrap up with a r...

While it grows rampant in the wild, Virginia Creeper is native, therefore not considered invasive, and is valued as an ornamental plant. And, like its look-alike Poison Ivy, Virginia Creeper is loved by wildlife.  In this episode, I share my big sister's "I dare you" challenge as a child and a fun review of how to tell the difference between Virginia Creeper and Poison Ivy. We wrap...

In this episode, I share a story of an inundation of Mile-a-Minute Weed in Sarah's garden that turns into a garden filled with Deer Resistant Butterfly Plants.  We chat about safe ways to get rid of Mile-a-Minute Weeds and a delicious lineup of host and nectar plants to attract butterflies that you'll adore too. Related Stories and Helpful Links  Mile-a-Minute Weed Remedies Deer Resistan...

Rejuvenation Pruning Lifts Hearts, including mine, as I joined a lifelong friend and her grown sons to rejuvenate overgrown shrubs and renew their gardens.  We discuss how early spring is an ideal time to rejuvenate and prune Andromeda, Rhododendrons, Butterfly Bush, Spirea, and Cinquefoil. And, of course, how to.  And wrap up with a heartfelt story about how Michele's husband loved working w...

In this episode, we chat about how we sometimes feel off-kilter. While we relish the glory and wisdom of nature and our gardens, we waver, getting lost and overwhelmed by busyness and stress. By living in nature's cadence, we find peace and joy. The story leads to Carpenter Bees, essential pollinators that can wreak havoc. We share kind ways to deter them from doing damage and how a lone carp...

In this episode, we embrace Spring Unfolding. We share sights and sounds while on an early spring walk with Jolee. The patterns are so familiar from year to year. See yourself in all that you encounter— people, plants, even those we call pests. We are all one. And happiness is part of the oneness you're here to enjoy. Related Stories and Helpful Links  Spring Unfolding is Happiness   No Mow M...

In this episode, we chat about No Mow May is growing momentum. Forgoing cutting your lawn helps early pollinators, plus other benefits. Then there's the misnomer that lime kills moss in lawns. (But why would you want to?) Bringing to mind the to lime or not to lime- we answer the question. Related Stories and Helpful Links  No Mow May helps Pollinators   Lime or Not to Lime Lawns Clover Lawn...

In this episode, we chat about what makes a Successional Forest – a natural process of recovery of land impacted by a fire, logging, or farming returning to an ecologically balanced state through a succession of stages over time - given no other manufactured or natural setbacks. And describe the succession of trees at Lodestar Park in Fredon, NJ, once a farm field.  I share a bit about how Comfort...

Last week's Antics of Meadow Wildlife (Ep 100) leads to preparing and planting a meadow, often called a wildflower garden or prairie. Dennis Briede shares how the Land Conservancy is converting a field inundated with Mugwort into a Meadow. My interview with Dennis leads to a fantastic surprise – the mating dance of the American Woodcock. You'll enjoy the interview and the sounds of this...

We celebrate the 100th Episode with my birder buddy Dennis Briede's meadow in Blairstown, NJ, leading to learning about how meadows wish to be forests and the antics of meadow wildlife you'll enjoy. Thank you, kind listeners and fellow lovers of all things green, for joining me each week and being part of our community, helping to nurture nature and our garden of life.  Related Stories ...

The Wonders of Witch Hazel brightens the dormant landscape and has mysterious methods of pollinating and dispersing seeds. Plus, they are easy to grow! We chat about popular Witch Hazel hybrids, but it's the native Common or North American Witch Hazel that makes the popular astringent. And it serves as a tool for Water-Witching to detect underground water.  Related Stories & Helpful Links...

Snowdrops and Winter Aconite bloomed early this year, leading to a chat about the folklore of the winter flowers. Snowdrops, known as Candlemas Bells, are featured on Candlemas Day, representing Jesus bringing hope to the world.  We share a history of Candlemas Day, celebrated on February 2nd, along with Ground Hog Day, a holiday representing repetitiveness since the movie Groundhog Day became fam...

Helping a lifelong friend create a more sustainable backyard by removing the turf and putting in a groundcover alternative and native plants to nurture nature leads to a friendly banter about the Etiquette of Pilfering Rocks from the wilderness.  We chat about the growing trend of stacked stones in parks and parks, also called cairns, causing a littering problem. And the fascinating inuksuks featu...

A fence installed by upset neighbors leads to a story about "Forcing" Forsythia to Bloom Indoors while Propagating new Forsythia Plants in hopes of mending fences.  We chat about the steps to Encourage Forsythia to bloom indoors (some call it Forcing Forsythia, but encouraging sounds gentler) and how and when to plant your new plant babies.  The sunny yellow flowers of Forsythia are the...

In this episode, we chat about Designing Container Gardens (including using vegetables) and the Impact of Color on emotions that also pertains to Designing Gardens.  We then discuss the Components of Structure (the Thriller, Filler, and Spiller) inspired by a talk given by Bruce Crawford, Manager of Horticulture at the Morris County Park Commission. And wrap up with the other elements of plants an...

In this episode, we chat about Starting an Organic Garden beginning with soil testing from your extension office. And we share fun DIY Home Tests for Contaminants and Soil pH you can do. Then we review the creative ways to build raised beds as a workaround if you are concerned about your soil.  Link to Related Stories:      *** Starting an Organic Garden Vegetable Gardening Basics and Starting a N...

In this episode, we reflect on how the Gardening Seasons relate to the Cycles in Our Garden of Life. And we chat about natural ways to nurture our gardens, such as Three Sisters Gardening and No-Till Gardening, rather than the dependency on unnatural chemicals that hinder our dear earth.    Link to Related Stories: Cycles in our Garden of Life   Three Sisters Gardening No-Till Gardening and Starti...

This week's episode is about the secret life of pinecones and cones- the fascinating fruits of conifers. We chat about the ingenious design of the encasement of woody cones and how they pollinate and protect seeds.  Then wrap up with a reflection on native Rhododendrons ( Rhododendron maximum ) we came upon on our way to Blue Mountain Lake, part of the Delaware Water Gap Recreational Area.  A...

Snow Geese and Canadian Geese are glorious to many but pests to some. In this episode, we reflect on the Miracle on the Hudson River and lessons of acceptance.   Link to Related Stories: Snow Geese Teach Acceptance It Wants to Fly Swarming Common Grackles  Link to All About Birds for more about Snow Geese Song of the North Wind : A Story of the Snow Goose      *** I'd love to hear about your...

Mother Nature and Mother Earth make many magnificent sounds. And the healing sounds of nature improve health and well-being, even in the winter. I came upon a Pileated Woodpecker on New Year's Day, a marvelous yet mischievous bird.    This episode includes a reflection on an analogy of healing sounds to kaleidoscopes – remember them as kids?  And we are inspired to become astute observers, ju...

There is much wisdom in the rhythm of the water. In this episode, we talk about the cycles of water, including the fascination of ice crystals decorating windows like etchings of intricate art.   Then there's Dr. Masaru Emoto's work published in, The Hidden Messages in Water (2004),  where he explains how loving words of gratitude turned into exquisite crystals. While threatening phrases...

Trees are connected and need each other to survive, just like people need each other, as do plants and animals. And there are insights we can learn from the interdependence of trees. While what is happening in the world seems overwhelming. Our community will thrive if we treat our neighbors as ourselves, sharing love and compassion, like trees left standing in a forest, counting on and helping eac...

In this episode, we chat about Umbrella Pine, a living fossil dating back to when dinosaurs walked our world. The same is true of Ginkgo biloba, which we spoke about in episode 85. There's a lesson in their endurance: The gentle outlasts the strong, referring to the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, an ancient philosophy to live our true peaceful nature in the rhythm of nature.    Link to Related S...

In this week's episode, we chat about B & B versus the benefits of Container-Grown trees that limit transplant shock. But sometimes B and B's are disguised as a container plant. A lesson I learned in a sad way. Then tending to the outside holiday decorating turned the sadness into laughs and happy tears as we decorated Ellie's memorial tree – a replacement one as the Blue Spruce...

Peter Crane's book Ginkgo: The Tree that Time Forgot is a fascinating biography of the living fossil– a tree that survived the horror of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. With its resilience comes great lessons of enduring hope for peace.  (I met Peter when he spoke at a Woody Plant Conference held at the Scott Arboretum in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, where magnificent ginkgo espaliers and trees co...