Growing Greener

Fruit grower and author Michael Phillips discusses an approach to maintaining an orchard that involves enhancing the ecology rather than a reliance on synthetic pesticides

Horticulturist Krissy Boys describes her project to create a biodiverse "native lawn" at the Cornell University Botanic Gardens

Native plants expert Gregg Tepper discusses the new book he has co-authored with Ruth Rogers, Deer-Resistant Native Plants for the Northeast , and lays out strategies for co-existing with these voracious herbivores

Todd Forrest, vice president of horticulture and living collections at the New York Botanical Garden describes the 50-acre first growth forest flourishing in the Bronx and the lessons it can teach us about gardening and ecological restoration

Tom Coward, head gardener at Gravetye Manor, details the legacy of the garden's founder, William Robinson, the Irishman who revolutionized English gardening in the 19th century.

Dr. Douglas Tallamy, author of best-selling  Bringing Nature Home and  Nature's Best Hope , discusses a new on-line initiative, Homegrown National Park

Marc Wolf, executive director of the Mountain Top Arboretum, escorts us through its stunning native habitats, homegrown education center, and ecological gardens 

Author and garden designer Ellen Ecker Ogden shares her book, The New Heirloom Garden , and details the environmental and culinary advantages of heirloom vegetables and fruits

Mary Menniti describes her program to recognize and document the wonderful, resource-efficient and eco-friendly gardens of the Italian-American immigrant community.

Chris Wiesinger of The Southern Bulb Company describes his adventures in exploring the back roads and rural homesteads of Texas in pursuit of regionally adapted, heirloom flower bulbs.

Author and horticulturist Kelly D. Norris discusses his brand new book,  New Naturalism: Designing and Planting a Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden

Sculptor Dan Snow shares the process by which he creates structures both practical and fantastic with stone, building without the use of mortar and commonly with materials collected from the landscape.

Kathleen Groll Connolly of, noted creator of native landscapes, details natural, herbicide-free techniques she uses to clear a site of invasive species and prepare it for replanting

Carrie Brown-Lima, Director of the New York Invasive Species Research Institute, discusses the evolving threat from invasive plant and animal species, and how they are reacting to a changing climate

"Sustainable" gardening is not enough, according to landscape designer Trevor Smith, past president of the Ecological Landscape Alliance.  Trevor's goal is to restore the landscape to full health with his "regenerative landscaping."

Distinguished horticulturist and in-demand speaker Wambui Ippolito discusses her experience as an East African immigrant in American gardening, and the special gifts that immigrants can and have brought to the re-invention of the American landscape

Distinguished horticulturist and author Robert Kourik shares his research on the benefits – and potential liabilities – of garden mulches, with tips on how to use this garden stand-by most effectively.

Dr. Matthew Koski of Clemson University describes his research into the colors of common wildflowers and their response over the last 75 years to changes in the climate and resulting changes to levels of ultraviolet light.  These color changes threaten to affect relationships with pollinators and the flowers' reproductive success.

Distinguished horticulturist Abra Lee shares her research into the stories of her African-American predecessors and how their contributions helped shape the American landscape

Horticulturist and forager Ellen Zachos discusses her book, The Wildcrafted Cocktail , about incorporating the flavors of wild-collected plants into a unique and delicious mixology

Dr. Chantel White of the University of Pennsylvania uses archaeological techniques to identify plants that grew in the garden of pioneering plant collectors John and William Bartram.  Thanks to her work, a long-gone garden is re-emerging into the light.

Panayoti Kelaidis, Senior Curator and Director of Outreach at the Denver Botanic Gardens, discusses his love affair with the rock garden plants of Colorado and how he has traveled the world seeking adapted plants from climatically similar "steppe" regions

Nicholas Geron of Clark University describes his research into the effects of tree cover on urban landscapes, and how economically disadvantaged communities are, due to lack of trees, already experiencing the heat predicted elsewhere for the next generation of global warming.

Dr. Desirée Narango of the University of Massachusetts Amherst describes her research that reveals the essential connection of songbird breeding success with the percentage of native plants in the surrounding landscape.

Dr. Enrique Salmon, a native American of the Raramuri people and professor of ethnic studies at California State University East Bay, discusses his new book,  Iwigara   about the ethnobotanical traditions and science of American Indians