Growing Together: A Gardening Podcast

Don and John start making plans for next summer's garden by going over some of the seed catalogs coming in the mail. Don explains how to store seeds once they arrive, why he prefers starting some plants from seeds instead of buying from a local garden center, what success rates are for growing with seeds and the difference between open-pollinated and hybrid seeds.

A long winter, short spring, hot summer and mild fall created a memorable growing season for area gardeners. In this episode, Don and John talk about the last year for local gardeners, what was learned from challenges and the successes they had.  

While there's no shortage of light and color around the holidays, nothing adds warmth and life to your home quite like a healthy poinsettia.   In this episode, Don and John talk about everyone's favorite holiday plant along with a few others, like Christmas cactus and amaryllis. They add a breath of life to your home during the cold, busy holiday season.

If you have a gardener on your gift list, you can breathe easy. They're easy bunch to buy for. In this episode, Don and John go over some tried and true gifts for any gardener. Plus, they give you some ideas for gardeners with a focus and some thoughts on how to personalize your gift to make it extra special. === "Growing Together: A Gardening Podcast" is a show for gardeners in the upper Midwest...

Winter may be here but you can keep things lively during these frigid months by overwintering your favorite plants. In this episode, Don and John are joined once again by the delightful Mary Holm, host of "Prairie Yard and Garden," to talk about overwintering coleus, clivia, geraniums and more. To learn more about PY&G, visit their website: https://www.pioneer.org/pyg/ === "Growing Together: A Gar...

Nothing warms your home during our frigid holiday season quite like a real Christmas tree ... as long as it's properly cared for. In this episode, Don and John welcome Eric Baker of Baker Garden and Gift of Fargo, N.D. to hear all about choosing, caring for, and, yes, flocking Christmas trees. (Did you know people really like black Christmas trees? We didn't either.) To learn more about Baker Gard...

There's no way to know exactly what will happen this winter's weather, but we can take our best educated guess. In this episode, Don and John are joined by gardener and WDAY Chief Meteorologist John Wheeler, whose guess about the weather is about as educated you can get. He also gives us a recap of this season in his garden and talks indoor growing methods.

Now that our garden beds are sealed up for the winter, it's time to check in our favorite off-season roommates: our houseplants. In this episode, Don and John go over some basic tips for houseplant care, like optimal watering practices and intentional care. Plus, they discuss the importance of giving your houseplants something of a social life. Plants need friends, too. === "Growing Together: A Ga...

Your fellow 'Growing Together' readers and listeners have lots of questions about getting ready for winter, and you likely do, too. In this episode, Don and John rummage around in the ol' Growing Together mailbag to answer questions about snow mold, voles, harvesting carrots and other late autumn tasks. === "Growing Together: A Gardening Podcast" is a show for gardeners in the upper Midwest based...

Did you know pumpkins are a fruit, not a vegetable? And that the jack o'lantern may have sprung from a story about a deal with the devil? In this episode, Don and John embark on the surprising tale of the pumpkin. Pumpkins occupy a unique space in human history and, in some cases, occupy a giant space in our gardens.  

Modern tools like YouTube and podcasts put valuable gardening information right at our fingertips. How could a dusty 90-year-old book still possibly be relevant? In this episode, Don and John crack open "The Complete Book of Gardening Magic" to see how well its advice holds up and share several insights from it. === "Growing Together: A Gardening Podcast" is a show for gardeners in the upper Midwe...

Trees do so much for us. They provide shade, protect us from the wind, give us fruit to eat and give us color in the fall. Trees also have special care needs. In this episode, Don and John discuss some strategies for planting trees in your yard, providing you with a few ideas of what to plant and some guidelines for giving them their best shot. === "Growing Together: A Gardening Podcast" is a show...

With the season winding down, but still fresh in our memory, it's a good time to talk about what worked in our gardens and what didn't meet our expectations. In this episode, Don and John share the triumphs and tribulations they saw in their own gardens this year, from varieties that flourished to strategies that left them thinking "what was I thinking?" It's a healthy exercise that will pay divid...

You might be looking forward to a bounty of harvest produce and the burst of fall colors right now, but don't slow down for winter just yet. In this episode, Don and John go over tasks you should be doing during fall to get everything buttoned up for winter. While you're at it, you can start getting preparted to hit the ground running next spring. === "Growing Together: A Gardening Podcast" is a s...

A garden full of fresh, delicious produce is a vital step toward a great meal, but it isn't the only step. In this episode, Don and John welcome chef Ryan Nitschke to talk about his favorite garden ingredients and ways to prepare your garden's bounty, especially around harvest time. Nitschke has been a chef in Fargo area restaurants for years and has a wide array of food ventures with business par...

A well-tended yard doesn't just look good. It can taste good, too. In this episode, Don and John discuss edible landscaping, the notion that your trees and shrubs can provide a literal feast in addition to being a feast for your eyes. They discuss some popular berry, tree and vine varieties for our climate that might also inspire your next menu item.

When we think of fall color, we're usually talking about trees, but many flowers and ornamental grasses can add their own dash of color to your yard and garden. In this episode, Don and John talk about mums, asters and grasses that can prolong the joy of garden color long after summer begins to fade into autumn. === "Growing Together: A Gardening Podcast" is a show for gardeners in the upper Midwe...

Labor Day is approaching quickly, marking yet another point of transition as we begin to move from summer to fall. In this episode, Don and John take you through a few of the tasks that should be completed around Labor Day, including fertilizing and weeding your lawn and finding an indoor spot for some of your outdoor plants.

The hardest work of the growing season is behind us, and the work that is left comes with delicious returns. In this episode, Don and John talk about harvesting the bounty from your garden, from melons and squash to onions and garlic. They'll tell you when to pick them, how to pick them correctly, and how to store them...with a few tips on how to best enjoy them. === "Growing Together: A Gardening...

Podcast co-host John Lamb's yard and garden, tucked away on a quiet Moorhead street, has a number of eye-catching features, from vigorous hostas to ingenious hanging baskets lining a fence. They all work together to make his yard a great place to be. In this episode, Don visits John's yard to learn a few new things, offer some advice, and awe at the giant arbor vitae that act as a cool breezeway o...

You can see the fruits of Don Kinzler's labors before you even pull into the driveway. A lush, vibrant flower garden greets you as you arrive, and it's just a hint of the many varieties and laden vegetable plants on his property. In this episode, Don and John take a tour through Don's yard and gardens to get Don's prospective on his favorite plants to grow and how he approaches growing his own gar...

Any gardener in the Red River Valley and surrounding region knows the voice of WDAY Chief Meteorologist John Wheeler, who has been providing forecasts and weather insights on air here since 1985. But what's happening in his garden? In this episode, Don and John welcome Wheeler in to tell us about his love of hot peppers, his 'forest' of anise, and the joy of having a quiet place to listen to a bas...

With their eye-popping blossoms that burst just as the summer hits its peak, lilies are the star of the show in one of the busiest times of the season. In this episode, Don and John give you everything you need to know to get started with lilies and climatis, another favorite during the high summer months. For more information on the July 25 NDSU garden tour, visit our website: https://www.inforum...

Lawns are such a common sight in our neighborhoods and in our culture, you might think they're a constant. They aren't, of course. Lawns have a history that leads back to European nobility and a future that is reacting to changes in climate and reflecting new values. In this episode, Don and John spend some time grazing the issue of lawns and give you advice on making yours look its best.

To quote Guy Clark, there's only two things that money can't buy, and that's true love and homegrown tomatoes. We can't help you with the true love part, but in this episode Don and John aim to help you grow better tomatoes in your garden, whether it's dealing with blossom end rot, finding the right time to pinch and prune, or choosing a variety to fit your tastes. === "Growing Together: A Gardeni...