The Garden Mixer

Following up on the very successful Episode 32 with Steph Green of Contained Creations, we explore fall containers with her (7:35) after getting you primed for filling them with the Plant of the Week, the Pansy! Special live concert with Rusty Gear (41:42) is a bonus!

This week, writer and gardener Marianne Willburn joined me on the pod. She is a monthly columnist for the American Gardener Magazine , as well as a writer for Garden Rant . You can also find her personal blogs here . We talk about all things plant marketing, plant sharing, even the native vs. nonnative debate and the oh-so-controversial Lawn. You can also read MY blog here ! I publish a post to go...

I visited Peggy Cornett, and lots of cicadas, hence the ambient noise, at The Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants at Tufton Farm, about two miles from Monticello. We chat about plants that Jefferson grew or otherwise historic plants, including the interesting annual Euphorbia marginata, or Snow on the Mountain. Since that sounds like a country song, it is, but from Australia, where it does...

This week I visit Dean Norton, Director of Horticulture at George Washington's Mount Vernon (@ 5:47) and recommend Andrea Wulf's 'Founding Gardeners' in The Play List. The Plant of the Week really has nothing at all to do with the General, I cannot tell a lie, but it is a versatile and useful plant that I am propagating the heck out of these days, in order to improve my garden once the dog days wa...

The Dahlia is the showy strumpet of the late season border, and she is a high maintenance diva that is so attractive she is worth all of the effort. We learn the ins and outs of growing the Dahlia from spring planting to lifting and dividing. Did you know that there are 17 different flower forms? Other topics include English Ivy and how I loathe it, late season pruning on low and crazy branches, a...

Traveling Garden Correspondent Leslie Harris is in hot and humid Hilton Head, South Carolina, picking apart why her mother-in-law's garden looks so darned good right now. Garden writer Scott Beuerlein of Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Horticulture Magazine and Garden Rant fame joins me on some other August ideas. Fall is coming, but let us indulge in a bit of self-pity, day dreaming, and pla...

I follow through on last week's threat of choosing the plant species named after a venereal disease as the Plant of the Week (Lobelia siphilitica) and Bunny Williams and I chat about gardens, garden design, HER garden, which is spectacular, and her garden book, On Garden Style at 5:55. The Play List includes info on spider mites, flagging annuals, and the possibility of an organic lawn. 

When in Maine... you go see the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and chat with Andy Brand (5:17) about how wonderful they are! The Plant of the Week is a the state flower of Maine, but here's the catch: it's not a flower. The Play List includes some timely veg transplant and seed starting information, none of which I will take advantage of, but you can! And Rusty Gear, who provides my into music, h...

Mountain Mint is a total winner-- edible native deer resistant pollinator that performs as well in sun as in shade. And edible ornamentals are the expertise of Brie the Plant Lady, who tells us all about foodscaping at 5:48. The Play List (25:12) talks about tomato pruning, the difference between purslane and spurge, and the Temptations, and I,  Wish it Would Rain.

The Plant of the week is another native, and a classic stalwart in the summer border, the Phlox paniculata. I chat with sister Sue Ann  at 5:34 about how to get your garden ready to party, and give you a few garden chores in The Play List at 26:18, and I recommend 99% Invisible, which is a captivating podcast based on design, architecture, culture and history. 

The Plant of the Week is the coneflower-- a great American native that blooms for months in summer. We chat with Steph Green of Contained Creations (7:13) about having gorgeous containers, and turn to pests in the garden (32:45) and whatever can we do about bunnies and Japanese beetles? 

Plant of the Week is Persicaria (00:40); good info from recent gardening podcasts such at ticks from Tom Christopher's Growing Greener (5:02), Nature and Gardening from Margaret Roach's A Way to Garden (9:49); and the Joe Gardener Show's discussion National Gardening Association's Annual Survey (14:18). I also touch on why we use Latin in gardening and some timely gardening tips. Into the Gar...

Icky things (a worm and a snake) I posted on Instagram; Plant of the Week is Monarda, and the interview (at 7:21 is with Christy Wilhelmi of Gardenerd Tip of the Week podcast and website. Christy is a California small space organic gardening guru! The Play List (26:15) includes questions on ivy on trees, Magnolia leaves, and lots of information on proper watering techniques. And what to listen to?...

We have the famous Chicken Lady, Lisa Steele of Fresh Eggs Daily, to try to talk me into having them in the garden. The Plant of the Week is Lavender and there are tips on nasty garden things like poison ivy and mosquitos in The Play List Time Stamps: 0:00 Intro and Plant of Week/5:08 interview/22:29 The Play List

Today, I sit down with Matt Berry of Dos Amigos Landscaping to learn more about hardscaping. The playlist includes a VA anthem and food for flowers!  Time Stamps:  0:00 Intro / 2:49 Plant of the Week /5:09 Guest / 23:03 Playlist

This week, I chat with Chris Jones, assistant grounds superintendent at Pinehurst Resort, about landscaping and the longleaf pine! Timestamps Intro 0:00 / Plant of the Week 2:10 / Guest 4:29 / Playlist 19:56 Notes: Cicadas: https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/interactive/2021/cicadas-lifecycle-brood-x/ My article: https://www.finegardening.com/article/how-to-prune-garden-perennials-in-summer&nb...

This week, Jenny Hopkins of Big Arms Farm clues me in on the cut-flower farm operation, with tips for the flower-loving home gardener as well! Time Stamps Intro 0:00 / Plant of the Week 4:32 / Guest 7:04 / Playlist 23:55

This week, I sit down with Doug Tallamy—entomologist, author, and the oak tree's biggest advocate! Time Stamps: Intro 0:00 / Plant of the Week 3:35 / Guest 5:25 / Playlist 23:59

This week, I talk tender annuals and my lovely sister Sue Ann joins me to discuss container planting.  Time Stamps: Intro 0:00 / Plant of the Week 2:40 / Guest 6:30 / Playlist 24:20 

In keeping with our veggie theme, our plant of the week is okra! Diane Burns, head gardener at Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyards, joins us to discuss the ins and outs of vegetable gardening. Tune in for a yummy Beach Boys track.  Timestamps: Intro 0:00 / Plant of the Week 3:40 / Guest 5:38 / Playlist 7:21

Our plant of the week is pinxterbloom, an azalea native to Eastern North America. This week, the tables have turned: my friend Susan Terwilliger interviews me about my garden! Tune in for some garden-friendly audible recs.  Timestamps: Intro 0:00 / Plant of the Week 4:47 / Interview 6:40 / Playlist 21:50

My little sister Sue Ann Kane joins me to talk about starting a garden from scratch. Our plant of the week is the fringe tree: what song could be more fitting than "Surrey with the Fringe (tree) on Top"? Timestamps:  Intro 0:00 / Plant of the Week 2:26 / Guest 4:54 / Playlist 20:08

The plant of the week is the Pacific NW native, Camassia! I’m joined by Rod and Maggie Walker from Blue Ridge PRISM. Need something to listen to while playing in your garden? I recommend “Poison Ivy” by The Coasters. 0:00 intro / 2:43 plant of the week / 5:32 interview / 22:00 playlist

The plant of the week is the boxwood! Today we are talking with Michael Abbott of Bartlett Tree Experts. When I look at my garden this time of year I'm reminded of a line of a song, Chasing Cars.  0:00 intro & corrections / 3:05 plant of the week / 6:15 interview / 25:26 playlist

This week’s Plant of the Week is the Ilex verticillata, or Winterberry. Carol Carter talks to us about Native Plants and their importance in nature and in our gardening. The Playlist includes information about bulb fertilization, soil compaction and a quick list of Hydrangea pruning basics. This week's listening recommendation is the Gardeners’ Question Time Podcast produced by the BBC.