Podcast

September 4, 2019 The Must Go Container, Henry Wise, George London, Alfred Rehder, Isabella Preston, Willa Cather, Geoffrey Hill, Gardener’s Guide to Compact Plants by Jessica Walliser, Ordering Spring Bulbs, Charles Joseph Sauriol, and Plants Growing Together

I had to chuckle the other day as I was putting together my fall containers. The first thing I do when I transition from one season to another is determining which plants are salvageable – the ones that have enough gas to go another season. One of my pots ended up being a bit of a jumble. I call it my “Must Go” Container in honor of my husband’s Great Aunt Lena. Here’s the backstory: Great Aunt Lena would babysit…

September 3, 2019 Spring Bulbs for Pollinators, George Thorndike, Sara Allen Plummer Lemmon, George Vanderbilt, Biltmore, John Updike, September, Gardening with Conifers by Adrian Bloom, a Space to Cure Garlic, and Ringo Starr

Have you ordered your spring bulbs yet? Here’s a new perspective on planting spring bulbs – they’re essential resources for pollinators. Most gardeners think about spring-flowering bulbs in terms of color – which is something we desperately need after a long winter. But spring-flowering bulbs are valuable for another reason: they’re an early source of nectar for pollinators. Think about planting these spring bulbs this October to help out bumblebees, native bees, and other pollinators in the early days of…

August 30, 2019 Removing Sick or Injured Plants, Lancelot Brown or Capability, Agoston Haraszthy, Deer-Resistant Design by Karen Chapman, Installing more Paths, and the First Tulips

Now is the perfect time to play doctor in the garden. Look for the sick or injured. Look for plants that haven’t thrived, plants with a disease, and plants riddled with pests. You don’t want to leave any diseased plants in your garden over the winter. If you can do only one fall garden chore, taking out the sick and infirm is what you want to do. All these babies get dug up and escorted out of my garden. Generally,…

August 29, 2019 Remaking Containers, The Botanists Patrick Browne, Rudolf Geschwind and the Countess of Roses, Christina Rossetti, Colors from Nature by Bobbi McRae, Redesigning with Hostas, and Ingrid Bergman in Cactus Flower

Well, it’s time to get serious about remaking our containers – especially on the front porch and around the front door. Editing containers from time to time is essential to keep them looking great. Sometimes combinations don’t work well; other times, plants can grow in unexpected ways – too tall, too bushy, or just an abject failure. With the arrival of fall, it’s the perfect time to remove spent plants and replace them with selections that are more seasonally appropriate.…

August 28, 2019 Dividing Perennials, Aimee Bonpland, John James DuFour, Charles Christopher Parry, Roger Tory Peterson, Celia Laighton Thaxter, Midwest Foraging by Lisa M. Rose, Sow Winter Salad and the Tomatina Festival

This past week, I started looking for perennials I want to divide. After the hail storm and siding installation we had earlier this month, I don’t feel too bad about digging up the plants. The garden looks tough. Might as well dig up old plants. I always start with my hostas – in part, because they recover so quickly. Next spring, you’ll never know that they were transplanted this fall. In addition, they, like the ferns, are used as great…