Flower Power Garden Hour

It is the June To Do List, and here in Zone 9 it seems that summer has arrived.  Hot weather is becoming the daily norm, and everything is quickly drying up from a very wet winter.  At this point in the garden a lot of the hard prep work has been done and we now begin summer maintenance mode.    It is time to plant: ·       Perennials, roses, herbs, veggies… beans, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon, melons, okra, chard, eggplant, peppers, pumpkins, squash, watermelon, cucamelons Chores include: ·       Mulch ·       Deadhead roses ·       Rootstock suckers ·       Look for pests ·       Plant flowers   We finish up with a Listener Q&A section.  Topics covered include: ·       Fertilizer for dragon fruit? ·       Anything that can be done to help tomato flowers set fruit? ·       Preparation for removing lawn for a water wise landscape. ·       Large, very old female mulberry tree(s) are being removed by the city of Stockton.  What will the impact be on the remaining male mulberry tre

For centuries people have been harvesting and obtaining oils from plants. From lavender to Frankincense, researchers know that oils are important compounds in plants for many reasons. In this episode I talk to aromatherapy expert, Amy Anthony of NYC Aromatica, all about essential oils and how you can utilize them in your life. We touch upon distilling flowers, which ones you can grow in your garden and her favorites. And find out which flower I tried to distill but failed at miserably!! Links below can be found to NYC Aromatica to learn more. ·       Website:  nycaromatica.com ·       Podcast: Essential Aromatica ·       Instagram:  nycaromatica ·       YouTube:  @nycaromatica ·       Facebook:  @NYC Aromatica ·       LinkedIn:  Amy Anthony   To ask questions for future shows, submit them at: ·       Facebook ·       Instagram ·       email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com   Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

It is the May To Do List, and the here in Zone 9 the winter weather seems to have finally broken.  Warm days have been persistent, but there is still some cool and wet weather.  Lots to do in the garden as we catch up from a long winter and prepare for spring/summer.   It is time to plant: ·       Vegetables:  Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, swiss chard, corn, cucumbers, okra, melons, squash, watermelon   Chores include:        Mulch        Plant everything        Check irrigation/flush lines        Thin stonefruit        Peach leaf curl        Fertilize pots        Transplant succulents        Monitor for pests/prep   We finish up with a Listener Q&A section.  Topics covered include:        Hummingbird moths – what plants attract them?        Camelia tree bush – blooms pink every spring, but quickly drops them.  Suggestions?        Bird of Paradise – how to separate and transplant into smaller pots        Wine barrels – got saturated because there were no holes and water

April is Kid’s Gardening Month! Joining me to talk about resources to help teachers and parents with activities, grants and lesson plants is Em Shipman, Executive Director of KidsGardening.org . And FYI-  a lot of these lessons are great for grownups!  If folks want to contribute to our work, donations are 100% tax deductible. We are able to reach 8 more kids with every dollar donated!  Here is the donation link. Additional useful information discussed in the episode – and links to KidsGardening media – can be found below.  ·       Website:  KidsGardening; Kids Garden Community ·       Instagram:  kidsgardening ·       Twitter: @Kids_Gardening ·       Pintrest: @kidsgardening ·       Facebook:  KidsGardening.org ·       YouTube:  @KidsGardening.org ·       Activities: o   Container Gardening o   Seed Viewer o   Kitchen Scrap Gardening o   Learn about Landfills Lesson Plan   To ask questions for future shows, submit them at: ·       Facebook ·       Instagram ·       email Marlene at marl

It is the April To Do List, and the persistent wet and cold weather is still here in the west.  Nevertheless, we are getting warmer, longer days and spring will soon be in full effect.  We also spend some time reviewing asparagus growing tips, as it is a popular question amongst listeners.   It is time to plant:        Vegetables:  Eggplant, squash, corn, cucumbers, swiss chard, jicama, okra, melons, peppers, sweet potatoes, watermelons        Flowers:  Perennials, dahlias, sunflower seeds   Chores include:        Weed        Prune once flowering shrubs        Mulch        Watch for insects   We finish up with a Listener Q&A section.  Topics covered include:        Rhubarb – growing tips        What kind of trees will grow well in full sun in the Central Valley/Foothills        Red clover – recommendations for using as nitrogen fixer        Cherry tomatoes – advice on early season transplanting to larger containers, and where/how to move outside (especially if cold still)   To ask

Begonias are like potato chips, you can’t stop at one. In this episode I’m talking with Glenn Dickerson, Begonia collections curator at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, about all his tips and tricks to keep their massive collection healthy and thriving. We discuss soil, fertilizer, types of Begonias, problematic Rex varieties and more.  Glenn and some fantastic begonia resources can be found below: American Begonia Society Website: begonias.com Fort Worth Botanic Garden Website:  fwbg.org Fort Worth Botanic Garden Instagram:  fortworthbotanicgarden Glenn Dickerson Instagram:  begoniaking Facebook:  Fort Worth Botanic Garden   To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:        Facebook        Instagram        email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Peach leaf curl, fire blight, citrus issues, and more.  Don Shor, owner of Redwood Barn Nursery and horticulturist extraordinaire, joins me to discuss issues that may arise on your fruit trees this spring and summer.    Don and Redwood Barn Nursery can be found at: Website:  redwoodbarn.com Instagram: redwoodbarnnursery & don.shor Facebook: Redwood Barn Nursery Podcasts:  Davis Garden Show on Apple Podcasts; Jazz After Dark on Apple Podcasts   To ask questions for future shows, submit them at: ·       Facebook ·       Instagram ·       email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com   Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

It is the March To Do List, and we are still in the heart of winter with lots of cold and wet days.  Not just cold and wet – we have had very low elevation snow throughout California…crazy.  Spring looms though, and preparation is paramount.    It is time to plant: ·       Vegetables:  Broccoli, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, chive, collards, swiss chard, kale, lettuce, potatoes, radish ·       Start tomato, eggplant, and (maybe) peppers inside ·       Annual flowers ·       Dahlias & summer bulbs (like gladiolas)   Chores include: ·       Prune roses ·       Check irrigation ·       Transplant actively growing plants ·       Cut back dying foliage of bulbs   We finish up with a Listener Q&A section.  Topics covered include: ·       Can roses be trimmed in Dec/Jan before the budding starts? ·       Tomato questions: o   When is the best time to start planting? o   Is it better to start them in the ground or a container? o   When I plant tomatoes, are there other vegetables (certain peppers?

It is the February To Do List, and we are still in the heart of winter with plenty of cold days.  Spring is around the corner though, and preparation has to get started. It is time to plant: ·       Vegetables:  Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, swiss chard, collards, kale, lettuce, peas, radish ·       Plant bare-root roses, fruit trees   Chores include: ·       Prune roses, fruit trees ·       Start cleaning up garden ·       Start seeds:  Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants inside ·       Divide plants ·       Buy dahlia bulbs, sweet pea seeds   We finish up with a Listener Q&A section.  Topics covered include: ·       Persistent white fly and aphid infestation.  Does all soil in planter boxes need to be replaced to solve this problem? ·       Questions about using chicken manure & alfalfa pellets in the garden:  When & how do they get applied?  Should wood chips be moved before application?  Should organic pellets/manure be used? ·       What is the best way to move a Bird of Paradise? · 

It is the January To Do List, and we are in the rainiest season out wet in a very long time.  Temperatures have moderated a bit, however.  Tough to get out in the garden with this much rain, but there are things that need to be done during the dry periods.  It is time to plant: Bareroot trees, roses, shrubs Radishes Lettuce Onions Bok choy Fava beans Chores include: Protect from frost. Watch weather report for potential frost days Don’t work wet soils --- very important Spray for peach leaf curl and other fungal diseases Can prune fruit trees – but listen to the caveats in the episode We finish up with a Listener Q&A section.  Topics covered include: How much of a dry period is needed to spray liquid copper on fruit trees? Can a rose stem from a bouquet be rooted? What is the process? When to transplant a Little Ollie olive tree from a plastic pot to the ground? When to prune hydrangeas? What is the process for propagating fig tree cuttings? Can a Boston Fern survive in an outdoor enclosed room?   T

We are all familiar with the iconic southern magnolia and possibly even the show stopping saucer magnolia…but there are many more beauties in this genus.  I had the pleasure of talking with Andrew Bunting -- the Vice President of Horticulture at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and author of  “The Plant Lover’s Guide to Magnolias”.  We discuss everything from range of habitat, to care and unique species that can be incorporated into your garden.  Andrew can be found at: Website: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Facebook: @PHSgardening Twitter: @PHSgardening Instagram: @phsgardening YouTube: @PHSgardening LinkedIn: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Magnolia sources: Gossler Farms Nursey Rare Find Nursery Broken Arrow Nursery Cistus Nursey Camelia Forest Nursery Far Reaches Farm   Societies: Magnolia Society International Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Pacific Horticulture   Botanic Gardens and Arboreta: Huntington Botanical Garden San Francisco Botanical Garden Sonoma Botanical Garden Rho

It is the December To Do List, and we are in the middle of winter garden season.  Weather is COLD, and so far it has been relatively wet.  It is time to plant: Asparagus Fava beans Bok choy Broccoli rabe Garlic Kale Loose leaf lettuce Mustard Onion sets Radish Do not plant yet: Bareroot trees Roses Berries Chores include: Protect succulents from water Frost protection Clean up – but leave some debris remaining Spray dormant trees (peach leaf curl) Plant bulbs   We finish up with a Listener Q&A section.  Topics covered include: What are your thoughts on using a moisture meter to determine if plants need water? How often should a yard be watered during the winter? Banana tree – should it be inside or outside during the winter? Putting asparagus plants down for the winter Christmas cactus best practices   To ask questions for future shows, submit them at: Facebook Instagram email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

What is it like to work in the oldest greenhouse conservatory in the US?  I talk to the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers Kristen Natoli (Collections Manager) and Sarah Sawtelle (Engagement Manager) about the ins and outs of this historic collection and building.  With such an amazing collection of plants – where do they source them from?  How do they decide what is kept and what to get rid of?  And of course, we talk about the Giant water lilies, corpse plant and bat flower.  The SF Conservatory of Flowers can be found at: Website: org Instagram: @conservatoryofflowers Twitter: @SFConservatory Facebook: @ConservatoryofFlowers YouTube: @SanFranciscoConservatoryofFlowers To ask questions for future shows, submit them at: Facebook Instagram email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com   Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Compost…this is music to most gardener’s ears.  FREE compost is even better.  Many people think that expensive compost makers, tons of space, and ample time is required – this is NOT the case.  In this episode I welcome back master composter Kevin Marini to discuss everything compost.  Do you know the difference between hot and cold compost, the optimal size and temperature of a pile, and what unusual items can be placed in your compost?  Trust me…..Kevin has heard it all through his composting Rot Line! To ask questions for future shows, submit them at: Facebook Instagram email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com   Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Every gardener – no matter how long you have been gardening – gets excited for the first shoots of spring emerging bulbs.  Bulbs are incredibly easy to grow, and for many they naturalize and multiply year after year, creating a no-fuss flower show.  I talk to bulb expert Peggy Anne Montgomery about growing bulbs and how to incorporate them into your lawn…..yes, your lawn. She has tips on how to dig holes, what to incorporate when planting, how to implement the lasagna method, and which bulbs rodents will avoid.  Peggy Anne and additional information about bulbs can be found at: Website: flowerbulbs.com Instagram: @flowerbulbsdotcom Facebook: @Flowerbulbs.com Pinterest: @Flowerbulbs.com Twitter: @FlowerbulbsCom YouTube: @Flowerbulbs To ask questions for future shows, submit them at: Facebook Instagram email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

It is the November To Do List, and we are in the throes of winter garden prep.  Weather is starting to cool rapidly, and (hopefully) out west we start seeing moisture soon. It is time to plant: Fava beans Bok choy Celery Swiss chard Garlic Kale Kohlrabi Lettuce Mustard Onions Peas Radish Shallots Spinach Perennials (except frost sensitive) Spring blooming bulbs Cover crops: Fava beans, Crimson clover Spring blooming annual seeds: Natives, sweet peas   Chores include: Clean up summer garden Dig up/divide perennials such as: Cannas, agapanthus, grasses Avoid transplanting succulents Order seeds for next year Weed control   We finish up with a Listener Q&A section.  Topics covered include: Is it too late to plant sweet pea seeds? Iris bulbs – okay to plant now, or store for next year? How to divide and plant Elephant Ear, Bird of Paradise, and Banana Tree? Brussel sprouts and Romanesco being predated – what is doing it, and how to prevent? Dieffenbachia – how to transplant? Purple Pony Plum infested wit

Watching birds go about their lives in your garden is one of the many benefits of gardening.  Besides the joy of watching them, they are also busy eating pests and helping to keep a balanced ecosystem.  I talk to bird expert Tammy Poppie about ways to create a healthy, safe and inviting environment for birds.  Tammy and additional information about birding and their interaction with plants can be found at: onthefeeder.com allaboutbirds.org audubon.org/native-plants To ask questions for future shows, submit them at: Facebook Instagram email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Fall is THE time to prep for a wonderful spring/summer garden.  I talk to Andrew Bunting -- Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Vice President of Horticulture -- all about planting bulbs, soil prep, what to plant, what to watch out for and how to create habitats for beneficial insects, bees and birds.  Andrew and resources from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society can be found at: Website: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Facebook: @PHSgardening Twitter: @PHSgardening Instagram: @phsgardening YouTube: @PHSgardening LinkedIn: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society To ask questions for future shows, submit them at: Facebook Instagram email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com   Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

As California and the west continue to suffer the effects of drought, it is more important than ever to be water-wise in the garden.  I talk to Greg Bundesen – Sacramento Water Conservation Supervisor – about what you can do as a homeowner and gardener to use less water but still maintain a green space.  We discuss grey water, mulch, converting sprinklers to drip, and where you find ample water saving information.  Further information can be found at: Sacramento Suburban Water District Be Water Smart To ask questions for future shows, submit them at: Facebook Instagram email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com   Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook