Flower Power Garden Hour

Joe Lamp’l – from “Joe Gardener” fame – is America’s gardener.  Given that his public television show Growing a Greener World is shown in 38 countries, Joe is more appropriately the WORLD’s gardener.  He has an illustrious, long career spanning television, print, podcasting, and video content.  Above all, Joe is an educator – his gardening passion is infectious, and his communication ability to make challenging concepts simple is a strength.  He has taken this to the masses in his Online Gardening Academy, offering a growing (pun intended) curriculum of classes available to the public at affordable prices.  In this episode, we cover a range of topics, but our focus is on raised beds – from the “why” to the “how”.  Joe’s content can be found at: Podcast: joegardener.com/podcasts,  Apple Podcasts,  Spotify Videos: joegardener.com/videos,  YouTube Blog:  joegardener.com/blog Growing a Greener World PBS show: growingagreenerworld.com Lastest Book: The Vegetable Gardening Book   Joe’s Online Gardening Academy (

Water-wise gardening is more important than ever in the west, and part of this includes irrigating properly. Don Smith, Water Management Coordinator for the City of Folsom, joins me to discuss everything irrigation. He covers which sprinklers are best if you do have a lawn, how to lay out your drip irrigation for optimal coverage, and are “smart” controllers worth it? Plus, he reviews how to convert a PVC system to a drip system, and how to know how long to run your irrigation. More water conservation information can be found at: Website: ca.us/government/environmental-water-resources/water/water-conservation   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

Brad Gates, owner of Wild Boar Farms,  joins me again to discuss problems gardeners may be encountering with their tomatoes. We also discuss the process that goes into him finding the next new variety… some are by chance, others are by purposeful breeding. Plus, he let’s us in on the new varieties to be released in the near future. Brad and Wild Boar Farms can be found at: Instagram: @wildboarfarms Facebook: @wild boar farms YouTube: @brad gates Website: wildboarfarms.com   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

Sadly fire is becoming a way of life in California and the greater west. It’s important to maintain a healthy landscape for wildlife habitat, but there are key tasks homeowners can do to mitigate fire danger. I talk to Master Gardener education specialist, Kevin Marini, all about fire-wise landscaping. Learn about the different zones around your house and how to plant and maintain them. Learn what planting in islands means and the “safest” mulch for your plants. Further fire-wise landscape information can be found at: Website: ucanr.org   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

Over 80% of plants need pollinators to reproduce -- this includes a majority of crops humans eat. To say that pollinators are important is an understatement. The founder and CEO of the non-profit Pollinator Posse, Tora Rocha, joins me to discuss what we can do on our part. She gives tips on how to create a pollinator friendly garden, plants that are both food and host plants, and how to create a Monarch habitat. We learn how many native California bee species there are…. it’s a lot. Tora can be found at: Instagram: @pollinatorposse & @toranado12 Facebook: @Pollinator Posse Website: pollinatorposse.org Website: xerces.org   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

5 foot tall pepper plants? Yes, your peppers can get this large. Chad Iman, owner of Sky High Scoville Pepper Farm breaks down step by step how to grow the best most productive peppers possible. He shares his secret recipe for seed starting mix, transplant techniques and how to overwinter your plants. Plus we talk about the beautiful hot peppers he grows. Chad and Sky High Scoville Pepper Farm can be found at: Instagram: @skyhighscovillepepperfarm Facebook: @ Sky High Scoville Peppers   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

Producing your own honey and having your own bees can be a fun and rewarding backyard hobby. But how do you go about starting -- do you need to buy bees or can you catch your own swarm?  I talk to professional beekeeper, Blake Dacy and backyard hobbyist/host of Good Day Sacramento Tina Macuha all about bees. We discuss how bees go about building a hive, what they require, how to treat for mites and everything in between. Plus -- Blake and Tina share their fun swarm collecting stories.   Blake can be found at: Instagram: @sacramentobeekeeper Facebook: @ BlakeSacramentoBeekeeperDacy Website: sacramentobeekeeper.com   Tina can be found at: Instagram: @tinamacuha   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

Lots of tasks during the hot summer season, including: Plant cabbage, carrots, beets, celery, kale, onion seeds, potatoes, mustards, chard, collards, leeks Deadhead flowers Hose off whiteflies, sticky traps Clean up old fruit on trees, ground Still time to summer prune fruit trees Order fall bulbs Support melons on the ground or on vines Continue to deep water young, newly planted trees Deadhead, cut back mophead hydrangeas   A wide variety of listener questions are addressed, including: How to control Leaf Miners on cucumber What type of milkweed for Monarch butterflies Lawn clippings for mulch? How to get rid of green hornworms Yellowing leaves on mandarins & limes Bubbles from the soil while when watering potted plants Pepper plant with black at the base of stems Do sunflowers stunt the growth of surrounding 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

Who doesn’t love flowers, and they are even better when you can pick and make a bouquet out of them. I talk with the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden’s horticulturalist, Wyatt Emig, about his process of growing flowers. He shares his must have seed trays, soil conditioning tips and favorite flowers to grow. Wyatt can found at: Website:  gardenbythesea.org Instagram:  @wyatt.emig Instagram: @mendocinocoastbotanicalgardens Facebook:  @MendocinoCoastBotanicalGardens   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 great garden starts with healthy soil. But what exactly is “healthy” soil, how do you achieve this and what is soil really. Robert Pavlis, author of “Soil Science for Gardeners” and of “Garden Myths” fame joins me once again to talk everything soil. We discuss micronutrients versus macronutrients, can you add sand to clay soils, how to test your soil for texture and a lot more. Robert can found at: Websites:  Gardenfundamentals.com Gardenmyths.com Facebook: @gardenfundamentals YouTube:  Gardenfundamentals1 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

We all know the importance of trees… oxygen, shade, habitat, food, beauty and more. And we all know they can live centuries beyond us. But they can also have difficulties growing in urban settings. I talk to consulting arborist, John Lichter, on what you can do to ensure that your trees are healthy and vibrant in your lifetime as well as for future generations. We discuss how to properly water both young and established trees, what to look out for in diseased trees and where you can find the best tree selection for your yard.   John can be found at: Website:  treeassociates.net   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

July gardening is actually one of the less busy months in terms of number and volume of tasks.  There is a lot of maintenance, but no major, backbreaking work. We combine the July list on this episode with a deep dive into listener Q&A – with a focus on tomatoes.  If you have questions or need advice on tomato growing, this is a must listen.     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

Melinda Price waited years to fulfill her dream of being a farmer. And once she bought her historic farm in Northern California -- the work was only just beginning. Thinking outside the box, she and her partner Simon decided they would try their hand in saffron... the most expense herb on the market. Fast forward 5 years and Peace and Plenty Farm is a thriving organic oasis and so much more than just saffron.   Check out Peace and Plenty Farm at the sites below.  Also, the farm has a GoFundMe page to help with the goal of restoring a historic barn which lies on the site.  They would love to be able to restore it to a safe condition via an old fashioned barn raising.  Check out the link below if you would like to help.   Barn Restoration GoFundMe:  gofund.me/dabba524 Instagram: @peaceandplentyfarmer Facebook:  peaceplentyfarm Website:  http://peaceplentyfarm.com   To ask questions for future shows, submit them at: Facebook Instagram email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com Find Marlene over on YouTube,

This episode is the garden To Do list for the month of June.  Summer suddenly feels like it is in full swing, with a rapid to transition to HOT weather.  Time to get your garden tasks done early in the morning.  Vegetables to plant: Tomatoes Eggplant Peppers Squash Watermelon Zucchini Corn Beans Cucumbers Melons Okra Pumpkins Watermelon Swiss Chard   Garden tasks: Shade peppers Pinch off basil flowers, dead head flowers Compost Mulch Deep water trees Remove stakes from trees and re-stake Paint fruit trees Thin fruit trees Monitor for pests, use kaolin clay diatomaceous earth Cage tomatoes, peppers Control weeds so they don’t go to seed Be patient with fruit set….or hand pollinate   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

California is a big state with many different climates, so it can be a bit daunting when you hear “plant California natives”.  Yes, it’s a great idea to plant natives for native pollinators, birds, insects etc… but how do you know you are doing it correct?  Luckily, Patricia Carpenter and Pat Dressendorfer have all the answers. These two lifelong gardeners have just finished a 5 season--  yes, 5 season -- write up for Pacific Horticulture on all things California natives. They talk with me about which are their favorite sun and shade natives, how to water and other tips and tricks. Check out Patricia and Pat’s work: Pacific Horticulture California Native Plant 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

Every gardener can tell when earthworms have “worked” their soil. The soil is more pliable and everything grows so much better. Why is this the case?  Earthworm castings are full of nutrients and microbes which are beneficial for a healthy soil and garden. I talk with Luke Arthur -- founder and CEO of Simple Grow, an organic producer of earthworm castings -- about how beneficial earthworm castings are, what exactly is in them, why it is a safer way of fertilizing and how even your houseplants will benefit. Luke and Simple Grow can be found at: Website:  simplegrow.com Instagram:  @simplegrowsoil Facebook:  @simplegrow Youtube:  Simple Grow – Worm Castings   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

This episode is the garden To Do list for the month of May.  It has been unseasonably cool, but nights are not getting TOO cold.  Lot’s of planting and garden prep this month. Vegetables to plant: Tomatoes Eggplant Peppers Zucchini Corn Beans Cucumbers Melons Okra Pumpkins Watermelon Swiss Chard   Flowers to plant: Zinnias Cosmos Sunflowers Dahlias   Garden tasks: Mulch Stake tomatoes Cut flowers off rhubarb Divide/transplant cymbidiums Thin stone fruit Paint fruit tree trunks Prune once flowering plants Remove suckers from roses Hose blast aphids Diatomaceous earth Fertilize citrus   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

Don Shor, owner of Redwood Barn Nursery and overall plant expert, is back again! This time we go through your favorite summer veggies and he gives his tips and tricks. When you should plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants… his favorite go-to varieties… how you should work your soil and do you really need to prune your tomatoes? Don can be found at: Website: com Instagram: redwoodbarnnursery & shor Facebook: Redwood Barn Nursery   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

This episode is the garden To Do list for the month of April.  The time change has come and gone, so there is plenty of light to work later into the evening.  Days are definitely getting warmer, although there are some sporadic cold nights.  Planting: Tomatoes – April 15th at the earliest Direct sow corn At the end of April -- Squash, cucumbers, eggplant, beets, radish, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes All perennials Direct sow zinnias, sunflowers Summer bulbs, dahlias, gladiolus Fertilize citrus Compost Check irrigation Paint fruit tree trunks Prune camellias, quince, forsythia, etc Smother weeds Monitor for pests 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

A wide range of topics addressing questions submitted by listeners.  Including: How to care for a Dracontium polyphyllum Lantana – pruning advice Tomato seeds – recommendations about growing in small containers Safe edging options for vegetable gardens – metal, bender board, pressure treated, composite Jade – how to help a drooping plant Lime tree – how and what to transplant into 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