Flower Power Garden Hour

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

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