Flower Power Garden Hour

Gardening can be murder... that is what a lot of people who claim to have a brown thumb think. But in this case, I’m discussing murder mystery books and their links to gardening. Author, Marta McDowell, joins me to discuss her new book “Gardening Can Be Murder: How poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers’. We discuss historical detectives who a passion for plants, methods of murder as well as my favorite topic… poisonous plants! Marta’s latest book extensively covers the topic discussed today.  It is called “Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers”  Marta can be found at: ·       Website:  martamcdowell.com ·       Facebook:  @marta.mcdowell.5   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

Trees -- we all know how important they are. But what are the best trees for zone 9? How exactly do you properly plant, stake and water a new tree? Pamela Sanchez -- Certified Arborist and Education Programs Manager for the Sacramento Tree Foundation -- joins me to discuss these topics and more.   Pamela and the Sacramento Tree can be found at: ·       Website:  sactree.org ·       Instagram:  @sactree ·       Facebook:  @Sacramento Tree Foundation   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 October To Do List, and that means it is a very busy time in the garden.  Clean up from summer vegetables and prepping for fall and winter. The days are cooler, but shorter – which means you have to work efficiently and hard. Episode includes Listener Q&A, with topics listed below.    It is time to plant: ·       Fava beans ·       Beets ·       Bok choy ·       Carrots ·       Celery ·       Swiss chard ·       Collards ·       Garlic ·       Kale ·       Kohlrabi ·       Leeks ·       Lettuce ·       Onions ·       Peas ·       Radish ·       Spinach ·       Turnips ·       All perennials, bulbs   Chores include: ·       Clean up vegetable beds (prevent diseases), mess from fruit trees ·       Collect seeds ·       Divide plants such as grasses, iris ·       Compost   Listener Q&A section.  Topics covered include: ·       What to do about aphid infestation on large trees ·       Lemon tree – producing fruit, but leaves are very pale ·       Succulents – fertilizer?

Seeds. As gardeners we sow them, order them, harvest them, and sometime try to prevent them. Author and gardener Jennifer Jewell delves even deeper into the science and importance of seeds in her new book ‘What We Sow’. We discuss her inspiration for the book and talk about why seeds are so important in our ecosystem, cultures and overall survival as humans.  Jennifer Jewell, Cultivating Place and her new book ‘What We Sow’ can be found at: ·       Book:  What We Sow ·       Website:  Cultivating Place ·       Instagram:  @cultivating_place ·       Facebook:  @cultivatingplace ·       Pinterest:    @cultivate_place   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 a plant person with minimal design skills, I’m in awe of people with both skill sets. In this episode I talk to Soleil Tranquilli about how she combines her artistic design ability with her wealth of plant knowledge to create firesafe, water wise and tranquil gardens. She is the owner of Tranquill Gardens as well as being a Certified watershed Wise Landscape Pro and the president of the Sacramento Association of Professional Landscape Designers.  Soleil and Tranquill Gardens can be found at: ·       Website:  Tranquill Gardens ·       Website: Association of Professional Landscape Designers ·       Facebook:  Tranquill Gardens   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 September To Do List – believe it or not, we are in full Fall prep time.  Lots of cool weather vegetables to start planting, and tons of clean up and pruning.  Summer may have been easy in the garden, but it’s time to get the gloves on and get to work.  Episode includes Listener Q&A and a discussion around current published articles in the horticulture world.   It is time to plant:         Beets         Carrots         Broccoli         Brussel sprouts         Cauliflower         Cabbage         Celery         Swiss chard         Collards         Garlic         Leek         Lettuce         Peas         Radish         Spinach         Perennials – towards the end of September when it cools down Chores include:         Clean up – pull out vegetables which are done, fallen fruit         Prune lavender, hydrangeas         Pests – whiteflies may be setting in…..keep an eye on   Listener Q&A section.  Topics covered include:         What are the galls attached to oaks

You can say that my guest, Justin Hancock, is passionate about passion vines! But he is also passionate about anything that grows. As a horticulturalist for one of the top nurseries, Costa Farms, he gets to surround himself with all types of plants. We discuss, of course, passion vines as well as houseplant care. Justin and Costa Farms can be found at: ·       Instagram:  justinwhancock ·       Website: costafarms.com ·       Instagram: costafarms ·       Facebook:  Costa Farms ·       Twitter:  @CostaFarms ·       YouTube:  @CostaFarms ·       TikTok: costa.farms   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 August To Do List, and we are having a gorgeous summer that is offering up IDEAL garden conditions.  Vegetable and fruit harvests are bountiful, but there is prep work for fall piling up.  It is time to:  Plant seeds in ground, including:  beets, cabbage, carrots, turnips, potatoes Prep garden beds for Fall planting in September:  Weed, compost Chores include:        Dead-head flowers        Pick up fallen fruit        Cut off suckers        Prevent weeds from going to seed        Collect seeds        Harvest melons        Order fall bulbs (daffodils, tulips, etc)        Deep water trees   We finish up with a Listener Q&A section.  Topics covered include:        Are pill bugs good for the soil?         Do I need to keep “braiding” my plant?        Habanero not blooming – why?        Fig tree only produce dry, inedible figs.  Why?   Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.     To ask questions f

Want to replace your lawn with a cacti/succulent garden? Here’s how. My coworker and succulent grower extraordinaire, Gianluca Bacci, joins me to discuss succulent growing tips. We talk about major do’s and don’ts of succulent care plus why the saguaro cacti of Arizona are dying.  Gianluca can be found at: ·         Instagram:  marinsect_gianluca   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

Many of us walk around with ideas/inventions in our head but don’t follow through with them for numerous reasons. In this episode, I talk with inventor/founder of PlantTraps, Deborah Holtschlag, about how she came up with an idea and ran with it. We discuss her products that turn balconies into amazing gardens as well as her journey from idea to market.   Links below can be found to Deborah and PlantTraps.  ·       Website:  planttraps.com ·       Instagram:  planttraps ·       Facebook:  planttraps ·       YouTube:  @planttraps   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 July To Do List, and we are in the HEAT of summer.  Garden work is relegated to morning and (maybe) late afternoon given the blistering temperatures.  Luckily, it is not the busiest time of the year garden wise – hopefully most of your time is spent harvesting vegetables.  Plenty to do still from a maintenance perspective, and believe it or not….some early prep for Fall/Winter. It is time to: ·       Sow seeds indoors for brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli   Chores include: ·       Deep water trees ·       Deep water in-ground plants ·       Mulch ·       Weed ·       HARVEST ·       Snip off flowers of basil, other herbs ·       Keep an eye out for insects – spray, squish ·       Dead-head flowers   We finish up with a Listener Q&A section.  Topics covered include: ·       What is a good way to get rid of ants indoors? ·       What are the best cut flower options? ·       Pumpkins turning yellow and rotting before they turn orange – why? ·       Fastest growing shrubs that do well in full

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?