MARGARET ROACH A WAY TO GARDEN

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A WAY TO GARDEN is the horticultural incarnation of Margaret Roach

Margaret Roach


    • Jun 20, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 26m AVG DURATION
    • 414 EPISODES

    4.6 from 556 ratings Listeners of MARGARET ROACH A WAY TO GARDEN that love the show mention: margaret roach, way to garden, okra, thank you margaret, gardeners, gardening, plants, monthly, woo, names, many years, lovely, website, common, pleasure, books, love love, wow, discovered, variety.


    Ivy Insights

    The MARGARET ROACH A WAY TO GARDEN podcast is truly a gem in the world of gardening programs. With the delightful duo of Margaret Roach and Ken Druse leading the conversations, this podcast stands out from the rest. The interviews are always fresh and engaging, covering contemporary topics that keep listeners up to date with the latest information. Margaret's expertise and knowledge shine through in her conversations, mirroring the wonderfully relevant articles she pens for the New York Times.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is the enjoyable and relaxed nature of the conversations. Margaret and her guests have a great rapport, creating an atmosphere that feels like sitting down for a chat with old friends. Despite this laid-back vibe, the discussions are incredibly informative, providing valuable insights into a wide range of ecological and gardening topics. Even if you initially think a particular topic may not interest you, you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised by how engaging it can be.

    Furthermore, Margaret deserves praise for her dedication to covering a diverse range of topics. No matter your interests or outdoor goals, there's something for everyone in this podcast. Whether it's learning about native plants or getting expert advice on dealing with droughts in non-water-scarce areas like the desert west of Salt Lake City, Margaret ensures that her content is inclusive and caters to various gardening needs.

    However, one minor drawback is that some listeners may feel that certain episodes stray too far from traditional gardening topics. For example, episodes focused on cooking may not resonate as strongly with those who are primarily interested in plant care and horticulture tips. Nonetheless, even these episodes offer valuable insights into utilizing garden produce in creative ways.

    In conclusion, The MARGARET ROACH A WAY TO GARDEN podcast is a must-listen for any gardening enthusiast. Margaret's scintillating and knowledgeable interviews make this podcast an invaluable resource for anyone looking to expand their gardening knowledge. With a wide range of topics, engaging conversations, and a welcoming atmosphere, this podcast is sure to delight listeners and keep them coming back for more.



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    Latest episodes from MARGARET ROACH A WAY TO GARDEN

    Mike Gibson on Topiary – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – June 23, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2025 28:02


    Today we're going to do some pruning, but not the same old straight-forward kind. Instead we're going to talk topiary, and its transformative powers – not just on the plant that is the subject that's getting clipped, or on the... Read More ›

    Cutting Garden with Frances Palmer – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – June 16, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2025 28:03


    Some of us plant a row of particular annuals with the intention to cut them for bouquets in their moment of bloom – and some of us think bigger have a whole cutting garden within our landscape. I feel like... Read More ›

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    Abundant Landscapes with Kelly Norris – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – June 9, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2025 26:48


    We may know one when we see it, but what word best describes an ecological landscape? Compared to traditional, more formal gardens, such native-plant-forward designs are variously labeled as looser, or naturalistic, or wildish—all perfectly accurate. Is there perhaps a... Read More ›

    Gardening with My Sister – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – June 2, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 27:57


    I've answered a lot of garden questions in my time as a garden journalist, but nobody has asked more of them than today's guest—who's also the person I've known longer than anyone else on the planet. My baby sister, Marion... Read More ›

    A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – May 26, 2025 – Eco Adventures with ‘The Bad Naturalist’

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2025 27:53


    Again and again, as I was reading the recent book “Bad Naturalist” by Paula Whyman, I kept thinking: Good thing I only have a couple of acres of land. Whyman tackled 200 acres on a Virginia mountaintop, dreaming of reshaping... Read More ›

    A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – May 19, 2025 – Nancy Lawson on Mosquitoes

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025 27:15


    The first issue of “American Gardener,” the newly redesigned member magazine of the American Horticultural Society, arrived recently, and in it are lots of good reads—including an article by today's guest, Nancy Lawson, aka “The Humane Gardener.”  She writes about... Read More ›

    Shade Treasures with Ken Druse – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – May 12, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 27:50


    When I first started gardening, it wasn't unusual to hear other gardeners lamenting the shady areas of their landscapes – wishing for more, more, more sun. But my friend Ken Druse never looked at the lower-light areas that way –... Read More ›

    A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – May 5, 2025 – Dan Wilder on Powerhouse Shrubs

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2025 28:03


    Woody plants—the trees and shrubs—can be pure ecological powerhouses, but most of us don't have room for an entire forest in our backyards. So on a garden scale, which shrubs in particular really get the job done best? Dan Wilder, a longtime native plant... Read More ›

    Trillium & More With Uli Lorimer – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – April 28, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2025 27:07


    I look forward to spring for many reasons, not the least of which is the emergence and bloom time of the trilliums. There’s a saying that good things come in threes, and trilliums are certainly proof of that.  I talked... Read More ›

    Marigolds & More With Peace Seedlings – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – April 21, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2025 27:28


    So you think you're  familiar with marigolds and zinnias? Well, it's time to take another look, I think, as I have been longingly in the seed list from Oregon-based Peace Seedlings.  Among their offerings are multi-toned zinnias in shades you won't... Read More ›

    Coleus With Rosy Dawn Gardens – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – April 14, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2025 27:11


    It's hard to think of a brighter botanical bright spot than the one that Coleus creates—whether in a container design, or planted in a garden bed.  And it's hard to think of a more Coleus-filled place than Rosy Dawn Gardens,... Read More ›

    Spring Flavors With Amy Chaplin – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – April 7, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 27:23


    I can almost taste it now: the flavors of the first spring crops, whether homegrown, or from your CSA share, or even ethically foraged…with the promise of a whole growing season of the freshest, tastiest produce to come. It's the... Read More ›

    Maximalist Design With Teresa Woodard – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – March 31, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2025 27:06


    More isn't always better, of course, but in the case of the gardens profiled in the new book “Garden to the Max,” it definitely is, whether more color, more texture, more drama or all of the above, and then some,... Read More ›

    Phenology With Theresa Crimmins – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – March 24, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 27:02


    Though the calendar says that spring started on March 20, the many clues that nature offers to those who watch and listen add up to a more complex and layered unfolding over time. Inspired by a new book called “Phenology,”... Read More ›

    Garden Biodiversity at Chanticleer – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – March 17, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2025 27:33


    Anyone who has heard of or even better visited Chanticleer Garden in Pennsylvania knows that it is home to some of the country's most exceptional examples of horticultural creativity and innovation.  A multi-year biodiversity survey of the Chanticleer property has... Read More ›

    Frog Gardens With Jim Sirch – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – March 10, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2025 28:10


    We've all heard about what plants and other features figure into making a garden for the birds, or a pollinator garden … but what about a frog garden? I'm crazy about frogs and would like to think my place is... Read More ›

    A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Mar 3, 2025 – Ken Druse on ‘Fat’ Houseplants

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2025 27:39


    If another houseplant dropped all its leaves for several months each year, you'd think you killed it. But with some of Ken Druse's and my favorite indoor companions, from Boweia to Jatropha and more, a regular dormant period is just... Read More ›

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    Welcoming Bluebirds With Julie Zickefoose – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – February 24, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2025 27:43


    The sight of Eastern bluebirds rates high on my happiness scale, so I say bring them on. But what makes a place look like inviting habitat to these charismatic birds, encouraging them to maybe stick around during breeding season? And... Read More ›

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    Ironweeds, with Sam Hoadley – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Feb. 17, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2025 27:30


    One of the tallest perennials in my garden is New York ironweed, Vernonia noveboracensis, but basically my knowledge of the genus starts and ends there. Or at least it did until just recently, when Mt. Cuba Center, the renown native... Read More ›

    Seed Exchange With Josie Flatgard A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Feb. 10, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2025 27:13


    You probably know the popular Seed Savers Exchange catalog, which this year features 600 varieties of seed to choose from, and supports the beloved nonprofit preservation organization, which in 2025 is turning 50 years old.  But maybe you haven't clicked... Read More ›

    Garden Rituals With Matt Mattus – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Feb. 3, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2025 27:28


    Have you ever replied, “I don't know; that's just the way I've always done it” when someone asked why you performed a certain garden task in a particular way? Sometimes we stay stuck even when there's evidence there's a newer,... Read More ›

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    Snapdragons With Joseph Tychonievich – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Jan. 27, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2025 28:13


    Anybody in the mood for something just plain pretty at the moment, something to search the seed catalogs for, choosing among the many wildly colorful varieties, and then get ready to sow? Something hopeful and bright? Me too! After I... Read More ›

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    Warren Leach on The Winter Garden – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Jan 20, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2025 29:06


    How's winter shaping up where you are so far – or more to the point, how's the winter garden looking? What's your view out the window this time of year, and could it be improved with some strategic enhancements?  That's... Read More ›

    Your Natural Garden With Kelly Norris – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Jan. 13, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2025 27:36


    As many of us heavy up on native plants, and transition larger areas of our landscapes toward more naturalistic styles of design, there is a lot to learn – or maybe un-learn, if our gardening experience up until now was... Read More ›

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    Winter Tree Care With Basil Camu – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Jan. 6, 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2025 28:22


    I messaged to my arborist neighbor the other day to just say, “Happy holidays.” And at the end of my note, I also said this: “See you soon.”  Winter may be the quiet season up North here in the garden... Read More ›

    2024 Recap With Joe Lamp’l – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Dec. 30, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2024 27:36


    Whether out loud here on the podcast or just between us on one of our periodic late Friday afternoon phone calls, I always benefit from catching up with today's guest, Joe Lamp'l (aka Joe Gardener). Probably no time for talking... Read More ›

    A Dry Year With Julie Zickefoose – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Dec. 16, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2024 28:30


    Did you have an abnormally dry growing season this year—one where it felt like you just couldn't keep up with the watering, maybe? Today's guest, naturalist and artist Julie Zickefoose, and I both did in our otherwise different garden locations—places... Read More ›

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    Supporting Biodiversity With Sarah Jayne – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Dec. 9, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2024 27:55


    The message has become increasingly clear: By shifting the palette of what we plant toward native, and refining the practices we employ in caring for our landscapes, we gardeners can make a contribution to the greater ecology. We can create... Read More ›

    Nature Watching With Margaret Renkl – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Dec. 2, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2024 27:50


    She has had various job titles in her career, but writer Margaret Renkl says one consistent role in her life for decades has been that of “a window-gazer,” someone who watches what’s going on out there. Even better, she gets... Read More ›

    A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Nov 25, 2024 – Peggy Anne Montgomery on Forcing Bulbs

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2024 27:27


    It's practically December, but like many gardeners I'm already thinking about spring. One big element of that thinking is how to maximize the power of flower bulbs, and though you might have already planted some in the ground earlier this... Read More ›

    ‘WildStory’ Podcast’s Poetry + Plants – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Nov. 18, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2024 27:55


    I was invited recently to be a guest on a podcast called The Wildstory from The Native Plant Society of New Jersey that talks about plants, of course, and ecology … but unlike other garden-related  podcasts, it also explores poetry. I was intrigued,... Read More ›

    Birds in Winter With David Sibley – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Nov. 11, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2024 29:16


    When cold weather approaches, we humans often have it easy: We can retreat to the shelter of central heating, or pile on more layers of clothing. The path to survival is a lot more complicated for birds, of course, and a new... Read More ›

    Trees for the Future With George Coombs – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Nov. 4, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 27:34


    In the face of shifting weather patterns influenced by a changing climate, the garden can be a really confusing place these days. What stressors are coming next, and which plants will have the resilience required to stand up to whatever... Read More ›

    Solving Garden Mysteries, With Flora & Frost – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Oct. 28, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2024 28:06


    The garden is my favorite escape from stress, of course, but as I have confessed before on the podcast, I sometimes succumb to the lure of swiping my way through Instagram during non-garden hours, like so many millions of us... Read More ›

    A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Oct 21, 2024 – Sara Weaner on Lawn Transformation

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2024 29:19


    Today's guest, Sara Weaner Cooper, and her husband, Evan Cooper, bought their first home a couple of years ago, and before long undertook transitioning the front lawn organically from mown grass into a meadow. Sara's here to tell us about... Read More ›

    Birding Journal With Joan Strassmann – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Oct. 14, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2024 28:36


    It was almost two years ago to the day when today's guest, Joan Strassmann, last visited me on the show, right around the time her book “Slow Birding” was released. Now, as then, I've seen what are pretty much my... Read More ›

    Native Seeds With Tim Johnson – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Oct. 7, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2024 29:22


    When I read the other day that Native Plant Trust, the nonprofit plant conservation organization in New England, had successfully raised the money to complete the endowment fund needed to save its region's most imperiled native plants in a seed... Read More ›

    Managing Invasives With Daniel Weitoish – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Sept. 30, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2024 28:53


    Increasingly in recent years, my garden “weeds” include more and more tenacious opponents – and the landscape along the roadsides nearby and pretty much everywhere I drive is one of hedgerows formed of a tangle of non-native shrubs and vines.... Read More ›

    Ecological Landscaping With Preston Montague – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Sept. 23, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2024 26:11


    If you have ever tried creating, and then caring for, a habitat-style garden with native plants … well, let's just say it's not exactly the same thing as combining a group of hostas with some astilbes an a couple of... Read More ›

    A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Sept 16, 2024 – Jared Rosenbaum on Native Plant Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2024 28:05


    “Plants tell the story of a place,” says field botanist and native plant nursery owner Jared Rosenbaum. “If you want to be rooted on the earth you live on, you can look to plants to interpret that story.”  With his... Read More ›

    Soil-Supporting Advice, With the Real Organic Project – A Way to Garden, With Margaret Roach – Sept. 9, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2024 28:11


    Organic farming and gardening have always been based on the principle of “feed the soil, not the plant.” In a recent interview, I got some expert advice for doing that, and also learn why our diligent soil-consciousness matters so much,... Read More ›

    Bulb Shopping and Dividing With Ken Druse – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Aug. 26, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2024 28:51


    Have you done your bulb shopping yet? It's ordering time—both for fall-blooming treats like Colchicum, which you can only buy now if you hurry, and for the ever-wider assortment of fall-planted, spring-into-summer blooming species.  Ken Druse and I both have... Read More ›

    Holiday Cactus With Matt Mattus – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Aug. 19, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2024 28:43


    I was scrolling through Instagram the other day – yes, sometimes I just cannot help myself – when I saw a post by Matt Mattus about Christmas cactus. Even though it was still high summer, it made me long for... Read More ›

    A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – August 12, 2024 – Daniel Weitoish on Extreme Weather

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2024 28:07


    I suspect I'm not alone when I say that weather extremes in recent growing seasons have made me feel a bit like a stranger in a strange land in my own garden—wondering what will bloom when, and when to do... Read More ›

    Medieval Herbs With Carly Still – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – Aug. 5, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2024 28:14


    When most of us think of growing herbs each spring, what we probably put into our shopping cart, whether from online seed catalogs or at the garden center, are the culinary must-haves: the basil, the parsley, the dill and such.  ... Read More ›

    A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – July 29, 2024 – Ken Druse on Hydrangea Time

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2024 28:36


    It's Hydrangea season, and in the Northeast, in particular, this summer, it's REALLY been a crazy hydrangea season in 2024, with billows of blue bloom from big-leaf hydrangeas on view everywhere, it seems—which is not always the case, in colder... Read More ›

    ‘The Tree Collectors,’ With Amy Stewart – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – July 22, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2024 28:20


    We're going to talk about collectibles today, but not the kind you score at a flea market or from an online auction. We’re going to talk about collectible trees. Yes, trees. A new book by Amy Stewart called “The Tree... Read More ›

    Meadow Making With Benjamin Vogt – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – July 15, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2024 28:26


    Are you thinking about the possibility of transitioning an area of your lawn into something more diverse, like maybe a meadow? A question I'm asked a lot is how to go about it – the actual preparatory steps – so... Read More ›

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    A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – July 8, 2024 – Lessons from the High Line

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2024 29:17


    It’s one of the best-known naturalistic gardens anywhere, and yet it’s perched in the most unnatural spot imaginable, 30 feet high above New York City traffic on an abandoned elevated railway line. The High Line on Manhattan’s West Side is... Read More ›

    A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – July 1, 2024 – Hortus Arboretum’s Unusual Fruits

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2024 28:49


    Some of the many unusual fruits that Allyson Levy and Scott Serrano grow in their arboretum in the Hudson Valley of New York, like goji berries or maybe Schisandra, are ones you’re more likely to see on ingredient labels of... Read More ›

    Audit Your Garden With Rodney Eason – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – June 24, 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2024 28:46


    Nobody wants to get the IRS notice in the mail that they’re being audited, heaven forbid. But when it comes to gardens, Rodney Eason believes that the occasional audit is a very positive process, and encourages us to perform one... Read More ›

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