Podcast appearances and mentions of Carol J Michel

Hello, you're dialed in to The Garden Question Podcast where we discover designing, building and growing “Smarter Gardens that Work”. I'm your host Craig McManus.In this episode, we're exploring a corner of garden history with our special guest who uncovers stories from the past—Carol J. Michel.Carol takes us on a fascinating journey into the world of historic garden writing. Shining a light on some lesser-known female authors she lovingly calls the ‘Lost Ladies of Garden Writing'.We'll explore how these forgotten authors blended gardening, life philosophy, and emotional insight, along with the surprising ways their work remains relevant today.From tracking down rare lost ladies to uncovering the stories of remarkable women like Ida D. Bennett and Anna Bartlett Warner, Carol's passion for preserving these voices offers a captivating window into the roots of gardening wisdom. It's not all research and reflection—Carol's wit and love for humor in horticulture come through as she shares personal anecdotes, experiences from her own garden, and exciting projects like her blog, ‘May Dreams Gardens' and her Substack newsletters. Lost Ladies of Garden Writing SubstackCarol's credentials are as deep as the roots she tends: she's an award-winning author of five gardening humor books, two children's books, and co-host of ‘The Gardenangelists' podcast.With degrees in horticulture and computer technology, Carol spent over 30 years working in healthcare IT while making a life in her garden. In 2021, she was honored as a GardenComm Fellow by Garden Communicators International. From beginner to expert, you'll always find inspiration listening to The Garden Question Podcast. Grab your favorite garden trowel or just settle in with a cup of tea.Time Stamps and Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Garden Question Podcast00:23 Meet Carol J. Michael: Historian of Garden Writing02:38 Uncovering the Lost Ladies of Garden Writing04:28 Fascinating Stories of Historic Garden Authors18:26 The Relevance of Historic Garden Writing Today23:19 Carol's Gardening Insights and Tips26:58 Fall Gardening Tips and Oak Tree Care27:19 The Garden Angelus Podcast: How It All Began28:39 From Horticulture Degree to Healthcare IT30:31 Battling Garden Pests: Rabbits and Deer35:39 Gardening Inspirations and Influences37:05 Learning from Gardening Mistakes43:31 Unusual Plants and Winter Sowing47:43 Connecting with Carol J. Michael48:11 Conclusion and Podcast Information

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Gary Lewis of Phoenix Perennials and Specialty Plants all about groundcovers. The plant profile is on Amaryllis and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with Carol J. Michel, who shares the Last Word on 5 Daily Gardening Tips. You can order* our books at: ~ The Complete Book of Ground Covers: 4000 Plants that Reduce Maintenance, Control Erosion, and Beautify the Landscape ~ Groundcover Revolution: How to Use Sustainable, Low-Maintenance, Low-Water Groundcovers to Replace Your Turf *These books are linked to our Amazon affiliate account and we may earn a few pennies from their sales, but this does not impact your purchase price. BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! See how at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/support. Show Notes will be posted here on 11/29. If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to: ~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 70: Washington vs Washington https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-70-washington.html We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode. And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite platform so other gardeners can find us too! Episode Credits: Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz Editing: Brandie Bland Show Notes: Jaime Breeden Recorded on 11-26-2022. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/support

Better Lawns and Gardens Hour 2 – Coming to you from Summit Responsible Solutions Studios,  garden expert Teresa Watkins lightens the mood with Halloween spirit and talks with award-winning garden author, Carol J. Michel about her new holiday book for gardeners of all ages, The Halloween Hare. Dirty Word of the Day is Vivipary. Garden questions and texts include turfgrass growing in shade, cantaloupe and watermelon not blooming, citrus tree not flowering, lime tree with bugs, gardenia with no scent, daffodils for the coast,  and more.  https://bit.ly/3c1f5x7 Join Teresa on her exciting and historic tour of the Best English Gardens and the Chelsea Flower Show. https://bit.ly/3xU7JGT  Graphic credit:Teresa Watkins  Listen to Better Lawns and Gardens every Saturday 7 am - 9 am EST.  Call in with your garden questions 1.888.455.2867, or text 23680.   #WFLF #WFLA #FNN #WNDB #BetterLawns #gardening #Florida #planting #gardeninglife #radio #southflorida #northflorida #centralflorida #tropical #floridalife #photography #SHE #Orlando #Sarasota #Miami #FortLauderdale #BLGradio #WRLN #WiOD #gardening #SummitResponsibleSolutions #QualityGreenSpecialists #BlackKow #Halloween #childrensbook #author 

Dee and Carol talk about ways to save annuals and tropicals at the end of the season, garlic, and more on this week's episode.Go to our Substack newsletter for more information about this week's episode. Be sure and subscribe to get the newsletter directly in your email inbox!Links: Two Family Handyman articles by Carol that relate are "Is coleus an annual or  perennial?”  and How to Grow and Care for Coleus.Robin Parer, owner of Geraniaceae for more on pelargoniums Garlic on Botanical Interests (affiliate link)On the Bookshelf:  The Halloween Hare by Carol J. Michel, illustrations by Ty J. Hayden. Coming out October 4, 2022.  (Amazon Link)Carol's first blog post about the Halloween Hare way back in 2008.Dirt: YouTube video of Spotted Lantern Fly on SNL!Some real info on Spotted Lantern Fly from Cornell University More on Monarchs! Monarch Joint Venture, has a lot of webinars on monarchs. An  article from Purdue about monarchs in Indiana…  Dee's blog post about monarchsMonarchs and becorns, super cute video on Instagram. More books! The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman, the third book in the Thursday Murder Club series. (Amazon Link) Another cozy mystery, Deadhead and Buried(The English Cottage Garden Mysteries #1) by H.Y. Hanna (Amazon Link).  Silent Bud Deadly is the next one… (Amazon Link) Affiliate link to Botanical Interest Seeds. (If you buy something from them after using this link, we earn a small commission at no cost to you. This helps us continue to bring this podcast to you ad-free!)  Book links are also affiliate links.Email us anytime at TheGardenangelists@gmail.com  For more info on Carol and her books, visit her website.  Visit her blog May Dreams Gardens.For more info on Dee and her book, visit her website.  Visit her blog Red Dirt Ramblings.Don't forget to sign up for our newsletters, via our websites!

Carol J. Michel is the award-winning author of several books including five gardening humor books and one children's book. As the holder of degrees in both horticulture and computer technology, she spent over three decades making a living in healthcare IT while making a life in her garden. Her awards have come from several organization s, including GardenComm: Garden Communicators International; National Federation of Press Women; and National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Michel is the keeper of the world's largest hoe collection and her library is a sanctuary for old gardening books. She currently gardens in Indiana, at a place she calls May Dreams Gardens.www.caroljmichel.com

In this episode, we talk with garden blogger, author, speaker, and podcaster Carol J. Michel with a light-hearted look at universal gardening truths. The plant profile is on Paperbush (Edgeworthia) and I share what is in my winter vegetable plot as well as some upcoming events. Here are some links mentioned during the show: - Garden Books by Carol J. Michel (note that this is an Amazon affiliate link) - May Dreams Garden blog - Gardenangelist podcast BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! See how at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/support. Show Notes are posted at https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/02/gardendc-podcast-episode-92-universal.html After listening to this episode, you might want to listen to these past episodes about Garden Theory and Humor: ~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 23: Summer Cocktails, a Defense of the Lawn, and Tips for Growing Cucumbers https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-23-summer.html ~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 38: Art in the Garden https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/11/gardendc-podcast-episode-38-art-in.html ~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 77: Goth Gardening https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/10/gardendc-podcast-episode-77-goth.html We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode. And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite platform so other gardeners can find us too! Episode Credits: Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz Editing and Show Notes: Dorvall Bedford --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/support

Need a reason to laugh? Might I suggest reading the work of an author by the name of Carol J. Michel? A fellow garden writer with a mid-western sense of humor that allows one to think all while giggling as you realize it simply makes sense. You can find other wonderful books by Carol on her website, https://caroljmichel.com/. As Carol promised, a copy of The Christmas Cottontail arrived in the mail and I cannot wait to read it to listeners everywhere! Stay tuned!! In the meantime, practice saying Thank you to those who have sown seeds of joy as you continue on your garden journey. Encouraging reconnecting with the earth is a beautiful act of kindness. It is one of the best gifts to share with someone who is simply thinking about gardening as a hobby or even a profession. Thank you for continuing to follow me - even after a hiatus as I wrote two books in 2021. Available for preorder now is The Urban Garden - 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City. A collaboration between myself and Kathy Jentz where we share ideas and information to help gardeners enjoy their urban gardens. My second book, Black Flora is a work of love and respect for flower farmers, florists, and floral designers who just happen to be Black. There is something about how we are familiar with this earth of urs and how #wegrowmorthancollards. More about this book soon. I ask that you continue to follow me: Https://www.cottageinthecourt.com...Instagram and Twitter: @cottageincourt...Facebook: CottageInTheCourt, and sometimes on Medium: Cottage In The Court Please subscribe to Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts or Pandora Podcasts if you would like to stay in the know.

Better Lawns and Gardens Hour 2 –  Teresa Watkins, garden expert , is thrilled to have award-winning author, Carol J. Michel, to talk about her latest book, Digging and Delighted. In honor of Carol's new book, there is a an appropriate "Dirty Word of the Day." Teresa found a new rare indoor houseplant, Ficus triangularis which she found at her favorite local nursery, Apenberry's Gardens. You can see a photo of my new plant on Better Lawns and Gardens Facebook page. Gardening questions and texts include dwarf oyster plants dying, poinsettia stems dying back, organic herbicides, OMRI lists of organic products; Canary Island date palm disease; watering schedule for new St. Augustinegrass, pineapple fruit; orchid fertilizing, and more.   https://bit.ly/3fr6SU2 Graphic Credit:  Teresa Watkins Listen to Better Lawns and Gardens every Saturday 7 am - 9 am EST.  Call in with your garden questions at 1.888.455.2867, or text 23680.    #WFLF #WFLA #FNN #BetterLawns #gardening #Florida #planting #gardeninglife #southflorida #northflorida #centralflorida #tropical #floridalife #SHE #fertilizer #turf #grass #landscaping #fruits #vegetables #Orlando #Sarasota #Miami #FortLauderdale #summer #WRLN #WiOD #author #books #digging #questionsandanswers #radio #podcast #Maitland 

Enjoy my recent blog post where I share a gift from my favorite gardeners who dwell in another realm. https://www.cottageinthecourt.com Carol J. Michel is a fellow GardenComm, International member, friend, and one of the few garden humor writers I know. She wrote a book this year that was the perfect escape from reality - as well as an excellent way of learning lessons from the garden as we laugh. You can support her writings by purchasing her books. Here is the link A wonderful poem to embrace gardening as a passion, A Garden Can Be by Catherine Pulsifer I ask that you continue to follow me: Https://www.cottageinthecourt.com...Instagram and Twitter: @cottageincourt...Facebook: CottageInTheCourt, and sometimes on Medium: Cottage In The Court If you live in the DMV and want to know what's happening locally and in our gardens, follow the collaborative podcast by two garden communicators, Peggy Riccio and Teresa Speight. Two garden fanatics talking about real gardening as it occurs right in our own yards!! Check out the Gardens 'n Plants Podcast - we will resume in January 2021! If you would like to stay in the know, please subscribe to Apple Podcasts. In the meantime...garden like you mean it! Teri, Cottage In The Court #gardencomm

Here are the books highlighted in What You Need to Know Wednesday. I want to say Thank You to Timber Press for publishing books for the garden community. We sincerely appreciate you!! Adventures In Eden by Carolyn Mullet Garden Lust by Chris Woods The Plant Hunter by Georgina Reid and Daniel Shipp A Year at Brandywine Cottage by David Culp A self-published book by my GardenComm friend, Carol J. Michel, Creatures and Critters For Composting, The Real Dirt on Composting by Cheryl Wilfong This ought to get you started on gifts for the gardeners you love! I ask that you follow me... Https://www.cottageinthecourt.com...Instagram and Twitter: @cottageincourt...Facebook: CottageInTheCourt, and sometimes on Medium: Cottage In The Court If you live in the DMV and want to know what's happening locally and in our gardens, follow the collaborative podcast by two garden communicators, Peggy Riccio and Teresa Speight. Two garden fanatics talking about real gardening as it occurs right in our own yards!! Check out Gardens 'n Plants Podcast If you would like to stay in the know, please subscribe to Apple Podcasts. In the meantime...garden, Teri, Cottage In The Court #gardencomm

Show Notes Today we celebrate the Chelsea Physic Garden Curator who was partly responsible for the British Fern Craze and the botanical illustrator whose art ended up on South African currency. We'll learn about the man who discovered the virus researching tobacco plants and the English architect who partnered with Gertrude Jekyll to design Country Estates. Today’s Unearthed Words feature garden-inspired poetry from the English gardener and writer Thomas Moore. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that will make you feel like you’ve made a garden friend. I'll talk about a great garden item that is made from repurposed weapons. and then we’ll wrap things up with the origin story of the Kent mango. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   Curated Articles The Herbs of Christmas by Mother Earth Living @mthrearthliving “Learn which herbs help welcome us into the holiday season The botanical trappings of the season have proven astoundingly consistent throughout the past several thousand years.” Naturally, they discussed the holly and the ivy and the poinsettia. But, they also discussed the mistletoe. They explained: "Mistletoe called for a gesture of conciliation—usually a kiss. Under the original rules, a berry must be picked for each kiss." After all the berries were removed, the sprig was taken down and replaced with a new one.   Superglue plant and ‘miracle berry’ among 2019’s new finds by @dpcarrington @guardian  As we welcome the new year, here's a nod to a handful of the plant discoveries made in 2019. @Kew scientists officially named 102 plants & 8 fungi in 2019 - including a shrub that oozes superglue and cancer-fighting fungi. A new species of Snowdrop was spotted on #Facebook!   Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There’s no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, just search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events 1887  Today is the anniversary of the death of the gardener, naturalist, and Chelsea Physic Garden curator Thomas Moore. Before Moore worked at Chelsea Physic Garden @ChelsPhysicGdn, he spent four years at Fraser’s Lea Bridge Nurseries, Leyton from 1839-1842. Moore wrote several books on horticulture - many reflected his lifelong passion for ferns. In 1848, the year he started at Chelsea Physic Garden, he wrote the 'Handbook of British Ferns.’ His maniacal focus on ferns led to the creation of a Fernery in the garden and inspired the Victorian Fern craze or "Pteridomania". Twelve years after his first book on ferns, his love was still going strong and he wrote British Ferns and Their Allies in 1869. Thomas is remembered for these wonderful quips like: “The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden,” or “Garden as though you will live forever.” My favorite Thomas Moore quote is about rosemary. He wrote, “As for rosemary, I let it run all over my garden walls...because it is the herb sacred to remembrance and to friendship.”   1895  Today is the birthday of the South African botanical artist Cythna Letty. Letty’s mom was a painter and she gave Cythna her first lessons on painting and sketching. As a small girl, she began creating a book that illustrated all of the flowering plants of her homeland. It took her a lifetime to finish the work and it was finally published in 1962. Letty captured the wildflowers of Africa with detail and grace. She worked for the Botanical Institute in the Department of Agriculture in South Africa. Based in Pretoria. In the 1960s as South Africa moved from the English sterling system, Cythna’s work was selected for three coins in South African currency. The 10-cent coin featured the Aloe, the 20-cent featured the Protea which was the National Flower of South Africa. And the 50-cent flower featured the Agapanthus. Cythna wrote poetry as well. She once wrote: “I hitched my wagon to a daisy Direction vague and destination hazy But, could any star have guided me more exactly to where I most dearly loved to be?”   1931 Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Martinus Beijerinck (pronounced “by-a-rink”). Beijerinck searched for the reason tobacco plants were dying. In his research, Beijerinck ground up some diseased tobacco leaves and then pressed the juices through a bacteria filter. He was utterly shocked when the filtered, bacteria-free liquid still spread the disease. After reviewing his experiment, Beijerinck concluded that a "contagious living fluid" was the culprit. It was a disease-carrying micro-organism that was smaller than bacteria and he called it a virus, the Latin word for poison." Today, two of the most common viruses are the flu and the common cold.   1944  Today is the birthday of the English Architect Sir Edwin Lutyens ("Lutchins"). Edwin went by Ned. When Ned was almost forty, he was hired to work on a house for the great garden designer and horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll. It was the beginning of a professional collaboration and friendship that had profound effects on the English country garden. Jekyll and Ned created some of the greatest Edwardian gardens in the world. Lutyens reflected on the work of a garden designer when he wrote: “No artist has so wide a palette as the garden designer, and no artist is in greater need of discretion and reserve.” When Jekyll introduced Ned to the founder of Country Life Magazine, Edward Hudson, she created another invaluable source of synergy for his work. Hudson greatly admired Ned’s work and he became a vital patron. He regularly shared Ned’s work in his magazine, he commissioned Ned to design numerous jobs for his many homes, and he even had Ned design the new office space for the magazine. The home Lutyens designed for Hudson known as Deanery Garden is arguably his best country home. It’s now owned by Led Zepplin guitarist Jimmy Page.   Unearthed Words After researching the Chelsea Physic Garden curator Thomas Moore for today’s show, I thought you’d enjoy a few of his delightful poems.    In 1805, Moore was inspired by a rose specimen called ‘Old Blush’ and wrote a poem called The Last Rose of Summer: Tis the last rose of summer, Left blooming alone; All her lovely companions Are faded and gone.   Moore wrote this verse about the tuberose also known as a Night Violet or Dame's Violet (Hesperis matronalis): The tuberose, with her silvery light, That in the gardens of Malay Is called the Mistress of the Night, So like a bride, scented and bright; She comes out when the sun's away.   And, here’s a lovely verse from Moore about Jasmine (Jasminum officinale): From plants that wake when others sleep, from timid jasmine buds that keep their odor to themselves all day, but when the sunlight dies away let the delicious secret out to every breeze that roams about.   Grow That Garden Library Potted and Pruned: Living a Gardening Life by Carol J. Michel The subtitle to Carol’s book is Living a Gardening Life and it came out in February of 2017. Potted and Pruned won the 2018 Garden Media Awards Gold Medal for Best Overall Book. As someone who has a large garden library, one of the things I love about Carol’s delightful little book, Potted and Pruned, aside from the title and all the wonderful stories inside, is the cover - it’s a verdant green. Is there any other color more suited to a garden book? I think not. Yet, you wouldn’t believe how few garden books are actually green nowadays. Beautiful green books like Carol’s are wonderful to have out during the holidays. But all year long, Carol’s book is really the perfect book to have by the bed in a guest room or at the cabin or just on an end table because it’s short and sweet - just 144 pages; and best of all, it is heartwarming. To read Carol’s book is to feel like you’ve made a garden friend. Carol’s the kind of gardener that can laugh at her garden mistakes and she makes you feel like making mistakes is as natural as the garden itself. After all, how else are we to learn? In her book, Carol has written 36 wonderful stories for gardeners. You’ll feel like you’re right beside her in her garden called May Dreams where some of her plants prove frustrating, where the weeds want her full-time attention and where new rare plants are always welcome. You’ll find inspiration as you read about how Carol handles drought or her practical pieces of advice that are sprinkled throughout the book. Carol’s Book reminded of the book Gardener’s BedTime Stories - only shorter, sweeter, and more relatable. You can dip in and out of her stories and then drift off to dreamland where you’ll hopefully dream of your garden - your happy place.   Great Gifts for Gardeners Here’s a very unique gift for gardeners; it’s the Garden Mattock from Raw Tools.  Raw Tools makes garden tools from guns, in the spirit of beating swords into plowshares. The mattock is a double-sided tool that meets a variety of needs when caring for your garden. It offers a hoe on one side and a fork on the other. The tool is made from about 5” of a rifle barrel. Every barrel gives us a different tool. Each is one of a kind and made by hand. The handle is 14″-18″, the hoe and fork are 6″-8″. You can check out their amazing work here.   Today’s Botanic Spark 1933 On this day the Kent Mango (Mangifera indica) is planted on land belonging to Leith Dunlop Kent in Coconut Grove, Florida. Kent was just a kid when he was given a little Brooks Mango seedling for Christmas. Six years later, Kent’s tree produced its first crop of mangos. The tree was a prolific and consistent producer. Kent brought some of the mangos to the Florida Mango Forum and the Kent Mango became a vital part of the commercial mango industry in Florida. By 1950, Kent was elected president of the Florida Mango Forum. And, here’s a caution for gardeners when it comes to mangos. People can have a sensitivity to the peel and milky sap of the plant. It turns out that the substance, urushiol ("u-ROO-she-ol"), is also found in poison ivy, sumac, and poison oak.

Dee and Carol talk about ornamental grasses in the garden, native fruit trees including pawpaws and persimmons and Halloween suggestions for gardeners. Here are some helpful links:Blog post from Dee on Ornamental GrassesHigh Country Gardens, a great source for ornamental grassesArticle Dee wrote for HGTV on Tips on Growing Persimmons.Article on Pawpaws:  Pawpaw-The Midwest BananaStark Bro's, a great source for pawpaw and persimmon treesStory of The Halloween HareThe book The Christmas Cottontail by Carol J. Michel"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"More about Dee More about Carol Email us anytime at TheGardenangelists@gmail.com(Some links may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on the link, we may get a tiny commission.