Podcast appearances and mentions of ken druse

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

173 - Embracing Naturalistic Planting Designs - Jared BarnesNaturalistic planting design begins with understanding what roles certain plants play in nature.One of the most useful concepts in a plants' survival strategy is learning how to classify it on the Grimes Triangle.This is a new concept for me. I don't remember every hearing about this classification system or how it works.  We talk about this and more in this episode 173 - Embracing Naturalistic Planting Designs - Jared Barnes, Ph.D. An encore and remixed presentation. Dr. Jared started gardening when he was five years old. Since then, he has enthusiastically pursued how to best cultivate plants and cultivate minds. He currently fulfills those passions as an award-winning associate professor of horticulture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX.   He obtained his Ph.D. in horticultural science from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. He interned at The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College. By traveling around the US and to eleven countries he has gained national and global horticulture perspectives.   Jared educates the public with his weekly newsletter Plant-Ed and his monthly podcast Plantastic all found on his website Meristeam.  His passion has been recognized by peers in interviews in Organic Gardening, Greenhouse Grower, AmericanHort Connect, Ken Druse's Real Dirt, and Nursery Management. His articles have appeared in The American Gardener, Fine Gardening and Carolina Gardener.Time Line: 00:00 Introduction to The Garden Question Podcast01:20 Guest Introduction: Dr. Jared Barnes02:43 Understanding Naturalistic Planting06:07 The Grimes Triangle Explained11:05 Applying Naturalistic Planting Techniques16:11 Choosing and Managing Plant Species31:41 Maintaining Naturalistic Plantings36:38 Welcoming Biodiversity and Managing Weeds38:03 The Importance of Patience in Gardening39:51 Busting Garden Myths: Square Holes for Trees42:54 The Future of Gardening and Horticulture44:51 Early Garden Memories and Career Beginnings51:28 Valuable Garden Mistakes and Future Plans56:38 Student Projects and The Plantery01:01:09 Podcasting and Sharing Knowledge01:06:51 Final Thoughts and Connecting with Jared Barnes

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

What’s one of the best sources of inspiration and information about gardening you can get outside of a classroom, and that is also wonderfully entertaining? By making time to go visit other people’s gardens, we can open ourselves up to... Read More ›

What’s one of the best sources of inspiration and information about gardening you can get outside of a classroom, and that is also wonderfully entertaining? By making time to go visit other people’s gardens, we can open ourselves up to... Read More ›

What’s one of the best sources of inspiration and information about gardening you can get outside of a classroom, and that is also wonderfully entertaining? By making time to go visit other people’s gardens, we can open ourselves up to... Read More ›

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with renowned lecturer and garden book author Ken Druse about making more plants*. The plant profile is on Ipheion and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events and this week's garden tasks in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on Sharing is Caring by Christy Page of Green Prints. If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to: ~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 58: Grafting Fruit Trees  https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/05/gardendc-podcast-episode-58-grafting.html ~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 45: Seed Starting Tips https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/02/gardendc-podcast-episode-45-seed.html ~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 165: Gardening and the Weather with Margaret Roach https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/09/gardendc-podcast-episode-165-gardening.html   BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month!  See how at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/support SHOW NOTES will be posted around 4-10-2024. Ken's book, Making More Plants, is available at https://amzn.to/3xiuGpH (note this is an affiliate link and we may earn a few pennies when you click on it.) We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/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 podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too! Episode Credits: Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz Interview Edit and Show Notes: Hannah Zozobrado Recorded on March 30, 2024. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/support

Margaret Roach and Ken Druse are gardeners and writers offering up online courses on all things gardening. Margaret and Ken share how The Virtual Garden Club began and how they put together these programs to provide advice, encouragement, and camaraderie, along with answers to your gardening questions! Margaret is a longtime garden writer and  created a website, podcast, and weekly newsletter called A Way to Garden, the title of her 1989 book that was reissued in 2019 in an all-new edition.Ken is a celebrated lecturer, an award-winning writer, photographer and author of 20 garden books. The American Horticultural Society listed, The Natural Garden, among the best books of all time, and the New York Times called him “the guru of natural gardening.”Ready to join the club? Click here!  Also, Mark Collins from RomanticAsheville.com, shares how this guide to Asheville and Western North Carolina helps the community grow stronger and fosters inspiration and why  RomanticAsheville.com is the most visited travel website for those planning travel to this beautiful part of the world. Find out how they value their partners and readers to maximize exposure and ensure all the content is current and up to date. "There are a lot of moving parts carefully considered to ensure our readers have a seamless and rewarding experience," said Mark.A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel! Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

If you think nothing's on the to-do list in winter, fellow gardeners—that we're all meant to be dormant like the cannas in the cellar and the herbaceous perennials outside in the flower beds—well, think again. Most of us in colder zones, especially, may not be actively prepping or planting outdoors at the moment, of course. But even just within the realm of seed-related activities alone, there's plenty wanting our attention. That's what today's guest, Ken Druse, and I realized when we got to talking seeds the other day on the phone, and one thing led to another, and even though it's not yet full-on seed-starting time we found ourselves with a list of tasks – and no, not the task of seed shopping! Ken Druse is an old friend; the author of 20 gardening books, and my collaborator on our Virtual Garden Club online class series...and he's currently sorting through leftover seeds and also a pile of seed catalogs over at his New Jersey home. Seedy tasks for winter days is our subject today.

If you think nothing's on the to-do list in winter, fellow gardeners—that we're all meant to be dormant like the cannas in the cellar and the herbaceous perennials outside in the flower beds—well, think again.  Most of us in colder... Read More ›

If you think nothing's on the to-do list in winter, fellow gardeners—that we're all meant to be dormant like the cannas in the cellar and the herbaceous perennials outside in the flower beds—well, think again.  Most of us in colder... Read More ›

Yes, it's time or almost time to do some raking, and to dig the dahlias to stash – time to perform the rounds of the so-called “fall cleanup” and put the garden to bed. But today Ken Druse and I want to advocate for a sort of Cleanup Plus: for tending not just to the obvious chores, but also doing some reflection, and making time for often-overlooked late-season tasks like seed-saving, or finally transplanting one of those two overcrowded shrubs that have been screaming for more elbow room that you keep swearing to rescue...but never quite get to. Sound familiar? You all know Ken Druse, author of 20 spectacular garden books, an old friend, and my colleague the last few years in our Virtual Garden Club online courses, which resume in January. We've been talking this last week together on the phone about how we're winding down our respective garden seasons, and wanted to let you in on some of the details that we hope will help you in your own Cleanup-Plus.

Yes, it's time or almost time to do some raking, and to dig the dahlias to stash – time to perform the rounds of the so-called “fall cleanup” and put the garden to bed.  But today Ken Druse and  I want... Read More ›

Yes, it's time or almost time to do some raking, and to dig the dahlias to stash – time to perform the rounds of the so-called “fall cleanup” and put the garden to bed.  But today Ken Druse and  I want... Read More ›

Every gardener has their obsessions—or maybe a nicer way to say that might be to call it their signature plants, the ones that help define their garden. I confess to a serious issue with gold-leaved things, and last time I... Read More ›

Every gardener has their obsessions—or maybe a nicer way to say that might be to call it their signature plants, the ones that help define their garden. I confess to a serious issue with gold-leaved things, and last time I... Read More ›

We gardeners all know the experience of loss: of plants that don't make it, for one reason or another—from a tomato felled by disease in a too-humid summer to a venerable old tree taken out by a nasty winter storm. There are losses every year, no matter how expert a gardener you are...but some of them really stand out in memory, indelible. Plants we have loved and lost, but never forgotten: That's our topic today with my friend Ken Druse. You all know Ken, who gardens in New Jersey, and is the author of an impressive 20 garden books.

We gardeners all know the experience of loss: of plants that don't make it, for one reason or another—from a tomato felled by disease in a too-humid summer to a venerable old tree taken out by a nasty winter storm.... Read More ›

Summer has just officially arrived ... and with it a whole new to-do list of tasks aimed at keeping the garden going in the best possible shape all season long. We're succession sowing vegetables, of course, as the spinach and early salads face, and probably already pulled the pansies in favor of summer annuals in the pots – but there is always more, more, more to do in other parts of the garden, too. On the list: some strategic summer pruning, and a likewise strategic plan for deadheading or otherwise reducing self-sowers so there's not too much of a good thing, for instance ... plus there are perennials in need of haircuts and more. My friend Ken Druse, author of 20 garden books and a longtime gardener in New Jersey, calls a lot of it not full-scale cleanup, exactly, but “editing,” and that's our topic today, with his help.

Summer has just officially arrived … and with it a whole new to-do list of tasks aimed at keeping the garden going in the best possible shape all season long. We're succession sowing vegetables, of course, as the spinach and... Read More ›

I was remarking to my friend Ken Druse earlier this spring about a garden I'd just visited, and how the stands of primulas in it made me jealous, and crave more more more. But only a few primrose varieties are even sold in local garden centers, and if you really want to create a dramatic swath of the diminutive plants ... well, that would add up to quite an investment. As I was ranting my text buzzed to alert me there was a message, and there was a photo from Ken of a flat of his just-emerged primula seedlings—hundreds of them, that he'd successfully winter-sown outdoors. All for the price of a couple of seed packets. Learn how he did it and other things you can sow that way.

I was remarking to my friend Ken Druse earlier this spring about a garden I'd just visited, and how the stands of primulas in it made me jealous, and crave more more more. But only a few primrose varieties are... Read More ›

The days are longer and the light is strengthening—triggers that don't just start to wake up our plants, indoors and out, but also get us gardeners going. The signals have my propagation-mad friend Ken Druse starting more seeds each week and looking around the landscape and the houseplant-filled sunroom for some chances to make more plants, his favorite pastime. Ken is author and photographer of 20 garden books, including one on plant propagation, and is a daring plant propagator himself. Together since 2021, we've co-hosted the Virtual Garden Club, a series of online classes about our favorite subject: plants. Ken gardens in New Jersey, mostly in the shade.

The days are longer and the light is strengthening—triggers that don’t just start to wake up our plants, indoors and out, but also get us gardeners going. The signals have my propagation-mad friend Ken Druse starting more seeds each week... Read More ›

Winter cold has just finally descended here, and I am already missing the smells of the growing season—from the range of flowers to just brushing up against herbs out by the vegetable garden. Ken Druse is here today to encourage us to extend our season of scentual gardening – that's S-C-E-N-T-ual as in fragrance, and as in the title of his book “The Scentual Garden.” He urges us to include extra-late and extra-early producers, and also some indoor stars for a year of fragrances.  Longtime friend Ken, who gardens in New Jersey, is the author of 20 garden books, including “The Scentual Garden,” about the many fragrances the plant world can offer, our topic today. 

Winter cold has just finally descended here, and I am already missing the smells of the growing season—from the range of flowers to just brushing up against herbs out by the vegetable garden. Ken Druse is here today to encourage... Read More ›

One thing that Ken Druse and I are certain about when it comes to plants: that they will often surprise you, Some grow bigger or stay smaller than the catalog promised, and some are better- or worse-behaved, or tougher or more tender than expected. Some plants that have surprised us over the years, for better or worse, was the subject of a recent conversation we had. Ken, who gardens in New Jersey, is the author and photographer behind 20 garden books, and a longtime friend who grows lots of plants that definitely surprise me. We discussed plants that in one way or another weren't quite what we expected, as in: surprise!

Maybe like I do, you always mean to be better at seed saving, and it gets away from you. Well, right now is the perfect time with pen and paper or your cell phone in hand for making a list to look around the garden for what potential yields are coming up that you might want to grab at just the right stage to make more plants. Ken Druse is here to tell us how. You all know Ken, author of 20 garden books, old friend, and my cohost of the online Virtual Garden Club that resumes again in September. Twenty-ish years ago, he wrote a book called “Making More Plants” about all forms of propagation, including from seed.

Maybe like I do, you always mean to be better at seed saving, and it gets away from you. Well, right now is the perfect time with pen and paper or your cell phone in hand for making a list... Read More ›

Jared Barnes, Ph.D., started gardening when he was five years old, and since then has enthusiastically pursued how to best cultivate plants and minds. He currently fulfills those passions as an award-winning associate professor of horticulture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX. He educates the public with his weekly newsletter PlantEd and more recently through his Podcast- "The Plantastic Podcast". His passion has been recognized by peers in interviews in Organic Gardening, Greenhouse Grower, AmericanHort Connect, Ken Druse's Real Dirt, and Nursery Management, and his articles have appeared in The American Gardener, Fine Gardening and Carolina Gardener and now here, on the Native Plant Podcast.

Naturalistic planting design begins with understanding what roles certain plants play in nature.One of the most useful concepts in a plants' survival strategy is learning how to classify it on the Grimes Triangle.This is a new concept for me. I don't remember every hearing about this classification system or how it works.  We talk about this and more in this episode 071 – Success with Naturalistic Plantings with our guest Jared Barnes, Ph.D. Dr. Jared started gardening when he was five years old. Since then, he has enthusiastically pursued how to best cultivate plants and cultivate minds. He currently fulfills those passions as an award-winning associate professor of horticulture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX.   He obtained his Ph.D. in horticultural science from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. He interned at The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College.  By traveling around the US and to eleven countries he has gained national and global horticulture perspectives.   Jared educates the public with his weekly newsletter Plant-Ed and his monthly podcast Plantastic all found on his website Meristeam.  His passion has been recognized by peers in interviews in Organic Gardening, Greenhouse Grower, AmericanHort Connect, Ken Druse's Real Dirt, and Nursery Management.  His articles have appeared in The American Gardener, Fine Gardening and Carolina Gardener.

Naturalistic planting design begins with understanding what roles certain plants play in nature. One of the most useful concepts in a plants' survival strategy is learning how to classify it on the Grimes Triangle. This is a new concept for me. I don't remember every hearing about this classification system or how it works.   We talk about this and more in this episode 071 – Success with Naturalistic Plantings with our guest Jared Barnes, Ph.D.  Dr. Jared started gardening when he was five years old. Since then, he has enthusiastically pursued how to best cultivate plants and cultivate minds. He currently fulfills those passions as an award-winning associate professor of horticulture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX.   He obtained his Ph.D. in horticultural science from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. He interned at The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College.  By traveling around the US and to eleven countries he has gained national and global horticulture perspectives.   Jared educates the public with his weekly newsletter Plant-Ed and his monthly podcast Plantastic all found on his website Meristeam.  His passion has been recognized by peers in interviews in Organic Gardening, Greenhouse Grower, AmericanHort Connect, Ken Druse's Real Dirt, and Nursery Management.  His articles have appeared in The American Gardener, Fine Gardening and Carolina Gardener.

I recently hosted a shade-gardening webinar featuring my friend, Ken Druse. The enthusiastic registration and the outpouring of audience questions that evening reminded me how popular a topic shade is, especially the challenge of dry shade, so I asked Ken to join me on the podcast to talk more about it.  Ken is a familiar voice here at A Way To Garden, one of my longest gardening friendships. He is the author of 20 garden books, including “The New Shade Garden: Creating A Lush Oasis In The Age Of Climate Change.” He gardens in New Jersey, mostly in the shade, which is our subject today.

I recently hosted a shade-gardening webinar featuring my friend, Ken Druse. The enthusiastic registration and the outpouring of audience questions that evening reminded me how popular a topic shade is, especially the challenge of dry shade, so I asked Ken... Read More ›

Today's show is all about surprises—and the first one is my guest. He's back: My old friend Ken Druse is here after too many months of absence, and our subject is the surprises our gardens have offered so far this spring, from extra-bountiful roses to not-so-welcome spongy moth caterpillars, aka gypsy moths.  You all know Ken Druse, author of 20 garden books, keen propagator and plant collector. And for much of the last year he's also been my colleague in our online Virtual Garden Club, the latest semester of which just ended. So I've been getting to talk to him all the time – but you haven't heard from him in a bit, which is something we'll correct today.

Today's show is all about surprises—and the first one is my guest. He's back: My old friend Ken Druse is here after too many months of absence, and our subject is the surprises our gardens have offered so far this... Read More ›

The other night I hosted an online class about shade gardening, featuring Ken Druse, whom I met in 1992-ish, almost exactly 30 years ago to the day, when I interviewed him on the publication of his book “The Natural Shade Garden.” In 2015, Ken wrote a whole new shade book appropriately called “The New Shade Garden,” so I guess you can tell that shade gardening has been a consistent theme of his work in his own gardening efforts, and it's our topic today.  You all know Ken, author and photographer of 20 garden books and a daring gardener and plant propagator. He spoke to me from his garden among the trees in New Jersey, to talk shade.

When Ken Druse and I talked on the program a couple of weeks ago about putting our tools away for the winter, all cleaned and oiled, one part we failed to mention: We're both eyeing some new tools, too, for the year ahead.  All of them would make great gifts, we think, so that's today's topic: stuff we love or covet, for gifting or treating yourself to. 'Tis the season and all that, right? So ho, ho, ho.

When Ken Druse and I talked on the program a couple of weeks ago about putting our tools away for the winter, all cleaned and oiled, one part we failed to mention: We’re both eyeing some new tools, too, for... Read More ›

It's been a strangely mild fall so far in the Northeast, where Ken Druse and I both garden. But as some recent overnight freezes served as a reminder: Get the must-do chores done or else, because who knows when the weather will lower the boom for good.  On our lists, still: collecting some seeds of natives to sow later and cleaning and preparing tools for storage; lifting tender bulbs and tubers to stash; where to overwinter the nursery pots of things we bought that never found their permanent home in the ground (oops). Ken, author of 20 garden books and an old friend, is back today to help with the countdown, to getting the garden really tucked in for the winter ahead, and especially to remind himself and me and all of us not to get lulled into procrastination, even if it has been in the 60s some days here the last week.