Podcasts about national garden bureau

Send us a textDee and Carol talked about flowers and veggies that start with "E", plus a new book on soil.For more info and links, check out our free weekly newsletter.A few links: All-America Echinacea selectionsAll-America Elephant Ear Royal Hawaiian selectionAll-America Eggplants selectionsOn the bookshelf: Start with Soil: Simple Steps for a Thriving Garden, by Juliet Sargent  (Amazon Link)Dirt: Does Birdsong Help Plants Grow?Rabbit Holes: Koreshan State Park in Florida and Hedwig Michel on YouTube.Link to register for Herb Society of America's program presented by Carol on Lost Ladies of Herbal and Garden Writing (April 22)Link to register for National Garden Bureau's Book Authors Talk Gardening on April 10.Our Affiliates (Linking to them to make a purchase earns us a small commission):Botanical InterestsFarmers DefenseEtsyTerritorial SeedsTrue Leaf Market Eden BrosNature Hills Nursery  Book and Amazon links are also affiliate links.Email us anytime at TheGardenangelists@gmail.com  Our newsletter is on SubstackFor more info on Carol  visit her website.  Visit her blog May Dreams Gardens. For more info on Dee, visit her website.  Visit her blog Red Dirt Ramblings.Watch this episode on YouTube.Support the showOn Instagram: Carol: Indygardener, Dee: RedDirtRamblings, Our podcast: TheGardenangelists.On Facebook: The Gardenangelists' Garden Club.On YouTube.

We have a wide variety of topics on this episode of Garden Talk. First we take a look at the 2025 Green Thumb award winning plants, then we talk to the father of straw bale gardening, Joel Karsten, and finally a close up look at growing ferns.

Better Lawns and Gardens Hour 2 – Coming to you from the Summit Responsible Solutions Studios, Garden expert, Teresa Watkins is joined by Diane Blazek, All-American Selections and National Garden Bureau's Executive Director to announce the Professional's and People's Choices for the 2025 Green Thumb Awards. Dirty Word of the Day is “Cut and Come Again.” Gardening questions include getting tomatoes to flower, Plant Delights catalogue arrived, can rye grass be fertilized now, and more.  https://bit.ly3c1f5x7 Sign up for Teresa's monthly gardening newsletter, “In Your Backyard” where you can read Teresa's what to do in your landscape tips, Landscape Malpractice: How to know when to fire your landscaper,” Teresa's Design Tips; and more. https://bit.ly/2YRBbsT Graphic credit: Teresa Watkins Listen every Saturdays from 7am - 9am EST on WFLA- Orlando. Call in with your garden questions and text messages on 1-888.455.2867 and 23680, Miss the live broadcast? Listen on Audioboom podcast 24/7. https://bit.ly/3c1f5x7 #WFLF #WFLA #FNN #WNDB #BetterLawns #gardening #Florida #planting #gardeninglife #radio #southflorida #northflorida #centralflorida #Deland #SHE #Orlando #Sarasota #Miami #FortLauderdale #podcast #syndicated #BLGradio #WRLN #WiOD #gardening #SummitResponsibleSolutions #QualityGreenSpecialists #BlackKow 

853: 853: Dianne Blazek on Insights on Plant Breeding.Understanding how plants get from seed to our gardens.In This Podcast: We interview Diane Blazek, the executive director of All America Selections and National Garden Bureau, about the process of plant innovation and how new plant varieties make their way into gardens. Diane explains the various stages a plant goes through—from breeding to distribution—highlighting the roles of breeders, brokers, and growers. They discuss different propagation methods, including seeds and vegetative cuttings, and the intricacies involved in each step. Diane also touches on the importance of flowering plants for pollination, how to stay informed about new varieties through the National Garden Bureau, and shares a bit of horticultural history connected to Victory Gardens. Lastly, Diane offers advice for gardeners to try new plants and visit local public gardens..Our Guest:  Diane is the executive director of All America Selections and National Garden Bureau. She has been deeply and happily immersed in gardening from a very early age, from growing up on a small family farm in Missouri to her suburban lot in the Chicagoland area. She is passionate about everything green..Visit UrbanFarm.org/FIXXXXXXXXXXXXX for the show notes and links on this episode! Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges. You can chat with Greg, Janis or Ray to get permaculture based feedback.Click HERE to learn more!Become an Urban Farm Patron and listen to more than 850 episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast without ads. Click HERE to learn more.*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

Send us a textDee and Carol talked about shrubs with fall interest, two cookbooks for vegetables, a lead poisoning mystery solved, and a new book, Plants for the Winter Garden: Perennials, Grasses, Shrubs, and Trees to Add Interest in the Cold and Snow, by Warren LeachFor more information, check out our free newsletter.Links:Seed Savers ExchangeLink to register for National Garden Bureau's Book Authors Talk Gardening webinar on Nov. 14 A Midwest Gardener's Cookbook, by Marian K. Towne, Illustrations by Ellen Walsh (Amazon Link)  The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook: 125 Ridiculously, Good for You, Sometimes Indulgent and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day , by Monique Volz (Amazon link)On the Bookshelf: Plants for the Winter Garden: Perennials, Grasses, Shrubs, and Trees to Add Interest in the Cold and Snow, by Warren LeachDirt:Turmeric lead poisoning - quite the mystery - NPR article and Turmeric's unexpected link to lead poisoning in BangladeshOur Affiliates (Linking to them to make a purchase earns us a small commission):Botanical InterestsFarmers DefenseEtsyTerritorial SeedsTrue Leaf Market Eden BrosNature Hills Nursery  Book and Amazon links are also affiliate links.Email us anytime at TheGardenangelists@gmail.com  For more info on Carol  visit her website.  Visit her blog May Dreams Gardens. For more info on Dee, visit her website.  Visit her blog Red Dirt Ramblings.Support the showOn Instagram: Carol: Indygardener, Dee: RedDirtRamblings, Our podcast: TheGardenangelists.On Facebook: The Gardenangelists' Garden Club.On YouTube.

Today, we chat with Diane Blazek, executive director of All-America Selections and the National Garden Bureau, about the best plants to be adding to your garden this Autumn for long, cool season blooms. We explore various options such as annuals, herbaceous perennials, and bulbs. Diane highlights her favorite bulbs, especially daffodils, noting their resilience and bloom timing. We have practical gardening tips too, including soaking nasturtium seeds for quicker germination and using markers to identify bulb locations. The conversation covers other plant varieties like snapdragons and dianthus. We also touch on the benefits of asters and the visual appeal of crocuses, primroses, violas, and ornamental kale. The episode is packed with expert advice for gardeners at all levels looking to enhance their fall planting efforts.Today, it's Episode 362, Fall Plants for Winter and Spring color. We're podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory. It's the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Dave Wilson Nursery. Let's go!Pictured: “Baby Gold” Nasturtium (Photo: AASWinners.com) Links:Subscribe to the Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.comSmart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/Dave Wilson Nursery HeirloomRoses.com (with the FRED discount link, good until Oct. 31, 2024)Other links mentioned in today's podcast:AASWinners.comNGB.orgNasturtium ‘Baby Gold'Snapdragon ‘Double Shot'Dianthus ‘Capitan Magnifica'Ornamental Kale ‘Glamour Red'Got a garden question? • Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe, at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics• Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964. • Fill out the contact box at GardenBasics.net• E-mail: fred@farmerfred.com All About Farmer Fred: The GardenBasics.net websiteThe Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter, Beyond the Basics https://gardenbasics.substack.comFarmer Fred website:  http://farmerfred.comThe Farmer Fred Rant! Blog Facebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred" Instagram: farmerfredhoffman Twitter/X: @farmerfredFarmer Fred Garden Minute Videos on YouTube As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links mentioned here.Thank you for listening, subscribing and commenting on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast and the Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter.

00:00 Introduction to The Garden Question Podcast00:41 Meet Diane Blazek: A Journey in Gardening01:29 The Legacy of National Garden Bureau05:10 Victory Garden 2.0: Reviving a Historic Movement06:23 The Impact of COVID-19 on Gardening08:09 Challenges and Successes in Modern Gardening10:44 Exploring New Plant Programs14:13 All American Selections Trials16:20 Display Gardens: Showcasing AAS Winners18:45 Year of Program: Celebrating Plant Classes21:33 Promoting Garden Authors and Books22:16 Therapeutic Garden Grants24:33 Understanding Our Members26:14 Finding Information and Social Media Presence27:08 Debunking Garden Myths27:55 Personal Garden Memories28:54 Career in Horticulture29:59 Funny Garden Stories30:54 Influences and Mistakes in Gardening34:47 Current Garden and Future Plans37:19 Recent Learnings and Favorite Plants39:25 Final Thoughts and Connecting with DianeToday's guest is someone whose love for all things green goes beyond the ordinary – Diane Blazek, Executive Director of All-America Selections and the National Garden Bureau.Diane's journey started early, growing up on a small family farm where she was surrounded by fields, gardens, and the wonder of cultivating life from the soil. This passion only grew stronger, leading her to work with Ball Publishing for 15 years before taking on her current role. As Executive Director, Diane is now at the forefront of consumer gardening, helping to shape and inspire how we all interact with our own green spaces.In this episode, we'll explore the rich legacy and ongoing influence of the National Garden Bureau, a nonprofit founded in 1920 by James Burdett with a mission to educate and inspire the public about gardening. Even as the Bureau celebrated its 100th anniversary during the challenges of the pandemic, it found new ways to connect with gardeners, launching initiatives like Victory Garden 2.0 to rekindle the spirit of community growing.Diane will also share details about the All-America Selections Trials, the 'Year of' plant program, and the Therapeutic Garden Grant – all key projects that continue to benefit gardeners of all kinds.

All Things Gardening discusses a recent National Garden Bureau article that pairs Zodiac signs with the plants and flowers that complement them best. Plus, a potting soil solution for dryness.

Dee and Carol talk about Verbenas, early spring leaf and root crops, a lovely book on hummingbirds, and more.For more information and more links, check out our Substack newsletter.Flowers:'Bampton' seeds from HayefieldNative Verbenas:  Verbena hastata (American Blue Vervain)Verbena stricta (Hoary Vervain)Verbena halei (Texas Vervain)Veggies:Old episode on winter vs. summer radishesOn the Bookshelf:   The Hummingbirds' Gift: Wonder, Beauty, and Renewal on Wings by Sy MontgomeryDirt: GMO Tomato available to home gardeners.  Norfolk Healthy Products…  Book Authors Talk Gardening, sponsored by the National Garden Bureau on March 7th at  7pm  - a free event! Registration Link.   Rabbit Holes: Margaret Roach's article/discussion with Don Tipping of siskiyou seeds.  Carol's Substack article about Kate L. Brewster.Carol's blog post about her plant labeling advice.Our Affiliates (Linking to them to make a purchase earns us a small commission):Botanical InterestsFarmers DefenseEtsyTerritorial SeedsTrue Leaf Market Eden BrosNature Hills Nursery  Book and Amazon links are also affiliate links.Email us anytime at TheGardenangelists@gmail.com  For more info on Carol  visit her website.  Visit her blog May Dreams Gardens. For more info on Dee, visit her website.  Visit her blog Red Dirt Ramblings.Support the showOn Instagram: Carol: Indygardener, Dee: RedDirtRamblings, Our podcast: TheGardenangelists.On Facebook: The Gardenangelists' Garden Club.On YouTube.

Dee and Carol talk about the National Garden Bureau's Year of the Hosta, growing lettuce and peas, George Harrison's topiary garden, and more.For complete show notes and additional info, check out our Substack newsletter.Links:Espoma products, also on AmazonFlowers:National Garden Bureau's Year of the HostaOn the bookshelf: Mischievous Creatures: The Forgotten Sisters Who Transformed Early American Science by Catherine McNeur  (Amazon)Dirt:  George Harrison's Topiary GardenRabbit Holes:Dorothy Giles, author of The Little Kitchen GardenCapote and the Swans on FXOur Affiliates (Linking to them to make a purchase earns us a small commission):Botanical InterestsFarmers DefenseEtsyTerritorial SeedsTrue Leaf Market Eden BrosNature Hills Nursery  Book and Amazon links are also affiliate links.Email us anytime at TheGardenangelists@gmail.com  For more info on Carol  visit her website.  Visit her blog May Dreams Gardens. For more info on Dee, visit her website.  Visit her blog Red Dirt Ramblings.Support the showOn Instagram: Carol: Indygardener, Dee: RedDirtRamblings, Our podcast: TheGardenangelists.On Facebook: The Gardenangelists' Garden Club.On YouTube.

Alec Charais is one of the most passionate people in horticulture today. Having grown up on a family farm, his love for plants grew into a rewarding career that today finds him collaborating with breeders and agents across the globe, searching for trees and shrubs that will beautify the outdoor living experience for everyone.   At Bailey Nurseries, a family-owned fifth-generation nursery with growing operations in Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, and Georgia, Alec leads the marketing and product development functions across the company. This includes successful consumer brands including First Editions® Shrubs & Trees, Endless Summer® Hydrangeas, and Easy Elegance® Roses – all brands that Bailey owns and manages worldwide. These brands are well known in many parts of the world and Bailey continues to breathe new life into their plants through extensive breeding and trialing to ensure people have lasting success. In addition to his role as Chief Marketing & Product Development Officer at Bailey, he also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Garden Bureau and the Corporate Membership Committee of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Alec is passionate about bringing new ideas, people, and plants, to life!   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/plantatrilliontrees/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/plantatrilliontrees/support

Better Lawns and Gardens Hour 2 – Coming to you from Summit Responsible Solutions Studios, Garden expert, Teresa Watkins announces the Meet The Authors Party hosted by the National Garden Bureau on Thursday, November 9th. Natalie Carmolli, Proven Winners Color Choice introduces their Deer Proof Plant Program. Garden questions include how much to water Soursop, Lethal Bronzing of Sylvester Palm, fruit tee leaves browning, favorite plant app, how much to water sod, avocado brown tips, and more.  https://bit.ly3c1f5x7 Graphic and photo credit: Teresa Watkins, Proven Winners Color Choice. Listen every Saturdays from 7am - 9am EST on WFLA- Orlando. Call in with your garden questions and text messages on 1-888.455.2867 and 23680, Miss the live broadcast? Listen on Audioboom podcast 24/7. https://bit.ly/3c1f5x7   #WFLF #WFLA #FNN #WNDB #WDBO #BetterLawns #gardening #Florida #planting #gardeninglife #radio #southflorida #northflorida #centralflorida #Deland #SHE #Orlando #Sarasota #Miami #FortLauderdale #BLGradio #WRLN #WiOD #gardening #SummitResponsibleSolutions #QualityGreenSpecialists #BlackKow #Autumn #DeerProof #NationalGardenBureau 

763: Diane Blazek on New Plant EvaluationsOrganizing trials of new plant varieties with professional judges throughout North AmericaIn This Podcast: We are introduced to the organization behind the AAS logo found on seed packages and seed catalogs everywhere. Diane Blazek explains how different plants and plant breeders get recognized as standout winners amongst their peers and earn this logo through All American Selections' annual plant trials. Diane is the Executive Director of All-America Selections and National Garden Bureau, she has been deeply (and happily!) immersed in gardening from an early age. From growing up on a small family farm in Missouri to her small suburban lot in the Chicago-land area, she is passionate about everything green. After spending 15 years with Ball Publishing, Diane moved to take on her current role where she can be even closer to the end consumer. Both All-America Selections and National Garden Bureau are in an exciting period of growth and influence both inside and outside the industry with innovative ideas and progressive programs for consumers, garden communicators, public gardens, and a full range of growers and retailers that have benefited all segments of the horticulture industry.Visit www.urbanfarm.org/AllAmerican for the show notes and links on this episode!Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges. You can chat with Greg, Janis or Ray to get permaculture based feedback.Click HERE to learn more!Become an Urban Farm Patron and listen to more than 775 episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast without ads. Click HERE to learn more.*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

Admittedly I was not much of a fan of spirea but, wow, have they come a long way. National Garden Bureau has named their shrub of the year for 2023, it's Spirea! With nearly 100 unique species, NGB reports that this hardy group of plants boasts a wide range of colorful foliage ranging from blue to yellow, red, to orange, and everything in between. Check out some beauties and get more info on today's Garden Bite. Email me at tkgardenbite@gmail.com.

Better Lawns and Gardens Hour 2  – Coming to you from Summit Responsible Solutions Studios, Garden expert and host Teresa Watkins interviews Diane Blazek, Executive Director of the National Garden Bureau and the announced selection of 2023's AAS Winners. The winners this year are exciting and perfect for the home landscape and garden. Teresa answers your garden questions and more. https://bit.ly/3c1f5x7   Teresa's Buffalo in Bloom garden tour is filling up! Don't miss this exciting garden extravaganza! This is the largest garden walk in the United States! An incredible opportunity to experience gardens of every style, shape, and theme. July 26 – July 30, 2023 Buffalo in Bloom and Niagara Falls, Canada.   https://bit.ly/3vNqkCM  Graphic credit: AAS, National Garden Bureau, Teresa Watkins Listen every Saturdays from 7am - 9am EST on WFLA- Orlando. Call inh with your garden questions and text messages on 1-888.455.2867 and 23680, Miss the live broadcast? Listen on Audioboom podcast 24/7. https://bit.ly/3c1f5x7 #WFLF #WFLA #FNN #WNDB #WDBO #BetterLawns #gardening #Florida #planting #gardeninglife #radio #southflorida #northflorida #centralflorida #tropical #floridalife #photography #SHE #Orlando #Sarasota #Miami #FortLauderdale #BLGradio #WRLN #WiOD #gardening #SummitResponsibleSolutions #QualityGreenSpecialists #BlackKow #AASWinners #NGB 

Dee and Carol talk about cutting gardens, southern heirloom vegetables and the woman behind them and more. Check out our Substack newsletter for more info about this week's episode and subscribe to get it directly in your email inbox!Dee's post about  seed-starting station.  Carol's post about  crocuses and eggshellsFlowers:The nostalgia garden by National Garden Bureau. Vegetables Love Flowers by Lisa Ziegler (Bookshop link).   Carol's post about peonies in JulyVegetables:    Ira Wallace, They Call Her the Godmother of Southern Seeds for a Reason. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange . Grow Great Vegetables: Indiana, edited by Bevin Cohen (Amazon Link) On the Bookshelf:   The Container Victory Garden: A Beginner's Guide to Growing Your Own Groceries by Maggie Stuckey (Amazon Link) Dirt: All the Presidents' Gardens by Marta McDowell (Amazon Link)Our Affiliates:Botanical InterestsFarmers DefenseEtsyTerritorial SeedsTrue Leaf Market Eden BrosEmail us anytime at TheGardenangelists@gmail.com  For more info on Carol  visit her website.  Visit her blog May Dreams Gardens. For more info on Dee, visit her website.  Visit her blog Red Dirt Ramblings.Support the showSupport the showOn Instagram: Carol: Indygardener, Dee: RedDirtRamblings, Our podcast: TheGardenangelists.On Facebook: The Gardenangelists' Garden Club.On YouTube.

Secondo in Europa con 27mila aziende e 29mila ettari coltivati il settore del florovivaismo è un'eccellenza del nostro paese. Ne scopriamo luci e ombre con Nada Forbici di Assofloro e con Valeria Randazzo responsabile di Myplant & garden la cui nuova edizione scatterà a Milano il 22 febbraio,Spazio anche ai fiori, in particolare a Spiree, Rudbeckie e Amarillys, tra le piante che secondo il National Garden Bureau andranno per la maggiore nel 2023.

Today I'm sharing an annual, a shrub, if you prefer, and an edible. I discovered these 2023 offerings I found through the National Garden Bureau where I'm a member. Check out my website for a look at all these wonderful new plants.

This week, Dee and Carol go through the list of "Year of" plants announced by the National Garden Bureau, discuss favorite books of 2022, and provide updates of all sorts.Head over 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!Some links (more links on the newsletter!)Flowers: Check out more info on the Year of Plants on the National Garden Bureau website.Carol's article on Family Handyman about celosia'Lavender Cloud' nicotiana from Hudson Valley SeedsVeggies: Carol's article on How to grow broccoli in Family HandymanMidnight Snack cherry tomatoes an All-America Selection back in the heyday of 2017.  On the Bookshelf:   The Chef's Garden by Farmer Lee JonesDirt:  They Fought the Lawn. And the Lawn's Done. - The New York Times.  Rabbit Holes: Mildred Luedy who wrote The Christmas Rose with her husband, Arthur.  The usual links:Affiliate link to Botanical Interest Seeds.  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. On Instagram: Carol: Indygardener, Dee: RedDirtRamblings, Our podcast: TheGardenangelists.On Facebook: The Gardenangelists' Garden Club.On YouTube.

The National Garden Bureau selects a bulb to celebrate each year. For 2023, it's the Amaryllis. It's another ever present flower during the holidays. Learn more about Amaryllis and which are the two most popular! And can you keep an amaryllis you bought in wax? That's on today's Garden Bite.

Better Lawns and Gardens Hour 1 – Coming to you from Summit Responsible Solutions Studios, Garden expert, Teresa Watkins, remarks on the poignancy and symbolism of Queen Elizabeth's funeral wreath. Hummingbirds have started their migration to South America. The National Garden Bureau provides new hummingbird-attracting plants, including Salvia ‘Hummingbird Falls', in the garden centers. Teresa adds her favorite Florida native plants and trees to provide sustenance for these aerial dynamos on their seasonal trek. Gardening calls and texts include lemongrass ‘rust,' listeners' stories on Florida's year-round hummingbirds, and more. https://bit.ly/3c1f5x7 Lance Walheim's recommendation for David Attenborough's "Hummingbirds" documentary.   Go with Teresa as she leads the Best of English Gardens and Chelsea Flower Show 2023. 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 #tours #Chelsea #UK #London #ChelseaFlowerShow

This week's episode is the audio recording from a filming session with author and natural beauty expert, Janice Cox, on homemade body care using herbal teas. Janice, author of “Natural Beauty from the Garden”, shares her favorite body care recipes (such as a homemade lotion and an easy clay body mask) using common household ingredients in this fun and informative talk. These recipes are quick and simple, making them easily accessible to anyone looking to upgrade their homemade body care routine. Check out the Mountain Rose Herbs YouTube channel to view the video recording of Janice's talk and find other herbal inspired recipes. Janice Cox is an expert on the topic of Natural Beauty and making your own cosmetic products with simple kitchen and garden ingredients.  She is the author of five best selling books on the topic: Natural Beauty at Home, Natural Beauty for All Seasons, Natural Beauty from the Garden, Beautiful Luffa, and Beautiful Lavender.  She is currently the beauty editor for Herb QuarterlyMagazine and a member of the editorial advisory board for Mother Earth Living Magazine She lives in Medford, Oregon with her husband. She is a member of The Herb Society of America, International Herb Association, United States Lavender Growers Association, Northwest Lavender Association, Garden Communicators International, and the National Garden Bureau. Visit Janice Cox at: https://www.naturalbeautyathome.com/ Find Janice's book “Natural Beauty at Home” here: https://www.naturalbeautyathome.com/natural-beauty-books   Join our community! Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube Follow on Instagram Like on Facebook Follow on Pinterest Follow on Twitter Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog Follow on TikTok Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. Mountain Rose Herbs www.mountainroseherbs.com

We all get busy or, hopefully, go on vacation. Or maybe we have lousy soil or a myriad of other things that keep us from thriving gardens. On today's Garden Bite I share some gadgets that help with weeding, watering and even growing. The National Garden Bureau members, including me, voted on products that offer options.

Phlox are one of the classic American perennials and one of the earliest North American natives to enter cultivation. The National Garden Bureau has named 2022 the Year of the Phlox and with good reason. An easy perennial, I have a lot of information on today's Garden Bite and plenty of pictures on my website too! Check out the podcast AND my website! And please, send me your comments, questions and suggestions for future 'Bite's! What do YOU want to know about? tkgardenbite@gmail.com and also Garden Bite with Teri Knight on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube too!

We've often said here that when designing your garden plan, make sure the edible garden is visible from the kitchen window. Today, we expand on that: tips for planning a garden so that the most beautiful spots outside are visible from the room inside in which you spend the most time. Think of it as the "easy chair garden". Master Gardener Pam Bone has some ideas for you on that.Speaking of edibles, we revisit a chat we had with Master Rosarian Debbie Arrington about the tastiest rose petals. We'll find out what they taste like, too.There's no question that your garden is great therapy for your body, mind and soul. In fact, therapy gardens play a big part in our society in the rehabilitation, education and skill learning for those who need it the most. Diane Blazek of the National Garden Bureau talks about what some of those gardens are doing to make your country a better place to live.We're podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory. It's the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Dave Wilson Nursery. And we will do it all in just a bit over 30 minutes. Let's go!Live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the new home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net or BuzzsproutPictured: Breakfast Nook Window to the GardenLinks:Subscribe to the free, Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/Dave Wilson Nursery https://www.davewilson.com/home-garden/Squirrel Buster Bird FeederReviewed Landscape AppsFragrant  Roses ListNational Garden Bureau Therapy Garden Grant InformationAmerican Horticultural Therapy AssociationGot a garden question? • Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe, at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics• Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964. • Fill out the contact box at GardenBasics.net• E-mail: fred@farmerfred.com All About Farmer Fred: The GardenBasics.net websiteThe Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.comFarmer Fred website:http://farmerfred.comDaily Garden tips and snark on Twitter https://twitter.com/farmerfredThe Farmer Fred Rant! Blog   http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.comFacebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred" Instagram: @FarmerFredHoffman

Diane Blazek of the National Garden Bureau and All America Selections walks us through some of the best new plants of 2022. Tips on cold frames, rejuvenation pruning of shrubs, and bringing indoor plants back outside. The Plant of the Week is Mertensia virginica, the Virginia Bluebell. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/intothegarden/support

The National Garden Bureau has chosen 2022 to be the Year of the Lilac. You may ask why? Lilacs are among the most carefree spring-flowering, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrubs (or small trees). Listen for some of the top lilac offerings and go to Garden Bite for a new cultivar to fall in love with.

Better Lawns and Gardens Hour 2 – Valentine's Day weekend with Randy Schultz, editor of HomeGardenandHomestead, the best garden website in the Plant Kingdom. Teresa provides more Valentine's Day trivia which has Lizzie gagging. Randy announces the National Garden Bureau's 2022 Green Thumb Award winners.  Garden questions and texts include: yellowing gardenias, variegated hibiscus reverting, herbs getting woody, dogs eating kumquats, freeze-damaged trees and parrot flowers, and more.  https://bit.ly/3c1f5x7      Graphic credits: 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 #BetterLawns #gardening #Florida #planting #gardeninglife #radio #southflorida #northflorida #centralflorida #tropical #floridalife #photography #SHE #fertilizer #turf #grass #landscaping #fruits #vegetables #Orlando #Sarasota #Miami #FortLauderdale #BLGradio #WRLN #WiOD #2022 #winter #freeze #greenthumb #awards #NGB #gardening #SummitResponsibleSolutions 

The Plantrama team presents farmed and foraged edibles for the end of June, and discusses how to tell if your plant-ID app has given you a correct identification. We celebrate The Year of the Monarda, and why beebalm has a place in most gardens. Plus Ellen and C.L. and talk about Japanese beetle control.   :37  What's for dinner:  End of June foraged food and the first crop of broccoli. 6:35  Insider Information: Ways to check accuracy of plant-identification apps. 11:03 Eat/Drink/Grow: It's the year of the Monarda! 20:50  Love Letters and Questions: Kim wrote about a problem with Japanese beetles.   Check out the Mt Cuba Monarda Trials: https://mtcubacenter.org/trials/monarda/ See the National Garden Bureau's Year of the Monarda information: https://ngb.org/year-of-the-monarda/  

Filled with amazing stories, step-by-step exercises, and thought-provoking discussions, Lynn McKenzie's book, Bark, Neigh, Meow shows how animal companions help you transform your life and fulfill your purpose. You'll find greater passion, elevate your spirit, deepen your connection to the unseen realm, and much more. This heartwarming collection of Lynn's personal and client stories, reveals the power of animals to become your partners, teachers, guides, healers, and catalysts. Spring is the time to savor the beauty surrounding you. If you've ever been to Giverny in France, you will know that Monet was not exaggerating about his garden being his most beautiful work of art. He was inspired by nature and you can be too. Be an artist and create your masterpiece in your garden. The perfume of the jasmine permeates the morning air, the lilac scents the afternoon sunshine, while the wisteria and mock orange infuse the evening with glorious aromas. It's going to be a beautiful Mother's Day If you love to read, take inspiration from some of your favorite books, especially those for children, to create a garden based on a story. From The Tale of Peter Rabbit to a Harry Potter Garden, Cynthia Brian along with The National Garden Bureau offer ideas to increase literacy and make reading and gardening fun.

Filled with amazing stories, step-by-step exercises, and thought-provoking discussions, Lynn McKenzie’s book, Bark, Neigh, Meow shows how animal companions help you transform your life and fulfill your purpose. You'll find greater passion, elevate your spirit, deepen your connection to the unseen realm, and much more. This heartwarming collection of Lynn's personal and client stories, reveals the power of animals to become your partners, teachers, guides, healers, and catalysts. Spring is the time to savor the beauty surrounding you. If you’ve ever been to Giverny in France, you will know that Monet was not exaggerating about his garden being his most beautiful work of art. He was inspired by nature and you can be too. Be an artist and create your masterpiece in your garden. The perfume of the jasmine permeates the morning air, the lilac scents the afternoon sunshine, while the wisteria and mock orange infuse the evening with glorious aromas. It’s going to be a beautiful Mother’s Day If you love to read, take inspiration from some of your favorite books, especially those for children, to create a garden based on a story. From The Tale of Peter Rabbit to a Harry Potter Garden, Cynthia Brian along with The National Garden Bureau offer ideas to increase literacy and make reading and gardening fun.

Rick and Kristi were in taking your calls plus Word of the Day. Also, the Birdman was in talking about the Great Backyard Bird Count. Orchid Expert Mei Ling Clemens joined the show plus Diane Blazek from the National Garden Bureau.

Today we celebrate a man with, perhaps, the perfect last name for a botanist: Blume. We'll also learn about a wild berry that is a sister to the blueberry and the cranberry. We hear some words about the devastating impact of the poisonous White Snakeroot on the family of one of our American Presidents. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about the story of two botanists with different fates - yet both made their mark in horticulture. And then we’ll wrap things up with the story of a Southern poet born on this day.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to “Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast.” And she will. It's just that easy.   The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf.   Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org   Curated News Drawing On History, Philosophy, Psychology & Art, The Gardens Of Shute House Are Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe's Masterpiece | House & Garden   Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you’d search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events February 3, 1862 Today is the anniversary of the death of the German-Dutch botanist with the perfect last name - Carl Ludwig Blume. Born in Germany and orphaned by the age of five, Carl proved to be a bright little boy and a successful student. He studied at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands - a place that would become his Northstar. When he died in Leiden, on this day in 1862, he had become a naturalized Dutch citizen. Scholastically, Carl went the path of most botanists. He first became a physician, and he ran an apothecary. In short order, he started botanizing in the Dutch East Indies, specifically on the island of Java, where he was the Botanic Garden director. Carl wrote a spectacular book on the collection of orchids that were available on the island. The title page is stunning, and it features three native women from Java performing a ceremonial dance. The mountains of Java in the village are in the background, and a garland of orchids frames the stunning portrait. This publication is considered one of the finest works of scientific literature during the early 1800s. In 1825, Carl established the Dendrobium genus of orchids. The genus name is derived from the Greek; "dendron" for tree and "bios" meaning life. The two terms, tree and life, refer to orchids’ epiphytic habit of growing on trees. And, here's a great story about Carl. During his time in Java, Carl saw what he thought was a group of moths flying in a motionless fashion by a tree. It was a strange vision. But, when he got closer, Carl realized what he thought were moths were actually orchid flowers. Carl named the species Phalaenopsis amabilis (fayl-eh-NOP-sis ah-MA-bo-lis). In nature, the phalaenopsis orchid stems are not clipped to a bamboo pole like they are when we buy them in the supermarket. Instead, they arch away from the tree they are attached to and sway easily with the Wind. It was the motion of the Orchid flowers swaying in the wind that lead Carl to believe he saw an insect and not a blossom. The etymology of the word phalaenopsis comes from the Latin word "phal,” which means moth - which is why this Orchid is commonly referred to as the Moth Orchid. Phalaenopsis orchids are native to Southeast Asia. Their popularity has steadily grown because they are so easy to grow and because they bloom indoors all year round. This makes them one of the most popular house plants in the world. Now, should you be tempted this summer to move your phalaenopsis orchid outside, think twice. Just because they are a tropical plant doesn’t mean they want full sun. Phalaenopsis orchids grow in the shade of trees under the tree canopy. They like indirect light, and if you put them in full sun, they will get sunburned. If you are going to move them outside, make sure to put them in a place where they will not get direct sunlight. Sometimes I’ll put mine onto my north-facing covered porch. In 1853, Carl Ludwig Blume discovered another popular plant in the mountains of Java: coleus. Coleus bluemei was named in Carl’s honor until it was changed in 2006 to Coleux x Hybridus in recognition of all the new hybrid variations. As of 2012, the botanical name for coleus is Plectranthus scutellarioides (Plek-TRAN-thus SKOO-til-air-ee-OY-deez). And Coleus is in the Mint or Lamiaceae family. They have that signature square stem and opposite leaves - along with other famous members of the Mint family: Basil, Peppermint, Oregano, Salvia, Swedish Ivy, and Thyme. An early nickname for Coleus was painted nettle or flame nettle. Coleus is easy to propagate from cuttings. You can simply pop them in a glass of water, and in a few days, roots will start to form. To encourage your Coleus to grow more compactly, keep pruning them before they bloom. You might remember that the National Garden Bureau made 2015 the year of the coleus.   February 3, 1941 On this day, The Daily Republican out of Monongahela, Pennsylvania, published a tiny snippet about the Box Huckleberry (Gaylussacia brachycera). “In Tuscarora Forest, Perry county, there is a large box huckleberry bush considered the largest on earth.  In 1846, Dr. Asa Gray, the famous Harvard botanist, wrote the first description of the bush, which covers hundreds of square feet of earth. Experts estimate its age to be about 12,000 years, five times as old as the big California trees.” Today, that massive colony of Box Huckleberry still lives in the Tuscarora Forest (I checked).  In fact, it’s listed on the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website. And they thoughtfully include a Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area Trail Guide (PDF) right on their website. Speaking of websites, I love what  Zoe Bommarito wrote about the western Huckleberry species in a post on the National Forest Foundation website: “Coming from the Midwest, I heard about huckleberries as a child – but I had never eaten one, or even seen a huckleberry for that matter. They don’t grow in Michigan.  When I moved to Missoula, Montana, I began to hear about these iconic berries. People are obsessed. Driving through Montana, I guarantee you’ll see at least a couple of roadside signs advertising huckleberry milkshakes. I thought everyone was crazy. I soon learned that huckleberries are in my own backyard — they’re abundant in our National Forests. These delicious, sought-after, and magical berries are available to you on our public lands. Huckleberries are small red and purple berries related to both blueberries and cranberries. Smaller than a blueberry and sweeter than a cranberry, many believe that huckleberries are the best of both worlds. Huckleberries come from a shrub-like plant that grows in the underbrush of forests. More than twelve species of huckleberries are found throughout Pacific Northwest forests.” And here are a few additional points about the Huckleberry. Many gardeners think blueberries and huckleberries are interchangeable - but this is not the case. Although you can’t tell by color alone, since some huckleberries are blue and some blueberries are almost purple, you can distinguish them by the seeds. Blueberries have lots of itty-bitty seeds in their pulp, while Huckleberries have exactly ten small seeds. The etymology of the word Huckle is a reference to an old word for joint or hip because of the Huckleberry plant’s joined stems. In fact, the handles on a coffin are often called Huckles - so when you carry a coffin, you are a Hucklebearer - or pallbearer. And the phrase, “I'm your Huckleberry,” is a way of letting someone know you’re just the person for the job. And don’t forget that Tom Sawyer's trusted friend was Huckleberry Finn. Huckleberries love to grow on the forest floor in acidic soil - they feel right at home under a fir or pine canopy. And although plenty of gardeners have tried to grow Huckleberries from seed, their attempts didn’t yield fruit. To this day, Huckleberry plants have never been reliably cultivated. Thus, Huckleberries are still harvested the old fashioned way: foragers pick them. And the laborious foraging is precisely why Huckleberries are so expensive; they sell for double-digits - over $10 a pound.   Unearthed Words One of the most famous victims of milk sickness was Nancy Hanks Lincoln, mother of Abraham Lincoln. She fought the disease for a week but finally succumbed, as did her aunt and uncle and several other people in the small town of Little Pigeon Creek, Indiana. She died in 1818 at the age of thirty-four, leaving behind nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln and his sister, Sarah. Lincoln’s father built the coffins himself; young Abraham helped by carving the pegs for his mother’s casket. — Amy Stewart, gardener and garden writer, Wicked Plants, White Snakeroot   Grow That Garden Library Both by Douglas Crase This book came out in 2004, and the subtitle is A Portrait in Two Parts. In this book, we learn about a fascinating fifty-year relationship between Dwight Ripley (the heir to an American railroad fortune and a polymath who excelled in horticulture, music, language, and painting) and Rupert Barneby (the son of an aristocratic English family and one of the greatest botanists of the 20th Century). After meeting at Harrow, an exclusive boarding school in England, Dwight and Rupert discovered a shared obsession for botany and love for each other. Ultimately, the two would go on many botanizing trips before settling in Los Angeles in the 1930s. In addition to regular botanizing trips in the American Southwest, Dwight and Rupert were part of a lively social circle among the artistic élite of New York that included W. H. Auden, Peggy Guggenheim, and Jackson Pollock. This book features the incredible life stories of Dwight and Rupert, and gardeners will thrill to learn more about their botanical mania and exploits through their “exquisite prose on plants, snatches of Barneby's witty poetry, and reproductions of drawings in each of their distinctive styles.” This book is 320 pages of the extraordinary lives of two immensely talented men and their impact on botany, horticulture, and American art in the 20th Century. You can get a copy of Both by Douglas Crase and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $3   Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart February 3, 1842 Today is the birthday of the American poet, musician, and author, Sidney Lanier. Born in Macon, Georgia, Sidney rose to fame after writing a poem about, of all things, corn. He had been visiting friends when he was immediately struck by the “beauty of cornfields and the pathos of deserted farms.” Sidney is one of our under-appreciated 19th-century poets. Music and nature were endless wells of inspiration for Sidney’s work. After fighting in the civil war, he wrote a book about his experience called Tiger Lilies. He could be light-hearted: I am but a small-winged bird: But I will conquer the big world As the bee-martin beats the crow, By attacking it always from above. And Sidney was also spiritual - as in his poem A Ballad of Trees and the Master about the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, with a compelling first verse that ends: But the olives they were not blind to Him, The little gray leaves were kind to Him: The thorn-tree had a mind to Him When into the woods He came. Today gardeners can visit the Sidney Lanier Cottage in Macon, Georgia. And if you go, there is a marvelous little herb garden with cobblestone paths and a sundial in the center. The little cottage gets high marks on Trip Advisor, where one reviewer wrote, “From the moment we walked in and breathed in the scent of the old building, to the end of the (extra good) tour, we enjoyed everything we learned.” And there is a school called the Sidney Lanier Center in northeast Gainesville, Florida, which offers education to elementary and secondary students with disabilities. In 2015, students created the Sidney Lanier Community Garden with the help of a master gardener named Susan Lucas. Today, the whole school enjoys the garden, which grows herbs (for cooking and sensory therapy), carrots, kale, as well as blueberries, and strawberries. Sidney’s dream was to teach at a new University called Johns Hopkins. Three years after the University opened, Sidney was invited to teach. He became an instant sensation with the students, but his body was failing him. In 1880, after battling years of poor health due to tuberculosis contracted during his time in the Civil War, Sidney wrote his final poem, "Sunrise," After lecturing for a little over a year, Sidney had to teach sitting down. He was 39 years old. When the school year ended, Sidney and his family went to North Carolina to reset his failing health. Instead, he died with his family around him in a home in Tryon, just a few blocks west of where the musician Nina Simone would grow up. Fittingly, Sidney’s grave in Baltimore is inscribed with words from his final poem, “Sunrise,” “I am lit with the Sun.”   Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Carol and Dee talk about smaller seed companies, nasturtiums, starting seeds, and finding hidden treasure in your garden.  Some helpful links:Smaller Seed Companies to consider ordering from:John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds, Hudson Valley Seed Company, Seed Savers Exchange Heirloom Seeds,Territorial Seed Company,Botanical Interests,Renee's GardenGood article from National Garden Bureau on buying seeds.More info on seed starting  from Purdue Cooperative Extensive ServiceOn the Bookshelf: The 20-30 Something Garden Guide: A No-Fuss, Down and Dirty, Gardening 101 for Anyone Who Wants to Grow Stuff, by Dee NashMore info on Brood X CicadasEmail us 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.Affiliate links to purchase any of our books:The 20-30 Something Garden Guide: A No-Fuss, Down and Dirty, Gardening 101 for Anyone Who Wants to Grow Stuff, by Dee NashPotted and Pruned: Living a Gardening Life, by Carol J. MichelHomegrown and Handpicked: A Year in a Gardening Life, by Carol J. MichelSeeded and Sodded: Thoughts from a Gardening Life, by Carol J. MichelCreatures and Critters: Who's in Your Garden, by Carol J. MichelThe Christmas Cottontail: A Story for Gardeners of All Ages, by Carol J. Michel 

Better Lawns and Gardens (http://betterlawns.com/homenew.asp) Hour #1 – Gardening experts Teresa Watkins and Tom MacCubbin chat with Orange County Extension agent, Ed Thralls, about January's transplants, deciduous fruit trees, and the vegetable garden.  Other topics include @SeedsnSuchcatalog, @PantoneColor 's 2021, green beans and National Garden Bureau's Year of the Bean, and what to do in your landscape.  Garden questions on Poinciana, using pre-emergents, and more. Photo Credit:  Teresa Watkins Listen to Better Lawns and Gardens (https://bit.ly/30cciv3) every Saturday 7am - 9am EST.  Call in with your garden questions 407.916.5400 and text 23680.    #WFLF #WFLA #FNN #BetterLawns #gardening #Florida #planting #gardeninglife #podcast #radio #southflorida #northflorida #betterlawns #centralflorida #tropicals #January #floridalife #photography #SHE  #winter #vegetables #Pantone #landscapedesign 

Happy New Year, and welcome to the beginning of Season 2 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. For many gardeners, planning the 2021 garden is underway this month. Perusing seed catalogs, making choices for the warm season vegetable and flower garden, and perhaps checking out all the dormant plants that are arriving, or will be arriving soon, at area nurseries and garden centers this winter. One of those popular bare root plants that brings out the customers are all the rose varieties that are available. Don’t know much about roses? Not a problem! We cover rose basics on today’s episode with Master Rosarian Debbie Arrington. Check out her "Sacramento Digs Gardening" blog page/newsletter, too. And, we get a sneak peak at the future of gardening with Diane Blazek of the National Garden Bureau. Plus, she has results of a survey where gardeners like you told the National Garden Bureau what they want to ease their garden chores.It’s all on Episode 68 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Links:Best Roses for Northern CaliforniaAmerican Rose Society's Best Roses for each USDA ZoneThe Best Selling Book: "Pruning and Training"Farmer Fred Rant: Rose Pruning Time is HereSacramento Digs Gardening Blogpage, by Debbie Arrington and Kathy MorrisonNational Garden Bureau's Future of Gardening SurveyMore episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer FredGarden Basics comes out every Friday during November through January. We’ll be back to a twice a week schedule in February. More info including live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. Please subscribe, and, if you are listening on Apple, please leave a comment or rating. That helps us decide which garden topics you would like to see addressed.Got a garden question? There are several ways to get in touch: • Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe.• Phone or text us the question: 916-292-8964. • E-mail: fred@farmerfred.com • Leave a question at the Facebook, Twitter or Instagram locations below. Be sure to tell us where you are when you leave a question, because all gardening is local. And thank you for listening.All About Farmer Fred:Farmer Fred website: http://farmerfred.comDaily Garden tips and snark on TwitterThe Farmer Fred Rant! BlogFacebook: "Get Growing with Farmer Fred"Instagram: farmerfredhoffmanFarmer Fred Garden Videos on YouTubeAs an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links mentioned here.

Dee and Carol talk about favorite fall blooming flowers for meadow gardens, growing grains in the vegetable garden and remind everyone it is time to bring houseplants indoors.Helpful Links include:Carol's Bloom Day PostDee's Bloom Day PostAmerican Meadows, a good source for fall blooming flowers for meadows and other gardens.Broom Corn from Botanical Interests.Great seed companies include Botanical Interests, Burpee, Johnny's Selected Seeds, and Renee's Garden Seeds.On the bookshelf is Sowing Beauty: Designing Flowering Meadows from Seed, by James Hitchmough and Gardening with Grains, by Brie Arthur.Plus more info on growing grains from National Garden Bureau.Email us at TheGardenangelists@gmail.com  For more info on Carol and her books, visit her website.For more info on Dee and her book, visit her website.(Some links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link, we may receive a tiny commission. It does not affect the price you pay!)

Meteorologist Rick DiMaio, journalist Lyz Lenz, Daniella Pereira of Openlands and Alder Scott Waguespack report on the Midwest Derecho Aftermath in Chicago and the rest of the Midwest. Diane Blazek, Executive Director of the National Garden Bureau, talks about their 100th anniversary and what the future has to offer. Ryan Anderson from Midwest Grows Green joins Alec McClennan of Good Nature Organic Lawn Care to explain why fall is lawn care season and how your community might get free advice on how to create two naturally treated fields.

Now more than anytime in our recent past, homeowners have taken to their gardens as a source of fresh food, exercise and beauty. As an industry we have to look at this momentum, make adjustments and plan for the future. In a recent survey conducted by the National Garden Bureau, they helped provide some insights on what's important to gardeners. What are they growing, why they're growing, what they are looking for in their local garden centers and more.For the green industry, the survey helps uncover new opportunities and sheds some light on where we should be focusing our communication, products and services. As a means to help sustain this robust momentum and interest in gardening and landscapes, for years to come.Joining us for this episode is Diane Blasek, director of two non-profits, National Garden Bureau and All-American Selections to review the findings, what they mean and what the industry can takeaway from it. CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTDiane Blasak at National Garden Bureau blog - Facebook and Pinterest.CONNECT WITH USEnjoy this episode or have questions? We want to hear from you. Connect with Chris Sabbarese at Corona Tools on Twitterand our new GILN Facebook Group. This closed group is like-minded individuals who care about and discuss, gardening and plants, trees and landscaping related topics.

Dee and Carol talk about growing lavender, keeping ahead of weeds, and watching Gardeners World on Britbox.Links:Flowers:2020 is The Year of the Lavender, according to National Garden Bureau!United States Lavender Growers Association Lavender 'Phenomenal' at High Country GardensLavender 'Primavera' from Darwin PerennialsLavender 'Gro So'On the Bookshelf: On the Bookshelf:  The Herbalist's Kitchen: Cooking and Healing with Herbs by Pat Crocker.  Britbox where you can watch Gardeners WorldEmail us at TheGardenangelists@gmail.com and look for us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and now Pinterest.For more info on Carol, visit her website.For more info on Dee, visit her website.We also invite you to join The Gardenangelists Garden Club on Facebook.(Some links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link, we may receive a tiny commission. It does not affect the price you pay!)

Planning is perhaps one of the most important aspects of gardening. Whether your planning a veggie garden or the landscaping around your house, it all starts with a plan. A good place to start is with a manual. In 1943, the founder of the National Garden Bureau, James H. Burdett, published The Victory Garden Manual. In this episode of the podcast, we meet Diane Blazek, Executive Director of NGB. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/keepgrowing/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/keepgrowing/support

Dee and Carol discuss a variety of topics includingFlowers:  It's all about Dianthus this week. Check out these dianthus flowers from Proven Winners. Ask for them at your favorite independent garden center or buy them online.  Find a friend with 'Bath's Pink' dianthus to share or if you can't find them at your garden center, Bluestone Perennials has them. Several varieties of Dianthus are also All-Americas Selections! Veggies:  The National Garden Bureau encourages us to plant a Victory Garden 2.0. If you need more help, listen to our previous podcast episode How to Grow A Basic Summer Vegetable GardenOn the Bookshelf: We are still reading Margery Fish! This week it's Cottage Garden Flowers, originally published in 1961.Support not only your local garden centers, but also your local independent bookstores. Order from Bookshop.org, which was set up to help support independent bookstores.  Two ways to shop… Click on “find a bookstore” and find your local bookstore. Then any book you buy during that session, the store will get the profits from it. They will tell you straight-away how much the bookstore earned from your purchase.Or, just start shopping.  The profits will go into a fund that they will use to support independent bookstores in some way.  Our local bookstores include: Wild Geese Bookshop in Franklin, Indiana and Best of Books in Edmond, Oklahoma.Email us at TheGardenangelists@gmail.com and look for us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and now Pinterest.For more info on Carol, visit her website.For more info on Dee, visit her website.We also invite you to join The Gardenangelists Garden Club on Facebook.(Some links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link, we may receive a tiny commission. It does not affect the price you pay!)

(https://organicgardenerpodcast.com/podcast-2/pioneering-today-podcast/) https://ngb.org/2020/03/23/victory-garden-2-0/ (https://ngb.org/2020/03/23/victory-garden-2-0/) National Garden Bureau (https://ngb.org/) It’s hard to keep up. Our role isn’t answers its information and inspiration so that’s what we’re trying to do! Well, all sorts of people have been asking me about victory gardens so I am so excited I saw your email and here you are already! It's Friday, March 27, 2020 and we are right in the middle of the Great CoronaVirus Pandemic and here is:  Diane Blazek from the (https://ngb.org/) I am very happy to be here, thank you for asking, it's kind of a funny story and don’t we need funny stories at this time? I have been with the organization for 10 years and the organization celebrating our 100th anniversary.  So as a group, as we were planning for the anniversary we had no idea that this pandemic was going to happen. Last week when we could still go to the office, we were sitting around the office, when we could still go and I looked up on my shelf and I looked up and saw the manual and thought why not roll out what was produced and published our founder wrote the manual and was part of the whole  the timing would be right mr. james burdett in the 1920s and 30s and 40s by pulling all this information together. It is a great time in our history. I have been talking to seed suppliers and today a facebook group was looking for someone to go the 65 miles to the local cow dairy for manure. I'm an elementary school teacher and I'm hoping my parents are going to grow some gardens with their students. Today we just published another blog post, we're working with kidsgardening.org (http://kidsgardening.org) , with 10 ideas to get kids involved.  I spent like 4 hours yesterday just trying to create a 20 minute math lesson video. you can get your kids involved in a victory garden. It can be fun for kids to research 1943 or today 2 things to start withyou must know your growing zone (https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/) last frost date but there are tools online which they dd not have back in 1943 you can enter your zip code into the USDA (https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/) and get your zone. There are multiple sites too. you can enter and using your zone without knowing those things what it is to plant Those are our two tips. know your zone know your last frost date. (https://mailchi.mp/5611bc3d7dfd/free-garden-course) You know, last year my husband and I built a (https://amzn.to/2QMXFd5) the next step is very important for what you grow in your garden. I'm very bad at this part, I'm more of an impulsive buyer. Do your planning.Make a list of what your family will eat Think about how much will they consume. Are you doing this in a community garden? Will you share with other family members or neighbors? Think about when it will be ready to eat? How much of it will you be able to eat. If there is more then you can reasonably eat what are you going to do with it? Can you can it or freeze or otherwise preserve the extra produce you will have. I can see a produce sharing app etc popping up this year. That will carry on to thinking about specific varieties of what you want to grow. If you are a beginning gardener and you want to grow a tomato that's fine just grow any tomato but as you get more experienced difference in varieties amount of space when they grow some are more unique color variety different tasting produce exactly what you want to put in your garden. This is so timely, I was just talking with my mom, and her experience with vegetables. My mom has been a gardener forever, and I can't remember a weekend or summer day with her without her pruners in her hand. And she said she has... Support this podcast

Greg Gayton and Julie Barbour of Green Acres Nursery and Supply have tips for getting your garden ready for planting in mid- April through early June. Diane Blazek of the National Garden Bureau discusses their "Victory Garden 2.0" campaign. Garden Grappler.

Greg Gayton and Julie Barbour of Green Acres Nursery and Supply have tips for getting your garden ready for planting in mid- April through early June. Diane Blazek of the National Garden Bureau discusses their "Victory Garden 2.0" campaign. Garden Grappler.

So I just did an interview with the amazing Diane Belzak at the National Garden Bureau who has the most awesome mission and sent me an email about building Victory Gardens and so I wanted to share this update with you and my recipe for Carrot Soup. What are you cooking during this crazy time of quarantine? Mike planting carrots seeds: One every half inch and then thin... (https://youtu.be/bVeLoHnrGXA) https://youtu.be/bVeLoHnrGXA Carrot SoupSaute some garlic or onions... add a bit of red pepper chopped up (like a sweet red pepper from the grocery store, not hot red pepper seeds) add carrots cleaned (and peeled if you like) and cut into pieces. I added a bag of small carrots from school, but I would say about a 2lb bag full? add some water to just about covering the carrots and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Add some chopped kale at the end with the ribs cut off. I forgot the Peanut Butter!!! and the COCONUT MILK!!!! First I blended the coconut milk in the food processor before adding the cooked ingredients to the food processor. I think I added some spices like curry, nutmeg, and turmeric. Take the thick mixture and pulse in food processor. Save the liquid. When reheating add a little mixture of the broth to make a soup consistency and add a dollop of yogurt and chopped cilantro. OH So good. Serve with a slice of Mike's homemade whole wheat bread and ummm emm good! (https://amzn.to/3dBfi9p)   The Organic Oasis Guidebook: Helping You Create Your Own Organic Oasis (https://amzn.to/3dBfi9p) Support this podcast

With the Covid-19 pandemic causing millions of Americans to shelter in place, this historic event has more people turning to gardening. With our podcasts covering gardening, landscape and tree care topics, we're making our upcoming topics relevant to what's going on in the world to today.Based on trends we're seeing, homeowners are turning to their gardens for a couple of reasons. The most obvious is that it's spring and the time when most are in their gardens. With most of our public spaces being shut down or closed off to help maintain social distance,Our gardens help provide a means of being outside, getting fresh air, a form of exercise with the gyms being closed, creating a outdoor oasis to escape reality and growing our own food due to the overwhelming demand.During wartimes and the great depression, many people turned to their gardens to grow the food they needed since they either could not afford it, or it just wasn't available. It's when victory gardens first appeared and during this current crisis, we are seeing more people exploring gardens as a way to get through these uncertain times.Joining us for this episode is Diane Blasak, director of two non-profits, National Garden Bureau and All-American Selections. She shares insights on how victory gardens got started and how the approach has changed over the decades. CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTDiane Blasak at National Garden Bureau blog - Facebook and Pinterest.CONNECT WITH USEnjoy this episode or have questions? We want to hear from you. Connect with Chris Sabbarese at Corona Tools on Twitterand our new GILN Facebook Group. This closed group is like-minded individuals who care about and discuss, gardening and plants, trees and landscaping related topics.

COVID-19 & Cultivating Something Good | Diane Blazek | National Gardening Bureau COVID-19 is sweeping the nation and millions have turned homeward for the duration. Diane Blazek from the National Garden Bureau joins us with some great tips for getting started in the garden. She also talked about Victory Gardening 2.0. There was more than we could cover in one episode, so here are the individual blog posts: VICTORY GARDEN 2.0 CULTIVATE SOMETHING GOOD GARDENING WITH KIDS   THE NATIONAL GARDEN BUREAU... “Inspire. Connect. Grow.” National Garden Bureau has worked for 100 years to educate and inspire home gardeners. We continue to expand our programs, grow our membership and make more of an impact. Follow us throughout the year for more fun and inspiration!   Diane Blazek, Executive Director of All-America Selections® and National Garden Bureau For more than 30 years, Diane has been immersed in gardening both personally and professionally.  She brings a passion to the subject based on a history in the field of horticulture publishing as well as a love for gardening and culinary exploration. Growing up on a small family farm in northern Missouri, Diane spent years helping her parents plant, tend and harvest a large home vegetable garden. As the president and publisher at Ball Publishing for 15 years, she led the way in connecting the commercial side of the industry with consumers via the live focus groups called Consumer Buzz Live! Diane also managed Ball Publishing’s entry into consumer garden book publishing. Since December of 2009, Diane has been leading both All-America Selections and National Garden Bureau through an exciting period of growth as they establish themselves as inspirational resources in the minds of garden communicators, public gardens, growers, garden retailers and home gardeners. All-America Selections has doubled in size with the addition of trials for Vegetative Ornamentals and Herbaceous Perennials, an expanded website, more Display Gardens and an ever-increasing social media presence. National Garden Bureau has also more than doubled in size with the addition of new programs, social media, therapeutic garden grants and new membership categories. With both organizations, the connection to the consumer is of topmost importance and by using that connection, she provides direction and insights to the industry as well as to GardenComm, an organization for Garden Communicators where she serves as a National Director. Special thanks to C.L. Fornari for providing content for the National Garden Bureau article.  _______________________________________________ THE SHOW: www.RoseChatPodcast.com Listen to any episode anytime online for FREE anywhere podcasts are available.  Our Hosts: Chris VanCleave - www.RedneckRosarian.com Creator of the Rose Chat Podcast. Mr. VanCleave is a nationally known rosarian, speaker and advocate for the rose. Teresa Byington - www.TheGardenDiary.com Co-Host Teresa Byington is a Rosarian, Master Gardener, writer and a member of the Board of Directors of the American Rose Society. Subscribe to Rose Chat Podcast Updates: http://bit.ly/subscribeROSE Visit Our Sponsor: Haven Brand Soil Conditionershttp://www.ManureTea.com/shop This podcast is a production of the VanCleave Media Group, Birmingham Alabama

Dee and Carol talk about how to grow perennial flowers from seeds, debate instructions for growing sprouts indoors, and give a shout out to the National Garden Bureau, celebrating their 100th anniversary. Plus, they highlight another book from their bookshelves!A few links:National Garden Bureau National Garden Bureau's 100th anniversary celebration. Chiltern SeedsTerritorial SeedsPerennials to Start from Seeds - Gardener's SupplyBotanical Interests - Sprout SeedsBotanical Interests - Sprouting Seeds at Home: Disinfecting, Growing, and Harvesting Tips Garden Alchemy, by Stephanie Rose.Email us at TheGardenangelists@gmail.com and look for us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and now Pinterest.For more info on Carol, visit her website.For more info on Dee, visit her website.We also invite you to join The Gardenangelists Garden Club on Facebook.(Some links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link, we may receive a tiny commission. It does not affect the price you pay!) 

Today we celebrate the man who wrote the Flora of North America from across the pond in London much to the chagrin of American botanists. We’ll learn about the Dutch botanist who discovered the phalaenopsis orchid and the coleus on the island of Java. Today’s Unearthed Words review some sayings about the month of February in the garden. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps us grow African violets. I’ll talk about a decorative item for your garden, deck, or porch, and then we’ll wrap things up with National Carrot Cake Day and the history and recipes of this favorite dessert. But first, let’s catch up on a few recent events.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   Curated Articles Hello Yellow Milkweed/Butterfly Flower, View All Flowers: Botanical Interests @botanicalseeds "Bring sunny color into the pollinator garden with ‘Hello Yellow’ milkweed! Asclepias tuberosa (ah-SKLEE-pee-iss TOO-burr-OH-sah) is usually orange, but this yellow beauty was found in Colorado."   Columbus’Carnivorous Collectibles from The Lantern @TheLanterns “A single organism of Sarracenia purpurea, collected by botanist/bryologist William Sullivant - 1840 - one of the few documented pitcher plants that grew in central Ohio.”   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, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I’d love to meet you in the group.   Important Events 1814  The English botanist Aylmer Lambert wrote to his peer, and the President of the Linnean Society, Sir James Edward Smith. Lambert was giving Smith a heads up that Frederick Pursh’s Flora Americana was published. Five years earlier, Frederick had been working for Benjamin Smith Barton in America. Barton was supposed to process the plants from the Lewis & Clark expedition and prepare a catalog for publishing. For some unknown reason, Barton never got around to doing the work. When Meriwether Lewis realized that Barton hadn’t started much of anything, he hired his employee Frederick to do the work. By May of 1808, we know that Frederick had completed all of the tasks that Meriwether Lewis had assigned him. He was eager to get paid the $60 he been promised by Lewis, and the $80 Barton owed him for helping with his herbarium. He was also excited to keep going with the Lewis & Clark project. It seems the mission of sharing the botanical discoveries of the expedition with the public had captured his heart. This is where Frederick’s story gets a little murky. It’s not clear if he was ever fully paid by Lewis or by Barton. It’s not entirely clear why Lewis & Barton couldn’t seem to keep the project moving forward. But records do show, that over the next 18 months, two key things happened that caused Frederick to leave America with the Lewis and Clark specimens in tow: Meriwether Lewis died and Frederick Pursh began to despise his boss, Benjamin Smith Barton. For his part, Barton may have grown tired of Pursh’s drinking. He wrote of Pursh, “Drinking is his greatest failing.” When Frederick Pursh arrived in England at the end of 1811, he reached out to both Sir James Edward Smith and Alymer Lambert about putting together the Flora of North America. Lambert became his botanical fairy godfather; he had a huge personal botanical library, herbarium, and funding. That said, Lambert also provided something Pursh desperately needed: discipline. Pursh was kind of a rough and tough guy with a swarthy complexion and reputed alcohol addiction. Historians say that Lambert made arrangements in the attic of his house, creating a workspace for Frederick. Once he got Frederick up there, Lambert would lock him in for stretches at a time to keep Frederick focused on the project. It was an extreme way to deal with Frederick’s demons, but it worked. Now, Smith and Lambert didn’t do all of this out of the goodness of their heart. They were enormously interested and what Pursh had brought with him from America: portions of the specimens from the Lewis and Clark expedition. Even with Lambert’s resources and lock-ins, it took Frederick two years to complete the Flora of North America. The whole time he was racing to get it published before Thomas Nuttall, who was working on the exact same project back in America. American botanists felt Pursh had pulled the rug out from under them when he took the expedition specimens to England. On December 21st, 1813, Pursh won the race when his 2-volume masterpiece describing all of the plants of North America was presented to the Linnaean Society. In the introduction, Frederick was forthright about his time in America and how he had come to possess the expedition specimens. Giving credit to the work of Lewis and Clark, Frederick created two new genera - Lewisia (loo-WIS-ee-ah) and Clarkia (CLAR-key-ah) for Lewis and Clark. In all, Frederick had received 132 plants from Meriwether Lewis, 70% were brand-new species that were named by Frederick. Today roughly 30% of the Pursh-named plants named in his Flora Americana are still recognized as valid. Lewisia is a little evergreen Alpine plant with a beautiful bloom. They like well-drained soil and are native to the northwest. Lewisia is a perfect pick for a rock garden. Clarkia is a little wildflower primrose that can be grown from seed after the last spring frost. Clarkia prefers to be direct-sowed, and they are perfect for use in mixed borders and Rock Gardens. Today Clarkia hybrids are grown for cut flowers. Link to 1814 Flora Americae Septentrionalis Volume One Link to 1814 Flora Americae Septentrionalis Volume Two   1862  Today is the Anniversary of the death of the German-Dutch botanist with the perfect last name - Carl Ludwig Blume. Born in Germany and orphaned by the age of five, Blume proved to be a bright little boy and a successful student. He studied at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands - a place that would become his Northstar. When he died in Leiden, on this day in 1862, he had become a naturalized Dutch citizen. Scholastically, Blume went the path of most botanists. He first became a physician and he ran an apothecary. In short order, he started botanizing in the Dutch East Indies, specifically on the island of Java, where he was the director of the Botanic Garden. Blume wrote a spectacular book on the collection of orchids that were available on the island. The title page is stunning and it features three native women from Java performing a ceremonial dance. The mountains of Java in the village are in the background, and a garland of orchids frames the stunning portrait. This publication is considered one of the finest works of scientific literature during the early 1800s. In 1825, Blume established the Dendrobium genus of orchids. The genus name is derived from the Greek; "dendron" for tree and "bios" meaning life. The name refers to the epiphytic habit of orchids to grow in trees. Thus, the combination of those two words, dendron and bios, meaning tree-life. And, here's a great story about Blume. During his time in Java, Blume saw what he thought was a group of moths flying in a motionless fashion by a tree. It was an odd vision. But, when he got closer, Blume realized what he thought were moths, were actually orchid flowers. Blume named the species Phalaenopsis amabilis (fayl-eh-NOP-sis ah-MA-bo-lis). In nature, the stems of the phalaenopsis orchid are not clipped to a bamboo pole like they are in when we buy them in the supermarket. Instead, they arch away from the tree they are attached to and sway easily with the Wind. It was the motion of the Orchid flowers swaying in the wind together, that lead Blume to believe he saw an insect and not a blossom. The etymology of the word phalaenopsis comes from the Latin word "phal", which means moth - which is why this Orchid is commonly referred to as the Moth Orchid. Phalaenopsis orchids are native to Southeast Asia. Their popularity has steadily grown because they are so easy to grow and because they bloom indoors all year round. This makes them one of the most popular house plants in the world. Now, should you be tempted this summer to move your phalaenopsis orchid outside; think twice. Just because they are a tropical plant, doesn’t mean they want full sun. Phalaenopsis orchids grow in the shade of trees under the tree canopy. They like indirect light, and if you put them in full sun, they will get sunburned. If you are going to move them outside, make sure to put them in a place where they will not get direct sunlight. Sometimes I’ll put mine onto my north-facing covered porch. In 1853, Carl Ludwig Blume discovered another popular plant in the mountains of Java: coleus. Coleus bluemei was named in his honor until it was changed in 2006 to Coleux x Hybridus in recognition of all the new hybrid variations. As of 2012, the botanical name for coleus is Plectranthus scutellarioides (Plek-TRAN-thus SKOO-til-air-ee-OY-deez). And, coleus are in the mint or Lamiaceae family. They have that signature square stem and opposite leaves - along with other popular members of the mint family: basil, peppermint, oregano, Salvia, Swedish ivy, and thyme. An early nickname for coleus was painted nettle or flame nettle. Coleus is easy to propagate from cuttings. You can simply pop them in a glass of water, and in a few days, roots will start to form. To encourage your coleus to grow in a more compact fashion, keep pruning them before they bloom. You might remember that the National Garden Bureau made 2015 the year of the coleus.   Unearthed Words Here are some sayings about our new month - February: February brings the rain, Thaws the frozen lake again. ― Sarah Coleridge, English author, and translator   Why, what’s the matter, That you have such a February face, So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness? — William Shakespeare, English author, poet & playwright, Much Ado About Nothing   The most serious charge which can be brought against New England is not Puritanism but February. — Joseph Wood Krutch, American writer, and naturalist   February is the border between winter and spring. ― Terri Guillemets (gee-ya-MAY), quotation anthologist, Years   February is a suitable month for dying. Everything around is dead, the trees black and frozen so that the appearance of green shoots two months hence seems preposterous, the ground hard and cold, the snow dirty, the winter hateful, hanging on too long. ― Anna Quindlen, American author, and journalist, One True Thing   Grow That Garden Library YOU CAN Grow African Violets by Joyce Stark The subtitle of this book is: The Official Guide Authorized by the African Violet Society of America, Inc. Kent and Joyce Stork have grown violets for over 30 years. From 1991 to 2004, they wrote a column in the African Violet Magazine, which became the foundation for this book. Kent and Joyce are married and live in Fremont, Nebraska, where they own a business specializing in African violets. Kent and Joyce Stork killed their first violet too! They soon mastered the skills for growing the plant and eventually wrote for the African Violet Magazine, the official publication of the African Violet Society of America, Inc. for over ten years. Their column For Beginners explained the basic elements of growing violets in an entertaining and straightforward way that anyone could understand. Now, these columns have been adapted and edited to provide even the most novice grower with a step-by-step guide, whether the goal is simply to keep violets alive or to exhibit the plants in competitive shows. You can get a used copy of YOU CAN Grow African Violets by Joyce Stark and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today’s Show Notes for under $5.   Great Gifts for Gardeners WiHoo 8” Indoor Outdoor Thermometer/Hygrometer for Patio, Wall or Decorative (Bronze) $19.99  Easy to read - The outdoor thermometer decorative easily keep track of the temperature from a distance with bold black dial graphics. Celsius and Fahrenheit - This garden hygrometer digital simultaneous Celsius and Fahrenheit temperature display. Real glass lens - This room indoor thermometer real glass lens, accurate between -40 and 120℉/-40, and 50 °C to accommodate all climates. Amazon’s Choice & Amazon Prime   Today’s Botanic Spark Today is National Carrot Cake Day. Every February 3rd, National carrot cake day is observed. And, you might say it’s a great excuse to have our cake and our carrots, too.  Akin to banana bread, carrot cake is similar in preparation and texture. It's made, like many quick breads, by separately preparing the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients and then mixing those together. And, carrot cakes generally include ingredients like cinnamon or nutmeg, raisins, or nuts. Carrots are, of course, a root vegetable. They are made up of 88% water, 7% sugar, and a percent each of protein, fiber, and ash. The Greeks and Romans ate carrots, but their carrots were different colors like purple or white. It wasn’t until the 17th century that carrots started appearing predominantly as orange. Why? Because the Dutch initially bred the carrot to be orange in order to honor the Dutch royal family - also known as the “House of Orange” in the Netherlands. The orange carrot became so popular that the color became synonymous with the carrot. As for carrot cake, the earliest mentions of it in the newspaper appear in the early 1900s - around 1910. These early carrot cakes were more like little crab cakes - only they were made with carrots, flour, and butter, sweet milk, and so on. By 1912, the San Francisco newspaper, The Call, featured a carrot cake recipe and it advised that only very young, tender carrots be used - along with 2 cups of sugar, a cup of butter, 2 cups of flour, a cup of carrots that were boiled and mashed very finely, a cup of grated chocolate, a cup of chopped walnuts, 1/2 a cup of sweet milk, 4 eggs, 1 teaspoon each of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. By the end of November, in 1913, a newspapers were running an article called “Carrots and Cakes.” It said: “The little carrot, of the plebian vegetable family, moved high last week in the social scale and was in such demand on the grocery orders of so many families that stores ran out entirely, says the Minneapolis Journal. Miss Lilla Frich, supervisor of domestic economy in the public schools, has been telling how carrots may be used for what they are or as substitutes for other things, notably, that carrot pulp makes a good egg substitute in making cakes and hundreds of women who formerly have scorned common truck farm products have been buying them.” In the early 1980s, when Pillsbury launched its “Carrot and Spice Cake Mix,” they held a contest to discover the earliest published carrot cake recipe, and they were also looking for the best Heritage recipe. Joyce Allen of Wichita Kansas won $100 for sharing her recipe from the 1929 Wichita Women’s Club cookbook, and Ethel Amsler of Waco Texas also won $100 for creating a new recipe with Pillsbury’s new carrot cake mix. She was riffing off an old family recipe. That old family recipe had been handed down through four generations. She said they didn’t have it but twice a year. Ethel’s old family recipe for carrot cake calls for white raisins soaked in brandy in addition to adding a cup of black walnuts. If you’d like to get a copy of Ethel Amsler’s Heritage Carrot Cake recipe, along with her modern version, I’ve added them to today’s Show Notes, which are available on the website for the show over at thedailygardener.org.   ETHEL AMSLER’S HERITAGE CARROT CAKE 1 cup brandy  1 cup of water  1 ½ cups sugar  2 tablespoons butter  1 cups grated carrots  1 teaspoon nutmeg  1 teaspoon cloves  1 cup chopped black walnuts 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour  2 teaspoons baking powder  1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon soda  1 teaspoon salt At least two days before serving, in a medium saucepan, soak raisins in brandy overnight at room temperature. The next day, add water, sugar, butter, carrots, and spices. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally; simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; pour into a large mixing bowl. Cover; let stand at room temperature 12 hours or overnight. The next day, heat oven to 275 degrees. Grease and flour 10-inch angel food tube pan or 12-cup fluted tube pan. Add walnuts, flour, baking powder, soda, and salt to carrot mixture; mix thoroughly. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 1 ¾ hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before serving. ETHEL AMSLER’S HERITAGE CARROT CAKE (Modern Version)  1 package Pillsbury Plus Carrot N Spice Cake Mix  ¾ cup of water  ½ cup dairy sour cream  ⅓ cup oil  2 teaspoons brandy extract  3 eggs  1 cup golden raisins  1 cup finely chopped walnuts  Powdered sugar Heat oven to 390 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan. In a large bowl, blend cake mix, water, sour cream, oil, brandy extract, and eggs until moistened; beat 2 minutes at highest speed. Stir in raisins and walnuts. Pour into a pre-prepared pan. Back at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool upright in pan 25 minutes; Invert onto a serving plate. Cool completely. Sift or sprinkle powdered sugar over the top. 16 servings.   Finally, during the 1970s, the Los Angeles Times featured a popular recipe for their 14 Carat Cake. That recipe incorporates crushed pineapple and walnuts. I’ve included it in today's Show Notes, as well. 14 CARAT CAKE  2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder  1 ½ tsp. soda  1 tsp. salt  2 tsp. cinnamon  2 cups of sugar  1 ½ cups oil  4 eggs  2 cups grated raw carrot  1 (8 12-oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained  12 cup chopped nuts  Add Cream Cheese Frosting (see below) Sift together flour, baking powder, powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add sugar, oil, and eggs and mix well. Stir in carrots, drained pineapple, and nuts. Turn into three greased and floured 9-inch layer-cake pans or a 13x9-inch pan and bake at 350 deg. 35 to 40 minutes until the top springs back when touched lightly with a finger. Cool a few minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool. (Or loaf cake, may be frosted in the pan, especially handy if the cake is for a potluck or picnic.) For layers, spread tops and sides with frosting and stack. Cream Cheese Frosting  ½ cup butter or margarine  1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened  1 tsp. vanilla  1 lb. Confectioners’ sugar, sifted Combine’ butter, cream cheese, and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add sugar gradually, beating vigorously, if too thick, add a small amount of milk to thin to spreading consistency.

Diane Blazek, executive director of the National Garden Bureau and All-American Selections, chats about her love of gardening, the National Garden Bureau’s 100th anniversary, and what she thinks the average garden might look like 100 years from now. Interview hosted by Marc Zienkiewicz and recorded at the American Seed Trade Association’s 59th Vegetable and Flower […] The post What Will the Garden of 2120 Look Like? Diane Blazek Has Some Insights appeared first on Seed World.

Interview starts at 5:03 – My guest this episode is Diane Blazek, Executive Director of All-America Selections (AAS) and National Garden Bureau (NGB). During my 20 years in horticulture, I've encountered All-America Selections and National Garden Bureau on many occasions, at events, in trial gardens, in trade articles, through the consumer press and even while visiting garden centers and greenhouses. These days, I see both organizations all over social media and digital media. It's this relentless dedication to plant promotion, as well as exciting recent growth that inspired me to reach out to Diane to talk about the goals and missions of each organization and more importantly ways everyone in the horticulture industry can get involved and leverage the power of AAS and NGB to connect and inspire today's gardeners – our customers. During this episode, Diane and I discuss how these two venerable organizations are structured, the goals of each, key activities and how they work together, factors behind recent growth and what to expect in the near future. With the trialing expertise of AAS and the consumer engagement driven by NGB, there is an awful lot of firepower here and major opportunities to get involved and capitalize on the power of plant promotion. NGB's “Year Of” programs are some of the easiest to start using in your own marketing. From the history of each organization and their phenomenal growth over the past decade to tips and tricks to use digital media and tangible ways to leverage existing marketing campaigns, there are ideas in this episode that will be relevant to everyone. Be sure to listen all the way to the end because we spend a lot of time on the specific tools available from AAS and NGB for all green industry businesses. Resource Links for All-America Selections and National Garden Bureau: All-America Selections website: https://all-americaselections.org/ To search all AAS Winners, 1932 to present: https://all-americaselections.org/winners/ To Buy AAS Winners: https://all-americaselections.org/buy-winners/ List of AAS Judges: https://all-americaselections.org/about-aas-winners/#bios To find an AAS Display Garden: https://all-americaselections.org/visit-an-aas-display-garden/ Downloadable signs, brochures and variety markers: https://all-americaselections.org/signs-and-brochures/ Downloadable presentations, signage, logos, etc.: https://all-americaselections.org/aas-ambassador-tools/ Breeder info for “How to Enter”: https://all-americaselections.org/breeders/ How to become an AAS Display Garden: https://all-americaselections.org/display-gardens-criteriaguidelines/ National Garden Bureau website: https://ngb.org/ How to join: https://ngb.org/become-a-member/ New Varieties program: https://ngb.org/new-plants/ Year of program: https://ngb.org/year-of-2019/ Combinations program: https://ngb.org/combination-ideas/ NGB's “Inspirations” Blog: https://ngb.org/inspiration/ Garden Books from our author members: https://ngb.org/garden-books/ Garden Products program: https://ngb.org/gardening-products/ Shop Our (retail) Members: https://ngb.org/shop-our-members/ Therapeutic Garden Grant program: https://ngb.org/therapeutic-grant-program/ Social Media links: AAS Blog: https://all-americaselections.org/news/ NGB Blog: https://ngb.org/inspiration/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationalgardenbureau https://www.facebook.com/AASWinners https://www.facebook.com/groups/Flowerandvegetablewinners/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/national_garden_bureau/ https://www.instagram.com/aasgardenwinners/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nationalgarden/pins/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AllAmericaSelectionsFlowersVegetables Slide Share (downloadable presentations) https://www.slideshare.net/allamericaselections https://www.slideshare.net/NationalGardenBureau Twitter: https://twitter.com/AASGardenWinner https://twitter.com/NatGardenBureau Contact Links: Email Guest Diane Blazek: blazekdiane@gmail.com Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com NEW! Connect on Instagram - @STEMGreenhousePodcast #STEMGreenhousePodcast Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

Dee and Carol discuss all the types of hydrangeas you can grow in your garden, how to safely grow mint and what the old custom of Telling the Bees is all about.Some links you may find useful:From Plant Addicts, the different types of hydrangeasAnswers to the question, "Why isn't my hydrangea blooming?" From Proven Winners and the National Garden Bureau.Hydrangea Festival on Cape CodInfo on the practice of Telling the bees! A novel where they tell the bees is The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd.Email us at TheGardenangelists@gmail.com with any questions or suggestions!(Some links, primarily to books, are affiliate links. We may receive a tiny commission if you make a purchase via that link.)

Dee and Carol talk about the National Garden Bureau's "Year of" Selections for flowers and vegetables and also talk about growing big pumpkins and other vegetables.  Shout outs to Old House Gardens, the National Garden Bureau and Bonnie Plants 3rd Grade Cabbage Program.For more information on growing giant pumpkins, check out the Smithsonian article we mentioned or the book, Backyard Giants by Susan Warren (affiliate link).

Greetings! So much to talk about.  The Executive Director from All-America Selections and the National Garden Bureau will tell us about her recent trip to California about the latest Trials.  What new Plants does she forecast, what new trends, and, other information! Thanks! for listening! Have a Great Community Garden Day! Mary K Hukill, Publisher, Radio Show Host     email:  communitygardenrevolution@gmail.com www.magzter.com is the Digital Magazine "Community Garden Magazine" in the Health Section. Enjoy! www.heavensharvest.com  Type in Promo Code 'mary' for your FREE Shipping on the Heirloom Vegetable Seed Kit. www.natesamericanmadestore.com  Type in Promo Code "comgar16" for your 10% OFF your ONLINE order of Garden Equipment and Tools.  www.aerogarden.com  Type in Promo Code "community20" for your 20% OFF your ONLINE order. www.gardentowerproject.com  Type in Promo Code "Revolution" for your $50 dollars OFF your ONLINE order.  www.simplyearth.com  Promo code "COMMUNITYGARDEN" for $40 Gift Card once you subscribe. This is a monthly Oil Essentials Subscription product.  FREE Apps Available: "Community Garden Magazine" at iTunes. TheFruitGuys.com .http://www.FOODFORLIBERTY.COM/CGNEWS  Use this Link to help keep this site up and for the FREE App to be available to folks to help start more Community Gardens!   #  #   # 

Erin from The Impatient Gardener joins Eric to talk about her trip with the National Garden Bureau to see the California Spring Trials to check out the new plants coming to your local nursery. Eric likes the PBS show Wisconsin Foodie. Check out the GardenFork Amazon Shop: http://amazon.com/shop/gardenfork Get our email newsletter, sign up: http://gardenfork.tv/news Support GardenFork, become a monthly supporter on Patreon, via PayPal. Watch us on YouTube: www.youtube.com/gardenfork GardenFork’s Facebook Discussion group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1692616594342396/ Visit our website, http://gardenfork.tv

Greetings!   Lets hear wihat went on at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show with Executive Director Diane Blazek of the All-America Selections and the National Garden Bureau.  Plus, it was National Ag Day just a few days ago, and, are you Planning and Planting what your Community Garden will lbe looking like soon!  THANKS! for listening!   Have a Great Community Garden Day! Mary K Hukill, Publisher, Radio Show Host     email:  communitygardenrevolution@gmail.com www.magzter.com is the Digital Magazine "Community Garden Magazine" in the Health Section. Enjoy! www.heavensharvest.com  Type in Promo Code 'mary' for your FREE Shipping on the Heirloom Vegetable Seed Kit. www.natesamericanmadestore.com  Type in Promo Code "comgar16" for your 10% OFF your ONLINE order of Garden Equipment and Tools.  www.aerogarden.com  Type in Promo Code "community20" for your 20% OFF your ONLINE order. www.gardentowerproject.com  Type in Promo Code "Revolution" for your $50 dollars OFF your ONLINE order.  www.simplyearth.com  Promo code "COMMUNITYGARDEN" for $40 Gift Card once you subscribe. This is a monthly Oil Essentials Subscription product.  FREE Apps Available: "Community Garden Magazine" at iTunes. TheFruitGuys.com .http://www.FOODFORLIBERTY.COM/CGNEWS  Use this Link to help keep this site up and for the FREE App to be available to folks to help start more Community Gardens!   #  #   # 

Diane Blazek describes the work and programs of the National Garden Bureau, Josh Mogerman reports on environmental issues for the NRDC, and Breanne Heath from The Pie Patch talks about growing fruit in Chicago.

ICR Host, Megan Marie of Making a Difference with Megan Marie interviews the National Garden Bureau which is involved in projects benefiting individuals with special needs, aiding efforts to returning military, and educating the community on the importance of growing your own food. For more on their group click http://ngb.org/