This week on We Dig Plants , join Carmen & Alice on a virtual tour of The Royal Botanic Garden Kew’s Illustration Collection which includes prints and drawings that range in date from the great masters of botanical illustration of the 18th century, such as P.J. Redouté and the Bauer brothers, through to George Bond and Walter Hood Fitch in the 19th century. They also reveal one of their favorite parts of Kew: The Marianne North Gallery. They’re joined by Christopher Mills, Head of Library, A...
Jan 19, 2015•54 min•Ep. 151
What makes a flower blue? What is true blue? Get your brain working on a colorful episode of We Dig Plants! . For their 150th episode, Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg are joined by friend and horticulturist Scott Appell, who helps them break down the science behind plant color and what it means for garden design! This program was brought to you by White Oak Pastures . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-in...
Jan 12, 2015•49 min•Ep. 150
What do horticulture lovers do in the winter? Well, there are flower shows, trade shows and plenty of other reasons to get out of the house and that’s the topic on this week’s episode of We Dig Plants ! Carmen & Alice Marcus Krieg are joined by Portland-based garden designer, manager of Plant-O-Rama, owner of the shop Contained Exuberance and friend of the show, Bob Hyland. Bob talks about the various events that happen across the country during this time, including the The Philadelphia Flow...
Jan 05, 2015•48 min•Ep. 149
What does God have to do with plants? Find out on the season finale of We Dig Plants ! Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg are joined by Shelley Cramm, author of NIV God’s Word for Gardeners Bible: Grow Your Faith While Growing Your Garden . God will meet you personally in your garden . . . and in his. Throughout the Scriptures God has revealed spiritual truth in the language of growing things. This Bible will take you into a deeper relationship with God through the contemplation of soil and so...
Dec 23, 2014•45 min•Ep. 148
It’s the holiday show! Tune in to We Dig Plants as Carmen and Alice celebrate being done with gardening season by sharing some of the best things they’ve read and experienced in 2014. Get a great list of book recommendations, gift tips and general plant talk! Later in the show, Fonda Sara, owner of Zuzu’s Petals, joins in on the conversation. This program was brought to you by White Oak Pastures . i get so sad in fall when i have to put my gardens to bed but i realize that this is why i garden –...
Dec 15, 2014•47 min•Ep. 147
Learn about plants that are extraordinarily useful in cooking, homeopathy, and more on a brand new episode of We Dig Plants . Carmen and Alice are joined by Stephen Orr, author of The New American Herbal . Stephen Orr is a writer and editor who shares his love of food, travel, gardening, and cooking in a wide range of media. He is currently the executive editor at Condé Nast Traveler magazine. Previously, he was an editorial director at Martha Stewart Living and a features editor at House & ...
Dec 08, 2014•48 min•Ep. 146
Tune into another great episode of We Dig Plants as Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg are joined by horticulture superstar Rochelle Greayer. Author of Cultivating Garden Style, Rochelle Greayer is the founder and editor of Pith + Vigor, a literary newspaper and online magazine for garden enthusiasts. In addition, she is the creator of the popular blog Studio ‘g’, named one of the top ten gardening blogs by the editors of Better Homes and Gardens and BHG.com; co-founder and editor of Leaf Maga...
Dec 01, 2014•55 min•Ep. 145
Get in the Thanksgiving spirit by traveling in time on a brand new episode of We Dig Plants ! Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg are joined by Kirk Ryan Brown, Vice President of the Garden Writers Association, who channels the legendary John Bartram and Frederick Olmsted! Hear about these two horticultural legends join in on a conversation about Thanksgiving, plants, democracy & land use – from the redwood forests to the gulf stream waters! This program was brought to you by Fairway Market...
Nov 24, 2014•52 min•Ep. 144
Are some plants aphrodisiacs, or is that just a myth? This week on We Dig Plants , Garden expert and plant detective Helen Yoest takes us on a romp through history, lore and ethnobotany to find out plants got their “hot” reputation – and what modern science has to say about it. Discover which common garden plants and favorite edibles have that “”something extra,”” and why. Her book, Plants With Benefits is filled with lush photography, growing tips, and recipes for preparing teas, potions and ta...
Nov 17, 2014•42 min•Ep. 143
This week on We Dig Plants , solo host Alice Marcus Krieg is talking garden myths with author and radio show host C.L. Fornari who joins on the phone via Poison Ivy Acres on Cape Cod. Talking about her new book “Coffee for Roses,” C.L. elaborates how the book came about and how important it was to have a humorous spin. According to the book, word-of-mouth may be a great way to learn about some products, but word-of-mouth gardening tips can be a very bad idea. The age-old practice of passing alon...
Nov 10, 2014•47 min•Ep. 142
This week on We Dig Plants , Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg are joined by Julie McIntosh Shapiro of Harvard University. They discuss everything from seeds to photography to the preservation of our Botanical heritage. Hear about her numerous expeditions, the challenges of photographing seeds and some of her recent findings! This program was brought to you by Rolling Press . “The problem with being a seed photographer is that when plants are in flower they’re usually not in seed. That means ...
Nov 03, 2014•48 min•Ep. 141
What it does it take to run the horticulture program at a zoo? Find out on a fascinating episode of We Dig Plants as Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg are joined by Frank Pizzi, Curator of Horticulture at Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. They discuss exhibit design within zoo’s and how horticulture plays a role in that. Learn about the tricks that are used to mimic natural habitats of animals in zoos! This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market . “We do a lot of smoke and mirrors ...
Oct 27, 2014•48 min•Ep. 140
This week on We Dig Plants , hosts Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg are talking about the ’20 to 30 something’ gardeners of the millennial generation. Speaking first to Dana Frigerio who is based in Italy with the digital magazine, Blossom zine, about targeting the younger generation. Blossom is a digital magazine that is dedicated to anything green, from gardening to design, vegetarian and traditional cooking, fashion, botany, and flowers. After the break, Carmen and Alice chat with Dee Nas...
Oct 20, 2014•47 min•Ep. 139
Things get fun in the studio this week on We Dig Plants as Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg are joined by forager, author and horticulturist Ellen Zachos joins the studio to talk about foraging and make delicious cocktails on-air! Zachos is a Harvard graduate and received her certification in Commercial Horticulture and Ethnobotany from the New York Botanical Garden. As the owner of Acme Plant Stuff, Ellen designs, installs, and maintains both interior and exterior gardens in the New York Ci...
Oct 13, 2014•48 min•Ep. 138
This week on We Dig Plants , hosts Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg are talking Italy! The show opens with a wonderful story about Carmen’s grandmothers, one of which raised Carmen for a short time in Italy and notably saved her from a pig attack! This truly sets the stage for the show to come. Carlo Scissura, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President, joins the program via phone to share details on the Italian Cultural and Community Center in the neighborhood of Bensonhurst as well as the ...
Oct 06, 2014•50 min•Ep. 137
This week on We Dig Plants , Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg are joined by writer, teacher, traveler and researcher Dr. Allan Armitage. Allan is a renowned horticulturist who teaches online courses and has developed a popular app called Armitages Greatest Perennials and Annuals. Tune in as they reflect on the state of horticulture, gardens around the world and the next generation of gardeners! This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery . “Horticulture has never been sexy....
Sep 29, 2014•44 min•Ep. 136
Ever want to forage for your own food? Ever wonder which mushrooms you come across in nature are safe to eat? Interested in mycology? Today’s episode of We Dig Plants is for you! Tune in as Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg are joined by forager Michael Heim. Michael’s interest in plants began while attending the University of Nebraska at Omaha, when he took a Horticulture class to satisfy a “hard science” requirement. Around the same time he learned how to forage for wild mushrooms. The pass...
Sep 22, 2014•46 min•Ep. 135
We Dig Plants is back! Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg are once again on the airwaves to bring the culture to horticulture. To kick off the new fall season they are joined by Susan Poizner, a Toronto based community orchardist & fruit tree care educator. Tune in and get a full education on urban fruit trees. What makes fruit trees different than other plants? How can fruit trees help communities? Find out on a brand new episode of Wed Dig Plants! . This program was brought to you by Her...
Sep 15, 2014•46 min•Ep. 134
On a special summer session of We Dig Plants , Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg recap the 2014 Garden Writers Association Conference in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. At the event, Carmen and Alice were given three silver awards for this very show! Tune in as they talk about the Garden Writers Association, the charm of Pittsburg, the ideas presented at the conference and their gratitude for the awards! This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market . “Growing your own food is not just a tre...
Aug 25, 2014•36 min•Ep. 133
We Dig Plants is back for a special summer show! Tune in to check back in with your favorite horticultrists, Alice Marcus Krieg and Carmen DeVito as they chat with Jenks Farmer, Plantsman and author of “Deep-Rooted Wisdom: Skills and Stories from Generations of Gardeners”. Augustus Jenkins Farmer (aka Jenks) started gardening in the third grade in a corner of the family farm filled with rocks, scrap metal, and crinum and spider lilies. He was free to dig, transplant, and design in any way he wan...
Jun 03, 2014•39 min•Ep. 132
This week on We Dig Plants, Carmen and Alice talk to Roy Diblik, author of . Roy tells us about his book, and the hosts ask him about some of the garden plans and layouts that he includes. This program has been sponsored by Fairway Market . Today’s music provided by Shadowbox . Image from Amazon “We all run into people that change our path and direction a little bit…and when I looked at the key to every one of them, it was community involvement.” [39:00] Roy Diblik on We Dig Plants See Privacy P...
Feb 24, 2014•49 min•Ep. 131
Carmen Devito is getting wild with Miriam Goldberger, author of Taming Wildflowers , on this week’s edition of We Dig Plants! Tune into this week’s edition of the program to learn how Miriam became interested in wildflowers, and how she learned that they worked well at cut flowers. Why are wildflowers so important in supporting pollinators? Hear Miriam explain how lawn cultivation is hurting native plant populations, and how the Midwestern prairie is slowly disappearing. How can gardeners grow w...
Feb 17, 2014•46 min•Ep. 130
Looking to get something special for that special someone on Valentine’s Day? Skip the roses and try some slow flowers! What’s a slow flower? Well, Debra Prinzing is here today on We Dig Plants to explain! Alice Marcus Krieg and Carmen Devito invite Debra onto the program to discuss her infatuation with local, seasonal, American-grown flowers, and why she wrote about the floral industry entitled Slow Flowers . Why is origin labeling not required for flowers? Hear how Debra made a flower arrangem...
Feb 10, 2014•47 min•Ep. 129
This week on We Dig Plants, Carmen Devito and Alice Marcus Krieg discuss hermitages with the author of The Hermit in the Garden , Gordon Campbell. Tune in to learn about the religious and secular connotations of hermits, and the roots of hermitages in Rome. Why were hermitages in vogue during the time of Shakespeare, and why was culture so fascinated by melancholy? Tune in to learn about some of the more outrageous performative aspects of the culture surrounding hermitages, and how some hermits ...
Feb 03, 2014•52 min•Ep. 128
This week on We Dig Plants, Alice Marcus Krieg and Carmen Devito talk about the gardening influences of Beatrix Potter with Marta McDowell, author of Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life . You might remember Beatrix Potter from her famous The Tale of Peter the Rabbit , but Beatrix was also a natural scientist and conservationist! Learn about Beatrix’s childhood, and how her summers in Scotland fostered her love for the natural world. How did Beatrix get involved with botany, and what was her involvem...
Jan 27, 2014•49 min•Ep. 127
Learn to create your own miniature garden with Janit Calvo and her book, Gardening in Miniature ! This week on We Dig Plants, Alice Marcus Krieg and Carmen Devito chat with Janit about the origin of her company, Two Green Thumbs, and her interest in miniature gardens. Find out how Janit uses some bonsai methods to create her little gardens, and why hearty, small-leaved plants suit the gardening style. Find out why benches and furniture are some of her best sellers, and her reasoning for shying a...
Jan 20, 2014•33 min•Ep. 126
Alice Marcus Krieg and Carmen Devito are celebrating the 18th installment of Plant-O-Rama on this week’s edition of We Dig Plants! Alice and Carmen check in with Bob Hyland, one of the founders of Plant-O-Rama. Hear about Bob’s history in horticulture, and why he decided to move out to Portland, Oregon. Find out why Plant-O-Rama filled a gap amongst garden enthusiasts in New York City. Find out how the Metro Hort Group helped Alice get her first horticulture job in New York City, and why nursery...
Jan 13, 2014•41 min•Ep. 125
What makes quality gardening tools? This week on We Dig Plants, Carmen Devito and Alice Marcus Krieg catch up with Blake Schreck of Garden Tool Co. to talk wood, steel, and weeds! Learn about the history of gardening tools at the top of the show, and later hear Blake dig into the specifics of strong and versatile steel. What garden tools are generally best sellers? Why did Blake decide to host his gardening tool shop online? Learn about European tool-making traditions, and whether or not America...
Jan 06, 2014•42 min•Ep. 124
On the final episode of 2013, Carmen Devito recaps We Dig Plants’ favorite gardening books of the past year! Tune in to learn what books are great for novice gardeners and plant enthusiasts, and find out what others are best suited for horticultural experts. Interested in landscape design? Carmen has a few books for that? Tune into this program to hear why coffee table books are waning in popularity, and find out how farming has become the sexiest form of plant cultivation. This program has been...
Dec 16, 2013•41 min•Ep. 123
This week on We Dig Plants, Alice Marcus Krieg and Carmen Devito are talking gesneriads with artist and Gesneriad Society member Bruce Boyd! Tune into this program to hear Bruce give some tips on growing gesneriads at home. What watering methods work best for plants like African Violets, and what lighting conditions cause gesneriads to thrive? Hear what types of fertilizers Bruce uses for his indoor gesneriad garden. What are some of Bruce’s ideal gesneriads that he finds hard to grow? Hear how ...
Dec 09, 2013•46 min•Ep. 122