Winter tree care isn’t just about aesthetics — it reduces the risk that a tree drops a limb or topples, which can both doom the tree and cause property damage and injury. To share important winter tree care tips and warnings, arborist and tree preservationist Basil Camu returns to the podcast this week. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do today,...
Feb 06, 2025•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Gardeners trying to do right by the ecosystem often run into antiquated bylaws, covenants and restrictions that prohibit natural yards. This frustration led to the creation of Bylaws for Biodiversity, an initiative to encourage lawmakers and homeowners associations to adopt rules that protect and promote biodiversity on private and public lands. Joining me on the podcast this week to discuss the motivation behind Bylaws for Biodiversity are two of the program’s advocates: Nina-Marie Lister and L...
Jan 30, 2025•2 hr 30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Yard maintenance rules and laws created decades ago, before people and governments were attuned to the ecological damage wrought by climate change and habitat loss, continue to be blindly enforced in suburban and urban neighborhoods. My guest this week, Ontario gardener Wolf Ruck, has fought hard to defend his right to use his yard to sequester carbon and reduce biodiversity loss, a battle that is ongoing. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the...
Jan 23, 2025•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rewilding a home landscape to support wildlife and increase biodiversity is a noble and worthwhile effort and should be every property owner’s right. However, ill-advised local ordinances that favor tidiness over ecology can make a native garden a target for fines and prosecution. On this week’s podcast, native gardener Craig Sinclair explains how he went to bat for his garden and overcame the forces that would see it plowed under and sodded over. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eB...
Jan 16, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Preparing for seed starting season well ahead of time and becoming better organized will save you headaches and money in the months to come. This week, I’m sharing how I prepare and the new efficient seed organization system that I have adopted. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do today, without exception to get incredible results, even in the m...
Jan 09, 2025•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Farmer and author Ben Hartman proves it doesn’t take a ton of space to grow enough food to sustain a business. Ben joins me on the podcast to explain how he maximized efficiency on his lean micro farm to grow enough crops to satisfy his most loyal customers while reducing the effort and resources required to be successful. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s wh...
Jan 02, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Margaret Roach, the New York Times gardening columnist and host of the podcast “A Way to Garden,” is back with me again to discuss what’s new in her garden and what she’s planning for in 2025. Margaret is a repeat guest many times over and a listener favorite who always has interesting observations to share. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do t...
Dec 26, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast The end of the year is always a good time to reflect and take stock of the lessons we’ve learned. On this week’s podcast, we look back on 2024 in the garden to make note of the experiences and knowledge we will take with us going forward on our gardening journeys. Joining me in recapping 2024 is my right-hand person — and left-hand too — Amy Prentice, the Director of Marketing and Communications here at Agrivana Media®. Amy is a gardener herself as well as a talented photographer who documents t...
Dec 19, 2024•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Starting a native, organic garden is a big step on the ecological gardening journey, and once you’ve made it that far, you’ll have even more questions than you did before. Garden designer Kelly Norris joins me to shed light on what comes next and discuss his new book, “Your Natural Garden.” Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do today, without exce...
Dec 12, 2024•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Germinating native flower seeds is more involved than the seed starting you may be used to, but it’s not hard and it will scratch your gardening itch in winter. Wild Seed Project founder Heather McCargo joins me to explain how to start native flower seeds and the biodiversity benefits that it provides. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do today, ...
Dec 05, 2024•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the soil under our feet, amazing things go on that we don’t get to see. The more we learn about the hidden life of roots, the greater our understanding of how plants obtain the water and nutrients they need to grow. Landscape designer and author Robert Kourik joins me on the podcast to explain what roots and other organisms are up to beneath the soil’s surface. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to ha...
Nov 28, 2024•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Eye injuries in the garden may not be top of mind when weeding and harvesting, but gardeners should be in the habit of taking precautions. To identify the risks to our eyes that gardening poses and ways to prevent injuries, joining me on the podcast this week is retinal surgeon Dr. C. Kiersten Pollard. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do today, ...
Nov 21, 2024•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Spring’s flower garden starts with fall bulb planting. To share everything you need to know to plant and grow flowering bulbs successfully, Brent Heath of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, the celebrated mail-order bulb company, joins me on the podcast. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free guide - Fall Bulbs 101: Selecting, Planting, and Caring for Bulbs Subscribe to the joegardener® email list to receive weekly updates about new podcast episodes, seasonal gardening tips, and online gardening co...
Nov 14, 2024•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Even in an urban environment, nature is all around, if you know where to look. This week, writer Joanna Brichetto joins me to discuss her essay collection, “This Is How a Robin Drinks : Essays on Urban Nature,” and the benefits of becoming attuned to wildlife. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do today, without exception to get incredible results...
Nov 07, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Poisonous plants like poison ivy and giant hogweed can cause irritation, pain and scarring, but there are other plants — wicked plants — that are downright deadly. Joining me this week to discuss the stories behind the world’s most dangerous plants is New York Times bestselling author Amy Stewart. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do today, witho...
Oct 31, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast A naturalized bulb lawn provides beautiful blooms each spring continuously with no need for additional plantings. In this week’s encore, I’m joined by horticulturist Peggy Anne Montgomery to discuss the history and techniques behind bulb lawns and to share how to start your own. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do today, without exception to get...
Oct 24, 2024•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast “Leave the leaves” is a slogan you must have heard by now. Each fall, conservationists encourage homeowners to keep leaves on their property rather than sending them off to landfills. There are a number of reasons to do so, chiefly to support wildlife and reduce contributions to climate change. For a deep dive into why leaving the leaves is such a game-changer, returning to the podcast this week is National Wildlife Federation naturalist David Mizejewski. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my...
Oct 17, 2024•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast When we pause to observe the natural world more closely and record those observations and the way they make us feel, we gain a greater understanding of nature and ourselves. Writer Margaret Renkl, who has a new prompt journal out now as a companion to her best-selling book “The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year,” joins me this week to discuss the benefits of a nature journal. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone ...
Oct 10, 2024•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast There are around 4,000 species of wild, native bees in North America, though imported, domesticated honeybees seem to be the bees that get all the attention when it comes to conservation. To help us learn about native bees and their value, joining me on the podcast this week is entomologist and wild bee expert Dr. Jessica Forrest. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape....
Oct 03, 2024•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Citizen scientists are key to tracking bird populations in North America and identifying which birds are growing in numbers and range — and which are on the decline. To explain the value of bird counts, what can be learned from the data and how anyone can get involved, joining me on the podcast this week is Project FeederWatch project leader Dr. Emma Greig. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a th...
Sep 26, 2024•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Gardening burnout happens when a garden becomes so much more work than you can keep up with and a source of disappointment — one disaster after another — rather than a source of joy. It’s the feeling of not just being overwhelmed but wanting to give up gardening altogether (at least for now). This week, I identify the sources of gardening burnout and the adjustments gardeners can make so they never get to that point. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden...
Sep 19, 2024•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tree collectors come in many different fashions, as author Amy Stewart explores in her new book, “The Tree Collectors: Tales of Arboreal Obsession.” Amy joins me on the podcast this week to discuss tree collecting, what inspired her to write this book, and 10 of the 50 tree collectors she featured in the book. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do...
Sep 12, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Margaret Roach is one of those heroes in horticulture and gardening media who I really admire. She excels at communicating her fundamental understanding of the natural world and reminds her readers and listeners to keep on digging, in more ways than one. She has been a guest on this podcast many times, and this week I am revisiting her first appearance, from back in 2017, where Margaret joined me to share simple yet timeless garden design lessons. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eB...
Sep 05, 2024•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast The annual monarch butterfly migration south starts this month, so I thought it would be a good time to revisit my conversation with ecologist and evolutionary scientist Dr. Anurag Agrawal, an expert on monarch butterflies and milkweed — the only type of plant that monarchs lay their eggs on. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do today, without ex...
Aug 29, 2024•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Periodically, rather than recording a podcast from my studio, I like to get out into my garden and record an audio journal on-site, so I can talk in real time about what I’m seeing, the wins and challenges of the season, what’s worked, what hasn’t and what I plan to change. In this edition, I touch on many things you may have noticed in your own garden this year, and I share how I make the transition from the summer growing season to fall. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 St...
Aug 22, 2024•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Soil bacteria perform many essential tasks to enable plant growth, including cycling nutrients and fixing nitrogen. To explain the fascinating things that researchers have discovered about soil bacteria in recent years, my guest on this encore presentation is gardening columnist and author Jeff Lowenfels. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do toda...
Aug 15, 2024•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Fumigation film and drip tape inaugurated changes in agriculture that made it easier and far more efficient to grow food crops in difficult climates, and now artificial intelligence is bringing about advancements in weed and pest control, among other promising developments. To discuss innovations in agriculture and how they could also benefit home gardeners, joining me on the podcast this week is Dr. Nathan Boyd, a professor of horticulture and weed science at the University of Florida. Podcast ...
Aug 08, 2024•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Plants can do some marvelous things — in addition to being “light eaters” they have their own ways of seeing, hearing and feeling. My guest this week, environmental reporter and author Zöe Schlanger, is here to discuss her new book, The Light Eaters, on the concept of plant intelligence and how it changes our understanding of plant life. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or lan...
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Many apple varieties that have not been commercially available for decades have been lost to history, but there are people called “apple hunters” who go in search of once-popular apples to save them from extinction. My guest this week, Jude Schuenemeyer is an apple hunter who is here to share a success story: the rediscovery of the Colorado Orange apple. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriv...
Jul 25, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast The insect crisis is one leg of the biodiversity loss problem that has cascading effects on the ecosystem and threatens human survival. To share the causes of and the solutions to insect decline, joining me this week is Oliver Milman, author of “ The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires That Run the World .” Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I sti...
Jul 18, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
