Flower Power Garden Hour
Society & Culture
About
Musings with people in the world of gardening, botany, horticulture and nature. Marlene takes her years of gardening experience, success and failures and turns it into an unpretentious, humorous listen. From organic vegetable gardening, houseplants, bee keeping, flowers, and everything in between -- this podcast covers it.
Episodes
- FPGH 236: May To Do List + Listener Q&A
It's May…if you have been waiting to plant peppers and eggplants, the time is here. Join Bruce and I as we go over what else to plant and tackle in the garden. Plus we answer your questions about fenestrations, bird of paradise and more. H…
- FPGH.235: Unusual Vegetables to Grow
Love growing tomatoes and peppers but want to try something different? Bruce and I give our lists of top 10 unusual vegetables to grow. Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hou…
- FPGH234: Soil Structure
Healthy soil is the key to a healthy, productive beautiful garden but it can be a bit confusing with all the info out there. We discuss how to determine what kind of soil you have, how and what to amend with and more useful tips. Help supp…
- FPGH 233: April To Do List & Listener Q&A
It's officially tomato planting time! But what else can you plant? And what, in our opinion, should you hold off a bit longer planting. We go over your April garden tasks to do as well as answer your questions. Help support feral cat rescu…
- FPGH 232: Top 10 Gardening Tips
Bruce and I each break down our top 10 tips and tricks for growing a successful vegetable garden — no peeking, no comparing notes beforehand. Just two opinionated gardeners with a lot to say about what actually works. Who has a no-marigold…
- FPGH 231: Amorphophallus & the Corpse Flower, with Plant Explorer Derek Carwood
To smell and see a Titan Arum in bloom is pretty spectacular, but what really fascinates me is the evolution and incredible diversity within the entire Amorphophallus genus. In this episode, I'm joined by Amorphophallus expert and plant ex…
- FPGH 230: March To Do List + Listener Q&A
Not sure if it's time to plant tomatoes or if you can squeeze in another round of broccoli? Bruce and I will break down what garden tasks could and should be done in March. Plus we answer your questions. What exactly are those bumps on tre…
- FPGH 229: Top 10 Favorite Fragrant Plants
Looking to add a fragrant touch to your bedroom window or entry way? Bruce and Marlene each give their top 10 favorite fragrant plants. Will yours be on the list? And we also reveal our most obnoxious smelling plants. Help support feral ca…
- FPGH 228: Seed Starting
There are many benefits for starting plants from seeds. But what are the best techniques for success. Bruce and Marlene go into detail on the basics and discuss more advanced seed starting requirements. Help support feral cat rescue/spay-n…
- FPGH 227: February To Do List
Believe it or not, spring is around the corner. It has been very dry in NorCal so far – sometimes we get Spring rain, so still TBD. LOTS of prep to do for the upcoming season. It is time to plant: Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Colla…
- FPGH 226: Top 10 Easiest Houseplants To Grow
Kill every houseplant you try to grow? Not anymore. Bruce and I share our top 10 easiest houseplants that are guaranteed to thrive in your home… even if you are convinced you have a brown thumb. Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/fi…
- FPGH 225: Welwitschia, with Gianluca Bacci of rareplantcatalog.com
Welwitschia mirabilis is one of the most unique plant species and on this episode we dive into everything about it. Succulent extraordinaire, Gianluca Bacci of rareplantcatalog.com , joins me in discussing its care, morphology, propagation…
- FPGH 224: January To Do List & Listener Q&A
It is the January To Do List – lots of fog in the California Central Valley recently, so a good amount of moisture even without significant rain. Temperatures have been on the lower side, but no major freezes. Even though it's the heart of…
- FPGH 224: January To Do List & Listener Q&A
It is the January To Do List – lots of fog in the California Central Valley recently, so a good amount of moisture even without significant rain. Temperatures have been on the lower side, but no major freezes. Even though it's the heart of…
- FPGH.223: Holiday Plants
Tired of getting a holiday plant just to have it die on you. Don't worry, Bruce and Marlene, share tips on how to prevent your plants from ending up in the compost bin after the New Year. Topics covered: getting Christmas cactus to bloom,…
- FPGH 222: December To Do & Listener Q&A
It is the December To Do List, and we are in the middle of winter garden season. Weather is moderately cold, foggy, and so far it has been pretty dry. We finish up with a Listener Q&A. It is time to plant: Asparagus Fava beans Bok choy Bro…
- FPGH 220: Brendan Wilce, of the California Native Plant Society
Fall is a great time to plant California natives. Brendan Wilce of the California Native Plant Society joins me to give his 10 top favorite natives. This episode is sponsored by BeWaterSmart . The Brendan and the California Native Plant So…
- FPGH 219: Between Two Shrubs, with Shelley & Christy
Want to take over that neglected school garden but need some inspiration? Listen to Shelley and Christy of @betweentwoshrubs discuss their story of creating a successful school garden program. Plus -- we talk about their new YouTube channe…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 218: October To Do List and Listener Q & A
It is the October To Do List, and that means it is a very busy time in the garden. Clean up from summer vegetables and prepping for fall and winter. The days are cooler, but shorter – which means you have to work efficiently and hard. Epis…
- FPGH 217: Kayden Rsenbauer of the Sacramento Tree Foundation
Fall is a great time to plant a shade tree and our guest, Kayden Rsenbauer, certified arborist with the Sacramento Tree Foundation has all the info you need. Bruce and I talk to him about proper planting techniques, watering for young and…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 216: All about Staghorn Ferns
Truly one of the bizarre looking and growing plants out there. Bruce and Marlene discuss everything related to the Genus Platycerium. How to propagate from spores and divisions, what species grow the best in zone 9, unusual species and mor…
- FPGH 215: September Garden To-Do's and Q & A
Planting, tasks and to do's that should take place in September for a beautiful fall garden. Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon. To ask questions for future show…
- FPGH 214: Top 10 Drought Tolerant Plants for a Tropical Look
Want to feel like you are in the tropics but without the expensive plane ticket or large amounts of water? Bruce and Marlene each give their top 10 plants that grow with low water but give you the vibe of being in a far away destination He…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 213: Farmer Fred Hoffman of Garden Basics
If you garden in a water conscious State like California, you may be able to recite a list of plants and practices to reduce water in your landscape. But often vegetable gardening gets left out of water-wise conversations. Our guest -- the…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 212: August To Do List & Listener Q&A
It is the August To Do List – it has been a great, cool summer in NorCal. Bruce and I talk about current gardening work, and do a detailed dive into listener questions across a variety of topics. Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/f…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 211: Creating a cool (heat-wise) yard, with Cheryl Buckwalter
Summer heat getting to you? Add some cool to your yard. Bruce and I talk to award winning landscape designer, Cheryl Buckwalter, on how to create a cool oasis with some simple landscape tips. http://bewatersmart.info Help support feral cat…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 210: Top 10 Money Wasters
Want to save money?! Of course you do. As plant lovers we want to spend our money on plants not stuff to maintain them. Bruce and I each give our top 10 money wasters with a large ticket bonus item. You may be surprised with what you have…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 210: Top 10 Money Wasters
Want to save money?! Of course you do. As plant lovers we want to spend our money on plants not stuff to maintain them. Bruce and I each give our top 10 money wasters with a large ticket bonus item. You may be surprised with what you have…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 209: Flowers, with Amber Villarreal of Redhead Flowerbed
Have dreams of becoming a flower farmer or just want to grow flowers for yourself? I talk to Amber Villarreal of @redheadflowerbed all about her journey into the flower growing world. And of course she'll discuss growing tips and her favor…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 208: July To Do List
It's peak of summer and it's hot. But believe it or not it is time for tasks to prep for fall. Bruce and I discuss what needs to be done in the garden now plus we answer questions on azaleas, tomatoes and more Help support feral cat rescue…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 207: June To Do List
It's summer and it's getting hot but there's still plenty to do in the garden. My new co-host Bruce Ritter joins me to discuss what tasks you should be tackling in your garden. And no it's not too late to plant tomatoes. Plus we answer you…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 208: Flowers, with Amber Villarreal of Redhead Flowerbed
Have dreams of becoming a flower farmer or just want to grow flowers for yourself? I talk to Amber Villarreal of @redheadflowerbed all about her journey into the flower growing world. And of course she'll discuss growing tips and her favor…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 206: Purple tomato development with Norfolk Healthy Produce
A truly purple tomato - this is what Norfolk Healthy Produce has achieved. With beauty also comes big health benefits. Listen in as I talk to CEO Dr. Nathan Plumpton and head horticulturalist Ian Baker on what the process was to make this…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 205: Peaches and Nectarines with Ed Laivo of @ed_able_solutions
Fruit tree expert, Ed Laivo of @ed_able_solutions, gives his list of favorite peaches and nectarines for an extended growing season. Plus learn what cat-facing is and why it may be happening to your nectarines. This and more growing tips.…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 204: March To Do List
It's spring! LOTS of prep to do for the upcoming season. Time to sow seeds and prep beds for planting. It is time to plant: Broccoli – plants only Carrots Cauliflower- plants only Leeks Loose leaf lettuce Peas Potatoes Chores include: Sow…
- FPGH 203: Anthony Dal Ben, Be Water Smart #summerstrong competition
Anthony Dal Ben is one of the winners of the Be Water Smart #summerstrong competition. Winners of this competition transformed their once water loving lawns/gardens into yards that are water efficient but at that same time beautiful. For A…
- FPGH 202: Elaine Fitzgerald, Be Water Smart #summerstrong competition
Elaine Fitzgerald is one of the winners of the Be Water Smart #summerstrong competition. Winners of the competition transformed their once water loving lawns/gardens into yards that are water efficient as well as beautiful. Listen in to he…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 201: Janelle Auyeung, Be Water Smart #summerstrong competition
Janelle Auyeung is one of the winners of the Be Water Smart #summerstrong competition. Winners of this competition transformed their once water loving lawns/gardens into yards that are water efficient, but at that same time beautiful. Hear…
- FPGH 200: September To Do, Listener Q&A
It is the September To Do List – believe it or not, we are in full Fall prep time. Lots of cool weather vegetables to start planting, and tons of clean up and pruning. It was quite a hot summer and time may have been sparse in the garden,…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 199: Mitigating HEAT issues
This episode is sponsored by bewatersmart.info . The heat getting to you? There's a good chance it's also impacting your plants. I discuss various heat related plant issues and ways to mitigate them. To ask questions for future shows, subm…
- Power Garden Hour 198: Top 10 Favorite Drought Tolerant Plants
This episode is sponsored by bewatersmart.info . In this episode, I discuss 10 of my favorite drought tolerant plants. Even if you think you don't have a green thumb, these plants will thrive in your garden with minimal water requirements.…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 197: The Chocolate Botanist, Derek Haynes
In this episode, I have a great conversation with the Chocolate Botanist, Derek Haynes. Hear about his journey becoming a plant biologist as well about his mission to debunk misinformation on the internet. We discuss his "favorite" myths a…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 196: Soil science, with Robert Pavlis of Garden Fundamentals
Soil science can be a bit confusing. How long does it take for materials to be broken down, is it good practice to add microbes and what exactly are microbes? Robert Pavlis addresses these questions and more. Check out his new podcast Gard…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 195: Montana gardening, with Theri Vasina L'Hirondelle
If I was picked up and dropped into a gardening zone relatively different than mine, it would be a huge steep learning curve. I love talking to gardeners from zones different than my zone 9b and it doesn't get much different than zone 3. I…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 194: Aroids, with Bruce Ritter
Dieffenbachia, 'pothos', Monstera… a great majority of houseplants are in the Araceae family which most people shorten to just say Aroids. I discuss this broad family with UC Davis Botanical Conservatory volunteer extraordinaire Bruce Ritt…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 193: February To Do List
Believe it or not, spring is around the corner. Here in NorCal, it is still wet with periods of cold, so one does have to be careful with working soil and protecting from potentially freezes. LOTS of prep to do for the upcoming season. It…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 192: December To Do, Listener Q&A
It's here – the last To Do list of the year. So far it has been a mild winter, with regards to both temperature and moisture. It is the time to plant another round of winter vegetables, work on pest management, and start planning for your…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 191: Kids gardening literature, with author Collin Pine
How do we ensure the next generations become stewards of the land? Of course exposing them to nature and getting them outdoors but also having conversations and reading with them. I talk with author, Collin Pine, about his children's book…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 190: Gardening can be Murder (in literature), with author Marta McDowell
Gardening can be murder... that is what a lot of people who claim to have a brown thumb think. But in this case, I'm discussing murder mystery books and their links to gardening. Author, Marta McDowell, joins me to discuss her new book "Ga…
- Flower Power Garden Hour 189: Trees, with Arborist Pamela Sanchez of the Sacramento Tree Foundation
Trees -- we all know how important they are. But what are the best trees for zone 9? How exactly do you properly plant, stake and water a new tree? Pamela Sanchez -- Certified Arborist and Education Programs Manager for the Sacramento Tree…