Flower Power Garden Hour

Latest Episodes:

Flower Power Garden Hour 20: Listener Q&A….Potpourri Jul 14, 2018

Show notes

A listener questions episode this week featuring:

Hydrangeas not blooming – why??
Fungus on Squash
Lemon tree issues – dropping fruit
Plumeria not growing after transplant
Best indoor plants for low light workspace
Best flowers for a cutting garden
Apple Cider Vinegar for fertilizer?

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Flower Power Garden Hour 19: Begonias – properties and growing/propagating techniques Jul 06, 2018

Show notes

All things Begonia this week. Paul Tsamtsis (lifetime Begonia gardener & expert) & Mike Tentis (lifetime gardener with a more recent Begonia fetish) join Marlene to discuss one of her favorite undervalued flowers - Begonias. Both are active members of the Sacramento Begonia Society, a chapter of the American Begonia Society.

The gamete of topics are discussed:

Different forms (Rex, tuberous, rhizomatous, cane)
Preferred soil types
Propagation techniques (leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, "congfetti", mop head)
Light exposure
Fertilizer types (Osmocote, bone meal, max sea)
Pests/diseases (mealybugs, powdery mildew)

Flower Power Garden Hour 18: Listener Questions Jun 29, 2018

Show notes

Listener questions answered, ranging from protecting vegetable gardens from the summer heat, water strategy with regards to landscaping, causation & prevention of yellowing leaves, protection of plants from birds & insects, and how to best keep fuchsia flowers alive. Fertilizing and organic soil amendment technique and product choice is a common theme. Use these Q&A shows to help build your diagnostic capability to become a master gardener!

Vegetable Gardening – Common Problems, Symptoms & Solutions Jun 16, 2018

Show notes

This episode covers many of the common vegetable garden problems Marlene gets asked about. She covers tomatoes, peppers, squash and more – spanning problems ranging from overwatering, over-fertilization, deficiencies, pollination issues resulting in lack of fruit set.

Mycology 101 with Jason Carter Jun 09, 2018

Show notes

Jason Carter is a PhD candidate at UC Davis studying Pine Pitch Canker, which is a fungus responsible for mass death of Monterey Pines in California. As part of this, he is investigating specific fungus ability to tolerate grass defense compounds, and if there is a correlation to the capability this particular fungus has for resisting pine defenses.

Flower Power Garden Hour 15: Horticulture Fake News -- Gardening Myths Debunked May 27, 2018

Show notes

We all know of common gardening hints and tips. Sometimes these are passed on through family generations, and sometimes they seem to pop up in the social media world. Some are based in solid principles, and some are based in logic that belongs deep in the sewer. This episode covers some of the more popular "garden myths" and whether they have any merit or are the fake news of the horticulture world. Lots of focus on vegetable and fruits.

Flower Power Garden Hour 14: Gardening Q&A….Fruits, Vegetables and Flowers May 18, 2018

Show notes

Loads of listener questions this week, with topics ranging from fruit trees, vegetables, soil amendments and prep, to flower and shrub health in harsh summer conditions.

Flower Power Garden Hour 13: Spanish Peppers….a story of gardening tips and the history of this pepper in Gloria Lopez's family May 11, 2018

Show notes

Gloria has been growing the same lineage of peppers since her family brought them over from southern Spain in 1920. Following her grandfather & father, Gloria has kept this strain alive and vibrant. Whereas most Spanish immigrant families stopped growing or lost track of the seed, Gloria has been able to keep the tradition alive. Each year she starts 1,000 of these sweet peppers in her small greenhouse & gives away most. Her list of people who want them grows each year. In her own garden, she plants hundreds of them & selects the perfect ones to dry & harvest the seed from, furnishing the seeds to grow from the following year – sustainable agriculture at its finest. This pepper represents the long history Spanish immigrants have with agriculture in the Winters area and in California Agriculture. To chronicle this history Gloria interviewed hundreds of immigrants & their families complying their unique stories into a book and documentary, An American Paella: Becoming American while Staying Spanish

You can find Gloria's book and documentary at her website

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram

Water Wise Gardening – Lawn Transformation and native drought tolerant plants with Taylor Lewis May 04, 2018

Show notes

Taylor Lewis, UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery Manager, discusses water-wise, drought tolerant, California native gardening. Removing a lawn can be back-breaking…..Taylor shares his detailed methodology for transforming a lawn into a water-wise garden, with minimal intense physical labor. Taylor's method makes lawn removal a much less daunting task. Additionally discussed is maintenance of soil after lawn transformation, low water usage irrigation types and technique, and ideal plants & flowers for water-wise gardening. Marlene loves Mediterranean gardening for this purpose. For a comprehensive list of high performing, low water usage plants, check out the UC Davis Arboretum "Arboretum All-Stars" list. They've been compiling this list for over a decade.

You can reach Taylor at tclewis@ucdavis.edu

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram

Check out past all past episodes and contact Marlene at marlenesimon.net

Flower Power Garden Hour 11: Vegetable & Flower Gardening Q&A Apr 26, 2018

Show notes

A round of listener questions fills this week's episode, with a mixed focus on vegetables, pest control & flowers. Specifically, Marlene answers questions regarding artichokes – how to keep healthy, pest free (or pest "controlled") & how/when to harvest. On the floral front, Marlene tackles rose & lavender questions around care & specific variety blooming attributes. She dives into the unique Jericho rose – aka the Resurrection plant. Bonus -- hear about The Plant Lady's unhealthy obsession with the My Favorite Murder podcast.

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram

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