Flower Power Garden Hour

Latest Episodes:

Flower Power Garden Hour 180: July To Do & Listener Q&A Jul 16, 2023

Show notes

It is the July To Do List, and we are in the HEAT of summer. Garden work is relegated to morning and (maybe) late afternoon given the blistering temperatures. Luckily, it is not the busiest time of the year garden wise – hopefully most of your time is spent harvesting vegetables. Plenty to do still from a maintenance perspective, and believe it or not….some early prep for Fall/Winter.

It is time to:

· Sow seeds indoors for brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli

Chores include:

· Deep water trees

· Deep water in-ground plants

· Mulch

· Weed

· HARVEST

· Snip off flowers of basil, other herbs

· Keep an eye out for insects – spray, squish

· Dead-head flowers

We finish up with a Listener Q&A section. Topics covered include:

· What is a good way to get rid of ants indoors?

· What are the best cut flower options?

· Pumpkins turning yellow and rotting before they turn orange – why?

· Fastest growing shrubs that do well in full sun with minimal water?

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

· Facebook

· Instagram

· email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

FPGH 179. Tomato Myths (& more) Jun 30, 2023

Show notes

Flower Power Garden Hour 178: June To Do & Listener Q&A Jun 19, 2023

Show notes

It is the June To Do List, and here in Zone 9 it seems that summer has arrived. Hot weather is becoming the daily norm, and everything is quickly drying up from a very wet winter. At this point in the garden a lot of the hard prep work has been done and we now begin summer maintenance mode.

It is time to plant:

· Perennials, roses, herbs, veggies… beans, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon, melons, okra, chard, eggplant, peppers, pumpkins, squash, watermelon, cucamelons

Chores include:

· Mulch
· Deadhead roses
· Rootstock suckers
· Look for pests
· Plant flowers

We finish up with a Listener Q&A section. Topics covered include:

· Fertilizer for dragon fruit?
· Anything that can be done to help tomato flowers set fruit?
· Preparation for removing lawn for a water wise landscape.
· Large, very old female mulberry tree(s) are being removed by the city of Stockton. What will the impact be on the remaining male mulberry tree? Will it produce more pollen? Will it still produce berries?

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

· Facebook
· Instagram
· email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Flower Power Garden Hour 177: Essential Oils, with Amy Anthony of NYC Aromatica May 26, 2023

Show notes

For centuries people have been harvesting and obtaining oils from plants. From lavender to Frankincense, researchers know that oils are important compounds in plants for many reasons. In this episode I talk to aromatherapy expert, Amy Anthony of NYC Aromatica, all about essential oils and how you can utilize them in your life. We touch upon distilling flowers, which ones you can grow in your garden and her favorites. And find out which flower I tried to distill but failed at miserably!!

Links below can be found to NYC Aromatica to learn more.

· Website: nycaromatica.com

· Podcast: Essential Aromatica

· Instagram: nycaromatica

· YouTube: @nycaromatica

· Facebook: @NYC Aromatica

· LinkedIn: Amy Anthony

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

· Facebook

· Instagram

· email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Flower Power Garden Hour 176: May To Do & Listener Q&A May 07, 2023

Show notes

It is the May To Do List, and the here in Zone 9 the winter weather seems to have finally broken. Warm days have been persistent, but there is still some cool and wet weather. Lots to do in the garden as we catch up from a long winter and prepare for spring/summer.

It is time to plant:

· Vegetables: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, swiss chard, corn, cucumbers, okra, melons, squash, watermelon

Chores include:

Mulch
Plant everything
Check irrigation/flush lines
Thin stonefruit
Peach leaf curl
Fertilize pots
Transplant succulents
Monitor for pests/prep

We finish up with a Listener Q&A section. Topics covered include:

Hummingbird moths – what plants attract them?
Camelia tree bush – blooms pink every spring, but quickly drops them. Suggestions?
Bird of Paradise – how to separate and transplant into smaller pots
Wine barrels – got saturated because there were no holes and water did not drain. Once it does drain, can the soil be reused or should it be replaced?

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

· Facebook

· Instagram

· email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Flower Power Garden Hour 175: Kids Gardening, with Em Shipman, Executive Director of KidsGardening.org Apr 15, 2023

Show notes

April is Kid's Gardening Month! Joining me to talk about resources to help teachers and parents with activities, grants and lesson plants is Em Shipman, Executive Director of KidsGardening.org . And FYI- a lot of these lessons are great for grownups!

If folks want to contribute to our work, donations are 100% tax deductible. We are able to reach 8 more kids with every dollar donated! Here is the donation link.

Additional useful information discussed in the episode – and links to KidsGardening media – can be found below.

· Website: KidsGardening; Kids Garden Community

· Instagram: kidsgardening

· Twitter: @Kids_Gardening

· Pintrest: @kidsgardening

· Facebook: KidsGardening.org

· YouTube: @KidsGardening.org

· Activities:

o Container Gardening

o Seed Viewer

o Kitchen Scrap Gardening

o Learn about Landfills Lesson Plan

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

· Facebook

· Instagram

· email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Flower Power Garden Hour 174: April To Do, Asparagus growing tips, & Listener Q&A Apr 09, 2023

Show notes

It is the April To Do List, and the persistent wet and cold weather is still here in the west. Nevertheless, we are getting warmer, longer days and spring will soon be in full effect.

We also spend some time reviewing asparagus growing tips, as it is a popular question amongst listeners.

It is time to plant:

Vegetables: Eggplant, squash, corn, cucumbers, swiss chard, jicama, okra, melons, peppers, sweet potatoes, watermelons
Flowers: Perennials, dahlias, sunflower seeds

Chores include:

Weed
Prune once flowering shrubs
Mulch
Watch for insects

We finish up with a Listener Q&A section. Topics covered include:

Rhubarb – growing tips
What kind of trees will grow well in full sun in the Central Valley/Foothills
Red clover – recommendations for using as nitrogen fixer
Cherry tomatoes – advice on early season transplanting to larger containers, and where/how to move outside (especially if cold still)

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

· Facebook

· Instagram

· email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Flower Power Garden Hour 173: Glenn Dickerson, Begonia Collection Curator at Fort Worth Botanic Garden Apr 02, 2023

Show notes

Begonias are like potato chips, you can't stop at one. In this episode I'm talking with Glenn Dickerson, Begonia collections curator at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, about all his tips and tricks to keep their massive collection healthy and thriving. We discuss soil, fertilizer, types of Begonias, problematic Rex varieties and more.

Glenn and some fantastic begonia resources can be found below:

American Begonia Society Website: begonias.com
Fort Worth Botanic Garden Website: fwbg.org
Fort Worth Botanic Garden Instagram: fortworthbotanicgarden
Glenn Dickerson Instagram: begoniaking
Facebook: Fort Worth Botanic Garden

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

Facebook
Instagram
email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Flower Power Garden Hour 172: Don Shor of Redwood Barn Nursery, Fruit Tree Troubleshooting Mar 11, 2023

Show notes

Peach leaf curl, fire blight, citrus issues, and more. Don Shor, owner of Redwood Barn Nursery and horticulturist extraordinaire, joins me to discuss issues that may arise on your fruit trees this spring and summer.

Don and Redwood Barn Nursery can be found at:

Website: redwoodbarn.com
Instagram: redwoodbarnnursery & don.shor
Facebook: Redwood Barn Nursery
Podcasts: Davis Garden Show on Apple Podcasts; Jazz After Dark on Apple Podcasts

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

· Facebook

· Instagram

· email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Flower Power Garden Hour 171: March To Do & Listener Q&A Mar 04, 2023

Show notes

It is the March To Do List, and we are still in the heart of winter with lots of cold and wet days. Not just cold and wet – we have had very low elevation snow throughout California…crazy. Spring looms though, and preparation is paramount.

It is time to plant:

· Vegetables: Broccoli, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, chive, collards, swiss chard, kale, lettuce, potatoes, radish

· Start tomato, eggplant, and (maybe) peppers inside

· Annual flowers

· Dahlias & summer bulbs (like gladiolas)

Chores include:

· Prune roses

· Check irrigation

· Transplant actively growing plants

· Cut back dying foliage of bulbs

We finish up with a Listener Q&A section. Topics covered include:

· Can roses be trimmed in Dec/Jan before the budding starts?