Flower Power Garden Hour

Latest Episodes:

Flower Power Garden Hour 170: February To Do & Listener Q&A Feb 11, 2023

Show notes

It is the February To Do List, and we are still in the heart of winter with plenty of cold days. Spring is around the corner though, and preparation has to get started.

It is time to plant:

· Vegetables: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, swiss chard, collards, kale, lettuce, peas, radish
· Plant bare-root roses, fruit trees

Chores include:

· Prune roses, fruit trees
· Start cleaning up garden
· Start seeds: Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants inside
· Divide plants
· Buy dahlia bulbs, sweet pea seeds

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

· Persistent white fly and aphid infestation. Does all soil in planter boxes need to be replaced to solve this problem?

· Questions about using chicken manure & alfalfa pellets in the garden: When & how do they get applied? Should wood chips be moved before application? Should organic pellets/manure be used?

· What is the best way to move a Bird of Paradise?

· What are the little holes in an apricot tree? And are they lethal?

· The best fertilizer for an orange tree?

· Dragonfruit plant is covered in circular, red spots & appears to be yellowing? What can be done?

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 169: January To Do & Listener Q&A Jan 15, 2023

Show notes

It is the January To Do List, and we are in the rainiest season out wet in a very long time. Temperatures have moderated a bit, however. Tough to get out in the garden with this much rain, but there are things that need to be done during the dry periods.

It is time to plant:

Bareroot trees, roses, shrubs
Radishes
Lettuce
Onions
Bok choy
Fava beans

Chores include:

Protect from frost. Watch weather report for potential frost days
Don't work wet soils --- very important
Spray for peach leaf curl and other fungal diseases
Can prune fruit trees – but listen to the caveats in the episode

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

How much of a dry period is needed to spray liquid copper on fruit trees?
Can a rose stem from a bouquet be rooted? What is the process?
When to transplant a Little Ollie olive tree from a plastic pot to the ground?
When to prune hydrangeas?
What is the process for propagating fig tree cuttings?
Can a Boston Fern survive in an outdoor enclosed room?

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 168: Magnolias, with Andrew Bunting Jan 07, 2023

Show notes

We are all familiar with the iconic southern magnolia and possibly even the show stopping saucer magnolia…but there are many more beauties in this genus. I had the pleasure of talking with Andrew Bunting -- the Vice President of Horticulture at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and author of "The Plant Lover's Guide to Magnolias". We discuss everything from range of habitat, to care and unique species that can be incorporated into your garden.

Andrew can be found at:

Website: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Facebook: @PHSgardening
Twitter: @PHSgardening
Instagram: @phsgardening
YouTube: @PHSgardening
LinkedIn: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

Magnolia sources:

Societies:

Botanic Gardens and Arboreta:

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 167: Christmas Plants Wrap Up Dec 24, 2022

Show notes

Flower Power Garden Hour 166: December To Do & Listener Q&A Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

It is the December To Do List, and we are in the middle of winter garden season. Weather is COLD, and so far it has been relatively wet.

It is time to plant:

Asparagus
Fava beans
Bok choy
Broccoli rabe
Garlic
Kale
Loose leaf lettuce
Mustard
Onion sets
Radish

Do not plant yet:

Bareroot trees
Roses
Berries

Chores include:

Protect succulents from water
Frost protection
Clean up – but leave some debris remaining
Spray dormant trees (peach leaf curl)
Plant bulbs

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

What are your thoughts on using a moisture meter to determine if plants need water?
How often should a yard be watered during the winter?
Banana tree – should it be inside or outside during the winter?
Putting asparagus plants down for the winter
Christmas cactus best practices

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 165: San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, with Kristen Natoli & Sarah Sawtelle Dec 04, 2022

Show notes

What is it like to work in the oldest greenhouse conservatory in the US? I talk to the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers Kristen Natoli (Collections Manager) and Sarah Sawtelle (Engagement Manager) about the ins and outs of this historic collection and building. With such an amazing collection of plants – where do they source them from? How do they decide what is kept and what to get rid of? And of course, we talk about the Giant water lilies, corpse plant and bat flower.

The SF Conservatory of Flowers can be found at:

Website: org
Instagram: @conservatoryofflowers
Twitter: @SFConservatory
Facebook: @ConservatoryofFlowers
YouTube: @SanFranciscoConservatoryofFlowers

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 164: Compost, with Kevin Marini Nov 20, 2022

Show notes

Compost…this is music to most gardener's ears. FREE compost is even better. Many people think that expensive compost makers, tons of space, and ample time is required – this is NOT the case. In this episode I welcome back master composter Kevin Marini to discuss everything compost. Do you know the difference between hot and cold compost, the optimal size and temperature of a pile, and what unusual items can be placed in your compost? Trust me…..Kevin has heard it all through his composting Rot Line!

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 163: Bulbs, with Peggy Anne Montgomery Nov 12, 2022

Show notes

Every gardener – no matter how long you have been gardening – gets excited for the first shoots of spring emerging bulbs. Bulbs are incredibly easy to grow, and for many they naturalize and multiply year after year, creating a no-fuss flower show. I talk to bulb expert Peggy Anne Montgomery about growing bulbs and how to incorporate them into your lawn…..yes, your lawn. She has tips on how to dig holes, what to incorporate when planting, how to implement the lasagna method, and which bulbs rodents will avoid.

Peggy Anne and additional information about bulbs can be found at:

Website: flowerbulbs.com
Instagram: @flowerbulbsdotcom
Facebook: @Flowerbulbs.com
Pinterest: @Flowerbulbs.com
Twitter: @FlowerbulbsCom
YouTube: @Flowerbulbs

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 162: November To Do & Listener Q&A Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

It is the November To Do List, and we are in the throes of winter garden prep. Weather is starting to cool rapidly, and (hopefully) out west we start seeing moisture soon.

It is time to plant:

Fava beans
Bok choy
Celery
Swiss chard
Garlic
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mustard
Onions
Peas
Radish
Shallots
Spinach
Perennials (except frost sensitive)
Spring blooming bulbs
Cover crops: Fava beans, Crimson clover
Spring blooming annual seeds: Natives, sweet peas

Chores include:

Clean up summer garden
Dig up/divide perennials such as: Cannas, agapanthus, grasses
Avoid transplanting succulents
Order seeds for next year
Weed control

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

Is it too late to plant sweet pea seeds?
Iris bulbs – okay to plant now, or store for next year?
How to divide and plant Elephant Ear, Bird of Paradise, and Banana Tree?
Brussel sprouts and Romanesco being predated – what is doing it, and how to prevent?
Dieffenbachia – how to transplant?
Purple Pony Plum infested with caterpillars – how to get rid of?

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 161: Birds, with Tammy Poppie Oct 29, 2022

Show notes

Watching birds go about their lives in your garden is one of the many benefits of gardening. Besides the joy of watching them, they are also busy eating pests and helping to keep a balanced ecosystem. I talk to bird expert Tammy Poppie about ways to create a healthy, safe and inviting environment for birds.

Tammy and additional information about birding and their interaction with plants can be found at:

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

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