Radio Show: Planting fruit trees

This week's show on Blog Talk Radio was about planting fruit trees. Brandy Cowley-Gilbert  of Just Fruits and Exotics in Crawfordville, Fla., joined us for a discussion about the importance of site selection when planting fruit trees, including water needs, available sunlight and fertilizer requirements. Although Brandy and I both garden in North Florida, her tips on site selection apply anywhere. Click on the following link to listen: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All/2009/09/09/Ms-Grow-It-All Brandy will be back in a few weeks to talk about growing specific kinds of fruit trees and shrubs, so watch this space for  more information on her next appearance. Our show next week will begin at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 16, and the topic will be preparing your lawn for winter. Please join us.

Radio Show: Fall and winter herbs

Our show this week on Blog Talk Radio was about herbs for fall and winter. In the Deep South, many common herbs such as parsley and sage actually perform better in cooler weather. Others can survive a mild winter with a little protection. Click on the following link to listen: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All/2009/09/02/Ms-Grow-It-All
Our next show will begin at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 9, and the topic will be planting fruit trees.

Radio Show: Salt-tolerant and native plants

This week's show continued the discussion from today's newspaper column about salt-tolerant plants for both beach sites and Tallahassee gardens. Bill Kollar of Gardens, Inc., in Apalachicola, Fla., was my guest. Click on the following link to listen: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All/2009/08/27/Ms-Grow-It-All
Our show next week will begin at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 2, and the topic will be herbs for the fall and winter garden.

Radio Show: Threats to trees

Frequent co-host Stan Rosenthal, University of Florida/Leon County forester, joined me this week for a discussion of threats to trees, including pests, diseases and lightning. Click on the following link to listen: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All/2009/08/19/Ms-Grow-It-All
Our show next week begins at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 27, and features a discussion about salt-tolerant and native plants, and plants suitable for the beach as well as the clay soil of Tallahassee, with landscape designer Bill Kollar of Gardens, Inc., in Apalachicola, Fla.

Radio Show: Rain gardens

This week, we talked about creating rain gardens to reduce stormwater runoff from your property. The plants in a rain garden hold the water back a little longer, giving it time to soak into your soil. Rain gardens reduce erosion, prevent pollution and beautify our yards. Use the following link to listen to the rain-garden show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All/2009/07/30/Ms-Grow-It-All

Radio Show: Mid-summer garden chores

This week, we reviewed routine maintenance that needs to be done this time of year -- yes, it's hot, but there are few things you need to do, such as pruning and pinching perennials to keep the flowers blooming up to frost. We also reached into the mailbag to answer a few queries from readers/listeners.

Radio Show: Lightning and the garden

Stan Rosenthal, Leon County/University of Florida IFAS (Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences) forester joined us to talk about gardening and lightning. Lightning has its benefits in the gardens, but it also can severely damage and kill trees. We talked about trees that seem to get struck most and least, what you can do if one is struck, and how to keep yourself safe.

Radio Show: Transplanting potted plants

Following up on this week's newspaper column about transplanting a peace lily, we talked about transplanting potted plants in general. Different plants may have different requirements, but the basics hold true for most.

Radio Show: Good vines and bad vines

This week's radio show was a continuation of the newspaper column about a thorny, invasive vine that is one of the varieties of Smilax. We talked about good vines for your garden and ones you should avoid.

Radio Show: Gardening in a heat wave

With much of the Southeast, including the Florida Panhandle, experiencing a heat wave with high temperatures topping 100 every day, we talked on this week's show about how to get your gardening chores done without putting your life and health in jeopardy.

Radio Show: Gardening and condominiums

This week we chatted with Becky Button of Louisville, Ky., about gardening in a condominium community. Part of the appeal of condominium living for many people is the consistent look of the community. Becky, who has lived in her condominium for 17 years and served on her condo's board of directors, explains the rules and how there is still room for creativity, within bounds.

Radio Show: Shade trees

This week frequent co-host Stan Rosenthal, Leon County/University of Florida IFAS forester, joined us to talk about shade trees for your landscape.

Radio Show: "Chill hours"

Why do certain plants thrive in places that get just as hot in summer, but not in the Coastal South? The answer likely is "chill hours," and that was the topic of our conversation this week.

Radio Show: Preparing for hurricane season

In our first broadcast since we moved our show to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, Eastern time, UF/Leon County, Fla., forester Stan Rosenthal joined us to talk about how to plant a landscape that is hurricane-resistant, as well as what to do for an existing landscape. For a list of the trees he talked about, go to http://treesandhurricanes.ifas.ufl.edu/lessons.html. You can download the show by clicking on the link in the right rail for one week after broadcast; after that, go to my Home Page and click on the radio show archive link. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comment section below.

Radio Show: Gardening with "found objects"

This week's show was about converting "found objects" into unusual planters and gardening containeres. The show was in conjunction with a demonstration on the same topic I gave at Tallahassee Nurseries a couple of weeks ago.

Radio Show: Keeping critters out of the garden

Today, our show focused on how to keep critters, both wild and domestic, out of your garden and planting beds. You can download the show by clicking on the link in the right rail for one week after broadcast; after that, go to my Home Page and click on the radio show archive link. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comment section below.

Radio Show: What plants like

Today, frequent co-host Stan Rosenthal, Leon County forester, and Ms. Grow-It-All discussed a little basic botany: what trees and other plants like. Most problems with trees, shrubs and other plants can be traced to one of their basic needs.

Radio Show: Recovering from the deluge

Today our show was broadcast live from Tallahassee Nurseries, where Ms. Grow-It-All was leading a workshop later in the morning on "Gardening in Found Objects." Our radio show topic today was helping your plants recover from extended, heavy rainfall, such as the deluge North Florida experienced earlier this week. It appears that most of the region received at least 8 inches of rain over three days. Landscape architect and horticulturist Rob Apsley, ASLA, of Macon, Ga., was our special guest.

Radio Show: Preparing your lawn for Spring

That brown lawn might look dead, but chances are it's just dormant. Find out what you need to do -- and just as importantly, what you shouldn't do -- to ready your lawn for spring.

Radio Show: Soil v. dirt

This week, frequent co-host Stan Rosenthal joined us for a conversation about what makes good soil for gardening. Stan, our Leon County forester who added a minor in soil science to his major in forestry, also answered the question: What's the difference between dirt and soil?

Radio Show: Pass-along plants

This week Ms. Grow-It-All was delighted to welcome noted author and gardener June Bailey White as her guest for a conversation about "pass-along plants." The plants, also known as heirloom plants, are stalwarts of the garden that have been handed down through generations and shared among friends because they're proven to thrive in area gardens. June is co-chair of next Saturday's Old-Timey Plant Sale at Birdsong Nature Center, located between Tallahassee, Fla., and Thomasville, Ga., and many of the plants for sale are heirlooms/pass-alongs. For more on Birdsong and the plant sale, visit its Web site at www.birdsongnaturecenter.org. If you're reading this within seven days of the original broadcast, click on the link to the right to listen. If you've missed that window, you can find complete archives of all the Ms. Grow-It-All Blog Talk Radio broadcasts at www.FreeWorldRadioNetwork.net. This was the first broadcast in the show's expanded half-hour format.

No radio show today

Our apologies. Because of technical difficulties with Blog Talk Radio, Ms. Grow-It-All did not broadcast a show today. Please tune in next week at the usual time, 9 a.m. Eastern. In the meantime, visit www.FreeWorldRadioNetwork.net for an archive of our earlier shows to catch any you missed.

Radio Show: Goodwood Museum and Gardens

This week's show went on location to the Goodwood Museum and Gardens in Tallahassee, Fla., for its Winter Garden Symposium. This antebellum mansion and its surrounding grounds are beautiful examples of historic architecture and horticulture. Special presenters for the symposium lured garden enthusiasts from all over the region. We talked to two of them: Master Gardener Jill Williams and Brandy Cowley-Gilbert of Just Fruits and Exotics. Click on the link to Blog Talk Radio in the right rail to listen to the show for seven days after its initial broadcast. If you missed that one-week window, an archive of all our shows can be found at www.freeworldradionetwork.net. To learn more about Goodwood, visit its Web site at www.goodwoodmuseum.org.

Radio Show: Salad gardens

This week's show focused on salad gardens. Click on the link to Blog Talk Radio in the right rail to listen to the show for seven days after its initial broadcast. If you missed that one-week window, an archive of all our shows can be found at http://www.freeworldradionetwork.net/.

Radio Show: Care and pruning of roses

This week's show was all about care and pruning of roses, an appropriate topic for this Valentine's Day. Click on the link to Blog Talk Radio in the right rail to listen to the show for seven days after its initial broadcast. If you missed that one-week window, an archive of all our shows can be found at http://www.freeworldradionetwork.net/.

Radio Show: Choosing trees

This week's broadcast featured forester Stan Rosenthal of the University of Florida/Leon County Extension Service. As a follow-up to last week's program on pruning crape myrtles and other summer-blooming trees, we discussed mistakes people make in selecting trees to plant. He offered advice on trees that make good candidates for home landscapes, and he mentioned a few to avoid. Click on the link to Blog Talk Radio on my site to listen to the show. An archive of all our shows can be found at http://www.freeworldradionetwork.net/.

Radio Show: Pruning crape myrtles

We broadcast our fifth show on Blog Talk Radio this morning. The topic was pruning crape myrtles and other summer-blooming trees. Stan Rosenthal, forestry extension agent for Leon County, FL, was able to join us for a short while and he'll be back next Saturday morning to talk more about trees. E-mail your tree-related questions to questions@msgrowitall.com and listen at 9 a.m. Eastern on Saturday, Feb. 7.

Radio Show: Protecting plants from freezing

We broadcast our fourth show on Blog Talk Radio this morning. The topic was protecting your plants from freeze damage. Join us next Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Eastern, when the topic will be pruning crape myrtles and other summer-blooming trees. Our special guest will be Stan Rosenthal, forestry extension agent for Leon County, FL.

Radio Show: Spring vegetable gardens

This week, Ms. Grow-It-All discussed the basics of planning a spring vegetable garden. If you're reading this within seven days of the original broadcast, click on the Blog Talk Radio link in the right rail to listen. If you missed that window, you can find complete archives of all her shows at either http://www.freeworldradionetwork.net/ or http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All

Radio Show: Camellias

This week, Ms. Grow-It-All discussed camellias, stately evergreens for the temperate zones. This blooming shrub is known as the "rose of winter" for its blossoms. If you're reading this within seven days of the original broadcast, click on the Blog Talk Radio link in the right rail to listen. If you missed that window, you can find complete archives of all her shows at either http://www.freeworldradionetwork.net or http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ms_Grow-It-All

Radio Show Debut: Ms. Grow-It-All

A new year and a new venture! Today, lifelong gardener and veteran journalist Audrey Post launched a show on Blog Talk Radio to complement her syndicated gardening column, Ms. Grow-It-All. It's a production of the Free World Radio Network.