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All Things Gardening

255 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 18 ratings

Each week, Charlie Nardozzi joins Vermont Public host Mary Engisch for a conversation about gardening, and to answer your questions about what you're seeing in the natural world.

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Episodes

Prune hydrangea with confidence using these handy tips

March 24, 2024 12:00 - 4 minutes - 6.77 MB

When and how to prune hydrangeas can really help set up the plant for better blooms.

Try planting strawberries, clover and saponaria as ground covers to attract and benefit pollinators

March 17, 2024 12:00 - 4 minutes - 6.23 MB

Planting a pollinator garden is a great addition to a yard, but if you're low on space, consider replacing grass with these ground covers that are just as attractive and beneficial to pollinators.

Try planting strawberries, clover and aponaria as ground covers to attract and benefit pollinators

March 17, 2024 12:00 - 4 minutes - 6.23 MB

Planting a pollinator garden is a great addition to a yard, but if you're low on space, consider replacing grass with these ground covers that are just as attractive and beneficial to pollinators.

Snap out of it! Pea planting weather is just around the corner

March 10, 2024 12:00 - 4 minutes - 6.66 MB

Peas aren't just green anymore! Pea plants come in three types: snap, snow and shelling. And some varieties grow in yellow and purple shades. Find a new, colorful favorite to plant in your gardens and raised beds.

Plant perennials like heuchera that pack a punch of color in their leaves

March 03, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.19 MB

Heuchera or coral bells are perennials in the evergreen family and come in many flower colors — but it's the pink, purple, and yellow foliage that packs the maximum color punch.

Purple through and through: A new GMO tomato that home gardeners can grow

February 25, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.77 MB

"Purple" is a new tomato from the Norfolk Plant Science group in England that has genes from a purple snapdragon flower. That modification gives the tomato its deep purple hue through and through, plus packs in more antioxidants.

You're a Libra? Here's a rose! Astrological signs and their matching flowers

February 18, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 42.9 MB

All Things Gardening discusses a recent National Garden Bureau article that pairs Zodiac signs with the plants and flowers that complement them best. Plus, a potting soil solution for dryness.

Single stemmed and super tall, the vibrant blossoms of zinnia flowers are an irresistible pollinator magnet

February 11, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.17 MB

Zinnias are annual flowers that bloom reliably from mid-summer to frost, are pollinator and butterfly magnets, make great cut flowers and are easy to grow.

A gardening dispatch from India

February 04, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.45 MB

Charlie Nardozzi is traveling in India and visiting a local garden center there. Nardozzi noticed several plants, flowers and veggies that grow well in Vermont, too.

A gardening dispatch from India

February 04, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.45 MB

Charlie Nardozzi is traveling in India and visiting a local garden center there. Nardozzi noticed several plants, flowers and veggies that grow well in Vermont, too.

Houseplant Rx: stinky soil, wilted orchids and out-of-control greenery

January 28, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.21 MB

Houseplants add color and act as sponges, soaking up carbon dioxide while adding oxygen. Still, there are a range of issues that can befall plant owners trying to keep certain houseplants thriving.

With a boot tray, soil and seeds, get growing this winter by planting microgreens

January 21, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.54 MB

While getting your hands into the warm soil is months off, you can grow small crops of microgreens indoors! These small batches of tender veggie shoots are great additions to salads, soups and smoothies.

Same easy-care house plants; new vibrant colors and patterns

January 14, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.87 MB

Common favorite houseplants like philodendrons and rubber trees come in varying colors, shapes and sizes.

From 6-pound tomatoes to 80-pound squash, seed catalogs offer a myriad of new veggie plants to grow

January 07, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.87 MB

While the winter chill draws you indoors and you're dreaming of spring and summer gardening, leaf through seed catalogs (virtually or in-hand). Many local and regional seed companies offer heirloom and hardy vegetable plants in hundreds of varieties.

Next spring, plant a 'holiday berry patch' with white, red and purple berries

December 24, 2023 13:00 - 3 minutes - 5.37 MB

A small patch of colorful, ornamental berry bushes could elevate your holiday decorating game next year.

Collect branches and boughs to create custom holiday decor

December 17, 2023 13:00 - 3 minutes - 5.38 MB

If you have large outdoor planters or containers, try filling them with cut branches, berry twigs and needled evergreen boughs for rustic, natural holiday decorations this season.

Pining for a different holiday tree this year? Branch out and go live (then replant it in your yard!)

December 10, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 20.6 MB

A living tree can make a fun centerpiece for your holiday celebrations! Choose from lots of different needle-bearing live trees from your local nursery. Each year, you can decorate indoors, then replant outdoors.

It's the leaves — not petals — of the nochebuena (aka poinsettia) that add that holiday color

December 03, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.1 MB

From tropical climes to your Northeast table setting, the poinsettia is a great indoor house plant. Its leaves, called bracts, look like flower petals. And its those vibrant leaves that attract pollinators in its natural environment. Once potted up in festive foil and in your home for the holidays, here are some tips to keep it looking great all season.

Get roses, rhododendrons wrapped up for winter now before the ground freezes

November 26, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.85 MB

Broadleaf evergreen shrubs — like roses, lavender and thyme — need protection from cold temperatures, snow and wind. Learn how to create a barrier from winter weather, using natural materials like hay and wood chips along with stakes, wire and burlap.

To overwinter dahlias, dig up the tubers and stash them in a shoebox

November 19, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 44.2 MB

Dahlia blooms grow well in Vermont's climate, but they are too delicate to overwinter in the ground. Now is the time to dig them up and get them cozy for a long winter's nap so you can plant them again for more blooms next spring.

Can the wooly bear caterpillar predict the weather?

November 12, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.86 MB

The tiger moth caterpillar, with its black- and rust-colored bands, has long been thought to be a predictor of upcoming winter weather. More likely, the coloring on these caterpillars shows what the previous months' weather and conditions were like.

For cheery daffodils, scilla and crocus next spring, plant flowering bulbs now

November 05, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.12 MB

The warmer temperatures that lingered into early fall means you still have time to get digging in the soil before it freezes. Use this opportunity to plant flowering bulbs soon for a big reward next spring!

Tender annuals, like geraniums, need to overwinter before cold weather hits

October 29, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.69 MB

Got begonias, fuschia and geraniums still growing in containers on your back porch? Now is the time to bring these tender annuals indoors to overwinter.

Get tickled pink (or blue and green) by pastel pumpkins when decorating for fall

October 22, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.91 MB

Color outside of the lines when it comes to fall decorations this season. Instead of just traditional orange pumpkins and yellow hardy mums, get inspired by some of the pastel-colored blue and pink pumpkins, winter squash and gourds then pair them up with bright mums and fall greenery.

Plant low-growing fescue and sedge for ornamental grasses that thrive in multiple conditions

October 15, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.92 MB

Planting some low-growing grasses can add movement and color to your yard and garden. These plants can also be planted in places where you might have traditionally chosen to lay down a layer of mulch.

Self-seeding veggie plants can provide a free crop next year

October 08, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.92 MB

Certain vegetable plants, if left to bolt or go to seed, will self-sow and grow again next spring. You won't have to buy new seed and replant, which saves money. Plus, by letting the plants self-sow and regrow naturally, you're spending less time guessing when to plant.

Blue, pink, white or bronze; how to dry hydrangea blossoms

October 01, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.77 MB

This flower's name contains a clue to what kind of growing conditions it likes: hydrangeas love water! And this summer's wetter weather really made these bushes blossom and bloom. Right now, blue, pink and white hydrangeas are really thriving. Enjoy them while they are still in bloom, then learn how to preserve those petals to use in decorations this fall and winter.

Late bloomers like persimmon dodged the May frost and are nearly ready to harvest

September 24, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.88 MB

Tropical fruits like persimmon and paw paw (a fruit in the cherimoya family) did well in Vermont this year and here's why: because they bloomed later in spring, the late frost didn't affect them. They also did well despite heavy rains this summer.

Late bloomers like persimmon dodged the May frost and are nearly ready to harvest

September 24, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.88 MB

Tropical fruits like persimmon and paw paw (a fruit in the cherimoya family) did well in Vermont this year and here's why: because they bloomed later in spring, the late frost didn't affect them. They also did well despite heavy rains this summer.

For berries that provide essential nutrients for migrating birds, plant these two types of bushes

September 17, 2023 12:00 - 3 minutes - 5.39 MB

The fruits from certain berry bushes pack a bigger nutrient punch for migrating and over-wintering birds.

Learn to identify invasive jumping worms and remove them from your garden soil

September 10, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.8 MB

Invasive jumping worms are in all parts of Vermont except for Essex and Orleans counties, according to Vermont Invasives. These earth worms can cause trouble because of their excessive consumption of organic matter that adversely affects biodiversity.

Showy and delicious, plant this edible flowering vine for late summer color

September 03, 2023 12:00 - 3 minutes - 5.43 MB

Choose an annual or perennial flowering vine to add color to your late summer and early fall gardens. Some will bloom right up until frost.

Support pollinators with milkweed types, like 'whorled,' 'swamp' and 'purple'

August 27, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.87 MB

Common milkweed is great for attracting pollinators and especially monarch butterflies. The plants can take over a small space quickly so try some less-aggressive milkweed types that can grow in a variety of soils.

Plant green, flowering ground cover for a mowable, pollinator-friendly lawn

August 20, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.87 MB

If, earlier this year, you took "no-mow May" to heart and left a portion of your lawn unmowed for bees, beetles and butterflies, you can take it a step further now! A University of Minneapolis "bee lab" studied the kinds of grasses and ground covers that grow a green lawn that benefits pollinators. And you can still mow it.

Some low-key, late summer flowers that pollinators cannot resist

August 13, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.53 MB

Late summer blooms like phlox and hydrangea can steal the show with their big blossoms and color. Still, it's a native perennial called helenium that really brings the bees and birds to the yard.

A fall harvest awaits Vermont gardeners who can replant certain crops now

August 06, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.89 MB

Many Vermont home gardeners might have experienced flooding. If they can, now is an optimal time for home gardeners to replant for a small harvest in September and even into October.

These freckled flowers add height, color and fragrance to your gardens

July 30, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.82 MB

Lily varieties like Tiger, Martagon and Trumpet can add height and color to your gardens and borders. Some types grow to six feet tall and bring heady fragrance, too.

After recent Vermont flooding, the daylily blooms

July 23, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.85 MB

Hemerocallis or more commonly known as the daylily often comes in bright yellow and orange. The tall flowers sprout up easily and keep growing in all kinds of challenging conditions, like the recent Vermont floods.

After historic Vt. flooding, toss any edible garden veggies touched by or under floodwaters

July 16, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 6.71 MB

After flood waters recede, home and market gardens can take stock of their gardens and crops and determine what can be saved and how to remediate the soil now for next spring.

If you're itching to get rid of poison ivy in your yard, wait! This Vermont native has its good side.

July 09, 2023 12:00 - 3 minutes - 5.39 MB

Sure, poison ivy causes itchy, red welts on 90% of people who touch its leaves or stems. This native plant also serves as food for birds and insects and even helps in high winds.

How to keep slugs from turning your garden into a salad bar

July 02, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.76 MB

Slugs chewing on your lettuces and flower leaves? When the plants grow bigger and the wetter weather moves out, they will, too. In the meantime, try a couple of natural methods to deter them.

Learn the '3-year rotational' and prune lilacs & other flowering shrubs like a pro

June 25, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 6.02 MB

Pruning certain flowering shrubs in early July is key to them blooming again next spring.

How to ensure the gardening benefits of this creepy critter outweigh the drawbacks.

June 18, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.82 MB

The good news: these fierce-looking insects do not climb in through your ear, burrow into your brain and lay eggs. They can, however, keep certain garden pests at bay.

Try these heirloom zucchini varieties that hold up great in a baked dish

June 11, 2023 12:00 - 3 minutes - 5.42 MB

Known as a vegetable that grows well and very fast during Vermont summers, zucchini is a great addition to home gardens. This year, plant varieties that a bit different and can grow well in a garden or a container.

For colorful flowering perennials, try growing 'butterscotch' & 'cherries jubilee'

June 04, 2023 10:00 - 3 minutes - 5.42 MB

Flowering perennials like hardy baptisia and amsonia can bring color to your landscape for many different seasons.

Tips for home gardeners who lost flowers and plants in the late May frost.

May 28, 2023 12:00 - 3 minutes - 5.42 MB

Some parts of Vermont saw temps in the 20s during the overnight hours this month. While many apple orchards, vineyards and berry farms lost crops and income, home gardeners also had fruit trees and newly planted veggies get zapped by frost.

If your tulips and daffodils didn't bloom, try some bulb forensics to find out why

May 21, 2023 12:00 - 3 minutes - 5.42 MB

Sometimes when flowering bulbs like daffodils and tulips don't bloom, the answer is underground. By digging up the bulbs and noting their characteristics, you can solve the problem for next year.

Ornamental grasses add movement, height and color to your gardens

May 06, 2023 14:45 - 4 minutes - 5.79 MB

From blue-green blades low to the ground and mounding like spiky hairdos to eight-foot-tall, feathery quills swaying in the breeze, find ornamental grasses to add to your gardens.

Ornamental grasses add movement, height and color to your gardens

May 06, 2023 14:45 - 4 minutes - 5.79 MB

From blue-green blades low to the ground and mounding like spiky hairdos to eight-foot-tall, feathery quills swaying in the breeze, find ornamental grasses to add to your gardens.

Create a rain garden and rain barrel to capture and re-use water

April 30, 2023 16:19 - 4 minutes - 5.52 MB

Capture and conserve storm water from heavy rains in gardens planted with water-loving flowers or catch it in a rain barrel.