We Dig Plants

Episode 61: Rice

This week on We Dig Plants we’re taken head first into a big sack of rice-related readings as Carmen and Alice break down the most delicious of all tall grasses. Learn how rice got here, how we first grew it abroad and at home, and what varieties grow well where. Rice to meet you!

Episode 60: Fences Make Good Neighbors!

This week on We Dig Plants, Carmen & Alice are joined by friend Al Terry of Al Terry Design & Construction, one of New York’s premiere builders of roof decks and garden environments. They discuss fences and how privacy options are not always so easy to handle. Tune in to learn more about fencing regulations, building materials and design and find out how you can re-imagine your backyard privacy! This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. Whole Foods market celebrates Earth Month with ...

Episode 59: Indigo

This week’s focus on We Dig Plants is the indigo plant. Learn more about the plant (and color) and what an important role it’s played in our horticultural history. Find out how a young English girl became responsible for the cultivation of indigo and learn what’s entailed in the plants trip from field to factory. This episode was sponsored by Tabard Inn.

Episode 58: Organic Gardening Magazine & What to Grow in 2011

Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg are joined by Doug Hall, Senior Editor @ Organic Gardening Magazine. Doug talks about the best varieties of vegetables and flowers to grow this year, from “Bean-anza” to “Dakota Tears”. Tune in to find out which plants make the most sense for your home garden in 2011 and learn more about Doug’s experience with test gardening. This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods Market

Episode 57: Tobacco

This week’s episode of We Dig Plants explores one of the most important and misunderstood crops in the history of America – tobacco. Tune in and learn about the history of the nicotiana plant and how it affected our economy, health and politics. Find out about the origins of cigarette production and why the big tobacco companies are able to influence so many other organizations around us. This episode was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. For more information visit www.SurryFarms.com.

Episode 56: Apple Seed & You Art What You Eat

This week on We Dig Plants, Carmen & Alice are joined by Pamela Ito, Director of Children’s Education at The Horticultural Society of New York’s Apple Seed program & exhibition: YOU ART WHAT YOU EAT. Tune in to hear how Pamela uses botany and food as tools as an educational tool for children, and how edibles can be used as inspiration for art and good health alike. This episode was sponsored by The Museum of Food & Drink

Episode 55: Cotton

Cotton is the sole focus of this week’s particularly fun and educational episode of We Dig Plants. Tune in to hear the good, bad and ugly about the history of cotton production in the world. Learn more about how the cotton gin revolutionized the world and why this crop really IS the “fabric of our lives”. This episode was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. Learn more about their country ham and Virginia Tradition at www.SurryFarms.com

Episode 54: The Battery Conservancy & Piet Oudolf

Episode 53: Botanical Painting

Episode 52: The Language of Flowers

On a Valentine’s Day themed episode of We Dig Plants learn the language behind all the pretty flowers you give your loved ones. Carmen & Alice explore the history behind floriography, or the language of flowers. Learn how during past generations, a flower could be sent as an insult or a declaration of “true love”. Also, learn about the mythology behind roses and carnations. This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. For more information visit WholeFoodsMarket.com

Episode 51: The Old Stone House

This week on We Dig Plants, Alice Marcus Krieg and Carmen DeVito explore the history and context behind the Old Stone House in Brooklyn. Learn more about the most historic house in Brooklyn and how times have changed since New York City’s Dutch origins. Learn more about this historic landmark and how what might have been in terms of horticulture in New York. This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch – the nations largest single source supplier of grassfed and grass finished beef.

Episode 50: Cultivating Wonder with Sharon Lovejoy

This week on We Dig Plants, Carmen & Alice are joined by Sharon Lovejoy, author of “Trowel and Error: Over 700 Tips, Remedies and Shortcuts for the Gardener”. Together they discuss why gardening and horticulture can be so magical and why it’s not as difficult as you think to start your own garden! Tune in for tips on how to turn a small space into a fertile wonderland, and learn why it’s so important to give your kids the bug of raising buds. This episode was sponsored by Tabard Inn. For mor...

Episode 49: Noel Kingsbury

This week on We Dig Plants, Alice & Carmen are joined by garden writer, designer, blogger & revered plantsman Noel Kingsbury. Noel and the girls discuss what separates the good from the great in terms of garden design and what influences lie behind some of today’s horticultural masterpieces. Tune in and learn why Germany has, and is, leading the way into great new design! This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch – the nations largest single source supplier of grassfed and grass finished be...

Episode 48: Bizarre Botanicals

This week on We Dig Plants, join Alice Marcus Kreig and Carmen DeVito as they learn more about some “Bizarre Botanicals”, from author and plant expert Paula Gross. Tune in to learn some fun facts about plats like the Chinese Finger Trap plant, Lithops and Trigger Orchards. This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch, the nations largest single source supplier of grassfed and grass finished beef.

Episode 47: Holiday Plants

Episode 46: Spices

With holiday cheer comes holiday spice, and Carmen DeVito & Alice Marcus Krieg are here to help you learn more about two essential spices in American culture; Cinnamon & cloves. The girls are joined by historical gastronomic Sarah Lohman of Four Pounds Flour who gives food related context to the interesting and often misunderstood story of these two precious spices. Tune in and learn how Cinnamon once masked the flavor of bad meat and why cloves are so directly related to alcohol. This episo...

Episode 45: The Citrus Show

Moving right along in their Fruit of the Month series, Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg are joined by friend and guest Scott Appel to discuss the misunderstood and often forgotten history of citrus. Tune in to learn about the many stories and travels surrounding the citrus plant family, and find out which of your favorite fruits are man made hybrids. Also listen in for a special candied citrus recipe from Scott Appel! This episode was brought to you by Hearst Ranch; the largest single-so...

Episode 44: Gardening Advice for the Winter

It’s almost officially winter, and Alice & Carmen are here to tell you exactly how you can pass time and still contribute positively to the health of your garden! Tune in and learn some important tips from the girls, including when and how to prune plants, what to do when snow covers your trees, and how to treat a fig tree. This episode was kindly sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery – promoters of sustainably green living.

Episode 43: Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire

This week on We Dig Plants Alice and Carmen sit down with Margot Berwin to talk about the plants most consistently linked with desire, passion, love, and lust. Margot is the author of “Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire”, a semi-autobiographical fiction about a woman in NYC who, to her surprise, falls in love with tropical plants, ends up in the rainforest, and finds true love amidst the palms and poisonous frogs. Learn the inspiration for Margot’s book, her relationship with plan...

Episode 42: The Pear Show

This week on We Dig Plants Alice and Carmen continue their Fruit Series with Pears! Joining them is guest Sarah Lohman of http://www.fourpoundsflour.com/, a sort of culinary time-traveler who collects old recipes, classic ingredients, and combines them just as they would have been cooked long, long ago. Learn the history of the pear, its biological cousins, how it was served traditionally, and how they’re grown on this pear-shaped episode of We Dig Plants. This episode was sponsored by Cabot...

Episode 41: The Pecan Show

This week on We Dig Plants Carmen and Alice get nutty and speak to Duke Lane, president of the Georgia Pecan Commission. Learn about the healthful properties of the pecan (antioxidants!) Learn how a slave named Antoine over a hundred years ago grafted the genetic strain of pecan that is now grown by every industrial operation in the world, and learn why China is becoming a major player in the pecan market. This episode was sponsored by Acme Smoked Fish.

Episode 40: Halloween: The Dark Side of Plants

This week on We Dig Plants Carmen and Alice talk about the dark side of plants and the brave and/or evil gardeners with hearts cold or souls dark enough to use them. In this episode they cover plants that can kill or injure, plants used for dark magic or love potions, and plants that induce dreams, visions, or terrifying hallucinations. Tune in to learn about plants that were used to make (accidentally) deadly rosary beads, plants with beautiful toxic berries, and even a plant whose roots wi...

Episode 39: A Chestnut(t) of a Show

This week on We Dig Plants Alice and Carmen talk about Chestnuts: the botany and beauty of peasant food. They talk to Sandra L. Anagnostakis, an expert on chestnut blight disease since 1968 and a world-renowned plant pathologist. Together they discuss disease-resistant hybrids and their pros and cons, why you need two trees to get fruit, how China became the biggest producer of chestnuts, and why the chestnut is the only nut to offer Vitamin C. This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch: pur...

Episode 38: Bulb Drama

This week on We Dig Plants Alice and Carmen tackle the drama of the tulip bulb. Take a look back as far as Greek mythology for a glance at the role tulips have played in the human experience (including reputed healing powers). Find out why you have to plan ahead to plant them, and learn why they can be such a cash crop in Holland and yet so simultaneously unreliable. This episode was sponsored by Acme Smoked Fish: a mainstay in the NYC culinary market for over 55 years.

Episode 37: Fruit of the Month: Apples

This week on We Dig Plants Carmen hosts the monthly fruit episode on apples. Steven Hoying of Cornell University calls in to explain how apple growers have kept their trees disease and pest free, why apple trees are genetically promiscuous, and why those bright red apples from the cafeteria taste so absurd. Tune in for an episode on orchards, hard cider, and apple pie from The Big Apple. This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch: purveyors of fine grass-fed beef from the California coast.

Episode 36: Plant Delights

This week on We Dig Plants Alice and Carmen speak to a mail-order “plantsman” and a fauna seeking adventurer on the level of Indiana Jones: Tony Avent of Plant Delights. Tony recounts some plant seeking adventures including being at the business end of a shotgun and hurtling through canyons at breakneck speed. Tony also shares some important practical info, such as gardens DON’T need ANY inorganic anything (“let nature work for you!”, and even the most untamed looking garden is the result of...

Episode 35: The Three Sisters

This week on We Dig Plants Alice and Carmen discuss “The Three Sisters”: corn, beans, and squash. These crops actually produce the highest yield when planted and grown together, and have been planted as such by Native Americans who passed knowledge of the sisters on to early American settlers. This trio also provides a very complete nutritional picture, with the corn providing carbs, the beans protein, and the squash fats an vitamins. Learn about the rich history of these sister veggies with...

Episode 34: Jim Duggan

This week on We Dig Plants Alice and Carmen talk West Coast plants after a journey Carmen made to Venice Beach and The Getty Museum. Who better to tackle the subject on-air than The Getty’s Central Garden coordinator Jim Duggan, calling live from the warm sultry climate that allows just about anything to grow year round? The gals ask about his process for creating the Getty’s remarkable gardens–planting plans that rival any museum on either coast. Tune in to hear how he made it all happen, a...

Episode 33: Mario DeVito

to be aired

Episode 32: Unusual Veggies

This week on We Dig Plants join Carmen and Alice as they speak to Scott Apell, horticultural taxonomist, about some of the stranger and more exotic vegetables available this summer. Learn about snow peas with extra serrated wings, why eggplants are never guys, and the best way to make gooseberry pie! This episode was sponsored by White Oak Pastures. Photos: Unusual Veggies!

Episode 31: Marty Markowitz

This week on a very special We Dig Plants Alice and Carmen sit down with Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz. The gang discussed designing, maintaining, and adding green spaces in Brooklyn; the over 300 community gardens in Brooklyn; roof gardens; waterfront parks; and of course the newly renovated Coney Island! Tune in for a look at how Brooklyn has blazed trails for community green spaces in the past, present, and future. This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch: purveyors of gras...

Episode 30: Roof Garden Primer

This week on We Dig Plants Carmen and Alice sit down with architect and fellow HRN host Curtis B. Wayne to discuss the process of building a green roof–a process that, as green as it may be, is a bit more complex and work-intensive than some may think. The trio touches on everything you need to know whether its leakage prevention or plant and soil choice.

Episode 29: The History of Fertilizer

We Dig Plants is all about fertilizer this week: the good, the bad and the ugly. Carmen & Alice discuss the history of fertilizer and highlight the differences between organic and synthetic fertilizers. Tune in to hear about the The Haber-Bosch process, learn where a drip line is and why roses should be fed regularly. This episode was sponsored by Acme Smoked Fish. For more information visit www.acmesmokedfish.com.

Episode 28: Pests

This week on We Dig Plants Carmen and Alice explore the world of INVADERS: very small plants or animal species that can be very large headaches, and can be the cause of everything from a minor nuisance to a major catastrophe. Tune in to hear Alan Green, Brooklyn-born director of PPQ Plant Health Programs (within the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service), discuss his work fighting pests: APHIS are guys that check everything from people to plants to parcels to prevent the spread of exotic pe...

Episode 27: Kerry Meyer of Proven Winners

This week on We Dig Plants Alice and Carmen spoke to Kerry Meyer, a former plant breeder and now project manager at Proven Winners, one of the biggest forces in plant marketing and naming. Proven Winners plants are found almost everywhere annuals are sold, and are a major force in the world of all things growing. Tune in to hear Kerry speak about how Proven Winners works, why educating their growers is a top priority (including through their annual “road show”), and the behind-the-scenes act...

Episode 26: Lorraine Brooks of the Cornell University Cooperative Extension

This week on We Dig Plants Alice and Carmen sit down with Lorraine Brooks of the Cornell University Cooperative Extension. They discuss the history of the land grant college going all the way back to Abraham Lincoln, and discuss what the Cornell Co-op is doing to educate folks in Central Park and beyond through hands-on, informal research and education, and via organizations like the Central Park Conservancy and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. Making sure we have enough trees thr...

Episode 25: Good Wood with Kevin Yardley

This week on We Dig Plants Carmen and Alice discuss that omnipresent, brown, sturdy friend: wood. Kevin Yardley of Diamond Tropical Hardwoods stops by the studio to talk about the history and inherent mystique of one of the most utilitarian, versatile, and downright majestic plants on Earth.

Episode 24: Landcraft Environments

Alice and Carmen spoke to Dennis Schrader of Landcraft Environments, a wholesale plant and garden source with distributors all over the Northeast. Schrader spoke about the striking tropical plants with which he made a name for himself and Landcraft.

Episode 23: New York Restoration Project

This week on We Dig Plants Carmen and Alice spoke with Amy Gavaris of NYRP. Amy spoke about Bette Midler’s effort to restore parks and gardens throughout the city, and what NYRP is doing to help beautify the land and educate the community.

Episode 22: Scott Appell

This week on We Dig Plants Alice and Carmen speak to their good friend Scott Appell, a gardening master on the sunny island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Scott, a horticultural mentor to the Gardenworks gals, talks about some of the indigenous flora and fauna

Episode 21: Manitoga Estate with Donna Dorian

This week on We Dig Plants Alice and Carmen speak to Donna Dorian about Russel Wright’s incredible Manitoga estate and garden, the designer’s only non-industrial project and a masterpiece of mid-century modernism.

Episode 20: Plant Branding with White Flower Garden

Carmen & Alice talk with Barbara Pierson of White Flower Garden about plant branding and the new wave of young gardeners with bigger gardens and smaller houses.

Episode 19: Growing Local with Otto Keil Nursery

The subject of this week’s show is the business of local horticulture. Greg Keil talks about his wholesale flower business–a family-owned business growing plants and selling them less than 50 miles from Manhattan.

Episode 18: A Pearl of a Garden

This week on We Dig Plants, Pearl Fryar, master of topiary and gardener of a three-acre garden in Bishopville, South Carolina.

Episode 17: Great Ladies of Horticulture

Alice & Carmen talk about the historical and modern role of women in horticulture.

Episode 16: Green Roofs

This week’s theme is Green Roofs.

Episode 15: Contain Your Garden

Carmen & Alice talk about an important, yet overlooked, element of the garden that can reshape everything: containers!

Episode 14: Oaks with Bill Logan

World famous arborist and author Bill Logan comes on the show to talk oaks.

Episode 13: Annuals & Perennials

Carmen & Alice discuss the difference between annuals and perennials.

Episode 12: Bob Hyland

Bob Hyland of Loomis Creek talks about the current state of affairs in horticulture in and around New York. For more information go to www.loomiscreek.com