In this podcast I'll share a few ideas with you on affordable ways to improve your landscape. Then I'll answer gardening questions on rust in the lawn, blueberry bushes and Japanese beetles. I'll discuss how to deal with white flies. I'll finish by talking about Messinger, a plant health regulator.

In this podcast I would like to focus on the planting beds. I'll answer gardeners' questions on how to get a great lawn, perennials for shade, planting primrose and telling the difference between male and female bittersweet vine. In my pest tip I'll discuss septoria leaf spot on tomatoes. Finally I'll discuss using a down spout shut-off/diverter with your rain barrel.

I'm talking All-Americas Selections (AAS) for 2009 in this podcast. The mission of All-America Selections is "to promote new garden seed varieties with superior garden performance judged in impartial trials in North America". I then answer gardeners' questions on re-blooming amaryllis, poinsettia care, and Christmas cactus. Visit the Perennial Plant Association website for Perennial Plant of the Year award winners. I'll finish with heat stress of plants.  Click here to view the American Horticultural Society Heat Zone Map.

I'll tackle gardeners' questions regarding planting pussy willows, late blight and other tomato problems, managing weeds and improving the soil organically, and dealing with deer damage to sugar maple. I'll talk great resources for information on late blight -  Penn State, Food Safety & Late Blight; Cornell University, Late Blight Overview; Iowa State University, Tomato Diseases and Disorders; University of Wisconsin, Managing Late Blight in Organic Gardens

This week's topic is “big” trees and the proper way of planting them. I'll answer gardeners' questions on planting in challenging situations and non-blooming hydrangeas. I'll follow that with a pest discussion on Japanese beetle, which feeds on 300 or more species. I'll finish with imformation on the American Forests.

I discuss harvesting fresh blooms and preserving flowers from your summer garden to enjoy year round. I answer gardener questions concerning mushrooms in the lawn and how to transplant Russian sage. Next I talk about problems & solutions regarding the golden tortoise beetle destroying leaves of morning glory and sweet potato vine. I conclude with a visit to PreservedGardens.com, a site that offers resources, ideas, helpful tips and links to artists.

I share tips on midsummer care of perennials. I'll answer gardeners’ questions on poor drainage of lawns, moisture loving plants, and rabbit and deer damage on roses and yews. Then Kristin Gies joins me for tips on managing Japanese beetles. I finish off with a favorite product, Mantis Tiller, a great tool for cultivating soil and edging beds.

In this podcast I offer options for caring for your plants while on vacation. Then I answer gardeners’ questions regarding white spots on everbearing raspberries and problems with tomatoes. Then Kristin Gies joins me for tips on identifying and managing verticillium wilt. I finish off with a favorite plant, swap milkweed (Asclepias incarnata.)

Spring marks transition in the landscape, I'll discuss a few conifers for your landscape. Then I'll answer gardeners' questions on buying red worms, tomatoes and ant hills and groundcovers shaded by trees. I'll talk Milorganite and soil preparation. Wooly adelgid is the subject of my pest tip. Then I finish with a recommendation of The American Conifer Society and Rich's Foxwillow Pine Nursery, both are great resources for information on conifers.

This podcast covers container gardening. Then I answer gardeners’ questions from across the country on crabapple suckering, pruning a yew hedge, and tomato blossom drop. I finish off with a discussion on water holding crystals, a product used to help hold moisture in the soil for less frequent watering.

I give tips on creating an edible landscape by incorporating fruit. Then I answer gardeners questions on hydrangeas that won't bloom and grasshoppers eating apple trees. Next Kristin Gies joins me for tips on eastern and forest tent caterpillars and gypsy moth. I finish by recommending a wonderful catalogue, One Green World for unusual fruiting trees and shrubs.

Tips on creating your own memory and healing garden is the focus of this podcast. Then I answer a gardener's question on ridding hibiscus of whitefly. Then Kristin Gies joins me for tips on managing snow mold. I finish off with a favorite plant, King of Hearts Bleeding Heart - Dicentra x 'King of Hearts'.

Deadheading and grooming flowers is the topic of this podcast. Then I answer gardeners’ questions on the bloom time and poor flowering of wisteria and trumpet vine. I finish off with a favorite plant, the 2006 Perennial Plant of the Year (PPY), Firewitch Dianthus (Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Feuerhexe’). Visit the Perennial Plant Association website for information on all the PPY winners.

Proper harvesting will help insure the best flavor, quality and maximum productivity.  I'll share tips on harvesting squash, peppers, and potatoes as well as many other popular crops.  Also, what to do with green tomatoes. Send in your favorite green tomato recipe (e-mail info@melindamyers.com or mail to Melinda Myers, PO BOX 370331, Milwaukee, WI 53237-0331 and I’ll send you Volume 1 DVD of Melinda’s Garden Moments (a collection of one minute gardening tips). I answer gardeners' questions on tomato troubles and clematis with yellow leaves.  I'll discuss how these pepper plants (pictured) received help from Purple Cow in the garden. I'll finish with a mention of a great harvesting tool, the garden hod.

Spring break is a good time for family fun in the garden! Gardening questions will be posted in next week's podcast. Pest Tip: Bugs! Only 3% are harmful. New Product/Plant: Lois Ehlert from Children's Literature Independent Info and Reviews.

Tis the Season! I'll discuss the ways in which cutflowers, amaryllis or forced spring bulbs help lift spirits during the holiday season. I answer gardening questions on cutting back spirea and planting mums in the garden. The tiny spider mite is the subject of my pest tip. I'll finish with a great holiday gift that the  whole family can enjoy, AeroGarden.

Are your perennials overcome with too much growth? Do your annuals need a bit of deadheading? Let's grab the pruners and get to work!  I'll finish with a mention of the Cut and Hold - developed for roses and other prickly shrubs.

I'll quell some popular garden myths including: evergreen needles making soil too acidic, removing tomato leaves, maple and oak leaves are bad for compost. Send in your garden myth – if we use it in an upcoming podcast or e-newsletter I will send you a complimentary copy of Volume 1 of Melinda’s Garden Moments DVD. E-mail with subject line Garden Myths to info@melindamyers.com or mail to Melidna Myers, PO Box 370331, Milwaukee, WI 53237-0331. I'll answer gardener's questions regarding yellow hibiscus leaves, Johnny Jump-ups and surprise lilies.  The focus of my pest tip is squash vine borer.  I finish with information on Bayer Advanced for Japanese beetle control on fruit trees, citrus and some vegetables.

Let's jump start the season.  I'll talk about planting and hardening off transplants. Gardener's questions: What type of small shrubs can I plant in Zone 5? Pest Tip: Corn and seed maggots. New Product/Plant: Wall-o-Water.

Great garden tips for small or limited spaces, try growing vertical. Gardener's ask: What type of spray is used to get rid of box elder bugs? When is the best time to plant Cannas? Pest tip: clematis wilt - roots turn black and stem wilts. New Product: Use twister plant support, a viral support that winds up and through - available thru gardening-naturally and Gardener's Supply Company.

I'll cover the basics on house plant care. Treat your indoor garden like your outdoor landscape. Then I'll answer a gardener's question on watering calla lily. The subject of my pest tip is mealybugs. I'll finish with a handy garden tool -  self-watering pots.

I'm going to give you detailed steps on how to move your house plants back in for the winter. I'll answer gardeners' questions on hostas and sedum. I'll discuss watering trees & shrubs with softened water. I'll talk about a favorite tool, Ups-A-Daisy.

My topic this week is trees, with proper care you can keep them healthy for a lifetime. I answer gardeners' questions on raspberries and overwintering containers. I'll discuss problems and solutions for carpenter ants that nest in and decay wood.

Let's continue our discussion on maximizing the harvest, ways to get more produce from small spaces. I'll answer gardeners' questions on soil testing and lawn fertilizers. I'll discuss rose slug in this week's pest tip. Then I'll talk about how to create your own Topsy Turvy tomato planter.

Are your plants feeling the heat? Stay cool, try these helpful hints and keep your plants looking beautiful. I'll answer gardeners' questions on tomatoes, seeds and river birch with yellow leaves. Chlorosis is the subject of my pest tip. I'll finish by recommending a brushed stainless steel compost keeper for your kitchen scraps.

This week I focus on Plant Health Care. This is a method of managing plant problems in a proactive and more environmentally friendly manner. It starts with selecting the most pest resistant plant that is best suited to the growing conditions. This along with proper care can eliminate many problems. I continue with tips on proper diagnosis and assessment of a plant health. We start looking at a variety of management strategies that can help reduce the damage of problem insects and diseases.

This week I’ll continue the discussion from last week on Plant Health Care – a method of pest management. I’m going to address leaf miner damage, defoliators (caterpillars) that consume foliage, sawfly and many other destructive insects. I'll answer a gardener's question about diagnosing perennial problems. The International Herb Association presents Lemon Balm as the herb of the year for 2007 - additional information can be found on The Herb Society of America website.

In this podcast I cover planting and growing tomatoes. Then I answer gardeners’ questions from across the country on blossom end rot on tomatoes and shredded paper mulch. Then Kristin Gies joins me for tips on identifying and managing aphids in your garden.

In honor of National Poison Prevention Week, I focus on reducing chemicals in your home and landscape in this podcast. Then I answer gardeners’ questions on pruning tomato plants and plants for challenging landscape spaces. Next Kristin Gies joins me for tips on black knot. I finish by recommending the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and their website www.aspca.org, for great information on keeping your pets safe from poisonous plants and harmful household products.

Start planting fruits, vegetables and herbs indoors! No matter where you live, you can get started now. I answer gardeners' questions on Illini Hardy blackberry, plants that attract finches and using baking soda for disease control. I'll talk about fungus gnats in this week's pest tip and using Gnatrol with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) for control.

Growing and tending house plants is good for the spirit but also good for your health. I'll answer gardeners' questions on Japanese silver grass, overwintering hibiscus, repotting cactus and growing lilies. I'll discuss what we can do for our tomato plants that have spots on them? I'll finish by talking about a recent visit to Garvan Woodland Gardens at the University of Arkansas Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Listen closely and I'll share with you some interesting history on our most popular garden vegetable, the tomato. Justice Gray stated; "Botanically speaking, tomatoes are fruits of a vine". I answer gardeners' questions on creating a flower bed and wilted annuals and perennials. I finish with a mention of Seed Savers Exchange.

This week’s discussion is on common tomato problems; black bottom, fruit isn’t forming, cracking from the rain, distorted fruit and other diseases and insects. I answer gardeners' questions on black walnut toxicity and pine with red spider mites. Then I'll discuss the Topsy Turvy planter that grows tomatoes upside down.

In this podcast I'll give descriptions of clinging vines, twining vines and winding vines. I'll answer gardeners' questions on ridding weeds in the vegetable garden and crabgrass growing thru dianthus. Then I'll talk about dieback on hardy shrub roses. I'll finish with a recommendation of a great plant, Campanula 'Pink Octopus'.