The holidays are here, your garden may be buried in snow and the family is restless.  Everyone could benefit from a little horticulture relief.  Get easy and affordable ideas for indoor gardening projects for the whole family.  Build a terrarium, start seeds, or create colorful plant markers and more.  And I will give you a recipe for peanut butter suet, talk about the benefits and concerns of using coffee grounds in your garden, and uncover the mysteries of the 3-month-old flocked and the sprouting cut Christmas tree.  Visit www.bottlebiology.org for more fun affordable hands-on and educational projects for the kids.

Holiday plants like poinsettias and cyclamen are the focus of this podcast. Then I answer gardeners’ questions on non-bearing bittersweet and winter protection for rhododendrons. Next Kristin Gies joins me for tips on ridding your holiday plants of fungus gnats. I finish off with tips on using Oasis foam for your holiday floral arrangements.

Extending the beauty of your holiday tree with proper care leads off this podcast. I answer gardeners' questions on poinsettia care and preventing snow damage to arborvitaes.

I give tips on creating and delivering the perfect holiday cut flower arrangement. Then I answer a gardener's question on mushrooms growing in a lawn. Next Kristin Gies joins me for tips on protecting your pets from poisonous holiday plants. I finish by recommending a wonderful catalogue, Logee’s for unique garden gifts.

Tips on creating festive holiday decorations from your own backyard. With time and budget restraints we are all looking for ways to enjoy the holidays and stay within our budget. The answer is in your own backyard. Tips on creating wreaths, arrangements and luminaries from landscape prunings. Plus, recommendations on caring for a ficus tree and a gift good for gardeners and the environment. For more information on this holiday gift, visit the American Forests website.

In this podcast I'll cover some fun holiday facts. And whether it's a pine, spruce or fir, I have a few tips on caring for your Christmas tree.

Gift giving ideas for the holidays from the American Forest Association is the focus of this podcast. Then I answer a gardener's question on hollyhock seeds. Next Kristin Gies joins me for tips on great kids nature gifts from NatureStore.com and Discovery Channel Store. I finish off with a favorite product, the Hori-Hori garden knife.

I discuss creating beautiful bouquets, holiday gifts, and making lasting memories of your summer garden by harvesting and drying flowers. I answer gardener’s questions on First Blush Euphorbia (Euphorbia epithymoides) and tomato plants with yellow and brown leaves. I talk about problems and solutions regarding the unpleasant situation of poison ivy. Lastly I suggest a book on pounding flowers that’s a very useful resource.

Over the past year I have tried to incorporate ideas for family fun.  In this podcast I'll remind you of a few of these and other ideas for homemade holiday gifts.  Then I'll answer gardeners' questions on moving Black Hills spruce and rust on Pricilla hollyhocks.  I then offer tips on Christmas tree care.  I'll finish by discussing self watering systems for you Christmas tree.

I'll once again focus on gardeners' questions in this podcast. I cover concerns about dwarf Alberta spruce, Corinthian cherry, holly, lilac, river birch, hibiscus, and the orchid-like weed helleborine.

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.

In this podcast I discuss how to select a healthy Christmas tree. Then I answer gardeners’ questions on getting kalanchoe to re-bloom for the holidays. Next Kristin Gies joins me for tips on managing salt build-up on your indoor plants. I finish off interviewing Kenneth Helphand author of Defiant Gardens, a great new book and the perfect holiday gift.

Some basic tips on planting and designing your garden this coming season. I'll answer gardeners' questions concerning Norfolk pine and forcing bulbs. Pest tip: dealing with vole damage. Garden tips: How to hire a professional.