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.

I give tips on adding color to the fall garden with cool weather annuals. Then I answer gardeners’ questions on forcing poinsettias to rebloom and problems and alternatives to crabapples. Next Kristin Gies joins me for tips on managing cedar rust. I finish off with a new plant, Blue Heaven little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Blue Heaven’).

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.

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.

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 discuss the history and legend behind Christmas trees, holly and mistletoe, the three most popular holiday plants. Then I'll offer tips for woes on Norfolk Island pine and keeping pets safe. For a list of what plants are toxic, visit the ASPCA website at aspca.org and keep your pets safe throughout the holiday and years to come.

Holiday plants not only include the favorite poinsettia, but also cyclamen, bromeliad, kalanchoe and more. I'll discuss the many selections for holiday color. Then I'll answer gardeners' questions on spearmint gone wild and why some annuals can be started indoors and others outdoors. I'll talk about fungus gnats and how to deal with this common houseplant pest. I'll finish with a great houseplant reference, The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual by Barbara Pleasant.

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.