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’).

In this podcast I thought I'd focus on a few award winning plants as well as a few new introductions.  I'll talk blue false indigo, the Perennial Plant Association's Perennial Plant of the Year for 2010.  I'll also discuss the 2010 Hosta of the Year, 'First Frost' and also the 2010 Herb of the Year, dill. I'll answer a gardeners' question on caring for poinsettia through the year and spider mites on hibiscus.

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.

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.

In this podcast I'll talk about my visit to the 2010 Mid-America Horticultural Trade Show in Chicago. I found many exciting plant introductions on display and I'd like to share them with you. Then I'll answer gardeners' questions on getting amaryllis to rebloom and splitting arborvitaes caused by snow load. I'll wrap it up by discussing wildlife damage and the different control measures to prevent their feeding.

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.

I thought I'd talk about the number most popular potted plant for the holidays, the poinsettia. Then I'll answer gardeners' questions on moss under an oak tree and worm composting. I'll talk cold damage to your plants and finish by recommending a great holiday plant, Holly Point poinsettia.

Bring those tropical plants in from the cold! I"ll discuss the special care needed for tropicals. Then I'll answer gardeners' questions about poinsettia in the garden, sweet potato vine, and Milorganite and weeds. White flies are the subject of my pest tip. I recommend the book Palms Won't Grow Here and Other Myths: Warm-Climate Plants for Cooler Areas by David A. Francko.