I'll discuss how to keep the perfect garden journal for your landscape and garden in this podcast. I'll answer gardeners' questions on dealing with rabbit damage and box elder bugs. Salt buildup on house plants and how to remedy it is the subject of my pest tips. I'll finish by mentioning COINCIDE: The Orton System of Pest Management from Labor of Love Conservatory, 468 S. President, Suite 103, Carol Stream, IL 80188-2894.

I thought I would dedicate this podcast to addressing your garden problems. Knock Out roses have yellow fuzzy caterpillars. I'm looking for a landscape company. My strawberry plants are wilting. No flowers on my Hibiscus. Japanese lilac needs help!

Homemade from the gardener is still possible even if your garden is under snow.  Tips on gifts that are sure to please novice and advanced gardeners and fit into every price range from seeds to cuttings, plants and indoor gardens. The key to affordable gifts everyone will love is sharing your gardening know-how, resources and creativity. Plus, tips on seed saving, problem gardens and dealing with pesticides.  Visit www.wbu.com for directions on making simple bird feeders to give as gifts or make for fun family activities.

In this podcast I'll share some of the new plant finds of this season. Ball Horticulture has some exciting new petunias, including Black Velvet. Their Double Zahara Zinnias, Gryphon Begonia and Pow Wow Echinacea are exciting new plants. Bailey Nursery's Little Devil Diablo Ninebark and Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea will make great additions to the shrub and mixed border. Green Leaf Nursery has introduced a brilliant green dogwood, Garden Glow. I'll answer gardeners' questions on winter container arrangements and rose pests.

So much to do and so little time to do it.  In this podcast I'll offer tips on how to reduce winter damage and lighten the work load for next spring.  I'll touch on storing pesticides and fertilizers, animal protection, winter rose protection, storing tools, winter mulch and fall landscape chores.  I then answer a gardener's question on overwintering geraniums. I'll then discuss yellow leaves on plants that have been moved indoors for the winter.  I wrap things up with the sweet stevia plant.

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.

Fall is a great time for planting and in this podcast I'll discuss getting your trees, shrubs, perennials and spring bulbs planted before winter. I'll discuss fall lawn care from fertilizing to leaving leaf and grass clippings on the ground. I then focus on plant protection and using repellents and fencing to keep the animals at bay. I'll tackle gardeners' questions on creeping Charlie, Joseph's coat and quackgrass vs. crabgrass.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

Gardening tools make wonderful gifts for the holidays. Consider trowels, handpruners, houseplants, gloves, Ups-A-Daisy or a self watering can. I'll answer gardeners' questions about non-blooming calla lilies and a crooked tree. Pest tip: scale insects on houseplants. Visit Cool Springs Press for gardening books.

In this podcast I discuss growing a nutritional garden. Then I answer gardeners’ questions on getting rid of ferns and what to plant under evergreens. Next Kristin Gies joins me for tips on herbicide damage. I finish by recommending a few favorite websites for ordering unique and fun fruits and vegetables: Johnny's Selected Seeds, The Cook's Garden, and Renee's Garden.

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 indoors 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.

In this podcast I'll offer ways to help celebrate National Get Outdoors Day on June 12, 2010. It's a great excuse to get the whole family outside and involved in a number of fun activities. Garden with the kids, go on a bug hunt, volunteer at a local park or community garden or measure the biggest tree in your neighborhood. Visit the American Forest website for tips on measuring trees. I'll answer listeners' questions on yellow leaves on roses, a hydrangea with brown leaf margins and when to apply corn gluten. My pest tip covers strategies for dealing with ants. I finish with a mention of a new product for roses and other ornamentals, JAZ sprays.

Keeping the theme of new plant varieties, I'd like to discuss some newer shrub and tree introductions. Johnson's Nursery and Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs have some exciting new varieties. I'll follow that up by answering  gardeners' questions on growing radicchio and removing cattails and restoring lake shoreline. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources offers some great information on Aquascaping on their website.

Photo courtesy of Proven Winners - www.provenwinners.com

In this podcast I give you helpful hints while scouring the plant catalogs, including information on AAS, AARS, PPA, Proven Winners, and more. Then I answer gardeners’ questions on successfully starting seeds indoors. Next Kristin Gies joins me for tips dusting off and cleaning up your houseplants. I finish off with a favorite new product, Bionic gloves, for comfort and protection while gardening.

Gardening is more than growing pretty flowers or vegetables, it's about sharing and caring with family and friends. I'll discuss what to do when cuttings fail to root. I'll then finish with an explaination of patented and trademark plants.

In this podcast I discuss planting shrubs. Then I answer gardeners’ questions on alternatives to grass under a seasonal pool and controlling wild strawberries. Next Kristin Gies joins me to discuss fall leaf color. I finish off with a favorite plant, Redsprite winterberry (Ilex verticillata ‘Redsprite’.)

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'll start with a few ideas to get you started. AAS winning osteospermum or there's the Perennial Plant of the Year, Rozanne geranium and much more. I'll discuss indoor plants sporting yellow leaves. Don't forget to call or email me with your favorite product! Garden websites to visit: All-America Selections, Perennial Plant Association, All American Daylilies

Houseplants are easy to propagate, I'll tell you how to get started. Then I'll answer gardeners' questions on hibiscus, cassia, mimosa and legumes. Scale on weeping fig is the subject of my pest tip. I'll finish with how to make a mini propagator.

Summer's heat can take its toll on both you and your garden. Take a walk through Boerner to find out what annuals, perennials and summer blooming shrubs sparkle in the summer heat. I offer a guided tour that you can take along with you while viewing the virtual tour online!

Virtual Garden Tour

Growing and tending indoor 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.

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.

In this podcast I discuss the popularity of tropical plants for any garden. Then I answer gardeners’ questions on landscape fabric over bulbs and deformed gladiolas. Next Kristin Gies joins me for tips on selecting disease resistant varieties. I finish by recommending a new plant, Tropicanna Black Canna, Canna indica 'Lon01' for more information check out www.monrovia.com

Many households are going to begin growing vegetables for the first time this year. I'll give you some basics to get started. Then I'll answer gardeners' questions on installing an arbor for trumpet vine and growing onions in the north. This week's pest tip will focus on clubroot of cabbage and other crucifiers. I'll finish with a recommendation of a great vegetable to grow, Eggplant F1 'Hansel' , an All-America Selections winner.

In this podcast I'll walk you through shrub pruning. Whether you have a lilac, dogwood or spirea, I'll discuss the different types of pruning and offer pointers on when the time is right to prune. I go on to answer a gardener's question on repellents. I'll finish with a new product to sooth skin exposed to poison ivy, Zanfel.

Follow along with me as I narrate the Winter Wonderland Virtual Tour! Get ideas for incorporating winter interest into your yard. Take a look at winter beauty provided by the bark, form and fruit of trees and shrubs as well as seed heads of perennials and ornamental grasses. You’ll come away with creative ideas and design solutions to add interest to your winter landscape.