Flower Power Garden Hour

Looking to add a fragrant touch to your bedroom window or entry way? Bruce and Marlene each give their top 10 favorite fragrant plants. Will yours be on the list?  And we also reveal our most obnoxious smelling plants.

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There are many benefits for starting plants from seeds. But what are the best techniques for success. Bruce and Marlene go into detail on the basics and discuss more advanced seed starting requirements.

 Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

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Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Believe it or not, spring is around the corner.  It has been very dry in NorCal so far – sometimes we get Spring rain, so still TBD.  LOTS of prep to do for the upcoming season.

It is time to plant:

Kill every houseplant you try to grow? Not anymore. Bruce and I share our top 10 easiest houseplants that are guaranteed to thrive in your home… even if you are convinced you have a brown thumb.

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Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Welwitschia mirabilis is one of the most unique plant species and on this episode we dive into everything about it. Succulent extraordinaire, Gianluca Bacci of rareplantcatalog.com, joins me in discussing its care, morphology, propagation and more. 

Gianluca can be found at:

It is the January To Do List – lots of fog in the California Central Valley recently, so a good amount of moisture even without significant rain.  Temperatures have been on the lower side, but no major freezes.  Even though it's the heart of winter, there are things that need to be done during the dry periods. 

 It is time to plant:

It is the January To Do List – lots of fog in the California Central Valley recently, so a good amount of moisture even without significant rain.  Temperatures have been on the lower side, but no major freezes.  Even though it's the heart of winter, there are things that need to be done during the dry periods. 

 It is time to plant:

Tired of getting a holiday plant just to have it die on you. Don't worry, Bruce and Marlene, share tips on how to prevent your plants from ending up in the compost bin after the New Year. Topics covered: getting Christmas cactus to bloom, the truth about paperwhites coming back, soil suggestions and more.

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

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Find Marlene...

It is the December To Do List, and we are in the middle of winter garden season.  Weather is moderately cold, foggy, and so far it has been pretty dry.  We finish up with a Listener Q&A. 

 It is time to plant:

Fall is a great time to plant California natives. Brendan Wilce of the California Native Plant Society joins me to give his 10 top favorite natives.

This episode is sponsored by BeWaterSmart.

The Brendan and the California Native Plant Society can be found at:

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Want to take over that neglected school garden but need some inspiration? Listen to Shelley and Christy of @betweentwoshrubs discuss their story of creating a successful school garden program. Plus -- we talk about their new YouTube channel, which is exploring local gardens, talking to the gardeners, and all things garden-adjacent.  Very fun and informative, with frequent new content. 

This episode is sponsored by BeWaterSmart.

Between Two Shrubs can be found at:

It is the October To Do List, and that means it is a very busy time in the garden.  Clean up from summer vegetables and prepping for fall and winter. The days are cooler, but shorter – which means you have to work efficiently and hard. Episode includes Listener Q&A.

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

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Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Fall is a great time to plant a shade tree and our guest, Kayden Rsenbauer, certified arborist with the Sacramento Tree Foundation has all the info you need. Bruce and I talk to him about proper planting techniques, watering for young and established trees and we go over his list of favorite shade trees.

This episode is sponsored by BeWaterSmart.

Sacramento Tree Foundation can be found at:

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power G...

Truly one of the bizarre looking and growing plants out there. Bruce and Marlene discuss everything related to the Genus Platycerium. How to propagate from spores and divisions, what species grow the best in zone 9, unusual species and more.

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Planting, tasks and to do's that should take place in September for a beautiful fall garden.

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

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Want to feel like you are in the tropics but without the expensive plane ticket or large amounts of water?  Bruce and Marlene each give their top 10 plants that grow with low water but give you the vibe of being in a far away destination

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

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If you garden in a water conscious State like California, you may be able to recite a list of plants and practices to reduce water in your landscape. But often vegetable gardening gets left out of water-wise conversations. Our guest -- the one and only --Fred Hoffman, discusses ways to employ water saving techniques for your veggies without sacrificing taste. What is the crop that consumes the most water? What are the most water efficient watermelons? We dive into this and more.

This episode is sponsored by BeWaterSmart.

Farmer Fred can be found at:

It is the August To Do List – it has been a great, cool summer in NorCal.  Bruce and I talk about current gardening work, and do a detailed dive into listener questions across a variety of topics. 

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Summer heat getting to you? Add some cool to your yard. Bruce and I talk to award winning landscape designer, Cheryl Buckwalter, on how to create a cool oasis with some simple landscape tips. 

http://bewatersmart.info

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

Want to save money?! Of course you do. As plant lovers we want to spend our money on plants not stuff to maintain them. Bruce and I each give our top 10 money wasters with a large ticket bonus item.  You may be surprised with what you have needlessly spending your money on.

It's peak of summer and it's hot. But believe it or not it is time for tasks to prep for fall. Bruce and I discuss what needs to be done in the garden now plus we answer questions on azaleas, tomatoes and more.

H...

Want to save money?! Of course you do. As plant lovers we want to spend our money on plants not stuff to maintain them. Bruce and I each give our top 10 money wasters with a large ticket bonus item.  You may be surprised with what you have needlessly spending your money on.

It's peak of summer and it's hot. But believe it or not it is time for tasks to prep for fall. Bruce and I discuss what needs to be done in the garden now plus we answer questions on azaleas, tomatoes and more.

H...

Have dreams of becoming a flower farmer or just want to grow flowers for yourself? I talk to Amber Villarreal of @redheadflowerbed all about her journey into the flower growing world. And of course she'll discuss growing tips and her favorite flowers.

You can find Redhead Flowerbed at:

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

It's peak of summer and it's hot. But believe it or not it is time for tasks to prep for fall. Bruce and I discuss what needs to be done in the garden now plus we answer questions on azaleas, tomatoes and more

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

It's summer and it's getting hot but there's still plenty to do in the garden. My new co-host Bruce Ritter joins me to discuss what tasks you should be tackling in your garden. And no it's not too late to plant tomatoes. Plus we answer your garden questions.

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

A truly purple tomato - this is what Norfolk Healthy Produce has achieved. With beauty also comes big health benefits. Listen in as I talk to CEO Dr. Nathan Plumpton and head horticulturalist Ian Baker on what the process was to make this happen and how snapdragons are involved.

You can find Norfolk Healthy Produce at:

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

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Fruit tree expert, Ed Laivo of @ed_able_solutions, gives his list of favorite peaches and nectarines for an extended growing season. Plus learn what cat-facing is and why it may be happening to your nectarines. This and more growing tips.

You can find Ed at:

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

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It's spring!  LOTS of prep to do for the upcoming season. Time to sow seeds and prep beds for planting.

It is time to plant:

Chores include:

Anthony Dal Ben is one of the winners of the Be Water Smart #summerstrong competition.  Winners of this competition transformed their once water loving lawns/gardens into yards that are water efficient but at that same time beautiful. For Anthony it was a family affair. Hear how not only did he transform his front lawn into a water wise landscape, he used this as an educational experience for his kids.

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

To ask questions for fut...

Elaine Fitzgerald is one of the winners of the Be Water Smart #summerstrong  competition. Winners of the competition transformed their once water loving lawns/gardens into yards that are water efficient as well as beautiful. Listen in to hear how Elaine went from grass to a pollinator heaven.

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Fac...

Janelle Auyeung is one of the winners of the Be Water Smart #summerstrong competition.  Winners of this competition transformed their once water loving lawns/gardens into yards that are water efficient, but at that same time beautiful. Hear the steps Janelle took to make her backyard a magnificent oasis of fruit trees, vegetables and flowers.

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

Find Marlene over...

It is the September To Do List – believe it or not, we are in full Fall prep time. Lots of cool weather vegetables to start planting, and tons of clean up and pruning. It was quite a hot summer and time may have been sparse in the garden, but it's time to get the gloves on and get to work. Episode includes Listener Q&A.

It is time to plant:

This episode is sponsored by bewatersmart.info.

The heat getting to you? There's a good chance it's also impacting your plants.  I discuss various heat related plant issues and ways to mitigate them.

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

·       Facebook

·       Instagram

·       email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

This episode is sponsored by bewatersmart.info.

In this episode,  I discuss 10 of my favorite drought tolerant plants. Even if you think you don't have a green thumb, these plants will thrive in your garden with minimal water requirements. Plus, I include pollinator information.

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

·       Facebook

·       Instagram

·       email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

In this episode, I have a great conversation with the Chocolate Botanist, Derek Haynes. Hear about his journey becoming a plant biologist as well about his mission to debunk misinformation on the internet. We discuss his "favorite" myths and how he handles the backlash he receives on social media.

 Derek is a plethora of educational and entertaining information -- links below can be found to his variety of media.

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

Soil science can be a bit confusing. How long does it take for materials to be broken down, is it good practice to add microbes and what exactly are microbes? Robert Pavlis addresses these questions and more. Check out his new podcast Garden Fundamentals plus his impressive list of books including Soil Science for Gardeners and Compost Science for Gardeners. Check out more at his links below.

 Links below can be found to Robert's vast expanse of media.

·       Podcast: Garden Fundamentals (available on Apple & Spotify)

·       Website:  gardenmyths.com

·       Facebook:  @

If I was picked up and dropped into a gardening zone relatively different than mine, it would be a huge steep learning curve. I love talking to gardeners from zones different than my zone 9b and it doesn't get much different than zone 3. I have a fun and educational chat with Theri Vasina LHirondelle who grows amazing flowers and veggies in Montana.

Theri can be found on Instagram at @backyard.impressions

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

To ask...

Dieffenbachia, 'pothos', Monstera… a great majority of houseplants are in the Araceae family which most people shorten to just say Aroids. I discuss this broad family with UC Davis  Botanical Conservatory  volunteer extraordinaire Bruce Ritter. He has revamped our collection and he shares all his tips and tricks with us.

Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  

To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:

·       Facebook

·       Instagram

·       email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

Find Marlene over on YouTube, Ins

Believe it or not, spring is around the corner.  Here in NorCal, it is still wet with periods of cold, so one does have to be careful with working soil and protecting from potentially freezes.  LOTS of prep to do for the upcoming season.

It is time to plant:

·       Broccoli

·       Cabbage

·       Carrots

·       Cauliflower

·       Collards, swiss chard

·       Kale

·       Leeks

·       Loose leaf lettuce

·       Peas

·

It's here – the last To Do list of the year.  So far it has been a mild winter, with regards to both temperature and moisture.  It is the time to plant another round of winter vegetables, work on pest management, and start planning for your spring garden.  We are at the apex of short days, so time to work is limited.  Episode includes Listener Q&A, with topics listed below. 

It is time to plant:

·       Asparagus

·       Bok choy

·       Kale

·       Onion sets

·       Radish

Chores include:

·       Cut back garden, c...

How do we ensure the next generations become stewards of the land? Of course exposing them to nature and getting them outdoors but also having conversations and reading with them. I talk with author, Collin Pine, about his children's book 'The Garden Next Door' and how its message is more important than ever.

Collin's latest book is called "The Garden Next Door'"

Collin can be found at:

·       Instagram:  @collin.pine

·       River Horse Books

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