In honor of Earth Day, and to support those new gardeners trying vegetable gardening for the first time due to the pandemic, Charlie is offering this free 1-hour long webinar all about the basics of vegetable gardening. It includes information on siting the garden, soil, vegetable varieties, planting schemes, maintenance, and more.
Our lives are currently dominated by news. Let's lift our spirits with some good news from our gardens!
For 100 years the American Iris Society has been working with and for iris hybridizers, growers and iris lovers (irisarians) to promote and advance the "flower of the rainbow."
Each year as we rediscover the emerging beauty of our gardens, we can also welcome and enjoy birds, butterflies, pollinators and other wildlife. Garden for Wildlife Month in May and National Pollinator Week, June 18-24, 2018 remind us to prepare our gardens as a habitat for wildlife. Here are starter tips for wild friendly gardening.
As someone who enjoys gardening and probably encounters reptiles and amphibians in the course of their activity, the Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research invites you to take the 2017 Reptile and Amphibian Public Opinion Survey.
National, regional, conservation, and gardening groups fight the decline of pollinator species by calling on all Americans to do their part
Want to grow your own vegetables? You can do it the fun and easy way with this practical guide. From selecting the right spot to preparing the soil to harvesting, Vegetable Gardening For Dummies, 2nd Edition shows you how to successfully raise vegetables regardless of the size of your plot or your dietary needs.
Grant aims to build and enhance therapeutic gardens across North America.
Aspiring organic farmers and gardeners are invited to apply for the 2018 Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Now celebrating its 50th year, the Apprenticeship is the longest running university-based organic farming training program in the U.S. Deadline to apply is September 30.
We have launched a brand new Q&A feature for our members to enjoy. Ask questions, give answers, post comments on existing answers, and vote on your favorite items.
All-America Selections, the only non-profit trialing organization for plants that demonstrate great garden performance throughout all of North America, is now accepting entries into their 2018-2021 (three winter) Herbaceous Perennial trial.
The number of U.S. honeybees, a critical component to agricultural production, rose in 2017 from a year earlier, and deaths of the insects attributed to a mysterious malady that’s affected hives in North America and Europe declined, according a U.S. Department of Agriculture honeybee health survey released Tuesday.
From September 3rd through 5th, in Cologne, Germany, over 2,000 exhibitors from around 60 countries will be presenting their innovations for the green oasis to almost 40,000 international trade visitors. Free tickets are available to interested members of NGA.
We are quite excited about this new (and we think improved) version of the CobraHead weeding tool. In this video, Dave demonstrates the tool and gives his opinion. The raffle going on right now features this tool as one of the prizes!
Rudie Kuiter, a professional wildlife photographer living in Victoria, Australia, has devoted much of his current time to recording the pollination of native orchid species. Here is his latest publication.
This episode is a little different from our usual gardening topics. Today we discuss some of our thoughts and ideas of living a semi self-sufficient lifestyle, and we talk about growing animals for food.
We recently took a trip to East Tennessee to visit the Smoky Mountains National Park, and in this podcast we will discuss our thoughts about the plants that grow in the Appalachian Mountains.
Trish shares her tips on pruning clematis, Dave shares some thoughts on untraditional non-organic herbicides, and of course we share plenty of regular folksy gardening banter! :)
How do you grow onions? What varieties should you grow? How do you care for them, harvest them, cure them, etc? In today's episode we cover all things onions.
We're covered up with seeds from the recent Garden.org group seed swap, and it's time to go crazy with winter sowing! Come join in our excitement as we talk about this exciting and easy seed starting technique.
It's been a long year full of activity, especially centered around getting the National Gardening Association back on its feet. We're excited for what the new year will begin, and to get the podcast back! Enjoy the first of what will be many podcast episodes this year.
We reveal the winners! Come take a look.
Voting has begun on the 2016 Caladiums 4 Less Photo Contest. There isn't a huge number of photos, but lots of great ones! Come choose your favorites and cast your votes for the ones you think should win.
Our friends at Caladium Bulbs 4 Less are sponsoring a Caladiums Photo Contest at Garden.org, and there are prizes to win! Do you have great photos of caladiums from this year? Then enter them in our contest and win prizes along with the admiration of your peers!
A couple months ago I posted a video review of the Garden Tower 2 (the combination vertical garden/vermicomposting system) and I was asked to post a followup once the plants have grown a bit. Here it is!
National Garden Bureau, in an ongoing effort to raise awareness of horticulture and support the benefits of gardening, will grant $5,000 this fall to be split among three therapeutic gardens in North America.
What a pleasure to get my hands on this combination vertical garden/vermicomposting system. Watch my video and read about this innovative gardening container.
Sorghum is in the grass family and is closely related to corn. In fact, when it's young it is nearly impossible to differentiate it from corn. If anyone ever tells you they have volunteer corn in their garden, you can sound smart by guessing that it's sorghum.
Last episode we talked about selecting varieties, prepping the site, fertilizing, transplanting, supporting the plants and all that. In this episode we finish talking about tomatoes, covering the various problems, pests, and diseases. Trish also shares her amazing tips on preserving the tomatoes. Don't miss this podcast!
Every April communities, organizations, and individuals nationwide celebrate gardening during National Garden Month. ATP is glad to join in the celebration.
Dave got his hands on one of these snazzy single wheel hoes from Hoss Tools and gives his full review in this video.
It's that time of year again when our thoughts turn to vegetables gardening, and the first thing we think about in that category of gardening is tomatoes. In this episode, we discuss selecting tomato varieties, site prep, hardening off transplants, and much more.
After a 4 month break, the ATP podcast is back and we're sharing news about our taking over the National Gardening Association. In this episode, we tell the story of how we came to acquire the NGA, what our hopes and dreams are, and what we're planning to do with it in the short and long term.
We have some big news to share with our members. Click to read more.
Violets are February's Birth Flower. Let's learn about these dainty little spring blooming plants.
We're putting together a list of the ATP members' favorite shade plants! Come on in and read how to nominate your favorites! We will later publish a final article on the top picks.
We're putting together a list of the ATP members' favorite hand tools. Nominate your favorite tools this week, and soon afterwards we will have a special vote where the members will decide which are the ATP Favorite Hand Tools. This is going to be a fun activity.
In an effort to promote our Multi-Plant Photos feature, Paul2032 is giving bonus acorns to the next 10 different members who post a photo to this area of the site. Update: The activity is now over!
There are three group seed swaps currently recruiting members. The idea is that a large group of members get together, and each person lists the seeds they have. They then each call dibs on each other's seeds and at the end each person mails what was dibbed to a central person, who then mails each person's items back out. It's a fantastic way to get a huge amount of new seeds. Click to find out more!
For the past week, we've been holding a fun activity where members associated images in the forums with plants in the database. It was wildly successful. Open to find out more.
It's December and we're holding a fun activity that will have you exploring the forums, finding photos that have been posted, and associating those photos with plants in the database. Open to find out more!
All judging and voting is finished and we are ready to unveil the Best of Show winner, along with the blue ribbon winners of each category. Come in and check it out!
The new deadline for casting your votes for the Best of Show is Tuesday evening (Oops, Monday evening) at 6:00pm CT, after which the winners will all be announced.
The first place winning photos in each category are now revealed, but voting isn't over! You now must choose your favorites from among them. The ones with the most votes will receive the Best of Show microbadge. You have 48 hours to vote.
The entries are in and it's time to check out the photos that were submitted in our 2nd annual photo contest. Each member may cast up to 3 votes in each category, so head over to the photo contest page, start browsing the many beautiful photos, and cast your votes for your favorites.
Well, we're heading into the Christmas season, so why not talk about the houseplant that everyone loves to grow indoors during this season?
Today we begin the second of our annual photography contests, and the contest is open for entries now. Break out your best photos for this year's contest!
We are frequently asked, "How do we get it all done and have so many little children to care for?" In today's podcast, Trish and Dave share their thoughts on how to find time to garden when you have the constant time demands that babies or toddlers bring.
Dave recently spoke to the master gardeners in Rusk County, Texas, covering topics related to soil: nutrients, pH, vermicomposting, hugelkultur, and much more. We recorded the lecture and present it to you now as a 45 minute video with audio from the event, along with the slides shown.
We're nearing the end of our Fall Harvested Vegetables Week, and it was a great one! Let's have a look at the highlights from the week.
This week we're celebrating fall harvested vegetables, and in today's episode we talk all about winter squash! Butternuts, acorns, jarrahdales, pumpkins, the list goes on and on.
When Texans hear the word "squash," they usually think about the watery and tasteless yellow crooknecks and zucchini. Well, put those ideas out of your mind! Winter Squash deserves a place in every southern garden.
We open the Fall Harvested Vegetables Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, and more!
We just got back from a three week trip to see eight different national parks, mostly in Utah. In today's podcast, we discuss our impression of the deserts we saw, and the plants that live there.
In this video, Trish demonstrates how she uses pink electric tape to customize her tools. This makes them easier to find in the grass, and the pink tape deters thieving family members who don't want to be seen using pink tools! :)
We're nearing the end of our Dahlias Week, and it was a great one! Let's have a look at the highlights from the week.
We open the Dahlias Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, and more!
Could the monarchs one day actually go extinct? It's not unheard of. The loss of milkweed is directly related to the loss of monarchs. Let's all grow milkweed and preserve this majestic species of butterfly.
We're nearing the end of our Celebrating Salvias Week, and it was a great one! Let's have a look at the highlights from the week.
In this episode Trish shares her best tips on how to properly store and organize your seeds.
We open the Salvias Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, and more!
In this episode Dave and Trish discuss the plight that the monarch butterflies are facing, and talk about some of our favorite milkweed species that we recommend people grow.
We're nearing the end of our amazing Hibiscus Celebration Week, and it was another great one! Let's have a look at the highlights from the week.
We open the Hibiscus Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, and more!
What is the absolute easiest edible plant you can grow? I spent my entire morning contemplating that question, and nothing came to mind that beats garlic. As everyone knows, it's a bulb, planted in the fall, grown through the winter, and harvested in very early summer. It requires no special care during the growing season, and has absolutely innumerable uses. Let's talk about this incredible plant.
In this video, Trish shows us how she harvests seeds from her Salvia greggii in our East Texas garden.
We're nearing the end of our Echinaceas Week - let's have a look at the highlights from the week.
We open the Echinaceas Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, and more!
We're back with another episode of the All Things Plants podcast! In today's episode we chat about our favorite summer vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, winter squash, etc. We also discuss the ATP site and our social media outreach efforts.
We're nearing the end of our Summer Veggies Week, and it was a great one! Let's have a look at some of the highlights from the week.
Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are all in the nightshade family. Let's open the Summer Vegetables Celebration Week with a look at the top varieties of each of these highly popular home garden vegetables.
This is a video tutorial on how to get started managing your inventory of plants on ATP. In this ten minute video, I demonstrate most of the features of the plant list. At the end, you'll know everything you need to know about managing your inventory of plants!
In this video, Trish demonstrates how she manages her trays of seedlings. Rather than simply cut away excess seedlings in a tray, she divides the seedlings and pots them up into empty cells. This way she ends up with full trays of seedlings with very few wasted plants.
Is daylilies celebration week already over? The good news is the fun doesn't end today, and we will continue to share our daylily photos, ideas, and inspirations forever. But for now, let's look at the highlights from this past week.
Trish is sitting aside for this episode, and joining me in the studio to talk daylilies is Jon Whitinger, gardener, software programmer, hybridizer and 14 year old all around nice guy.
This is it! The highly anticipated Daylilies Celebration Week! Let's open the week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, and more!
Standing on a thin carpet of fallen blooms, with a canopy of color above me, I immediately fell in love with the Crepe Myrtle tree, and since then have set out to collect them all.
We're getting to the end of our lilies week, and it was a great one! Let's look at the best pictures from the week, and see how active the lilies areas of the site were.
In today's episode Trish talks about her favorite lily types and cultivars, and Dave shares his best tips on how to make summertime gardening fun, enjoyable and successful.
We open the Lilies Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, and more!
Time has surely flown. Today we celebrate our 4th anniversary on the web, and we're throwing a party! We invite you to join in the celebration and get a chance for a huge acorn giveaway!
There is no flowering shrub in the south that is more ubiquitous and more loved than the mighty crepe myrtle, and that's what we're going to talk about on this episode. Dave will share the history, talk about the new exciting cultivars, and share tips on how to grow it.
Hostas week is at an end and we had a lot of fun. Let's take a look at some of the highlights of the event.
We open the Hostas Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, and more!
I've been growing Gojiberries for several years now and have been so successful, I wanted to share this plant with everyone. If you've never grown this useful shrub, this article will motivate you to make it happen.
Another great week of celebration is coming to a close. Let's have a look at some of the highlights from the week.
We open the Clematises Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, and more!
We're finally back with episode 90 and we pack a lot into this one! We talk about the fun gardening chores that occur as you head into summer. Trish shares fascinating information about hydrangea bloom colors and Dave boasts about ATP versus the rest of the gardening online websites.
Peonies week is at an end and hundreds of photos were posted. Let's have a look at the best!
We open the Peonies Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars in our peonies database. Join us as we spend the week celebrating these wonderful blooms.
It's highly ornamental, bees love it, the fruit is edible and delicious, mature fruits have many household uses, and the plant is easy to grow. What's not to love?
In the past six days we had almost a thousand photos of irises posted to our database, along with about the same number of posts in the irises forum. Let's have a look at the best photos, along with who participated the most.
In this week's podcast we talk all about irises, sharing our favorite tips on how to grow them, and talking about the articles posted this week. Dave rants about using rusty reinforcement wire for tomato cages and Trish shares her concerns about honesty from vendors at your local farmers market.
We open our Irises Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, a contest, and more!
We had a good amount of activity centered around roses this week. Here is a report on some of the best photos, who posted them, who thumbed them, and how much activity was in our rose forum. We also announce today the new Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Microbadge!
Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, Albas, Grandifloras, etc etc etc. What do they all mean? In today's episode, Trish shares from her depths of knowledge about the various kinds of roses, and you're sure to be inspired. After that we have an interesting discussion about this new fad where companies unnecessarily label their plants as "non-GMO."
It's Roses Celebration Week, a week we've been looking forward to all year! This week we'll encourage everyone to share their photos, comments and information about roses. Let's open the week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, and more!
It's a double feature podcast. First Dave shares his tips on dealing with frost, followed by Trish giving her presentation on hanging baskets. If you're not dealing with frost, just skip about 25 minutes in to Trish's great talk about hanging baskets. You'll be inspired!
Let's finish off our Celebrating Azaleas week with a look at some of the most thumbed pictures in our Rhododendron Database.
We packed a lot into this episode. The first half is about rhododendrons and the second half is about a whole mix of different topics, especially about the plants database at ATP and our various plants we grow here, and much more.
Our Rhododendron Database has over 700 photos, and most of them are beautiful and worth viewing. Come on in and check out the top 20 most thumbed images in the rhododendron database, and learn about a mini contest for this week!
It's Rhododendrons Celebration Week! Let's open it up with a look at the top species and cultivars from among this collection of vibrant and beautiful plants.
There's so much to love about this useful plant. Let's look at Malabar Spinach, how to grow it, why you should grow it, and all the wonderful qualities it brings to your garden.
There's a vast selection of bulbs that are meant to be planted in the spring and that's what we're talking about in this week's podcast. Join us and be inspired as we share our favorite spring-planted, summer blooming bulbs.
On Monday, we opened the Spring Bulb celebration week with the Top 50 Bulbs, and I challenged everyone to post their best pictures this week. Now let's see which of those photos got the most thumbs from ATP members.
Jon joins us in a special episode of the podcast! In today's episode, Jon and Dave talk about our upcoming plant sale, growing plants, vegetables, propagating, fertilizing, and, of course, daylilies.
Do you have spring blooming bulbs in your garden or around your town this week? Share photos of them in the plant database, and enjoy looking at those posted by other members. At the end of the week, I will give a report of the most thumbed images and it'll be awesome.
We made it! Winter is over and it's springtime! Let's celebrate with a special week dedicated to these beautiful bulbs and succulents that brighten our gardens every spring, and we open that week with a look at the most popular of these plants.
In this week's episode, we're going to talk about our wonderful herb spiral that we love and think that everyone should copy for their own gardens. Learn about how we made it, how we use it, what we grow on it, and why it's the best herb growing structure in the world.
Comfrey is incredible. It's a soil builder, a fertilizer, a compost enhancer, has medicinal properties, is a good feed source for animals, and much more. Let's talk about this chief of plants.
We had around 350 images posted to our database of Sempervivum this week! Let's finish off our Celebrating Sempervivum week with a look at some of the most thumbed pictures.
We open the Sempervivum Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, and more!
In today's podcast we'll give some tips on gardening in containers, with the focus on vegetables. What can you grow, how do you get started, and what pitfalls should you avoid? All that, and much more, on today's podcast!
Grow your own food to get the most bang for your buck!! Not just saving money but time and energy. We're going to talk about the easiest and most important edibles that you should consider growing this year.
In this week's episode we talk all about our favorite techniques of seed starting, including the paper towel method. We also discuss important information: preventing damping off, soil selection, etc. Trish shares from her pinboard of bad ideas, and gives us an inspiring look at garden poppies.
It's cold and everyone is posting photos of their winter interest plants. In today's episode we'll talk about our own favorite winter interest items: both plants and other gardening elements. Enjoy the show!
All week ATP members have been posting their best winter interest photos. In fact, at the time of this writing, exactly 200 winter interest pictures have been posted to the database. Here are some of the best, along with some links to discussions about them.
Pine cones, seed heads, winter bloomers, colorful red berries, and much more! Let's kick off Winter Interest Week with a look at the most popular plants in our database that give some kind of interest to our gardens in the winter. We also introduce a new gallery option in our database for winter interest, with bonus acorns this week!
We're half way through February and that means that we're approaching the finishing line in our race to get through winter, so in this episode we're going to talk about those mid to late winter chores you might want to get to. We'll also feature a fun new segment of the podcast, "plant this," where Dave and Trish will each share their thoughts on a specific plant.
The Celebration Week for the database is coming to a close, so let's look back on the week and see what was posted, who posted it, and what were the most noteworthy contributions.
Is it possible to spend over 30 minutes talking about the All Things Plants Database? Yes! There's so much to talk about, from the custom databases, parentage of cultivars, multi-plant images, comments, moderators, green pages, planting calendars, growers reports, and so much more!
As you all know, this week we are hosting a contest in the Plant Database. The two most active users will receive gift certificates from Victory Seed Company. Well, we're halfway through with the week, so let's see what the numbers look like so far.
In today's article, I'll explain what our custom databases are, why we made them, how they work, and what kinds of powers they give us in using the database. Anyone interested in a specific kind of plant will likely find this information quite informative and useful!
One of the biggest strengths of our plant database is that we have it sectioned off into "custom databases," each dedicated to a specific kind of plant, and that members can be given power to moderate every aspect of those areas. Come read what our moderators think about the database in this interesting multi-person interview!
We have a powerful photo browsing tool that I want to make sure you know about, and we have a planting calendar tool that hooks into the database and makes planning your vegetable garden a breeze.
Almost every feature of All Things Plants taps into the database in one way or another, and this week we are celebrating this aspect of ATP! Come in and read what activities we have planned for the week, and to learn about our contest with prizes offered by Victory Seed Company!
In today's podcast, Trish and Dave share their thoughts on composting in winter. What to do to keep it alive, when there are no grass clippings or weeds? We also talk about the Green Pages feature at All Things Plants, and give miscellaneous thoughts on the goings-on around our farm.
We've been celebrating Amaryllises this week at All Things Plants.com and in today's episode we'll discuss these cheerful winter blooming bulbs. After that, we'll talk about timely gardening information, including how to grow late winter crops like onions and potatoes.
Do you have Amaryllis plants in bloom? Now's the time to share the photos! No blooms to share? Then enjoy the show, and post your comments about the photos.
We open the Hippeastrum and Amaryllis Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars, most thumbed image, and more!
In this week's podcast we discuss the wonderful joys of seed shopping via mail order catalogs, and we also hold an impromptu discussion about the joys of chickweed.
Whenever I give a talk to a garden club or group of master gardeners, I always make sure to spend a few minutes talking about one of my favorite plants, chickweed. Every person needs to know about this useful (and deliciously edible) plant.
The podcast is back for another year, and in today's episode we talk about our plans for the site this year. We discuss the planned celebration weeks, talk about Dave's upcoming speaking schedule, and share the little that is going on in our gardens right now.
You, the members, are the heart and soul of ATP. Trish and I celebrate all of you!
In today's article we'll examine the numbers. Which threads have had the most replies? Which is the most active forum? How many people come to the site each month? Let's dive in, look at the numbers, and see what interesting things we can find.
A couple years ago, Trish set out to write a series of "how-tos" where she explained a dozen or so concepts about the site. We present them in their entirety here for your enjoyment!
Think you know everything about All Things Plants? Maybe you do, but maybe you don't! Here's a pile of interesting tidbits of information about our favorite website.
We're having a membership drive, and you can earn acorns by inviting your friends to join! Do you have friends who love gardening, are online, but don't know about ATP? Now's your chance to let them know about your favorite gardening site, and earn acorns while doing it.
We've said it so often that it has become our informal slogan: ATP is all about having fun. What better way to have fun than to dedicate an entire year to celebrating gardening and every aspect of it.
It's January, and that means that it's time to break out the seed catalogs, pore over the selections, and place your order for your spring tomato seeds.
Yarrow, Achillea millefolium, has been known and loved for thousands of years, and in fact, its name came from the Greek hero, Achilles.
All judging and voting is finished and we are ready to unveil the Best of Show winners, along with the blue ribbon winners of each category. Come in and check it out!
The first place winning photos in each category are now revealed, but voting isn't over! You now must choose your favorites from among them. The ones with the most votes will receive the Best of Show award. You have only 24 hours to vote.
The entries are in and it's time to check out the photos that were submitted in our first annual photo contest. Each member may cast up to 3 votes in each category, so head over to the photo contest page, start browsing the many beautiful photos, and cast your votes for your favorites.
Today we begin the first of our annual photography contests, and there are excellent prizes for the winners. The contest is open for entries now. Break out your best photos for this year's contest! Sponsored by American Meadows and High Country Gardens.
It's hard to figure out which plants are wildflowers and which ones aren't, so lists like these are hard to come up with. Nevertheless, with help from our members we made a list of areas of the database that qualify, and here's the top 50 most popular species from among them!
Sempervivum and Sedum are the cornerstone genera of hardy succulents, so let's have a look at the most popular of these fun plants.
This is it! We made it! It's fall and that means a whole world of activities around the garden. Today we'll talk about our favorite parts of fall and what kinds of things you might want to do in your garden during this early fall season.
With the long, hot and dry summer behind us, we're ready to get back into the podcasting saddle, and this week is salvias and agastaches week, so that's what we'll talk about. We'll share interesting facts and useful growing tips on these easy and hardy perennials, and we'll chat about our favorite cultivars.
Let's open Salvias and Agastaches week with a look at the most popular plants in the database. 'Black and Blue', 'Golden Jubilee', and 'Hot Lips' top the list, of course.
Such a vast selection of these beautiful springtime flowers. Let's take a moment to check out the most popular among them!
Which daffodils should you grow? With more than 26,000 cultivars to choose from, it seems a daunting task. Let us help you by showcasing the most popular daffodils in the ATP database!
There are over 30,000 spring-blooming bulbs in our database, but which are the most popular? Let's have a look!
We're heading fast into fall, which is the best time to plant perennials, so today we'll talk about some timely tips on easy landscaping ideas for the fall, including adding perennials to your garden. Also, Trish will share some of her ideas on squeezing gardening into a busy lifestyle.
In this week's episode we will talk about our favorite non-hardy tropical shrubs, along with why we like them and why we think they are worth the trouble to over-winter. We'll then discuss the strategies we employ to keep these worthy plants alive during the winter!
Another top plants list! These are so much fun. Which are the most popular brugmansias in our database? Let's have a look!
It's Tropical Trees and Shrubs week, so let's take a peek at plumerias and see which are the most popular at ATP!
Here's a fun topic. We often talk about what we do in the garden and why we do it, but today we're going to turn that around and look at a few common gardening things that a lot of people do, but that we don't do, and we'll talk about why we don't do them.
This week the members have been busy voting for their favorite photos submitted in the Caladium Bulbs 4 Less Photo Contest. The winners have now been revealed! Come on in and see who won.
It's Daisies and Coneflowers week at All Things Plants so today we're going to talk about the noble Purple Coneflower, covering its history, its uses, how to grow it and a little bit about how it is used.
We have almost a thousand images of coneflowers in our database, covering nearly 200 different kinds. But which are the most popular among ATP members? Let's find out!
We know coneflowers are grown and loved by all, but what about daisies? There are 24 genera in our database that contain plants that are considered daisies. Among such a vast reach of plants, which are the most popular among ATP members? Let's have a look!
The 2014 Caladiums photo contest, sponsored by Caladium Bulbs 4 Less, is now finished and 174 photos have been entered. Come check out all the great photos and pick your favorites. The winners will get some great prizes!
TODO items for late summer, presented by Trish, and preparing for the fall garden, presented by Dave! The month of July is coming to a close and that means it's time to start thinking about the fall gardening season. But wait, you might say, we're in the dog days of summer, and you're already talking about fall gardening? Yes indeed, now is the time to get your fall gardening plans in order.
In early 2012 we built an herb spiral and it has since become a cornerstone of our gardens. Allow me to take a moment to share with you how and why we built this amazingly useful garden structure.
Our friends at Caladium Bulbs 4 Less are sponsoring our very first photo contest at All Things Plants, and there are prizes to win! Do you have great photos of caladiums? Then enter them in our contest and win prizes along with the admiration of your peers!
We took last week off but we're back and ready to talk about gardening. It's Xeriscaping Week at ATP and today we're going to dive down deep into the topic of xeriscaping. What is xeriscaping? Is it only for desert regions? Is it something that you can put into practice in your own garden? Find out in today's episode of the ATP podcast!
Does xeriscapic mean boring and dry looking? Absolutely not! You'll never believe what beautiful blooms are available for the non-irrigated landscape. Come in and see.
Which trees are the most popular in the Northern regions of the United States? Let's find out!
Which trees are the most popular in the Southern regions of the United States? Let's find out!
In this week's podcast, we will talk about planning orchards as complete gardens, rather than as single trees surrounded by grass. What are the various needs that fruit trees have, and are there plants that can actually fulfill those needs? Can an orchard be beautiful, and provide year-round benefits? You'll find out by listening to today's episode.
Let's open Trees and Shrubs week with a list of the most popular of these woody plants in our database. There are a lot of great plants in this list!
Today we're celebrating 3 years of All Things Plants, and many members have given a total of 2,300 acorns to be given away as prizes! Here is the video of our drawing.
This week we're celebrating three years of All Things Plants! Yes, it was July of 2011 that we started this site. We'll reflect a bit on the past 3 years of running the site. Additionally, I'll talk about my new automated misting irrigation system in my greenhouse, along with my other plans to improve my propagation techniques. Trish will talk about how to select and buy tomatoes: shapes, sizes, uses and types.
It is Vines and Climbers week at All Things Plants, so today we're going to talk about these climbing friends of the garden. What kinds of support structures do we like? And what are our favorite vines that we recommend to other gardeners? Are there vines that should be avoided? We'll talk about all that and more!
Today we open Vines and Climbers week by giving a list of the top 25 vines in our database, judged by how many contributions have been made to the various plant entries. Enjoy the list!
Today we're going to talk about bordering your garden. What kinds of edges should you use? Or should you even use borders? If you do, what kinds of borders are out there? Trish has a lot of ideas on the subject and she'll share them with us today on this, our 61st episode of the All Things Plants podcast.
In this week's podcast, we'll discuss everything you need to know to grow blackberries, and Trish will share her tips on success with strawberries.
Welcome to Soft Fruits week! Blackerries, raspberries, strawberries and more. What are you growing, and which cultivars do you think everyone else should grow?
Aquaponics is an exciting innovation that blends vegetable gardening with fish farming. In today's podcast we'll discuss our aquaponics system, how it works, why it works, and why we're excited about it. We'll also talk about growing outdoor plants indoors.
With Memorial Day behind us, summer is sort of, kind of, well, is it officially here? Let's say yes. So with summer upon us, it's time to summerize our gardens! We'll talk about our best tips on getting your garden in tip top shape for the coming hot and dry months of summer. Also, Trish will share some great tips on planning a garden design. There is a bonus video attached to the show notes, showing our tomatoes.
In a podcast episode a couple weeks ago, Dave mentioned his technique of weeding using a sharp shovel. We recently had to weed out a pretty bad bed of tall grass, and we took a video so we can demonstrate the technique for you.
This week is Summer and Tropical Bulbs Week at All Things Plants, so today we're going to talk about our own personal favorite summer bulbs. Trish will tell us how to know the difference between the different genera of elephant ears. After that, we'll talk about our usual farming adventures in East Texas and finally we'll talk about our exciting new feature on the site: The Green Pages.
What a fun and diverse group of plants! Come on in and check out the report of the top 25 most active summer bulbs and tuber entries in our plants database. You will be surprised at some of the plants that made the list!
In today's podcast, we discuss the ways you can dramatically help your grocery budget by growing vegetables! We focus on the easiest to grow plants that will also give you the most "bang for your buck." We also have our usual other segments, plus a bonus pinboard of bad ideas!
Up north, they winterize their gardens. Down in the south, we summerize them! Among the many pleasures of gardening in the south are long growing seasons and comfortable winters, but our long and hot summers can be brutal for us and our plants. Here is some advice on dealing with drought and heat in our gardens.
In today's episode we talk about some of our favorite shade plants. Trish shares some of her observations about irrigation, and we have another pinboard of bad ideas segment.
Let's open Shade Gardens week with a list of the most active entries in our database. Among the thousands of plants that want full or mostly shade, which ones have the most pictures, comments and other details added? Let's find out!
In today's podcast we talk about weeds. What to do about weeds? Is there such a thing as a good weed? What weeds can be tolerated, and even used to your benefit? And for the rest, how do you get rid of them? We cover all that, plus the usual segments, along with a bonus pinboard of bad ideas, in today's episode!
Let's open Variegated Plants week with a list of the most active variegated plants in our database. Among the thousands present, which ones have the most pictures, comments and other details added? Let's find out!
In today's episode we have a long conversation about no-till. What are the benefits of tilling your garden, and what are the downsides? How can you garden without ever tilling, and why should you consider that? Listen to find out!
We are joined today by the prodigiously award-winning daylily hybridizer Curt Hanson, and will discuss everything hybridizing.
It's Daylilies Week, and we're opening the special event with a special report on the most popular daylilies, as judged by our members. How do we compile this list, and which cultivars got the award? Read on to find out!
What to do with those empty spots in your garden? Annuals, of course! But which ones? In this episode we'll discuss our favorite annuals that grow fast, get big, and are easy to grow.
With a brand new baby in the house we had to skip last week's podcast, but we're back now! In today's episode we get caught up on the usual goings on, and we discuss a few common gardening mistakes (and how to avoid them!) We also have a bonus segment today on our Pinboard of Bad Ideas!
Here's a report of the most popular water garden plants from our database!
Last week was Tomatoes (and Peppers) Week at ATP so we're talking about our favorite vegetable. How do you choose from the huge variety of tomatoes? What's a determinate? What's an heirloom? What do I do about cracking, or viruses? Listen to find out!
The 2014 top 25 most popular varieties, as determined by the number of individuals who have posted comments and photos to the entries in our database.
Today's show will be a non-themed show where we'll just talk about a variety of gardening topics we've wanted to cover. We'll answer a few questions we've received from the listeners, along with some timely tips on early spring gardening. Is pressure treated lumber safe for raised bed gardening? What about compost made from biosolids? Listen to find out!
In today's podcast we finish off herbs week by talking about our own favorite herbs, how we grow them, how we cook with them, and how we use them for medicinal purposes.
Let's open Herbs week with a look at the most popular herbs, as determined by the number of individuals who have posted comments and photos to the herb entries in our database.
In this special episode, we are joined by our three oldest children. They'll discuss gardening from children's perspective, along with some funny farm life anecdotes, share some photography tips, and they promote their new seed business.
An unbelievable opportunity! Today we are joined by ATP Plant Admins Calif_Sue and Zuzu, who will talk about roses.
You have surely wondered which of the thousands of rose cultivars are the most popular. Well, wonder no more! Here is the list of the 25 most popular roses grown by the members of All Things Plants.
More permaculture! Diego Footer joins us today and talks about permaculture, soil building, fruit tree growing, composting, his upcoming permaculture conference and much, much more.
We wrap up annuals week with a discussion of the interesting articles posted to this site this week. We also talk about the usual things happening around the farm, Dave introduces us to his aquaponics efforts, and we have an impromptu discussion about some interesting crepe myrtle cultivars and species.
Ever wonder what the most popular annuals appear to be? We have run a report of the most photographed and discussed annuals in our database!
For today's episode, in addition to our usual segments, Dave and Trish will share all their favorite tips and tricks for starting tomatoes and peppers from seed.
Today our podcast breaks dormancy as we begin a new year full of new podcasts. Come on in, listen and get caught up with what's been going on around our farm, and see ATP's top 5 most successful ideas from the past 2 months.
Most people consider winter the time when the gardens go to sleep and there's nothing to grow, but for those of us who live in fairly mild climates, there's a whole new kind of gardening that can only be done during those cold months.
Let's open this week with a look at a few of the most popular Cold Weather Crops from our Plant Database.
Hot off the presses is a new book by author and ATP member Larry Rettig, about gardening in the Amana Colonies. Let me share my review of this interesting and useful book.
We're going to stop making podcasts for the rest of the year, so we wrap up 2013 with a discussion about the previous episodes we've created, and Dave shares his report of how many listeners we have, and which past episodes were the most popular.
We continue to celebrate Daylilies Week with an interview with daylily hybridizer Melanie Mason.
In this week's podcast Trish and Dave talk about some interesting plants they recently obtained, discuss unusual fruit tree planting ideas, and go through some various gardening chores appropriate for this time of year.
Let's talk a bit about the best database of plants in the world, ever.
Plankets are snazzy frost blankets that work well to protect potted plants as well as shrubs in the landscaping. The company sent us some to try out, so we made a video for everyone to see.
In this week's episode we cover the gamut of topics relevant to the transition from summer to fall, and we scratch the surface on the subject of seed saving and storing.
In a special edition of the ATP podcast, we are joined by Jay Hutchins of Brent and Becky's Bulbs.
In this week's episode Trish shares her favorite blooming plants for the fall, and Dave goes through his list of most interesting and innovative gardening ideas posted to ATP. We also introduce a new feature: "The Pinboard of Bad Ideas."
In today's episode we talk all about chickens, especially how they can be used to prepare a vegetable garden plot.
In today's episode it's a blitz of various gardening thoughts, ideas and suggestions. Dave discusses apple varieties for Texas and Trish shares all her recent herb and rose drying projects. We also wrap up wildflowers week by talking about our favorite articles from last week.
In this week's episode, we dive straight into talking all about trees, how to buy them, plant them, care for them, and yes, how to kill them! We don't want you to kill your trees, though, so learn from our lessons and keep your trees happy and healthy with our time honored tips and ideas.
In this video, Trish shows us her herb spiral garden bed. She talks about what material we used to fill the bed, what plants she's currently growing, how she chose where to put each plant, how she waters, and much more.
In this week's episode, Trish shares all her best tips about processing tomatoes, especially how to can them for later eating! We also discuss elderberries: their health benefits, how to harvest and clean them, and what to do with these wonderful wild fruits.
In this video, Trish shows our hugelkultur swales beds, and how she manages them as the woody material starts breaking down, creating empty pockets in the bed.
This newly introduced Crepe Myrtle exploded onto the scene last year and had everyone talking about it. But is this really a new variety, or an older, already existing variety that has been repackaged and rebranded? I investigated the situation, and what I found will surprise you.
In today's episode, Dave and Trish talk all about sweet potatoes. How to plant them, how to grow them, when to harvest, how to cure, and some ideas of how to eat them!
We cover a lot of ground in today's podcast where we discuss our recent beehive adventure, discuss the challenges of fall gardening, and Trish shares her secrets about drying flowers. We are also having a contest in this week's podcast!
In today's episode of the ATP podcast, Dave and Trish discuss at length the wonderful world of growing winter squash. We'll discuss our favorite varieties, how to store them, and how to eat them. We also talk all about composting with worms.
In this episode of the All Things Plants podcast, Dave and Trish go through their list of the most heat resistant plants. Tropicals, cacti, succulents, tough-as-nails perennials, annuals, wildflowers and much more!
In the face of country-wide heat waves, we thought this would be a good time to review the best tips on how to keep your garden growing through the hottest part of the summer.
In this special edition of the All Things Plants podcast, Dave interviews his four oldest children. We discuss gardening from the point of view of young people, and also talk about farming and raising livestock and cattle.
In this week's episode we are joined by Charlie Nardozzi, a nationally recognized garden writer, speaker, radio, and television personality. We'll discuss his favorite perennials and much more.
In this episode, Dave and Trish talk about the new features added to ATP this week, and hold the drawing for the recent contest. They also discuss a good variety of gardening topics, including a rant about some specific pins on pinterest.
We're having a contest for our new listeners! Additionally, we discuss everything you need to know about tomatoes, how to grow them, how to care for them, and how to deal with their problems.
When the bottom few leaves are dried and brown, the garlic is ready for harvest. I will show you photos of the ready plants, along with tips on how to lift them from the ground and how to cure them for long term storage.
In this week's podcast, Dave and Trish cover a lot of ground with a huge variety of miscellaneous gardening thoughts. We discuss harvesting, curing, and storing onions, dealing with problems with roses, praises for the daylilies, and Trish gives a presentation on boston ferns.
In today's podcast we are joined with everyone's favorite vines and climber guy: Dan Long! You are in for a real treat as Dan shares his favorite tips and ideas for growing these great plants.
It's mid May and most of the country is hopefully in the middle of springtime, and that means it's time to review what's happened so far and contemplate those important springtime tasks that need doing.
In this special edition of the ATP podcast, we are so excited to be joined today by Jonathan Teller-Elsberg. Who's that? Well, he's a permaculture designer in Vermont, and he is a permaculture expert. What's permaculture? Well, it's hard to describe in a sentence or two, but I promise you're going to find it fascinating and educational.
In this week's episode, Dave and Trish discuss gardening with children, including the how's and the why's.
Harden your vegetable transplants before installing them in the garden. Do this by giving them a little bit more time outside in the sunshine every day until they are finally ready to be outside 24/7.
In this episode, Dave and Trish talk about their favorite wild edible plants, the kinds of plants you might come across as you walk through the woods. Many of the plants on this list are sure to surprise you!
The highly popular gardening author, radio personality, and blogger at AWayToGarden.com interviewed Dave recently about hugelkultur, the raised bed technique that involves using whole logs of wood in your beds.
In today's episode we discuss the usual updates from our farm, including an impromptu discussion about Vidalia and Noonday Onions. Our main topic is irises, where Trish tells us what she knows about these beautiful perennial flowers.
In this week's episode, Trish and Dave share their favorite culinary herbs, how to grow them, and what uses they have in the kitchen. Even experienced gardeners will enjoy the interesting anecdotes about the old favorites.
Join us for an exciting episode where we talk all about birds, hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. We discuss how to attract and take care of these wonderful creatures, including what plants to grow. We also include a collection of tips and ideas for your flying friends.
It seems like the whole country is currently dealing with an extremely long winter and late frosts and freezes, and we in Texas are not being spared. Today's episode we discuss ideas, tips and techniques for dealing with frost.
This week Dave and Trish give their usual reports: news about All Things Plants and what's going on in our gardens. For our main feature we discuss common new gardener mistakes. As an added bonus, Trish rants against people who refuse to grow ornamental plants.
This week Dave and Trish give their usual reports: Dave's favorite idea, Trish's report from around the forums, and we discuss the lengthy winter we're having in Texas. Our main feature is a double feature: two special interviews with people in the Sempervivum world.
This week Dave and Trish give their usual reports: Dave's favorite idea, Trish's report from around the forums and some stories about our gardening adventures this week. Our main feature is a discussion about perennial vegetables you can grow.
This week Dave and Trish give their usual reports: Dave's favorite idea, Trish's report from around the forums and some stories about our gardening adventures this week. Our main feature is a question and answer session with ATP members.
This week Dave and Trish give their usual reports: Dave's favorite idea, Trish's report from around the forums, and Dave shares an interesting tip on how to take down huge trees without a chain saw. Our main feature is a special interview with Mike Shoup of the Antique Rose Emporium!
Come hear Dave and Trish discuss all the news about ATP, gardening updates from Texas, and the main feature of today's show: late winter chores for the garden.
Come hear Dave and Trish discuss all the news about ATP, gardening updates from Texas, and the main feature of today's show: our favorite tips and ideas about seed starting.
Come listen as Dave and Trish discuss the news about what's happening in ATP Land, and Dave interviews Margaret Roach about her brand new book.
Come listen to Dave and Trish discuss their favorite vegetables and annuals, and find out the news about what's happening in ATP Land.
It's that time of year, when freezing temperatures suddenly fade away into our distant memory and we start getting that vegetable garden itch. Let's talk about vegetables - how to grow them and how to design your vegetable gardens.
For 2013 we are going to be running special Plant Weeks each month, and to start off we have selected this week as Vegetables and Annuals week!
A new podcast for a new year! Join us as we begin with our first of many podcasts about All Things Plants, and more.
In honor of our 50,000 photos posted to our daylilies database, this week is Daylilies Week at All Things Plants!
It's fall and that means it is time to plant bulbs for spring blooms. I'm joined by Jay Hutchins, grin-eral manager of Brent & Becky Bulbs and he's going to give us a primer on these cheerful spring blooming plants.
Join us for our 4th podcast, where we interview wholesale nursery grower and lavender expert, Cathy Slaughter from Gabriel Valley Farms.
Chris is a gardener and hobby farmer, and the author of many gardening books in the "Idiot's Guide" series. In this podcast, she joined me to talk all about gardening: heirloom vegetables, compost, worms, containers, small plants, and much more!
A gardener, author, blogger and much more, Margaret Roach is highly popular with everyone who learns about her. Come listen to our audio interview and find out why!
Jane Gates, the author of a new gardening book, has a long history in art, music and gardening. She has studied horticulture and worked in the green industry for over 30 years, propagating, hybridizing, running nurseries, designing gardens, building landscapes and managing plant stores. Come and listen to my 30 minute conversation with this fascinating personality.
This is one in a series of very short articles that will hopefully change your mind about some surprisingly good weeds. And even if your mind isn't changed, you'll still be well informed.
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At the Whitinger Farm, we are busy making stepping stones for a walkway between our driveway and the house. It's an ambitious project and we've already made dozens of stones. By popular request, here is the tutorial on how we're making them.
Genera, species, cultivars, synonyms, common names... what does it all mean? If this subject has you a little confused, allow me to cut through the confusion and show you the light.
Whether you live on a self-sufficient homestead or in an apartment in the city, you should consider keeping a bin of worms to turn your kitchen scraps into the best compost available. Here's how to get started.
Sheet mulching is a technique of laying organic material in layers on the ground to build up a raised bed of rich soil for your plants. Hugelkultur is an extension of this technique, where a gardener builds quite tall raised beds using logs and dead branches as the first layer in this bed.
Combining his passion for gardening with his love of web-based software development, Dave Whitinger today launched a new next-generation gardening website for the gardeners of the world.
The concept of plants guilds is an extension of the companion plants thought process. Different plants do different things and bring different benefits.
Easily grown and impossible to kill, the sunroot is an amazingly useful and beautiful plant that belongs in every garden.