A Rich Spot of Earth Podcast
1) Peaches, Biennials, and Herbs
It's August at Monticello. We’ve been grateful for a bit more rain than last month, but the heat continues to challenge us in the garden. On the bright side, August means it's peach-picking time. Or, ...Show More
2) Drought, Beneficial Critters, and Olive Dreams
It's July at Monticello, and it’s been exceptionally hot and dry this year. We’ve got some gorgeous flowers in bloom--marigolds, blackberry lilies, globe amaranth, and hibiscus--but keeping things wat...Show More
3) Amaranths, Garden Pests, and Ginkgos
June in the Monticello gardens offers a rich array of plants in bloom from Bachelors Buttons and Canterbury Bells to Chives and Cardoons. This time on “A Rich Spot of Earth” we focus in on another sta...Show More
4) Roses, Strawberries, Tulip Polars and Fringe Trees
This month we focus on a classic: the garden rose. We’ll also talk tiny strawberries and native trees that are flowering right now. Featuring Peggy Cornett, Curator of Plants; Michael Tricomi, Manager...Show More
5) Fruit Grafting and Jefferson's Favorite Gardern Nurseries
According to a gardening manual from Jefferson’s time, April is the month to graft fruit trees. So in this episode, we cut into the practice of grafting and explain it's critical to the fruit you eat ...Show More
6) Gardening Granddaughters, Hyacinths, and Tree Clumps
It's March at Monticello and the natural world is starting to wake up. Bloodroot, Lenten rose, hyacinths, peach and pear trees are all in bloom. As Jefferson put it, "Spring" makes "a paradise of our ...Show More
7) Gardens of Enslaved Families, Pruning
This month we look at the gardens enslaved families tended for themselves to supplement rations and provide additional income, and discuss how these small gardens figured prominently in the larger pla...Show More
8) Winter Interest, Holiday Decorating, and Wreaths!
Winter not only brings cold weather to Monticello, it offers two special ways to experience the house and surrounding grounds. Our Holiday Evening Tours present rare opportunities to tour the house af...Show More
9) Bulbs, Pumpkins, and Woody Plants
You might think November at Monticello would be a quiet time of year in the garden, but far from it. In this episode, we look at planting -- and eating! -- spring-blooming bulbs, planting and harvesti...Show More
10) Asters, Squash, Fall Foliage, and Wine
It's October at Monticello, and there’s color everywhere, from the reds, yellows and golds of the fall leaves to the pinks and purples of our tall asters to the oranges and greens of our fall squash. ...Show More