The Manic Gardener Archives - WebTalkRadio.net Podcast
1) The Manic Gardener – Energy and Landscaping: Surprising Connections
We’ve all heard this one: to shade your house in summer (and save the energy used to run fans or air-conditioners), plant a tree on the south side of the house. According to my guest this week, that’s...Show More
2) The Manic Gardener – The Weed-Free Garden
A weed-free garden sounds too good to be true, and near the end of our interview, Lee Reich, author of Weedless Gardening, admits that it is: He does indeed weed—for about five or ten minutes a week. ...Show More
3) The Manic Gardener – The Seven-Fold Way of Xeriscape Gardening
If you think “stones and cactus” when you hear the term “xeriscape,” then Andrea Cummins would like to talk to you. She’s too polite to just say “No,” and too eloquent for “Er, not so much,” but those...Show More
4) The Manic Gardener – Hidden Waters
My guest this week is Duncan Patten, an ecologist with whom I discuss agricultural pollution, the importance of riparian strips along streams, fracking, and yes, rain barrels, all under the umbrella t...Show More
5) The Manic Gardener – Thrifty Gardening with Marjorie Harris
If you’re a Canadian Gardener, chances are that you’ve heard of Marjorie Harris, but we below the 49th parallel may not be so fortunate. The author of seventeen books, fifteen of them on gardening, Ma...Show More
6) The Manic Gardener – Greener than Grass
“Greener” here doesn’t refer to color, but to being environmentally friendly. Yup, it’s a metaphor. Last week’s show presented some information about the damage that conventionally maintained lawns ca...Show More
7) The Manic Gardener – So—What’s wrong with lawns?
Lawns are practically an American institution, but they’re increasingly under attack. The amounts of pesticides, fertilizer, and water used on them are all matters of contention. If you’re wondering w...Show More
8) The Manic Gardener – A Farmer’s story
When they try to make a movie of Atina Diffley’s story, some producer is going to reject it as unbelievable. Losing one organic farm to development, okay; but nearly losing a big chunk of the second t...Show More
9) The Manic Gardener – How to Buy a Plant
On one level it can’t really get much simpler: you give them the money, they give you the plant, and you’re done. But then there’s the question of whether you and the plant stay happy with this arrang...Show More
10) The Manic Gardener – Composting 101: Bite the Silver Bullet
Spring has sprung just about everywhere in North America, and certainly across the pond, and in spring the avid gardener’s thoughts turn to—composting. All that pruning and mowing and clipping and rak...Show More