Triangle Gardener: Recent Episodes
Triangle Gardener: Enjoyable Gardening in NC
Your guide to enjoyable gardening in North Carolina. We bring you engaging gardening stories in our magazine, on our website, and on our podcast. You can find us at http://www.trianglegardener.com
Fall is the best time to plant blueberries and the new compact varieties perform well in small spaces. A group of special correspondents join the show and reveal what it’s like to grow blueberries down under.
Author Amy Stewart explains why she wrote 'The Earth Moved' about earthworms. She reveals their power to transform our landscape and offers tips for getting started with your own worm box.
With so many new hydrangeas available how does a gardener decide? Bryce Lane of NC State comes on the show and shares ideas for sustainable selections and DeVonne Friesen of Van Belle Nursery explains the development process.
Native bees are efficient pollinators and it's easy to encourage them to visit your garden. Vanessa Williams of the UK’s Wildlife World explains their lifecycle and how to make your garden more inviting.
Tough jobs can be easier if you use the right tools. A Japanese Gama hoe is perfect for cutting matted roots, the right kneeler makes the job comfortable and a good pair of gloves can prevent a trip to the emergency room.
Alamance Community College will host the 2018 National Collegiate Landscape Competition. Hundreds of horticulture students and industry leaders from around the US will be in NC to participate. For more information visit https://www.alamancecc.edu/horticulture-technology-department-site/
Garden Clubs touch our communities in ways you might not realize. In this episode we find out how ancient trees, gas stations, and garden tours help make the Triangle a better place to live.
Take a sneak peek at a garden featured on the 2018 Chapel Hill Garden Club tour. Discover that every gardener sees the strengths and weaknesses in their creations and that we all live with what Mother Nature dishes out.
Steve Bender, aka Southern Living magazine's Grumpy Gardener, has a new book out. We talk with Steve and find out that southern gardeners are the victims of their own success, why native plants aren’t always the right choice, and why he’s so grumpy.
Gardeners are more likely to end up in the Emergency Room come spring. Fitness expert Jennifer Wrigley offers ways for gardeners to stay fit over the cold months and avoid injury.
The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has a fabulous conservatory and tropical plant collection but that’s not the only options for gardeners who want to keep tender, exotic plants at home.
Author and Executive Director of the Old-Growth Forest Network, Dr. Joan Maloof, has a new book coming out —The Living Forest. This book is a beautiful journey through ancient woods that make up only 1% of our eastern forests. She explains why they’re different and why they matter.
Planting into a cold frame now will extend your growing season well into our North Carolina winter.
The American Chestnut tree still lurks in our forests and the American Chestnut Foundation is working to restore it to its rightful place in our world.
Dr. Allan Armitage’s new book, Of Naked Ladies and Forget-Me-Nots explores the origins of some of our favorite garden plants’ names. Enter the promo code TRIANGLE to receive a 10% discount on books from Dr. Armitage’s website allanarmitage.net
Public gardens and commercial growers share the key to creating a great garden is adding compost.
Mark Weathington, author of Gardening in the South, reveals the key to creating a successful garden in our region.
Leaving your garden alone during the hot days of summer is less of a worry when you add a timer to your watering system. The WaterEase timer from Gardener’s Supply is easy to use while offering a full range of functions.
The Gardener’s Revolution Classic Tomato Garden Kit has changed the way I grow tomatoes. It holds a lot of soil, has a trellis integrated into its design, and a large water reservoir. This season I almost look like a tomato expert.
Growing the tomato of your dreams can be a source of frustration. Get tips from pros about ways you can modify your growing environment for a successful season.
Gardener’s Supply makes a great-looking tote bag that holds all of the tools you need for a day in the garden.
Planting in layers creates stable plant communities which are more resistant to weeding and drought. Author Claudia West predicts where the future of nature will live.
Ken Kernodle, of the NC Bluebird Society explains Bluebirds are good residents in our gardens and gives tips for how to entice them to join us.
Volatile weather makes gardening tricky but the right tools give you a better chance for success. Gardener’s Supply plant protectors do the job, hold up well, and are easy to store when not in use. A must-have for this time of year.
The right tool makes gardening tasks easier. The Compact Pruner from Dramm is just the right tool for cutting in tight spots.
Dr. Elizabeth Riley is here with steps for successfully starting seeds and cuttings. Creating the right growing environment will produce healthy plants and save you frustration later.
The key to successfully starting seeds is creating a goldilocks space. Too dry and the seedlings won’t survive, too wet and they will succumb to disease. The Growease Seedstarter Kit from Gardener’s Supply provides the perfect environment.
The USDA has good news for gardeners. Dr. Steve McNulty shares what weather we might expect for the 2017 gardening season.
Verimcomposting is easier with the right tools. Find out how the Worm Farm Composter from Gardener’s Supply can make composting with worms easy.
An Amorphophallus titanium bloomed on the NC State campus last year. We meet the plant’s owner and discover what weird plants can teach us.
RefrigiWear clothing offers women gardeners functional, affordable, and stylish options for the garden. Tear-resistant material makes RefrigiWear jackets ideal for gardening.
NC growers will send over 4 million poinsettias to market over the next few weeks. We find out how they get them ready and new developments that could extend their appeal.
Garden clean-up chores are easier with the right tools. We look at bypass and anvil pruners from Gardener’s Supply and tips for maintaining them.
Christmas trees are a big business in NC and gardeners can learn a lot from tree farmers. A lot of science and tradition go into these trees. We visit a farm, a tourism official, an Extension agent, and a scientist who help bring this all together.
Get expert advice from Brent Heath —a third generation daffodil breeder who has over 5 million daffodils growing at Brent and Becky’s Bulbs in Gloucester VA. He explains how he develops new varieties and shares tips for a beautiful spring display.
Its time to start collecting seeds from your garden. Dr. Liz Riley shares tips for successful collecting, cleaning, and storing seeds for next season.
What gardener hasn’t warred with critters? Dan Mason brings us a tale of murder, mayhem, and war just in time for Halloween.
Durham, North Carolina is experiencing a construction boom and urban agriculture is booming downtown too. We meet a bee keeper, her musical bees, and some of the people who are leading the way.
Suburban gardens encompass 190 million acres in the US. We meet food scape evangelist Brie Arthur, who explains how to add ancient grains to your garden and reap big rewards. And you can follow Brie on social media with #CrazyGrainLady #SuburbanGrainExperiement #PlantSomething #Edible
Planting fall vegetables is more fun with the right tools. The Gardener’s Hollow Leg, a water-resistant, recycled polyester bag is one of those tools. Lise Jenkins puts it to the test and gives a review.
Most Americans live in urban areas and urban parks play a role in our physical, mental, and social health. But these parks can play an important role in protecting the health of our environment. We travel up to Boone, NC to tour a park that protects people across our state.
Bev Hurley reviews some products for the birds in your garden. She also share a secrete weapon that you can use to discourage squirrels from raiding your bird feeders.
Fall is the best time to plant and we investigate options for adding fruit to your garden. Charles Murphy explains easy options and tips for successfully growing fruit in the Piedmont. Start planning now, planting starts soon.
Triangle Gardener is sponsoring a garden contest. Deadline to enter is September 15, 2016. More details can be found at TriangleGardener.com
Mary is an experienced gardener and she's completely blind. Visiting Mary in her garden we learn how to garden with our entire body and also discover that Mary posses super powers. Our show joins the national #PlantSomething campaign.
Bev Hurley shows us the new line of power gardening tools from Black and Decker and why they make gardening easier for her.
Does your garden offer birds high-quality nutrition or junk food? What you plant makes a difference in birds' ability to find food and raise their young. Audubon NC is working with North Carolina plant growers to connect gardeners with sources for native plants.
Not all roses are garden prima donnas! Kit Flynn walks us through numerous options for growing sustainable roses —roses that don’t require spraying or special care.
National Pollinator Awareness week is June 20-26. In this episode we meet some people who are working to expand pollinator habitat and forage
June 20-26 is National Pollinator Week and while honeybees get a lot of attention, Debbie Hamrick of the NC Farm Bureau champions native bees.
National Pollinator Awareness week is June 20-26, 2016. Lise Jenkins shares her family’s beekeeping history and visits the Bayer Bee Care Center.
Adding native plants to your garden can help birds survive and raise their young. Find out why Audubon NC is connecting gardeners with native plant growers.
Green grass can be a thing of beauty but it also means time, resources, and sometimes a lot of work. Charles Murphy explores some strategies for having that ideal lawn here in the Carolinas.
The River Birch, a native tree, is an interesting addition to your landscape. Its unique appearance makes it a focal point in your garden’s design.
Top plant breeder, Dr. Denny Werner of NC State University, explains why patenting and trademarking plants helps spur horticultural innovation. His 30-year research with redbud trees has resulted in exciting introductions to the marketplace.
On April 7-10th the North Carolina Museum of Art will host Art in Bloom. This event brings together floral designers from around our region to interpret the masterworks from the museum’s collection. There are lectures, master classes, workshops, and events the whole family can enjoy. Lise Jenkins gets a behind-the-scenes tour and talks with one of the speakers about the intersection of art and flowers. #NCMAbloom
In our part of North Carolina you find old tobacco barns on the edge of just about any old field. Their design tells a story about our past. Dan Mason explains the architecture of these barns as we tour the tobacco barn in the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden at Duke Gardens in Durham, NC.