All Things Gardening Podcast

By Mary Williams Engisch, Charlie Nardozzi

What's All Things Gardening Podcast about?

Each week, Charlie Nardozzi joins Vermont Public’s Mary Engisch for a conversation about gardening, and to answer your questions about what you're seeing in the natural world.

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All Things Gardening Podcast episodes:

04.14.2024
As climate change brings more frequent rain events, these plants fare well in wetter areas
With bigger and more frequent rain events brought on by human-caused climate change, you can either raise up your garden or try planting things that thrive in wetter conditions.
04.07.2024
For a new twist on spring greens, cultivate rapini and sorrel
Spring greens can add brightness and flavor to your meals. Forage for some wintercress or dandelions or cultivate new types, like rapini and upland cress.
03.31.2024
No-till gardening keeps helpful microbes in your soil for fewer weeds and healthier plants
Instead of traditional tilling, or turning of the soil to prepare it for spring planting, the "no-dig" method is just that. No digging keeps the billions of helpful microbes intact in the soil. It could lead to fewer weeds and...
03.24.2024
Prune hydrangea with confidence using these handy tips
When and how to prune hydrangeas can really help set up the plant for better blooms.
03.17.2024
Try planting strawberries, clover and saponaria as ground covers to attract and benefit pollinators
Planting a pollinator garden is a great addition to a yard, but if you're low on space, consider replacing grass with these ground covers that are just as attractive and beneficial to pollinators.
03.10.2024
Snap out of it! Pea planting weather is just around the corner
Peas aren't just green anymore! Pea plants come in three types: snap, snow and shelling. And some varieties grow in yellow and purple shades. Find a new, colorful favorite to plant in your gardens and raised beds.
03.03.2024
Plant perennials like heuchera that pack a punch of color in their leaves
Heuchera or coral bells are perennials in the evergreen family and come in many flower colors — but it's the pink, purple, and yellow foliage that packs the maximum color punch.
02.25.2024
Purple through and through: A new GMO tomato that home gardeners can grow
"Purple" is a new tomato from the Norfolk Plant Science group in England that has genes from a purple snapdragon flower. That modification gives the tomato its deep purple hue through and through, plus packs in more antioxidants.
02.18.2024
You're a Libra? Here's a rose! Astrological signs and their matching flowers
All Things Gardening discusses a recent National Garden Bureau article that pairs Zodiac signs with the plants and flowers that complement them best. Plus, a potting soil solution for dryness.
02.11.2024
Single stemmed and super tall, the vibrant blossoms of zinnia flowers are an irresistible pollinator magnet
Zinnias are annual flowers that bloom reliably from mid-summer to frost, are pollinator and butterfly magnets, make great cut flowers and are easy to grow.
02.04.2024
A gardening dispatch from India
Charlie Nardozzi is traveling in India and visiting a local garden center there. Nardozzi noticed several plants, flowers and veggies that grow well in Vermont, too.
02.04.2024
A gardening dispatch from India
Charlie Nardozzi is traveling in India and visiting a local garden center there. Nardozzi noticed several plants, flowers and veggies that grow well in Vermont, too.
01.28.2024
Houseplant Rx: stinky soil, wilted orchids and out-of-control greenery
Houseplants add color and act as sponges, soaking up carbon dioxide while adding oxygen. Still, there are a range of issues that can befall plant owners trying to keep certain houseplants thriving.
01.21.2024
With a boot tray, soil and seeds, get growing this winter by planting microgreens
While getting your hands into the warm soil is months off, you can grow small crops of microgreens indoors! These small batches of tender veggie shoots are great additions to salads, soups and smoothies.
01.14.2024
Same easy-care house plants; new vibrant colors and patterns
Common favorite houseplants like philodendrons and rubber trees come in varying colors, shapes and sizes.
01.07.2024
From 6-pound tomatoes to 80-pound squash, seed catalogs offer a myriad of new veggie plants to grow
While the winter chill draws you indoors and you're dreaming of spring and summer gardening, leaf through seed catalogs (virtually or in-hand). Many local and regional seed companies offer heirloom and hardy vegetable plants in hundreds of varieties.
12.24.2023
Next spring, plant a 'holiday berry patch' with white, red and purple berries
A small patch of colorful, ornamental berry bushes could elevate your holiday decorating game next year.
12.17.2023
Collect branches and boughs to create custom holiday decor
If you have large outdoor planters or containers, try filling them with cut branches, berry twigs and needled evergreen boughs for rustic, natural holiday decorations this season.
12.10.2023
Pining for a different holiday tree this year? Branch out and go live (then replant it in your yard!)
A living tree can make a fun centerpiece for your holiday celebrations! Choose from lots of different needle-bearing live trees from your local nursery. Each year, you can decorate indoors, then replant outdoors.
12.03.2023
It's the leaves — not petals — of the nochebuena (aka poinsettia) that add that holiday color
From tropical climes to your Northeast table setting, the poinsettia is a great indoor house plant. Its leaves, called bracts, look like flower petals. And its those vibrant leaves that attract pollinators in its natural environment. Once potted up in...
11.26.2023
Get roses, rhododendrons wrapped up for winter now before the ground freezes
Broadleaf evergreen shrubs — like roses, lavender and thyme — need protection from cold temperatures, snow and wind. Learn how to create a barrier from winter weather, using natural materials like hay and wood chips along with stakes, wire and...
11.19.2023
To overwinter dahlias, dig up the tubers and stash them in a shoebox
Dahlia blooms grow well in Vermont's climate, but they are too delicate to overwinter in the ground. Now is the time to dig them up and get them cozy for a long winter's nap so you can plant them again...
11.12.2023
Can the wooly bear caterpillar predict the weather?
The tiger moth caterpillar, with its black- and rust-colored bands, has long been thought to be a predictor of upcoming winter weather. More likely, the coloring on these caterpillars shows what the previous months' weather and conditions were like.
11.05.2023
For cheery daffodils, scilla and crocus next spring, plant flowering bulbs now
The warmer temperatures that lingered into early fall means you still have time to get digging in the soil before it freezes. Use this opportunity to plant flowering bulbs soon for a big reward next spring!
10.29.2023
Tender annuals, like geraniums, need to overwinter before cold weather hits
Got begonias, fuschia and geraniums still growing in containers on your back porch? Now is the time to bring these tender annuals indoors to overwinter.
10.22.2023
Get tickled pink (or blue and green) by pastel pumpkins when decorating for fall
Color outside of the lines when it comes to fall decorations this season. Instead of just traditional orange pumpkins and yellow hardy mums, get inspired by some of the pastel-colored blue and pink pumpkins, winter squash and gourds then pair...
10.15.2023
Plant low-growing fescue and sedge for ornamental grasses that thrive in multiple conditions
Planting some low-growing grasses can add movement and color to your yard and garden. These plants can also be planted in places where you might have traditionally chosen to lay down a layer of mulch.
10.08.2023
Self-seeding veggie plants can provide a free crop next year
Certain vegetable plants, if left to bolt or go to seed, will self-sow and grow again next spring. You won't have to buy new seed and replant, which saves money. Plus, by letting the plants self-sow and regrow naturally, you're...
10.01.2023
Blue, pink, white or bronze; how to dry hydrangea blossoms
This flower's name contains a clue to what kind of growing conditions it likes: hydrangeas love water! And this summer's wetter weather really made these bushes blossom and bloom. Right now, blue, pink and white hydrangeas are really thriving. Enjoy...
09.24.2023
Late bloomers like persimmon dodged the May frost and are nearly ready to harvest
Tropical fruits like persimmon and paw paw (a fruit in the cherimoya family) did well in Vermont this year and here's why: because they bloomed later in spring, the late frost didn't affect them. They also did well despite heavy...
09.24.2023
Late bloomers like persimmon dodged the May frost and are nearly ready to harvest
Tropical fruits like persimmon and paw paw (a fruit in the cherimoya family) did well in Vermont this year and here's why: because they bloomed later in spring, the late frost didn't affect them. They also did well despite heavy...
09.17.2023
For berries that provide essential nutrients for migrating birds, plant these two types of bushes
The fruits from certain berry bushes pack a bigger nutrient punch for migrating and over-wintering birds.
09.10.2023
Learn to identify invasive jumping worms and remove them from your garden soil
Invasive jumping worms are in all parts of Vermont except for Essex and Orleans counties, according to Vermont Invasives. These earth worms can cause trouble because of their excessive consumption of organic matter that adversely affects biodiversity.
09.03.2023
Showy and delicious, plant this edible flowering vine for late summer color
Choose an annual or perennial flowering vine to add color to your late summer and early fall gardens. Some will bloom right up until frost.
08.27.2023
Support pollinators with milkweed types, like 'whorled,' 'swamp' and 'purple'
Common milkweed is great for attracting pollinators and especially monarch butterflies. The plants can take over a small space quickly so try some less-aggressive milkweed types that can grow in a variety of soils.
08.20.2023
Plant green, flowering ground cover for a mowable, pollinator-friendly lawn
If, earlier this year, you took "no-mow May" to heart and left a portion of your lawn unmowed for bees, beetles and butterflies, you can take it a step further now! A University of Minneapolis "bee lab" studied the kinds...
08.13.2023
Some low-key, late summer flowers that pollinators cannot resist
Late summer blooms like phlox and hydrangea can steal the show with their big blossoms and color. Still, it's a native perennial called helenium that really brings the bees and birds to the yard.
08.06.2023
A fall harvest awaits Vermont gardeners who can replant certain crops now
Many Vermont home gardeners might have experienced flooding. If they can, now is an optimal time for home gardeners to replant for a small harvest in September and even into October.
07.30.2023
These freckled flowers add height, color and fragrance to your gardens
Lily varieties like Tiger, Martagon and Trumpet can add height and color to your gardens and borders. Some types grow to six feet tall and bring heady fragrance, too.
07.23.2023
After recent Vermont flooding, the daylily blooms
Hemerocallis or more commonly known as the daylily often comes in bright yellow and orange. The tall flowers sprout up easily and keep growing in all kinds of challenging conditions, like the recent Vermont floods.
07.16.2023
After historic Vt. flooding, toss any edible garden veggies touched by or under floodwaters
After flood waters recede, home and market gardens can take stock of their gardens and crops and determine what can be saved and how to remediate the soil now for next spring.
07.09.2023
If you're itching to get rid of poison ivy in your yard, wait! This Vermont native has its good side.
Sure, poison ivy causes itchy, red welts on 90% of people who touch its leaves or stems. This native plant also serves as food for birds and insects and even helps in high winds.
07.02.2023
How to keep slugs from turning your garden into a salad bar
Slugs chewing on your lettuces and flower leaves? When the plants grow bigger and the wetter weather moves out, they will, too. In the meantime, try a couple of natural methods to deter them.
06.25.2023
Learn the '3-year rotational' and prune lilacs & other flowering shrubs like a pro
Pruning certain flowering shrubs in early July is key to them blooming again next spring.
06.18.2023
How to ensure the gardening benefits of this creepy critter outweigh the drawbacks.
The good news: these fierce-looking insects do not climb in through your ear, burrow into your brain and lay eggs. They can, however, keep certain garden pests at bay.
06.11.2023
Try these heirloom zucchini varieties that hold up great in a baked dish
Known as a vegetable that grows well and very fast during Vermont summers, zucchini is a great addition to home gardens. This year, plant varieties that a bit different and can grow well in a garden or a container.
06.04.2023
For colorful flowering perennials, try growing 'butterscotch' & 'cherries jubilee'
Flowering perennials like hardy baptisia and amsonia can bring color to your landscape for many different seasons.
05.28.2023
Tips for home gardeners who lost flowers and plants in the late May frost.
Some parts of Vermont saw temps in the 20s during the overnight hours this month. While many apple orchards, vineyards and berry farms lost crops and income, home gardeners also had fruit trees and newly planted veggies get zapped by...
05.21.2023
If your tulips and daffodils didn't bloom, try some bulb forensics to find out why
Sometimes when flowering bulbs like daffodils and tulips don't bloom, the answer is underground. By digging up the bulbs and noting their characteristics, you can solve the problem for next year.
05.07.2023
Ornamental grasses add movement, height and color to your gardens
From blue-green blades low to the ground and mounding like spiky hairdos to eight-foot-tall, feathery quills swaying in the breeze, find ornamental grasses to add to your gardens.

What's All Things Gardening Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

All Things Gardening Podcast episodes:

As climate change brings more frequent rain events, these plants fare well in wetter areas

For a new twist on spring greens, cultivate rapini and sorrel

No-till gardening keeps helpful microbes in your soil for fewer weeds and healthier plants

Prune hydrangea with confidence using these handy tips

Try planting strawberries, clover and saponaria as ground covers to attract and benefit pollinators

Snap out of it! Pea planting weather is just around the corner

Plant perennials like heuchera that pack a punch of color in their leaves

Purple through and through: A new GMO tomato that home gardeners can grow

You're a Libra? Here's a rose! Astrological signs and their matching flowers

Single stemmed and super tall, the vibrant blossoms of zinnia flowers are an irresistible pollinator magnet

A gardening dispatch from India

A gardening dispatch from India

Houseplant Rx: stinky soil, wilted orchids and out-of-control greenery

With a boot tray, soil and seeds, get growing this winter by planting microgreens

Same easy-care house plants; new vibrant colors and patterns

From 6-pound tomatoes to 80-pound squash, seed catalogs offer a myriad of new veggie plants to grow

Next spring, plant a 'holiday berry patch' with white, red and purple berries

Collect branches and boughs to create custom holiday decor

Pining for a different holiday tree this year? Branch out and go live (then replant it in your yard!)

It's the leaves — not petals — of the nochebuena (aka poinsettia) that add that holiday color

Get roses, rhododendrons wrapped up for winter now before the ground freezes

To overwinter dahlias, dig up the tubers and stash them in a shoebox

Can the wooly bear caterpillar predict the weather?

For cheery daffodils, scilla and crocus next spring, plant flowering bulbs now

Tender annuals, like geraniums, need to overwinter before cold weather hits

Get tickled pink (or blue and green) by pastel pumpkins when decorating for fall

Plant low-growing fescue and sedge for ornamental grasses that thrive in multiple conditions

Self-seeding veggie plants can provide a free crop next year

Blue, pink, white or bronze; how to dry hydrangea blossoms

Late bloomers like persimmon dodged the May frost and are nearly ready to harvest

Late bloomers like persimmon dodged the May frost and are nearly ready to harvest

For berries that provide essential nutrients for migrating birds, plant these two types of bushes

Learn to identify invasive jumping worms and remove them from your garden soil

Showy and delicious, plant this edible flowering vine for late summer color

Support pollinators with milkweed types, like 'whorled,' 'swamp' and 'purple'

Plant green, flowering ground cover for a mowable, pollinator-friendly lawn

Some low-key, late summer flowers that pollinators cannot resist

A fall harvest awaits Vermont gardeners who can replant certain crops now

These freckled flowers add height, color and fragrance to your gardens

After recent Vermont flooding, the daylily blooms

After historic Vt. flooding, toss any edible garden veggies touched by or under floodwaters

If you're itching to get rid of poison ivy in your yard, wait! This Vermont native has its good side.

How to keep slugs from turning your garden into a salad bar

Learn the '3-year rotational' and prune lilacs & other flowering shrubs like a pro

How to ensure the gardening benefits of this creepy critter outweigh the drawbacks.

Try these heirloom zucchini varieties that hold up great in a baked dish

For colorful flowering perennials, try growing 'butterscotch' & 'cherries jubilee'

Tips for home gardeners who lost flowers and plants in the late May frost.

If your tulips and daffodils didn't bloom, try some bulb forensics to find out why

Ornamental grasses add movement, height and color to your gardens