Garden America - Gardening Podcast & Talk Radio Show

Diane Blazek is the executive director of the All-America Selections, North America’s oldest independent plant testing organization. Since 1932, the AAS trials the latest varieties at its Trial Grounds where professional horticulturists judge and select winners based on garden performance.

Tiger talks to Diane about the AAS Winners that were introduced for the 2023 garden season new plants program and how plants are introduced to the market.

The network of nearly 200 dedicated AAS gardens includes 55 locations that have served for 25 years or longer. The earliest AAS Display Garden, Norseco, Inc. of Quebec Canada became an AAS garden in 1962. CLICK HERE to find the nearest garden to you.

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Family-owned and operated since 1972, City Farmers Nursery in San Diego specializes in organic gardening products, American-made items for the home and yard, and free advice. It is an organically maintained nursery offering a full line of organic seeds, vegetables, rare fruit trees, water-conserving plants, and alternative growing media such as hydroponics (growing plants without soil), vermiculture (using worms for growing plants), aquaculture (growing plants in water) and pond growing.

Join us as we talk with the current owner, Sam Tall about a business that is more than just a nursery, City Farmers is a wonderful day-trip location with its fun, child-friendly farm animal menagerie -- goats, turkeys, chickens, ducks, turtles, fish, a puppy, and a parrot -- play area, beautiful rose area, and bonsai and bamboo sitting area.

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CharGuy Enterprises was founded by father and son, Guy and Charlie Dupont, garden enthusiasts and small business owners. Whether they were pulling weeds, mulching, or planting, Guy and Charlie always seemed to walk away with a few scratches, cuts, and/or rashes up and down their arms. That is when they came up with the idea for the long-sleeve gardening glove.

The gloves are designed to not only protect one’s hands, wrists and arms, but to be comfortable as well for those long days of yard work. Guy and Charlie believe their gloves are helpful for all who work in the garden. They are also expanding into related products like knee pads, aprons, tool sets and more.

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Fireflies are one of nature’s genuine wonders, but they need our protection now. Across the United States and worldwide, rapid and large-scale changes to our lands and watersheds mean fireflies are losing the habitats they once knew.

Gardeners often don’t realize gardens make for great firefly habitats, helping to replace lost natural habitats. The trick is to make your garden as inviting as possible for fireflies to take up residence. Gardens are meccas for food fireflies eat. If you have fought off snails, slugs, various insects, and worms then fireflies can lend a hand by helping to control these pests.

Today’s guest, researcher, and naturalist, Benjamin Pfeiffer of firefly.org, has been studying fireflies for decades and recently designed a self-guided program for conservationists of all experience levels.

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Ed Beaulieuis known as the “Pond Professor” and is a talent on National Geographic’s “Pond Star”. For more than a decade, Ed has successfully built hundreds of custom-designed ponds from small backyard water gardens to large lakes and commercial water features. He holds a B.S. in Zoology and concentrated his master’s studies in Marine Biology. He invented water systems including: Pondless® Waterfall, Aquascape Rainwater Harvesting System, IonGen System G2 and Smart Control Products.

In recent years, Ed has designed and served as project manager for Aquascape Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Ghana, Uganda, and Colombia. In 2013 he was the first pond designer and installer to receive the “Watershaper of the Year” award by Irrigation and Green Industry News.​

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In Tropical Plants and How to Love Them: Building a Relationship with Heat-Loving Plants When You Don't Live In The Tropics - Angel’s Trumpets – ... – Gingers – Hibiscus – Canna Lilies and More!, Marianne Willburn shows the world of tropical plants through the lens of human relationships. Whether it's a "friend with benefits" or a "summer romance", readers will learn how to fall in love with tropical plants.

She's a regular contributor to Better Homes and Gardens, The American Gardener, and other national gardening magazines, Marianne has also been a weekly newspaper columnist for over a decade and is the recipient of several Gold and Silver Media Awards from Garden Communicators International (formerly GWA). For more information visit MarianneWillburn.com.

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Nick Davis is a grape and almond farmer in California’s Central Valley. His Instagram account focuses on sharing the real story of what farming life is like.

Nick comes from a family farm and is well aware of the blood, sweat and tears that go into growing crops for the world market. His grape harvest goes into wine, juice and table grapes.

Almond growers have come under criticism recently, but California produces about 80% of the world almond crop. Aside from food production, the almonds are becoming more popular for products like almond milk and other purées.

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For 150 years, San Diego has been a fruit-growing paradise! Citrus, avocados, stone fruits, apples, figs, berries, and exotic fruits thrive in our perfect climate and in small spaces. Learn the secrets to success. John Clements has been a horticultural professional for 45 years.

He’s a former nursery owner, gardener to the rich and famous, horticulturalist, commercial fruit tree farmer, garden writer, agricultural historian, administrator of the San Diego Gardener Facebook group, and Horticulture Manager at the 37-acre San Diego Botanic Garden. Today, John joins us in studio!

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Craig Madden's Yard to Table Creations is a company dedicated to both food and gardening. They can build, maintain and harvest your garden along with providing in-house culinary services to help you maximize your garden harvest. Craig's venture combines the joy of a vegetable garden with the know-how of a seasoned chef who can help you turn your garden into delicious meals. He believes that experiencing food from seed to plate is the ultimate way to share a positive food experience with your family and aims to facilitate this lifestyle into as many homes, schools and businesses as possible.

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We're here to answer all of your gardening questions today!

The nation’s top gardening radio show and authority for home gardening tips, tricks, and ideas. Garden America explores the science and culture that yield true growing experiences for beginners and experts. Join us as we broadcast live on Saturdays!

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