Send us Fan Mail

 This week on In the Garden with UC Master Gardeners, UC Master Gardener host Katrina Kirkeby talks to MG Teena Spindler and will discuss what it takes to grow in containers. This is a perfect topic for those of us who live in densely populated areas with just a patio to grow on.  From buckets to toilets to feed troughs to kettle grills to cowboy boots to baby shoes - anything with holes for drainage can work for planting. Edibles, succulents, fruit trees, anything grows in containers.  You’ll learn about container projects like Salsa Pots and Bruschetta Pots as well as any other fill-in-the-blank food-themed container garden that suits your fancy! 

Send us Fan Mail

 On “July in the Garden” Master Gardeners Teena Spindler and Katrina Kirkeby are at it again to tell our listening public about what to do this month.  The heat is expected for the next two months so, control of the water is the key.  Manage your sprinkler system.  Make sure the water soaks deep enough into the soil.  If changing from a hose or an overhead sprinkler watering system to a drip system method, you will be surprised how much longer a drip system needs to run in comparison!  Consider planting a second round of summer crops.   The episode discusses gardening in shade as well as care of turf during the summer months. Have fun gardening in July. 

Send us Fan Mail

School’s out for the Summer! Join us for another edition of  In the Garden with UC Master Gardeners.  Teena and Katrina from “This Month in the Garden” episodes have gotten together again to let our listeners know some special garden projects that the kids will love during summer break. Teena teaches you all the techniques needed to keep a kid’s attention. One example is Bucket Gardening where each child gets their own bucket and everything they need to grow something. And then eventually (and hopefully) EAT IT! How about making SEED BOMBS or Bean tepees? Learn everything you need to know to keep your kids or grandkids busy and outdoors this summer. 

Send us Fan Mail

It’s time for the monthly show focused on the highlights of the coming month. What to pay attention to, what flowers this time of year, and everything else. Master Gardeners Teena and Katrina share their experiences from their own gardens right now. It’s June on “This Month In The Garden with UC Master Gardeners”. One striking element Orange County listeners might pick up on is the distinct differences in flower blooming times between a garden that is 5 miles as compared to another garden 20 miles away FROM THE COAST!  For our worldwide listeners, this also holds true as things bloom at different times in different climatic zones.  In this episode, you'll learn how to plant a Bougainvillea, divide your Bearded Irises, and braid your onions. Experiment with growing edibles ANYWHERE!  Hear what long-time gardeners experience over the years when their gardens are forever changing! Let our hosts prepare you for everything JUNE! 

Send us Fan Mail

This week on “In the Garden with UC Master Gardeners”, Master Gardener host Katrina interviews fellow host Teena. The topic is “The Kitchen Garden - California Style” with an emphasis on Southern California and zeroing in on Orange County of course!  Learn about California cuisine and how to grow it! These two lovely ladies will provide a lively, and tasty, dialogue describing how you can enjoy growing your own fresh ingredients around the home. Start with perennial herbs. Rosemary, thyme, chives, and oregano. These are herbs you might use all the time depending on your taste and what you like to cook. Teena and Katrina have Southern California gardening and cooking down pat. You don’t need a lot of space. Fruit trees come in dwarf varieties. Citrus trees are so nice to have on hand for brightening up a simple fish or chicken dish. Teena starts with the simplest plan for your Southern California Kitchen Garden so if you are new to gardening, this show is for you.  And you’ll find ideas regardless of where you live.  

Send us Fan Mail

UC Master Gardeners Sally and Kris have prepared a show that’ll take you across the Atlantic Ocean to the birthplace of the English Garden. “Lessons Learned from English Gardens” is the topic. We have “formal” gardens as you can imagine in a Royal palace and you can have “informal” gardens that are also referred to as “Cottage Gardens”. The latter is one of the most prevalent types of design since Elizabethan times and typically very English. Sally and Kris toured many gardens in England and learned how very adaptable the English gardening techniques can be for local California gardens. They will compare notes and pass them along to you. Grab your crumpets and tea and sit down for an hour’s worth of international gardening tips you can put to use right now.   

Send us Fan Mail

 This week on “In the Garden with UC Master Gardeners”, you are in for a real listening treat! UC Master Gardener and show host Teena Spindler devotes the entire hour to the “Joy of Blooming Perennials.” Her guest is Horticultural Consultant and “The Plantsman,” Nicholas Staddon. He is an expert in new varieties of nursery plant material available in Southern California. And “spokesperson” he truly is! In his infectiously witty British way, he will tell you what is so joyful about growing the one category of plants that will bring you color and texture to your garden year after year without replanting. That is the nature of perennials versus annuals and biennials. This show continues with creating beauty in your garden as recent shows have spotlighted. Tune in for a joyful experience! 

Send us Fan Mail

This week on “In the Garden with UC Master Gardeners”, we bring you the monthly tips and tricks and what-to-look-for’s in a show we call “This Month In The Garden”. It’s May already, and it’s the time of year to see new crops growing in the warming soil.  Are you planning a family and/or friend soiree during the spring or summer?  We’ll talk about preparing your outdoor space.  Our Master Gardener hosts Teena Spindler and Katrina Kirkeby suggest some different flowers, perennials, vines, and food crops to consider this month.  They even talk about cherries because tis’ the season?  And of course, they’ll discuss all the garden tasks to stay on top of during May.  

Send us Fan Mail

So you don’t have a big garden footprint.  No space to build and plant a box big enough to be worthwhile?  Well, think vertically!  This week on In the Garden with UC Master Gardeners, our Master Gardener hosts Katrina Kirkeby and Teena Spindler discuss all the possibilities to get plantings to grow in a very small space.  Get strawberries off the ground away from those slugs! Cover your fence with pots secured with zip ties! Flowers, herbs, edibles, succulents … just about anything short of trees, of course, can work.  Do’s and don’ts and how-to’s galore!  Tune in and grow up!

Send us Fan Mail

 A showcase garden is designed to be both beautiful and purposeful — a space that draws people in, highlights plants at their best, and creates year-round interest. Whether your garden is large or small, learn how to transform it into a standout landscape. On this episode of “In the Garden with UC Master Gardeners”, our topic is How to Make a Showcase Garden!  Two University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners Teena Spindler and Kay Havens discuss how to get your garden show ready! Teena and Kay are two of the premier Master Gardeners who design outdoor spaces.  Learn about some easy steps to get your beautiful garden ready to show as gardens are never truly finished.  A showcase garden develops character over time and becomes a reflection of the gardener’s creativity and care.