Ken Druse REAL DIRT

Ken and Vicki shoot the breeze...Ken can hardly speak about the state of the garden, so Vicki distracts him with more talk of daffodils and wildflowers, and his great success propogating a terrific perennial he wants more of in his garden.

Ken reports on his experience as the Celebrated Plant Expert for the Rare Plant Auction held at Longwood Gardens and Vicki calls in from Nantucket to report on the Daffodil show.

Ken interviews Nicholas Staddon from Monrovia, about some of the new plant introductions...which vicki can't wait to get her hands on! (Please forgive the audio problems in this show; we are working hard to solve the issues.)

Ken and Vicki talk with Eric Johnson, Director of Horticulture at Wayside Gardens about the steps to take when mail order plants arrive.

In this week's show:

We talk about the article Ken wrote for the latest issue (May, 2007) of Horticulture Magazine featuring a marvelous private garden that will become open to the public this year.

Also, Ken teaches us how to make more of our favorite perennials via root cuttings (it's not as tricky as one might think). He also talks about when--and how--to divide some of our favorite perennials we already have in the garden.-

All of this AFTER we both express our frustrations (we do rant a bit) with the New York Times.

This week Ken and Vicki talk with Renee Shepherd,the seeds woman who helped to change what Americans sow--and eat.

Ken shares a tale of woe from the deer damage in his garden and we both rant about box-store nurseries...BUT WAIT...be sure to listen the last segment when we introduce a delightful new plant that we are tempted to name "Fourth of July" cactus.

Ken describes some wonderful gardens he visited on a recent speaking tour.

Are there two gardeners in your household; one passionate about growing vegetables, the other with flowers? There is a handsome, new book packed with information on heirloom plants that will interest both sensibilities.

Be sure to listen to this week's episode of Ken Druse REAL DIRT, and listen to our interview Lynn Coulter, author of Gardening with Heirloom Seeds; Tried-and-True Flowers, Fruits & Vegetables for a New Generation.

In this show Ken talks about the marvelous Tiffany exhibit in NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Also, we have an enjoyable and informative talk with Bill Mills, a garden designer in Charleston, WV.