This week I visit Dean Norton, Director of Horticulture at George Washington's Mount Vernon (@ 5:47) and recommend Andrea Wulf's 'Founding Gardeners' in The Play List. The Plant of the Week really has nothing at all to do with the General, I cannot tell a lie, but it is a versatile and useful plant that I am propagating the heck out of these days, in order to improve my garden once the dog days wane. 

The Dahlia is the showy strumpet of the late season border, and she is a high maintenance diva that is so attractive she is worth all of the effort. We learn the ins and outs of growing the Dahlia from spring planting to lifting and dividing. Did you know that there are 17 different flower forms? Other topics include English Ivy and how I loathe it, late season pruning on low and crazy branches, and a podcast named "Tiny Vampires". 

Traveling Garden Correspondent Leslie Harris is in hot and humid Hilton Head, South Carolina, picking apart why her mother-in-law's garden looks so darned good right now. Garden writer Scott Beuerlein of Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Horticulture Magazine and Garden Rant fame joins me on some other August ideas. Fall is coming, but let us indulge in a bit of self-pity, day dreaming, and plagiarism while we wait for it. 

I follow through on last week's threat of choosing the plant species named after a venereal disease as the Plant of the Week (Lobelia siphilitica) and Bunny Williams and I chat about gardens, garden design, HER garden, which is spectacular, and her garden book, On Garden Style at 5:55. The Play List includes info on spider mites, flagging annuals, and the possibility of an organic lawn. 

When in Maine... you go see the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and chat with Andy Brand (5:17) about how wonderful they are! The Plant of the Week is a the state flower of Maine, but here's the catch: it's not a flower. The Play List includes some timely veg transplant and seed starting information, none of which I will take advantage of, but you can! And Rusty Gear, who provides my into music, has another album out. Must hear!

Mountain Mint is a total winner-- edible native deer resistant pollinator that performs as well in sun as in shade. And edible ornamentals are the expertise of Brie the Plant Lady, who tells us all about foodscaping at 5:48. The Play List (25:12) talks about tomato pruning, the difference between purslane and spurge, and the Temptations, and I,  Wish it Would Rain.

The Plant of the week is another native, and a classic stalwart in the summer border, the Phlox paniculata. I chat with sister Sue Ann  at 5:34 about how to get your garden ready to party, and give you a few garden chores in The Play List at 26:18, and I recommend 99% Invisible, which is a captivating podcast based on design, architecture, culture and history. 

The Plant of the Week is the coneflower-- a great American native that blooms for months in summer. We chat with Steph Green of Contained Creations (7:13) about having gorgeous containers, and turn to pests in the garden (32:45) and whatever can we do about bunnies and Japanese beetles? 

Plant of the Week is Persicaria (00:40); good info from recent gardening podcasts such at ticks from Tom Christopher's Growing Greener (5:02), Nature and Gardening from Margaret Roach's A Way to Garden (9:49); and the Joe Gardener Show's discussion National Gardening Association's Annual Survey (14:18). I also touch on why we use Latin in gardening and some timely gardening tips. Into the Garden with Leslie is now available on Podchaser. S95v0UUWGdYdRxLsnKb2

Icky things (a worm and a snake) I posted on Instagram; Plant of the Week is Monarda, and the interview (at 7:21 is with Christy Wilhelmi of Gardenerd Tip of the Week podcast and website. Christy is a California small space organic gardening guru! The Play List (26:15) includes questions on ivy on trees, Magnolia leaves, and lots of information on proper watering techniques. And what to listen to? Christy's Gardenerd Tip of the Week Pod, of course!