The Garden Question

Lisa Bartlett is the Garden Manager for Smith-Gilbert Gardens.

She is responsible the over 4,000 species collection of plants.

This collection ranges from rare herbaceous perennials to rare and unusual trees.

The largest collections of Bonsai in the Southeast are also held at the gardens.

Lisa created the award-winning Butterfly Exhibit at Smith-Gilbert Gardens and follow up with the first Crevice Garden in Georgia.

Lisa has also served on the board of The American Hydrangea Society. One of her current projects is developing what she hopes to be a Nationally recognized collection of Hydrangea.

She also hosted a gardening radio show, called Green and Grow. 

Before her passion for plants Lisa was a talent agent for stand-up comedians.

Jeff Foxworthy was once one of her clients!

The Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival

For decades Eric King has been designing award-winning landscapes that work with nature and encourage people to be outside.

He is a landscape architect and co-owner of the residential design + build firm King Landscaping serving the Atlanta area.

He often appears on local and national garden shows and is a noted contributor for a variety of online and print media.

King earned a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from The University of Georgia and an MBA from Georgia State University.

He is the founder of The Landscape Design Program at Emory Continuing Education Center.

This is an encore presentation and a remix of episode 027.

Finding the right plant combinations can minimize diseases, reduce pest, improve soil fertility and support pollinators.

Using science back methods will reward your garden decisions.

For 15 years horticulturist Jessica Walliser co-hosted The Organic Gardeners, an award-winning program on KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,

She is the Editorial Director for The Quarto Publishing Group’s Garden imprint, Cool Springs Press, and a former contributing editor for Organic Gardening magazine.

Jessica is the author of seven gardening books, including the Amazon best-seller 

·      Good Bug, Bad Bug: Who’s Who, What They Do, and How to Manage Them Organically

·      Plant Partners: Science-based Companion Planting Strategies for the Vegetable Garden, which earned a prestigious 2021 American Horticultural Society Book Award

·      Attracting Beneficial Bugs to the Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control, which was awarded the American Horticultural Society's 2014 Book Award. It has recently been released as an updated 2nd edition.

For over twelve years Jessica wrote two weekly gardening columns for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

She is also co-founder of the popular gardening website SavvyGardening.com.

Jessica received her degree in ornamental horticulture from The Pennsylvania State University and is the former owner of a 25-acre organic market farm.

She’s taught a diverse array of gardening topics for over 25 years.

Jessica lives and gardens northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband and son, two cats, two hermit crabs, and billions and billions of very good bugs.

This is episode 110 - Companion Planting for Success – Jessica Walliser This is a remix and an encore presentation of episode 050.

A remix and an encore presentation of episode 050.

If you have turf grass it can be frustrating? 

In this episode we talk with Dr. Clint Waltz about solutions to your frustrations.

We also look into research practices and efforts in lowering the inputs needed for successful turf grass.

How turf grass ecoservices brings good things to our environment.

We also talk about the benefits and hurdles to auto mowing.

Dr. Waltz has state-wide responsibilities in all areas of turfgrass management, including turfgrass water use and conservation.  

Clint is published in scientific journals and makes regular contributions to the newsletters of the State’s trade associations.  Furthermore, he makes numerous presentations to a range of turfgrass professionals, county extension agents and homeowner groups.

UGA Turfgrass Field Day

Tara Dillard is a nationally recognized garden designer, author, and speaker. She has hosted her own CBS television program, The Better Gardening Show.

After earning degrees in engineering and horticulture she began designing and installing low-maintenance organic landscape . Her designs emphasis the balance between home, garden, and life.

An award-winning author of 5 books, including Garden Paths and Stepping Stones, Beautiful by Design, and The Garden View.

Tara writes a newspaper column; magazine articles and maintains a popular blog on her website: Tara Dillard.com

Based in Atlanta, GA, she lectures nationally, spreading the message that creating a beautiful landscape will create a beautiful life.

Brooks Garcia is fulfilling his dream in the Northeast Georgia Mountains.

The sun awakens him every day to his new adventure at Villa del Sole. A Tuscan style home and garden complete with long vistas to far mountain ridges.

He designed and built his Georgia version of a Tuscan style home complete with a clay tile roof and a wood burning fireplace.

When the sun slips behind the ridge Brooks celebrates another fulfilling day building his garden with a swimming pool soak.

In our conversation Brooks reveals the key to unlocking Georgia’s red clay soils and growing flourishing healthy plants in your garden.

Designing and building his “last great garden”. He talks about his favorite plants and how to use them in garden design. Some you won’t believe.

He shares his hands in the dirt experiences building award winning gardens at the Chelsey Flower Show, the Southeastern Flower Show, and the Foxhall Flower Show.

Brooks worked for Ryan Gainey as his personal assistant where he helped create many outstanding gardens in Atlanta, Long Island and abroad in France.

For 25 years Brooks created gardens for his fellow Atlantans through his company Fine Gardens.

Brooks attended the Lovett School and upon graduation went on to the University of Georgia earning his BLA in Landscape Architecture.

Brooks has given his time restoring historical Old Clarkesville Cemetery, Hills and Dales in LaGrange and Historic Oakland Cemetery.

This is Episode 107 - From the Soil Up  with Brooks Garcia on the Garden Question Podcast. A remix and an encore presentation of episode 011.

How much fun would it be to walk out on your balcony and grab a handful of fresh strawberries and pop them in your mouth?

Kristen Pullen will tell us exactly how in today’s episode.

We will also discover how to successfully grow strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry right in your own patio containers.

There are even more possibilities for your own eatable landscape.  

Kristen completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology at Rider University.

After college, she took an internship position at Longwood Gardens in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

The internship focused on all research aspects of the public garden from tissue culture to new plant evaluation and selection.

Currently She is the Woody Ornamental Portfolio Manager at Star® Roses and Plants. Her responsibilities include coordinating the development, launch, and market evaluation of all new trees, shrubs, and edible plants.

Kristen also manages the Bushel and Berry® Brand that provides both edible and ornamental uses for the home garden.

You’ll never want to leave a Susanne Hudson designed garden. Each garden room is an invitation to relax and enjoy again.

Susanne has been designing homes and gardens for over 40 years. She believes your home is for living and enjoying every day.

Her personal garden has been featured in Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living, HGTV, This Old House, New Zealand’s Lifestyle Book and more.

She shares her garden with guest each year during the Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival Garden tour.

Designing amazing twist with antique and vintage objects is one of her design signatures. 

In this episode we will talk with Landscape Architect Bruce Holliday about his landscape design philosophy and how you can enhance your property’s value.

Bruce has seen just about everything in his many years as a Landscape Architect where he has designed and installed landscape plant material, hardscapes, lighting, and irrigation for residential and commercial projects.

At Pike Family Nurseries he supervised 12 landscape designers that produced more than 2,500 landscape plans annually as Director of the Pike Design Group.

You will probably remember Bruce’s distinct voice from his appearances on “The Lawn and Garden Show with Walter Reeves” Saturday mornings on Atlanta’s WSB radio.

Bruce earned his landscape architecture degree from the University of Georgia.  

I’m excited for you to hear his can’t miss strategies that add value every time they’re applied.

This episode 104– Decrease Maintenance and Increase Value in Your Landscape

with Bruce Holliday on “The Garden Question” Podcast. This is a remix of episode 034.

Dewayne Gallatin earned his nickname “King of Containers” while overseeing The Sibley Horticultural Center at Callaway Gardens.

His primary horticultural focus today is managing and developing future projects for private gardens and estates.

A close friend once suggested he enter a container gardening contest that ended up attracting over 1,000 entries. Little did he know a whole TV episode on PBS’s “The Southern Gardener” would be produced around his winning entry.

He earned Horticulture Associates Degrees in Landscape Design, Ornamental Production, and Commercial Turf Management from ABAC Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

He followed up those studies with internships at Chicago Botanic Garden and Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania.

This is a remix of episode 028.

Website: TheGardenQuestion.com

It’s spring and you’re probably deciding which plants to plant in your garden. Would a list of annual and perennial plants bugs don’t bother be helpful to you.

Jason Reeves has curated a plant list of 57 annual and perennials plants that’re not on your bugs menu. Go to today’s episode page on the Garden Question Podcast and download the list.

You will also receive the Good to Know Newsletter with the list as a bonus.

Go now and get the list.