Discussion about Chicago Marathon and how tree trimmers can fight gangs in Chicago. Guests: Ryan Richardson of Richardson Farm in Spring Grove, Illinois, home of the world's larges corn maze; Stacey Pfingsten of No Foam Chicago.

Guests: Thom Kraak and Shawn Kingzette from The Care of Trees explain how to decorate your outdoor trees and shrubs without harming them; Mariani Landscape's Marni Wilson offers some tips for great holiday containers; Tom Spaulding of the Illinois Local Food, Farms & Jobs Council talks about the importance of keeping food dollars in Illinois; Mike and producer Heather Frey start a firestorm by suggesting that there is only one way to pronounce the word "Poinsettia."

Guests: CMAP Executive Director Randy Blankenhorn talks about the launch of Go To 2040; Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D. discusses the release of the film Living Downstream, based on her book of the same name, with director Chanda Chevannes; the creation of the Chicago area national wildlife refuge Hackmatack is the mission of Cindy Skrukrud, a member of Friends of Hackmatack.

Guests: Arborist Guy Sternberg, who created Starhill Forest Arboretum in Petersburg, Illinois, talks about his class, "Cemetery Botany," which he taught at The Morton Arboretum on Halloween Day; Jack Darin from the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club and Max Muller from Environment Illinois discuss their respective organizations' endorsements of Illinois candidates in this Tuesday's election; Mike introduces the first installment of "Good Growing," with correspondent Mr. Brown Thumb.

Beth Botts fills in for the vacationing Mike Nowak. Guests: Diane Blazek of All-America Selections and National Garden Bureau; Jim Kleinwachter, head of the Conservation@home program for the Conservation Foundation; garden designer Andrea Green of Gardens by Design in Oak Park.

Guests: Tayler Ulmer, Jose Bhagwandeen and Celeste Campos, winnders of CEDA's "My Backyard Garden: Keeping it Fresh" Contest; Greg Ecsedy from the Bobbex company on critter control in the garden; Lenny "Kaz" Kazlauskas from Artesa Home Visions--a sponsor of the "Ultimate Backyard Makeover" Contest--talks about improving your home's exterior; Mike Nowak Show reporter Leah Pietrusiak visits a farmers market in Beverly.

Guests: Chicago Gardener of the Year Ellen Moderhack and family, representing Franklin Fine Arts Center; Mike Mitchell, executive director of the Illinois Recycling Coalition, talking about America Recycles Day; Kay McKeen of SCARCE previews this Thursday's conference for people and organizations that want to learn about the new Illinois food scrap composting law.

Guests: Ken Haller, former president of the Illinois State Beekeepers Association in a discussion about Colony Collapse Disorder; Steve Reick from the Fertisorb Company, Amy Gulick, photographer for the book Salmon in the Trees: Life in Alaska's Tongass Rain Forest, Rick Moskovitz, President, A-Plus Pest Control, Inc .

Guests: Purple Asparagus founder Melissa Graham talks about the Purple Asparagus Benefit on Sunday, August 29 at Uncommon Ground Restaurant in Edgewater; Rich and Susie Eyre and Rich's mom, Margaret, the Hosta Queen, preview next week's Hosta Happening at Rich's Foxwillow Pines in Woodstock; PLUS we catch New Orleans musicians Shamarr Allen & Paul Sanchez at the airport for a five minute conversation about their new album Bridging the Gap (and then we play as much music from it as we can during the show).

Live Broadcast from Pesche's Garden Center in Des Plaines. Guests: Milo Shammas, Founder & Formulator, Dr. Earth, Inc.; frog monitor Matt Hokanson; Marjorie Hess from Gary Comer Youth Center about CEDA's"My Backyard Garden: 'Keepin It Fresh" contest for students from grades 8 through 12.