Have some fun learning about Charlie's summer hat collection with stories about where they are from and why he likes them. stay cool and protected this summer. Wear a hat! Excerpted from Connecticut Public TV's New England Gardening with Charlie Nardozzi...
Learn how to care for your vegetable garden in summer. This video includes information on fertilizing, thinning root crops, and watering your vegetables. For more garden videos, check out the National Gardening Association Transcript Hi I'm Charlie Nardozzi of the National Gardening Association, today I'd like to talk to you about maintaining the vegetable garden. You know we spend a lot of time and energy building the soil and planting seeds and transplants in spring. But often by midsummer we forget about the vegetable garden. We really...
Learn how to grow climbing roses including information on varieties and pruning. Listen to podcast: My mom loves roses, so I recently took her to Elizabeth Park in West Hartford. This is one of the first municipal rose gardens in the country. Started in 1904, it features 15,000 rose bushes and 800 varieties. And it's in full bloom now. One of the features of the Elizabeth Park Rose Garden is the climbing roses on the arches around the gazebo. When in full bloom, it's stunning. No wonder brides want their wedding pictures taken here. It got...
Learn about companion planting, including what plants grow well next to other plants and which to avoid. Listen to Podcast: Gardening is known for its folklore. Some of these old wives tales have some truth to them and others, not so much. I often get asked about companion planting for insect control. Although many say plants such as onions, marigolds and rue can deter pests, scientifically, few of these folklore remedies have been proven. It might happen that you get fewer pests on your tomatoes if onions are growing nearby, but that may...
When I first started gardening the container choices were usually clay or flimsy green plastic pots. A lot has changed. By using containers made from a variety of different materials, you can be match your pot with plants, furniture and even house siding. And these pots no longer just sit on the ground. Vertical gardening has elevated the pot experience to railings, walls and ceilings. For the most success, I try to match the right pot material with the right edible plant. For example, clay pots are known to breathe and dry out easily. For...
Learn how to divide and care for your perennial flowers including information on which flowers to divide when and the proper way to divide common perennials such as daylilies and iris. Listen to podcast: In his book Pass Along Plants. Felder Rushing talks about passing a long or sharing special garden plants he's had for years with friends, family, and neighbors. I love this idea. It's like having a remembrance of your friend in your garden. One of the best ways to pass along a perennial flower is to divide it and, for certain perennials,...
Listen to this podcast on how to create a garden to be dog-friendly. Includes tips on the types of plants, fences and ways to keep your dog out of the garden. We have two dogs, Rosie and Linus, and lots of gardens. Luckily, our Cavalier spaniels aren't big dogs nor are they interested in digging, flopping on plants and wreaking havoc in our garden. But I have friends with other dog breeds that struggle having a garden AND dogs around. So I thought to offer some tips on how to have a dog-friendly garden and a garden friendly dog. I'm...
Fall Garden CleanupAs the leaves start dropping, many gardener's attention turns to fall garden cleanup. While this is an autumn tradition, there's some new advice about how and when to cleanup the yard and garden that might help make the work easier and help our bees, beneficial insects and birds. The best way for me to remember these new tips is to think of one of my commands for our dogs, “leave it.” Leaves on the lawn should be mowed and left to decompose. This creates a thin leaf layer that earthworms will feed on and enhance...
Learn about caring for your perennial flowers in fall including how to cut back the plants, fertilize, add compost, weed and protect the plants from winter. Transcript Fall is the perfect time of year to clean up and cut back the perennial flower garden. I know you might be tired of doing all those gardening chores but this is an important one. When you cut back and clean up the flower garden you're reducing the amount of insects and diseases you'll have for next year. You reduce the amount of weeds that are around and you'll strengthen...
Learn how to force flowering branches into bloom indoors weeks before they bloom outdoors. Listen to podcast: I love garden chores that, as they say, kill two birds with one stone. This chore will cheer up your home in winter and get your trees and shrubs in shape for spring. It's called forcing flowering branches. When you prune crowded, broken or damaged branches in winter, many of the tree and shrub stems you'll be cutting are perfect for forcing indoors. Their branches are loaded with flower buds and all they need is some warmth and...
