Good Growing

Talking all things horticulture, ecology, and design.
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Latest Episode

This week, we have a Gardenbite excerpt from our webinar, in which we discussed wildlife damage in the home landscape. In this clip, Chris details two common rodents in Illinois that tend to pop up in the winter months around the outside and inside of our homes: the vole and the mouse.

Ep. 75 Wet weather problems in the garden

Have you had a lot of rain recently? On this week's podcast, we discuss some of the issues we can encounter in our gardens when the weather gets wet and steps we can take to manage them. We also discuss some of the beneficial insects we can find in our gardens. Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu....

Ep. 74 Talking summertime tomato growing

On this week's Good Growing podcast we dive into one of America's favorite garden vegetables, the tomato! Katie, Ken, and Chris enjoy growing tomatoes and describe how they grow tomatoes in their backyards. We tackle common tomato problems, some of our favorites, and how to save the harvest. All...

Ep. 73 Talking solar power for the home with Erin Garrett

Do you have a spot in the garden for some solar panels? What about the roof? For this episode of the Good Growing podcast we chat with Illinois Extension educator Erin Garrett about solar power for the home. If you are considering solar power for your home, we dive into some important...

Ep. 72 Talking field botany & rare plants with Sara Johnson

On this episode of the Good Growing Podcast, we chat with Sara Johnson, a field botanist and research assistant with the Illinois Natural History Survey. Sara studies rare plants, and we discuss her recent thesis on a rare mint found in Florida. We talk about field botany and some good natural...

Ep. 71 Talking must-see botanical gardens and the joy of beech trees

On this week’s Good Growing podcast the crew chats with Extension horticulture educator Martha Smith about must-see botanic gardens and her favorite tree, the beech tree! From Longwood to Missouri Botanical Garden and much more, Martha points out some fantastic botanical gardens throughout the...

Ep. 70 Talking Tree Troubles with Sarah Vogel

On this week's Good Growing podcast the crew sits down with University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Sarah Vogel to talk about trees and some common problems we encounter in the home landscape. Sarah is a certified arborist and is based in Decatur, Illinois. On this show we get into...

Ep. 69 All About Cicadas #goodgrowing

On this week's Good Growing podcast the crew chats about the upcoming Brood X emergence and why Ken is sad we don't live within their range. But we do talk about the best ways to eat cicadas plus who shouldn't eat cicadas. What should people expect who live within the Brood X range and how to...

Ep. 68 Answering your spring gardening questions

On this week's Good Growing podcast Katie, Ken, and Chris answer your timely questions about gardening in May. Dealing with late spring frosts and tomatoes. What to do about rhubarb that gets hit by frost? There are some landscape plants with black and brown foliage. Is this from the frost a few...

Ep. 67 Talking Snakes with Dr. Vanek

On this week's Good Growing podcast we talk with wildlife biologist Dr. John Vanek all about snakes! Dr. Vanek has a specialty in herpetology and loves to study snakes. In this episode we discuss: Why are so many humans afraid of snakes? Is it learned behavior or something deeper in our brains?...

Ep. 66 Talking Natural Disasters in the Landscape with Carrie McKillip

In this episode of the Good Growing podcast, we sit down with University of Illinois Extension educator Carrie McKillip to talk about disaster preparedness and things we as residents in storm-prone Illinois need to consider. Carrie is a Community and Economic Development educator who specializes in...

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