One year in, and I can’t tell you how much fun I have had doing this podcast. Connecting with other gardeners, meeting experts, learning from so many generous sources— I am really enjoying myself.
And I hope, for your sake, that I am improving, and if you like the show, please consider supporting my by buying me a coffee!
Plant of the Week
The Galanthus is such a delicate shy little flower. First you must bend your body down, then you must bend its face up, to see the beauty!
Snow Drop, or Galanthus
Photo by Simon Berger on Unsplash
But it’s totally worth it, and they are very easy to plant in fall, enjoy in winter, and propagate in spring if you want to get a collection going.
I want this many>>> (photo right)
But my garden is still new, so I buy a few and propagate established clumps each spring.
Guest
Emma and her dad Steven
Emma Biggs doesn’t remember when she started gardening, and her parents were smart enough to encourage her with any type of play outdoors. Fiddling with plants, sticks, leaves, dirt, — that could all be considered gardening. Of course it helps your horticultural journey if your father is Steven Biggs, who is a horticulturist, college instructor, broadcaster, speaker, and author. Emma and her father host a weekly podcast called The Food Garden Life Show.
Emma Biggs and a handful of her tomatoes
When Emma grew up to age 13 (she is 17 now), she co-authored a book with her father called Gardening with Emma: Grow and Have Fun: A Kid-to-Kid Guide. (Disclosure: this link goes to my Amazon Store Front). This is a book about gardening for kids, from a kid. A review on Amazon says it “captures the authentic creativity of a kid who loves to be outdoors, digging in the dirt.” Emma includes sections on plants that tickle or make noise, how to start a flower stand, and of course growing your own food, which is her forte— particularly tomatoes.
You can also follow Emma on Instagram @EmmaBiggs_Grows and she has her own website, Emma Biggs, with an informative and well written blog!
Emma and her father just recently receive the 2022 Garden Communicators Award from Landscape Ontario!
Play List
Are you like Elsa of Frozen? Or Sheldon of Big Bang?
I’m a bit of both.
~ Sow your seeds, water your seedlings
~ Check your woody shrubs and trees. Are there damaged limbs that could use a clean cut from your or an arborist?
~ Start to cut back browns and downs, but only if they are assaulting your aesthetic sensibilities. Otherwise, let it all go!
~ The last but not least Hydrangea pruning lesson is on H. arborescens, including my favorite, Annabelle.
Listen
Emma and her dad’s podcast The Food Garden Life Show is excellent, and I particularly liked this episode on wood chips in the garden with Ben Raskin, who I may have to get on the show!
Here’s a video showing the last lesson on pruning Hydrangeas— my faves the Annabelle!
