141 episodes

Musings with people in the world of gardening, botany, horticulture and nature. Marlene takes her years of gardening experience, success and failures and turns it into an unpretentious, humorous listen. From organic vegetable gardening, houseplants, bee keeping, flowers, and everything in between -- this podcast covers it.

Flower Power Garden Hour Marlene Simon

    • Leisure
    • 4.6 • 162 Ratings

Musings with people in the world of gardening, botany, horticulture and nature. Marlene takes her years of gardening experience, success and failures and turns it into an unpretentious, humorous listen. From organic vegetable gardening, houseplants, bee keeping, flowers, and everything in between -- this podcast covers it.

    Seeds, with Jennifer Jewell of Cultivating Place podcast

    Seeds, with Jennifer Jewell of Cultivating Place podcast

    Seeds. As gardeners we sow them, order them, harvest them, and sometime try to prevent them. Author and gardener Jennifer Jewell delves even deeper into the science and importance of seeds in her new book ‘What We Sow’. We discuss her inspiration for the book and talk about why seeds are so important in our ecosystem, cultures and overall survival as humans.
     Jennifer Jewell, Cultivating Place and her new book ‘What We Sow’ can be found at:
    ·       Book:  What We Sow
    ·       Website:  Cultivating Place
    ·       Instagram:  @cultivating_place
    ·       Facebook:  @cultivatingplace
    ·       Pinterest:    @cultivate_place
     
    To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:
    ·       Facebook
    ·       Instagram
    ·       email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com
     
    Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

    • 57 min
    Firesafe and water wise gardening, with Soleil Tranquilli of Tranquill Gardens

    Firesafe and water wise gardening, with Soleil Tranquilli of Tranquill Gardens

    As a plant person with minimal design skills, I’m in awe of people with both skill sets. In this episode I talk to Soleil Tranquilli about how she combines her artistic design ability with her wealth of plant knowledge to create firesafe, water wise and tranquil gardens. She is the owner of Tranquill Gardens as well as being a Certified watershed Wise Landscape Pro and the president of the Sacramento Association of Professional Landscape Designers.
     Soleil and Tranquill Gardens can be found at:
    ·       Website:  Tranquill Gardens
    ·       Website: Association of Professional Landscape Designers
    ·       Facebook:  Tranquill Gardens
     
    To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:
    ·       Facebook
    ·       Instagram
    ·       email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com
     
    Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

    • 1 hr 10 min
    September To Do, Listener Q&A, Horticulture News

    September To Do, Listener Q&A, Horticulture News

    It is the September To Do List – believe it or not, we are in full Fall prep time.  Lots of cool weather vegetables to start planting, and tons of clean up and pruning.  Summer may have been easy in the garden, but it’s time to get the gloves on and get to work.  Episode includes Listener Q&A and a discussion around current published articles in the horticulture world.
     
    It is time to plant:
            Beets         Carrots         Broccoli         Brussel sprouts         Cauliflower         Cabbage         Celery         Swiss chard         Collards         Garlic         Leek         Lettuce         Peas         Radish         Spinach         Perennials – towards the end of September when it cools down Chores include:
            Clean up – pull out vegetables which are done, fallen fruit         Prune lavender, hydrangeas         Pests – whiteflies may be setting in…..keep an eye on  
    Listener Q&A section.  Topics covered include:
            What are the galls attached to oaks?  Are they harmful to the tree?         When replanting a Venus Fly Trap, does it require a specific soil?         Gardenias – no buds or flowers…..is this a location issue?         Lantana issues Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  
    To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:
            Facebook         Instagram         email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com  
    Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

    • 43 min
    Passion vines and houseplant care, with Justin Hancock of Costa Farms

    Passion vines and houseplant care, with Justin Hancock of Costa Farms

    You can say that my guest, Justin Hancock, is passionate about passion vines! But he is also passionate about anything that grows. As a horticulturalist for one of the top nurseries, Costa Farms, he gets to surround himself with all types of plants. We discuss, of course, passion vines as well as houseplant care.
    Justin and Costa Farms can be found at:
    ·       Instagram:  justinwhancock
    ·       Website: costafarms.com
    ·       Instagram: costafarms
    ·       Facebook:  Costa Farms
    ·       Twitter:  @CostaFarms
    ·       YouTube:  @CostaFarms
    ·       TikTok: costa.farms
     
    To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:
    ·       Facebook
    ·       Instagram
    ·       email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com
    Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

    • 1 hr 25 min
    August To Do, Horticulture News, Listener Q&A

    August To Do, Horticulture News, Listener Q&A

    It is the August To Do List, and we are having a gorgeous summer that is offering up IDEAL garden conditions.  Vegetable and fruit harvests are bountiful, but there is prep work for fall piling up. 
    It is time to:  Plant seeds in ground, including:  beets, cabbage, carrots, turnips, potatoes
    Prep garden beds for Fall planting in September:  Weed, compost
    Chores include:
           Dead-head flowers        Pick up fallen fruit        Cut off suckers        Prevent weeds from going to seed        Collect seeds        Harvest melons        Order fall bulbs (daffodils, tulips, etc)        Deep water trees  
    We finish up with a Listener Q&A section.  Topics covered include:
           Are pill bugs good for the soil?         Do I need to keep “braiding” my plant?        Habanero not blooming – why?        Fig tree only produce dry, inedible figs.  Why?  
    Help support feral cat rescue/spay-neuter/finding good homes by contributing at Flower Power Garden Hour Patreon.  
     
    To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:
           Facebook        Instagram        email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com  
    Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

    • 1 hr 4 min
    Replace your lawn with a cacti/succulent garden, with Gianluca Bacci

    Replace your lawn with a cacti/succulent garden, with Gianluca Bacci

    Want to replace your lawn with a cacti/succulent garden? Here’s how. My coworker and succulent grower extraordinaire, Gianluca Bacci, joins me to discuss succulent growing tips. We talk about major do’s and don’ts of succulent care plus why the saguaro cacti of Arizona are dying.
     Gianluca can be found at:
    ·         Instagram:  marinsect_gianluca
     
    To ask questions for future shows, submit them at:
    ·         Facebook
    ·         Instagram
    ·         email Marlene at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com
     
    Find Marlene over on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

    • 1 hr 2 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
162 Ratings

162 Ratings

Masonic Traveler ,

I learn a lot every listen.

I love this show. The tip, the guests, the cats, all of it. It’s such a fun listen and the back and forth between Marlene and Joe is great. This has fast become one of my favorite gardening podcasts. Thanks for producing it.

fruitsnveggies ,

Love this show!

I really love this podcast. My favorite episodes are the monthly to do lists. Super helpful. I also love the banter between you two. Thank you for the great information!

Mary Lou - P.Paso owner ,

Informative and Funny!

I first found Marlene on Good Day weekend and I love this podcast. We live in Quincy but she still has lots of great advice and she’s getting me back into my houseplants.
Thanks to Marlene I just ordered six miniature african violets and bought a lipstick plant.
We have a big vegetable garden and love all of her todos. I also love the back and forth with Marlene and her husband, Joe.
Great podcast. I’m sick of politics:)

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