The Garden Show with Charlie Dobbin

Update on the Hickory Tussock moth caterpillar from last week. Plus we discuss converting poor lawn to garden, bringing Rosemary plants indoors, preparing Calla lilies + Amaryllis for winter, and when is the best time to mulch? Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Dean joins Charlie in her home studio - very unusual! Topics from callers include: overwintering milkweed & Hydrangea in pots outdoors, blue spruces dying, bringing in Mandevilla, rose pruning, fruit flies and lots more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver joins Charlie to chat about which birds are migrating, why and where. Plus tips on fall feeding - get good quality suet out now - and don't forget water! Callers are interested in rose protection overwinter, how "Squirrel Proof" works with birdseed and a great tip for next summer - plant Ageratum 'Monarch Magic' and watch them soar into your yard! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver (Urban Nature Store.ca) joins Charlie to share tips on continuing to feed hummingbirds, attracting crows, feeding birds not rats, and explaining why some birds make such a mess! Plus it's National Wildlife Day this Fri Sept 4th! Support your local wildlife habitat and wildlife rescue operations. Callers want info about turf repair, weed removal and more. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Leaves with spots, fungus in lawn, planting garlic in a raised planter and Norway maple declining. Plus more about winter protection of tender plants. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

What's eating John's apples and pears? Does garlic require a spring application of fish emulsion? What about potassium sulphate? Hibiscus shedding buds and crowded beans in a pot. What a show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Tomato hornworms become hawk moths. Inconsistent watering can cause blossom end rot. Fruit flies in the kitchen, propagating Christmas cactus, overwintering Calla lilies, Gloxinia & Amaryllis, plus overseeding with clover seeds. What a show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Lack of blooms on roses & Hydrangeas, pruning bridal wreath Spirea + Rose of Sharon, wilting cukes and blight on tomatoes. Bright spot - Dave wants info on how to learn more about gardening!

Growing the unusual - Olive & Fig trees! Pruning lilacs now? And are Better Boy tomatoes really better? Boxwod and quack grass woes. All this week on the Garden Show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Dean has squirrels tearing his pots of begonias to shreds. Callers have issue too. A good suggestion from one listener is to use granules of coyote urine (available at the Urban Nature Store) to deter skunks and porcupines. Otherwise it's BTK, assuming you want to kill the pesky caterpillars. Make sure they aren't the larvae of beautiful butterflies! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Despite pouring rain we had a keen audience while broadcasting live from Westside Nurseries in Owen Sound. Beautiful location, and a fun crowd with lots of questions! Examples: controlling quack grass, potentilla not flowering, aphids, silver lace vine and more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Overgrown climbing Hydrangea, cucumbers without fruit, interesting anecdotal information about seeds not germinating or growing as expected, and a very sad orchid. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

We discuss types and colours of Peonies, bindweed taking over, problems with boxwood, and how to make Hydrangeas blue and/or purple. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Cooking asparagus, growing garlic, and encouraging iris' to bloom are just a few of the topics discussed this week on the Garden Show. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Growing and harvesting asparagus, pruning cedars and Hibiscus, replacing ferns around Clematis and creating privacy at the base of tall pines. Best news is: the ducklings are all safe! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

More about ducks in the backyard, plus the joy of Amaryllis, and the frustration of a cool spring. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Caller worries ducklings will end up in pool - more on this subject next week. Propagating primrose, Hydrangea leaf-tier infestation, limp-leaved Christmas cactus and lots more... Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Sean James (seanjames-consulting.ca) joins in to chat about native vs alien plants, and a growing trend for landscapes designed to support insects and birds. Callers share insights for feeding all the creatures stress-free, and questions arise regarding apricots, tomatoes and serious weeds, like dog strangling vine and twitch grass! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Soil permeates the show - no pun intended - poor tomato yields, filling raised garden beds, Mycorrhizae and more. Pruning roses & Clematis, planting, and controlling slugs on hosta also feature. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver (urbannaturestore.ca) joins the show to sort out; squirrels in birdfeeders, best food for Baltimore Orioles, how to clean feeders and birdbaths and hunting for Blue Jay nests. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

How to resurrect a lawn, when to prune Clematis, unhappy Hibiscus and Dahlias growing too soon. All this and more today on the Garden Show. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Callers have issues with Bromeliads, Christmas cactus, and scraggly rhubarb. Meanwhile we chat about available worm castings in TO (rhswormcastings@gmail.com), Japanese beetles, and 'out of season' Amaryllis! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver (UrbanNatureStore.ca) joins in again to share tips and tricks to feeding and caring for all your favourite birds. Callers are interested in plants that support birds in autumn, birdseed that won't grow in the lawn. Plus we get a great trick for storing garlic over the winter! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Using eggshells to control slugs, pruning Butterfly bush, grubs in the lawn and topping up raised bed gardens. Not to mention rascally rabbits! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Cool, wintery weather is hanging on. However, we talk about planting seeds (Charlie is all over peppers and annual flowers). Callers want to understand how long to use a heat mat, when to cut back Sedum (without damaging overwintering insects), moving daffodils, rotating tomatoes, and of course - when to start tomato seeds. Marilyn's mom always claimed, "plant tomatoes the Friday before Good Friday". Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Growing peas with beans, maintaining ornamental grasses, sprayers for different pests and girdled roses (those rascally rabbits!). More about worm castings too. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Tech can be so challenging - Charlie (CR) is ok; Dean (Port Hope, ON) is glitchy. Sorry to everyone for issues. Meanwhile Amaryllis continues to engage many, companion planting, pre-emergent herbicides, wild strawberries, and emerging Calla lilies are on the agenda. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Charlie reports on flora and fauna seen this past week in Playa Portrero, Costa Rica. Including sea turtles, crocodiles, and a mangrove estuary at Marino las Baulas National Park. Callers are wondering about fertilizer: seedlings, young peppers and leeks, and whether banana peels are good for tomatoes? Forcing spring branches (Forsythia, fruit trees, Magnolia etc) also a fun way to bring colourful blooms indoors now. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Charlie is in Costa Rica, soaking up sun and surf, plus reporting on flora and fauna. Meanwhile winter continues unabated in southern Ontario. Callers are feeling spring, and want to re-pot all kinds of houseplants. Orchids require attention and robins are showing up! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Our phone lines are back, and the callers are thrilled! We talk: orchid care, plants for pollinators, saving poinsettia and starting seeds. Next week Charlie will be hosting from Costa Rica! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Frigid, fallow and friable just about sums up today's show. Super cold has gardeners worried about plant survival. A caller wants to know about the benefits of leaving the vegetable garden fallow for a season. And Charlie gets into what is a great soil - friable you say?!? Plus dormant cyclamen, clematis propagation, white pine in a pot and root crops struggling. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Transplanting indoor pathos, amaryllis care, and starting nasturtiums seeds. But, days are getting longer and we're thinking outdoors too: moving rhubarb, pruning Rose of Sharon and more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Now for something completely different - live communication with text and email! Questions from listeners include: winter seed sowing (both indoors and out), Gardenia with spider mites, lemon trees that don't flower and leaving orchids for an extended holiday. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Niki Jabbour joins us from Nova Scotia to chat about gardening under cover, some exotic varieties, making soil blocks and more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Lots going on in the cyberverse for gardeners! Zoom with a horticultural society, or learn Bird Identification at birdscanada.org in preparation for The Great Backyard Bird Count Feb 13-16th. Paul Oliver (Urban Nature Store) joins the show once more to explain birdfeeder care, and how to help our feathered friends avoid predators! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Terry Kennedy (and her husband) of 'Orchids in Our Tropics' have been growing orchids in Ontario for over 50 years! She talks about exotic travel, tropical orchids and some best practices for the home orchid grower. Plus we get insider info about the Southern Ontario Orchid Society 'Orchid Show & Sale' coming Feb 14 & 15 to the Toronto Botanical Garden. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Steven Biggs (foodgardenlife.com) joins the show. He's teaching courses, has just published the latest 'Canada Gardener's Journal' and is very engaged in using his "garage" for just about everything except cars! We chat about herbs, crop rotation, leaf mulch and more. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

No phone calls means Dean & Charlie chat about all things gardening. Gifts for gardeners, emails about pomegranates & Amaryllis, and caring for your Christmas tree, now and after Christmas! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver (urbannaturestore.ca) joins Charlie & Dean in a pre-recorded episode. We chat about winter challenges for all wildlife, great gifts for nature lovers and best Poinsettia/Amaryllis care. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Keeping trees alive is top of mind for several callers this week! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Sean James, horticulturist, naturalist, landscape consultant joins Charlie on the Garden Show this week Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

From 'wingnuts to paw paws' Charlie and Frank talk trees with a number of callers! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Charlie gets stumped on when to best transplant Asparagus. Listen in for the answer!

Plant trees! But placement matters - beware of septic weeping tile, hydro lines and building foundations!

Now is the time to dig and divide all your spring blooming perennials

Charlie is back teaching and shares her experiences

This week it's all about the "shrubbery". Monty Python would be proud!

Guest host Dennis Flanagan details some of the benefits of connecting with Landscape Ontario for some great support information

Frank is joined by guest host Dennis Flanagan from Landscape Ontario while Charlie gets used to her new home in Prince Edward County

In between callers Deanna Groves of Quinte Botanical Garden explains how her and her husband left their city jobs near retirement age and started gardening full time

Paul DeGroot joins Charlie in studio to take your questions

Author Emma and Steven Biggs join Charlie in studio

Charlie answers the question, is clover a good lawn substitute?

Vivienne Croisette, the co-curator of Zim Sculpt at TBG until September 8th, joins Charlie and Frank in the studio.

Charlie answers the question, is trimming Lilacs after they bloom worth the trouble?

Charlie answers questions on growing hellebores

Charlie repeats the recipe for growing fat juicy tomatoes!

For tree trouble, Charlie Recommended arborist Davey Trees

Charlie answers your questions including what do with your egyptian onions

Charlie gives advice on how to awaken plants that are still dormant

Charlie and Frank weather the rain with Carson Arthur and talk about his new book and shows.

Frank and Charlie discuss the warmer weather

Charlie gives the ingredients for a solution that will keep deer away from plants

Charlie and Frank discuss the advisability of using slow release fertilizer

Charlie and Frank are hoping there's no more snow on the way

Sean James fills in for Charlie Dobbin

Charlie and Frank share a recipe for getting rid of slugs

Charlie and Frank find that raspberries and rhubarb provide a fruitful discussion!

Charlie and Frank explore the use of Roundup

Charlie and Frank get ready for spring and take your calls to help you prepare your lawn for the warmer weather

Charlie and Frank juggle lots of callers about Evergreens and when to trim them.

Charlie and Frank are reunited to take your calls including questions about potting up tulips.

Frank is joined by Denis Flanagan of Landscape Ontario work out their kinks together and take your calls including about Maple trees.

Frank is back with Charlie and are joined by Emma and Stephen Biggs in the studio to talk about Emma's book, "Gardening with Emma: Grow and Have Fun: A Kid-to-Kid Guide" and take your calls including fertilizing indoor plants.

Charlie is joined by special guest Sean James from Fern Ridge Landscaping to take your calls including how to treat Gardenias infested with Mealy Bug

Charlie is joined by Paul DeGroot from NVK Holdings in the studio to take your questions.

Charlie and Frank are joined by orchid specialist Terry Kennedy in the studio and take your calls.

Charlie and Frank answer questions about garden beetles.

Charlie and Frank are waiting for the snow to arrive and take your calls on litter, sawdust, and compost use.

Charlie and Frank answer questions on which vegetables need to be rotated each year in your garden.

Charlie and Frank start the new year by taking your questions on what to do with gifted bulbs

Charlie and Frank will take every second of sun they can get!

Charlie and Frank are joined by Ben Cullen and Mark Cullen to talk about their book "Escape to Reality: How the World is Changing Gardening and Gardening is Changing the World"

Charlie and Frank chat about the Gardener's Journal

Charlie and Frank remember George Jonescu from Big Band Sunday Night and answer questions about planter sizes.

Lindsay Nightingale joins Charlie in studio and answer questions on stowing bulbs during the winter.

Frank is back with Charlie with gifts from Florida and help callers bring their palm trees indoors.

Charlie is joined in studio with Lindsay Nightingale just as it starts to snow.

Charlie and Frank are joined by Kim Hunter, one of Charlie's students, who just got back from the Ravine Symposium and brings her report to the show.

Charlie got a surprise in the mail, a box of tulip bulbs!

Charlie and Frank discus the value of our ravines systems and native plants.

Charlie and Frank marvel and the change of colours.

Charlie and Frank take calls on fall and winter garden tips

Charlie and Frank stay warm as the seasons change to fall.