Recent Volunteer Gardener Clips

Friendships Garden

July 21, 2022

Over time, a person's garden becomes a sentimental space. That certainly holds true for host Annette Shrader's garden. It is brimming with plants that symbolize friendships. Co-host Tammy Algood leads us on a stroll through well-established beds, plus a spot that is getting re-imagined.

Green Manure: Plants and Benefits

July 21, 2022

Biodynamic farmer Jeff Poppen walks us through one of his large production fields in early spring that's covered in green manure crops. He shares information about the plants used, and how each one benefits the soil health.

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Gardening newbies

June 23, 2022

There's a lot of joy in gardening. Tammy Algood meets up with two new gardeners who are proud of their successes, and the knowledge gained from growing in a raised bed within a community garden.

Backyard gardening: applying best practices

June 23, 2022

Annette Shrader visits with a backyard vegetable gardener who is using sustainable methods that work with nature to build healthy soil and grow nutrient-rich plants.

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Soil Your Undies: How healthy is your soil?

June 23, 2022

A campaign was launched in December 2018 by Oregon farmers working with Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The Soil Your Undies Challenge was now a thing. It's a simple way to measure the microbial activity in the soil. Julie Berbiglia visits the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville to see the results from their participation in the challenge.

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How to Assemble a Terrarium

June 23, 2022

Plants can survive in a closed glass container, but what ingredients will ensure it is successful? Sheri Gramer steps through the process of assembling a terrarium.

Vole deterrent

May 26, 2022

Voles are known for eating the roots of plants, consuming spring bulbs and tubers underground, and for chewing on the bark of trees and shrubs. Marty DeHart highlights a product that is used in the planting stage to create a barrier around plant roots.

Food forest – permaculture methods

May 26, 2022

Annette Shrader visits with an experienced gardener who adheres to the methods of permaculture. All of the plants in his vast backyard are part of a food forest, and each plant contributes in some way to the good of the whole. Food guilds, trap plants, green manure, and chop+drop plants are discussed, along with how they make edible plants thrive.

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Cold Hardy Succulents

May 26, 2022

Jumping cactus, prickly pear, and hens and chicks plants are cold hardy succulents that can be grown outdoors in USDA Zone 7. Troy Marden learns what it takes, or doesn't take, to have these plants fare well year round.

School garden

May 19, 2022

Jeff Poppen is on the campus of Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville to learn both the challenges and rewards of having a school garden. Here, organic is the way this garden grows. The composting process is well supported here. This school not only uses the garden in the curriculum for students, there's also a garden club.

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Growing banana plants in zone 7

May 19, 2022

Banana plants can be a dramatic addition to a home landscape, and create a tropical focal point. Troy Marden visits with a home gardener who has many specimens in his backyard garden, and they discuss the varieties that perform well in USDA Climate Zone 7.

Hellebore Collector

May 19, 2022

Did you know there's a perennial that hits peak bloom starting mid-December and varieties that continue through March? Hellebores are frost-resistant, evergreen plants that boast bloom colors in a range of pale green to deep maroon-black. Phillipe Chadwick checks out a home gardener's expansive collection.