Recent Volunteer Gardener Clips

Growing Garlic on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Growing Garlic

September 24, 2020

Garlic has been cultivated by humans for 5,000 years. Jeff Poppen likes growing garlic for several reasons. It's easy, it gets planted in September/October and grows during the off-season, and all parts of the plant are edible. He shares his planting method and favorite varieties.

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Enjoying Garden Maturity on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Enjoying Garden Maturity

September 17, 2020

Thirty years ago, Sally Reynolds began visualizing her home landscape. Now dubbed 'Mille Fleurs', her underlying goal was to have long views, garden rooms to wander through, deep foundation plantings, and lovely vistas. Now, with time, those goals have been realized. Troy Marden visits with his ole garden design friend for a retrospective of the choices over the years, a discussion of some of her favorite plants, and highlights of this garden's evolution.

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Mansker's Station Community Garden on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Mansker’s Station Community Garden

September 17, 2020

Sumner County Master Gardeners maintain several garden areas at historic Mansker's Station in Goodlettsville TN. These include a vegetable and herb garden, a pollinator waystation, and a wildflower area. Jeff Poppen explores the garden beds to see what's growing, and to learn about the educational opportunities for school age children as well as community members.

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Bullet-Proof Plants on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Bullet Proof Plants

September 10, 2020

Beginning gardeners can gain confidence by starting with some tough plants, and Julie Berbiglia shares some perennials and herbs from her own garden that have thrived. Even better, some of these will do so well you'll be able to pass along plants to others in a few seasons.

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Changes to the Plant Palette on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Changes to the Plant Palette

September 10, 2020

Annette Shrader checks in to see the changes in the plant palette of an energetic, knowledgeable home gardener we have visited some years ago. We find that Japanese iris have replaced the bearded iris, there's a row of Fusion lilies sparkling along the fence row, and Angie's chosen daylily varieties are dazzling.

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Bamboo: Attributes and Containment on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Bamboo: Attributes and Containment

August 13, 2020

Sheri Gramer is a newcomer to bamboo, so she seeks expert advice at Almaville Bamboo Company in Almaville, TN. Proprietor Chris Buker explains how bamboo is an economical way to create a privacy screen which is pest-free, low maintenance, grows in poor soil conditions, and offers the height that shrubs and trees do not. For more information, abcbamboo.com.

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Begonias on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Begonias

August 13, 2020

Troy Marden shows off the striking foliage and the pretty flowers of begonias. This popular plant can be grown indoors and out, and is low maintenance too. For more information, www.tennesseetropicals.com

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Blevins Japanese Garden at Cheekwood Estate and Gardens on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Blevins Japanese Garden at Cheekwood Estate and Gardens

August 13, 2020

The Blevins Japanese Garden was first established at Cheekwood Estate and Gardens in the 1970's. It has undergone a major renovation which added greater accessibility and a more polished enclosure. Phillipe Chadwick discusses the history of the garden and the masterful horticulturalists who have designed and nurtured it. Plant material and natural stone elements are also examined.

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Carbon on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Carbon

July 30, 2020

Jeff Poppen explains the alliance between plants and soil organisms which helps lock in carbon, producing dark organic matter called humus. Organic and biodynamic farming methods draw carbon out of the atmosphere and sink it into the soil.

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Pitcher Plants: Propagation on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Pitcher Plants: Propagation

July 30, 2020

Nepenthes, also known as tropical pitcher plants, exist in a wide variety of shapes and colors. Phillipe Chadwick visits Red Leaf Exotics to learn how these cool, carnivorous plants are propagated.

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Woodland

Woodland, Wildflowers and Storytelling

July 30, 2020

We visit a home gardener who has created a magical spot to enjoy stories in the woodland section of the property. Author Beatrix Potter's "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" is depicted in the displays throughout the trail. The wildflowers punctuate the landscape.

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Compost Pile - Prime Planting Spot on NPT's Volunteer Gardener

Compost Pile – Prime Planting Spot

July 23, 2020

Troy Marden wants to plant potatoes and tomatoes, and finds a spot in the space he had been using for the compost pile.

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