Winter for many gardeners is a necessary quiet season and period of rest after the active outdoor spring-summer-fall months. December, although busy with shopping and holiday celebrations, is the perfect month to dream about spring gardening and enjoy the respite.
One of the ways I gather information and inspiration is to listen to garden podcasts. It is an easy and relaxing way to pass the time while cleaning seed trays or watering house plants.
The podcast world is dynamic, with many offering accompanying videos to view (stream) on social media sites. They can be almost as useful for some gardeners as a trowel.
The same rules apply to podcasts as any online gardening tips: There can be anything from exceptionally credible, science-based facts to opinionated, untested, “advice.” Regional garden podcasts often focus on plants and soil conditions that are specific to their locations; However, most of the nationally recognized garden personalities often include Western U.S. plant-related information.
Podcast hosts are generally funded by companies that sell products and services, so expect brief commercial breaks. A tip: Download the podcast to your phone and listen while wearing portable headphones or hands-free ear buds.
The list of garden podcast topics is extensive. Some podcast personalities take gardening questions and may have topic-specific expert guests. Other podcasts cover seasonal topics, including everything from rock gardening to birding (the sky is literally the limit).
Some of the most popular garden podcasts in 2024 were “The Joe Gardener Show” with Joe Lamp’l; “Let’s Argue about Plants” from Fine Gardening Magazine, with editors Danielle Sherry and Carol Collins; “A Way to Garden,” with Margaret Roach; “Garden Basics” with Farmer Fred (Fred Hoffman); and “The Beet: The Podcast for Plant Lovers,” with Kevin Espiritu.
Some of my favorites are the British podcasts, even though our growing conditions and plant choices can differ. You’d be surprised at how often they have similar plant ailments and garden pests to our region of the country. The Brits not only have great accents, but also their pet names for certain plants like “veg” instead of vegetables is endearing. My two favorites, which are also in many of the top garden podcast lists, are BBC Radio Ulster’s “Gardener’s Corner” with David Maxwell and BBC Radio 4’s “Gardener’s Question Time” with Peter Gibbs.
Wishing everyone a merry and bright holiday season and splendid New Gardening Year. Thank you for “tuning in” to my garden articles all these years. More to come in the New Year.
Betty Cahill speaks and writes about gardening in the Rocky Mountain Region.
