Flower Power Garden Hour
Marlene Simon
- 1 hour 14 minutesFPGH 222: December To Do & Listener Q&A
It is the December To Do List, and we are in the middle of winter garden season. Weather is moderately cold, foggy, and so far it has been pretty dry. We finish up with a Listener Q&A.
It is time to plant:
- Asparagus
- Fava beans
- Bok choy
- Broccoli rabe
- Garlic
- Kale
- Loose leaf lettuce
- Mustard
- Onion sets
- Radish
Do not plant yet:
- Bareroot trees
- Roses
- Berries
Chores include:
- Protect succulents from water
- Frost protection
- Clean up – but leave some debris remaining
- Spray dormant trees (peach leaf curl)
- Plant bulbs
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:
- email Marlene at [email protected]
8 December 2025, 11:00 am - 1 hour 4 minutesFPGH 220: Brendan Wilce, of the California Native Plant Society
Fall is a great time to plant California natives. Brendan Wilce of the California Native Plant Society joins me to give his 10 top favorite natives.
This episode is sponsored by BeWaterSmart.
The Brendan and the California Native Plant Society can be found at:
- Website: calscape.org
- Instagram: @theplanimal
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:
- email Marlene at [email protected]
6 December 2025, 11:00 am - 48 minutes 38 secondsFPGH 219: Between Two Shrubs, with Shelley & Christy
Want to take over that neglected school garden but need some inspiration? Listen to Shelley and Christy of @betweentwoshrubs discuss their story of creating a successful school garden program. Plus -- we talk about their new YouTube channel, which is exploring local gardens, talking to the gardeners, and all things garden-adjacent. Very fun and informative, with frequent new content.
This episode is sponsored by BeWaterSmart.
Between Two Shrubs can be found at:
- YouTube: @BetweenTwoShrubs
- Instagram: @betweentwoshrubs
3 November 2025, 1:36 pm - 1 hour 3 minutesFlower Power Garden Hour 218: October To Do List and Listener Q & A
It is the October To Do List, and that means it is a very busy time in the garden. Clean up from summer vegetables and prepping for fall and winter. The days are cooler, but shorter – which means you have to work efficiently and hard. Episode includes Listener Q&A.
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:
- email Marlene at [email protected]
15 October 2025, 11:41 pm - 54 minutes 24 secondsFPGH 217: Kayden Rsenbauer of the Sacramento Tree Foundation
Fall is a great time to plant a shade tree and our guest, Kayden Rsenbauer, certified arborist with the Sacramento Tree Foundation has all the info you need. Bruce and I talk to him about proper planting techniques, watering for young and established trees and we go over his list of favorite shade trees.
This episode is sponsored by BeWaterSmart.
Sacramento Tree Foundation can be found at:
- Website: sactree.org
- Facebook: @Sacramento Tree Foundation
- Instagram: @sactree
- YouTube: @SacTree
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:
- email Marlene at [email protected]
1 October 2025, 11:12 am - 1 hour 9 minutesFlower Power Garden Hour 216: All about Staghorn Ferns
Truly one of the bizarre looking and growing plants out there. Bruce and Marlene discuss everything related to the Genus Platycerium. How to propagate from spores and divisions, what species grow the best in zone 9, unusual species and more.
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:
- email Marlene at [email protected]
10 September 2025, 10:00 am - 58 minutes 33 secondsFPGH 215: September Garden To-Do's and Q & A
Planting, tasks and to do's that should take place in September for a beautiful fall garden.
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:
- email Marlene at [email protected]
3 September 2025, 10:00 am - 1 hour 15 minutesFPGH 214: Top 10 Drought Tolerant Plants for a Tropical Look
Want to feel like you are in the tropics but without the expensive plane ticket or large amounts of water? Bruce and Marlene each give their top 10 plants that grow with low water but give you the vibe of being in a far away destination
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:
- email Marlene at [email protected]
31 August 2025, 7:28 pm - 52 minutes 41 secondsFlower Power Garden Hour 213: Farmer Fred Hoffman of Garden Basics
If you garden in a water conscious State like California, you may be able to recite a list of plants and practices to reduce water in your landscape. But often vegetable gardening gets left out of water-wise conversations. Our guest -- the one and only --Fred Hoffman, discusses ways to employ water saving techniques for your veggies without sacrificing taste. What is the crop that consumes the most water? What are the most water efficient watermelons? We dive into this and more.
This episode is sponsored by BeWaterSmart. Farmer Fred can be found at:
- Podcast: Garden Basics with Farmer Fred
- Substack: Beyond The Garden Basics with Farmer Fred
- Website: farmerfred.com, gardenbasics.net
- Facebook: @Get Growing with Farmer Fred
- Instagram: @farmerfredhoffman
- Twitter: @farmerfred
- YouTube: @farmerfredhoffman
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:
- email Marlene at [email protected]
23 August 2025, 7:07 pm - 56 minutes 24 secondsFlower Power Garden Hour 212: August To Do List & Listener Q&A
It is the August To Do List – it has been a great, cool summer in NorCal. Bruce and I talk about current gardening work, and do a detailed dive into listener questions across a variety of topics.
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:
- email Marlene at [email protected]
9 August 2025, 5:45 pm - 1 hour 33 secondsFlower Power Garden Hour 211: Creating a cool (heat-wise) yard, with Cheryl Buckwalter
Summer heat getting to you? Add some cool to your yard. Bruce and I talk to award winning landscape designer, Cheryl Buckwalter, on how to create a cool oasis with some simple landscape tips.
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:
- email Marlene at [email protected]
31 July 2025, 10:41 pm - More Episodes? Get the App