The Garden Show with Charlie Dobbin

Charlie fields questions from great callers that run the gamut: transplanting shrubs & bulbs, fertilizing apples, a scruffy lawn with a wedding on the horizon, plus pruning lilacs, plums, holly and lots more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver from the Urban Nature Store joins Charlie in-studio to share tips for supporting birds and discouraging critters like squirrels. We also discuss when to plant Canna lilies, planting in shade and fungus gnats on a large indoor palm tree. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Replacing an old apple tree, growing beneath an old blue spruce tree, and trees that grow well in moisture. That's the beginning of the show. Voles, pruning butterfly bush + rose of Sharon, not to mention rabbit damage on serviceberry. It's a very big show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Things are hopping on the Garden Show today - to till or not an ancient asparagus patch? Soil preparation and composition - again, to till? Coffee grounds in the garden, boxwood replacements, Irish Spring soap to deter squirrels and more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Today's show covers overwatered African violets, pruning Clematis, repelling cats from the garden and a search for Edelweiss. Plus lots more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver (urbannaturestore.ca) joins the show to share his expertise with wildlife. Attracting bluebirds, best plantings to support birds, how and when to clean birdhouses, and the annual arrival of the bully grackles are all discussed today. Plus what to do with excess fireplace ashes? Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Many native insects use the hollow stems of herbaceous perennials for overwintering. Plants like Sedum and ornamental grasses. Don't rush to remove this material until the insects have moved on - likely early to mid May. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Callers are interested in taking geranium cuttings, caring for 'mother-in-laws tongue, starting seeds and filling raised gardens. Spring is on its way! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Fully grown Bridal Wreath Spirea in an allotment garden, Rhubarb in a raised garden and dwarf Hydrangea along a foundation. All this and more on the Garden Show this week! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Colin Campbell joins show from the 'hood' to share tips on apple tree care, Maple madness and more. Meanwhile callers have cut tulips falling over, weeds in vegetable gardens, squirrels stripping lilac bushes and English ivy taking over. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Plants are thriving with the longer days and callers need advice. To re-pot or not very overgrown Amaryllis? What about orchids that have formed "pips" (baby plants) on flower stems? Dean and Charlie weigh in on the power of a heated bird bath. And Sue has been saving wood ashes and eggshells all winter. What to do with them? Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

60 years ago the red & white maple leaf flag was raised over Parliament Hill. Proud to be a Canadian during turbulent times! Meanwhile, it's time to prune Forsythia for indoor forcing. How to propagate African violets, Virginia creeper and let's talk succession planting in preparation for summer! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Fireplace ash for the garden (how much?), thistle infestation in raised garden beds (how eradicate?), super-long English ivy stems (how propagate?) and Amaryllis still dormant! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Keeping Amaryllis healthy and blooming for many years is easy - fertilizing, re-potting and more. We discuss soggy orchid care plus a caller is searching for specific Chrysanthemums. Another caller has a good suggestion! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

We chat about Robbie Burns Day and Scottish thistles. Watering orchids, Christmas cactus failing, box tree moths, and a caller from Uruguay tells us about Lady of the Night (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) blooming recently. The fragrance is magnificent! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Rick Gray, co-author of The Gardener's Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region, joins us on the show. We discuss milkweed tussock moths, the region this book is relevant to, promoting insects and birds in our gardens, and when volume 2 & 3 will be published to include native trees. NativePlantGardener.ca for more info. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

We talk orchids with Terry Kennedy, orchid expert and co-owner of Orchids in Our Tropics. Callers are interested in best media, best fertilizer and how the heck do you know when to water an orchid?!? Shrub suggestions for a bay window, geranium propagation, and more about Amaryllis. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Orchids, Amaryllis, Dahlias and palms. All need attention now! Plus how to find OMAFRA factsheets on the web. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Marked down Amaryllis, winter mulch on roses and lavender, potted spruce on the 9th floor, and raspberries that don't provide fruit. We discuss OMAFRA factsheets, and frankly, just how hard they are to access! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Old roses, Poinsettia defoliation, propagating Christmas cactus, and saving eggshells for the garden. All this and more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Callers are few; so Charlie & Dean chat about growing sprouts and microgreens, frozen jade plants and birds. Superhero caller Jean uses this opportunity to call twice in one show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Propagating figs, moving old roses and droopy Poinsettias. It doesn't get more fun than this! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

More about leaving the leaves on the lawn, overwintering tropical Agapanthus and Dipladenia, fall mums, Poinsettia care and of course, Amaryllis. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver from the Urban Nature Store joins the show to share tips and information about caring for our feathered friends. Callers need how to overwinter water lilies, force bulbs indoors, and care for tropical Hibiscus. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Can there be too many leaves on the garden beds? What about storing calla lilies overwinter? Will roses survive after being stripped by Japanese beetles earlier in the season? And lots more... Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Pruning Rose of Sharon, Bougainvillea, a cedar hedge, and Clematis. Great tip to repel squirrels, and should we put small rocks in the bottom of pots when planting? Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Callers have tips for controlling cats indoors and squirrels outdoors. Roots growing into raised gardens, storing tender bulbs overwinter and indoor tropical plants defoliating. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Caring for Dipladenia, Lisianthus, and Dahlia tubers over the winter is topical. Keeping a plant-eating cat under control, and Hydrangeas with no flowers are also covered this week on the Garden Show. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

This week it's all about fall lawn fertilizer, pruning Holly and Dogwood, transplanting and insects on plants coming indoors for the winter. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Brussels sprouts with no sprouts! Overwintering Dahlias, Canna lilies, strawberries and more. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Boxwood and tomato blight, pruning lilacs and honeysuckle shrubs, and burying pots of hostas and redbud plants are all covered this week on the Garden Show. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Lots about pruning: rose of Sharon, Limelight Hydrangea and more. Listeners call about the joy of Hummingbird moths and the sorrow of mealy bugs! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Jonas Spring (Ecoman.ca) joins us to talk about recent flooding and how to ameliorate it's effects in our gardens. We speak of condos as cliff gardens, and all those little sprigs of growth popping up in between sidewalk slabs. He refers to these areas as Alvar Ecosystems. Callers are starting to think about bringing the tropical plants inside for winter! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Callers have lawn issues: grubs, overseeding etc. Beets are being eaten, dead boxwood needs a replacement and when to prune Weigela and rose of Sharon (Hibiscus) are topical. Meanwhile, Charlie shares some great plant tips to support late season pollinators! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Listeners ask about roses: super tall this year, early defoliation and how to avoid disease in the future? Lawns: when & what order to apply (1) nematodes, (2) fall fertilizer, (3) topdressing and seed? When to prune Magnolia and 'Bloomerang' lilac also topical this week. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Though it's not technically autumn, the shorter days and cooler weather has us all in a fall kind of mind. Now is the perfect time for lawn repair, old privet hedge rejuvenation, and Iris division. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Propagating beets, growing dormant perennials and overwintering Hydrangeas in pots are a few of our topics today on the Garden Show. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Callers are interested in tomato blight, slugs, fall fertilizing and black spot on roses. Charlie is all about eating peppers, eggplants, carrots, tomatoes and herbs. Time for a BLT! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Trumpet vine, goutweed and lily of the valley roaming the neighborhood. Slugs galore, diseased roses and more. All on the Garden Show this week! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Potting mix toxicity for cats, carrots going to seed, early defoliation of trees, and a long-time gardener wants to know about amending her soil. And more, of course, about Hydrangeas! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Lots of rain means lots of mosquitoes. One caller has a novel solution. Tomatoes with no flowers and chipmunks tunneling beneath the air conditioner. What to do? Listen to this week's episode of the Garden Show. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

When to harvest garlic, how and when to prune rose of Sharon, including a lecture on appropriate soil amendments. Is it ok to add eggshells, wood ash and coffee grounds to your garden soil? Find out on this week's episode of the Garden Show. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Yellow leaves on Katsura, box tree moth persistence and a tiny Redbud in a pot are all covered this week. Plus, how to feed Venus flytrap? Hollyhock from seed, pesky deer flies and more on the Garden Show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Squirrels stealing peaches, aphids on petunias, scale on Magnolia and fungus on cherry trees. It's that time of year when we look for solutions and plan to better prevent problems next season. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Overgrown tropicals, Hydrangea leaf-tiers and white fly on Hibiscus. Disappearing trilliums and beans being munched by rabbits. It's a busy show full of pesky pests! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Poison ivy, invasive lawn weeds, Lily leaf beetles and horse tails (Equisetum) - all really not wanted. What to do? Listen up tips and tricks this week on The Garden Show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

From Plumeria, peony and Dipladenia not blooming, to boxwood and dogwood failing to thrive, to well preserved refrigerated tulip bulbs - the garden show is full of fun and entertaining information this week! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

What to do in a small yard with a 15 year old Autumn Blaze maple tree? Lovely tree with no room to really expand. Ant hills, non-blooming Lilacs, Hibiscus and orchids, and how come mushrooms are growing in the lawn? Busy show this week! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

The Box Tree Moth is wreaking havoc on many gardens in southern Ontario and beyond. We discuss identifying the pest, pesticides (BTK) to control, and callers chime in with best replacements for boxwood. Overgrown lilac, and the search for Campanula isophylla also covered this week on the Garden Show. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Gellatly aka The Tattooed Gardener.ca joins Dean and Charlie in studio for a rollicking show. The 'piss-off plant' (Plectranthus caninus) is said to keep cats and other mammals away. Pruning Hydrangeas, whether to dead-head petunias and controlling what might be Robber Flies are all discussed. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio