The Garden Thyme Podcast

Goldenrods: The Garden Thyme Podcast

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goldenrods episode of The Garden Thyme Podcast

Gold and yellow hues are the undeniable colors of autumn. In this episode of The Garden Thyme Podcast, we discuss one of our favorite yellow-blooming perennial plants – goldenrod. With its pretty yellow flowers, long blooming seasons, and high wildlife value, what is not to love about these fantastic native plants? Mikaela also counts down her top pick of goldenrods for different gardens (~17:10). Her goldenrod bloom chart can be found here.

We also have our: 

  • Native Plant of the Month – Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) (~22:45)
  • Bug of the Month – Goldenrod Bunch Gall Midge  (~33:35)
  • Garden Tips of the Month (~39:15)
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If you have any garden-related questions, please email us at UMEGardenPodcast@gmail.com or look us up on Facebook.

For more information about the University of Maryland Extension (UME) and these topics, please check out the UME Home and Garden Information Center.

The Garden Thyme Podcast is brought to you by the University of Maryland Extension. Hosts are Mikaela Boley- Senior Agent Associate (Talbot County) for Horticulture, Rachel Rhodes- Agent Associate for Horticulture (Queen Anne’s County), and Emily Zobel-Senior Agent Associate for Agriculture (Dorchester County).

Theme Song: By Jason Inc 

Ants & Termites: The Garden Thyme Podcast

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In this month’s episode of The Garden Thyme Podcast, we are talking about two common household pests: ants and termites. We often get questions about these two pests. While both live in colonies and can enter our homes, they have very different lifecycles and social structures. Some of them are nuisance pests, while others can cause damage to our homes.

We also have our: 

  • Native Plant of the Month – Wild mint (Mentha arvensis)– ~ 24:25
  • Bug of the Month –  Golden-backed snipe fly ~ ~28:30
  • Garden Tips of the Month – ~31:30
Listen to the podcast

If you have any garden-related questions, please email us at UMEGardenPodcast@gmail.com or look us up on Facebook. For more information about these topics, please check out the Home and Garden Information Center.

The Garden Thyme Podcast is brought to you by the University of Maryland Extension. Hosts are Mikaela Boley, Senior Agent Associate (Talbot County) for Horticulture; Rachel Rhodes, Agent Associate for Horticulture (Queen Anne’s County); and Emily Zobel, Senior Agent Associate for Agriculture (Dorchester County).

Theme Song: By Jason Inc

Pollination: The Garden Thyme Podcast

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The garden thyme podcast episode on pollination and pollinators

In this month’s episode of The Garden Thyme Podcast, we are excited to celebrate National Pollinator Week ( June 19-25, 2023)! A pollinator is any animal that visits flowering plants and moves pollen from flower to flower, which helps plants reproduce, making fruits and seeds. In North America pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, flower flies, beetles, and wasps. Worldwide, approximately 1,000 plants grown for food, beverages, fibers, and spices need to be pollinated by animals.

We also have our: 

  • Native Plant of the Month – Beardtongues (Penstemon digitalis and P. hirsutus) ~16:40
  • Bug of the Month – Fig wasps (Agaonidae sp.) ~21:18
  • Garden Tips of the Month – ~30:00
Listen to the podcast

If you have any garden-related questions, please email us at UMEGardenPodcast@gmail.com or look us up on Facebook. For more information about these topics, please check out the Home and Garden Information Center.

The Garden Thyme Podcast is brought to you by the University of Maryland Extension. Hosts are Mikaela Boley, Senior Agent Associate (Talbot County) for Horticulture; Rachel Rhodes, Agent Associate for Horticulture (Queen Anne’s County); and Emily Zobel, Senior Agent Associate for Agriculture (Dorchester County).

Theme Song: By Jason Inc

Fruit Trees & Small Fruits: The Garden Thyme Podcast

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In this month’s episode, we’re talking about selecting and growing small fruits and fruit trees. With spring blooming around us, many garden centers and stores will have fruit trees and small fruit shrubs for sale. Creating a home orchard can provide a source of delicious fruit. However, fruit trees and shrubs have their own unique challenges. In this month’s episode, we discuss tips for planning your orchard, growing small fruit (~11:05), tips for growing tree fruit (~27:53) and native fruits (~38:15). 

We also have our: 

  • Native Plant of the Month – Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) ~43:30
  • Bug of the Month –  Plum Curculio ~47:30
  • Garden Tips of the Month – ~52:38

We currently have an open survey for ALL listeners; whether you’ve listened to all of our episodes, or this is your first time. We developed an evaluation to find out if the information we share on the podcast has made a difference in your practices at home. We promise that it is a short, easy 5-minute survey, and we even have exclusive podcast stickers to give to those who participate. We are so thankful for the feedback, and we appreciate you tuning in for the podcast! 

You can take our survey here.

If you have any garden-related questions, please email us at UMEGardenPodcast@gmail.com or look us up on Facebook. For more information about the University of Maryland Extension (UME) and these topics, please check out the UME Home and Garden Information Center.

The Garden Thyme Podcast is brought to you by the University of Maryland Extension. Hosts are Mikaela Boley- Senior Agent Associate (Talbot County) for Horticulture, Rachel Rhodes- Agent Associate for Horticulture (Queen Anne’s County), and Emily Zobel-Senior Agent Associate for Agriculture (Dorchester County).

Theme Song: By Jason Inc

Winter Garden Chores & Holiday Tree Tips: The Garden Thyme Podcast

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It is almost 2023, but you can still do some chores in your garden this year. In this episode of The Garden Thyme Podcast, we talk about the winter garden chores Rachel has been doing, and Mikaela and Emily have been putting off. We also talk holiday plant care (16:00), including caring for living trees (19:00) and fresh-cut trees (28:10).  

Link to our survey: go.umd.edu/gardenthyme

The effect of Christmas lights on trees: NPR Science Friday. 

Thank you all for listening. See you next year! 

– Mikaela, Rachel & Emily 

If you have any garden-related questions, please email us at UMEGardenPodcast@gmail.com or look us up on Facebook. For more information about topics covered in the podcast, please check out the UME Home and Garden Information Center.

The Garden Thyme Podcast is brought to you by the University of Maryland Extension. Hosts are Mikaela Boley- Senior Agent Associate (Talbot County) for Horticulture, Rachel Rhodes- Agent Associate for Horticulture (Queen Anne’s County), and Emily Zobel-Senior Agent Associate for Agriculture (Dorchester County).

Theme Song: By Jason Inc

Bats!: The Garden Thyme Podcast

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It’s Spooky Season! In this month’s episode, we sit down with Leslie Sturges of the Bat Conservation & Rescue of Virginia to talk about bats. We chat about how much we love bats and why you should also. She tells us all about the types of bat you can find in Maryland (9:53), Whitenose syndrome (17:03), how bats rear their young (23:24), and echolocation (25:50). We also put some of the vampire and other bat myths to rest (40:30). 

We also have our: 

  • Native Plant of the Month – American Persimmon (51:15)
  • Bug of the Month – Twisted winged parasites (45:01) 
  • Garden Tips of the Month (58:25)

The Garden Thyme Podcast is brought to you by the University of Maryland Extension. Hosts are Mikaela Boley- Senior Agent Associate (Talbot County) for Horticulture, Rachel Rhodes- Agent Associate for Horticulture (Queen Anne’s County), and Emily Zobel-Senior Agent Associate for Agriculture (Dorchester County).

Theme Song: By Jason Inc

Fall Colors: The Garden Thyme Podcast

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Fall is almost here, and we are ready. Nothing signals the start of fall like the changing of the leaves. In this episode, we discuss what causes the leaves to change color. It was also really hard to choose, but we picked our top 5 trees with the best fall color.  We also have some suggestions for shrubs, grasses, and flowers that make great additions to the garden in the fall. 

We also have our: 

  • Native Plant of the Month – New England Aster ( ~37:22 )
  • Bug of the Month – Paper wasps (~41:30)
  • Garden Tips of the Month  (~49:15)

The Garden Thyme Podcast is brought to you by the University of Maryland Extension. Hosts are Mikaela Boley- Senior Agent Associate (Talbot County) for Horticulture, Rachel Rhodes- Agent Associate for Horticulture (Queen Anne’s County), and Emily Zobel-Senior Agent Associate for Agriculture (Dorchester County).

Theme Song: By Jason Inc