Garden Gossip Home & Garden

As part of Big Blend Radio's GARDEN PARTY Celebrations, travel writer Debbie Stone talks about artist Kevin Box’s origami-like pieces that range from small works to larger forms, the latter of which can be found in the enchanting outdoor sculpture gardens in Santa Fe, Orlando, and Tulsa. Read Debbie's story and check out the images of the art, here: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/origami-in-the-garden-is-a-feast-for-the-senses/   Big Blend Radio's "Global Adventures with Debbie Stone " Podcast airs every 4th Tuesday. Follow the podcast here: https://global-adventures-debbie-stone.podbean.com/ 

In celebration of National Garden Month, this episode of Big Blend Radio features gardening expert Bevin Cohen who discusses his new book, "HERBS IN EVERY SEASON: 48 Edible and Medicinal Herbs for the Kitchen, Garden, and Apothecary," that's out now through Timber Press.  "Herbs in Every Season" offers gardeners, herbalists, cooks, and homesteaders a new way of looking at herbs throughout the year, and from every angle. The photographed guide features information on gardening, cooking, and integrating herbs as part of a holistic wellness routine. Herbalists will learn how an herb’s growth habits inform its medicinal capabilities, and gardeners will gain insight into herbs as integral culinary plants for the kitchen garden, pollinator plants for perennial borders, and key ingredients for a home apothecary.  Bevin Cohen is an author, herbalist, gardener, seed saver, and educator. He is the owner of Small House Farm, the founder of Michigan Seed Library Network, and offers workshops and lectures. More at: http:/

Celebrate Spring, National Garden Month and Poetry Month with Part 2 of Big Blend Radio's Spring Garden Party 2025.  FEATURED GUESTS - EVA ELDRIDGE is a travel writer, editor, publishing expert and avid gardener. Hear about some of her favorite local plants and botanical gardens in Tucson, Arizona. Visit: https://evaeldridge.com/  - DEBBIE STONE is a travel writer and photographer based in Santa Fe, New Mexico who talks about Origami in the Garden that features beautiful sculptures by artist Kevin Box. Read her story about it, here: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/origami-in-the-garden-is-a-feast-for-the-senses/  - HEIDI SANDER is a travel writer, author and award-winning poet who talks about how Stratford, Ontario is a destination for North American theatre and garden lovers. Her Stratford Gems book series is a poetic travel book that has highlighted some of the special gardens in Stratford through a unique artistic blend of photography and poetry. More: https://heidisander.com/  - JOHNNY SCHAEFER &

Celebrate National Garden Month with this special Big Blend Radio SPRING GARDEN PARTY (Part 1) featuring guest co-host Johnny Schaefer and special guests: Barbara Redding, Terri Guthrie, Joelle Machia & Ryan Slough, Julie Suman, Rose Palmer, Michelle Fedosoff, and Amy Nesler. Part 2 of this Garden Party podcast features ”Gardens, Flowers, Art & Poetry” airs on Monday, April 7 at 11am PT / 2pm ET on BigBlendRadio.com. Listen to our “Sounds of Spring” Music Playlist on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc4udexf  FEATURED GUESTS: – JOHNNY SCHAEFER  @hearjohnny   – Southern California based award-winning singer-songwriter and co-host of Big Blend Radio’s “Big Daily Blend” Podcast every 1st Sunday. Visit: https://hearjohnny.com/  – BARBARA REDDING – Freelance travel writer and photographer based in Austin, Texas. Visit: https://barbararedding.com/  – TERRI GUTHRIE – Travel journalist and photographer based in Dallas, Texas. Visit. https://travelwithterri.net/  – JOELLE MACHIA & RYAN SLOUGH – Travel writers,

On this episode of Big Blend Radio, Linda Kissam "Food, Wine & Shopping Diva," talks about Agritopia, a culinary haven in Gilbert, Arizona, that invites food lovers to experience farm-to-table dining like never before.  With its community gardens, artisanal eateries, and vibrant farmer’s market, this unique planned urban farming development blends agriculture with gastronomy, creating a feast for the senses. Read Linda's article about the unique housing, attractions, and amenities in Agritopia: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/a-foodies-guide-to-agritopia-in-gilbert-arizona/  Travel writer Linda Kissam appears on Big Blend Radio every first Saturday. Follow her podcasts here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzIUCV2e7qm1LoD5wiSJu4NM4KZxuJYoj  Follow Diva Linda's adventures here: https://allingoodtaste.info/  This episode is also being shared and featured on Big Blend Radio's "Eat, Drink & Be Merry" channel and "Garden Gossip" Channel. Check out our network of podcasts: https://www.podbean.co

Celebrate Daffodil Day (March 22) and the start of the spring travel season with this episode of Big Blend Radio's "English Connection" show with Glynn Burrows who talks about his adventures in Anglesey, Wales.  You can read Glynn's article about the daffodils, beautiful scenery, and historic sites like Beaumaris Castle in Anglesey, here:  https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/anglesey-wales-daffodils-scenery-and-historic-sites/  Glynn Burrows is the owner of Norfolk Tours in England. He appears on Big Blend Radio every fourth Saturday covering England as a travel destination as well as family history research. Follow his podcasts here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzIUCV2e7qm2IK_1Zfh-xJ9eEVYhqqC3Z  Learn more about Norfolk Tours at https://norfolk-tours.co.uk/  This episode is also featured on Big Blend Radio's "Big Daily Blend," "Way Back When," "Garden Gossip," and "Vacation Station" shows. Check out our network of podcasts here: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork 

Celebrate National Backyard Day (March 19)  and the Start of Spring with this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Pet Connection" Show that focuses on ways to create a backyard that is pet-friendly. Hear about toxic plants, fencing tips, and basic needs like shade and water, and more.  Big Blend Radio's PET CONNECTION Show is hosted by veteran pet sitters Nancy J Reid & Lisa Smith, the mother-daughter team behind Big Blend Radio & Magazines, and cohosted by Angela Laws, veteran pet sitter, and community manager at https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/   Check out this veterinarian approved article about Poisonous Plants for Pets on the Trustedhousesitters blog:   https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/blog/pets/pretty-yet-poisonous-plants-for-dogs-to-avoid/    This episode is also featured on Big Blend Radio's "Big Daily Blend"  and "Garden Gossip" Podcast Channels. Follow the "Pet Connection" podcast at https://pet-connection.podbean.com/ 

From gardens and historic sites to animal encounters and cultural hotspots, it's all about Portland, Oregon on this episode of Big Blend Radio's travel podcast "Journey Jukebox with Lisa." Hear about Lisa's experiences in The City of Roses including the International Rose Test Garden, Portland Japanese Garden, Pittock Mansion, The Grotto, Mississippi Studios, and Powell's Books, and the Oregon Zoo. LINKS TO LISA'S PORTLAND ARTICLES - https://rovology.com/united-states/oregon/rediscovering-the-rose-city-portland-oregon/  - https://fwtmagazine.com/a-step-back-in-time-pittock-mansion-in-portland-oregon/  LINKS TO PORTLAND SITES - https://www.portland.gov/parks/washington-park-international-rose-test-garden  - https://japanesegarden.org/  - https://www.oregonzoo.org/  - https://thegrotto.org/  - https://pittockmansion.org/  - https://mississippistudios.com/   - https://www.powells.com/  JOURNEY JUKEBOX MUSIC PLAYLIST on SPOTIFY (updated each episode):  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7humUf03LIW04t8LiJSSN9?si=5

From the Biltmore Blooms and the Asheville Orchid Festival to Art Shows and Music Events, Hiking and Chasing Waterfalls, and the Southern Conference Basketball and Wrestling Championships, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Adventures in Asheville" Podcast covers Spring Adventures in Asheville, North Carolina. As always the show features Steve & Karen Wilson "Mr & Mrs Wild, who own and run The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast, a stunning pink lady in the Montford Historic District. More: https://www.lion-rose.com/    Big Blend Radio's "Adventures in Asheville" Show airs every 1st Tuesday. Follow the show on PodBean: https://adventures-asheville.podbean.com/  This episode is also being shared and featured on other Big Blend Radio Network Podcast Channels including "Vacation Station" and "Garden Gossip," Check out our network of podcasts: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork 

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Show, author Paula Whyman discusses her memoir, "BAD NATURALIST: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop," out now through Timber Press.  A few years ago, Paula Whyman decided to leave her Maryland / suburban DC empty nest to find a rural getaway -- maybe a small farmhouse where she could put her interest in conservation to work. With little experience in gardening or conservation, Whyman had a crazy idea to cultivate a small native meadow to provide an acre or two where wildlife could thrive and she could explore with her poodle. Then she set foot on 200 acres of old farmland atop a Virginia mountain about 20 miles outside Front Royal, VA and her dream became a reality. In "BAD NATURALIST: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop," author Paula Whyman explains how she cares for her mountain-sized ecological restoration challenge with a mixture of humility and humor.  She quickly discovers it’s impossible t

In observance of World Social Justice Day, this episode of Big Blend Radio features Leah Rothstein, a veteran community organizer, local housing program expert, and co-author of "Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law" (Liveright: June 2023), which will be released in paperback on March 4, 2025. In 2017 Richard Rothstein wrote "The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America." The book has sold more than 1 million copies and started a revolution in the housing industry by explaining America’s troubled housing situation.   Newly educated and informed communities across the nation began to take action.  As Richard toured the country educating local communities, the communities began reviewing their housing policies and initiating changes. Realizing direction was needed to help communities get started and move the process forward, Richard enlisted his daughter, Leah Rothstein, to co-author "Just Action."  "Just Action" provides concrete examples of

This episode of Big Blend Radio's 2nd Wednesday "Books & Authors" Show with Books Forward features author and writer Barbara Boyle who discusses her new memoir, "Pinch Me: Waking Up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse.”  From a high stress career in global advertising to a simple rural life in a barn in an Italian hill town, "Pinch Me" shares Barbara's journey of transformation through love, food and community in Piemonte. Discover how she leaves her life behind in San Francisco and takes apart a 300-year-old stone barn to build a new home, a new life, in Italy. It’s a tale filled with discoveries, disappointments, pleasures, frustrations, and triumphs. And given the gastronomic excellence of the region, she shares some special recipes as well. Get the book or learn more here: https://www.barbaraboyleauthor.com/  More about Books Forward at https://booksforward.com/ 

It's all about Parks, Plantations, and Gardens in Charleston, South Carolina, on this episode of Big Blend Radio's JO GOES EVERYWHERE! Podcast with travel writer and photographer Jo Clark.  Hear all about Jo's adventures at Hampton Plantation State Historic Site, Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site, Magnolia Plantation, Middleton Place, and Hampton Park, plus, where to eat, sip, and stay. Check out her article about it all here: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/winter-in-charleston-south-carolina/  Jo Clark is a travel writer and photographer based on South Carolina’s Grand Strand. She has a thirst for knowledge, history, great food, and wine! Her Big Blend Radio podcast "Jo Goes Everywhere!" airs every 2nd Sunday at 7pm EST. Follow the show on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/yfkjm8sd 

Thinking of moving to England or purchasing a second property or vacation spaces? This episode of Big Blend Radio's "English Connection" show with Glynn Burrows focuses on real estate opportunities in England. Check out his article: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/considering-a-move-to-england/  Glynn Burrows is the owner of Norfolk Tours in England. He appears on Big Blend Radio every fourth Saturday covering England as a travel destination as well as family history research. Follow his podcasts here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzIUCV2e7qm2IK_1Zfh-xJ9eEVYhqqC3Z  Learn more about Norfolk Tours at https://norfolk-tours.co.uk/  This episode is also featured on Big Blend Radio's "Garden Gossip" home and garden show. Check out our network of podcasts here: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork 

On this episode of Big Blend Radio, award-winning author and journalist Simon Parkin discusses his new book, "The Forbidden Garden: The Botanists of Besieged Leningrad and Their Impossible Choice."  The first book to chart the history of the world’s largest collection of seeds, "The Forbidden Garden" shares the story of the Siege of Leningrad and how from 1941 to 1944, the scientists in the seed bank had to face an impossible choice each day: eat the collection to prevent starvation, or protect their life’s work to help end world hunger? More at https://www.simonparkin.com/  This episode is cohosted by Margot Carrera, a fine art nature photographer who is passionate about the environment.  More: http://margotcarrera.etsy.com/  Check out Big Blend Radio's network of podcasts: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork 

Happy World Urbanism Day, aka World City Planning Day! This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Show features Sara C. Bronin who discusses her book, "KEY TO THE CITY: How Zoning Shapes Our World."  Zoning codes have become the most significant regulatory power of local government, determining how we experience our cities. Yet zoning remains invisible. In "Key to the City," Sara reveals the impact of zoning—for good and ill—in cities across the country, from Hartford to Baltimore and Las Vegas to Chicago. Outdated zoning codes have maintained racial segregation, prioritized cars over people, and enabled great ecological harm.  Along with being an author, Sara is an architect, attorney, Cornell University professor, and founder of the National Zoning Atlas. More at https://www.sarabronin.com/ and https://www.zoningatlas.org/  Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Podcast airs every 2nd Monday and 4th Friday in collaboration with Margot Carrera, a fine art nature photographer who is passionate about

This episode of Big Blend Radio features photographer Steve Piacente, a reporter turned speechwriter, university professor, author, and life coach. You'll rarely find him without a camera is always at his side.  Hear about his photography, what and who inspires him, his world travels, and more, plus, check out his editorial Q&A with us here: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/photographer-insider-steve-piacente/  Visit Steve's online gallery: https://www.piacentephotos.com/ 

This episode of Big Blend Radio’s 3rd Monday “Food, Wine & Travel” Show with IFWTWA features travel blogger Feuza Reis who shares the ins-and-outs of purchasing property in Sicily, especially through unique 1 Euro Homes project in San Piero Patti.  A small village that's home to around 2,500 residents, San Piero Patti is located approximately 2 hours from each major airport in Sicily,  1 hour from Messina, and just 20 minutes from Patti, a larger city with around 9,000 inhabitants. This hilltop area offers stunning views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. From here, you can see the Aeolian Islands, and on a clear day, you can also see Panarea at the very bottom on the right, Stromboli. Read Feuza's article about it all in "Live in Italy" Magazine, here: https://liveinitalymag.com/buying-property-in-sicily-1-euro-homes/  Feuza Reis, also known as Fuse, combines her expertise in mid-budget travel with her deep affection for Europe in captivating stories and visuals on her blog, Fuse Travels. Originally from Brazil, Fus

This episode of Big Blend Radio's 1st Tuesday "Adventures in Asheville" Show focuses on unique art, garden, and community experiences. Featured Guests: - Steve & Karen Wilson - Owners and innkeepers of The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast, a stunning pink lady in the Montford Historic District. More: https://www.lion-rose.com/ - DeWayne Barton - Founder of Hood Huggers International and Peace Gardens & Market, in the heart of West Asheville’s Burton Street Community, a historically African American neighborhood established in the early 1900’s. More: https://hoodhuggers.com/ - Annie Katla Bennette - Co-owner of @artgardenavl an artist owned and operated Art Gallery & Plant Shop in Asheville's River Arts District. More: https://www.artgardenavl.com/ Big Blend Radio's "Adventures in Asheville" Show airs every 1st Tuesday. Follow the show on YouTube: http://tinyurl.com/ycxwjkr7 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jennifer McGuinness joins Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" and "Garden Gossip" podcasts to discuss her latest book, "Bird-Friendly Gardening." Releasing in April 2024 through Cool Springs Press, and available on pre-order, it's the ultimate and authoritative guide for cultivating a home landscape that embraces wildlife, specifically catering to a diverse array of native plants that nourish, shelter, and sustain birds. Every individual has the power to significantly impact the lives of thousands of birds, whether they're passing through during migration or establishing a feathered haven for the next generation. Creating a bird-friendly haven for various species need not be an overwhelming task. The key lies in understanding the requirements of our avian companions and recognizing how native plants, coupled with intentional garden design, can fulfill those needs. In "Bird-Friendly Gardening," Jennifer McGuinness expertly presents this knowledge in an easy-to-follow, actionable format. More: https://frauzi