MARGARET ROACH A WAY TO GARDEN

The Gardening for Nature Survey – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Nov. 9, 2026

It’s not news that more and more gardeners are trying their hand at landscaping with native plants in recent years—often by converting a piece of lawn to something more diverse as a first step. But how’s it going? An environmental... Read More ›

2026-11-06
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A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Nov 2, 2026 – Renee Kemmerer on Native ‘Weeds’

What’s in a name—specifically when it’s the common name of a plant that includes the word “weed”? When you hear of plants like jewelweed or pokeweed or clearweed, to name a few, what does it make you think? All of... Read More ›

2026-10-30
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A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Oct 26, 2026 – The Art of Crevice Gardening

I’ve never had a rock garden, I confess, but a book about a modern and extreme form of the art caught my attention when it was published. It’s called “The Crevice Garden: How to Make the Perfect Home for Plants... Read More ›

2026-10-23
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A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Oct 19, 2026 – Creative Use of Woody Plants at Stoneleigh

There’s power in numbers. That’s what the horticulture team at Stoneleigh, the historic estate turned native-focused public garden in Villanova, Pennsylvania, seems to be demonstrating time and again with its highly creative approach to using woody plants. Yes, planting a... Read More ›

2026-10-16
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A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Oct 12, 2026 – Sam Jaffe on Extraordinary Caterpillars

“We’re so good at pretending the things around us are known and boring, or imagining that the worthwhile things are far away,” says Sam Jaffe, at the start of the documentary film “The Extraordinary Caterpillar.” Sam begs to differ, however,... Read More ›

2026-10-09
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A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Oct 5, 2026 – Nancy Lawson on Awe-Filled Gardens

One late-August day, Nancy Lawson—or “The Humane Gardener,” as she is perhaps better known—was making a video about a spicebush swallowtail butterfly when something just beyond it in her Maryland yard caught her eye. A green heron was visiting a... Read More ›

2026-10-02
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Hannah Fries’s ‘A Forest Language’ – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Sept 28, 2026

In the introduction to her latest book “A Forest Language,” Hannah Fries acknowledges a fascination with the words we use to talk about trees – organisms she calls the backdrop of her life. From our human vocabulary of forest ecology... Read More ›

2026-09-25
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Bill Braun on Seed Saving – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Sept 21, 2026

I look around the garden and I see it happening everywhere, on so many different plants: seed is forming. Seed is the start of most everything we grow, yet most of the seed we gardeners and even more important the... Read More ›

2026-09-18
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Exceptional Woody Plants from ‘Arnold Selects’ – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Sept 14, 2026

What makes a tree or shrub exceptional – something worthy of introduction into the nursery trade, and eventually maybe making its way into your garden? There are many pathways a plant can travel to get there, including one unique one... Read More ›

2026-09-11
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JM Fortier on Vegetable Garden Wisdom – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Sept 7, 2026

When I heard that today’s guest, who’s been a guiding force in educating organic farmers, was finally publishing a book specifically for gardeners … I was thrilled. I’d been following JM Fortier since his first handbook on biointensive organic market... Read More ›

2026-09-04
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Leslie Halleck on Home Greenhouses – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Aug 31, 2026

Is a greenhouse in your future? I’ve never had one, and I have always been not-so-secretly jealous of friends who do—whether to propagate their seedlings in late winter into spring, or grow more tropicals and other “houseplants” than fit in... Read More ›

2026-08-28
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Timothy Pakron on What’s Fresh From the Garden – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Aug 24, 2026

The opening pages of Timothy Pakron’s about-to-be-released cookbook aren’t pictures of plates of food, but rather gorgeous flower photos – some dreamy cosmos, followed by a double-page spread of silvery mountain mint, or Pycnanthemum, gleaming against a moody dark background.... Read More ›

2026-08-21
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Marc Hachadourian on Water Lilies – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Aug 17, 2026

Rather than digging in, let’s wade in to our topic this week – because the subject is waterlilies. If you follow any botanical gardens on social media, you’ve probably seen how the giant tropical Victoria water lilies, with their massive... Read More ›

2026-08-14
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Lane Selman on Radicchio – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Aug 10, 2026

When was the last time you made room in your vegetable garden for something a little out of the ordinary that you’d never grown or maybe even tasted before? I don’t know of anyone who speaks out more passionately or... Read More ›

2026-08-07
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JJ Apodaca on Welcoming Amphibians – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Aug 3, 2026

I don’t recall who tipped me off to the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy’s email newsletter, but I am glad that I found it and signed up. Those of you who are longtime listeners or readers of A Way to Garden... Read More ›

2026-07-31
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Adam Wheeler on Pick of the Hydrangeas – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – July 27, 2026

Trigger warning: Today’s segment will include mention of irresistible hydrangeas and may prompt severe plant-shopping binges in susceptible individuals. You’ve been warned. My guest is Adam Wheeler of Broken Arrow Nursery, a retail and mail-order destination for exceptional plants in... Read More ›

2026-07-24
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August Laska Talks Houseplants – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – July 20, 2026

Are you a follower of fashion—houseplant fashion, that is—seeking out the latest variety that everyone’s after, perhaps the “it” plant that’s been splashed across social media? Or was each houseplant in your care carefully chosen because it’s a perfect match... Read More ›

2026-07-17
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Craig LeHoullier on Tomato Troubles – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – July 13, 2026

I call the phenomenon tomato troubles: the yellow-spotted foliage that falls off, or the plant that produces all those misshapen fruits. And yes, the attack of the hornworms, too, when you wake up to a lot of missing leaves one... Read More ›

2026-07-10
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Lea Johnson on Conservation Meeting Horticulture – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – July 6, 2026

Today’s guest is a plant ecologist whose work, she says, is driven by this question: “All of the wild diversity of life on earth is here, with us, right now. How can we take it with us into the future?”... Read More ›

2026-07-03
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Doug Muller on Successions and Cover Crops – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – June 29, 2026

I know, it feels like we just planted the vegetable garden moments ago. But a close look around as summer really takes hold quickly reminds us that our work is never done. Some crop or other is reaching the end... Read More ›

2026-06-26
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Design Ideas from Madoo – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – June 22, 2026

The recently published book “Madoo: The Making of an American Garden,” reminded me of the power of certain key design strategies that can make all the difference—ones that proved to be formative elements in the highly distinctive garden that is... Read More ›

2026-06-19
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Christin Geall on ‘Flora Culture’ – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – June 15, 2026

I’ve been digging into a diverse and compelling collection of essays in a recent book that’s centered on the subject of flowers – everything from topics like their breeding, to which species we covet most of all, to some of... Read More ›

2026-06-12
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Elise Howard on Native-Plant Adventures – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – June 8, 2026

When today’s guest, Elise Howard, and I talked on the show in March, her new book “Plant This, Not That” was just out. The popular book offers basic guidelines for selecting and using native plants, and specific substitutes for non-natives... Read More ›

2026-06-05
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Hummingbirds and Red Flowers – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – June 1, 2026

If you’ve ever posted a photo on the massive community science project called iNaturalist and wondered how such contributions get used in research …. well, today’s guest is here to tell us about one especially stunning example. It involves 1.6... Read More ›

2026-05-27
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Paul Bannick on Owls – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – May 25, 2026

Owls: They are birds we more often hear than see, exceptionally well-camouflaged creatures, many of whom move about in the hours of low light for an extra layer of stealth, making them seem even more mysterious. So what do you... Read More ›

2026-05-22
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Jeff Epping on Gravel Gardens – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – May 18, 2026

The more that I see photographs of gravel gardens, and the more that I learn about this gardening style, which besides its distinctive aesthetic appeal promises to be water-wise and weed-suppressing, the more I want to give it a try.... Read More ›

2026-05-15
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The Wildr App, Guide to an Eco-Journey – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – May 11, 2026

Finding our way toward a more ecologically vibrant garden can sometimes feel a bit challenging, and I’m always looking for resources to guide me along the way, and to share with you. Last year I shared news about a... Read More ›

2026-05-08
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Stephen Orr on Using Color – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – May 4, 2026

How confident are you about the use of color in your garden, and where do you draw your inspiration from for creating a pleasing palette? The topic of color is just one of the subjects Stephen Orr tackles in his... Read More ›

2026-05-01
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Sam Hoadley on Native Cultivars – A Way to Garden With Margaret Roach – April 27, 2026

If we’re shopping for native plants with the most ecological impact—ones with the most pollinator appeal, for example—then simply choosing by the prettiest picture on a label or by a catalog photo won’t get you to your goal. It helps... Read More ›

2026-04-24
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Performance Plants of the High Line – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – April 20, 2026

Both gardeners and their plants have to be more resilient than ever these days in our changing climate, it seems. At the High Line in New York City, one of the best-known naturalistic gardens anywhere, that’s especially so, since it’s... Read More ›

2026-04-15
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Marlene Zuk on Outsider Animals – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – April 13, 2026

I’m privileged to observe a fascinating diversity of animals outside where I live, but the term “Outsider Animals” was new to me—and it’s the title of a recent book by today’s guest, Marlene Zuk, a leading expert in behavioral evolution... Read More ›

2026-04-10
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Becca Rodomsky-Bish on Bird Gardens – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – April 6, 2026

I always say that birds taught me to garden, as I watched their behavior here at my place, and added more of the plants and features they seemed to like and use most, and I have been blessed to have... Read More ›

2026-04-03
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Shaun McCoshum on Creating Habitat – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – March 30, 2026

We talk about pollinator gardens, and seek out the plants that provide that essential nourishment to bees and butterflies and moths, for example. But insects do not live by pollen alone: To make our gardens places of life-sustaining habitat, we... Read More ›

2026-03-27
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Ned Friedman on Wisdom in a Tree – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – March 23, 2026

I wish that when I was a college freshman, a course like Harvard’s seminar called “Tree” had been part of the curriculum, because since I learned about the class last year, I’ve never looked at a tree quite the same... Read More ›

2026-03-20
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Elise Howard’s ‘Plant This, Not That’ – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – March 16, 2026

You’ve seen and heard the list of no-no plants that were showy longtime nursery and garden standards, but have proven invasive and need to go. Yes, we can yank out the Bradford pears and butterfly bush and the rest of... Read More ›

2026-03-13
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Let’s Get Out and Botanize – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – March 9, 2026

When spring approaches and we get out into the garden again, it’s easy to get distracted by the to-do list, or just by the latest pretty thing that’s emerging after winter’s relative blank slate. But there’s a whole other layer... Read More ›

2026-03-06
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Margaret Renkl on the Weedy Garden – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – March 2, 2026

Margaret Renkl’s newest book “The Weedy Garden: A Happy Habitat for Wild Friends,” is aimed at children, but it’s really for everyone, she says, and indeed we grownups, too, often need a reminder that our gardens are not just “our... Read More ›

2026-02-27
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Joe Lamp’l on Seed-Starting Mixes – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Feb 23, 2026

When growing from seed, the long list of decisions starts with what turns out to be the simplest question of all: which variety of bean (or tomato, or zinnia, or basil) to order. But then things get more complicated: questions... Read More ›

2026-02-20
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Sarah Kleeger on Homegrown Spices – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Feb 16, 2026

What do you say we explore expanding our herb-gardening efforts to include some goodies to fill those jars in the spice rack, too? Most of us have probably grown cilantro, for instance, with its distinctive-tasting bright green foliage, but I... Read More ›

2026-02-13
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Peace Seedlings on Rainbow of Peas – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Feb 9, 2026

“The dream has always been a rainbow of peas,” Dylana Kapuler said to me more than a decade ago, and that dream continues to fuel a passion for breeding colorful, edible-podded peas at the organically managed Oregon-based seed company called... Read More ›

2026-02-06
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Sam Hoadley on Goldenrods – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Feb 2, 2026

Goldenrods are powerhouses – keystone plants that serve as hosts for more than 100 species of butterflies and moths, and rich late-season sources of pollen and nectar for countless beneficial insects followed by sustenance in the form of seed for... Read More ›

2026-01-30
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Don Tipping on Top Tomatoes – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Jan 26, 2026

IT WAS 1 degree Fahrenheit outside when I looked at my electronic weather station readout this morning – a perfect time for some winter-defying tactics like talking tomatoes. Organic seed farmer and breeder Don Tipping of Siskiyou Seeds in Oregon... Read More ›

2026-01-23
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Reprise of Matt Mattus on Sweet Peas – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Jan 19, 2026

Every year when I get to the sweet pea listings in the seed catalogs, I think this is the year, the year I’ll organize some supports in the garden for them, and indulge in their unmatched extravagance of color and... Read More ›

2026-01-16
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James Young on Dye Plants – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Jan 12 2026

Until I met today’s guest, James Young, early in 2025, it hadn’t really registered in my brain that some of the familiar annuals I grow from seed, like cosmos and marigolds and even purple basil, could also double as dye... Read More ›

2026-01-09
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Lane Selman on Must-Try Vegetable Seeds – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Jan 5, 2026

I’m letting myself be transported away from the winter scene outside my window, burying my nose not in the snow but instead in the spring-into-summer possibilities depicted in seed-catalog pages. I have familiar, favorite varieties I grow every year –... Read More ›

2026-01-02
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Julie Zickefoose on Bird-Feeding Season – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Dec 29, 2025

I put out my first bird feeder of the season around Thanksgiving or so each year and get the party started. But there’s more to feeding the birds than just filling the feeders, like how to keep them safe in... Read More ›

2025-12-26
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Melissa Finley on Tree Care History and How-to – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Dec 22, 2025

The earliest references to people cultivating trees date back to 6000 B.C., and there are records of tree-care tactics in the Bible, too, and from ancient Egypt. These person-to-tree interventions were the start of the science and art of arboriculture,... Read More ›

2025-12-19
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Uli Lorimer on Keystone Plants – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Dec. 15 2025

Not so many years ago, relative to the history of horticulture, even a now-ubiquitous phrase like “pollinator plant” wasn’t part of our everyday gardening language and mindset the way it is today. Our collective consciousness about the importance of native... Read More ›

2025-12-12
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Matt Mattus on Holiday Blooms – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Dec 8, 2025

If I say: quick, name a holiday flower, you might first answer poinsettia. But the poinsettia wasn’t always synonymous with this time of year, today’s guest tells me – like once upon a time more than a century ago the... Read More ›

2025-12-05
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Rob Moffitt on Unusual Houseplants – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Dec 1, 2025

I can’t imagine life without my admittedly oddball collection of houseplants, many of whom have been with me for several decades already. So I was delighted recently to meet today’s guest, Rob Moffitt, whose Los Angeles-based botanical design studio specializes... Read More ›

2025-11-28
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