gardening Archives

Roy and Piet: The Perennial Whisperers

July 20, 2019July 21, 2019 Mike Nowak environment, gardening, Green Scene Chicago, Millennium Park, Peggy Malecki, Piet Oudolf, plant communities, Plant Sentry, Roy Diblik, Sudden Oak Death, The Lurie Garden, The Mike Nowak Show, Tom Buechel

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:43:50 — 48.9MB)

World-renowned perennial plant experts Roy Diblik and Piet Oudolf join Mike and Peggy to talk about plant communities and good design. On the heels of the discovery in the Midwest of P. ramorum, a pathogen that has the potential to kill oak trees, Tom Buechel returns to the show to explain how the Plant Sentry program can protect states from diseases, pests and invasive plants. Martie Sanders and the actors at Green Team Chicago are back with a report on this summer’s production, “…not for all the tea in China!” (Hint: it’s about the history of tea.)

Podcast

Get Outside Already! Yeah, You!

July 13, 2019July 15, 2019 Mike Nowak Danielle Perry, environment, gardening, Get Outside Map, Growing Home Inc., Montrose Beach Dunes, mosquito control, Openlands, organic urban farms, Peggy Malecki, piping plovers, Summit Responsible Solutions, The Mike Nowak Show

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:45:04 — 48.6MB)

Patrick Williams from Openlands discusses their new “Get Outside Map” for the Chicago area, as well as the demise of the Route 53 extension and flooding forums in Lake County. Danielle Perry, new executive director at Growing Home, talks about their mission to grow organic produce and help Chicagoans find jobs. Another report on the threatened MAMBY concert on Montrose Beach, this time from neighborhood leader Marianne Lalonde. Bill Stengel from Summit Responsible Solutions tell you why Mosquito Dunks are the best way to deal with that insect pest.

Podcast

Net Zero Energy Design…and Beyond!

July 6, 2019July 9, 2019 Mike Nowak architecture, climate change, gardening, green living, Melinda Myers, Nate Kipnis, native plants, net zero, Peggy Malecki, summer vegetables, sustainability, The Mike Nowak Show, Tom Bassett-Dilley

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:44:52 — 49.3MB)

Chicago area architects Tom Bassett-Dilley and Nate Kipnis join Mike and Peggy in studio to talk about the potential for net zero–and possibly net positive-energy design projects. Show regular Melinda Myers returns to talk native plants and getting a late start on veggie planting in the Midwest.

Protecting Plovers in Chicago - Montrose Beach

Podcast

Protecting Piping Plovers in Chicago

June 29, 2019July 2, 2019 Mike Nowak Chicago Ornithological Society, environment, fireworks, gardening, Great Lakes, Kathleen Thompson, MAMBY, Montrose Beach, Peggy Malecki, piping plover, Recall Desk, sustainability, The Mike Nowak Show

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:44:05 — 48.5MB)

Mike and Peggy follow up on last week’s conversation about the return of the piping plover to Chicago’s Montrose Beach, and how its progress is being threatened by the scheduled MAMBY concert event. Paul Fehrenbacher from the Montrose Lakefront Coalition (MLC) and Douglas Stotz, senior conservation ecologist in the Keller Science Action Center at the Field Museum are working to save an endangered species. Kathleen Thompson reports from the “Recall Desk.” You won’t want to miss it.

Sciende, Art and Climate Change - Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Pavilion, courtesy of Katherine Moore Powell

Podcast

Science, Art and Climate Change

June 22, 2019June 25, 2019 Mike Nowak Bartlett Tree Experts, Beasts At Bedtime, Christine Esposito, Dr. Liam Heneghan, environment, fungal diseases, gardening, Montrose Beach Dunes, Peggy Malecki, piping plover, sustainability, The Mike Nowak Show, Third Coast Disrupted

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:43:26 — 47.7MB)

Scott Stringer from Bartlett Tree Experts answers your tree care questions. Christine Esposito of Terracom and Dr. Liam Heneghan from DePaul University explain how Third Coast Disrupted: Artists + Scientists on Climate can make people more aware of the threat to our planet posed by the climate crisis. Montrose Beach Dunes steward Leslie Borns and Carl Giomettil from the Chicago Ornithological Society have the latest on the battle to preserve a fragile ecosystem on Chicago’s lakefront from a proposed rock concert.

Podcast

TOMATOMANIA with KC and NC

June 1, 2019June 2, 2019 Mike Nowak American Public Works Association, Craig LeHoullier, environment, Fred Braun, gardening, heirloom plants, KC Tomato, organic gardening, Peggy Malecki, snow and ice removal, sustainability, The Mike Nowak Show, Village of Niles

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:42:43 — 47.3MB)

Tomato experts Craig LeHoullier, author of Epic Tomatoes, and tomato breeder KC Tomato (not his real name), join Mike and Peggy to talk about getting the tomato season started. Fred Braun, Director of Public Works for the Village of Niles, talks about how their snow and ice removal system just won an award from the American Public Works Association (APWA).

Podcast

Garden Chemicals 101 on the Radio

May 25, 2019May 28, 2019 Mike Nowak A Plus Pest Control, ants, bed bugs, David J. Zaber, environment, Garden Chemicals 101, gardening, Peggy Malecki, pesticides, Rick Moscovitz, sustainability, The Mike Nowak Show, toxicology

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:44:25 — 48.8MB)

David J. Zaber is your instructor for Garden Chemicals 101, a look at the pesticides and fertilizers that we put in our yards and the consequences of using them. Rick Moskovitz from A Plus Pest Control returns to talk about how to deal safely with indoor pests. He might sing a song, too. Be prepared.

Podcast

A Million Healthy Gardens

May 18, 2019May 21, 2019 Mike Nowak Better Government Association, Chicago Grows Green Week, environment, gardening, lawn chemicals, Madison Hopkins, Midwest Grows Green, Million Pollinator Garden Challenge, National Wildlife Federation, Peggy Malecki, recycling in Chicago, sustainability, The Mike Nowak Show

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:43:30 — 48.4MB)

Mary Phillips from the National Wildlife Federation reports on how the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge is creating wildlife habitat in backyards. Ryan Anderson promotes Chicago Grows Green Week, presented by Midwest Grows Green. Madison Hopkins returns to the show to talk about her most recent article for the Better Government Association about Chicago’s failing recycling system.

Podcast

Solutions for a Cold, Wet Spring

May 12, 2019May 17, 2019 Mike Nowak Bartlett Tree Experts, blue spectrum light, Chicago Market, Chicago Smart Lighting Program, environment, Evanston Environmental Association, gardening, Grant Kessler, local food, Lumican, Peggy Malecki, sustainability, the Johnson Tree Company, The Mike Nowak Show

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:43:44 — 48.3MB)

Skeet from Bartlett Tree Experts returns to talk about tree issues for a colder and wetter than normal spring. Dick Peach from the Evanston Environmental Association previews Nature’s Night Out. Grant Kessler and Sofia Jouravel explain why you should join the Chicago Market co-op. David and Laura Mitchell from Lumican.com want to change the world, one LED street light at a time.

Podcast

How To Save Your Favorite River

May 4, 2019May 17, 2019 Mike Nowak Blazing Star Nursery, Chicago River Day, environment, gardening, Lorraine Ballato, Margaret Frisbie, Mark Dvorak, Peggy Malecki, Pete Seeger, Success with Hydrangeas, sustainability, Tainio Biologicals, The Mike Nowak Show

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:42:18 — 47.2MB)

Margaret Frisbie from Friends of the Chicago River talks about next week’s Chicago River Day, while Chicago folk musician Mark Dvorak explains how Pete Seeger helped to save the Hudson River. Lorraine Ballato has great hydrangea care info in her new book, “Success with Hydrangeas.” Carol and Steve Wenzel from Blazing Star Nursery explain how farmers and backyard gardeners can create healthy soil.