Talkin' Dirty at the Library – Details, episodes & analysis

Master Gardener Emily Clem talks with Jesse Akozbek whose passion for food foraging, along with his encyclopedic knowledge, is impressive. He talks about the concept of eco-culture, a blend of foraging and gardening. From acorns, hickory nuts, coneflowers, and American lotus, to name a few, Jesse gives a step-by-step guide for gathering and preparing good (and good for you) food from nature. He introduces his new foraging app - Gather - to help identify and safely forage plants. Besides being a fun and healthy practice, Jesse talks about the detachment many people feel with nature and how foraging helps reconnect them to their ecological roots. This podcast highlights many plants, recipes, and  tips on when and where it is legal to forage.

 Links:
https://feralforaging.com/
https://www.aces.edu/     (Alabama Cooperative Extension)
https://mastergerdeners-limestonecountyalabama.org/
https://www.alpl.org/

Have questions about this episode? Email: askalibrarian@alcpl.org
Music by Pixabay     

Master Gardener Emily Clem talks with ACES Extension Agent, Brian Brown, about beneficial and non-beneficial weeds. He stresses that many weeds, often seen as nuisances, are actually beneficial. Clover, for example, adds vital nitrogen to the soil and attracts pollinators. In controlling invasive weeds, Brown recommends planting resistant varieties and modifying environmental conditions before resorting to chemical control. He suggests using pre-emergent herbicides for winter weeds and creating physical barriers for invasive species like bamboo. Kudzu, Bradford Pear trees, and Mimosa trees are some of the more invasive species, but the number one weed in our area is Chinese privet, and Brown offers several methods to remove it.

Links:
https://www.aces.edu/  (Alabama Cooperative Extension)
https://mastergardeners-limestonecountyalabama.org/
https://www.alcpl.org/

Have questions about this episode? Email askalibrarian@alcpl.org
Music by Pixabay    

Master Gardener Soozi Pline talks with Jayne Luetzow, Regional Agent for Northwest Alabama Cooperative Extension office, about pruning. Step by step pruning techniques, including when to prune, why to prune, and what tools to use. A master class in pruning trees and shrubs with specific mentions of azaleas, hydrangeas, and roses, as well as a discussion of the controversial crepe 'murder' pruning technique. 

Links:
https://www.aces.edu/  (Alabama Cooperative Extension)
https://www.alcpl.org/

The Athens-Limestone Public Library has a wide selection of books on local gardening
Have questions about this episode? Email askalibrarian@alcpl.org
Music by Pixabay     

Master Gardener Emily Clem talks with Master Beekeeper Bud Rogers about backyard beekeeping for the hobbyist. These busy pollinators are masters of efficiency and can make an amazing difference in the output of your backyard garden. They talk about how bees make honey and tips to avoid getting stung. Bud avidly promotes beekeeping as an accessible hobby with equipment adapted for people in wheelchairs or unable to lift heavy weights.  

Links:
https://www.aces.edu/  (Alabama Cooperative Extension)
https://mastergardeners-limestonecountyalabama.org/
https://www.alcpl.org/

The Athens-Limestone Public Library has a selection of books on beekeeping and native plants. 
Have questions about this episode? Email askalibrarian@alcpl.org
Music and images from Pixabay      
      

Kate Gribbin, Recreation Manager, along with Hallie Porter, Development Director, and Jennifer Johnson, Master Gardener, highlight the new pollinator gardens of the North Alabama Land Trust. Started in 1987 as a means to keep development off Monte Sano Mountain, the Land Trust now covers 10 counties, 10,000 acres and has 10 nature preserves for education and recreation. With newly planted pollinator gardens at Blevins Gap and Harvest Square, they talk about the Land Trust's role in preserving our natural resources amidst North Alabama's increasing growth and expansion.

Links:
https://www.aces.edu/  (Alabama Cooperative Extension)
https://www.landtrustnal.org/2023/04/17/northal-native-plants/
https://www.alcpl.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30c0WX-kOHI    (pollinator garden at Blevins Gap video)

The Athens-Limestone Public Library has a wide selection of books on native plants. 
Have questions about this episode? Email askalibrarian@alcpl.org
Music by Pixabay     

 Master Gardener, Emily Clem, welcomes Lynne Wenineger from Alabama A&M University. The curator of the herbarium at A&M, Lynne talks about the importance of collecting and preserving plants for study in the plant library. From gathering specimens in the field, to pressing, and cataloging, Alabama is the 4th ranked state in the US for biodiversity and several plant species are found nowhere else in the world.

Links:
http://floraofalabama.org/    (Alabama Plant Atlas)
https://www.aces.edu/  (Alabama Cooperative Extension)
https://www.alcpl.org/

Have questions about this episode? Email askalibrarian@alcpl.org
Music by Pixabay 

Master Gardener, Emily Clem, welcomes Travis Roddy of the International Crane Foundation. They talk about the cranes that winter here in North Alabama, including sandhill cranes and the endangered whooping cranes.

Links:
https://www.aces.edu/  (Alabama Cooperative Extension)
https://savingcranes.org/  (International Crane Foundation)
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/wheeler  (Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge)
https://www.alcpl.org/

Have questions about this episode? Email askalibrarian@alcpl.org
Music by Pixabay     

Limestone County Master Gardeners Emily Clem and Soozi Pline talk about native plants that grow well in the North Alabama region.  They identify plants, season by season, that bloom and provide food for pollinators all year long. In the process of naturalizing their own home properties, Emily and Soozi identify which plants work for different sun and soil conditions. They agree that gardening is often trial and error and even Master Gardener experts make mistakes!

Links:
https://www.aces.edu/  (Alabama Cooperative Extension)
https://www.landtrustnal.org/2023/04/17/northal-native-plants/
https://www.alcpl.org/

The Athens-Limestone Public Library has a wide selection of books on native plants. 
Have questions about this episode? Email askalibrarian@alcpl.org
Music by Pixabay    

Limestone County Master Gardener, Emily Clem, talks with Rhonda Britton, Former Home Grounds Agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension and current Campus Engineer at Auburn University's Research and Innovation Campus in Huntsville. Rhonda gives a step by step guide to growing shiitake mushrooms for home gardeners.

Links:
https://www.sweetgrownalabama.org/sga-members/626
https://www.aces.edu/  (Alabama Cooperative Extension)
https://www.alcpl.org/

 Have questions about this episode? Email askalibrarian@alcpl.org
 Music by Pixabay   

Limestone County Master Gardener, Emily Clem, talks with Kerry Steedley, Regional Extension Agent for Forestry, Wildlife, and Natural Resources.  They discuss which native fruit and nut plants you can grow to produce food for both you and the Pollinators!

Books discussed in this episode and available at Athens-Limestone Public Library:

Bringing nature home : how you can sustain wildlife with native plants / Douglas W. Tallamy
Native plants of the Southeast : a comprehensive guide to the best 460 species for the garden / Larry Mellichamp 

                     Links:
https://www.izelplants.com/  (native plant resource)
https://www.aces.edu/  (Alabama Cooperative Extension)
https://www.alcpl.org/

 Have questions about this episode? Email askalibrarian@alcpl.org
 Music by Pixabay