Public Gardens, Publicly Aware

Our season finale takes us to the Rose of New England, Norwich, CT - a city famous for its beautiful rose gardens - where Paul Tukey spoke on organic lawn and garden care to benefit the Chelsea Gardens Foundation, one of the first public gardens in America to maintain their grounds organically from day one. On their drawing board is the 80-acre, world-class Chelsea Botanical Gardens. This special 90 minute show features Paul's riveting talk about the health and safety dangers of using chemical pesticides and fertilizers, as well as their devastating impact on our environment.

See you next year!

We hope you've enjoyed our first season of SafeLawns & Landscapes, The Radio Show, as much as we've enjoyed doing it! We will be back next summer. Paul and the crew are taking the interim off from this show as Paul focuses on the book he's writing, and its companion documentary movie about Hudson, Quebec. The tiny community nearby Montreal made history by becoming the first town in North America to ban chemical lawn and garden products from public land. It provoked decades of court battles, but Hudson prevailed. Today, it is unlawful to use cosmetic chemical pesticides and fertilizers in all of Quebec province. The film, "A Chemical Reaction" is due to be released in Spring '09. We'll see you in next summer!

Learn how you too can lead the crusade in your community to help "save our environment, one lawn at a time." Please visit us online at www.safelawns.org and www.safelawns.net.

Gnome is where the heart is

Roger Swain gleefully accepts the moniker, garden gnome, as a term of endearment. Whether the 1980s Boston newspaper columnist who dubbed him such, meant it as a compliment is another story. Known by millions across TV's vast and somewhat fickle gardening world as The Man in the Red Suspenders, Roger hosted the granddaddy of all such shows, The Victory Garden on PBS for 15 years - well before high-def. My, how that technology would have indelibly painted those twinkling eyes and leprehaun-like smile. On this week's episode Roger and Paul Tukey reminisce over People, Places and Plants, The Gardening Show which became one of HGTV's highest-rated programs ever. Fast friends and kindred spirits of the soil, the pair co-hosted the show from 2002 to 2007. Wait until you hear the story of the day Roger showered with his plants- on camera! Biologist, author of five books including Earthly Pleasures, and master storyteller, Roger Swain is the a one-of-kind gem for the ages! Make sure you save this show to play for your grand kids!

Let's sue Canada

That's what Dow AgroSciences, the world's largest and richest chemical company, threatens to do if Canadian government doesn't reverse the ban on so-called cosmetic pesticides and other non-essential chemicals. Quebec and Ontario provinces have made it illegal to use the stuff on most public land, and private citizens are extending it to their properties. Dow charges the ban violates a clause in the North American Free Trade Agreement. Paul rants about Dow's warning shot, but thinks it actually will serve to galvanize public opinion in Canada and elsewhere against Big Chemical. Stay tuned!

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Next week...

Our season finale (we'll be back the first week of January '09) is LIVE from Norwich, CT where Paul is speaking to a group at Chelsea Gardens. Yes, his talk will be our show! Make a note of the day and time change...Tuesday, Oct. 28th at 7 p.m. Eastern. Hope to see you then!

Learn how you too can lead the crusade in your community to help "save our environment, one lawn at a time." Please visit us online at www.safelawns.org and www.safelawns.net.

Politics aside

Let those running for higher office conjure up your average "joes" for political gain, we'll keep the one who visited us this week, thank you. Not that Master Gardener, Joe Lamp'l is wanting for fans. America's favorite male gardening personality is seen coast-to-coast on DIY and PBS television each week where he hosts Fresh From the Garden and GardenSMART respectively. He's authored two books, Over the Fence with joe gardener and The Green Gardener's Guide: Simple, Significant Actions to Protect and Preserve the Planet. The latter lists about 150 meaningful things you can do to make a difference. Nuggets like...

Simply watering early in the morning instead of the heat of the day, nationally we would save at least 700 billion gallons of water each year!

If every gardener in the US planted trees for shade and windbreak, they would reduce heating and cooling needs by as much as 40 percent, and cut CO2 emissions by 120 million tons per year!

By mulching all landscape beds on your property, you can reduce the runoff and accompanying loss of soil to erosion by as much as 80 percent!

Did you guess that Joe's true passion is teaching others how to get the most out gardening? Joe has been digging in the dirt since age 10, but how he landed his first national TV gig is the stuff from which fairy tales are made!

e-Mail Call!

Paul Tukey answers an SOS from Kathy who worries about the health and safety of her family and pets because of red mushrooms. Someone whose e-addy is President Lincoln asks where to find smaller bins ($75-100) of bulk compost. (think he's in Illinois?) Ted M says he can't put down Paul's bestselling book, The Organic Lawn Care Manual, and wanted to know if compost alone, as top dressing for lawns after aerating and re-seeding, provides the necessary nutrients. He also seeks help finding an effective, organic weed killer since switching from synthetics in the spring. Paul Keller wonders if WOW is best for a fall application. As always, our intrepid founder of the SafeLawns Foundation offers great answers to all. You'll just have to listen!

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Next week (and the next)...

Paul will be speaking in Tennessee the week of the 20th, and then Norwich, Connecticut on the 28th. We plan to do our show LIVE from that second event...more to come, stay tuned! As always, thanks for listening, friends!

Don't forget, we are LIVE every Thursday night from 8-9 p.m. Eastern.

Learn how you too can lead the crusade in your community to help "save our environment, one lawn at a time." Please visit us online at www.safelawns.org and www.safelawns.net.