#31 This Joe is Making a Difference

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.