Upside Down Tulips - A Garden Podcast
Hi! We are Christy and Edith, backyard gardeners from Colorado. Lately, we have noticed more and more people picking our brains for tips and trouble-shooting about gardening. We think it’s kinda funny, because we’re not experts. We just learned a lot about gardening from the mistakes we made along the way. Every week we’ll share our most epic garden failures and our biggest garden lessons. Most gardens are the result of trial and error. To reduce your chance of failure, join us! And learn why you should plant your tulips butt side down. Awarded Best New Podcast of Col
Wed, January 15, 2025
122. Can You Dig It? 8 Reasons Why Gardens Matter
Edith’s potatoes may have gone to the dark side, but we are forging ahead with the small and enjoyable garden tasks of winter and dreaming of our 2025 garden. So, let us inspire your next garden with all the many benefits and joys of gardening! We have gathered our top reasons why we garden: From health to wealth. From making friends to murdering carrots. From learning to lunging. And filled with little tips and tricks and laughs along the way. It’s seed catalog season so, we have stuffed this episode with THREE funny pod plays about our favorite reason to go to the mailbox. Speaking of mail: We got a letter from Lindsey delivered to our mailbag (Ring! Ring!) about her garden trials and dreams – an inspiring letter of resilience and renewal. Need even more inspiration? Christy has some! Bonus: Leonardo DiCatrio makes an appearance. Can you find him? So, grab a cup of tea, a glass of wine or clean those garden tools - while you join us! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE Find Your Last and First Frost Date
Wed, October 23, 2024
121. Autumn Garden 2024 - What Grew, What Died & What Chewed
Fallelujah! A pretty darn good year in the garden. No hail, no frost, no covering – yet. Edith grew ground cherries. Christy grew zinnias. We both grew a lot of tomatoes. Edith might have killed her peach tree. Christy mysteriously killed her cabbage. We both killed our rosemary. Aphids chewed, Japanese beetle chewed, mildew took up residence. So, it all resulted in a lot of learning, we hope you can learn, too! Why you should keep your compost a little drunk. Why it’s never too late to plant. Or too early. What seeds need to be fresh as a carrot What plant can benefit from calcium tablets Should you get a Japanese Beetle Trap? How much work do you really have to do this fall? And some humor with all this education! We’ve got two NEW pod plays to keep you and all the lilac bushes in good humor. And some inspiration to last the upcoming Persphone Period. So, pick up a rake, do a little harvesting or put your weary feet up with a cup of cider and enjoy this season’s fun and informative episode! Oh – and stick around past the end credits for a little easter egg. Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE Find Your Last and First Frost Date
Wed, July 17, 2024
120. Summer Garden Potpourri: We're Hot and Killin' It!
Our gardens are doing great! So far. If you don’t count the heat, the Japanese beetles… and the murders! Life is growing fast and furious in our gardens and we are applying water like we are applying for a job. Edith loves her loveage. Christy is at peace with her peace rose. Edith is plum crazy about her plum tree. Christy is thinks Edith’s peach tree harvest is going to be… peachy keen. :) Our summer gardens are a potpourri of marvels, questions and fun tips. To shell or not to shell peas? Is it possible for gardeners to be psychopaths? When should you trim back your tomatoes? Where does the term potpourri come from? How can Windex be a tool in your garden? How to get the most blooms from your geraniums? Why is July 27 an important gardening date? Which mite might help you control bindweed? Why you shouldn’t name plants after people you know. If you want some fun Brand New pod plays, we got ‘em. If you want some inspiration, we got it. If you want some moist soil – it’s there. We sure had fun recording this episode – and hope you can join in the laughter, while learning a thing or two. So put on your headphones, head out into your garden and enjoy! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE Find Your Last and First Frost Date
Tue, April 02, 2024
119. To All The Plants We've Killed This Spring
Spring is back! We are back! Edith is back! Our sore backs are back! And we have lots to share! Find out what is growing in our gardens and what we have killed this Spring What is the safest non-organic vegetables to buy in the grocery store? Edith has all the deets and beets. We spill the beans on our favorite mistakes from last year: Which plant only produced one solitary veggie? And which plant produced WAY too much? Discover what new plants we are growing this year and why one new seed packet will make bath time lots of fun. Learn a bunch of our favorite and easy Spring garden tips. Enjoy TWO NEW POD PLAYS Plus: Letters from the Mail Bag (Ring! Ring!) , a beautiful inspiration, and a shout out to “moist”. A “humorfull” and informative episode for sure! Thanks so much to the Garden Party - we couldn't do Upside Down Tulips without you! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! How is your garden doing? - click here to write to us! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE Find Your Last and First Frost Date
Sat, March 16, 2024
BONUS: The Little Seed Pot
It's almost Spring! And don't worry, Upside Down Tulips will be back soon with an all new episode that celebrates our favorite mistakes of last year and our dreams for this year's garden. PLUS: Christy and Edith are gathering their best tips and tricks for your Spring Garden. Until then, here is a little something for all you gardeners out there: A little Pod Play about the adventures of the LIttle Seed Pot. Enjoy! Thanks so much to the Garden Party - we couldn't do Upside Down Tulips without you! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! How is your garden doing? - click here to write to us! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Sun, December 17, 2023
BONUS: Gardening Ghosts of Christmas Past
We have put down our hoes and, like our garden, are settling down for long winter’s nap. BUT! Before we are carried off to a deep hibernation filled with dreams of next year’s garden, we wanted to spread some holiday cheer and share with you our favorite holiday pod plays just for the gardener, the wanna-be gardener and anyone who considers well-aged manure a thoughtful gift. An inspiring “Night Before Christmas” The kookiest “Gift of the Magi” A funny solution to all your holiday cooking A Gardener's Christmas Carol The perfect rom-com movie 12 Days of craziness A New Year’s parade of wine! Happy Holidays and see you in 2024! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE Find Your Persephone Period
Wed, November 08, 2023
118. Good News for You and Good Night To Our 2023 Gardens
The garden is wrapping up for the year, pumpkins have been turned to jack o’ lanterns, green tomatoes are in the attic and onions are a’ walkin. So, let’s celebrate all the garden good news stories of the year! Christy and Lindsey share good news about: Updates on Lahaina Banyan Tree The benefits of urban gardening The discovery of a holly tree in Brazil A gardener who has created over 300 community gardens A pear tree that refuses to die, A whole new spin on rooftop gardening How mushrooms can protect trees And what renewable resource is working great in Ireland Plus we have pod plays that take you to the depths of the underworld and the heights of leaf piles! Thanks to you all for joining us in our 2023 gardens! Find Your Persephone Period Want to see Lindsey in a play? Coal Country at Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company Thanks so much to the Garden Party - we couldn't do Upside Down Tulips without you! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! How is your garden doing? - click here to write to us! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Wed, October 25, 2023
117.- What’s Up Witches? It’s Thyme for Witchy Herbs - An Upside Down Halloween
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Kathryn and Christy get in costume to celebrate Halloween and the end of the garden season! We dig into our herb book and get witchy with it! We share natural witchy herbal remedies from our gardens commonly used to offer some relief as we head into flu and cold season. Learn how to make all kinds of soothing tea from basil to echinacea to oregano to thyme! Why is garlic so prized in the healing world? And why we putting stuffed turkeys in our bathtub? Pod Plays? Yup, we have stuffed this Halloween special with all the fan favorites that we only play during Halloween: The Killing Frost, Stranger Garden Things, Ichabod Grain and Silence of the Lamb’s Ear. The Squirrel is back destroying our pumpkins! And we have a BRAND NEW Halloween Pod Play just for the gardener. A very special episode with shout outs to moist, mucus and intestinal worms. Just the way we like it. And we hope you do, too – Halloween is not the same if we can’t be witch you! (Insert cackle here!) Want to know mor about BASIL? Click here! Want to know more about GARLIC?: Click here! Thanks so much to the Garden Party - we couldn't do Upside Down Tulips without you! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! How is your garden doing? - click here to write to us! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Wed, October 11, 2023
116. Who Says You Can’t Fool Mother Nature? We Show You How!
Asters and marigolds are blooming, finches are enjoying sunflowers - and the harvest is finally coming in. We welcome Fall! And we scheme how to squeeze in a few extra weeks before Mother Nature decides to fully blanket us in snow. So, Kathryn and Christy have curated some of our favorite tips and tricks to fool Mother Nature. And not just in the Fall, but in ALL four seasons. How watering helps when Jack Frost is a’comin? The ins and outs of covering: What materials? When? Why uncover? How to anchor? What are the best plants to snatch away from Mother Nature – and how? How to fool Mother Nature in the winter with used milk jugs? Build a wall of water in early spring to get a head start! Don’t let Mother Nature hail on your parade in the summer. Plus: A Squirrel Lawyer send Upside Down Tulips a cease and desist letter. Christy did it again and forgot about produce in the attic. Edith makes a surprise appearance. Mailbag (Ring, Ring!) delivers a letter and gives us hope and Alex Trebek schools us all. Lots of fun and info! OnHilarious. Dynamic. Shocking. See Kathryn Gray, Michael Moore and Karen Slack in THE MINUTES directed by Christy Montour-Larson at Curious Theatre Company! A Tapestry of Great Hits! See Leslie O'Carrol and Linsday Pierece in BEAUTIFUL, THE CAROL KING MUSICAL at the Arvada Center! Thanks so much to the Garden Party - we couldn't do Upside Down Tulips without you! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! How is your garden doing? - click here to write to us! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Wed, September 27, 2023
115. Oh My Gourd! We are Pumped to Share All We Know About Pumpkins
Hello pumpkin season! Who has the guts to go there? Karen and Christy do! We pumpkin spice things up with an episode all about pumpkins: how to plant ‘em, how to take care of ‘em, how to use ‘em, how to cook ‘em, how to make your jack o’ lantern last longer… And how to get engaged?! Karen is harvesting tomatoes and cooking them with a pig jaw. Christy is enjoying her fall flowers and can’t find her cucumbers. Karen can’t grow green beans and Christy can’t grow roma. Johnny Hardscribble returns to share his love of sunflowers. Laura from Denver tells us how her sunflower circle turned out. And a great solution for squirrels! Fun, info, laughs and know-how just for the gardener. And wanna-be gardener! Hilarious. Dynamic. Shocking. See Kathryn Gray, Michael Moore and Karen Slack in THE MINUTES directed by Christy Montour-Larson at Curious Theatre Company! A Tapestry of Great Hits! See Leslie O'Carrol and Linsday Pierece in BEAUTIFUL, THE CAROL KING MUSICAL at the Arvada Center! Thanks so much to the Garden Party - we couldn't do Upside Down Tulips without you! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! And if you have some thoughts on Who Killed Rosemary - click here to write to us! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Wed, September 13, 2023
114. From Acorn Squash to Zucchini: Garden Fresh Recipes to Use up the Harvest
Hungry? Great! Karen joins us and we have a bunch of recipes perfect for the gardener! Ratatouille: A wonderful harvest stew to serve with some crusty bread. Eggplant Parmesan: Karen’s Italian accent makes this recipe sound so mouthwatering! Roasted Tomato Soup: Find out what Christy’s secret ingredient is! Acorn Squash Gnocchi: You won’t believe how easy this recipe is. Gazpacho: A very special recipe from one of our favorite restaurants. Tomatillo Salsa: The coolest plant makes the most delicious salsa verde! Sauerkraut: All you need is cabbage, salt and squeezing. You know you want to try it yourself! Plus: Find out how are gardens are surviving after the hailstorm. Who has amazing broccoli but terrible cabbage? Who has amazing cabbage but terrible broccoli? And what’s going on with Karen’s guinea pigs?! Mail bag brings TWO letters from folks who didn’t plant very much and are either only feeding fairies or have to beat back the City and County folks. A beautiful inspiration from Karen shows how much food reveals our connection with the Earth. Oh, and we’ve got some Pod Plays! Christy’s strange journey planting zucchini is brought to life with Karen as the cutest little zucchini of all time - in a brand-new pod play! Enjoy, dear gardeners! Hilarious. Dynamic. Shocking. See Kathryn Gray, Michael Moore and Karen Slack in THE MINUTES directed by Christy Montour-Larson at Curious Theatre Company! A Tapestry of Great Hits! See Leslie O'Carrol and Linsday Pierece in BEAUTIFUL, THE CAROL KING MUSICAL at the Arvada Center! Thanks so much to the Garden Party - we couldn't do Upside Down Tulips without you! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! And if you have some thoughts on Who Killed Rosemary - click here to write to us! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Tue, August 29, 2023
WHO KILLED ROSEMARY: The Complete Collection. So Far
It's everybody's favorite true crime garden podcaster, Misty Contour, and her quest to find out who killed Edith's rosemary plant. For the first time ever, our excellent, yet enigmatic engineer has pulled together ALL the episodes of Who Killed Rosemary and assembled them for your listening enjoyment. Including some great great garden tips! Journey back with us to the beginnings of the death of Rosemary and the ever growing list of suspects: The Squirrel? The Yard Nazi? The Hair Stylist? Or what about June O’Hallorin, Master Gardener? Enjoy the talents of some of the best actors in Denver: Edith Weiss, Karen Slack, Emma Messenger and Lindsey Pierce! And if you live around Denver and want to see some of your favorite Upside Down Tulips friends in some wonderful theatre, check out the link in the show notes. Hilarious. Dynamic. Shocking. See Kathryn Gray, Michael Moore and Karen Slack in THE MINUTES directed by Christy Montour-Larson at Curious Theatre Company! A Tapestry of Great Hits! See Leslie O'Carrol and Linsday Pierece in BEAUTIFUL, THE CAROL KING MUSICAL at the Arvada Center! Thanks so much to the Garden Party - we couldn't do Upside Down Tulips without you! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! And if you have some thoughts on Who Killed Rosemary - click here to write to us! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Tue, August 15, 2023
ENCORE: What’s the Matter With My Tomatoes? BLT Help is Here
In this Encore Episode, we discuss the things that can happen to your tomatoes, the ‘risks’ as it were: blossom end rot, blossom drop, not setting fruit, not ripening, Septoria, early blight, late blight, middle aged blight (just kidding on that last one). We tell you how to fix what can be fixed and when to throw in the trowel and not beat yourself up about it. Cause it’s probably not your fault! Plus, we weave in some special, fun Pod Plays all about tomatoes. Warming: May involve squirrels. Enjoy our gentle listeners and gardeners! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Wed, August 02, 2023
113. Get More Bang From Your Buck With Plants With More Than One Use
Our gardens are looking great for June. Except it is August?! Ah well. Christy and Edith are eating lettuce. Lettuce is bolting. We prevent bolting with a lawn chair. We are harvesting garlic. We are trying new ways to peel garlic. Edith is planting onions. Christy forgot she planted onions. Plus, we celebrate what is reblooming and ponder where are all the Japanese beetles? Then we jump in a fun topic: Veggies and flowers with more than one use. Find out the unique uses for other parts of garlic, chives and leeks. What plants are we growing that we purposely let go to seed? Don’t forget some plants you can eat more than the bottom – you can eat the tops, too! Did you know other parts of raspberry bush are edible? Are you eating stems and massaging your kale? You should! Who the heck is Euelle Gibbons? We are not done! Roses, Calendula, Lavender, Nasturtium & Marigolds A Special Treat: Barbie and Robert Oppenheimer show up in a new pod play! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Tue, July 18, 2023
112. Hurts Like Hail. How to Recover from Hail Damage to Your Garden
Hail Yeah - Edith is here! She is making tea from Linden trees, compost from coffee and mulch from grass. Christy gets her delivery of bindweed mites and surprises some beetles enjoying Afternoon Delight. Edith and Christy share our heart break and hope after a devestating hail storm. Find out what was stripped, shredded, pounded, vaporized, smashed and went splat. What got knocked out of the pod? Will we ever grow successful zucchini again? Will we get a ripe tomato before Labor Day? What should you do if your garden gets damaged from hail? We will give you practical tips. How can you protect your garden from hail? We’ve got some ideas. And we have some fun with NEW pod plays to lighten the mood, the world’s shortest Mail Bag. Big Lessons of the Day: Give peas a chance. Store your basil by a counter appliance and don’t take it all so seriously. As the French say, “Je’men Foutisme”. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Wed, July 05, 2023
111. All Hail Native Plants: Learn Why You Should Add Native Plants to Your Garden
This episode has all the feels: INSPIRING: Learn all about native plants. What are they? Why are they good for your garden? How can you find some? Why does Lindsey only have one? HORROR: Christy reveals what terrible thing happened in her garden this week. It’s bad, folks - like out of a scary movie. So, grab some popcorn and hold your veggies close. LAUGHTER: Of course, we have some fun, too! And have prepared for you some brand new, hand-crafted pod plays that will make you smile. And bad jokes to make you groan! :) Find Native Plants In Your State Find Native Plant Nurseries in Your State Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Tue, June 20, 2023
110. Basil Bonanza! It’s Thyme for Basil Basic Tips & Tricks
We are overly Pesto-mistic this episode! Lindsey returns with updates on her hydroponic garden. Does she dare pot up her rosemary that she germinated from seed? Christy finally got her veggie garden in. Can it survive the morning glory invasion? Then we get into basil basics and IT'S EASY: We share with you all about how to plant it, grow it, harvest and eat it! Plus some fun trivia and witchy uses. Why you should curse and yell when you plant basil. How to keep your basil seeds from floating away. What is the number #1 you should never do with basil. And we have fun BRAND NEW Podplays, a well-timed letter from the mail bag (Ring! Ring!) and a beautiful inspiration. From our hearts to yours: Enjoy dear gardeners! Lindsey's Recipe! Get rid of bindweed in Colorado! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Tue, June 06, 2023
109. Super Fantastic Tomato Talk 2023
Let’s talk tomatoes 2023! First, find out what’s new in tomato news: Why grape growers in Italy are switching to growing tomatoes. What scientists have learned about the secret screams of tomatoes. How to pick the best starter plants from the nursery What companion plants are best to buddy up with tomatoes and which to plant far, far away. Then learn what varieties Karen and Christy are growing each year. HINT: One is Better, one is Bigger and one is Super Fantastic. Karen shares a great recipe! And we have two tomato themed Pod Plays – hand crafted just for the gardener’s funny bone. And lots to share about what is happening in our gardens: Sunflowers, celery, cannabis, chives and sewer repair. Christy gets a bindweed mite that might be the organic solution we have all been searching for! Mailbag (Ring Ring) delivers a letter from Patrick that gently reminds us we can all do better next year. Nice! Get rid of bindweed in Colorado! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Tue, May 23, 2023
108. We Don’t Want No Grubs: How Gain the Advantage On Japanese Beetles
Greetings Bad-Ass Backyard Gardeners! The ever-witty and future pop-star Karen returns to UDT and we chat about what’s blooming our gardens, what’s died, and what is just being plain pokey. Plus, find out the unique way Karen aerates her lawn, how Christy made an unintended birdfeeder, and why bears are like cats. Then, we take our grubby hands and dig into the beautiful bug everyone loves to hate. Founder of Phyllom Bio Products and ever-wise, John Libs, comes back to continue our ever-growing series on organic Japanese Beetles mitigation. Learn all about this garden enemy and why Spring is a great time to plan your attack. Then we discuss the benefits of soap & water, neem oil, milky spore, traps and grubGONE! So, unless you want to hope for a flock of crows to descend into your yard at just the right moment, this is the podcast for you. Surprise! Edith sent a letter to Mailbag (Ring Ring!) and we giggle at all her updates – and sympathize why sometimes, despite our best efforts, things just don’t grow. Ah well, we have laughs, joy and inspiration to help! Let’s all smell like dirt, OK? Check out grubGONE! & beetleGONE! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Tue, May 09, 2023
107. Will Power! How to Tend to Your Shakespearean Garden w/ Flowers & Herbs
What Ho! This week Leslie and Christy try to class up the joint with their take on a Shakespearian Garden. From Romeo and Juliet to Hamlet to A Midsummers Night’s Dream , we give you some beautiful verses from the Bard of Avon - and some tips and tricks on some of the flora and fauna from his plays. We cover familiar plants like roses, pansies, daisies, lavender, mint, parsley, bachelor buttons, and marigolds. And then we gift you with the knowledge of rue, crow flowers, woodbine, musk rose, oxlips, and eglantine. Oh – and we have fun Shakespearean Pod Plays, too! And some really bad Shakespearean Puns. You are gonna feel so much smarter and joyful! And we have updates on Leslie’s first attempt at Winter Sowing, Christy’s Forsythia - and what is growing the best so far. Spoiler: It’s Weeds. Fortunately, we have a great garden inspiration from Henry IV, Part 2 about weeding. Good cheer, dear gardeners! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Wed, April 26, 2023
106. Sow Awesome: How To Start Tender Annuals & Herbs in the Spring
Do you want to learn an easy method of starting seeds outside and getting a jump start on flowers, herbs and veggies? Have you often wondered what is this thing we call “Winter Sowing” and think you might have missed the boat this year? Well, Leslie has the same questions and joins us for a fun demonstration on how to “Winter Sow” in the Spring. So, if you have an itch to start some tender annuals like zinnias, cosmos or marigolds. Or herbs like basil, dill and cilantro, join us! Plus, we celebrate World Naked Gardening Day, mourn the loss of one of Christy’s favorite shrubs, reveal the mysteries of which of Leslie’s houseplants are still alive, get some advice on how to keep Leonardo DiCatrio from out of the plants and marvel on how Leslie is one degree from Kevin Bacon! Will we say "moist?" Maybe. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Tue, April 11, 2023
105. Fifty (or so) Ways to Lose Your Garden w/ Edith & Leonardo DiCatrio
It’s National Garden Month and our gardens are busy! So Edith joins us and gives us an update on the miracles and mysteries in her garden. Christy tells the tale of the Great Sewer Incident and we both give lima beans the respect they deserve. As usual, Edith finds Christy inspiring and Christy finds Edith hilarious. Also: Don’t know what to do with those pots of tulips you got at the grocery store? We got you. And a new pod play about cats digging in plants and a special appearance by Matt Damon, gardening in poo on Mars. Then to the heart of the matter: We warn you about all the ways you can lose your garden and give tips on easy ways to keep your garden thriving this season. We encourage you to try not to do too much, we advise you on best watering techniques, we share why mulch is so awesome and we remind you to the best ways to feed your plants. Want more? Also lean about how to treat your seedlings, how to plant, how to take a vacation and how to harvest. Will we hit 50? Ummm – not really. But we don’t want to make your brains explode with too much information and fun. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Tue, March 28, 2023
104. Perfectly Practical Tips about Peas and Other ”P” Words from the Garden
Spring is here! And we celebrate our gardens springing back into life – bulbs, garlic, chives and budding lilacs. We continue to celebrate celery – Kathryn shares a great celery soup recipe. We even appreciate the weeds. Well, some of them anyway. We return to our old friend, the Alphabet, and bring you a potpourri of garden words that start with the letter “P”. When should you plant peas? Should you dead head pansies? Why do perennials sleep, leap and creep? What native “P” flower is deer resistant and has over 300 varieties? Why should you know the Ph scale of your soil? Should you transplant peonies in the spring or fall? Will we have time to get to potatoes? Don’t worry – there is not a quiz. We answer all these questions for you. What about Pod Plays? Yup! We have two brand new ones! Then, we reach into our trusty old mailbag and pull out a letter about how to build a sunflower house! And we wrap up with an inspiration to surely motivate you to get out and enjoy your spring garden. Spring is here! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE From Denver? Apply to get low cost or free seeds and seedlings from Denver Urban Gardens!
Tue, March 14, 2023
103. Time to Celerybrate! Practical Tips for Spring Garden Clean Up
Life is a garden and Kathryn and Christy dig it! We dig into National Celery Month. We dig into Spring Clean Up. We dig into updates on our no-dig gardens. Ironically, we detest actual digging… Also: find out what is peeking up in our gardens, what Kathryn does with a bucket of sand and what tragedy is coming for Christy’s vegetable garden. Learn what the experts say are the best practices for Spring Clean Up and what real gardeners do, like us! When is the best time? What plants are best to start with? How to protect beneficial bugs and pollinators? When to put down mulch? When to prune woody plants, shrubs and roses? What about your lawn? Then we go into all the additional garden chores that are good to do this time of year: Dividing perennials, cleaning containers, raised bed mending, and tool sharpening. And join in on our gentle debate on dandelions. (To pull or not to pull? That is the question!) We also have new & fun Pod Plays about the most powerful vegetable lobby in the world and the most clever vegetable detective in the precinct. We open up the Mailbag and pull out a letter about reincarnating Chia Pet Heads. Can you dig it? We hope so! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE From Denver? Apply to get low cost or free seeds and seedlings from Denver Urban Gardens!
Tue, February 28, 2023
102. Rosemary - How to Plant, Grow and NOT Kill the Dew of the Sea
Lindsey is back this week and we do a deep dive on one of our favorite herbs to kill: Rosemary! Learn how to plant, grow and trouble shoot this useful and culinary favorite herb. Find out what happened to the Rosemarys' toughing it out in our yards and what Lindsey is going to name her little Rosemary sprout. And we’ve got new pod plays! Ask Agnes - the helpful gardening show that takes the agony out of gardening - makes a return visit to chat all about winter sowing and winter sewing. Mailbag gives us a fun letter about Hydroponic Gardening. Plus Christy shares a wonderful Gardening Inspiration for anytime, but especially now! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE From Denver? Apply to get low cost or free seeds and seedlings from Denver Urban Gardens!
Wed, February 15, 2023
101. Who Needs Soil? We Love Hydroponic Gardening!
Denver’s favorite character actor and successful zucchini gardener, Lindsey, joins as guest host and we dive into gardening without soil – Hydroponics! Did you know you can grow almost any plant in water? That you can get a kit and grow greens and herbs on your counter? And that Lindsey talks with her hands a lot? Get inspired by all the benefits of hydroponic gardening and learn all of Lindsey’s tips and tricks on hydroponic kits: What kind of water, how much to sow, what about nutrients. What plants are working the best. (Hint: Not potatoes.) How does the lighting system works and what to do about cats. Plus, she shares with us about cleaning the machine, preventing algae. Then, Christy shares how to make your own hydroponic system if you are prepping for the zombie apocalypse. Plus tips on geraniums and winter sowing! Need a laugh? Don’t worry, we got some fun, too. When Edith’s rosemary plant died, it sprouted the podcast-within-a-podcast phenomenon called Who Killed Rosemary and we have a brand-new episode and a brand-new suspect! For all our True Crime/Gardener fans! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE From Denver? Apply to get low cost or free seeds and seedlings from Denver Urban Gardens!
Wed, February 01, 2023
100. Favorite Garden Mistakes from 2022 and Dreams of 2023 w/ Edith!
Episode 100! We are back with new episodes, new pod plays and the wonderful, wise and wacky EDITH joins us! Spinach is on her mind, plus she educates us all on how to vaccinate bees. Then to the heart of the matter: We reveal our 2022 Favorite Garden Mistakes. Why couldn’t we grow one of the easiest vegetables? Edith planted peppers in the wrong place – find out where and learn from her mistake. Plus: Marigold issues! Bad timing! And Strange WTF’s?! Now let’s inspired! We are gonna throw some shade and combat climate change. Tomatoes? Of course! Christy started a half-baked no-dig garden with big plans. We make a pledge to be more diligent, with and without soaker hoses. Do we dare try watermelon? Do you love seed catalogs as much as we do? Then you will love our new pod plays - hand crafted just for the gardener & the wannbe gardener. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE
Bonus · Sun, January 29, 2023
BONUS: Happy Curmudgeons Day!
Since January 29 is National Curmudgeons Day, we thought we would share one of our favorite pod plays and honor all the cranky and fussy people in our lives. We enjoy curmudgeons so much, one of our Garden Party categories is named for them. (For just $2 a month, you can be an Upside Down Tulips Curmudgeon. Just click HERE) Good laughs and celebrating the garden are what we are all about at Upside Down Tulips. We will be back next week with a brand new episode filled with our fun garden tips and tricks and bad jokes. xoxo Christy & Friends P.S: Thanks to the wonderful Edith! National Curmudgeon Day is a thing? Live in Denver? Come see the play we worked on! Runs until May 14, 2022 Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, December 21, 2022
99. Gardening Ghosts of Christmas Past
We have put down our hoes and, like our garden, are settling down for long winter’s nap. BUT! Before we are carried off to a deep hibernation filled with dreams of next year’s garden, we wanted to spread some holiday cheer and share with you our favorite holiday pod plays just for the gardener, the wanna-be gardener and anyone who considers well-aged manure a thoughtful gift. An inspiring “Night Before Christmas” The kookiest “Gift of the Magi” A funny solution to all your holiday cooking A Gardener's Christmas Carol The perfect rom-com movie 12 Days of craziness A New Year’s parade of wine! Happy Holidays and see you in 2023! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! (Each new Garden Pary Member this month is entered into a drawing for a free UDT Tee Shirt!) Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE Find Your Persephone Period
Wed, December 07, 2022
98. We Are on Point! How to Care for Poinsettias and Other Holiday Plants
This week we chat about what’s alive, what’s dying, what dead and what plants cheer us up for the holidays. Learn all about Poinsettias and how to pronounce it. How to get a Christmas Cactus to bloom. What holiday plant is hard to kill? Why you need an Amaryllis this season. How to grow Rosemary indoors this winter. Don’t have room for a Christmas Tree? Try a Norfolk Pine. Plus learn about root rot, why you should never place basil in your fridge, what is a zone, what does Persephone Period mean for gardeners. Oh – and a new Phoebe Pod Play! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! (Each new Garden Pary Member this month is entered into a drawing for a free UDT Tee Shirt! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE Find Your Persephone Period
Wed, November 23, 2022
97. Gardening for Dummies, Newbies, and Leslie and YOU! Let’s Plan a Small Container Garden
Let’s set the bar low and root for each other! Leslie is back as guest host - and with the help of the knowledgeable and fun Brittany Pimentel from Denver Urban Gardens - we plan Leslie’s 2023 container garden. Leslie’s mind is blown over patio tomatoes, pinching basil, burying mint, worm poo and what the heck is "soilless soil". Maybe we will blow your mind, too? Since it is the week of Thanksgiving and we got our first snow, we stuffed the episode with some fun pod plays for the gardener and fans of cranberry sauce. Check out the links below to learn how to become a member of the Garden Party, keep up with all the great activities at Denver Urban Gardens and get a nice looking worm compost bin from Cathy’s Crawlies. Check out our friends at Denver Urban Gardens Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! (Each new Garden Pary Member this week is entered into a drawing for a free UDT Tee Shirt!) Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Worm Away Your Garbage With Cathy's Composters!
Wed, November 09, 2022
96.To All The Plants We’ve Killed Before: How to Get a Greener Thumb
Meet Leslie and her black thumb of death. Her enthusiasm for plants, passion to learn and fun stories make her a great guest host. Find out why she grew up afraid of gardening and what happened to her miniature rose. Meanwhile, Christy’s managed to harvest a second zucchini and looks forward to the world’s smallest celery crop. The Main Event: We dig into all the plants we have killed before and why yellow leaves can be the result of so many things out of balance. Plus, learn the #1 way to successfully move your plants, how to overwinter geraniums and how to keep pets out of your plants. Kinda. Mail bag brings all the unique ways to make ketchup besides using tomatoes: even watermelon! Did you the voice behind Phoebe’s Phenominails is Leslie? So, of course we bring back one of our favorite pod plays. Then our friend Jim shares a beautiful Ode to Morning Glory. Some fun, some info, some bad jokes – all for you, dear gardeners! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! (Each new Garden Pary Member this week is entered into a drawing for a free UDT Tee Shirt! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, October 26, 2022
95. Deadly Plants to Give You Nightmares - An Upside Down Halloween
Karen and Christy are in costume and ready to celebrate Halloween and the end of the garden season! We have curated a special episode just for the gardener. We warn you about deadly plants that can kill, tempt you with recipes for spooky season, share scary stories and treat you with a pumpkin bucket full of full of fun, original pod plays that we only play during Halloween. Yup, we have all the fan favorites: Ichabod Grain, Stranger Garden Things, Silence of the Lamb’s Ear and The Killing Frost. And we have a BRAND NEW Pod Play about The Squirrel’s nightmare on Halloween night. Warning: There are depictions of violence against pumpkins. Enjoy dear Gardeners! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! (Each new Garden Pary Member this week is entered into a drawing for a free UDT Tee Shirt! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, October 12, 2022
94. A Lot of Awesome Tips About Aphids and Other ”A” Words From the Garden
Karen is back and together we are living the brand of celebrating garden mistakes. But, we are also enjoying the onslaught of tomatoes, squash and eggplant. What about our zucchini? (We have news!) And our pumpkins? (We have an update!) And the fish guts in our basement? (What the heck?!) This episode is brought to you by the letter “A” – we bring a potpourri of garden tips and tricks that start with the first letter of the alphabet. Aphids: Did you know they poop out sugar? Annual Plants: Learn why you need them - even if you have commitment issues. Aerating: Find out why Karen is walking around her lawn in heels. Air Layering: Like Dr. Frankinstein, you too can scream, “It’s Alive!” Acid/Alkaline soil: Which is sweet and which is sour and why does it matter? Agastache: Learn all about Christy’s favorite plant - and how to pronounce it, too! Plus a BRAND NEW Pod Play featuring Karen as The Squirrel! Enjoy dear gardeners. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! (Each new Garden Pary Member this week is entered into a drawing for a free UDT Tee Shirt! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, September 28, 2022
93. Squirrel Away These Great Wormy Tips for the Best Garden!
Meet Karen! A new guest host and voice behind the infamous Squirrel in our pod plays. Karen tells us all about her garden: full of beautiful tomatoes, rogue pumpkins, pokey peppers and zilch zucchini. Cathy Nesbitt from Cathy’s Crawlers joins us to talk all about vermicomposting and how to get a worm composting system all set up. She answers all your questions: What kind of worms? How to feed your worms? What is the best location? When to harvest their amazing poo? What if you are afraid of worms? What does Bruno have to do about it and why can’t we talk about him? Squirrels are everywhere this episode. We share an encore of Karen’s first pod play with us as The Squirrel, Christy shares how she is protecting her pumpkins from squirrels – or not. And a letter from the Mail Bag busts our idea on keeping thirsty squirrels from our garden. What are we gonna do?! Fortunately, "An Ode to Hornets" puts a different perspective on how to treat the critters in our garden. Worm Away Your Garbage With Cathy's Composters! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! (Each new Garden Pary Member this week is entered into a drawing for a free UDT Tee Shirt! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, September 14, 2022
92. Romaine Calm! We Share Simply Radishing Ideas on September Planting
Kathryn is back and says “moist” a lot. Christy has Pumpkin Pride. And we both still hate squirrels. Find out what Christy found in her driveway. And what the heck a Treegator is and why you probably need one. Did you know there is a lot you can still plant in September? We get all into it. From veggies like lettuce and radishes you can enjoy before your first frost -- to garlic and beets you can plant now and enjoy in the Spring. We don’t forget flowers! We tell you all about how to beautify your garden for the next month with pansies, marigolds and mums. And when to sow poppies, calendula, cosmos and bachelor buttons in September to get a spring showcase of blooms. Mail bag reveals what a carrot and a diamond ring have in common. And a new pod play parody of HBO’s Succession, hand crafted just for the gardener. And people who like to laugh. :) Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE When is your first frost? Find it here! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! (Each new Garden Pary Member this week is entered into a drawing for a free UDT Tee Shirt! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Get a Treegator!
Wed, August 31, 2022
91. Can You Dig No-Dig Gardening? We’ll Share How Easy It Is!
A busy & confusing time in the garden! Kathryn makes out with a tree and Christy is pickled. Tomatoes are coming in, but not strawberries or zucchinis. The sunflowers are drooping and the cabbage needs squeezing. Then, we get into no-dig gardening: a growing method which feeds your soil, helps control weeds and saves your back in the process. We’ll share what easy supplies you need, when to start, where are the best spots and how big a plot you should have. Plus: Why lime can help get rid of grass? How do twigs help with clay soil? What is the difference between hay and straw? And all the things you can compost. (Including YOU!?) Plus we have a brand new pod play, handcrafted just for the gardener: MsMarbles and the Mystery of the Missing Zucchini! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, August 17, 2022
90. Let’s Science the Poo out of Japanese Beetles!
Meet Kathryn! Our first new guest host who has great info on how to change your lawn into a new garden space. Christy is back from vacation and her garden is still alive! But no one snuck zucchini on her front porch. If you have Japanese beetles, you won’t want to miss our talk with John Libs, the CEO of grubGONE! and beetleGONE! Learn more about the science of the beetle we love to hate and how grubGONE! has worked in Christy’s garden this summer. And what you can do NOW to get the upper hand next year. We’ve got new fun pod plays made just for the gardener about missing garden forks and how to make sure your bovine poo is the best it can be. Plus a great letter about what to do about squirrels and how Jane Goodall might be the solution. Laughs and learning all over the place this week! Check out grubGONE! & beetleGONE! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Tue, August 02, 2022
89. The Best of Edith: A Harvest of the Witty, the Silly & the Profound
Let’s celebrate Edith’s best moments on Upside Down Tulips! We’ve got her stories about an Elvis-fearing squirrel and the Great Denver Beaver. Plus, the Grapefruit Caper and Bokashi Reveal. Do you remember how Edith cuts her hair or what her favorite spice is? Or why we had to bleep Edith on our Christmas episode? As always, great garden tips like: how to grow bacon. And our favorite pod plays, mail bag and inspiration that lift up the witty, the silly and the profound: Edith Weiss. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Tue, July 19, 2022
88. Hugs & Kisses, Tips & Tricks: Our Second Anniversary in the Garden
It’s our Second Anniversary and Edith’s last show! This one has all the feels. Find out what is going on in our garden during the dog’s days of summer. Then we share a bunch of garden tips and tricks we forgot to tell you over the last year. Including answers to such burning questions like: How to tell if you have Verticillium wilt and what to do about it? What should you never put in your refrigerator? What the heck does a shoe organizer have to do with gardening? Plus BRAND NEW pod plays of The Old Woman Who Used to Live in a Show and Antelope Twomey. And a surprise mailbag that has us in tears. Don’t worry – lots of laughs, too. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Tue, July 05, 2022
87. Garden DIY! How to Make Your Own Soil, Sprays, Seed Pots & More
Thrifty gardeners, take note. This is all about doing it yourself. You can collect your own seeds, (but be very careful of one thing), make your own seed pots, fertilizer, compost, pesticides, soil test and potting soil. All organic, mostly made with stuff you have in your shed or pantry. Plus a quick reprise of the ever popular Bokashi and the many maggots story. And why kids eating mud pies could be a very good thing. Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Tue, June 21, 2022
86. Our Favorite Surprises (Wow!) and Frustrations (Ugh!) in the Garden
It’s June, and the garden is action packed. There are peas to be harvested, garlic scapes to collect, and it’s time to resow or replant seedlings that didn’t make it. Is it too late to winter sow? You might be surprised by the answer. Speaking of surprises, see how our gardens both surprise us (Wow!) and frustrate us (Ugh!) We talk radishes, roses, iris, leeks, peaches and aloe vera. Take action now to battle weeds, bugs, powdery mildew, and unpredictable weather. We'll show you how. And take note: The Japanese beetles are coming! Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Tue, June 07, 2022
85. Tomatoes 2022: What We are Growing and Super Sweet New Tips
Let’s deep dive into tomatoes 2022! We've got breaking news on tomato health benefits, nutritional value of raw vs. cooked, the use of their pigment in making solar panels. Also - how to pick the best tomato plants from your local nursery, and what we are growing in our gardens this year. Plus: Why is a Better Boy tomato better than a Big Boy tomato? What is the difference between Sweet 100 and Supersweet 100? What the heck is an Inditerminate tomato? Are hybrids organic? And of course, fun Pod Plays! This week we have tomato boxing at Madison Square Gardens and a brand new Old Woman Who Used to Live In a Shoe, who waxes philosophical and funny in her garden. Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Tue, May 24, 2022
84. Oh My Gourd! All About Growing Squash and Stranger Garden Things
You can roast it, grill it, soup it, zoodle it, sweet or savory it - it’s the amazing, versatile squash. And we tell you how to plant it, water it, protect it, cure it, and store it all the winter long. From the sweetest to the largest to the oddest; grow squash and gets pounds and pounds of food and a hedge against inflation. Plus, How to make an anti-fungal agent that protects against powdery mildew. How to hynotize a chicken, should you have the need to. Want to grow marigolds this summer? Thanks to a listener, we show you how! Stranger Garden Things are afoot as we premiere a new pod play. Oh My Gourd! And what is that white stuff falling from the sky?! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Tue, May 10, 2022
83.We’re Sexy and We Mow It. All About Lawns and Lawn Alternatives
Gardeners care about the planet, and if you are choosing between a lawn, an alternative, or a mix of the two - we have some very pertinent info on how to mow, how to water, how to fertilize, carbon removers, forever chemicals, ground covers and what kind of grasses are good for your zone. And while you mull over these questions you can also: Celebrate what is blooming in our gardens. (Yay!) Find out what is dead in our gardens. (Ack!) Enjoy to a beautiful letter sent in from a listener - “A Sonnet to Spring”. (Cause gardening and poetry do have a lot in common.) As Antelope Twomey, the Poet Laureate of Wyoming would say, “It’s mandatory”. Live in Colorado? Sign up here to get rid of bindweed with a bug! What grass is best for your area? Check out this thyme lawn! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Bonus · Fri, May 06, 2022
BONUS! Happy World Naked Gardening Day!
With World Naked Gardening Day just around the corner on May 7, we thought we would share one of our favorite pod plays. Good laughs and celebrating the garden are what we are all about at Upside Down Tulips. Most of the time we even have clothes on. We will be back next week with a brand new episode filled with our fun garden tips and tricks and bad jokes. xoxo Edith & Christy World Naked Gardening Day is a thing? Live in Denver? Come see the play we worked on! Runs until May 14, 2022 Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, April 27, 2022
82. All We Seed is Love: Our Favorite Seed Company Stops By!
Judy Seaborn, founder of Botanical Interests seed company, stops by to share her favorite gardening mistakes - and gives us so many great tips. Which plants won’t benefit from starting early? Which don’t like being transplanted? How do you keep your seeds from clumping in one place in the garden? What plant is a must in Judy's garden this year? Plus: If you plant onions in a circle do you get onion rings? Dandelions - good for bees or not? (The controversy begins.) We talk mugwort and borage, two ‘witchy” herbs. And we celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday with podplays featuring Hamlet and Ophelia; and Imaboil and Esmepus, 2 witches from Macbeth. Learn and laugh with us! Check Out Our Friends at Botanical Interests! Live in Denver? Come see the play we worked on! Runs until May 14, 2022 Learn How to Winter Sow! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, April 13, 2022
81. So Many Spring Tips! Plus: Why You Should Join a Community Garden
To celebrate National Gardending Day on April 14, we packed this episode with a wheelbarrow full of Spring tips and tricks! Then, we give you something new! We interview an expert: Brittany Pimental, the Equity and Food Access Director at Denver Urban Gardens. We learned so much. Just about every city has a community garden program and they’re there to help you. We learn about viable seeds in ancient Egyptian tombs. Sustainability swaps? No, not a way to reignite the spark in a marriage. Find out what a food swamp is and if you’re in one. Plus, Edith has a garden hack that grosses Christy out. Edith gets bleeped for the third time and Christy dreams of Japanese beetles. And what’s this about thanking your tool? Come see the play we are working on! YOU WILL GET SICK by Noah Diaz Learn How to Winter Sow! Check out our friends at Denver Urban Gardens Find out where YOUR community garden is! Don't Know Your Zone? Find it HERE Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, March 30, 2022
80. Mmmm! 15 Fragrant Plants That Will Make Your Garden Smell Amazing
Can you smell the lilac? It’s all about common and not so common scents in the garden. Combat the malodorous smells of modern times - the exhaust, the garbage, your overly patchoulied co-worker - with the gentle scents that certain trees and plants will provide. Which ones are our favorites, which ones have medicinal properties, which plant can be sowed straight from a teabag. Listen as a letter from Doug gives instructions on building a chicken wire rabbit deterrent fence that just might work. And enjoy a new pod play parody on the TV show, Succession! Learn How to Winter Sow! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Tue, March 22, 2022
79. Best Drama, Best Villain, Best Supporting Plant: Who Will Win Our Garden Awards?
Using the Academy Awards as our inspiration, we give awards to the favorites, and also the disappointments, in our gardens. Along the way we share what made our successes shine and what might prevent future failures. Trees to vines to veggies to flowers- from best ensemble to the most dependable to the villains - Garden 2021 has been a heck of a year. Plus buggy hollyhocks, raging at the radish, and the little seedling that could. Learn How to Winter Sow! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, March 16, 2022
78. Easy Peasy: We Spill the Dirt on the Easiest Veggies and Flowers
We’re gardeners and sports lovers, so let’s say this episode is smashmouth gardening. Where else are you gonna get that? We tell you which are the easiest veggies and flowers to grow, and give you tips to ensure your success. Do you like beans, carrots, zucchini, lettuce, and peas? Do marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers and morning glories please your eyes? Add some hardy perennials and you have a beautiful easy peasy garden. Plus an all NEW Who Killed Rosemary: Misty Contour, intrepid podcaster trying to find out who killed Rosemary, visits a neighborhood where she is stonewalled by all the neighbors. Door after door is slammed in her face. What are they afraid of? Is Misty in danger? The list of suspects grows... Learn How to Winter Sow! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, March 09, 2022
77. Answer: Worm Composting. Question: What is Makes the Best Fertilizer?
We'll Take Worm Composting for $1000, Ken. And Let's Make it A True Daily Double! We explore vermiculture, which ensures that you can grow the most nutritious vegetables, the most beautiful flowers because you can make the best fertilizer in your backyard, under the sink, on your balcony. Are we pulling your garden-overalled leg? No, we’re not. Vermiculture is raising worms for their precious poop, and we give you the inside scoop. Where to put them, what to feed them, how to keep them alive. Final Jeopardy: How planting sunflowers can take heavy metals out of your soil and how to get rid of poison ivy. Learn How to Winter Sow! Earthlinks Colorado Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, March 02, 2022
76. It’s Time for Your Daily Garden Wordle: March! Seeds! Plant! Clean!
What you can and what you shouldn’t do in your March garden. Direct sowing, soil conditioning, temperature watching, winter sowing, indoor seedling starting, perennial clean up - it all starts now. When, what, and why to prune off your trees. And take time for Your Morning Wordle - our new pod play in honor of you, the gardeners. Learn How to Winter Sow! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, February 23, 2022
75. Oh Kale Yeah! Lettuce Grow all the Leafy Greens
We took notes and name names. Of our favorite greens. Our goal is to have 9 months of fresh green salad stuff from the garden. Tips on growing endive, arugula, perpetual spinach, dwarf kale, corn salad, romaine and more. How to plant, harvest, care for, and fertilize. Along the way we get wayword and curdled noddles, grief stricken vegetables, and all root and no bulb enter the fray. Plus a brand new Old Woman Pod Play! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, February 16, 2022
74. How to Attact Flutters of Butterflies and Bees on Bikes for a Beautiful Garden
“Butterflies are flying flowers and flowers are tethered butterflies” Saving our bees and butterflies is also saving our food sources. We explain how you can help whether you have a garden or a balcony or somewhere to plant milkweed seeds for Monarch butterflies. And how to get those seeds for free. What colors and plants attract not just a butterfly but a kaleidoscope of butterflies. Not just a single bee but perhaps a bike of bees. Why you should never plant a butterfly bush, perversely counterintuitive though that sounds. Plus a podcast within a podcast: we’re getting closer to finding out who killed Rosemary, in a brand new pod play! Get FREE Milkweed Seeds Here! Find Your Local Native Plant Society Here! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, February 09, 2022
73. Pot it Like It’s Hot: How to Propagate Your Houseplants
Find out which heirloom seed company will ship you seeds with no shipping fees, and hear what may be the worst joke in the world. Then learn how to make two or more houseplants out of your existing houseplants by rooting, stem cutting, or dividing. Discover what pantry staple can be used as a rooting hormone. And if you think a "rooting hormone" has anything to do with why you are loathe to leave the house, give us a listen. Also: What happens when a Crazy Cat Lady meets a Crazy Plant Lady? FInd out and have a laugh or two in a brand new hand-crafter pod play just for the gardener. Some cool links to what we talked about this episode: Denver Urban Gardens Earthlinks in Colorado Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, February 02, 2022
ENCORE: We Have the Best Dirt on Soil. Get Digging!
In this week's special encore episode, we share the difference between dirt, soil, top soil, potting soil, and seed starting soil. Who knew? We didn’t! But we do now. Also: How many worms in a shovelfull of good soil? How to use the principles of regenerative agriculture in your garden large or small. How do worms procreate and why should you care? Why does Plato the Greek philosopher think people are like dirt, and why you’ll agree with him. So many questions. We have answers to a lot of them. Don’t confuse rotorooters with rototillers and the secret to a good marriage. Okay, we didn’t say one has anything to do with the other. Or did we? Listen to find out. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your Persephone Period
Tue, January 25, 2022
72. More Winter Sowing: How to Bring Seeds to Life in the Dead of Winter
Winter Sowing 2! Good news! You don’t have to wait to garden. We answer your questions about how to sow seeds, outside in the winter. Does it matter where you live? When is the best time? Can you use compost? What is the best way to water? What kind of light? Should you ever take the tops off? What if it gets really cold? Along the way we have a hilarious headline correction from England, living bridges in India, and new ways to garden: free planting and leaving vegetable roots in the ground. Informative and funny, gardeners we’ve got your backs. Click HERE to listen to Winter Sowing Part One Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your Persephone Period
Wed, January 19, 2022
ENCORE: Take Out Your Jugs and Learn How to Winter Sow
In this Encore Episode, Christy teaches us how to winter sow, and it’s about the coolest thing a gardener can do. Meet Johnny Hardscribble, a tough guy who needed a Hail Mary to save his spirits and found one in his garden. Meet the Gardeners of the Galaxy: The Fairy Godwater, the Bee Team, and the Mulch Master. We also answer the tough questions: can you put deer poop in your compost? What is a knot nematode? And if someone offers you bunny honey, don’t spread it on your bread. Edith has a compost experiment and says “at least it doesn’t stink.” Wow, someone’s standards have sunk to a new pandemic low. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your Persephone Period
Wed, January 12, 2022
71. Edith & Christy Plan Planting by the Seat of Their Pants: Our 2022 Garden
Things to consider when planning your 2022 garden. How to lengthen the season in colder zones, new ways of watering, and inexpensive ways of providing shade. The new way Christy will plant her expensive herbs and the one herb Edith will never plant again. What you need to do in January to ensure getting the garden you want in July. Two treats for theater lovers: Hamlet and Ophelia in their frozen garden, and a mulch pile begging to be spread belts out Broadway tunes. “Ah, five, six, seven, EIGHT!” Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your Persephone Period
Wed, January 05, 2022
ENCORE: From the Ground Up: The First 3 Things To Do
You want to plant a garden. Now what? In this Encore Episode, we explore Gardening 101: where to put your garden, how to determine what kind of soil you have, and how to amend it. But along the way we’re discussing Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania and Sir Walter Wally in Raleigh NC. We have tips on why thinning out boyfriends and carrots are important. We share soil tests you can do at home, with stuff from your pantry! Knot nematodes, spineless cactus, plumcots and cat skulls may not seem like they’re cogent in a gardening podcast; but you’ll see why they are. Also, an in depth discussion on why the word ‘moist’ is irreplaceable. You don’t want a clammy cake, do you? Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your Persephone Period
Tue, December 28, 2021
70. Our Favorite Mistakes 2021: Confession is Good for the Soul
"I can use some socks.” If that quote doesn’t signal an exciting episode, we don’t know what does. It's our annual Favorite Mistakes of the Year! We go through our many gardening mistakes of 2021, some of which ended in... plantslaughter! From too much sun to not nearly enough, from a hostile poppy takeover to accidentally killing houseplants - learn from us. And laugh with us! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your Persephone Period
Wed, December 22, 2021
69. All the Jingle Ladies: An Upside Down Christmas
Blanket yourself with this delightful Christmas quilt of an episode. From the care of your Christmas tree, poinsettias, and amaryllis to a mailbag featuring two of the most heartwarming stories we’ve ever heard. Plus, the most unusual “12 Days of Christmas” you’ve ever heard, a way to frustrate scammers, and a stomach churning Gift of the Magi. And “The Ghosts of Gardens Past” to warm your eggnog. Happy Holidays! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your Persephone Period
Wed, December 15, 2021
ENCORE: How to Grow Herbs - Here Today, Tarragon Tomorrow
In this Encore Episode, learn how to grow herbs! Have a container? A small patch of land somewhere? Plant herbs! There is nothing like fresh herbs that you have grown for your health, happiness, and recipe success. Let us help you with tips for sowing, growing, and harvesting your herbs. Plus intriguing truths: What is the most popular spice? (Hint, it isn't Baby) How the Romans used the herb savory. Why medieval monks were forbidden to grow it. Meet an herb whose leaves tastes SO GOOD to 8o% of humans, is inedible to the other 20%, and then produces seeds that are a whole different spice! And the name of which herb is featured in what is arguably the best play written in the 20th century! Journey through thyme (ha ha) with Upside Down Tulips. Plus - a special couple of humorous "pod plays" that celebrate The Natural State. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your Persephone Period
Wed, December 08, 2021
68. Gardening in Poo and Other Strange & Bizarre Gardens
Edith and Christy search the globe and outer space, looking for unusual gardens. From above the Arctic Circle, to the indigenous forests of Africa - from the ketchup and fries plant, to where you can find gardens inside taxicabs, to a parody of “The Martian” - so much great information presented alongside funny letters to Santa and groan worthy puns. The elves Wunorse Opanslae and Shinny Upatree warn us about the one gift they never should have given Mrs. Claus. Believe it... Or not! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your Persephone Period
Wed, December 01, 2021
ENCORE: Tis the Gift to be Simple - Garden Gifts!
In this Encore Episode, you can end re-gifting with our suggestions of wonderful gifts you can make FROM the garden and FOR the gardener. From body butter to soup of the month to sage bundles to Herbs de Provence - in these times where so many of us are operating on a Bob Cratchit budget, make wonderful gifts for about a ha’penny. We also suggest some simple gifts for that special gardener in your life. Or for yourself! Or for us! We think we may be headed toward The Bigger Time - cause we have merch! Get your Upside Down Tulips Gear HERE! This blockbuster of an episode includes singing, jokes to make ye merry, and colorful characters like Lara Lura, the Jolly Green Giant, Saint Nickerless, Sandy Clause, and a listener from Oregon who - oops - ate the whole thing. Get seeds from our pals at Botanical Interests: https://www.botanicalinterests.com Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your Persephone Period
Wed, November 24, 2021
67. It‘s an Upside Down Thanksgiving! So Eat, Drink and Cranberry with Us!
Happy Thanksgiving! Like friends and family coming to our table, we have new letters from listeners as well as favorites from last year. They run the gamut from the missing mashed potatoes to Spudsgiving. Plus a new podplay about the Cranberry Wars. Oscar Wilde, the Buddha, and the Minneapolis Miracle are already seated. We’ve saved a place for you. We would be grateful if you joined us. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your Persephone Period
Wed, November 17, 2021
66. Are You Ready for Some Garden Good News?
We have gathered only good news, because things have been stressful and we needed it. News about how gardeners like you are helping with climate change, how architects are designing skyscrapers that are covered in gardens, how Maine has put itself in the forefront of the right to grow your own food and how a gardener in Atlanta created a sitting garden for her neighborhood. And more! Also, an unsolved garden mystery involving a huge zucchini and a bad assed gardener who takes his cue from Clint Eastwood’s persona provides laughs -- because laughter is its own good news. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your Persephone Period
Tue, November 09, 2021
ENCORE: Good Garden Tools and Hacks That Don‘t Blow
In this Encore Episode, we talk about tools - not humans with appalling behavior but garden tools that help us out. Christy’s cartoon thumb bears witness to the importance of tools. She has definitely paid the price for yanking the cosmos. Hori knives in holsters, hand weeders, hacks you find in your kitchen or garage. Tools that blow which might make you feel like you’re licking the sidewalk. Waste of money tools. Tools with cancer warnings that has Edith playing detective. Meet Janelle the strict parent of her seedlings and Rowena, the very nervous gardener who stunts all she touches. It’s all here. Plus the most beautiful inspiration we’ve found yet. Gardening: It’s like falling in love with the ground. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your Persephone Period
Wed, November 03, 2021
65. Things Get Better With Sage: How to Grow Herbs Indoors
It's go thyme! This week is all about how to grow an indoor herb garden. But first, Edith encounters a persnickety security system demanding a “secret word”, Christy is starting a produce section in her attic, and we both had a fennel fail. What is the Persephone Period? We will tell you. If you’re as determined as we are to grow fresh herbs indoors this winter, give us a listen. Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme - not just an old Simon and Garfunkle song. It could be part of your kitchen herb garden. We share what materials you will need, best practises and how to trouble-shoot. Also, we’ve got a joke, an inspiration, and a sauerkraut recipe from a listener. Thank you Catherine, thank you faithful listeners. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your Persephone Period
Wed, October 27, 2021
64. The Legend of Creepy Colorado Gardens - Upside Down Halloween Special
It’s Halloween 2. We’ve got Tom Cruise, Ichabod Grain, and Canable Pectin. Wrap yourself in our Halloween quilt with the best stories from last year, new stories from our listeners, and two new podplays. We have tricks: how to eat an eyeball if you have to; and treats: The Silence of the Lamb’s Ear and a headless garden ghost. Revisit the haunted Fordney mansion which holds a true ghost story and find out what could happen if you garden after dark on Halloween. We’ve got tricks, treats and laughs. As Rosemary Clooney would say: “Come on-a my house, my house a come on - I’m gonna give you candy.” Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, October 20, 2021
63. Do You Know What We Did Last Summer? We Spill the Beans
We share new things we tried last summer and how they worked out. Good, bad, and ugly things. Important things like which tomatoes to plant to get rid of a soil fungus, the easiest beautiful annual to care for, how to have fresh greens in your garden for 8 months, and what is and how to grow a successful moon garden. Do you know what a Maximillian sunflower is and why it’s great to have it in your garden? And for chuckles, pod plays about being the quarterback in a garden football game and a new interpretation of “boxing tomatoes” starring Howard Cosell-ish. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, October 13, 2021
62. Bring It In and Bring It On: How to Overwinter Your Favorite Plants
Do you want to have a headstart for your plants in next year’s garden? We have the details on bringing in geraniums, rosemary, and peppers. The harden off/soften on method, the pruning, misting, microclimating, and dormancy inducing techniques that help your plants survive the winter in your house. Plus how to grow plants from cuttings. As well as a question about broccolini, a story about beavers, a 172 lb. cabbage, and a 76 pound rutabaga. It’s a supersized episode! Both of us laugh, both of us cry, but one of us is just kidding. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, October 06, 2021
61. We Can Can and We Can Freeze. Won‘t You Join Us?
We are not an “organic proprietary mixture”, although we get a little ticked off by something that claims it is. We go into all the dos & don'ts and pros & cons and easy tips for how to freeze and can your harvest for the winter. Plus more drama: what died all by itself on Edith's hügelkultur? Why does Christy's pumkin look like Walter Matheau? Why is Edith afraid of canning equipment? And what, in the garden, will give you more, the more you use? These kind of miracles, giving trees, and why birds might be pooping on cars. It’s all here. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, September 29, 2021
60. Why a Toilet Paper Roll is Perfect for Your Garden & Other Repurpose Ideas
A spanking new episode exploring upcycling for your garden: toilet paper rolls are not just for making chunky necklaces anymore. Second lives for soda bottles, boots, toilets, broken tools, bathtubs, tires and more. Learn to make your own pots for seedlings and then use a ‘seedling apartment building’ to shelter them. Whether it’s a recipe for drying cherry tomatoes with zero energy use, or a recipe for roasted tomato salsa, or the recipe that might have kept Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara together, this episode’s got it. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, September 22, 2021
59. We Have a Garlic Crush. Let‘s Learn How to Grow Better Garlic
Everything you wanted to know about growing, curing, and storing garlic. The difference between hardneck and softneck garlic. What they have in common are fantastic health benefits. In Romania it is often considered as good as antibiotics! Plus eat the rainbow that’s not Skittles - a vegetable’s color is an indication of its health benefits. We explain. What we’re planting now - hoping it will overwinter and give us vegetables early in Spring 2022. And we pepper this barrage of information with two very funny Podplays that deal with a better way to awaken Sleeping Beauty. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, September 15, 2021
58. This Week We are Inappropriate, in the Raw and in the Garden
Eating raw fruits and veggies is not only great for your health, but for your energy bills, and the environment as well. Not enamored of eating a pile of plain raw veggies for dinner? We have suggestions: recipes for cold soups, sauces, salsas and smoothies. If a Colorado garden zone 5B can produce fresh greens allowing you to eat uncooked nutritious foods for about 7 months, so, most likely, can your zone. Better skin, great gut health, improve your immunity: eat it raw. Plus we solve the blossom end rot on grape tomatoes but lose the battle of the pumpkins to squirrel saliva. It’s always something, isn’t it? Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, September 08, 2021
57. Will We See You in Your September Garden? We Hope So!
The September garden: watch out for frosts and for insects making homes in your garden cantaloupes. A to-do list that includes the hows and whys of watering, planting, harvesting, fertilizing, and weeding. What to do with a tsunami of tomatoes. Taking care of your lawn, flowers, and trees. We are so full of good information we could burst like Christy’s forgotten pumpkin. We also have questionable information as Edith gives her theory of the evolution of the French language. Could it possibly be true? Fiacre! We don’t know. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us! Find Your First and Last Frost Dates Here! What is my Gardening Zone? Find it Here!
Wed, September 01, 2021
56. We Are Ripe for the Pickin‘ - So Let Us Help You Know When to Harvest
We want you to have a happy harvest so we let you know when your veggies are ripe. From beans to zucchini and most things in between, it’s about color, texture, smell, shriveled stems, green caps, tight heads, and leaves dying back. It might surprise you that in most cases, size doesn’t matter. Seed collector alert: what to start looking for before they blow away. Meet Buff Biffins the plant homicide detective who learns that sometimes you gotta be cruel to be kind in the garden. Saints, assassin bugs, and little cabbages no one planted make unexpected appearances. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, August 25, 2021
55. Linger in Your Garden Longer: How to Extend Your Season
We give a tip of the hat to our Curmudgeons and share a story about the power of unexpected kindness. What you can plant today and still harvest before winter and why you should plant trees now. How to extend the life of the vegetables you have past your first frost date, the Persephone period explained, and sheltering plants for the winter so they’re alive come Spring. What happened to bad smelling Gunther and why the Dormouse accuses Alice of being a poisoner and a perv. We know better - she’s just Alice in Gardenland. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get a UDT Coffee Mug or other cool Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, August 18, 2021
54. Why Do We Love to Hate Bindweed? It's Kinda Convoluted
The ubiquitous bane of the gardener - Bindweed. There seem be at least 50 ways to fight your bindweed - pulling, snipping, solarizing, suffocating, boiling, blow torching (really), using strong chemicals that kill everything around it and sometimes leaving bindweed standing alone on the hill, victory flag in hand. Yes, gardeners, it’s war. We’re on your side discussing what could work and how long it could take. Note: Be patient. And presenting 3 short comedies to ease your (and our) frustration. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Big Sale on UDT Merch! Visit our website for pix, good info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, August 11, 2021
53. The Best Ways to Save Water in Your Garden. Now Almond Free
We’re talking ways to save water that is both nutritious and free. There’s more to watering than what comes from your hose. We’re talking rainwater, gray water, black water, cooking water. One of these things is not like the other, however. How to collect water, store it, apply it to your garden. How to help save your lawn and water bill in this heat. From sprinklers, soaker hoses, rain barrels, and water absorbing polymers to aeration and hydrozoning, we cover this topic as thoroughly as the papparazzi cover Simone Biles. Speaking of similies, Agnes the community college instructor/radio host is back with a drama presentation about Tomato Town. And - curtain! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us!
Wed, August 04, 2021
52. What's the Matter With My Tomatoes? BLT Help is Here
We discuss the things that can happen to your tomatoes, the ‘risks’ as it were: blossom end rot, blossom drop, not setting fruit, not ripening, Septoria, early blight, late blight, middle aged blight (just kidding on that last one). We tell you how to fix what can be fixed and when to throw in the trowel and not beat yourself up about it. Cause it’s probably not your fault! Plus Antelope Twomey is back with a moving and funny poem called “Ode to the Gardener”. It’s all about you, our gentle listeners and gardeners. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter!
Wed, July 28, 2021
51. The Best Garden Tips Are From Your Good Friends
We discuss what we (and hopefully you) learned from each other this past year. Like how to do your own soil test, and what is Soil Pep? (It has nothing to do with pompoms or short skirts). We discuss gardening by grid, taking suckers off of tomato plants, how to garden without disrupting the natural way of things, why Christy has changed her mind on a certain store bought fertilizer and what went horribly, nauseatingly wrong with Edith’s Bokashi experiment. Gardening is not for the squeamish. From spiders in meat tubes, to squirrel skulls to Cindy Brady in the garbage - we get down and dirty in the garden. And not a hoe joke in sight. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter!
Wed, July 21, 2021
50. First Anniversary Special: Good Thymes in the Garden
It’s Episode 50! And our First Anniversary! (Which means we’ve been doing this for a year and we’re not so good at math.) Thank you to everyone who has listened over the last year! We truly love this community of gardeners, friends and stewards of the planet. To celebrate, we share are a few of our favorite moments from the year: From the silly - shredded tweet and Salvadore Dilly, to the profound - May Sarton’s quote about gardening, we’ve got you covered. We fill in between the two, revisiting little bird buttholes, a deep confession from Christy, and the story of a man who cooked a smoked turkey into a salt lick. From the sacred - an homage to the gift of the Magi - to the profane - what an irritated telemarketer called Edith. And we’ve got an entirely new podplay of the Old Woman Who Lived In a Shoe. What sets her off and has her calling out the artillery? Plus, we sprinkle in a few gardening tips and tricks along the way. Enjoy! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter!
Wed, July 14, 2021
49. Upside Down Grub Hub: How to Deal With Japanese Beetles
It’s hot and dry July. The early season plants are reaching their endtimes, flowers need to be deadheaded and the Japanese beetles are back! To temper the horror of that, Edith wrote a poem! We then talk 50 ways to kill your Japanese beetles. You could sweep, bag, spray, trap, grind, or entice them with a lovely fruit cocktail. (Fruit cocktail? What is this, 1954?) You could also try Neem Oiling or Milky Sporing them to their everlasting rest. Then, for a little dark humor, we brought back Darla and the Jersey gangster Tone Baritone. And, as if all this murder talk isn’t enough, Christy has the most morbid inspiration ever, starting with the words “Every corpse…” and it doesn’t get any cheerier from there. Calm down or die. Grow something. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter!
Wed, July 07, 2021
48. This is July & We Love Hanging With Our Gnomies
The start of July means summer is in full swing and our gardens are at the peak of the season. It is also a big month for garden maintenance. So we have gathered together over 20 tips on what you should be doing in your July garden - what not to plant, what you can plant, what to deadhead, how to get broccoli baby heads even if your original plant goes to seed. Plus: helpful info on pinching, watering, weeding, staking, dividing, mulching. So many "ings!" Don’t know what a farrier is? Neither did we. Christy thought it might be a grower and caretaker of fairies. (!) Edith has been waiting for years to use the word “Oyez” in a sentence and finally found a way! We revisit Christy’s Horrifying Ladybug Incident and a listener explains why not everyone’s pee changes smell if you eat asparagus. And then Ben Franklin mansplains about the issue. (Go fly a kite, Benjamin, or at the very least stick to forming the US of A.) The Garden Gnomes return in two fun pod-plays made just for the gardener! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter! Find Your First and Last Frost Dates Here! What is my Gardening Zone? Find it Here!
Wed, June 30, 2021
47. Victory is Vine! Why We Love Climbers and Scramblers
We’re thrice potting cucumbers and shaking seed heads, all while exploring the world of vines. So much more than just a conveyance for Tarzan, vines shelter, give beauty, grow food, attract pollinators and hide unsightly views. Not even to mention that’s how grapes grow and that’s what makes wine! Which vine’s seeds cause paralysis, labored breathing and convulsions- and still has “sweet” in its name? (That may be taking forgiveness a step too far.) Let us introduce you to the Lazy Housewife Pole Bean and the Asian Winged Bean. The first is not a Victorian insult and the second is not an anime superhero. They’re beans you can grow in Zones 3-11 and who doesn’t want to grow colorfully named beans? Also - learn about trumpet vine, honeysuckle, morning glory and how to grow your own loofah sponge and more! Do you have thistle weeds? We have tips on how best to get rid of it in Mail Bag. And two fun new "pod plays" made just for the gardener. Boom chicka boom boom! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter!
Wed, June 23, 2021
46. Announcing Top 10ish Garden Tips We Forgot to Tell You
“Hope is being planted and I feel it growing.” We’re quoting from a listener’s letter because we’re too hot to say anything worth quoting. BUT we did have the presence of mind to gather about 10ish garden tips we forgot to tell you in the past year. Like what is well drained soil? Can you plant in a ziplock bag? Do you need different fertilizers for different plants and what is elbow soap? Why you should pinch your mum now and what the appearance of dog vomit slime mold tells you. Free resources, plants that resist bolting, red warty things, and if you see something spiny tiny and creepy in your garden- don’t kill it. It’s your friend. We’re your friends. We also have Cinderella and the Gardeners of the Galaxy. Join us. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter!
Wed, June 16, 2021
45. Here is the Poop on Fertilizing Your Garden
Things are popping in the garden and we’re getting down with our hoes. Christy’s roses are opening, something absconded with her cauliflower plants, and her rosemary after surviving the grim winter, has a ceased to be. It’s like a vegetal soap opera! If you think NPK is an arm of the Russian Secret Service, you need this episode. If you want to know why Edith is reading War and Pees in her bathroom, you should listen. We explain how and when to fertilize flowers, vegetables, roses, and houseplants- one size doesn’t fit all. What unexpected trait is shared by some people and all herbs? What herb is so toxic any product containing it was banned in Canada and yet it’s a great natural fertilizer? What is the difference between organic and synthetic fertilizers? And why we are reconsidering using that blue stuff. Some great info here, gardeners. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter! Find Your First and Last Frost Dates Here! What is my Gardening Zone? Find it Here!
Wed, June 09, 2021
44. June is Bustin' Out All Over in the Garden
Here is your June "Get 'Er Done" List! Someone once said if you have to tell people you’re hip and relevant, you’re probably not. We politely yet vigorously disagree. Cause we’ve got slamming plants and vibrating stamens. Exploding gardens and hoe jokes. Doing the ‘what is dead’ search. It sounds like an action filled sci fi adventure, but it’s just another week in the gardens of Christy and Edith. From succession planting to mulching, supporting and staking, and it’s last call for seedlings. What you can still direct sow and - bonus! -a recipe for homemade pesticide with all natural ingredients. What to pinch, prune and cut back in June. Why, when they mow low, you should mow high. Plus a letter from a listener who tells of being bent over with a 3 year old glued to her back pocket. That’s all we’ll say here. Juneau you have to listen. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter! We would love to hear your garden stories & Q's!
Wed, June 02, 2021
43. Mostly Fresh Tomatoes: A Special Encore of Plump Things
Well, slap some bacon on that Vitamin K, it's an encore! We discuss tomatoes from seeds to BLT’s. In the Middle Ages, Europeans thought of them as poisonous, the French thought they were an aphrodisiac and called them love apples. The Aztec called them “plump things with a navel”. Plus: The difference between determinate, indeterminate, heirloom and hybrid tomatoes are discussed. All you need to know about planting, staking, and harvesting tomatoes. What to do about blossom end rot, blotches, wilt, rot, fungal diseases and pests. We unbox tomatoes that have been sitting in Christy’s attic for almost a year. Then - new stuff! Health benefits! Edith finds out which tomatoes can grow in Siberia and Christy goes all hybrid for a while to outwit the fungus. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter! We would love to hear your garden stories & Q's!
Wed, May 26, 2021
42. Garden Laughs 2: More of Just the Funny
Pardon our garden clogs as we take time to work in our gardens and present our second episode of all garden comedy. Every gardener has a sense of humor. How else can we survive all the missteps and surprises? Can bindweed make you laugh? We think so - revisit the Bindweed Singles Service and the worse come on lines you’ve ever heard - and we hope you will agree. Remember Agnes, the easily distracted creative writing teacher who also has a call in gardening show? We’ve got all the Agneses right here. Plus the Gardeners of the Galaxy, the Society of Gardener’s Patience, the Garden State and Yoga with goats and more. Enjoy! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter! We would love to hear your garden stories & Q's!
Wed, May 19, 2021
41. Roses: Good in a Bed and Up Against the Wall
“No good in a bed, but fine up against a wall." This is the catalog description of a rose named for a former first lady. Her reaction to it is priceless. We’ve got the info on how and where to plant, prune, fertilize, water and care for the Queens of the Garden: Roses. Save money and up your rose game with our easy homemade fertilizer suggestions. We tell you about a thousand year old climbing rose that survived a WW2 bombing that destroyed the cathedral on whose walls it grew. Plus: do those Japanese beetle bags that attract and trap those pests work? And in addition to all this great stuff we have eunuchs in tunics, Romans in togas, cheesy dribs and limequats. Something for everyone, really. A whole episode about roses and we never use the word “prick”. Go us. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter! We would love to hear your garden stories & Q's!
Wed, May 12, 2021
40. Perennial Discretion Advised: Rhubarb Murder & Other Strange Tips
And just how supple do you think Sleeping Beauty was after she slept for a hundred years? It does have something to do with gardening, we swear. We discuss the unique requirements to grow perennial vegetables: rhubarb, horseradish, artichoke, asparagus and leek. They come back year after year with minimum care. And not just for food: here’s a recipe to lighten your hair naturally with rhubarb. We also reveal the answer to why asparagus makes your pee smell funny and the artichoke’s secret: it is mainly a butter delivery service, let’s be honest. Great tips on caring for your forsythia bush, potted or not. And a quote by Derek Jarman that ends like this ”…..it’s the amen beyond the prayer.” That quote alone is worth your time. SPECIAL TREAT: Not only do we have a new "Ask Agnes" sketch for you, but we couldn't resist bringing back "Stranger Garden Things" and Christy's beloved Rhubarb. BARB!!! Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter! We would love to hear your garden stories & Q's!
Wed, May 05, 2021
39. How To Grow Irresistible Iris: We Don't Squirrel Around
The Puckerbutt Pepper Company. Now that we have your attention, meet the subject of this episode, the superstar of perennials: the Iris. Used in perfumes, Bombay Saphire gin, and immortalized by artists: you gotta grow an iris. Really, so easy. We tell you, in detail, everything you need to know to keep this flower, grown by the Greeks and Egyptians, alive and thriving. With not a lot of effort. You don’t even have to mulch it! And you can ship it! Why painting them kept Van Gogh’s sanity (for a while anyway)and had O’Keefe keeping us wondering about lady parts all these years later. And why the Puckerbutt Pepper Company is aptly named. And back by popular demand, The Squirrel comes back in an all new fun sketch. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter! We would love to hear your garden stories & Q's!
Wed, April 28, 2021
38. How to Grow Herbs - Here Today, Tarragon Tomorrow
Have a container? A small patch of land somewhere? Plant herbs! There is nothing like fresh herbs that you have grown for your health, happiness, and recipe success. Let us help you with tips for sowing, growing, and harvesting your herbs. Plus intriguing truths: What is the most popular spice? (Hint, it isn't Baby) How the Romans used the herb savory. Why medieval monks were forbidden to grow it. Meet an herb whose leaves tastes SO GOOD to 8o% of humans, is inedible to the other 20%, and then produces seeds that are a whole different spice! And the name of which herb is featured in what is arguably the best play written in the 20th century! Journey through thyme (ha ha) with Upside Down Tulips. Plus - a special couple of brand new humorous "pod plays" that celebrate The Natural State. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter! We would love to hear your garden stories & Q's!
Wed, April 21, 2021
37. Wanna Grow Fruit? This is Our Resting Peach Face.
Wanna grow fruit on trees, vines, shrubs or in containers? We’ve got you covered. With information on planting, pruning, and fertilizing your fruit bearers. Even growing citrus in your house. Cutting back your raspberries and giving your strawberries a haircut - who knew? Edith has some complaints about a company that did her (and maybe you) wrong. But she is avenged. Ground cherries are an endangered heirloom, as so few people are growing them. But we give you good reasons to grow them. Christy meets and gets advice from a superstar but you’ll have to listen to find out who it is. Dracula, Al Davis, and Phoebe of Phenoma Nails fame also make appearances. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter! We would love to hear your garden stories & Q's!
Wed, April 14, 2021
36. Container Gardening: Hit Us With Your Best Pot
Don’t have a yard or community garden? No problem! Learn how to use containers. A porch, a stoop, a stair, a roof, or a hook somewhere for a hanging basket will be enough to grow something. Terra cotta pots, plastic pots, grow bags, shoe racks, etc - it all works. We tell you which veggies, herbs, and flowers flourish therein. Thriller, spiller, filler - not a rip roaring Godzilla movie- it’s a container technique. As well as: make your own potting soil! We have the recipe right here. We’re following Christy’s battle with quack grass, and the many, many events that call on April to honor them - National Straw Hat month? Are you serious? Yes they are. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter! We would love to hear your garden stories & Q's!
Wed, April 07, 2021
35. Let's Twist and Sprout! How to Plant Seeds & Seedlings
We have things that sleep, creep, and leap. Things that died, survived and are taking over. Advice on how deeply to plant all your seeds. Which seeds like a good soaking before they go into the soil, and how to protect them from birds and wind before they sprout. We’re not judgmental people, but there’s a right way and a very wrong way to pull seedlings out of their pots. And by wrong we mean it could kill them. And then - if they’re rootbound or their roots are whirling in a circle, what are you gonna do, Rootbusters? We tell you. Cause that’s the kind of gardening podcast we are. That plus laughter. You’re welcome. Support UDT by joining our Garden Party and get fun rewards! Get some NEW cool UDT Merch and Mulch it! Visit our website for pix, more info and Upside Down Dictionary Click here to write to us or join our newsletter! We would love to hear your garden stories & Q's! Find Your First and Last Frost Dates Here! What is my Gardening Zone? Find it Here!
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