I’m privileged to observe a fascinating diversity of animals outside where I live, but the term “Outsider Animals” was new to me—and it’s the title of a recent book by today’s guest, Marlene Zuk, a leading expert in behavioral evolution… Read More ›
Archives
Becca Rodomsky-Bish on Bird Gardens – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – April 6, 2026
I always say that birds taught me to garden, as I watched their behavior here at my place, and added more of the plants and features they seemed to like and use most, and I have been blessed to have… Read More ›
Shaun McCoshum on Creating Habitat – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – March 30, 2026
We talk about pollinator gardens, and seek out the plants that provide that essential nourishment to bees and butterflies and moths, for example. But insects do not live by pollen alone: To make our gardens places of life-sustaining habitat, we… Read More ›
Ned Friedman on Wisdom in a Tree – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – March 23, 2026
I wish that when I was a college freshman, a course like Harvard’s seminar called “Tree” had been part of the curriculum, because since I learned about the class last year, I’ve never looked at a tree quite the same… Read More ›
Elise Howard’s ‘Plant This, Not That’ – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – March 16, 2026
You’ve seen and heard the list of no-no plants that were showy longtime nursery and garden standards, but have proven invasive and need to go. Yes, we can yank out the Bradford pears and butterfly bush and the rest of… Read More ›
Let’s Get Out and Botanize – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – March 9, 2026
When spring approaches and we get out into the garden again, it’s easy to get distracted by the to-do list, or just by the latest pretty thing that’s emerging after winter’s relative blank slate. But there’s a whole other layer… Read More ›
Margaret Renkl on the Weedy Garden – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – March 2, 2026
Margaret Renkl’s newest book “The Weedy Garden: A Happy Habitat for Wild Friends,” is aimed at children, but it’s really for everyone, she says, and indeed we grownups, too, often need a reminder that our gardens are not just “our… Read More ›
Joe Lamp’l on Seed-Starting Mixes – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Feb 23, 2026
When growing from seed, the long list of decisions starts with what turns out to be the simplest question of all: which variety of bean (or tomato, or zinnia, or basil) to order. But then things get more complicated: questions… Read More ›
Sarah Kleeger on Homegrown Spices – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Feb 16, 2026
What do you say we explore expanding our herb-gardening efforts to include some goodies to fill those jars in the spice rack, too? Most of us have probably grown cilantro, for instance, with its distinctive-tasting bright green foliage, but I… Read More ›
Peace Seedlings on Rainbow of Peas – A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach – Feb 9, 2026
“The dream has always been a rainbow of peas,” Dylana Kapuler said to me more than a decade ago, and that dream continues to fuel a passion for breeding colorful, edible-podded peas at the organically managed Oregon-based seed company called… Read More ›