As we begin to settle into winter I realize garden inspiration can be hard to find this time of year. For most us the foliage is off the trees, the grass is dormant, the tops of the perennials are dying back and our roses are shutting down for the winter.

Garden books and catalogues are a traditional source of winter inspiration for many of us. A dark winter night, a warm fire, a favorite blanket; all contribute to the coziness of cuddling up with publications filled with the colors of spring. While this may be enough to pass the chilly nights fortunately there are other ways to get your gardening fix this time of year.

Via the internet.

Garden “radio” shows started to surface on the web a few years ago and are steadily gaining an audience of loyal followers. Most are simply produced through websites featuring the hosts in their homes chatting with each other, with guests and with listeners. This informality is what makes them so appealing and pleasurable to listen to. It’s like hanging around the table with your friends talking about gardening – only in this case the table spreads across the entire country. While there are many fine ones out there I have two I’d like to draw your attention to.

The first is GardenChat Radio.

GardenChat can be found all over the web on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. For twitter simply use #gardenchat to find them. Their Facebook link is below as is the link to their website where you can find past episodes and updates about future ones.

GardenChat has been around since 2010 and was created by garden folks as a way to connect experts, bloggers and gardeners. Some of the Q&A is done on twitter using the #gardenchat tag to find each other and they generally do this from 9-10PM EST on Monday’s. They also record episodes to You Tube and have other ways of connecting. The best way to find out all the great ways to join in is via their website so click on the link below to their website.

The other one I’d like to draw your attention to is RoseChat Radio.

This was started by award winning rosarians Teresa Byington and Chris VanCleave. While they can also be found on Twitter via the #rosechat tag, they host a true radio style show ever Wednesday evening at 9PM EST. Each show features a guest (or guests) and covers a wide range of rose related subjects. Listeners can phone in and ask questions.

What they also do is make each episode available via podcasts and on Stitcher Radio. I subscribe to the podcasts and each one is automatically downloaded to my iDevice when it becomes available. They keep me company on long drives!

If you find yourself this winter needing a garden fix beyond print publications check out these two sources. Simply listen or via Twitter join in the conversations. Either way you’ll be glad you did.

Happy Roseing
Paul