Seattle is one of my favorite cities, and the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, is without a doubt, my favorite show if its kind. So when the idea of showcasing […]
Compost Confidential
Compost Confidential is the blog of Host and Executive Producer Joe Lamp'l - Where he shares the backstory of each episode and gives you a behind-the-scenes view of Growing A Greener World.
Tloe’s Garden is Right On Time
A tenth of an acre may not sound like much at first! But after spending time in the home garden of our associate producer, Theresa Loe, this tiny plot proved […]
Fiskars Project Orange Thumb Wants You!
Now that I have time to catch my breath, I thought I’d share with you another part of my life when I’m not producing or hosting Growing a Greener World. […]
What a year!
Wow, what a ride! In September, we officially wrapped the first season of our national public television series, Growing a Greener World. We traveled the country, covering 18 states and […]
From WWI Straight into Agriculture Secretary Vilsack’s Private Office
If I were alive during the original Victory Garden campaigns of WWI and WWII, it wouldn’t have taken any convincing for me to get out there and start a food […]
If You Can’t Stand the Heat…Get to Monticello Anyway
I’ve always been fascinated by Thomas Jefferson, mostly for the same reasons most people feel that way. But the real hook was set for me when I started learning more […]
When it Rains it Pours
Having just come off an incredible day of shooting less than 24 hours prior at the Rodale Institute, we were ready to ride that wave for another productive day taping […]
The Rodale Story – So Much to Say, so Little Time
This blog coincides with episode 123 of Growing a Greener World. To enjoy this blog post to the fullest extent, be sure to watch the episode online here and listen […]
Collecting and Saving Seeds
Gardening is filled with plenty of its own rewards. One I never tire of is the joy of watching seeds I saved from a parent plant take root and begin […]
So Many Community Gardens, Not Enough Time
This post relates to our episode number 121 on community gardening. If you haven’t seen the episode yet, it’s available for viewing on our website here. Our challenge to tell the […]
CSA’s – or the Way to My Heart is Through My Stomach
Thanks to the help of many of our friends throughout the country, we learn about some of the people, places and organizations we feature on Growing a Greener World. We […]
Waterwise Gardening
Sometimes I have a hard time remembering that much of the country is dealing with severe water shortages, especially when I visit gardens like Nan Sterman’s in San Diego, California. […]
My Very Cool Weekend Taping Pilot for New Series
Hard to believe, but nearly a year ago I assembled a very impressive pool of talent from Boston, Atlanta and Philadelphia to converge on Greensgrow Farm, nationally recognized as the […]
We’re sleeping Where?!?!
As we near the finish line for a series of episodes that have taken us coast to coast, I thought I’d have a little fun with the crew. This time […]
Go Native
I learned a thing or two from working on this episode on Native Plants and Certified Wildlife Habitats. One, I really like Austin, Texas, and two, never try to fit […]
Living Homegrown Fresh
Near the Los Angeles International airport and surrounded by a concrete jungle, an oasis grows on less than one-tenth of an acre. Theresa Loe, aka “Tloe” is living homegrown fresh […]
Pruning; The Good, the Bad, and the…Questionable
Pruning. It’s often feared to a fault. In fact, I have a good friend that is a self-proclaimed “prunaphobic”. On the other hand, some people think nothing of shearing off […]
The Ugly Truth about Gardening
For every plant we put in the ground, there’s usually a pot associated with it. From those annoyingly thin plastic, crinkly six-pack containers to the giant buckets that hold large […]
Sonoma County Worm Farm – My Best Day Ever!
After seven years of traveling the country hosting gardening television shows, I have to say, this day was the best day ever so far. In that time, I’ve seen the […]
My day with Farmer D
I met Farmer D almost a year ago when he showed up at a community garden installation I was doing for Fiskars’ project Orange Thumb. He was still around as […]
Why an Eco-friendly Garden is Good for All
As I sat down to write the introduction to my latest book: The green Gardener’s Guide; simple, significant actions to protect and preserve our planet, I realized that this relatively simple […]
Good Things DO Come in Small Packages
I’ve been on the mailing list for Annie’s Annuals for years. Her catalogs would faithfully arrive and I’d thumb through them. I get a LOT of catalogs. But Annie’s for […]
Annie’s Annuals-Sowing more than just Seeds
*Joe’s Note: Presumably, you’re picking up here from the previous post where I wrote about our visit to Annie’s Annuals for the taping of an episode featuring her nursery and […]
The Earth-friendly Vineyard: We can all toast to that!
You don’t have to drink wine to enjoy the beauty of a vineyard. But I must admit, having an appreciation for it surely does make a visit all the sweeter. […]
We Interrupt this Program…for Rest!
With 19 out of 26 episodes of Growing a Greener World already in the can, I have been ordered by my family and crew to cease and desist immediately for […]
Seven Hours in Heaven – The Edible Schoolyard, Berkeley CA
It was everything I had imagined and more. That was my feeling after spending the day taping episode 108 at the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, California. As a longtime fan […]
The importance of honeybees in the urban landscape
Take time to study any living creature and you’ll be amazed at what you learn, from the highly sophisticated dolphin, down to the lowly worm. But if I had to […]
Not your grandmother’s compost pile
Today was perhaps the most memorable day of my life as it relates to my gardening television career. In traveling the country to tell the story of people, places and […]
Coming Soon to a Computer Screen Near You!
Very soon we’ll be launching a brand-new website right here at GrowingaGreenerWorld.com, where the conversation continues long after the episode airs on public television! Here you’ll find additional articles and […]
Logo Design Contest for New National PBS Series
OK all you professional or wanna be graphic designers (like me), here's your chance to have your work seen on National TV every week and more. If you come up […]
Good People Doing Good Things with Locally Grown, Organic Vegetables
Last week I was in Baltimore to install another Community Garden for Fiskars, under their Project Orange Thumb initiative. Believing that community gardens can provide the catalyst and inspiration […]
105 Pounds Harvested and Counting – My Quest for the Twenty-five Dollar Victory Garden Challenge
This week marked a big milestone in The Twenty-five Dollar Victory Garden. I officially crossed over the 100-pound mark of harvested vegetables! But what do I really show you to […]
Closing in on 100…(pounds that is) – My Quest for the Twenty-five Dollar Victory Garden
Things have slowed down a lot in my garden. That explains why the posts are less frequent lately. It also has a lot to do with my lack of motivation […]
A Bittersweet Day in The Twenty-five Dollar Victory Garden
What a difference a couple of weeks make. The picture in this post represents a bittersweet milestone in the Twenty-five Dollar Victory Garden. I took this shot four days ago. […]
Fifty Pounds Harvested so far – My quest for the Twenty-five Dollar Victory Garden
Here’s a quick update on the garden. I’m very excited to report that as of today, my cumulative harvest exceeds 50 pounds! That’s on a total investment of $15.05. So […]
Vegetables aren’t the only thing Growing in my Garden – My Quest for the Twenty-five Dollar Victory Garden
Wow, mid July and The Twenty-five Dollar Organic Victory Garden has produced almost 35 pounds of vegetables. Although the lettuce is pretty much finished, everything else is still producing away. […]
