Your Livable Garden

Shawn and Blinda discuss a clever trick to integrate your favorite football team into your flower arrangements.

Brock Wagner from Houston's own St. Arnold's Brewery joins the show to discuss the inner workings of our favorite beer.

Between running an award-winning landscape design company, producing a horticulture podcast, and keeping up with their grandchildren, it came as a surprise that Shawn had some downtime. And when Shawn has downtime, odd things can occur.Here are a couple of the radio spots that made their way on the air over the years... courtesy of an overactive imagination, and a few spare minutes of time in the studio.

Your livable garden is about to get a little weirder. Shawn and Blinda chat with expert botanist of the bizarre, Larry Mellichamp about his discoveries while writing "Bizarre Botanicals: How to Grow String-of-Hearts, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Panda Ginger, and Other Weird and Wonderful Plants""There's no reason to forsake lilies and petunias. But after reading Bizarre Botanicals, gardeners will want to take a walk on the weird side and try a few of these peculiar plants for themselves."

Ah the smell of rain! But what are we smelling exactly? And why do some people love the fragrance of Carolina Jasmine, and our hosts can't smell it at all? Charles Wysocki breaks our sense of smell down to a molecular level, and reveals what he thinks a skunk smells like... you won't believe his answer.

It may be 105 degrees out, and you may be looking for a cool retreat out in your backyard. Is it possible? Yes! With a little imagination and the right materials, you too can enjoy your backyard in these dog days of summer. a

The Islamic garden is regarded as one of the highest forms of visual art in the civilization of Islam, and this guide explains these gardens' history and symbolism.

Not everyone lives onacres of land out in the country. Many of our designs take advantage of very limited real estate. A small yard doesn't mean you can't have great design.Shawn and Blinda discuss the different varieties of courtyard designs that Mirror Lake specializes in.

Fire Ant Expert Dr. Paul Nester digs deep and explains why fire ant mounds pop up when they do.

Darrin Duling from the Mercer Arboretum offers choices for color in your yard, even as the heat persists...

Most folks don't even know that a Landscape Architect is a profession. Their only experience, after all,  is with pool builders and pool contractors. But there is a huge difference between the landscape architect, and a guy with a shovel. Let Texas Registered Landscape Architect No. 869 (Michael Shawn Kelly) explain the difference.

One element of great design technique is creating a focal point in your yard. But, you may be asking, what creates a great focal point? Glad you asked...

Sometimes it feels like we have to coax our children to get outside and play. Luckily there are programs like Nature Explore that help make this a little easier on us adults. Chris Kiewra from Nature Explore tell us more... 

There once was a time when we would spend our evenings out on our front porches. We would enjoy a beverage as the sun set, and wave as the neighbors took a stroll around the block. Smart, beautiful landscape design can help you reclaim your front yard. Shawn and Blinda tell you how. 

Uh oh, Easter is coming up. And there are going to be a lot of kids coming over! How do you keep them busy?How about Easter Egg coloring with a twist! Blinda explains more...

Azaleas don't get the credit they deserve. Shawn and Blinda discuss the missed opportunities that azaleas offer.

Looking for a fun day-trip around the Houston area? Somewhere you can enjoy a local wine, some dancing, and great food? Take a little trip down to Santa Fe, TX where Raymond Haak tends to his three acres of grape vine at Haak Vineyards & WineryShawn and Blinda interview Raymond and learn more about this local vineyard.  

We are surrounded in the Houston area with subdivisions of two-acre lots. Typically, these homes are built up several feet above native elevation. The intention is good - to keep the home dry. But too often, the homeowners and the builders themselves do not know how to mitigate the unforeseen consequences. Shawn and Blinda explain...

The American Porch: An Informal History of an Informal Place (Part II)

Shawn and Blinda interview the delightful Michael Dolan, author of The American Porch: An Informal History of an Informal Place