Garden Gossip

Spring Adventures in Asheville

From the Biltmore Blooms and the Asheville Orchid Festival to Art Shows and Music Events, Hiking and Chasing Waterfalls, and the Southern Conference Basketball and Wrestling Championships, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Adventures in Asheville" Podcast covers Spring Adventures in Asheville, North Carolina.
As always the show features Steve & Karen Wilson "Mr & Mrs Wild, who own and run The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast, a stunning pink lady in the Montford Historic District. More: https://www.lion-rose.com/   
Big Blend Radio's "Adventures in Asheville" Show airs every 1st Tuesday. Follow the show on PodBean: https://adventures-asheville.podbean.com/ 
This episode is also being shared and featured on other Big Blend Radio Network Podcast Channels including "Vacation Station" and "Garden Gossip," Check out our network of podcasts: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork 

Paula Whyman - Bad Naturalist

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Show, author Paula Whyman discusses her memoir, "BAD NATURALIST: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop," out now through Timber Press. 
A few years ago, Paula Whyman decided to leave her Maryland / suburban DC empty nest to find a rural getaway -- maybe a small farmhouse where she could put her interest in conservation to work. With little experience in gardening or conservation, Whyman had a crazy idea to cultivate a small native meadow to provide an acre or two where wildlife could thrive and she could explore with her poodle. Then she set foot on 200 acres of old farmland atop a Virginia mountain about 20 miles outside Front Royal, VA and her dream became a reality.
In "BAD NATURALIST: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop," author Paula Whyman explains how she cares for her mountain-sized ecological restoration challenge with a mixture of humility and humor.  She quickly discovers it’s impossible to be a “good” naturalist. More at https://paulawhyman.com/ 

Leah Rothstein - Author, Community Organizer, Housing Program Expert

In observance of World Social Justice Day, this episode of Big Blend Radio features Leah Rothstein, a veteran community organizer, local housing program expert, and co-author of "Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law" (Liveright: June 2023), which will be released in paperback on March 4, 2025.
In 2017 Richard Rothstein wrote "The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America." The book has sold more than 1 million copies and started a revolution in the housing industry by explaining America’s troubled housing situation.  
Newly educated and informed communities across the nation began to take action.  As Richard toured the country educating local communities, the communities began reviewing their housing policies and initiating changes.Realizing direction was needed to help communities get started and move the process forward, Richard enlisted his daughter, Leah Rothstein, to co-author "Just Action." 
"Just Action" provides concrete examples of what communities can do to improve local housing policies. Paired with an active "Just Action Substack" column, challenging segregated housing is happening across the nation. Visit: https://www.justactionbook.org/ 

Pinch Me: Waking Up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse

This episode of Big Blend Radio's 2nd Wednesday "Books & Authors" Show with Books Forward features author and writer Barbara Boyle who discusses her new memoir, "Pinch Me: Waking Up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse.” 
From a high stress career in global advertising to a simple rural life in a barn in an Italian hill town, "Pinch Me" shares Barbara's journey of transformation through love, food and community in Piemonte. Discover how she leaves her life behind in San Francisco and takes apart a 300-year-old stone barn to build a new home, a new life, in Italy. It’s a tale filled with discoveries, disappointments, pleasures, frustrations, and triumphs. And given the gastronomic excellence of the region, she shares some special recipes as well. Get the book or learn more here: https://www.barbaraboyleauthor.com/ 
More about Books Forward at https://booksforward.com/ 

Winter Adventures In Charleston, South Carolina

It's all about Parks, Plantations, and Gardens in Charleston, South Carolina, on this episode of Big Blend Radio's JO GOES EVERYWHERE! Podcast with travel writer and photographer Jo Clark. 
Hear all about Jo's adventures at Hampton Plantation State Historic Site, Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site, Magnolia Plantation, Middleton Place, and Hampton Park, plus, where to eat, sip, and stay. Check out her article about it all here: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/winter-in-charleston-south-carolina/ 
Jo Clark is a travel writer and photographer based on South Carolina’s Grand Strand. She has a thirst for knowledge, history, great food, and wine! Her Big Blend Radio podcast "Jo Goes Everywhere!" airs every 2nd Sunday at 7pm EST. Follow the show on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/yfkjm8sd 

Thinking About Purchasing Property in England?

Thinking of moving to England or purchasing a second property or vacation spaces? This episode of Big Blend Radio's "English Connection" show with Glynn Burrows focuses on real estate opportunities in England. Check out his article: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/considering-a-move-to-england/ 
Glynn Burrows is the owner of Norfolk Tours in England. He appears on Big Blend Radio every fourth Saturday covering England as a travel destination as well as family history research. Follow his podcasts here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzIUCV2e7qm2IK_1Zfh-xJ9eEVYhqqC3Z 
Learn more about Norfolk Tours at https://norfolk-tours.co.uk/ 
This episode is also featured on Big Blend Radio's "Garden Gossip" home and garden show. Check out our network of podcasts here: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork 

Author Simon Parkin - The Forbidden Garden

On this episode of Big Blend Radio, award-winning author and journalist Simon Parkin discusses his new book, "The Forbidden Garden: The Botanists of Besieged Leningrad and Their Impossible Choice." 
The first book to chart the history of the world’s largest collection of seeds, "The Forbidden Garden" shares the story of the Siege of Leningrad and how from 1941 to 1944, the scientists in the seed bank had to face an impossible choice each day: eat the collection to prevent starvation, or protect their life’s work to help end world hunger? More at https://www.simonparkin.com/ 
This episode is cohosted by Margot Carrera, a fine art nature photographer who is passionate about the environment.  More: http://margotcarrera.etsy.com/ 
Check out Big Blend Radio's network of podcasts: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork 

Sara C. Bronin - How Zoning Shapes Our World

Happy World Urbanism Day, aka World City Planning Day! This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Show features Sara C. Bronin who discusses her book, "KEY TO THE CITY: How Zoning Shapes Our World." 
Zoning codes have become the most significant regulatory power of local government, determining how we experience our cities. Yet zoning remains invisible. In "Key to the City," Sara reveals the impact of zoning—for good and ill—in cities across the country, from Hartford to Baltimore and Las Vegas to Chicago. Outdated zoning codes have maintained racial segregation, prioritized cars over people, and enabled great ecological harm. 
Along with being an author, Sara is an architect, attorney, Cornell University professor, and founder of the National Zoning Atlas. More at https://www.sarabronin.com/ and https://www.zoningatlas.org/ 
Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Podcast airs every 2nd Monday and 4th Friday in collaboration with Margot Carrera, a fine art nature photographer who is passionate about the environment. More: http://margotcarrera.etsy.com/ 
This episode is also being shared and featured on other Big Blend Radio Network Channels including the "Big Daily Blend," "Women Making History," and "Garden Gossip." Check out our network of podcasts: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork