Shawn and Blinda chat with a client about his experience with Mirror Lake Designs
Game Day in the Backyard
Shawn and Blinda discuss a clever trick to integrate your favorite football team into your flower arrangements.
We're Not Drunk - We're Educated
Brock Wagner from Houston's own St. Arnold's Brewery joins the show to discuss the inner workings of our favorite beer.
Too Much Time...
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.
Bizarre Botanicals: An Interview with Larry Mellichamp
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."
The Science Behind Smells: An Interview with Dr. Charles Wysocki
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.
Read moreThe Summer Sultry Garden: Surviving the Heat
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.
Interview with Emma Clark, author of The Art of the Islamic Garden
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.
Read moreSmall Space, Big Design
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.
Ask The Expert: Fire Ants
Fire ant mounds. They pop up out of nowhere. One day you have a clean, clear entry into your backyard, and the next morning you have an entire infantry of fire ants.
Shawn and Blinda enlist the help of Dr. Paul Nester of Texas A&M University to learn more about when you can expect to find these critter's homes and more interestingly, why.