Create a Garden Under Glass

What could be more festive for the holidays than an indoor garden under glass? Mike McGrath, host of You Bet Your Garden, will discuss the basics of crafting a terrarium with Maria Colletti, author of Terrariums: Gardens Under Glass. Plus: ants in your plants; and your fabulous phone calls!

Question of the Week:

“Mike: Can you recommend a treatment for lemon trees, hibiscus, and coleus that have spider mites, aphids, and sticky black spots on the leaves before I bring them in from their summer outside? Please hurry! I only have about a week left before it freezes here!”

— Lise in Tiverton, Rhode Island

Protect Your Houseplant From Pests »

Highlights from show:

Dangerous Ivys

Heather in North Carolina has a Poison Ivy vine in her backyard, but amazingly she is not allergic to it. She is, however, allergic to the more common English Ivy. She is selling her house and knows she needs to remove the vine, but wants to replace it with something equally beautiful. Mike is suggesting for her to get a Pyracantha Firethorn, which isn’t allergenic or poisonous, but has similar structuring and produces beautiful berries in the Fall and Spring.

Featured Interview: Maria Colletti

Mike speaks with Maria Colletti author of Terrariums: Garden’s Under Glass. Colletti is the terrarium designer and store manager for theShop in the Garden at The New York Botanical Garden. She gives many helpful tips on how to create a delightful terrarium and urges everyone to use their creativity. Terrariums come in many shapes and designs.

Damaged Fig Trees

Monique from Philadelphia, PA has fig trees that are damaged and wants to know how to save them from dying over the Winter. Mike says she should keep the fig protected by getting a role of burlap, then drive some stakes in the ground and wrap the protective burlap around the stakes to keep the fig protected from freezing winds.

Bug Invasion

Meredith in Kutztown, PA is dealing with a home invasion from box elder bugs and wants to know how to get rid of them. Mike advises her to come up with a trap plan, like cutting holes in a pizza box and placing it on the outer side of her door, so, as the bugs invade all they’d be able to see is a dark warm box causing them to crowd inside. Mike thinks this would knock out about 95% of their population.