Spring planting extravaganza

By C.L. Fornari

Published April 18, 2026 at 6:39 PM EDT

It's a spring planting extravaganza as The Garden Lady talks with Katie Rotella, of Ball Horticultural, about four to performing plants for 2026. The opening Postcard from Plants was about pruning hydrangeas that flower "on old wood," and listener calls ranged from rats and tomato plants to fruit tree care and more. The discussion with C.L. Fornari ranged from bulbs to a black mold on Magnolias.

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C.L. Fornari

C.L. Fornari is the author of eight books, including Coffee for Roses and The Cocktail Hour Garden. She’s a professional speaker, the former host of GardenLine on WXTK, and co-host of the Plantrama podcast. She is a frequent speaker to groups nationwide, and has worked for a family-owned independent garden center for 25 years. C.L. grows vegetables, flowers, shrubs, trees and numerous other plants at Poison Ivy Acres on Cape Cod. In 2015 C.L. launched the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, a ten-day regional celebration of gardens that typically raises over $100,000.00 for local non-profits every year and draws public attention to Hydrangeas and gardening.

See stories by C.L. Fornari