American Holly and garden structure

By C.L. Fornari

Published May 30, 2026 at 2:24 PM EDT

This episode began with a postcard from American Holly, a plant that is naturally shedding the old leaves as it grows new foliage. C.L. welcomes Jim Long, author of Wildcrafter Garden Structure: Making Bentwood Trellises, Arbors, Gates and Fences. Listeners called in with questions about lilacs, azalea pruning, tomatoes and more.

The Garden Lady on CAI

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.

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