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The Garden Mixer: A Gardening Podcast

The Garden Mixer: A Gardening Podcast

Drought & Heat Strategies with Carol Reese

Aug 7, 2026 · 1h 20m

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About this episode

In the heat of August, it’s not just gardeners that want to check out — it’s their plants. But there’s a lot plants can tell us about the conditions we’re all navigating, so it’s worth paying attention when the temperatures soar. To channel those thoughts, Leslie and Marianne welcome Carol Reese — horticulturist, writer, humorist, retired University of Tennessee extension specialist, and keeper of approximately three to four hundred dogs — though not all at once. Carol gardens on 118 acres in West Tennessee, where the heat index routinely clears 105°F and the garden operates on something close to feral principles. So does she, and she’s ready to dish on what survives in serious heat, why…