I was honored and excited to be a guest host for Dr. Pat’s radio show out of Seattle and on the internet on December 22nd. I invited one of my favorite people in the whole world, Annie Spiegelman, the Dirt Diva, to be my special guest. Below you can listen to the whole show. Annie is such an inspiration, and transformed her life when she left New York City where she worked in the movie business and moved to California and became a passionate environmentalist. She is now a Master Gardener, and author of three gardening books. Her latest book, “Talking Dirt,” makes it simple and easy for anyone…Annie always says if she can do it, anyone can.

She shares why we should reconsider having a lawn, especially in dry climates like California. Check out SafeLawns.org, LawnReform.org, and Composters.Com to find out how to fertilize without using pesticides. If you want to start a school garden, like Annie did, contact your local Master Gardeners or the American Horticulture Society, AHS.org. Annie and her books are chocked full of fabulous information about how we can take care of ourselves, our families, our communities, and our precious soil. Check her out at DirtDiva.com.

“Don’t freak out if you have a little clover in your lawn,” says Annie Spiegelman, the author of “Talking Dirt.”

Annie shares her master gardening wisdom with us promoting brown and the new green in summer lawns of California. She outlines why those beautiful green lawns are not only lots to care for, but create havoc with our productive pests and take a tremendous amount of water. This does not make good planet sense in places like droughty California.

In classic Dirt Diva style, she says “we all need to get off the sauce,” meaning stop chemicals and start using organic compost. Her book and this podcast are full of tips to be safe and have a beautiful lawn.

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Annie’s upbeat, down-to-earth wit and wisdom create the perfect primer for anyone with a passion for homegrown vegetables or fresh-cut flowers, no matter what your skill level, location, or resources. As your horticultural host, this Dirt Diva dishes out useful information, fun facts, and handy tips that any gardening novice, geek or seasoned pro will be thrilled have at her fingertips in “Talking Dirt.”

Visit her website at www.DirtDiva.com (where critics will be composted).

Are your ready to save money and clean up the planet?

Annie Spiegelman, or the Dirt Diva, shares her story of moving from the parking lot pavement in New York City to playing with the weeds in Northern CA. She will inspire you to consider the many benefits of organic gardening. Her new book “Talking Dirt” helps you care for yourself, your relationships and your planet. Annie is a garden geek with style who will make you laugh as she drives home her point about stepping up and taking care of our environment.

Listen to this 11 minute podcast and learn the first common sense step to an organic garden.

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Raised in the asphalt jungle of New York City, with a can of Raid in her hand, Annie Spiegelman moved to the Bay Area over ten years ago and became a passionate environmentalist and Master Gardener.

She is the author of two previous books on gardening (and life):

“ANNIE’S GARDEN JOURNAL: Some Thoughts on Roses, Life, Weeds, and Men”

and “GROWING SEASONS: Half-baked Garden Tips, Cheap Advice on Marriage and Questionable Theories on Motherhood.”

Her third book entitled “TALKING DIRT” (Penguin Group), an organic gardening how-to guide, will be in bookstores nationally on February 23, 2010.

Spiegelman writes a popular garden column entitled Dirt Diva in the Bay Area’s Pacific Sun newspaper while also working in the film business as a First Assistant Director. She claims she spends her days dodging bullets from the cutthroat publishing business, the maniacal movie industry and her teenage son… And rarely uses medication.

Find out more about her at DirtDiva.com.

Do you have any dirty stories that will help us live cleaner in the long run?

In this episode, Michelle Hartwell, shares her story of how her ordinary life became extraordinary when she and her family ventured to South America for a year. Annie Spiegelman, the Dirt Diva, is also on to talk about how to grow your own vegetables.

Listen to Michelle and Annie now…

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