Hi, everybody. This is Joe Lampel, the Joe Behind Joe Gardner, and welcome to the Joe Gardner Show.

Today's conversation is on one of my favorite topics, ecological gardening, and we have quite the plantsmen to talk to us about it.

Joining me today is Matt Mattis, Senior Director of Horticulture for the American Horticultural Society.

Matt is someone whose curiosity about plants has taken him into just about every corner

of the horticultural world, widely respected among serious gardeners, as someone who doesn't just write

about plants, he grows them, a lot of them. And many of you already know Matt through his widely

followed blog, Growing with Plants, and through his books, mastering the art of vegetable gardening

and mastering the art of flower gardening. He's also been deeply involved in the broader

horticultural community. And today, we're talking about the newest release from the American

Horticultural Society, ecological gardening, techniques, and know-how for gardening with nature.

Matt is very well equipped to talk about this subject,

which explores how gardeners can work with natural systems, supporting biodiversity, building healthier

soil, and creating gardens that function more like living ecosystems. So today we're going to dig

into what ecological gardening really means, why it matters more

than ever, and how gardeners can begin putting the ideas into practice right where they live.

So here's my conversation with Matt, and as we get started, thanks to our sponsors for this

episode, Soil Cubed, and the Ultimate Gardening Chief.

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