It's about that time of the year when your garden may be looking lush or a little sad.

And with this weekend's heat wave hitting a large swath of the U.S., it's getting harder

to keep plants alive.

But keeping a garden is shown to have many benefits beyond beautifying your space.

But from the University of Colorado Boulder found that people who started gardening not

only experienced decreased levels of stress and anxiety, but it also reduced the risk

of chronic diseases.

Gardening may be good for the body and soul, but it can also be frustrating.

Do you have a stubborn plant that isn't happy no matter where you put it?

Or a mysterious fungus that's decided to take over your plants?

Well, after the break, you'll hear from a group of expert gardeners.

You've assembled them to answer all your planting questions and help set you on the

right track to make your backyard garden dreams come true, or at least try.

I'm Jen White.

You're listening to the 1A podcast where we get to the heart of the story.

We'll be back with more in just a moment.

Now, let's jump into all things gardening.

Mike McGrath is with us.

He's the host of the public broadcasting TV and radio show You Bet Your Garden.

Mike, it's great to have you.

It is great to be here.

I look forward to solving many problems today, maybe even some of my own.

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