Giant Veggie Gardener Edition - February 2026

🎙️ The Voices & The Context

• The Format: Casual radio interview on a community gardening show, with host prompting expert guest through tips and lists.
• The Key Players:
  • Guest: Janine Cabusel, the "Tomato Lady" of Giant Veggie Gardener, a passionate master gardener known for giant veggies, monthly appearances, and practical, no-nonsense advice.
  • Host: Alexa Bradford, enthusiastic facilitator who chimes in with questions and personal anecdotes for lively flow.
• The Vibe: Educational and fun—folksy wisdom mixed with humor, enthusiasm for nature, and urgency for March Madness gardening prep.

🗝️ Key Themes & Topics

The episode dives into nature-based gardening science and actionable spring tasks, blending observation with hands-on chores for veggie and fruit growers in Northern New Mexico.

• Topic 1: Phenology – Science of timing plantings by natural cues like lilac leaves or daffodil blooms to predict pest arrivals (e.g., grasshoppers when lilacs bloom) and safe sowing windows; Janine shares a humorous list of old farmer tips and urges tracking patterns in notebooks or via National Phenology Network (USA-NPN.org, Nature's Notebook).
• Topic 2: March Garden Chores – Soil testing/amending, bed cleanup, direct-seeding cool-season crops (peas on St. Paddy's Day, spinach early March), and protections like row covers a