About this podcast
Ask Grumpy, a podcast featuring Steve Bender, AKA Southern Living’s Grumpy Gardener is back for Season 4. For more than 30 years, Grumpy has been sharing advice on what to grow, when to plant, and how to manage just about anything in your garden. Tune in for episodes every Wednesday as Grumpy answers reader questions, solves seasonal conundrums, and provides need-to-know advice for gardeners with his very Grumpy sense of humor. Be sure to follow Ask Grumpy wherever you listen so you don't miss an episode.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 168 episodes
- Goodbye Spiky Vines · 11 minGrumpy shares advice on how to remove spiky smilax vine for good, explains why black walnut trees produce toxins and which plants can thrive around them, and helps a reader…
- Save My Rosebush! · 12 minGrumpy answers readers’ questions about planting Little Miss Figgy outdoors, shares tips for saving your rosebush from losing its leaves and blooms, and introduces the Plant of…
- Leggy Lavender · 17 minIn this episode, a listener from Northern Virginia asks for advice on decorating a pergola with colorful, blooming vines. Grumpy shares tips on how to prune lavender and offers…
- Grandma’s Gardenia Cuttings · 15 minGrumpy talks passalong plants, offers expert advice on getting your amaryllis to bloom, and reveals the secrets to helping your hydrangeas thrive. Plus, don’t miss his Tip of the…
- Shade-Loving Caladiums · 13 minGrumpy helps a reader tackle stubborn sucker growth, shares his favorite shade-loving caladiums, and breaks down the different varieties of bell peppers. Plus, don’t miss his…
- Crepe Myrtle Problems · 14 minGrumpy tackles readers’ questions about choosing the best clover for your lawn, troubleshoots common crepe myrtle problems, and spotlights the Plant of the Week: the 'Diamond…
- Deer Resistant Plants · 14 minIn this episode, Grumpy shares his top deer-resistant plant picks for Florida gardens, discusses tree and shrub fertilizer, and delivers a hot tip you won’t want to miss for…
- Groundhog Control · 11 minOn the Season 4 debut, Grumpy answers readers’ questions about what you can grow from seedling to tree in a wet area, shares plants that help keep groundhogs from digging, and…
- Grumpy on Wednesdays! · 2 minAsk Grumpy is back for Season 4! Starting March 11, 2026, new episodes drop every Wednesday through April 29. In this eight-episode season, Steve Bender, also known as The Grumpy…
- Plant Your Maples! · 13 minOn the season finale of Ask Grumpy, a reader struggles with a dying Japanese Maple. Plus, the tip of the week. You can find us online at southernliving.com/askgrumpy Ask Grumpy…
- Peak Planting Time · 9 minWhat to know about daffodil bulbs. Plus, the tip of the week. You can find us online at southernliving.com/askgrumpy Ask Grumpy Credits: Steve Bender aka The Grumpy Gardener…
- Weed Control · 11 minA reader has a weed dilemma. Plus, the gripe of the month. You can find us online at southernliving.com/askgrumpy Ask Grumpy Credits: Steve Bender aka The Grumpy Gardener…
- Mulch Mania · 10 minA reader asks about sowing seeds. Plus, Grumpy’s tip of the week. You can find us online at southernliving.com/askgrumpy Ask Grumpy Credits: Steve Bender aka The Grumpy…
- Tomato Trauma · 10 minA reader has concerns about their white-spotted tomatoes. Plus, the plant of the week. You can find us online at southernliving.com/askgrumpy Ask Grumpy Credits: Steve Bender…
- No Rose Without a Thorn · 10 minA reader has a burning rose bush question. Plus, tip of the week. You can find us online at southernliving.com/askgrumpy Ask Grumpy Credits: Steve Bender aka The Grumpy…
- It’s Time To Fertilize · 7 minA reader struggles with wild petunias. Plus, the tip of the week. You can find us online at southernliving.com/askgrumpy Ask Grumpy Credits: Steve Bender aka The Grumpy…
- Dogwood Dilemma · 9 minA reader is stumped by their flowerless dogwoods. Plus plant of the week. You can find us online at southernliving.com/askgrumpy Ask Grumpy Credits: Steve Bender aka The…
- Goodbye Grasshoppers · 6 minA reader needs help getting rid of grasshoppers. Plus, Grumpy’s gripe of the week. You can find us online at southernliving.com/askgrumpy Ask Grumpy Credits: Steve Bender aka…
- Soil Troubles · 7 minA reader has a question about dying plants. Plus, the tip of the week. You can find us online at southernliving.com/askgrumpy Ask Grumpy Credits: Steve Bender aka The Grumpy…
- Crepe Myrtle Conundrum · 7 minA reader needs help with their crepe myrtle. Plus, plant of the week. You can find us online at southernliving.com/askgrumpy Ask Grumpy Credits: Steve Bender aka The Grumpy…
