BLOOMINGTON — WFIU Public Radio’s weekly radio program and podcast Focus on Flowers reaches a milestone this month when its 1,000th episode airs on March 30.
The program debuted on March 12, 2004, and is hosted by master gardener Moya Andrews, who has been with the show since its beginning.
For the past 1,000 episodes, Andrews has worked alongside Michael Paskash, who has engineered every episode, and LuAnn Johnson, whose job transitioned from a supportive role in the production of Focus on Flowers to being the show’s producer.
Every week on Focus on Flowers, Andrews shares gardening tips and her fervor for the aesthetic of gardens, on occasion even considering gardening as a metaphor for certain aspects of life.
Andrews, a professor emerita of speech and hearing sciences at Indiana University, began gardening because she wanted always to have flowers for her house. In her garden, she concentrates on flowers, especially perennials, with the goal of never being without something blooming throughout the entire growing season.
Johnson considers Andrews’ gardening knowledge and experiences the driving force behind the show.
Over the past two decades, she has learned a great deal from Andrews, not only about gardening but also about how to live well.
“I love that Moya imparts her wisdom through stories about her personal experiences,” said Johnson.
For the 1,000th episode on March 30, Andrews will discuss how not to be a flower snob. Focus on Flowers airs Thursdays and Fridays at 3:01 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 6:55 a.m. on WFIU. The program is also available as a podcast.
Learn more at wfiu.org/focusonflowers.
