When Abra Lee became the landscape manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, she sought some advice about how to best do the job. The answer: study the history of gardening. That led to her uncovering how Black involvement in horticulture in the U.S. bursts with incredible stories and profound expertise, intertwined with a tragic past. She's now teaching these stories and working on a book, Conquer the Soil: Black America and the Untold Stories of Our Country's Gardeners, Farmers, and Growers. Abra Lee talks with Short Wave producer Eva Tesfaye about uncovering Black horticultural history and several hidden figures who shaped it.

We'd love to hear of any unsung horticulturists or gardeners in your life - write us at ShortWave@npr.org.

(Image credit: Carlos Alejandro)

Fakahatchee Strand Preserve is home to more than 40 native species of orchids; many more were lost to poaching and habitat destruction. Some of those blooms can still be found in Cuba and may return.

(Image credit: Greg Allen)

Spring has sprung, but in most parts of the country, just-picked vegetables are still months away. In northern Minnesota, growers are experimenting with solar soil-warming techniques to coax spring to appear earlier.

As many as 40 percent of urban families in sub-Saharan Africa farm in household or commercial gardens. A survey from the United Nations finds that these urban farms, which feed millions of people each year, are in jeopardy if they're not protected during Africa's growth spurt.

(Image credit: donkeycart)

Bassem Samaan of Bethlehem, Pa., is on a quest to save rare varieties of figs often growing unnoticed, right under our noses in neighbors' backyards. He's donated some of his finds to a government-backed fruit tree preserve in California.