Plants Always Win Podcast

Tag: horticulture

  • Ep. 50 Midsummer Cleanup: Rescue Your Neglected Garden

    Ep. 50 Midsummer Cleanup: Rescue Your Neglected Garden

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    Sometimes, the garden gets away from you. The summer is busy; life gets in the way; and Mother Nature takes the reins. The result is usually a daunting mess of an overgrown garden, and it can feel like you’ll never get your plants back under control.

    That’s a situation Erin finds herself in frequently, given her undependable health. In this episode she and Sean convene in her jungle of a vegetable garden (think rampant weeds, lettuce and carrot seed heads galore, and a grape vine spilling gleefully off its arbor). They’re here to talk through the steps they recommend to get your garden back on track quickly, without getting lost in the overwhelm. Settle in for eleven top tips for a midsummer garden cleanup when you’re short on time and you’ve fallen behind on your garden chores. 

    Photos from Erin’s Garden

    We livestreamed this episode on TikTok as we recorded it, so you’ll notice us occasionally referencing plants our viewers could see around us. Here are some of those plants! 

    Tall, lacy, white umbrella-shaped clusters of flowers rise above a raised bed.
    Last year’s carrots have put up white umbrella-shaped blossoms; the one curling inward is preparing to go to seed.
    Three Yellow cup-shaped flowers face outward from a tall central stalk.
    The native wildflower evening primrose grows enthusiastically around Erin’s garden.
    A cotton clothesline runs above a bed of tomatoes and tomatillos. The plants are attached to it with colourful pieces of bailer's twine.
    Sometimes, done is more important than done well. Erin has stopped her tomatoes and tomatillos from flopping by running an old clothesline above their bed and tying them to it with repurposed bailer’s twine. It’s not beautiful, but she’s getting a nice harvest.
    A bee balm stalk has been cut above a pair of leaves. Where those leaves connect to the stalk, two new stems are beginning to form with their own sets of leaves.
    Erin is determined to get a second flush of bee balm this year! Cutting this stalk above a leaf node has encouraged the development of two new stems.

    Sean also talked about the catalpa tree at his in-laws’ house.

    A tree's broad, pointed leaves mix with clusters of large, white flowers.
    Catalpa Tree: Ross Dunn, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Comments? Feedback? Want your garden question to be featured in a future Q&A segment? 

    Email us, reach out over social media, or get Q&A priority by supporting us on Patreon. 

    Discord: https://discord.gg/K6wF9dY4Ja
    Bluesky: @plantsalwayswin.com
    TikTok: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
    YouTube: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
    Website: www.plantsalwayswin.com 

    Credits
    Website Design and Illustration by Sophia Alladin

    Intro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-plays

    License code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PH

    Timestamps

    00:11 Introduction
    01:30 What’s Growing On: Sean’s New Little Sprout
    02:30 What’s Growing On: GardenComm Silver Laurel Media Awards
    04:15 What Do You Do When Your Garden Gets Away From You?
    05:18 Tip #1: Eliminate Hazards in the Garden
    07:15 Tip #2: Take it Gently; Give Yourself a Break
    08:50 Tip #3: Get Rid of Visual Clutter
    10:30 Tip #4: Don’t Be Afraid to Cut Things Down and Start Fresh
    11:57 Tip #5: Sometimes the Best Time is When You Have the Time
    13:20 Catalpa Tree Tangent
    16:55 Tip #6 Support What Needs Supporting
    18:08 Tip #7 Create a List and Prioritize. Give Yourself Small Wins.
    18:57 Savings Seeds and Letting Lettuce, Dill and Carrots Self-Sow
    20:58 Supporting Butterflies in your Vegetable Garden
    22:16 Erin’s Native Plant Garden
    23:00 Tip #8 Prepare for Upcoming Seasons
    23:55 Tip #9 Don’t Be Afraid to Start Over
    27:53 Landscape Fabric Tangent
    30:30 Solarizing as Garden Prep
    34:16 Tip #10 Cut Back Flowering Plants
    39:15 Encouraging Blooms with the Chelsea Chop Part 1
    41:08 Cosmos Seed Hardiness in Zone 4 vs. 6
    43:23 Deadheading Coreopsis Zinnias to Encourage Growth
    45:56 The Chelsea Chop Part 2
    48:08 Tip #11: Obtain a Yield
    51:25 Outro

  • Plants Are for Everyone with Jesse Thorn

    Plants Are for Everyone with Jesse Thorn

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    Gardening is for everyone, and so is podcasting! Before Plants Always Win sprouted, Sean had the chance to interview Jesse Thorn, whose work in radio had helped to fertilize the passion that would grow into the show you know and love today. 

    In this episode, we invite you to travel with us back to a time when Plants Always Win was still a seed, trying to germinate in the overcrowded podcast gardens. Sean talks with Jesse about how gardening in Los Angeles, California, compares to gardening in central Ontario; about produce exchange and community food distribution organizations; and about the power of access to green space, including majestic sequoia trees. The two of them even step into the roles of internet judge and expert witness to settle an age-old question: is a palm tree really a tree?

    All the world’s an orchard if you know how to look at it. Come step into the grove with Jesse and Sean!

    Find Jesse Thorn Online

    Bullseye with Jesse Thorn: www.npr.org/podcasts/510309/bullseye 

    The Maximum Fun podcast network: maximumfun.org/about/team/jesse-thorn/ 

    Bluesky:bsky.app/profile/jessethorn.bsky.social 

    Instagram: www.instagram.com/jessethornveryfamous 

    “You know you’ve made it when you have your own Wikipedia page”: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Thorn 

    Comments? Feedback? Want your garden question to be featured in a future Q&A segment? 

    Email us, reach out over social media, or get Q&A priority by supporting us on Patreon. 

    Discord: https://discord.gg/K6wF9dY4Ja
    Bluesky: @plantsalwayswin.com
    TikTok: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
    YouTube: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
    Website: www.plantsalwayswin.com 

    Credits

    Website Design and Illustration by Sophia Alladin

    Intro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-plays

    License code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PH

    Timestamps

    00:58 Intro
    01:34 Meet Jesse Thorn, Radio Host and Podcaster
    03:44 Making Appearances on Small Amateur Shows
    06:00 Jesse and Gardening
    10:15 Plants and the Pandemic
    12:46 Front-Yard Dragonfruit
    16:09 Los Angeles Is an Orchard
    18:15 Community Food Distribution Groups in LA
    22:06 Sean’s OG Patented Plant Rant
    24:27 Invasive Plants, Cultural Aesthetics, and Online Controversy
    29:53 Palm Trees: Are They Trees? Are They Grass?
    34:50 The Difference between Trees and Bushes
    42:26 Jesse’s Giant Sequoia and LA’s Urban Parks
    48:36 Keeping a Raised Bed Hydrated in Full Sun
    53:50 Find Jesse Thorn Online
    57:10 Words of Wisdom and Outro

  • Ep. 47 Are You Starting Your Spring Garden Right?

    Ep. 47 Are You Starting Your Spring Garden Right?

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    Spring is tiptoeing in and we want to set you up for the smoothest garden year ever. This week we’re recording live on location in Erin’s garden and examining what tasks she has already done, what’s next on the list, and what pressures to let go of. (Remember: don’t let perfect be the enemy of good!)

    The first order of business as winter ends is to prune woody fruit-producing perennials. We chat about currants, apples, and grapes—yes, grapes in zone 4b. Naturally that leads into propagation: cuttings, mound layering, and even air layering. Next we talk seed starting indoors and out and the season extension that helps us save space on our windowsills. Then it’s on to spring bulbs to plant, fall bulbs that are blooming, water management (if you’re listening from a region with flooding, our hearts go out to you!) and the ever-vital skill of observation. Finally, we wrap up with a lightning round of fifteen other early-spring tasks that get you set up for success.

    Ready to get your hands dirty? Listen now!

    Take a Peek at Erin’s Garden

    Small year-old fruit tree cuttings are leafing out in pots on a potting bench.
    Last year’s cuttings
    A plant tag: Red Grape (Seeded) Swenson Red, Good for fresh eating and wine, self-fertile
    Swenson Red
    A freshly pruned grape vine is rooted at the base of a wooden arbour.
    The Swenson Red grape, pruned
    A small wooden trellis made from the end of a crib woven with twine has been wedged into a raised bed.
    The IKEA trellis
    Tiny green pea sprouts are just emerging at the base of a wooden trellis.
    The peas are sprouting!
    Young leaves are sprouting inside a transparent plastic container filled with potting soil.
    An early spring vegetable garden with a small collapsible greenhouse, an arbour, and raised beds. Not much is growing yet.
    Erin’s vegetable garden
    A green plastic sphere with round openings on two ends has been filled with damp soil and clamped around a narrow branch using zip ties.
    The air layering device

    Comments? Feedback? Want your garden question to be featured in a future Q&A segment? 

    Email us, reach out over social media, or get Q&A priority by supporting us on Patreon. 

    Discord: https://discord.gg/K6wF9dY4Ja
    Bluesky: @plantsalwayswin.com
    TikTok: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
    YouTube: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
    Website: www.plantsalwayswin.com 

    Credits
    Website Design and Illustration by Sophia Alladin

    Intro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-plays

    License code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PH

    Timestamps

    00:41 Introduction
    02:11 The Myth That Your Garden Is Already Behind
    04:18 Late April in Zone 4b
    04:58 What Erin Has Done So Far
    05:56 Season Extension
    06:36 Growing Swenson Red Grapes in Zone 4b
    10:52 Pruning Currant Bushes
    12:45 Mound Layering: Intentional or Unintentional Propagation
    14:00 Apple Trees and Winter Damage
    15:46 Propagating Fruit Tree Cuttings
    17:28 Air Layering to Propagate Fruit Trees
    20:28 Sean’s Paean to Crabapples
    24:54 Starting Seeds Indoors and Hardening Off
    27:13 Starting Seeds When You Have No Indoor Space
    32:50 Use Up This Year’s Seed Inventory
    33:53 Bulbs to Plant in Spring
    35:00 Fall Bulbs and the Siberian Squill Controversy
    39:35 Native Lawn Alternatives
    42:32 Water Harvesting and Rain Gardens
    45:37 Observing Your Garden
    47:41 Lightning Round: Things To Do at This Time of Year
    53:53 Outro and Contact Us

  • Ep. 45 Hydrangea Happiness with C.L. Fornari

    Ep. 45 Hydrangea Happiness with C.L. Fornari

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    For some of us, happiness is a hydrangea in full, glorious bloom.

    And if you’re not yet well acquainted with these flowering shrubs, who better to learn from than The Garden Lady herself? C.L. Fornari is the author of the upcoming 2026 book Hydrangea Happiness: Planting, Pruning and Blooming, among many others. She’s also a well-known gardening radio host and podcaster, appearing over the years as a contributor on NPR’s The Cultivated Gardener, as host of GardenLine on WXTK, as co-host of the podcast Plantrama, and today as the eponymous host of The Garden Lady on several NPR stations. We get the scoop on her broadcasting career, on her founding of the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, and on how she planned a modern-day guide to hydrangeas that’s “more Instagram and less coffee table book.”

    Dive into this interview to learn about choosing the right hydrangea for a northern garden, about the truth of acidifying your soil for those beautiful blue mophead blooms, and about finding joy in your garden and your life. 

    Find C.L. Online at:

    Mentioned in This Episode

    Comments? Feedback? Want your garden question to be featured in a future Q&A segment? 

    Email us, reach out over social media, or get Q&A priority by supporting us on Patreon. 

    Discord: https://discord.gg/K6wF9dY4Ja
    Bluesky: @plantsalwayswin.com
    TikTok: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
    YouTube: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
    Website: www.plantsalwayswin.com 

    Credits
    Website Design and Illustration by Sophia Alladin

    Intro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-plays

    License code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PH

    Timestamps: 

    00:14 Introduction
    00:56 C.L. Fornari’s Garden Radio Host Career
    05:52 Founding the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival
    08:33 Why (and How!) C.L. Wrote About Hydrangeas
    11:21 Postcards from Plants
    14:43 How Many Hydrangeas? Breeding and Selection
    16:43 A Paniculata Hydrangea for Erin’s Cold, Clay Conditions
    18:47 Finding the Right Spot for Your Shrub
    21:16 Are Hydrangeas Invasive?
    23:00 Hydrangea paniculata, a.k.a. Panicled Hydrangea
    23:25 Hydrangea arborescens, aka Smooth Hydrangea
    24:15 Hydrangea macrophylla, a.k.a. Bigleaf Hydrangea, a.k.a. Mophead Hydrangea
    25:09 Hydrangea serrata, a.k.a. Mountain Hydrangea
    27:10 C.L.’s Hydrangea Poetry
    28:25 Hydrangea quercifolia, a.k.a. Oakleaf Hydrangea
    28:35 Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris., a.k.a. Climbing Hydrangea
    28:55 Acidifying Soil for Blue Hydrangeas
    31:05 The Stubborn Myth that Pine Needles Acidify Soil
    33:20 Moss Lawn Plant Rant
    34:27 Macrophylla Hydrangeas with Inconsistent Colours
    37:56 Poison Ivy Acres and Embracing All of Gardening
    39:40 Find C.L. Fornari Online
    40:45 Outro and Contact Us

  • Ep. 44 Internet Plant Science with Dr. Vikram Baliga

    Ep. 44 Internet Plant Science with Dr. Vikram Baliga

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    The internet is a minefield of questionable plant hacks, rage bait, and—sigh—banana water. Good thing The Plant Prof is here to shed some science on the matter.

    Vikram Baliga, a.k.a. The Plant Prof, is a professor of horticulture and the host of the podcasts Planthropology and Deep Roots. He is that rare being in the world of science: an academic who has also honed the skill of communicating with non-academic audiences. As he says, public taxes pay for science research. The public deserves good, true scientific information.

    Today’s conversation ranges across education and misinformation in the digital age, the evolution of science, and the importance of experimentation. Then we get practical with tips on compost tea, a nuanced discussion on using synthetic or organic fertilization methods, and garden hacks that actually work. Of course, we also have to take a few minutes to get excited about Vikram’s information–packed children’s book, Plants to the Rescue: The Plants, Trees, and Fungi that are Solving Some of the World’s Biggest Problems.  Have a listen; class is in session!

    Find Vikram Online at:

    Vikram’s Book:

    Plants to the Rescue , published by Neon Squid Books

    Timestamps

    00:14 Intro
    00:30 Meet Vikram Baliga, The Plant Prof
    02:33 Vikram’s Podcasts: The Planthropology Podcast and Deep
    Roots
    03:37 The Challenge of Public Science Communication
    10:42 Plants don’t read our textbooks.
    12:20 Plants Always Win Stole its Name from Planthropology Merch
    13:04 The Evolution of Science and the Freedom to Experiment
    15:56 Vikram’s Home Fertilizer Hack Experiments: Rice Water, Banana Water, Oatmeal, Cinnamon, etc.
    18:36 How to Make Compost Tea
    21:22 Synthetic Commercial Fertilizers vs. Organic Fertilizers for Containers, Planters, and Gardens
    30:48 Vikram’s New Kids’ Book: Plants to the Rescue
    36:50 Gardening Hacks that Actually Work
    40:04 Things That Make Your Gardening Life Easier
    40:41 That Time Sean Hacked his Leg Open 
    42:32 The Best Way to Grow a Garden is In Community
    44:52 Find Vikram Online
    45:43 Outro and Contact Us