Plantrama - Plants, Landscapes, & Bringing Nature Indoors

In this episode Ellen and C.L. talk about the misinformation about edible juniper berries that you find online. We talk about growing banana plants, and why you might want to start perennials from seed. Lauren asks about germinating milkweed seed. :30 What’s for Dinner? Juniper berries…really? See Ellen’s post about Juniper berries on her blog. 7:16 Eat/Drink/Grow: Banana plants. Growing hardy varieties in cold climates or tropical types in containers. 17:53 Insider Information: Growing perennials from seed. 22:38 Love Letters and Questions: Milkweed seeds - we refer Lauren to this page on the American Meadows Website. 

Ellen and C.L. talk about lucky bamboo; what type of plant it is and how to care them. We explain what bracts are and why some plants have very showy ones, talk about making more plants by air layering, and answer Sal’s question about pruning evergreens now so the greens can be used for holiday decorating. :32 True or False? Lucky bamboo. Is it really bamboo? Is it lucky? 7:25 Plant Noob: Bracts. What are they? 12:20 Eat/Drink/Grow: Propagating plants by “air layering.” 17:51 Love Letters and Questions: Sal asks about pruning evergreens in December.

Hear Ellen and C.L. talk about the practice of putting human hair in the garden will keep critters away. Next we explain how to get a peace lily to flower again, and the difference been a plant that’s an epiphyte and one that’s a parasite. C.L. tells how she came to be a garden communicator (she never intended to write and talk about plants and gardens!) and we answer Sam’s question about when biennials flower. :32 True or False? Will human hair keep critters out of the garden? 3:12 Plant noob:   How to get a peace lily to flower again. 8:08 Eat/Drink/Grow:   Plants that are epiphytes verses plants that are parasites. What is the difference? 15:12 Story: how CL became a garden communicator 20:19 Love Letters and Questions Sam asks about when biennials flower. Every other year? Odd years? Even years?

Acorn baklava and creamed chard start off this episode. Hear how holiday boxwood trees are made, and learn about providing your indoor plants with supplemental lighting. A listener asks about “seed FOMO” – should seeds be ordered now and will they still be good next spring? :40 What’s for dinner: Ellen and C.L. talk about what dishes are on their Thanksgiving table. As usual, Ellen’s forager’s table is way more exotic than C.L.’s gardener’s table. 6:11 Insider Information:   How are the boxwood trees you see for sale at this time of year made? Learn about these holiday decorations, and see how to make them below. 11:41 Eat/Drink/Grow: Do your plants need artificial light? What type of lights you can use, and how to place them most effectively. 21:05 Love Letters and Questions: A listener asks about “seed FOMO” – should seeds be ordered now so that you don’t miss out?

In this episode of Plantrama Ellen and C.L. talk about a very common (and edible) weed known as shepherd’s purse. They discuss how to successfully grow the large-foliaged houseplant, fiddle leaf fig, and explain the benefits of worm castings. Their question this week comes from Carson who wants to know how to prevent mouse damage in her house and shed. :28 Did You Know: We talk about a common weed, Capsella bursa-pastoris, aka shepherd’s purse. 5:50 Eat/Drink/Grow: Learn about the current hot houseplant, the fiddle leaf fig. No, it’s not the fig that produces fruit for Fig Newtons… but it’s large houseplant for bringing greenery into your home. 14:26 Inside Information: Worm castings – why you might want to pick some up at your local garden center. 21:18 Love Letters and Questions: Carson wants to prevent the mice from damaging things in her shed over the winter.  

On Plantrama today Ellen talks about cooking dandelion greens and then she and C.L. differ about bringing someone a plant as a gift. They agree about growing and how to over-winter tropical hibiscus, and explain how to store dahlia tubers.   :31 What’s For Dinner: How to cook dandelion greens. Find Ellen's recipes and links on our website.  4:10 Plant Noob: Should you bring someone a plant as a gift? Ellen and C.L. disagree. 9:09 Eat Drink Grow: Tropical hibiscus – how to keep this lovely plant happy through the winter.  14:29 Love Letters and Questions: Bailey asks how to store dahlia tubers for the winter.

In this episode we talk about the common belief that the shells of sunflower seeds “poison plants.” We also discuss why some people can grow blue mop head hydrangeas but others have a hard time getting them to flower. You’ll learn about the importance of cattails in nature and to a forager, and hear about preserving a #LeafStackChallenge.   :28 True or false? Birdseed shells poison plants. Are they really allelopathic? (Allelopathy is a biological occurrence when an organism/plant produces one or more biochemicals that influence the germination, growth, or survival, of other organisms/plants.) 4:43 Plant Noob: Can you grow blue hydrangeas where you live? 14:47 Eat/Drink/Grow: Cattails (Typha latifolia) 21:17 Love Letters & Questions: Can I preserve my leaf stack challenge?

Ellen and C.L. begin by talking about walnuts, foraged and cultivated. Discover if banana peels are good for your roses and if you need to spray your evergreens with an anti-desiccant. Learn how to store seeds that you didn’t use last summer, and if common houseplants are edible.   :32 What’s For Dinner? English walnuts and foraged black walnuts. 4:22 Insider Information: Are banana peels really good for roses? 8:50 Eat/Drink/Grow: Anti-desiccants. What they are, what they do, and should you use them in the fall? 19:04 Did You Know? How to store seeds that you didn’t plant this season. 20:20 Love Letters & Questions: Are common houseplants edible?

Ellen and C.L. discuss why you might not want to do a “fall cleanup” of your perennials. Next, we discuss S-E-X among the photosynthesizing crowd. Male and female plants, what that means for your landscape, and what happens if you don’t have both sexes. We review Asclepias speciosa ‘Davis’ and bring you up to date about #LeafStackChallenge posts on Twitter and Instagram. :33 Did You Know: Leaving perennials so the birds can eat the seeds. 5:35 Eat/Drink/Grow: Plant Sex! Male and female plants. 14:58 Product/Plant Review: Asclepias speciosa ‘Davis’ 19:25 Love Letters and Questions: A #LeafStackChallenge update

 Today we’re talking about carrots, wild and domestic. We explain that before a plant has fruit it comes into flower, and discuss the how, why, how often and when of repotting houseplants. This episode finishes with Sandy’s question,“Can I plant, or eat, the seeds we take out of the pumpkins that are being carved for Halloween?”    :30 What’s For Dinner: Carrots 4:52 Plant Noob: Flowers Before Fruit 8:28 Eat/Drink/Grow: Repotting Houseplants 20:50 Love Letters and Questions: Eating and Planting Pumpkin Seeds

In this episode Ellen and C.L. discuss staking trees and pinching plants. They give ideas for holding a harvest party, tell about the first plant they fell in love with, and answer Kip’s question about preserving garden and foraged foods.   :35 True or False? Staking Trees. Do you need to stake a tree when you plant it? 4:18 For The Plant Noob. What does it mean to “pinch plants” and why would you want to do so? 8:47 Eat/Drink/Grow. Harvest Party! Ideas for gathering with family and friends and celebrating the fall season. 18:08 Story Time. Ellen and C.L. remember “their first.” 20:06 Love Letters and Questions. Kip asks about the best method for food preservation.

In Episode 50 Ellen and C.L. talk about growing leeks, the fall classic Chrysanthemum, and how Robbie found lumpy tubers in the windowbox. Plus we discuss why plants that are in pots won’t grow as large as the same plant put into the ground. :33 What’s for dinner: Leeks 5:30 Eat/Drink/Grow: Mums! Whether you call them Mums Chrysanthemum, or Dendranthema, do you love them or hate them? Or do you eat them? 13:25 Did You Know:  Plants in a pot will stay smaller than those planted in the ground. What goes on below is reflected up above. 15:28 sweet potato vine tubers! Robbie cleared out window boxes and found some tubers in the soil. “I planted sweet potato vine,” Robbie writes, “are these edible sweet potatoes?”

In episode 49 Ellen and C.L. discuss how to get an orchid to rebloom, how to plant garlic this fall, and why you occasionally see a stem go crazy and grow in a flat, contorted manner. All this and a review of the Dramm One Touch Rain Wand. :30 Plant Noob: What’s that weird stem on my plant? It could be the ever fascinating fasciation. 4:46 Eat/Drink/Grow:   It’s garlic planting time, so we talk 11:31 Product Review:     Dramm One Touch Rain Wand. What it is and why we love using it. 16:10 Love Letters and Questions: Kerry wrote an email that said “I’ve had a moth orchid plant for two years. I got it from a neighbor who was going to throw it out because it hadn’t re-bloomed for her. Is there any hope? Or should I toss it?”

In this episode we’re talking about apple recipes and getting your amaryllis to bloom again this year. We discuss whether a large crop of acorns really means it will be a long, cold winter, and answer a listener's question about bringing plants inside. :30 What’s for dinner: Apples, wild and domestic. 4:58 True or False? A big crop of acorns means that there will be a hard winter. 8:03 Eat/Drink/Grow: Amaryllis, Part II. Bringing them indoors, chilling/resting, repotting (if needed) and waking them up again. 13.08 Love Letters and Questions: Kip wrote asking if she should take off the spotted or brown-tipped leaves when she’s bringing her plants in for the winter. “Just how careful do I need to be about cleaning them up?”

  :55 Just For Fun:  It’s the leaf stack challenge! Or we should say, #leafstackchallenge 4:00 Eat/Drink/Grow:  Quick fixes to your landscape. Whether you’re having company or just want to spruce up the garden for your own pleasure, Ellen and C.L. offer 10-minute fixes anyone can do. 11:16 Insider Information:  Myths about planting bulbs. Thanks to Bill Miller, Professor of Horticulture at Cornell for giving us the real dirt on planting bulbs. See the bulb planting machine here. 15:20 Love Letters and Questions: Monty wonders when someone should pull out or cut down flowering annuals in the fall.

In this episode Ellen explains what to make with under-ripe wild grapes and C.L. persuades listeners to combine some creamy brie cheese with those homegrown tomatoes. Next we explain that the end of the summer is the ideal time to propagate everything from woody ornamentals to annuals and perennials. Now that cooler weather is on the horizon, we discuss what can be transplanted in the fall, and answer a listener’s concern about importing bugs into the house when she brings potted houseplants back in for the winter.

:30 What’s For Dinner: Savory Tarts Pick your favorite vegetables or herbs, add some eggs and cheese, and make savory tarts for appetizers, lunch or dinner.  5:04 Plant noob: Lawn Substitutes. Tired of mowing? Is there really such a thing as a no-maintenance lawn substitute? 12:42 Eat/Drink/Grow: Hedges. What to plant, how and when to prune, keeping them full top to bottom, and when is a hedge better than a fence? Morton Arboretum Hedge Collection  28:53 Insider Information: When to Say Goodbye. When do you cut bait on a plant? When is it time to say, “It’s been great, but now we have to say goodbye…”  32:36 Love Letters and Questions: Email from Tim: “People talk about the best containers for growing plants, but I remember my grandfather in San Diego was raising things in tin cans, wooden boxes and even old tires. He grew all kinds of stuff successfully, so what’s the deal with that?”

:40 What’s for dinner: Blueberries 6:54 Insider Information: Soil pH. In other words, how acid or alkaline your ground is, and why you should care. 14:58 Eat/Drink/Grow: Panicle Hydrangeas. Large or small, there is a dependable and beautiful plant for your landscape. 24:58 Did You Know: Is it helpful to water the leaves of a plant in hot weather? 28:35 Love Letters and Questions: Wouldn’t we all like a magic wand for getting rid of weeds!

:30 What’s for dinner: Throw it on the Barbie! Grilling, farmed and foraged. 5:52 Plant noob: How often do I have to fertilize annuals, perennials and containers? 12:58 Eat/Drink/Grow:     “Feed Me!” Carnivorous plants… grow your own bug traps…just don’t try and feed them hamburger. Carnivorous plants can be ordered online from Predatory Plants, Grow Carnivorous Plants, and Logees. 19:43 Insider Information:  Battling Bambi – a few quick tips about deer control. 25:49 Love Letters and Questions Email from Chelsea who asks about growing edibles on a windy NYC terrace.

1:20 What’s For Dinner: Best Edibles Ellen and I award a Golden Gnome to edible plants with surprising flavors. 3:56 Insider Information: Best desk bouquet Flowers    What a treat it is to gather flowers and foliage for small bouquets. And the Gnome goes to…   6:59 Eat, Drink, Grow: Science, Art and Dinner! And the Gnome goes to… Best Gathering of The Plant Tribe, Wild Category: Wild Harvest Festival Best Gathering of The Plant Tribe, Cultivated Category: Perennial Plant Association Best Art Made With Plants, Wild Category: Mullbury Woods Frames Best Art Made With Plants, Cultivated Category: Botanical collage by Peggy Turner Zablotny Best Non-Plant Podcast That Featured Plants: Stuff You Should Know, January 2, 2018 Most Surprising Plant Book: An Arkansas Florilegium by Edwin Smith and Kent Bonar, published by the University of Arkansas Press 20.40 Did You Know: Best Fire Pit Plants: Sedum acre and Thymus serpyllum… low, tough and…edible! 23.35 Love Letters and Questions: A love letter from Ellen and CL to o