WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:08.039 Hello, my friends, coming to you from Studio A at Proven Winners Color 2 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:13.880 Choice Shrubs. It's time for the Gardening Simplified Show with Stacy Hervella me, 3 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:20.160 Rick Weiss, and our engineer and producer Adrianna Robinson. Stacy, how about 4 00:00:20.199 --> 00:00:23.120 some veggie tales. You know, we make it to mid July, the 5 00:00:23.239 --> 00:00:28.399 vegetables should be filling out, big, growing, growing like crazy. It's 6 00:00:28.440 --> 00:00:33.359 time to maybe talk about how we care for those vegetable plants. Yeah, 7 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:37.320 especially this year. You know, some years it seems like vegetable gardening is 8 00:00:37.320 --> 00:00:40.479 as easy as falling off a log, and they have fears like this where 9 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:47.240 we've got trout and crazy temperature swings and it becomes a little bit more difficult. 10 00:00:47.479 --> 00:00:51.439 You bet, So did you feed when you planted? You're going to 11 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:56.640 want to feed and maybe a supplemental feeding right now. I'm a firm believer 12 00:00:57.079 --> 00:01:02.399 in minerals in the soil, and I believe healthy soil equals healthy plants, 13 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:07.439 which equals healthy you. Because well, we're gonna be we're gonna be eating. 14 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:11.640 Yeah, we're gonna be eating the fruit and the vegetables, and of 15 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:15.159 course, well there's a little bit of controversy attached to that. We touched 16 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:19.840 on it last week, things like calcium or magnesium, you know, the 17 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:25.319 micronutrients, not the big three. I'm a big proponent of Again, like 18 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:29.280 I've said, when you buy package products from the garden center industry, it's 19 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:32.480 party on the front, business on the back, read the back. I 20 00:01:32.599 --> 00:01:38.599 like calcium in the fertilizers that I apply to vegetable plants. Conversely, Stacy 21 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:44.280 people will argue that things like magnesium or calcium are readily available in the soil 22 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:48.200 and you don't have to supplement. However, bear in mind that a lot 23 00:01:48.280 --> 00:01:53.200 of people today are enjoying growing vegetables in containers, and in that situation, 24 00:01:53.480 --> 00:01:57.040 maybe a good idea, right, Because the potting mix that you use when 25 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:00.640 you're growing in containers is not soil, That's why we call it potting mixed 26 00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:05.959 or container mix. Soil is made from weathered rock, and that's why it 27 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:09.479 has a certain mineral content to it, Whereas the potting mixes that you're putting 28 00:02:09.479 --> 00:02:14.319 in your containers are just a mixture of organic matter. So you've got you 29 00:02:14.360 --> 00:02:19.960 know, pete and compost or bark, vermiculate, all those types of things, 30 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:23.680 and that mineral content can be quite low. Now, I think it's 31 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:29.360 important when we're talking about fertilizers. Just because certain essential plant nutrients are labeled 32 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:34.719 as micronutrients does not mean they're any less essential. They are just as essential 33 00:02:34.759 --> 00:02:38.000 as a so called Big three nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. They are 34 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:42.360 just needed in smaller quantities. But if one of them, just because they're 35 00:02:42.360 --> 00:02:46.719 a micronutrient, were to be missing, it would be detrimental to the plant 36 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:49.800 growth. Now, of course, in mid July, watering is going to 37 00:02:49.879 --> 00:02:53.560 be super super important. By the way, for people who have sent me 38 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:55.800 a message asking, hey, Rick, what's in that mug that you know 39 00:02:55.879 --> 00:03:00.280 you're sipping from, Usually it's sparkling water. As a matter of fact, 40 00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:05.000 I just spilled someone myself here. I just wet my plants, But you've 41 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:07.759 got to do the same for your vegetable plants. I encourage people again water 42 00:03:07.879 --> 00:03:13.479 at the base. I love drip poses. Stacy has talked to us before 43 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:19.879 about being a proponent of using watering wands and again getting that water down at 44 00:03:19.879 --> 00:03:23.639 the base, not watering in the evening hours and leaving that foliage wet. 45 00:03:24.360 --> 00:03:31.159 For our YouTube video YouTube, folks watching on YouTube, I'm sure, Adriana 46 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:35.680 will pop up a picture here for you of my cucumbers. I grow them 47 00:03:35.719 --> 00:03:39.879 on a wire mesh screen to keep them up off the ground and be able 48 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:46.360 to water at the base of the plants. And that's you know, especially 49 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:52.000 important with q curbits, our pumpkins, our cucumbers, our squash stacy because 50 00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:55.159 downy mildew, those sorts of things certainly can become a problem in the heat 51 00:03:55.159 --> 00:03:58.800 of summer. Well yeah, they, I mean, all those kirky bits, 52 00:03:58.800 --> 00:04:00.919 like you said, are susceptible to a number of different kinds of They 53 00:04:00.919 --> 00:04:06.000 can get powdery mildew, down emildew. But also some of the insect pests 54 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:10.759 will be easier to spot and manage if you can keep that foliage nice in 55 00:04:10.919 --> 00:04:15.599 airy. You know, I so squash vine borer. I love zucchini, 56 00:04:15.079 --> 00:04:18.279 and when I have tried to grow it in my garden here in West Michigan, 57 00:04:18.680 --> 00:04:21.639 every single year, my plants have just been destroyed by squash fine bars. 58 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:27.480 I've never been able to be the butt of the joke of like sneaking 59 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:32.680 your zucchini into strangers cars because because of the squash fine bores. But you 60 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:38.279 know, if you are able to recognize their eggs, and their eggs are 61 00:04:38.279 --> 00:04:41.720 like a tiny little ruby red egg. So if you're able to access your 62 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:44.519 foliage, you know, and get to it easily, you can just take 63 00:04:44.519 --> 00:04:48.399 a piece of duct tape and just lift those eggs right off the foliage and 64 00:04:48.519 --> 00:04:51.600 get them before they even become a problem. Yeah, And that's a lot 65 00:04:51.600 --> 00:04:55.199 easier when you use like a frame like you do and that kind of thing. 66 00:04:55.800 --> 00:04:59.360 And the method I use with the squash is fill a bag, put 67 00:04:59.399 --> 00:05:00.959 it on the neighbor there's front steps, ring the doorbell, and run. 68 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:04.439 Okay, Well, so that's an equally valid method. Unfortunately, not one 69 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:08.720 I will be able to enjoy any time to see them. The problem with 70 00:05:08.839 --> 00:05:14.480 q curbits in the Midwest is it's been so dry. We're experiencing drought and 71 00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:18.600 uh, and so the plants are growing, but development of the fruit or 72 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:21.800 vegetables if you want to call them, I think it a pumpkin would be 73 00:05:21.800 --> 00:05:28.360 a fruit technically, but well it's it's technically a fruit, but it's culturally 74 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:32.040 a vegetable. Okay. But the point is it's probably eighty to ninety percent 75 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:40.040 water content, and so without sufficient rainfall, we can we can see undersized 76 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:45.079 fruit and cracking and scabbing and all that kind of stuff which I think, 77 00:05:45.079 --> 00:05:47.199 you know, as a home gardener, of that kind of stuff, you're 78 00:05:47.199 --> 00:05:49.480 like, all right, this guy's got a big, ugly scab on them, 79 00:05:49.480 --> 00:05:51.959 but I'm eating it anyway, because if I worked darn hard for this 80 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:56.680 exactly, you might not have the same standard at the grocery store. But 81 00:05:56.759 --> 00:05:58.759 yeah, when you when you do it at home, you realize it's not 82 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:00.680 that big of a deal. It's just a little bit of a cosmetic thing. 83 00:06:00.720 --> 00:06:03.800 But it is important too. I think, be you know, gentle 84 00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:09.160 on yourself as a vegetable gardener and not blame yourself if this isn't going to 85 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:11.759 be your best year. But you know what I've always found when we have 86 00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:15.079 extreme conditions like the drought this year, I learned so much. You know, 87 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:18.639 if you have this so called ideal garden season, which really never happens, 88 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:23.160 but if you have these ideal conditions, you're not really learning that much. 89 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:27.519 And I think, you know, when we undergo these extremes, it's 90 00:06:27.560 --> 00:06:31.360 a great learning opportunity to see, you know, how things really grow without 91 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:35.399 your care and what your care does. And yeah, I guess I like 92 00:06:35.560 --> 00:06:39.879 most gardeners. I'm an optimist. Life is like that. We learn more 93 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:44.720 from our failures than our successes. That now along that line of water also, 94 00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:48.720 tomatoes and peppers, good consistent watering. Don't let them dry out in 95 00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:54.160 between watering. We're gonna see zippering and cracking of the fruit. We're gonna 96 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:58.720 see blossom and rot. So make sure that again we're watering at the base 97 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:02.160 and the watering is consistant. Don't let them get dust dry between waterings. 98 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:08.399 Things to spot that tomato plants are stressed out. We talked about this last 99 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:13.199 week. I want to touch on it a minute. Magnesium and manganese two 100 00:07:13.639 --> 00:07:18.839 different things, and magnesium deficiency is much more common. And as we learned 101 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:24.920 from Stacy last week, let's not use the EPSOM salts to correct this problem. 102 00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:28.600 But well, if it's a problem, you can use the EPSOM salts, 103 00:07:28.680 --> 00:07:32.439 of course, but don't assume without a soil test that EPSOM salt's going 104 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:35.279 to solve all your right. If you do indeed have a magnesium deficiency, 105 00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:38.480 go ahead, put the EPSOM salts. You can tell them. I said 106 00:07:38.519 --> 00:07:41.720 that you need to know you do first, and that's the whole point here 107 00:07:41.879 --> 00:07:45.839 is that there's a difference between magnesium and manganese. You're going to see it 108 00:07:45.879 --> 00:07:50.240 differently in the foliage, Stacy, that telltale dark green veins with the yellowing 109 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:57.040 in between, usually on lower leaves. Magnesium is shared with the plant kind 110 00:07:57.040 --> 00:08:01.720 of like a bank account. It shares the the benefits moves up the plant, 111 00:08:01.720 --> 00:08:05.800 whereas manganese is a little different. So familiar familiarize yourself with that. 112 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:09.560 And by the way, manganese something we don't talk about often. I had 113 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:15.439 read somewhere that if you add carrot tops to your compost pile, that's helpful. 114 00:08:15.560 --> 00:08:18.560 Also sounds like you need to add a lot of carrot tops, but 115 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:22.560 certainly not going to hurt if you put your carrot tops in that compost pile. 116 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:26.600 Make sure the beans are getting watered well. They're gonna need a lot 117 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:30.439 of water. You should be harvesting, pinching your herbs, your chives, 118 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:33.679 you your reganeau using it right now. And Stacy, I wanted to ask 119 00:08:33.720 --> 00:08:37.039 you, how about the garlic, I mean, going to be harvesting very 120 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:41.360 soon, yeah, and you know, yeah, so the plants are starting 121 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:46.200 to yellow. I think I should be harvesting very shortly. I you know, 122 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:48.480 I think that what you were saying about the undersized fruits, I am 123 00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:52.639 expecting that somewhat in my garlic. One of the things about growing garlic is 124 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:58.360 that the if the stem above ground is very thick, that's typically indicative of 125 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:01.639 a larger and if it's on the thinner side, the ball that you harvest 126 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:05.720 is probably going to be a little bit smaller. So I am seeing kind 127 00:09:05.720 --> 00:09:09.519 of a mixture. But I would say, you know, they're probably about 128 00:09:09.559 --> 00:09:13.240 seventy percent on the smaller side, So I'm expecting to get, you know, 129 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:18.320 a good harvest, but I'm not expecting like a bonanza. I mean, 130 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:20.840 I've been doing supplemental watering, I've been doing fertilizing, but you know, 131 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:24.759 it's just it's been a rough year. So when I do harvest, 132 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:26.279 they'll definitely take a picture. And then we think about the onions. A 133 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:31.879 couple factors that contribute to them being under sized would be drier than normal weather, 134 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:35.639 shallow rotting, we start to see the tops fall over. Even when 135 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:41.320 the tops fall, the onions still can put on growth in size, so 136 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:45.080 some tipover is not a problem. In Stacy, how do you feel about 137 00:09:45.080 --> 00:09:48.799 that whole knee high by the fourth of July thing with corn, Well, 138 00:09:48.840 --> 00:09:50.879 I grew up hearing that from my mom and daddy all the time, so 139 00:09:52.679 --> 00:09:54.600 yeah, you know, to me, it's kind of just like one of 140 00:09:54.600 --> 00:09:56.840 those things. But most of the time when you see corn, you're kind 141 00:09:56.840 --> 00:10:01.320 of driving by, like fifty five miles hour at least, so you know, 142 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:03.120 you're not exactly measuring, You're just like, yeah, yep, it 143 00:10:03.159 --> 00:10:05.000 looks knee high by the fourth of July. Shure, that's true. Although 144 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:09.200 with the dry weather, yeah, maybe a little short old. You know, 145 00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:15.200 generally we we see corn a little taller than knee high by the fourth 146 00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:20.799 of July, but again dry weather. Pay attention to it in your personal 147 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:24.159 garden, be watering properly, in care for those vegetables. Were right in 148 00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:28.840 the thick of it, the heat of it. Indeed, coming up next, 149 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:37.840 plants on trial here on the Gardening Simplified Show, Proven winners. Colored 150 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:41.919 Choice Shrubs cares about your success in the garden. That's why we trial and 151 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:46.799 test all of our shrubs for eight to ten years, making sure they outperform 152 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:50.480 everything else on the market. Look for them in the distinctive white container at 153 00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:56.919 your local garden center. Greetings, Gardening friends and who welcome back to the 154 00:10:56.000 --> 00:11:00.960 gardening Simplified at show Rick. We just spent the first sega giving a bunch 155 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:05.200 of advice to people about gardening and vegetable gardening. But we didn't talk much 156 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:07.879 about what you're doing. So I'm wondering, how many spatoes do you have? 157 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:11.399 I have six tomato play Oh okay, I got five? Yeah, 158 00:11:11.399 --> 00:11:15.600 six tomatoes? Anything else specially So we talked about the cucumbers a little bit. 159 00:11:15.720 --> 00:11:18.919 Love the beans. I just love growing beans. They're they're gorgeous. 160 00:11:18.919 --> 00:11:22.519 And of course the herbs. It's fun. You know, if you if 161 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:26.519 you make a dinner, to go outside and chop the tops off the chives 162 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:30.759 or some of the herbs, that's fun too. But growing beans. I 163 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:33.919 love growing beans, and I think the reason I love it so much is 164 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:37.240 because it's so easy. Would you call it falling off a log? I 165 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:41.000 did say that. So do you grow bush beans or pull beans? Bush 166 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:45.080 beans? Okay? Yeah, I tried the pull bean thing. Uh you 167 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:50.320 know, I really I saw how they grew them at Monticello in Thomas Jefferson's 168 00:11:50.360 --> 00:11:52.200 garden. I'm like, I want to do that. But I got a 169 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:56.279 lot of foliage, but not much in the way of I was doing something 170 00:11:56.279 --> 00:11:58.600 wrong. So bush beans, okay, yeah, I like bush beans one. 171 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:01.639 Yeah. Anyway, it's such a good time of year and looking forward 172 00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:05.200 to harvesting everything. And you know, when we talk about vegetable gardens, 173 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:13.480 I think the vegetable gardens look good when they have some sort of seasonal, 174 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:16.320 more year round element, you know, something that gives them a presence or 175 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:22.120 feature in your garden beyond just the summer, because you know, a vegetable 176 00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:24.879 garden, if you're doing it, you know properly, generally, you're not 177 00:12:24.919 --> 00:12:26.639 going to have really any even much of anything over winter. You know, 178 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:31.399 you might have some like kale, collared greens, some of those really hardy 179 00:12:31.399 --> 00:12:33.360 greens that can withstand cold, but for the most part, you know, 180 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:37.639 when we clean up our vegetable garden at the end of the season, there's 181 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:41.720 nothing there to see. So I think it's a really good idea to put 182 00:12:41.759 --> 00:12:48.080 something like today's plant on trial gin Fizz juniper in your vegetable garden to give 183 00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:50.240 it a little bit of year round interest. I would agree. And of 184 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:56.399 course the berries are of great benefit throughout history. But I agree with you 185 00:12:56.480 --> 00:13:00.279 there, Stacy, And and we've talked about this before, but I love 186 00:13:00.360 --> 00:13:03.919 adding cut flowers also to the vegeta. I think they are the perfect compliment 187 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:07.879 to a vegetable garden, and they attract a lot of pollinators, so that'll 188 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:11.519 help your vegetable garden. So gin Fizz is a juniper, and a lot 189 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:16.320 of people I know right now are probably potentially hopefully not getting ready to change 190 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:20.360 the channel because a lot of people really dislike junipers. Yeah, I'm sure 191 00:13:20.360 --> 00:13:24.519 you've heard this at the garden center, right And they dislike junipers because they're 192 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:31.399 prickly, and because a lot of the shorter ground covering type of junipers they 193 00:13:31.399 --> 00:13:35.720 get weeds growing up through them, and then you've got to manage the weeds, 194 00:13:35.720 --> 00:13:37.440 and then you're trying to reach under their reach up, you know, 195 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:41.320 trying to pull the weeds, and the junipers are scratching you. And people 196 00:13:41.320 --> 00:13:45.480 just say, why would anybody ever plant a juniper? But I am a 197 00:13:45.559 --> 00:13:50.120 juniper champion. I like junipers a lot, and they're handsome. There are 198 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:54.320 many native species gin Fizz, the one we're talking about today in Plants on 199 00:13:54.360 --> 00:13:58.080 Trial is not actually a North American native juniper, but we do have a 200 00:13:58.200 --> 00:14:01.440 number of junipers. You SMA. You drive along any highway pretty much anywhere 201 00:14:01.559 --> 00:14:05.879 here in the US from north to south, and this is a tall or 202 00:14:05.960 --> 00:14:09.759 juniper. It's a tall conical juniper, so you're not really going to get 203 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:13.320 that issue of the weeds coming up through it where you're going to be all 204 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:16.960 scratched up. And I love junipers because I do think they're handsome. I 205 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:20.840 think they have wonderful fragrance. The foliage has like a resine kind of evergreen, 206 00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:26.039 you know, almost Christmas tree type smell. And they are generally very 207 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:30.519 dear resistant and very sun tolerant and very drought tolerant, and those are three 208 00:14:30.559 --> 00:14:35.039 things that I really need in my garden. And they look great year round. 209 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:39.200 So a lot of other evergreens, you know, they can turn kind 210 00:14:39.240 --> 00:14:43.039 of like bronze or yellow. You know, they're still around in the winter, 211 00:14:43.080 --> 00:14:45.120 and they're better than looking at nothing, but they get you know, 212 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:48.279 they're they're trying to deal with all the stress of winter and winter sunlight. 213 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:52.960 Junipers stay a beautiful green all year round. They really are just so hard 214 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:56.559 working. And you know, I like those plants that I don't have to 215 00:14:56.600 --> 00:15:00.720 work super hard at to look really great because then it frees you up to 216 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:03.440 work more in your vegetable gard. I think it's a great description. I 217 00:15:03.480 --> 00:15:09.039 think that word handsome. I think it is a handsome plant. And if 218 00:15:09.080 --> 00:15:11.799 you have a dry spot and it's sunny, you have some deer pressure. 219 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:16.320 There are a lot of people along lakeshore areas here in Michigan who have that 220 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:20.399 juniper just may fill the bill. Yeah, and you know, junipers are 221 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:26.120 a wonderfully diverse group. You can find a juniper for just about any landscape 222 00:15:26.120 --> 00:15:30.200 application that you can possibly dream up. Now, I will say gin fizz 223 00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:33.120 juniper is on the larger size, so it is going to reach about up 224 00:15:33.159 --> 00:15:37.159 to ten to eighteen feet tall, so that's pretty tall. And it's conical, 225 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:41.159 so anywhere from seven to ten feet wide at the base, so it's 226 00:15:41.159 --> 00:15:43.120 going to be narrower at the top wider at the bottom. So this is 227 00:15:43.159 --> 00:15:46.600 a plant that you are going to want to have some space for. But 228 00:15:46.679 --> 00:15:50.559 if you do have space, again, I think it's so useful, whether 229 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:54.480 you're planting it around the vegetable garden where it would make a wonderful hedge to 230 00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:58.159 enclose your vegetable garden, or as a backdrop for a vegetable garden. You 231 00:15:58.200 --> 00:16:03.240 know, my garden is kind of along the back edge of my property, 232 00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:06.559 and I just actually played in different junipers. The gin Fizz is a little 233 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:10.320 too tall for my quarter acre, too wide form my quarter acre city lot. 234 00:16:10.360 --> 00:16:12.200 Didn't want to give up quite that much real estate. Um. But 235 00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:17.600 it makes a really handsome backdrop, um, and it really helps the vegetables 236 00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:21.320 pop. So it's aesthetic and it's useful, and it will help to control 237 00:16:21.480 --> 00:16:25.240 the deer. Now, Ricky mentioned the berries yes on gin Fizz juniper, 238 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:29.279 And as you might guess, or maybe you already know, the berries of 239 00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:33.840 juniper are what favorite, what flavors to drink gin and very healthy for you, 240 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:38.039 not the gin, but the berries. Let's say, wow, okay, 241 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:44.159 antioxidant. I learned something that I um. And you know, they're 242 00:16:44.159 --> 00:16:48.519 often used, and a lot people were asking what's in that cup. A 243 00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:53.480 lot of the of recipes is particularly in like Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, do 244 00:16:53.639 --> 00:17:00.240 incorporate some juniper berry, like a lot of braises and stews and that kind 245 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:02.720 of thing. Obviously, you want to use it sparingly or you could really 246 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:06.759 end up making it taste very resinous. But it adds a nice fragrance. 247 00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:11.799 They're used in all sorts of fragrance preparations, and so you can just harvest 248 00:17:11.799 --> 00:17:14.039 your own, you know, if you are making something like that and you 249 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:15.839 have a juniper like gin Fizz, and it doesn't just have to be this 250 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:21.519 species. Pretty much any juniper berry is edible in this way, although some 251 00:17:21.640 --> 00:17:26.480 of them just don't have a nice fragrance that might just be much more medicinal 252 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:30.519 or much more resiny. So if you have a juniper and want to use 253 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:34.119 the berries in a stew or whatever, just pick one off and then just 254 00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:37.039 kind of like you know, cut into it with your fingernail and give it 255 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:40.720 a sniff and that will give you a good sense. But the ones on 256 00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:45.359 gin Fizz are perfectly lovely to use in any of those kind of preparations. 257 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:52.680 They aren't technically berries because juniper is a conifer and conifers are not flowering plants, 258 00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:56.079 so berries are fruits that can only develop on flowering plants, and because 259 00:17:56.160 --> 00:18:02.960 conifers like juniper don't truly they have flower like structures, but they're not considered 260 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:07.440 flowers for a number of taxonomical reasons that we're not gonna go into right now. 261 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:11.720 Because it take the rest of the show. But we use berries. 262 00:18:11.759 --> 00:18:14.000 It's just kind of a colloquial term because that's what they look like. So 263 00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:15.680 just you know, in case anyone out there is as pedantic as I am 264 00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:18.880 and is like, hey, she's using the wrong way. I feel you. 265 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:22.400 There's that word again, pedanta. That's actually the second time I've used 266 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:25.759 it, just today and it's still early, so you know, but you 267 00:18:25.799 --> 00:18:29.160 know, you're right about the flavoring. It is used to flavor meat, 268 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:33.839 soup, sauces, stews, stuffing, and there's a lot of talk about 269 00:18:33.880 --> 00:18:40.759 it's vitamin C value, antioxidants, oxidants, and then of course in my 270 00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:47.000 reading, I have read that it's very good to improve your HDL good cholesterol 271 00:18:47.319 --> 00:18:53.319 and reduce the triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol. So I'm thinking about taking some 272 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:57.920 juniper berries as a supplement. Okay, Yeah, it's just eating them right 273 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:02.799 off the plant. Just a public service message there. Now you may continue. 274 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:07.839 Thank you appreciating that. So you know, gin fizz juniper, Like 275 00:19:07.880 --> 00:19:11.400 I said, we selected it because it has really abundant berry production. Even 276 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:15.880 if you never intend to eat them, it is very ornamental. It just 277 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:18.799 adds a beautiful color because they're kind of like a bluish green color. Beautiful 278 00:19:18.839 --> 00:19:25.119 color, beautiful texture, and so it's just a really nice year round plant. 279 00:19:25.160 --> 00:19:27.200 And like I said, it's so easy to care for as long as 280 00:19:27.240 --> 00:19:33.519 you've cited it properly in you know, full sun, that it frees you 281 00:19:33.640 --> 00:19:36.160 up. So it does. It provides all this beauty. But while it 282 00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:38.279 frees you up to do things like work in your vegetable garden, work on 283 00:19:38.279 --> 00:19:41.240 your cut flowers, and it's not requiring a lot of care. And that's 284 00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:45.200 one of the things I love about it is their junipers are just low maintenance 285 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:51.440 and they just look great all year round and you barely had to do anything. 286 00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:56.240 I think in the Midwest in November and December when we lack color in 287 00:19:56.319 --> 00:20:00.759 the landscape, they're gorgeous. Yeah, they really are. So you know, 288 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:03.480 there's not much else to say about growing them to just put them in 289 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:04.880 the sign. Of course, they're going to want water as they get established, 290 00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:10.200 as any new planting would, but beyond that they can kind of just 291 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:11.680 be left to their own devices. They don't really need a lot of pruning, 292 00:20:11.799 --> 00:20:15.720 especially a conical one like gin Fizz, it will just naturally take on 293 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:19.640 that kind of pyramidal shape as it grows. Uh. And yeah, that's 294 00:20:19.640 --> 00:20:25.359 why I loved Universe. They just they give a lot but require so little. 295 00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:27.920 And that certainly includes gin Fizz, which you can find in the distinctive 296 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:36.200 white Proven Winners container at your local garden center if you are interested. I 297 00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:40.920 don't have a mug next week maybe, so listen, we're gonna take a 298 00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:42.599 little break. When we come back, we're opening up that garden mail bag 299 00:20:42.599 --> 00:20:52.119 and helping you with your garden questions, so please stay tuned. At Proven 300 00:20:52.119 --> 00:20:56.200 Winner's Color Choice, We've got a shrub for every taste and every space. 301 00:20:56.480 --> 00:21:02.039 Whether you're looking for an easy care rose and forgettable hydrangia, or something new 302 00:21:02.079 --> 00:21:04.400 and unique, you can be confident that the shrubs and the white containers have 303 00:21:04.480 --> 00:21:08.359 been trialed and tested for your success. Look for them at your local garden 304 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:15.519 center. Greetings, gardeners, and welcome back to the Gardenings Simplified Show. 305 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:19.200 I love helping people with their garden problems because when I help you with your 306 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:23.839 garden problem and you get that aha moment, I'm hoping that you will fall 307 00:21:23.880 --> 00:21:26.880 in love with gardening as much as I have. And when things make sense, 308 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:30.920 you know, it's a lot easier to like things. And one of 309 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:33.160 the ways we do that is by answering your garden questions. So if you 310 00:21:33.240 --> 00:21:37.799 have a garden question, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Gardening 311 00:21:37.880 --> 00:21:40.599 Simplified on air dot Com as our website, you'll find our show notes as 312 00:21:40.599 --> 00:21:42.720 well as a contact us tab where you can write your message. You can 313 00:21:42.759 --> 00:21:48.160 even attach a photo, which is always helpful when you're dealing, particularly with 314 00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:51.200 garden problems. But you know, if people are celebrating something in their garden 315 00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:53.480 and they just don't have a lot of good gardening friends who get that, 316 00:21:53.839 --> 00:21:57.160 you can also write us with that because we will celebrate right alongside you. 317 00:21:57.200 --> 00:22:00.519 We love that just as much as we love helping people with their questions. 318 00:22:00.519 --> 00:22:04.680 So what's in the mailbag today, Rick Well? Lisa in Michigan rights to 319 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:10.000 us. Lisa has a plant that I also have in my landscape and love 320 00:22:10.119 --> 00:22:15.480 the Kodiak Dear Vella, and she planted it a couple of years ago in 321 00:22:15.559 --> 00:22:21.119 her landscape. Her Natalie Carmoli here at Proven Winners colored Choice shrubs. She 322 00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:22.880 was on my show, a show that I was doing a few years ago 323 00:22:22.920 --> 00:22:27.200 and was inspired to try them their summer flowers are pretty. They're doing well, 324 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:32.119 but there's some flop to the perimeter branches. Some have broken off. 325 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:36.240 Do I prune these off? Now? That's interesting. So Kodiak red Durvilla 326 00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:40.400 is a native shrub. It grows pretty abundantly, particularly in northern Michigan. 327 00:22:41.319 --> 00:22:45.319 We've selected a couple different varieties here at proven winners colored choice like Kodiak red, 328 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:48.920 Kodiac Black, Kodiak Orange, that have really nice new growth. So 329 00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:52.039 it's a very durable plant that just had some color. It's not the showiest, 330 00:22:52.039 --> 00:22:57.079 flashiest plant, but it's a hard working plant that's really nice for pollinators 331 00:22:57.079 --> 00:23:00.799 because it has small yellow flowers in the summer. Um and I also grow 332 00:23:00.920 --> 00:23:04.319 a bunch of dervilla, and I have not seen this problem happening on mine. 333 00:23:04.319 --> 00:23:08.200 Have you seen this issue that that least is describing a little bit on 334 00:23:08.279 --> 00:23:14.160 mine? But only because the deer we're tromping through there and a few branches 335 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:18.880 broke. But I have found the plant to be relatively deer resistant. It 336 00:23:18.039 --> 00:23:22.559 is pretty deer resistant. Now. I have seen some feeding in the spring, 337 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:26.039 you know when that new growth is coming out, and they're particularly hungry. 338 00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:27.720 But overall it is is quite deer resistant. And yet you know, 339 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:33.160 my first thought too was that this was potentially some physical damage from an animal. 340 00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:37.799 It could be a dog, it could be a meter reader readers. 341 00:23:37.960 --> 00:23:41.480 But you know my meter reader that comes into my yard. Um, they 342 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:42.880 you know, read my meter and I don't have a fence, so they 343 00:23:42.920 --> 00:23:47.319 walk across the backyard and they read my neighbor's meter from over the fence. 344 00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:52.079 Oh so yeah, they could go into my garden and I'm sure inadvertently but 345 00:23:52.200 --> 00:23:55.720 potentially break branches. So um. You know, overall, this isn't a 346 00:23:55.720 --> 00:24:00.680 plant that experiences like poor stem strength or flopping. Its shape aid tolerant, 347 00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:03.240 so you know a lot of times when things flop, my first thought is 348 00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:06.799 it's in too much shade. So I wonder if there was some sort of 349 00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:10.880 physiological damage that you're not aware of. If you have a dog, maybe 350 00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:12.400 think about the dog. If you don't, you know, who knows what 351 00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:17.839 goes on in our backyards when we're asleep or not home or whatever. So 352 00:24:17.880 --> 00:24:21.480 if they have broken, no problem whatsoever to just go ahead and remove them, 353 00:24:21.559 --> 00:24:23.119 or if they're on the ground. I have found that if they are 354 00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:27.640 on the ground, they will root and kind of expand the clump. So 355 00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:30.839 if you don't want that to happen, just go ahead and cut them off. 356 00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:36.160 This is a plant that you really don't have to worry about being fussy 357 00:24:36.319 --> 00:24:41.000 around. So I don't think it's any disease issue or cultural problem like that. 358 00:24:41.079 --> 00:24:44.680 I think it was probably just like a one time something happened. But 359 00:24:44.759 --> 00:24:47.960 yet don't hesitate to go ahead and cut off whatever you like, and the 360 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:52.039 plant will be none the worse for the wear and for those meter readers out 361 00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:56.559 there, we love you, We really do. All our listeners and viewers 362 00:24:56.640 --> 00:25:00.160 we love you. So do your job and all will be well. Robert 363 00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:06.240 in Michigan inspired by a planting of castor bean plants he saw in Chicago and 364 00:25:06.400 --> 00:25:10.079 is growing them this year. They're growing fast in the hot weather. Do 365 00:25:10.119 --> 00:25:15.359 I need to stake them or provide support? I have found that myself, 366 00:25:15.880 --> 00:25:19.240 Stacy, the foliage gets so large on castor bean plants that I got to 367 00:25:19.240 --> 00:25:25.039 provide a little bit of support to the plant if storms come along or it's 368 00:25:25.079 --> 00:25:27.920 windy. I have found that that works best. And by the way, 369 00:25:27.960 --> 00:25:32.519 with the castor bean plants, talk about a plant that can handle drought and 370 00:25:32.920 --> 00:25:37.200 deer pressure, it does well. It's extremely toxic, so it's not surprised 371 00:25:37.640 --> 00:25:41.480 don't eat it. Sometimes they do know apparently what's best for them. So 372 00:25:41.480 --> 00:25:45.400 what do you use to stake castor beans when you stay? I use bamboo 373 00:25:45.440 --> 00:25:51.920 steaks with a stretchable type horticultural tie and that helps hold them in place. 374 00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:56.359 And you're right, they're native to East Africa. Some people will will have 375 00:25:56.480 --> 00:26:00.599 problems touching the foliage and get a rash. I think when the seeds come 376 00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:03.839 on the plant, it's probably best to take the seeds off. And as 377 00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:08.039 you are correct, I think it's rysome Yeah, that's that's what it is. 378 00:26:08.759 --> 00:26:11.920 And you know, dramatic, Oh it's you know, it is a 379 00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:15.880 plant that like if people see one, they are what is that? You 380 00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:18.920 know what that is? That? It is very cool exactly, and I 381 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:22.000 can't blame them. They do put them in a lot of the downtown Chicago 382 00:26:22.039 --> 00:26:26.039 plantings. I've seen them there because they are so showy. Especially so there's 383 00:26:26.119 --> 00:26:30.519 green varieties and red varieties, and the red variety is the most commonly grown. 384 00:26:30.599 --> 00:26:33.519 The seed pods are cool, but yeah, that they are quite toxic, 385 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:37.240 and particularly if you live in a warmer climate, it can be self 386 00:26:37.240 --> 00:26:41.440 self sower. So if you don't want your castor beans to continue popping up 387 00:26:41.480 --> 00:26:45.279 year after year, it is a good idea just to be on the safe 388 00:26:45.279 --> 00:26:48.519 side and go ahead and snip off and discard. Do not compost those seed 389 00:26:48.519 --> 00:26:51.319 heads. But yeah, you know, Robert, if you feel like you 390 00:26:51.359 --> 00:26:53.680 need to stake them, there's really no harm in staking something like an annual. 391 00:26:55.079 --> 00:26:56.160 And you know, sometimes it's not just a matter of hey, the 392 00:26:56.200 --> 00:26:59.920 plant needs to support. It's the look that you're going for. So if 393 00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:03.079 the way you've planted them, you want that more upright look, by all 394 00:27:03.160 --> 00:27:07.160 means, get out the bamboo, stake them up and let them do their 395 00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:10.480 thing. And without the plant, how else could we have castor oil? 396 00:27:10.759 --> 00:27:14.240 Right? Is that castro Yeah, I believe it is. I think it's 397 00:27:14.279 --> 00:27:17.079 extracted from the plant. I don't know, correct me, let me know. 398 00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:21.599 I send us a comment here on gardening simplify. I think it's the 399 00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:25.200 castor oil we used to drive moles out of the yard as a repellent. 400 00:27:25.559 --> 00:27:30.160 Anyhow, Marcia asks, wondering if you know what's going on with my beloved 401 00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:34.680 bobo hydranges. They perform so well for me the past eight years. I'm 402 00:27:34.759 --> 00:27:41.079 worried about brown spots on the leaves suggestions for treating them. Yeah, so, 403 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:44.480 and Marcia did include a photo, so I'm not just guessing here. 404 00:27:44.640 --> 00:27:45.799 I don't put that photo, of course, in the show notes at Gardening 405 00:27:45.880 --> 00:27:49.599 Simplified on air dot com. You know, when I first looked at this 406 00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:55.680 photo, my first thought was sunburn. And it's pretty The damage to me 407 00:27:55.799 --> 00:27:57.319 is very typical of sunburn. But then I thought, wait a minute, 408 00:27:57.319 --> 00:28:03.400 now, Marsha's in Michigan, and there's really no reason that a panical hydrangel 409 00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:08.880 like Bobo would normally get sunburn here in Michigan. And so I was talking 410 00:28:08.920 --> 00:28:11.680 to some people around here and some growers, and saying, like, you 411 00:28:11.720 --> 00:28:15.200 know, this looks like sunburn. Actually I didn't even I didn't want to 412 00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:15.839 put the idea in their head. So I just said, what do you 413 00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:21.160 think it's happening here? And they all said sunburn as well, And I 414 00:28:21.160 --> 00:28:22.440 thought, okay, but how is that happening in Michigan? And someone said, 415 00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:27.119 I wonder if there had been some trees trimmed or branches lost, so 416 00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:30.960 that the plant was actually, you know, started emerging in one condition, 417 00:28:32.400 --> 00:28:38.599 but the sunlight increased in the foliage was not prepared for the more intense sunlight, 418 00:28:38.759 --> 00:28:42.200 kind of like when we bring our house plants out on the deck after 419 00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:45.920 winter, exactly very similar to that. So I, you know, I 420 00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:51.960 don't know exactly what the cause for sunburn is in your particular case, but 421 00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:53.519 it's it's not a leaf spot. It's on a fungal leaf spot. It's 422 00:28:53.559 --> 00:28:57.480 not a disease. So I think that whatever had happened that caused that sunburn 423 00:28:59.039 --> 00:29:02.359 probably has moved on on. Any new foliage the plant puts out now is 424 00:29:02.359 --> 00:29:04.279 going to be adapted to full sun you know. But I did want to 425 00:29:04.279 --> 00:29:07.839 mention when we talk about leaf spots on hydrangees, particularly at this time of 426 00:29:07.880 --> 00:29:12.880 year, a lot of people mistake the damage of the four lined plant bug. 427 00:29:14.119 --> 00:29:18.319 Very familiar with that for a fungal disease. Now the four line plant 428 00:29:18.319 --> 00:29:21.240 bug is this nifty little bug. Well, I mean, they're kind of 429 00:29:21.240 --> 00:29:25.680 cute, but they're cute and they're not that destructive. But they're damage is 430 00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:30.480 very distinctive, so as when they're nymphs or small insects, they just leave 431 00:29:30.559 --> 00:29:33.359 these neat little hole. They're not a hole in the leaf. It's just 432 00:29:33.400 --> 00:29:37.839 like a hole in the top layer. So they're these little brown spots and 433 00:29:37.880 --> 00:29:41.079 they're very organized, you know, like the way that they feed. They're 434 00:29:41.160 --> 00:29:44.200 they're very like methodical about it, and it kind of goes across and so 435 00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:47.720 it's a little cluster of very neat holes. And people's first thought is, 436 00:29:47.720 --> 00:29:49.519 oh, my gosh, this has a fungal leaf spot disease. What do 437 00:29:49.559 --> 00:29:52.640 I spray? What fungicide do I spray? So they go to the garden 438 00:29:52.680 --> 00:29:55.680 center. They say, my hydrange has a leaf spot. And hydrange is 439 00:29:55.759 --> 00:29:57.440 very often do get leaf spots. So they say, okay, here, 440 00:29:57.599 --> 00:30:00.920 put on this fungicide, and then they do it and then they're like, 441 00:30:02.119 --> 00:30:04.160 nothing happened. And that's because it wasn't a fungus in the first place. 442 00:30:04.200 --> 00:30:10.279 So if you're seeing spots on your Hydrangea and you're concerned about are they a 443 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:15.319 leaf spot? Definitely first look up four lined plant bugs. So that's the 444 00:30:15.400 --> 00:30:18.480 number four lined, like is in a line because it has four lines across 445 00:30:18.519 --> 00:30:22.920 its back. Um look that up first, and of course we'll put notes 446 00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:26.400 in the show notes about the four lined plant bug. But um, not 447 00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:30.000 a cause for concern, doesn't really you know, harm the plant at all. 448 00:30:30.640 --> 00:30:33.160 And if you catch them in the act. It's kind of interesting to 449 00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:36.559 watch. Yeah, very organized in their work. They're kind of like those 450 00:30:36.599 --> 00:30:42.039 people that always have a neat desk. That's not me, but that's how 451 00:30:42.119 --> 00:30:47.799 great things happen, and creative. There are new connections with things. I'm 452 00:30:47.839 --> 00:30:49.240 with you on that one. We're going to take a little break. When 453 00:30:49.240 --> 00:30:52.720 we come back, We've got branching news and you won't want to miss that, 454 00:30:52.799 --> 00:31:02.319 so please stay tuned. The Gardening Simplified Show is brought to you by 455 00:31:02.359 --> 00:31:07.440 Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs. Our award winning flowering shrubs and evergreens have been 456 00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:11.119 trialed and tested for your success so you enjoy more beauty and less work. 457 00:31:11.519 --> 00:31:15.680 Look for Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs in the distinctive white container at your local 458 00:31:15.720 --> 00:31:22.920 garden center. Welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show. By the way, 459 00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:27.519 I'm gonna have to ask our wonderful engineer and producer Adrianna Robinson for our YouTube 460 00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:33.319 videos to put on the bottom on the screen here that your name is Stacy, 461 00:31:33.440 --> 00:31:37.440 not Tracy, and my last name is Vised with a T not Vice. 462 00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:41.839 I ce because people look for us and then they're like, where's that 463 00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:48.279 Vice character? And it's a vuy st So there you go. That's true. 464 00:31:48.359 --> 00:31:52.400 I am not Tracy, yes, and I'm Stacy with any stacy. 465 00:31:52.359 --> 00:31:56.480 Now that we got that cleared up, branching news, as I realized a 466 00:31:56.599 --> 00:32:01.920 deer had eaten the blossoms off my about to bloom Miss Molly. That happened 467 00:32:01.920 --> 00:32:09.000 this week, No no, and I needed help with my blood pressure, 468 00:32:09.119 --> 00:32:14.799 so I wrote a limb a rick. My limerick this week is delight is 469 00:32:14.839 --> 00:32:19.880 in finding out, not knowing. When things get tough, you keep going, 470 00:32:20.279 --> 00:32:23.599 so don't ever give up. Real gardeners never grow up. They just 471 00:32:23.799 --> 00:32:29.240 keep right on growing. That's true. Hanging there and stick with it, 472 00:32:29.359 --> 00:32:34.920 you know. That is It's so frustrating how dear have a knack for getting 473 00:32:34.920 --> 00:32:37.400 flowers just when they're but the flowers are their favorite part. Just like a 474 00:32:37.440 --> 00:32:40.079 few weeks ago, we're talking about the Japanese beetles. When animals eat plants, 475 00:32:40.119 --> 00:32:44.680 they do tend to like the flowers. They're tender, they've got nectar, 476 00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:46.559 there's just so much good stuff about them. But at this time of 477 00:32:46.640 --> 00:32:51.759 year, you know, those fawns are out, they're learning about the world, 478 00:32:52.160 --> 00:32:54.839 and they might sample things like a butterfly bush, that they don't normally 479 00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:59.160 eat, and I'm really sorry that happens to you. That's super disappointing. 480 00:32:59.160 --> 00:33:00.759 But the good thing is there's always more flowers where that comes from. On 481 00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:05.559 butterfly bush. Yeah, I took a picture in my neighborhood of the deer 482 00:33:05.640 --> 00:33:10.119 mom and dad taking the little fawns around, showing them which of the landscapes 483 00:33:10.200 --> 00:33:15.880 were the tastiest the best. I watched them. They were out there teaching 484 00:33:15.559 --> 00:33:22.000 the fawns and then if the fawns behave afterwards, they all had to Starbucks 485 00:33:22.119 --> 00:33:25.000 or Deery Queen for a treat. So it's frustrating to watch. So how 486 00:33:25.039 --> 00:33:30.839 did your garden rank on the tastiest lay? I loved it. Let me 487 00:33:30.880 --> 00:33:34.319 tell you you got a fourth star review. Yeah, four star review, 488 00:33:35.599 --> 00:33:38.759 by the way, and this is no joking matter. The wildfire season this 489 00:33:38.839 --> 00:33:43.640 yew wow. It's begun in many places around the world, of course here 490 00:33:43.640 --> 00:33:47.720 in the Midwest, dealing with smoke from wildfires in Canada. Brooke Edmonds, 491 00:33:47.720 --> 00:33:54.759 a plant scientist and community horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension, talked about how 492 00:33:54.920 --> 00:34:02.039 plants also can suffer from pollutants and small particulate matter landing on the plants, 493 00:34:02.039 --> 00:34:09.519 blocking sunlight essential for photosynthesis, and we're gonna put that story on the website 494 00:34:09.559 --> 00:34:15.599 Gardening Simplified OnAir dot com the link there so you can read about it. 495 00:34:15.639 --> 00:34:22.920 And she also advises don't clean off plants with leafblowers. So yeah, I 496 00:34:22.119 --> 00:34:24.559 was gonna say, I can't believe that needs saying, but it does need 497 00:34:24.639 --> 00:34:30.199 saying. And you know, water is a good choice. You know, 498 00:34:30.280 --> 00:34:31.679 usually we say just water at the base, and that is true if you're 499 00:34:31.719 --> 00:34:36.519 just watering, but you know, when it comes to like dust and you 500 00:34:36.559 --> 00:34:39.800 know, the smoke particles and all that, watering them overhead sometimes to wash 501 00:34:39.840 --> 00:34:43.519 off the leaves not really going to be a problem. And you know, 502 00:34:43.599 --> 00:34:47.719 if there are things blocking the leaves, then that does actually diminish the photosynthesis 503 00:34:47.719 --> 00:34:52.760 the plants capable of doing. So it's there's exceptions to everything in horticulture. 504 00:34:52.000 --> 00:34:55.480 So this has been a difficult thing and very difficult for a lot of people. 505 00:34:55.599 --> 00:35:00.840 It's it's it's been a struggle and for folks who want be outside but 506 00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:05.360 can't be outside. So yeah, it is. I would say we all 507 00:35:05.360 --> 00:35:09.800 need to take a coffee break, cu ghy. But again, if I 508 00:35:09.880 --> 00:35:13.719 have to spell it. It's not a good pun. So I'll move along. 509 00:35:14.559 --> 00:35:20.079 If your curb lacks appeal, chances are so do you. New research 510 00:35:20.199 --> 00:35:24.000 suggests, now here's some controversy for your. Recent survey two thousand people who 511 00:35:24.039 --> 00:35:30.960 are dating and own or rent a home with an outdoor space revealed that the 512 00:35:30.079 --> 00:35:37.320 exterior of a person's home influences their level of attraction to them. Eighty six 513 00:35:37.400 --> 00:35:43.800 percent of people equated being able to take care of an outdoor space with a 514 00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:50.679 potential partner's caring ability. Wow, and that's something we're going to post this 515 00:35:50.880 --> 00:35:54.519 on the website. Check this out. A neatly trimmed yard can do the 516 00:35:54.559 --> 00:36:00.760 trick as well as trimmed hedges, clean walkways, driveways at etc. And 517 00:36:01.519 --> 00:36:08.519 your attention to those projects can indicate to another individual how long the relationship's gonna 518 00:36:08.599 --> 00:36:12.760 last. Wow, this is you know. I wonder what happens when two 519 00:36:12.800 --> 00:36:16.480 horticulturists get together like this. Now, you know, that's that's gonna be 520 00:36:16.519 --> 00:36:20.280 a whole new ballgame, I think exactly. I mean, you know, 521 00:36:20.320 --> 00:36:24.079 and all these things that give your home curb appeal, trimmed hedges, clean 522 00:36:24.199 --> 00:36:30.760 walkways, sidewalks, driveways, porch seating, if you have seating on your 523 00:36:30.840 --> 00:36:35.639 porch. I guess if you balk on new patio furniture, you'll be sitting 524 00:36:35.719 --> 00:36:39.000 on the fence. Garden lights, clear gutters, a stone walkway, a 525 00:36:39.039 --> 00:36:44.840 new fence, a new mailbox. It only works if your name is Bill. 526 00:36:45.800 --> 00:36:51.079 Best thing about a mailbox joke the delivery and I bombed there. Okay, 527 00:36:51.199 --> 00:36:57.119 so anyhow, check out that story. Now that is really interesting to 528 00:36:57.199 --> 00:37:01.320 me. Outdoor do it yourself activities people would do with a romantic partner. 529 00:37:01.519 --> 00:37:07.159 Number one on the list was planting a garden, creating an outdoor seating area, 530 00:37:07.440 --> 00:37:13.760 landscaping, building a fire pit, building a fire pit, laying out 531 00:37:13.760 --> 00:37:17.519 a walkway or a path. That's the path of least resistance. I guess 532 00:37:17.800 --> 00:37:22.400 pressure washing your house. Well, there's a black Do it together and see 533 00:37:22.440 --> 00:37:29.280 if your relationship is going to last. Again, that story going on the 534 00:37:29.760 --> 00:37:35.639 website Gardening Simplified on air dot com. Okay, today for snow and tell 535 00:37:36.679 --> 00:37:42.039 Mountain snow in Utah is turning shades of red, pink, and orange. 536 00:37:42.039 --> 00:37:44.679 Have you seen that? I did see that news article. Yeah, now 537 00:37:44.719 --> 00:37:46.800 that's interesting. I have to say, I don't understand it. It's a 538 00:37:46.800 --> 00:37:54.639 phenomenon called watermelon snow. Scientists say it's a natural phenomenon caused by a blooming 539 00:37:54.719 --> 00:38:00.559 green algae. So the snow algae produces a pigment that basically darkens their cells 540 00:38:00.639 --> 00:38:07.320 and it acts as a protection against u V. But the end result is 541 00:38:07.599 --> 00:38:13.920 they kind of have a melt down there and the snow turns red, pink, 542 00:38:14.119 --> 00:38:20.639 and orange. Watermelon snow. Don't eat it, thought, don't eat 543 00:38:20.679 --> 00:38:25.159 it. Oh, never eat colored snow, any color, exactly, all 544 00:38:25.239 --> 00:38:30.679 right, going on vacation. Top seven road trip snacks. Chips are number 545 00:38:30.679 --> 00:38:34.440 one, makes a mess in the car, But chips are number one, 546 00:38:34.559 --> 00:38:40.239 chocolate, cookies, nuts and seeds, candy, fruit and granola bars. 547 00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:45.519 You know, fruit in the car maybe seems like a good idea. You're 548 00:38:45.519 --> 00:38:49.920 trying to be healthy, but hey, it's sticky and b you're gonna have 549 00:38:49.960 --> 00:38:53.320 to get rid of almost always something appel, a coal or something. So 550 00:38:53.639 --> 00:38:57.239 you know you're on a road trip, you might as well make it wait 551 00:38:57.360 --> 00:39:00.840 until you get into the rest stop. Right, Yeah, or that works 552 00:39:00.840 --> 00:39:02.599 too. You can watch her for it. I'm like, now, just 553 00:39:02.639 --> 00:39:07.800 eat the junk food. Can I give you a dad joke real quick? 554 00:39:07.000 --> 00:39:09.320 Yeah? All right, because I can do that because I'm a dad, 555 00:39:09.400 --> 00:39:13.960 a raising a peanut and an oat. Sit down and order a drink. 556 00:39:14.159 --> 00:39:17.480 The bartender says, what do you think this is a granola bar? See, 557 00:39:17.480 --> 00:39:22.199 that's a dad joke. It's so bad it's good. Adrian is laughing 558 00:39:22.199 --> 00:39:28.760 pretty hard at Adrianna. Appreciate that, all right? And again getting back 559 00:39:28.800 --> 00:39:34.679 to no laughing matter. I've been following this driven by drought, heat loving 560 00:39:34.800 --> 00:39:38.719 grasshoppers are thriving in Alberta, Canada. You know, if they haven't had 561 00:39:38.880 --> 00:39:45.159 enough to do with these these wildfires this year, now they have these grasshoppers 562 00:39:45.280 --> 00:39:51.760 threatening to devour crops in central and southern parts of the province. They're taking 563 00:39:51.840 --> 00:39:57.000 wing early this year. And they say that like they can consume a half 564 00:39:57.039 --> 00:40:00.840 an acre of wheat in just a matter of of days. They interviewed this 565 00:40:00.880 --> 00:40:05.840 gentleman who said the ground was literally moving with them. It was bare, 566 00:40:05.960 --> 00:40:09.239 you could see the soil. They just eat it to nothing. Oh gosh, 567 00:40:09.280 --> 00:40:14.239 isn't that's something that's horrible. Hot dry weather, of course, is 568 00:40:14.320 --> 00:40:21.639 fueled historic wildfires in Alberta. And now this this batch of grasshoppers that are 569 00:40:21.679 --> 00:40:28.559 threatening to strip already stunted crops. Hey, our thoughts are with you that 570 00:40:28.559 --> 00:40:30.360 that's tough to go through. Yeah, I can't even imagine. It's got 571 00:40:30.360 --> 00:40:36.880 to be so Discouragingly, it has been an amazing year for weather. Well, 572 00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:40.360 yes, it's been something else. Anyhow, that's your branching news here 573 00:40:40.360 --> 00:40:45.880 today on the Gardening Simplified Show, as it is every week. A pleasure 574 00:40:46.159 --> 00:40:51.800 and privilege to do the show with you Stacy and you Adrianna Robinson, and 575 00:40:51.880 --> 00:40:55.840 of course thank you to our listeners and our viewers look for the podcast. 576 00:40:57.079 --> 00:41:00.719 Thanks for listening to us on radio and watching us on YouTube. Have yourself 577 00:41:00.719 --> 00:41:07.199 a great h