WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:07.360 Coming to you from Studio A at Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs. It's time 2 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:11.919 for the Gardening Simplified Show with Stacy Hervella, me, Rick Weist, and 3 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:17.960 our engineer and producer Adrianna Robinson. Hey, you know, we received a 4 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:24.800 note from someone one of our YouTube viewers simply stated, shade is hard. 5 00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:30.480 I like that. Yeah, it is hard. Talk about honesty, that's 6 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:34.920 fantastic. You know what's hard? Chicken wire? Two words for you, 7 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:38.640 chicken. Have you ever tried to put up chicken wire? Snags on your 8 00:00:38.679 --> 00:00:42.520 clothes? Cut you up, can't put it up neatly? I think chicken 9 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:47.920 wire? Or watching the squirrels eat the buds off my flowering shrubs after they've 10 00:00:47.960 --> 00:00:52.359 made it all winter long. That's hard. Yeah, that's also very hard. 11 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:57.439 You know, this shade issue makes me think of Michael Collins. Of 12 00:00:57.479 --> 00:01:02.640 course, I was an Apollo age boy when they were doing the moonshots, 13 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:08.400 and Michael Collins, of course was the pilot in the Command Module Columbia while 14 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:14.000 Buzz and Neil were on the lunar's surface. Took the eagle down there to 15 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:18.439 kind of look around, and he was the loneliest man on Earth. And 16 00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:23.159 when you go around the dark side of the moon, dark cold, total 17 00:01:23.319 --> 00:01:27.959 radio silence. You are cut off from everybody. I always think about him 18 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:34.040 when I think about shade. I don't know why that must that must have 19 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:37.280 been much harder than gardening in the shade. I'm just gonna put that out 20 00:01:37.319 --> 00:01:40.760 there. But you know, gardening in the shade does. It is tricky, 21 00:01:40.840 --> 00:01:42.760 and it is hard, and a lot of times I think shade gardeners 22 00:01:42.760 --> 00:01:46.120 can feel like they're a little bit deprived. But I do just want to 23 00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:51.400 start off by saying, shade gardeners have one huge advantage, and that's that 24 00:01:51.560 --> 00:01:53.560 no matter what time of the year it is, you can work in your 25 00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:57.319 garden. True, it's the middle of summer, You've got a nice shady 26 00:01:57.359 --> 00:02:02.159 place to go, and I leisurely pull some weeds, enjoy the cooler temperatures. 27 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:06.519 I don't have very much shade at all, and so you know, 28 00:02:06.599 --> 00:02:08.319 I have to pretty much get my gardening done early in the morning during the 29 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:12.360 summer because I can't be out of my garden in the middle of the day. 30 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:14.360 I'll burn up. You know, it's a good point, Stacy. 31 00:02:14.360 --> 00:02:17.360 As a matter of fact, if you look up definitions of shade, shade 32 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:23.319 is a term used to describe some degree of relief from the sun. Yes, 33 00:02:23.479 --> 00:02:28.199 so there you go. So maybe shade isn't that hard. Maybe we 34 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:30.800 need to look at it from a different angle. And by the way, 35 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:38.919 Proven Winners has a great perennial a still be called dark side of the moon. 36 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:43.159 Yes, it's a beautiful I see with purple foliage. Gorgeous chocolate brown, 37 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:46.479 purplish foliage. Yeah, cool plant. Anyhow, all right, let's 38 00:02:46.479 --> 00:02:52.360 get into the shade issue here, and I'll get right to the point. 39 00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:55.800 If you want to be successful in the garden in shade, first of all, 40 00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:01.240 you use plants adapted to shade conditions, and those are usually plants stacey 41 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:09.439 that have thinner foliage and bigger foliage to be efficient at absorbing the light or 42 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:14.879 photosynthesizing in areas where there isn't a lot of light. Correct, right, 43 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:20.400 Yeah, big leaves are generally not always characteristic of shade tolerant plants. And 44 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:23.599 one thing that you'll hear very often is that, like for example, with 45 00:03:23.639 --> 00:03:25.400 a tree where it's inner leaves or shaded, or a plant that is more 46 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:30.400 subn tolerant and growing in shade, is it will make shade leaves which are 47 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:34.719 naturally much larger, to increase that surface area to try to absorb more light 48 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:38.280 and do a little more photosynthesis. Absolutely, you have to improve the soil, 49 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:45.759 especially if the soil is poor due to root competition. So think woodland 50 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:50.960 floor. So I like to think of somewhat acidic, humous soils of the 51 00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:55.759 forest. Shade plants have adapted to appreciate those types of soils, Stacey. 52 00:03:55.800 --> 00:04:00.120 When you're dealing with trees, especially those that have shallow, fibrous roots, 53 00:04:00.759 --> 00:04:05.199 that can become a big issue in shade. It's not necessarily the lack of 54 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:10.560 light, it's the root competition, right. Sometimes you just can't get anything 55 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:14.879 to grow underneath there. It's not an easy situation. So you have to 56 00:04:14.919 --> 00:04:20.000 look at the different types of shade and then adjust accordingly. Now, the 57 00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:27.759 different types of shade, I think, are the different degrees six degrees in 58 00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:32.000 my mind, light shade, partial shade, full shade, deep shade, 59 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:40.600 structural shade, and night. Remember the comedian George Carlin forecast for tonight dark, 60 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:45.560 continued darkness till morning, then scattered light. I personally, when it 61 00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:49.920 comes to shade, I love filtered shade because during the day it seems to 62 00:04:50.120 --> 00:04:54.560 dance in the garden, and I like working with filtered shade. Yeah, 63 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:58.639 and that counts pretty much as a part shade conditioner, parts on in supportant 64 00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:01.160 to remember that most plant come and these including proof of winners, use part 65 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:04.720 shade in parts sign would be interchangeable, just kind of meaning the same exact 66 00:05:04.759 --> 00:05:11.439 thing. Filtered shade generally occurs under the canopy of a high canopy of a 67 00:05:11.480 --> 00:05:15.519 tree, and so not only is it sort of magical and beautiful, it 68 00:05:15.560 --> 00:05:19.240 also gives you a little bit more flexibility in what you can do that is 69 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:23.800 the best, but also I would say potentially the rarest for a lot of 70 00:05:23.800 --> 00:05:28.800 people who are gardening in shade. Yeah, exactly. Although deciduous trees often 71 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:33.560 can provide some measure of filtered shade, it's the coniferous trees where you can 72 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:41.879 just really have serious problems. Back off on nitrogen fertilizers when you're trying to 73 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:46.160 grow in the shade, I call them processed foods, use a slow release, 74 00:05:46.439 --> 00:05:54.879 and organic fertilizers I'm thinking bacteria, microbes, organic material, lots of 75 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:59.720 it. It really improves your success in the shade. Mulch the plants and 76 00:06:00.040 --> 00:06:05.879 then develop a talent with dealing with snails and slugs. I have many different 77 00:06:05.879 --> 00:06:09.800 methods we don't have time for. Maybe someday we'll tell you. Do you 78 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:13.120 have a big snail and slug issue here on the lake shore. No, 79 00:06:13.639 --> 00:06:15.759 we don't have a much out here because it's fairly dry. But I have 80 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:19.079 certainly, you know, garden when I was gardening in New York. You 81 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:23.160 know, you go to like pull a weed and you stick your fingers right 82 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:26.720 in a sloppy slug. That's no fun. It's a slugfest. I tell 83 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:30.480 you what, And you know what has always worked good for me, just 84 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:33.279 real briefly, and that is roofing shingles. I just got strips of roofing 85 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:38.240 shingles. Put them underneath the plants. It really helps with the snails and 86 00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:41.319 slugs. Now, of course, we can give you a long list of 87 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:44.360 plants to grow in the shade. We can sit here and say, oh, 88 00:06:44.519 --> 00:06:46.160 you can grow in the shade. All you got to do is try 89 00:06:46.600 --> 00:06:50.519 such and such, and of course there are great plants for shade. But 90 00:06:50.759 --> 00:06:56.560 looking at that environment and again, Stacy getting back to the soil, I 91 00:06:56.600 --> 00:07:00.920 can't help it. Every time I've tried. That is what makes the difference 92 00:07:00.920 --> 00:07:04.800 between success and failure. Yeah, for sure. And you know that's why 93 00:07:04.839 --> 00:07:10.279 a lot of gardeners will refer to dry shade is the most dreaded type of 94 00:07:10.360 --> 00:07:15.519 shade because that's the hardest to find things that will grow in it and do 95 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:16.560 well. Now, you kind of course amend the soil. You talked about, 96 00:07:16.759 --> 00:07:19.360 adding compost, multing, You can do all of those things. But 97 00:07:19.399 --> 00:07:23.720 sometimes you know, if you have dry shade because you have sandy soil like 98 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:27.920 we do out here, or it's dry because it's next to a big tree 99 00:07:27.959 --> 00:07:31.199 that's sucking up all the moisture, that does severely limit your options. Yeah, 100 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:38.680 exactly. Now, ephemerals like wildflowers, of course, are in nature 101 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:43.879 suited to absorb the sunlight while they can before the trees leaf out, may 102 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:48.920 apple, trillium, and many of course wildflowers will go dormant in summer. 103 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:57.600 That's their protective adaptive mechanism in shade and makes all the difference in the world 104 00:07:57.720 --> 00:08:03.000 there too. So again, plants strategies are employed by plants. You know, 105 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:09.319 I've looked at at leaves of plants that love the heat, and it's 106 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:16.680 almost stacked cells thick leaves in shade thin leaves, more mass area to absorb 107 00:08:16.839 --> 00:08:24.560 light. Perennials like Virginia brunera, hucara ferns of course hostas stillbies. I've 108 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:28.519 had success with all of them. I did want to ask you, Stacy. 109 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:35.639 I believe that one of the most underutilized and maybe doesn't have the publicity 110 00:08:35.320 --> 00:08:43.639 that some other annuals get, and that is wishbone flower or Catalina Terennia midnight 111 00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:46.240 blue or any of the terrannias. Do you like truck I love them they 112 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:50.559 are so this is an annual that you can grow in shade. Great for 113 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:56.399 hanging baskets. I do absolutely love it. And it's called wishbone flower because 114 00:08:56.399 --> 00:09:00.159 when you look inside the flower and they have beautiful, rich colors, there's 115 00:09:00.200 --> 00:09:05.240 a tiny little wishbone structure in there that is adorable and delightful. Great plant 116 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:07.279 for kids, and I do love it. And I have a shady front 117 00:09:07.320 --> 00:09:11.039 porch, so my house face is north the house the front is shady, 118 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:15.159 so I have tried to grow terinya, thinking oh, yeah, this is 119 00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:20.799 great, and the deer also unfortunately loved it. So just a little heads 120 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:22.279 up there if you're thinking, oh, I finally have but it's great for 121 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:26.159 a hanging basket for sure, because very often hanging baskets like on front porches, 122 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:28.639 are in shade. And that's why you know, the big buston ferns 123 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:31.480 and everything are so popular, you bet. And I know that they're doing 124 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:39.559 a lot of testing on Terrania in Florida and other climates because again I think 125 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:46.000 that it's underrated and something you might want to consider. And then as far 126 00:09:46.039 --> 00:09:50.080 as shrubs are concerned, I peaked at what your plant on trial is today, 127 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:54.039 so I know that I'm not stealing your thunder here. I just wanted 128 00:09:54.080 --> 00:10:00.320 to mention that Stacy, both you and Natalie here at proven Winter's color choice 129 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:05.960 shrubs got me very interested in Kodiak orange dear villa, and I have had 130 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:09.240 success growing that in shade. Yeah, it is known to be a shade 131 00:10:09.320 --> 00:10:11.720 tolerant plant, and you know, I'll talk a little bit about more about 132 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:16.399 it when we talk go into plants on trial. But there's a difference between 133 00:10:16.440 --> 00:10:18.639 tolerating shade and thriving in shade and doing what you hope it will do in 134 00:10:18.679 --> 00:10:22.600 shade, and so we're focused on plants that will do what they say they'll 135 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:26.480 do in shade. There you go. Shade is hard, but we'll talk 136 00:10:26.519 --> 00:10:31.159 you through it. Part of the reason we're here on the Gardening Simplified Show, 137 00:10:35.720 --> 00:10:39.799 Prooven Winners Colored Choice Shrubs cares about your success in the garden. That's 138 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:43.039 why we trial and test all of our shrubs for eight to ten years, 139 00:10:43.320 --> 00:10:46.840 making sure they outperform everything else on the market. Look for them and the 140 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:52.840 distinctive white container at your local garden center. Greetings, gardening friends, and 141 00:10:54.039 --> 00:10:58.399 welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show where we're talking about shade. We had 142 00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:01.799 a listener on YouTube say shade is hard, and that is true. But 143 00:11:01.879 --> 00:11:05.679 I would like to say that in my many years of helping people garden here 144 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:09.759 in my current job, in my previous job, if there's one universal truth 145 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:15.000 I can say, it's that the grass is always greener on the other side, 146 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:16.799 right, very true. So shade gardeners are like, oh, if 147 00:11:16.840 --> 00:11:20.600 only I had a little bit and of sun, And some gardeners are like, 148 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:22.600 boy, it's sure would be nice to have, you know, maybe 149 00:11:22.679 --> 00:11:26.919 a little patch of shade here. I'd love to grow some hostas, I 150 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:30.080 would love to grow some you know, terania, all these different things that 151 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:35.039 actually need shade and you know, we hear from warm climate gardeners who say, 152 00:11:35.039 --> 00:11:37.200 oh, I really want to grow lilacs, and we hear from cold 153 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:39.919 climate gardeners who say, I want to grow citrus in avocado. So it 154 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:45.639 is very common, I think for gardeners to wish they had what they don't 155 00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:50.159 have. Plant envy, plant envy, and you know it does pay. 156 00:11:50.360 --> 00:11:54.799 I think too, I've really changed my approach to gardening, you know, 157 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:58.759 having a house and dealing with a lot of challenges. I never thought i'd 158 00:11:58.759 --> 00:12:03.840 deal very sandy, extremely dry soil deer, which I definitely did not think 159 00:12:03.960 --> 00:12:07.919 was going to be an issue in full full sun. And I have found 160 00:12:07.960 --> 00:12:13.080 for myself that rather than try to mope while I did some moping, rather 161 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:16.279 than mope a whole lot about what I can't grow and what I can't do, 162 00:12:18.279 --> 00:12:22.000 I've kind of accepted, you know, working with the things that work. 163 00:12:22.360 --> 00:12:24.279 And I find a lot more satisfaction in that because I'm not then, 164 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:28.919 you know, spending my time and energy trying to change things from what they 165 00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:35.360 are. And I find that I really really appreciate the plants that can tolerate 166 00:12:35.399 --> 00:12:39.159 that that I have to do so little for and look great while they're tolerating 167 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:41.960 all those challenges. You can't beat them. Join them. Well, that 168 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:45.480 was the approach that I eventually took. It did take time. I'm not 169 00:12:45.480 --> 00:12:50.519 gonna lie, it's a lot of time. So you know, everybody feels 170 00:12:50.519 --> 00:12:52.080 like what they have is hard. And I will say, for sure, 171 00:12:52.120 --> 00:12:56.919 you do have a more limited plant palette when you have shade, because of 172 00:12:56.919 --> 00:13:01.600 course plants need sun to photosynthesize, and there's obviously less sun in shade for 173 00:13:01.720 --> 00:13:07.480 the plants to photosynthesize enough. And so the number of plants that can actually 174 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:11.279 thrive in that condition can do again what they're supposed to do, which is 175 00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:13.320 to say, are they going to flower? Are they going to grow? 176 00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:16.559 Well? Are they going to be dense and you know, a compact and 177 00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:22.919 attractive. That's a relatively small number. But the great thing is when you 178 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:26.320 have the right plant for the right place, with all the challenges, when 179 00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:31.039 everything comes together, you appreciate it so much. And that is where today's 180 00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:35.360 plant on Trial comes in. Okay, all right, that was a long 181 00:13:35.399 --> 00:13:37.440 intro and it's a plant that I yeah, but it's a good point. 182 00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:41.039 It's just like buying a house, location, location, location, Well, 183 00:13:41.080 --> 00:13:43.240 I did have that in mind. When I bought my house, I thought 184 00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:46.559 I had the perfect location. I did not expect the deer, the sun, 185 00:13:46.679 --> 00:13:50.600 the sand, I knew that, but the deer that was not expected. 186 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:54.879 But today's plants on trial is one that I am going to hazard a 187 00:13:54.919 --> 00:13:58.320 guess that many many of our listeners have never heard of. May be seen, 188 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:03.480 but I'm I'm guessing most have not heard of it even in the garden 189 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:07.559 center, folks. Will I watch people who will just walk by it because 190 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:09.559 it just doesn't reach out and grab you like some of the other plants, 191 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:15.120 right except for when it is having its shining moment, which we will get 192 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:18.600 to in a moment. And today's plant on trial is sweet and low, 193 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:22.440 sweet box. And if you're sitting in there going did she just say sweet 194 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:26.559 box? Yes? I did. It is known botanically as Sarco coca. 195 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:28.919 And if you want to know its whole name, which is one of my 196 00:14:30.039 --> 00:14:35.679 absolute favorite botanical names in all of botanical names, it's Sarco coca, Hooker 197 00:14:35.720 --> 00:14:41.399 Yana humulus. Wow, that sounds like an all you can eat lounge that 198 00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:46.159 I visited in Las Vegas. Done Sara Coca? What is it? Sarco 199 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:52.480 coca? Wow, I've been there, so sweet box. If you can't 200 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:56.000 get sarco coca, I know that is a long one. And this is 201 00:14:56.039 --> 00:14:58.519 a plant. You know, obviously I could have picked from a number of 202 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:03.279 plants we offer that can grow in shade and will still flower and still do 203 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:07.960 some other stuff. But this is a plant that actually needs shade. So 204 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:11.080 this is the plant for you if you have deep shade and you've been thinking 205 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:16.960 what do I do? How do I manage this space? Because it actually 206 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:20.799 wants it, It's not merely tolerating it. In fact, we have it 207 00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:24.879 on our website as needing part to full shade, which is very unusual. 208 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:31.279 So this plant can basically grow incomplete dark. So people keeping score at home 209 00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:37.240 are probably thinking, Stacey, okay, so ugly and boring, and you 210 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:39.039 could not be blamed for things that. Now do you want to say it 211 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:41.919 can't grow in complete dark. It does need to be outdoors. You're not 212 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:45.440 going to put this in your closet or your guest room that never gets any 213 00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:48.200 sun. But it can grow in full shade. And yes, people probably 214 00:15:48.279 --> 00:15:50.720 do think, okay, well, if it can do all of this, 215 00:15:50.840 --> 00:15:52.960 it's probably one of the ugliest, most boring plants in the history of the 216 00:15:54.039 --> 00:15:56.639 universe. And the answer to that is it is not. It is definitely 217 00:15:56.679 --> 00:16:02.879 not. And I think that one of the things that's so special about it 218 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:07.679 is that it is a winter and spring blooming shrub. Very few of those, 219 00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:14.039 so another rarity on here. And so it blooms like the warmer your 220 00:16:14.039 --> 00:16:17.960 climate, the more mild your climate, the earlier in winter it will bloom. 221 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:19.840 So that is why another common name for this plant that you might see 222 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:25.039 or read about out there is Christmas box because in England and very very mild 223 00:16:25.080 --> 00:16:26.879 of climates like that will actually be in bloom all the way in December. 224 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:30.559 For us, it usually starts blooming more like February March, and if, 225 00:16:30.600 --> 00:16:33.120 of course, if you're in a warmer climate, probably more in the January 226 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:40.039 February range. And the flowers are very unique. Most people probably would not 227 00:16:40.039 --> 00:16:41.039 look at it and go, oh, that's a flower, because they're not 228 00:16:41.080 --> 00:16:45.279 the conventional you know, five pedaled flower with the centers. They look like 229 00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:51.639 a little tuft of white threads tipped with red. So they're very interesting. 230 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:53.360 But what's so special about them is their fragrance, and it is one of 231 00:16:53.399 --> 00:17:00.000 the most beautiful, intense delightful fragrances you can imagine. So, I mean 232 00:17:00.200 --> 00:17:03.840 just think of being, you know, in your garden or walking around your 233 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:07.319 yard on a sunny winter day and you get this, you know, whiff 234 00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:11.240 of something that's so fragrant, smells like it could be summer, and it's 235 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:15.240 arco coca. Man, that is interesting, Stacey. I'm sitting here thinking 236 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:21.240 this would be a good plant to combine with hellabores in a shape. Oh 237 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:23.920 my gosh, it would be beautiful with elibors. Yeah, fantastic accommodation right 238 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:27.359 there. Yeah. And so you were saying Rick that you know people walk 239 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:32.400 by this plant in the garden center because especially in a garden center situation, 240 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:36.400 it would have already bloomed by the time people are actually shopping in the garden 241 00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:38.839 center. So they do also don't have that experience of walking by it and 242 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:42.119 going, WHOA, what was that fragrance from? Whereas if they did, 243 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:45.640 I think that a lot more of these would be sold. So this is 244 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:48.599 a plant that you kind of have to know about and seek out. It 245 00:17:48.680 --> 00:17:51.440 eas easy to find, as Rick said, but it's not going to be 246 00:17:51.480 --> 00:17:55.079 the one that just like grabs your attention when you're out in the garden center. 247 00:17:55.160 --> 00:17:57.839 So but it's worth knowing about because it is so special. And so 248 00:17:57.880 --> 00:18:03.480 it isn't evergreen, and it is a ground covering shrub, So this isn't 249 00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:04.880 going to be one of those tall shrubs you're going to be putting Christmas lights 250 00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:11.160 on or anything like that. It naturally grows with a ground covering, suckering 251 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:12.200 habit. And I know a lot of people here suckering and they think, 252 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:15.359 whoa, whoa. Absolutely not sounds like it's going to be a nightmare, 253 00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:19.960 and it isn't. It's actually a fairly slow growing ground cover, so it 254 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:25.039 doesn't make a nuisance of itself. It just over time spreads to form a 255 00:18:25.079 --> 00:18:30.000 really nice colony that is going to keep weeds down, it's going to stabilize 256 00:18:30.039 --> 00:18:33.240 soil, it's going to conserve organic matter, it's going to conserve water for 257 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:38.599 anything that it's planted by. So it's a really great problem solving shrub that's 258 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:45.319 just, you know, I think a lot different than people expect for shade. 259 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:48.680 And so it's called sweet and low Sarco coca because it naturally grows to 260 00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:52.240 be about one and a half to two and a half feet tall, so 261 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:55.720 you can kind of imagine it's a little bit of a taller ground cover with 262 00:18:55.759 --> 00:19:02.119 a woody base, glossy evergreen foliage botanically speaking related to boxwood. So that 263 00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:04.039 is where the box the box part comes. So if you can imagine a 264 00:19:04.039 --> 00:19:07.559 boxwood, that's what its foliage is kind of going to look like. It's 265 00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:12.279 a bit bigger, but it has that same dark green glossy quality. Doesn't 266 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:15.119 sink like boxwood, can you know? I know some people have issues with 267 00:19:15.160 --> 00:19:21.160 that. It's only some boxwoods do smell. But if you've smelled a boxwood, 268 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:23.960 it's not something that you soon forget. So thus the line sweet and 269 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:30.319 low, sweet and low sweet box yeah sor give it to me a cocca 270 00:19:30.599 --> 00:19:33.200 for those keeping score at home. No, that sounds like those packets of 271 00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:37.960 sugar substitute that you put in your own well that yeah, you know, 272 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:41.480 we might have been a little inspired on the name by by something else called 273 00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:45.039 sweet and low. But it's sweet because of the fragrance and low growing and 274 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:49.279 again just a great problem solving shrub that. I don't think that people who 275 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:53.279 have shade need to feel like they're being tossed like a consolation prize, right 276 00:19:53.559 --> 00:19:56.400 exactly. I can't grow this. I kind of wish I could. It's 277 00:19:56.440 --> 00:20:00.240 pretty great. Now. One thing you do need to know about it, 278 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:04.119 it does need moist, acidic soil. So going back to that whole thing 279 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:07.119 about you know, dry shade being the hardest, that is still true. 280 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:11.920 Unfortunately, sweet and low sweet box is not going to be a solution for 281 00:20:11.960 --> 00:20:15.680 you if you have dry shade unless you amend your soil. It really needs 282 00:20:15.720 --> 00:20:18.680 to be moist and acidic. And if it isn't, what's going to happen 283 00:20:18.759 --> 00:20:21.799 is the plant is going to just really struggle. The folia is just going 284 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:23.559 to be kind of like yellow and wash out. You can manage all of 285 00:20:23.559 --> 00:20:27.279 that with fertilizeders and iron. But just going back to this notion of like 286 00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:30.680 planting things that want to be there, you know, that are going to 287 00:20:30.920 --> 00:20:34.640 thrive and make less work for you know, this is a low maintenance plant 288 00:20:34.839 --> 00:20:40.599 provided you are able to you know, give it those moist, slightly acidic. 289 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:42.599 I does have to be super acidic, you know, even somewhere close 290 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:48.839 to neutral is totally fine. It does like mulch as you were talking about 291 00:20:48.839 --> 00:20:55.319 with with other shade plants, and you know, pretty average water needs doesn't 292 00:20:55.359 --> 00:20:57.039 need pruning since it's just staying at that. You know one and a half 293 00:20:57.079 --> 00:21:02.279 to two and a half feet, you know height, dear resistance, extremely 294 00:21:02.359 --> 00:21:06.200 dear resistant. So what a problem solver? Right? It's beautiful. And 295 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:08.880 when you have a problem solver that is unique, that gives you a season 296 00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:14.319 of interest beyond what you're normally expecting, you know, to get out of 297 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:19.559 a plant, I think it's just it's a great gift really to shake gardeners. 298 00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:25.319 I think today's show has been about plants that don't get the recognition that 299 00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:30.599 they should get. They're Rodney dangerfield plants. They get no respect. So 300 00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:33.640 anyway, if you have shade and you've been struggling for a nice groundcover or 301 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:37.240 an interesting plant, or maybe just they're tired of what you already have, 302 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:42.240 look for sweetened low Sarco coca at your local garden center this season. Again, 303 00:21:42.279 --> 00:21:45.359 you might have to do a little digging because it's not one of those 304 00:21:45.359 --> 00:21:47.839 plants. It's going to be like, look at me. But sometimes that's 305 00:21:47.880 --> 00:21:51.119 good. We need those plants in our garden because you can't look at everything 306 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:53.440 all at once. Of course, you'll find more information about sweet and low 307 00:21:53.559 --> 00:21:57.119 sarco coca on our website, Gardening Simplified on air dot com, or if 308 00:21:57.160 --> 00:22:00.319 you're watching YouTube version of our sen it. We're going to take a break 309 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:08.559 and when we come back, we're opening up the garden mail bag. At 310 00:22:08.599 --> 00:22:12.960 Proven Winner's Color Choice, We've got a shrub for every taste and every space. 311 00:22:14.279 --> 00:22:18.599 Whether you're looking for an easycare rose, an unforgettable Hydrangea, or something 312 00:22:18.640 --> 00:22:22.079 new and unique, you can be confident that the shrubs and the white containers 313 00:22:22.119 --> 00:22:25.839 have been trialed and tested for your success. Look for them at your local 314 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:30.880 garden center. Greeting's Gardening friends, and welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show. 315 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:36.960 Spring is in full swing and the questions are rolling in because my goodness, 316 00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:38.359 it's that time of year where you're like, what do I do? 317 00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:44.599 Should I shouldn't I h The answer, of course, is always don't walk 318 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:47.519 away from the garden until you can get an answer that you can use. 319 00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:51.640 Don't just go doing things without knowing why you're doing them. But we're happy 320 00:22:51.640 --> 00:22:52.720 to help you here, and if we can't get to your question, because 321 00:22:52.759 --> 00:22:56.480 we do get so many questions, you can always reach out to Proven Winners. 322 00:22:56.799 --> 00:22:59.920 Just go to Proven Winners dot com. There's a little place there. 323 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:03.720 It says questions, feedback, We're listening, and someone one of our horticulturists 324 00:23:03.720 --> 00:23:06.799 will get back to you with a personal answer that will help you resolve your 325 00:23:06.839 --> 00:23:10.279 issues. But of course you're always welcome to reach out to us, because 326 00:23:10.640 --> 00:23:12.799 if you're having a problem, chances are if someone else is having a similar 327 00:23:12.839 --> 00:23:17.039 issue or conundrum. So what do we got in the mail bag today? 328 00:23:17.160 --> 00:23:18.920 All right, so Sherry writes to us, Hello, I have a vegetable 329 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:25.519 garden in our backyard. My husband wants to use combination pesticide fertilizer products on 330 00:23:25.559 --> 00:23:30.000 the lawn that run alongside the garden. Should I be concerned about the chemicals 331 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:34.920 leaching into the garden making the vegetables unsafe to eat? How large of a 332 00:23:36.039 --> 00:23:40.319 perimeter should he leave around the garden so it'll be unaffected. I enjoy gardening, 333 00:23:40.359 --> 00:23:45.039 but also do it to have organic produce? Yeah? So I understand 334 00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:49.319 absolutely, And even if your goal is not organic produce, it is important 335 00:23:49.319 --> 00:23:55.599 to consider what chemicals are potentially being used around an edible garden, just to 336 00:23:55.599 --> 00:24:00.000 make sure you're not ingesting anything nasty. And you know my answer to you, 337 00:24:00.119 --> 00:24:03.559 Sherry, First and foremost, and this is for anybody considering, you 338 00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:07.720 know, applying any chemicals in the garden at all, for any purpose, 339 00:24:07.079 --> 00:24:12.519 whether they're organic or conventional or whatever is, you have to read that instruction 340 00:24:12.599 --> 00:24:18.839 booklet. There is so much information that will answer all of those questions about 341 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:22.319 like how far does it need to be by a vegetable garden, how long? 342 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:25.920 How soon can I harvest my vegetables if I have used this product. 343 00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:30.720 That's all in the guide book to the chemical. Now. The problem, 344 00:24:30.759 --> 00:24:33.000 of course, as many of us who have ever used any kind of garden 345 00:24:33.079 --> 00:24:38.160 chemicals know, is that all that information is in that silly little sticky book 346 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:41.880 that they put on the back of the container. No, you know, 347 00:24:41.960 --> 00:24:45.440 I get it. There's a lot of information that they have to fit into 348 00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:48.799 a little tiny space. But so they have. They're doing the best that 349 00:24:48.839 --> 00:24:55.200 they can with what they have. But like you get your reading glasses, 350 00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:59.079 you know, don't let it get in the rain or get any you know, 351 00:24:59.160 --> 00:25:03.640 product splash it and cause everything to run. The good news is, 352 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:07.559 thanks to the Internet, you can do all of this research ahead of time 353 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:11.799 online where it is readable and you can zoom in and do all of that 354 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:14.440 and you will find everything that you need to know. It should give you 355 00:25:14.519 --> 00:25:18.599 information about, you know again, how soon you can harvest, how far 356 00:25:18.640 --> 00:25:22.599 away it should be kept from edible plants, and all of that. Now 357 00:25:22.799 --> 00:25:26.240 you know, to be safe. As we've talked about, a plant's roots 358 00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:30.519 will generally go about one and a half times its height latterly and about eighteen 359 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:33.240 to twenty four inches in the ground. So if you're thinking about your garden, 360 00:25:33.640 --> 00:25:37.119 say you're going to have, you know, a six foot tall tomato 361 00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:40.279 plant at the edge there, then I would say that you are going to 362 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:42.400 want to make sure you're leaving about a nine foot buffer just to be perfectly 363 00:25:42.440 --> 00:25:47.839 safe. Well, said Stacy. Read the product label. The whole point 364 00:25:47.880 --> 00:25:52.799 here is this, we've been gardeners for a long time. Doesn't matter how 365 00:25:52.839 --> 00:25:56.400 long you've been gardening. We read the label. It's there for a reason, 366 00:25:56.519 --> 00:26:02.319 and follow the directions. Also, I agree with maintaining a perimeter. 367 00:26:02.680 --> 00:26:06.359 I do not like growing lawns right up to the base of a tree. 368 00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:11.079 It's not healthy for a tree. I don't like growing turf right up to 369 00:26:11.400 --> 00:26:15.960 a vegetable garden. I say, leave a perimeter, a buffer zone of 370 00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:18.400 some bark mulch. I think that's a good way to go. All right, 371 00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:21.920 so right, a couple of different things. But again, when in 372 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:26.599 doubt anytime it comes to chemicals, whether they're organic or conventional, make sure 373 00:26:26.720 --> 00:26:29.960 you are reading that book and find that book is difficult to deal with, 374 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:33.599 as we all do, then take the time to just look it up online. 375 00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:37.400 You will not only find all of the application instructions, you know, 376 00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:41.319 caught precautions and all of that, you'll also find something called the MSDS, 377 00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:44.519 which is the Material Safeties and Data Sheet, and that will tell you all 378 00:26:44.599 --> 00:26:48.279 about any other potential hazards with the chemicals that are in that particular product, 379 00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:53.000 and use the amount they're recommending. Yeah, don't put in a double dose 380 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:56.680 just because you feel like it. Not a good idea. All right? 381 00:26:56.960 --> 00:27:00.799 Question from Nancy. Two trees that were meant to be a matched pair. 382 00:27:00.920 --> 00:27:03.680 Nancy sent us a picture. However, one looks like it's struggling. The 383 00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:08.720 other one got broken off in the snow. Should I replace them? And 384 00:27:08.759 --> 00:27:12.799 I did look at these these pictures, Stacey, and one thing I would 385 00:27:12.839 --> 00:27:18.319 mention I noticed in the picture in the fire corner there's some garlic mustard down 386 00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:21.519 there. You might want to go deal with that. Yeah, garlic mustard 387 00:27:21.680 --> 00:27:25.039 is is an invasive weed. Now, I have to say, as far 388 00:27:25.079 --> 00:27:26.960 as invasive weeds go, it is one of the easier ones to manage it. 389 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:30.240 It pulls up very easily in the rosette stage. Just yank it up. 390 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:33.440 Yeah, very easy to pull out. But yeah, if you let 391 00:27:33.480 --> 00:27:36.519 it go to seed, you know, forget it out it. So so 392 00:27:36.680 --> 00:27:38.240 do take a look at what garlic mustard looks like if you're not familiar with 393 00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:41.240 that, and get that out. But it does not have anything to do 394 00:27:41.319 --> 00:27:45.920 with why your pines are struggling, Nancy. And you know I thought a 395 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:51.559 lot about your question. Is I looked at your photos and you know I 396 00:27:51.599 --> 00:27:53.680 have I have two answers, and so there one is a yes answer and 397 00:27:53.720 --> 00:27:56.920 one is a no. One is a yes you should replace them, and 398 00:27:56.920 --> 00:28:00.400 one is a no you shouldn't replace them necessarily. So yes side. You 399 00:28:00.440 --> 00:28:07.920 know, life is just too short to sit around worrying. Well, I 400 00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:11.759 mean when it comes to the garden, you know, I've just it's just 401 00:28:11.759 --> 00:28:15.240 like our growing season's too short, Our time to be outside enjoying the garden 402 00:28:15.319 --> 00:28:18.680 is too short, and life in general is too short to sit there coddling 403 00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:22.319 and worrying about something that just doesn't want to be there. You're here or 404 00:28:22.440 --> 00:28:26.160 you know, certainly with the snow damage, there's not much you can do 405 00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:29.680 about that. But I think the combination of the fact that you know, 406 00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:33.720 the one got snow damage and the other one is struggling means there's something there 407 00:28:33.799 --> 00:28:37.079 that that this particular these pines just aren't happy. Now, one thing that 408 00:28:37.119 --> 00:28:41.039 you can do, especially with the one that's struggling but hasn't gotten broken, 409 00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:44.200 or even the one that's broken, because sometimes you can get something real artistic 410 00:28:44.240 --> 00:28:47.920 and interesting out of that. It's just move them. It's there's any number 411 00:28:47.920 --> 00:28:51.519 of reasons why they might not be that happy in that particular spot, and 412 00:28:52.079 --> 00:28:53.640 you know, Gardener's all over will tell you I move this, just you 413 00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:56.720 know, saying like, hey, it's got one last chance, I'm going 414 00:28:56.799 --> 00:29:00.359 to move it. And that new spot was perfect and it did really well. 415 00:29:00.440 --> 00:29:03.519 So my answer is, yes, you should replace it because they don't 416 00:29:03.559 --> 00:29:06.880 seem that happy and life is too short. But on the other hand, 417 00:29:07.960 --> 00:29:11.759 I do want to just consider that if you can maybe do a little bit 418 00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:17.519 of detective work and thinking about how the surroundings impact this plant, it might 419 00:29:17.559 --> 00:29:21.519 be you might be able to save it so, and I sent Adriana picture 420 00:29:21.559 --> 00:29:23.240 so these will be in the YouTube version. I encourage you to look at 421 00:29:23.599 --> 00:29:26.799 these photos. I'll put them on the website at Gardening Simplified on air dot 422 00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:30.640 com as well. I have a success story, a success story that I 423 00:29:30.759 --> 00:29:34.160 never thought would actually occur. So when I moved into my house, there 424 00:29:34.200 --> 00:29:38.079 was a magnolia, a magnolia stillata, so you know, the white kind 425 00:29:38.079 --> 00:29:44.000 that just finished blooming, and it was doing very poorly. It was two 426 00:29:44.119 --> 00:29:45.640 sticks and it was like, oh, I mean when I say half dead, 427 00:29:45.680 --> 00:29:49.480 that's not an exaggeration. This thing was literally half dead. My neighbor 428 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:52.519 had a black walnut tree that was you know, right up against it. 429 00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:56.880 And so that we're in you know, submit emits jug loan, which magnolias 430 00:29:56.880 --> 00:30:02.480 are sensitive to the jug loan or the a lellopathic chemical that can suppress growth 431 00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:07.440 of certain plants. And so you know, they took the walnut down because 432 00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:08.480 I wanted to put in a fence for their dogs. That was fine, 433 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:11.160 and so I thought, okay, it's going to start, you know, 434 00:30:11.799 --> 00:30:17.119 you know, recovering, and you know it's it looked okay. What I 435 00:30:17.119 --> 00:30:19.039 started doing was hanging my hummingbird feeder on it. So that was the only 436 00:30:19.079 --> 00:30:22.119 reason I didn't take it out, because I was going to take it out 437 00:30:22.119 --> 00:30:25.039 because it looked so unhappy. But you know, for the first year, 438 00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:26.640 I was like, I'll just put my hummingbird feeder here, and I'm like, 439 00:30:26.680 --> 00:30:30.240 hey, the bird's kind of like this, And so, you know, 440 00:30:30.279 --> 00:30:33.960 we kept kept the tree, and then we put in a new downspout 441 00:30:34.599 --> 00:30:38.720 for our roof, and just so happened that we directed the water to the 442 00:30:38.759 --> 00:30:42.559 magnolia. If you look at this magnolia to this day, you will not 443 00:30:42.640 --> 00:30:48.440 believe your eyes. This thing has shot up probably ten feet is full. 444 00:30:48.920 --> 00:30:55.720 It was absolutely positively covered in flowers this year. And so the combination of 445 00:30:55.799 --> 00:31:00.799 losing that black walnut and having that supplemental water that it wasn't getting before from 446 00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:04.559 our roof from rainfall made a huge difference, a difference that I never could 447 00:31:04.559 --> 00:31:07.599 have imagined if I hadn't seen it myself. So we're going to share those 448 00:31:07.599 --> 00:31:11.599 pictures. So I think that when you are questioning should I remove this should 449 00:31:11.599 --> 00:31:15.160 I keep it, it's a good idea to say, what can I do 450 00:31:15.400 --> 00:31:19.720 differently that could make a difference in this plant's health. You know Ryl Crow 451 00:31:19.880 --> 00:31:22.960 was right. A change will do you good sometimes, yes, right, 452 00:31:23.240 --> 00:31:27.960 And I looked at the pictures. One I think is umbrella pine can be 453 00:31:29.119 --> 00:31:36.200 notoriously difficult to get started. The other that weeping or pendulating pine tree. 454 00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:40.720 Nancy tells us it was snow and ice, And I believe you, Nancy, 455 00:31:40.799 --> 00:31:45.000 But consider the fact that with those often you'll see squirrels and or birds 456 00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:49.440 perch and they can do damage at the top also. But I would not 457 00:31:49.640 --> 00:31:52.599 throw in the trowel on that thing. I'd see where it goes. Yeah, 458 00:31:52.640 --> 00:31:55.240 see where it goes. Or like I said, if you have another 459 00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:59.319 place to move it, consider that and then put something. Especially if it's 460 00:31:59.319 --> 00:32:02.279 if a plant that you're looking at doesn't do isn't doing well, and it's 461 00:32:02.319 --> 00:32:05.920 in an important spot where you look at it all the time, or your 462 00:32:05.960 --> 00:32:07.680 neighbors or whatever. That might be a time where you say, I'm going 463 00:32:07.720 --> 00:32:10.680 to put something that I think will do better here. I'm going to move 464 00:32:10.680 --> 00:32:14.839 this and give this another chance somewhere else. But again, life is too 465 00:32:14.839 --> 00:32:17.039 short. No one should have to sit there and look at a struggling plant, 466 00:32:17.079 --> 00:32:22.319 because that's just depressing for everybody. So you have it's your garden. 467 00:32:22.359 --> 00:32:28.079 You always have permission to do what you think is right, taking an educated 468 00:32:28.079 --> 00:32:31.200 guess at what the issues surrounding it might be. So do check out our 469 00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:36.319 website, Gardening Simplified on air dot com to see Nancy's conundrum as well as 470 00:32:36.359 --> 00:32:39.680 my success story, which, to be honest, has exceeded my expectations, 471 00:32:39.720 --> 00:32:43.160 as you will see if you get to look at those photos. So we're 472 00:32:43.200 --> 00:32:45.440 going to take a little break. When we come back, Rick's going to 473 00:32:45.519 --> 00:32:54.079 tell you all that branching news, so stay tuned. The Gardening Simplified Show 474 00:32:54.319 --> 00:32:59.680 is brought to you by proven winners Color Choice Shrubs, Our award winning flowering 475 00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:04.559 shrub and evergreens have been trialed and tested for your success so you enjoy more 476 00:33:04.599 --> 00:33:07.920 beauty and less work. Look for proven winners Colored Choice Shrubs and the distinctive 477 00:33:07.920 --> 00:33:15.119 white container at your local garden center. Welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show, 478 00:33:15.160 --> 00:33:19.039 Stacy. I don't know if you've gotten over the party yet. I 479 00:33:19.079 --> 00:33:23.160 hear they're still cleaning up. And what a party it was, the Arbor 480 00:33:23.279 --> 00:33:28.599 Day celebration. I mean that's a big deal. You know. I went 481 00:33:28.680 --> 00:33:32.400 as Forrest Gump this year. Yeah, yeah, it's amazing. What a 482 00:33:32.400 --> 00:33:37.920 party. They even had Spruce Springsteen there. So you know Arbor Day, 483 00:33:37.960 --> 00:33:42.799 make sure to celebrate it, make sure to send cards to friends and family. 484 00:33:43.000 --> 00:33:45.039 I mean, Arbor Day is a big deal to me. Arbor Day 485 00:33:45.079 --> 00:33:46.519 is a big deal, but you know it is. I understand it's different 486 00:33:46.559 --> 00:33:50.759 in every state. Every state has its own Arbor Day, so we could 487 00:33:50.799 --> 00:33:53.200 all have different I mean, do you celebrate only Michigan Arbor Day? Are 488 00:33:53.279 --> 00:33:58.440 you like, just like having a month of celebration, celebrating every arbor Day. 489 00:33:58.519 --> 00:34:02.000 No, I can't do that. That's too much, all right. 490 00:34:02.079 --> 00:34:07.239 Talking about shade today and our friend who said shade is hard, I wrote 491 00:34:07.320 --> 00:34:14.280 a quick shade lament a limb a rick here it comes. I like the 492 00:34:14.360 --> 00:34:20.000 occasional accolade for the plants around my yard displayed, but praises are diminished. 493 00:34:20.119 --> 00:34:24.039 I think I'm almost finished. I've lost my battle to dent shade. I 494 00:34:24.199 --> 00:34:30.760 enrolled in gardening classes. My plants grow slower than molasses. Lack of light 495 00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:35.119 has left a mark. I'm sitting here in the dark. I lost my 496 00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:40.400 expensive sunglasses. What options? I behoove that my plants would approve. Their 497 00:34:40.440 --> 00:34:45.119 stems are weak and stretched. My dreams are all far fetched, called the 498 00:34:45.159 --> 00:34:51.079 realtor, I'm going to move. And you know, with shade, some 499 00:34:51.119 --> 00:34:53.519 people, Stacy, really start to think of that as a viable option. 500 00:34:53.880 --> 00:34:59.320 Well, yeah, I mean I feel their pain. So I'm curious when 501 00:34:59.360 --> 00:35:02.880 you talked about shade plants becoming long and stretched. You know, the scientific 502 00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:07.400 word for that is ediolated. Did you just not have a rhyme for it, 503 00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:10.199 and you're limerick ediolated? Yeah, did you just not have a a 504 00:35:10.239 --> 00:35:13.559 rhyme for it? Because I would have been impressed if you had gone for 505 00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:17.760 the rhyme with ediolated. I love that, Stacy, I would I would 506 00:35:17.800 --> 00:35:22.119 admit to you. No, not educated in that regard, and so give 507 00:35:22.199 --> 00:35:27.360 us that word again. Ediolated et io L A T E D. Now, 508 00:35:27.400 --> 00:35:30.840 anybody who's tried to grow succulents indoors, particularly like one of those nice 509 00:35:30.920 --> 00:35:35.880 film Rosette succulents, you know what it means. I understand the condition. 510 00:35:36.079 --> 00:35:40.519 I just can't pronounce the word. Yeah, ediolation is the phenomenon of elongating 511 00:35:40.639 --> 00:35:43.800 and getting thinner to stretch. For the life, I'm going to do an 512 00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:46.360 ediolation limerick for you, somebody. Oh, I can't wait, all right. 513 00:35:46.679 --> 00:35:51.920 On a previous show, we talked about beneficial insects. Blocks away from 514 00:35:51.960 --> 00:36:00.880 the French Quarter fine dining stalwarts, the Autubon Insectarium in New Orleans has long 515 00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:08.239 served up an array of alternative insect based treats at its Bug Appetite Cafe overlooking 516 00:36:08.239 --> 00:36:14.840 the Mississippi River. They have things like cinnamon bug crunch, chili fried waxworms, 517 00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:20.239 and crispy Cajun spiced crickets. They're on the menu, green salad with 518 00:36:20.360 --> 00:36:28.440 apple almonds, blueberry vinegarette, and roasted cicadas. They're jumping on this cicada 519 00:36:28.519 --> 00:36:34.239 bandwagon. You know, we talked about that the big summer for cicadas, 520 00:36:34.920 --> 00:36:37.480 and so that's going to be a deal this year. I guess there's menus 521 00:36:37.519 --> 00:36:45.400 and cookbooks, including titles like Cicada Delicious from the University of Maryland. So 522 00:36:45.800 --> 00:36:47.840 there you have it, all right. I guess they're still working out the 523 00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:52.039 bugs on this. You know. I wish them luck because New Orleans certainly 524 00:36:52.119 --> 00:36:55.800 is one of the best food cities in this entire country. And you know, 525 00:36:55.840 --> 00:37:00.960 when you kind of have shrimp atsu fe, I'm not really sure that 526 00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:06.159 the chili fried wax worms are going to be able to compete against New Orleans 527 00:37:06.199 --> 00:37:08.639 legendary food, but to each their own. Yeah, I'll make like Ed 528 00:37:08.760 --> 00:37:14.960 McMahon and say you are correct man, all right, so you know, 529 00:37:15.679 --> 00:37:17.840 being a runner, though, I do eat a lot of bugs inadvertently, 530 00:37:19.559 --> 00:37:24.480 and generally they don't taste like much. And it's also difficult to identify when 531 00:37:24.480 --> 00:37:29.519 you're outside. It's difficult to identify bugs on your granola bar. If you're 532 00:37:29.519 --> 00:37:34.000 eating a granola I can see that. So you probably eat more insects than 533 00:37:34.039 --> 00:37:37.360 you think you do, right, just not deliberately. A whole different thing 534 00:37:37.400 --> 00:37:40.280 when you're like, all right now, I am choosing to eat chili fried 535 00:37:40.320 --> 00:37:45.559 wax worms rather than oh, grud, I just swallowed him. Nat where 536 00:37:45.559 --> 00:37:52.440 I'm paying big money for this. Archaeologists have recently discovered two intact, sealed 537 00:37:52.559 --> 00:38:00.639 eighteenth century glass bottles during mansion revitalization at George Washington's Mountain. I love that 538 00:38:00.800 --> 00:38:07.000 place when I've visited there, and as part of the landmark privately funded forty 539 00:38:07.119 --> 00:38:15.880 million dollar mansion revitalation revitalization project at Mount Vernon, they made a significant discovery 540 00:38:15.920 --> 00:38:22.880 to intact European manufactured bottles in the mansion cellar. They're green glass bottles. 541 00:38:23.320 --> 00:38:28.440 They smell like cherries. There's a liquid in them that you can even see 542 00:38:28.480 --> 00:38:34.119 some of the cherries still in the bottle. What a cool discovery. Yeah, 543 00:38:34.119 --> 00:38:37.639 that's I can't believe it wasn't discovered sooner. Really. Yeah, well 544 00:38:37.679 --> 00:38:40.119 they say that, you know, as they remodel and they pull this up. 545 00:38:40.159 --> 00:38:47.360 They're very deliberate, intentional about carefully excavating areas of potential disruption, and 546 00:38:47.400 --> 00:38:52.400 they find things from time to time. And now they found these bottles that 547 00:38:52.519 --> 00:38:58.280 contain liquid and were probably placed there prior to the war for independence. Wow, 548 00:38:58.480 --> 00:39:02.800 amazing, Yeah, that is so cool. That's fantastic. All right. 549 00:39:02.920 --> 00:39:09.320 Helsinki, an artisan roastery based in the Finnish capital, has introduced a 550 00:39:09.400 --> 00:39:15.480 coffee blend that has been developed by artificial intelligence. We did a show a 551 00:39:15.480 --> 00:39:20.000 few weeks back about AI plants. Well, in this case, they took 552 00:39:20.519 --> 00:39:30.440 coffee and essentially made a mix that was AI generated aiicnic blend. Helsinki, 553 00:39:30.559 --> 00:39:35.239 Finland and Finland, I guess, a nation of five point six million that 554 00:39:35.400 --> 00:39:42.440 consumes the most coffee in the world, at twelve kilograms per capita annually. 555 00:39:42.519 --> 00:39:45.400 I did not know that. So they're big coffee drinkers there, and they're 556 00:39:45.519 --> 00:39:50.440 using AI to make these coffee roasts. Yes, of the blend, so 557 00:39:50.480 --> 00:39:54.719 they're like they used AI to decide which beans and varieties they would blend together. 558 00:39:54.760 --> 00:39:59.079 Now. I was prorised to read this because I was in Helsinki last 559 00:39:59.119 --> 00:40:02.920 fall and I actually had coffee and breakfast at this exact roastry and it was 560 00:40:04.960 --> 00:40:07.480 it was excellent. You were as I was at that exact roastry. Yeah, 561 00:40:07.599 --> 00:40:10.719 Kafa Kafa. I'm sorry if I'm not pronouncing that right, but I 562 00:40:12.239 --> 00:40:15.599 was there. I was actually sitting right next to the roasters on the other 563 00:40:15.639 --> 00:40:20.440 side of a glass wall. And if they had had the AI blend, 564 00:40:20.519 --> 00:40:22.960 I certainly would have tried it, but they did not. That is so 565 00:40:22.079 --> 00:40:27.039 cool. Kafa Roastery. Yeah, is the name. Very cool place. 566 00:40:27.079 --> 00:40:29.760 I'd like to go there. So it answers the question, what have you 567 00:40:30.039 --> 00:40:34.079 been up to? Well, you've been to Helsinki and you've had this coffee, 568 00:40:34.119 --> 00:40:39.639 so pretty cool. Pretty cool? All right? Uh well, latte 569 00:40:39.880 --> 00:40:45.679 da look at what we have here, all right. A study published earlier 570 00:40:45.719 --> 00:40:51.119 this year in the Journal of Zoology suggests humans are mistaking American black bears for 571 00:40:51.480 --> 00:40:57.480 bigfoot. I can see that. So Merriam Webster defines a cryptid as an 572 00:40:57.559 --> 00:41:04.039 animal that has been claimed to ex but never proven to exist. And there's 573 00:41:04.079 --> 00:41:12.400 a data scientist called His name is Flow Foxen. Flow Foxen and fond of 574 00:41:12.639 --> 00:41:17.360 titling studies. For example, flow Foxen did a study the Lochness monster. 575 00:41:19.000 --> 00:41:22.119 If it's real? Could it be an eel? If not a fake? 576 00:41:22.519 --> 00:41:29.480 What's in the lake? But isn't this great? So people think that they 577 00:41:29.519 --> 00:41:37.840 have seen bigfoot and it's probably a bear at least in his studies, especially 578 00:41:37.920 --> 00:41:45.159 in the Pacific Northwest, long believed to be sasquatch in natural habitat. It's 579 00:41:45.199 --> 00:41:52.199 statistically significant associated with black bear populations. For every one thousand bears in an 580 00:41:52.239 --> 00:41:58.760 area, they found a four percent increase in the number of bigfoot sighting. 581 00:41:58.920 --> 00:42:01.760 Oh interesting, they actually they aren't just theorizing it's most likely a bear. 582 00:42:01.800 --> 00:42:06.039 They're saying, we know there's a heavy bear population here, there was also 583 00:42:06.079 --> 00:42:09.760 heavy bigfoot sightings. It therefore is probably yea a bear. And you know 584 00:42:10.199 --> 00:42:14.719 if a bear poor thing gets mites or you know, some sort of disease 585 00:42:14.760 --> 00:42:17.559 and it can kind of make its head look kind of bald and its snout 586 00:42:17.559 --> 00:42:22.039 looked kind of bald. That would be pretty scary. I couldn't blame someone 587 00:42:22.159 --> 00:42:25.079 for thinking. But you know what the important thing is if it keeps people 588 00:42:25.079 --> 00:42:30.360 away from bears, then we're all the better for it, because people should 589 00:42:30.400 --> 00:42:32.800 stay away from bears and not mess with you. You got that right, 590 00:42:34.239 --> 00:42:38.400 no question about it, just personal and if you're out in the woods, 591 00:42:38.760 --> 00:42:43.719 you know. I'll close with this just to mention this is sad. Wildfires 592 00:42:43.719 --> 00:42:49.000 are already starting in Canada and we'll probably see the effects again this year. 593 00:42:49.360 --> 00:42:53.320 A number of wildfires this past weekend, so feel bad for those folks. 594 00:42:53.639 --> 00:42:59.320 This would be in British Columbia and so something that we're going to have on 595 00:42:59.360 --> 00:43:02.320 our radar again this summer. Well, you know what, we should do 596 00:43:02.400 --> 00:43:06.559 a show on fire skating because that is a big issue for more and more 597 00:43:06.599 --> 00:43:08.599 people. And even if it's not an issue where you live, it sure 598 00:43:08.639 --> 00:43:14.719 doesn't hurt to plant for alleviating fire. So that'd be a good topic for 599 00:43:14.760 --> 00:43:19.440 a future show. Looks like like an issue that, as last year, 600 00:43:20.079 --> 00:43:23.280 is going to continue to be an issue moving forward. Love doing the show 601 00:43:23.320 --> 00:43:27.679 with you, Stacey, Thanks so much, Thank you, Adriana and most 602 00:43:27.719 --> 00:43:31.840 of all thanks to you. Remember we're on YouTube, podcast, and radio, 603 00:43:32.320 --> 00:43:36.679 so make sure to tune in wherever you wish, and thank you very 604 00:43:36.800 --> 00:43:37.079 much. Enjoy your week.