WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:07.280 Coming to you from Studio A here at proven Winners Color Choice shrubs. You 2 00:00:07.320 --> 00:00:11.480 don't have to hear it through the grapevine. You can get it right here 3 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:17.559 on The Gardening Simplified Show with Stacey Hervella me, Rick weisst and our engineer 4 00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:21.839 and producer Adrianna Robinson. Well, Stacey, I'm not going to bury the 5 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:26.719 lead. I'm going to go right for it here today we feature evergreens and 6 00:00:26.839 --> 00:00:31.280 also herbs. Evergreens at this time of the year, of course, are 7 00:00:31.719 --> 00:00:37.840 most loved. You think of Otanenbaum, Oh Christmas tree, how lovely are 8 00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:44.439 your branches? Or I think of Barbara Streisand singing the song Evergreen. Remember 9 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:47.840 that song that is not a song I know? Actually ever this time? 10 00:00:47.960 --> 00:00:54.920 Yeah, beautiful Evergreen. She would sing ageless and ever Ever, which from 11 00:00:54.960 --> 00:01:00.960 a star is born in nineteen seventy six movie Barbara Streisand with Chris Christofferson, 12 00:01:02.039 --> 00:01:07.519 and it was a remake or adapted from a nineteen fifty four musical starring Judy 13 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:11.480 Garland. Okay, we got our music segment out of the way. Here 14 00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:15.599 today, evergreens can be a diverse range of both broad leafed and coniferous trees. 15 00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:23.280 And shrubs that retain their foliage over winter. A coniferous evergreen has needle 16 00:01:23.400 --> 00:01:29.840 like foliage, A broad leaf evergreen has wider foliage and in many cases spectacular 17 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:38.000 blooms. But evergreens provide that continuity in our landscape. To provide structure in 18 00:01:38.040 --> 00:01:42.280 your landscape, we use them for tall hedges, mid size hedges, low 19 00:01:42.359 --> 00:01:48.560 hedges, groundcovers, upright accents, globe accents, specimen plants, foundation plants, 20 00:01:48.599 --> 00:01:52.719 which are the bones of the landscape, and then of course even flowering 21 00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:57.719 like broad leafs, rhododendrons, et cetera. Stacey, you'd have to say, 22 00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:00.959 evergreens are an important part of our landscapes. There is no landscape that's 23 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:05.760 complete without some evergreen, I would say, even if you live in a 24 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:08.360 warm climate, because they still go dormant and you need some evergreen there to 25 00:02:08.919 --> 00:02:13.759 keep the landscape looking interesting all season long. Yeah, exactly. And why 26 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:15.520 do we love evergreens? Of course, this is the time of the year 27 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:22.719 when evergreens take center stage. We love evergreens. I guess we get to 28 00:02:22.759 --> 00:02:29.759 thank the sixteenth century Germans for cutting trees and bringing them inside the house and 29 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:32.719 starting that whole Christmas tradition. As a matter of fact, I was reading 30 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:38.919 the first records of Christmas trees being cut for home display in the US comes 31 00:02:38.919 --> 00:02:46.039 from the eighteen twenties in Pennsylvania's German community, and then by the eighteen nineties, 32 00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:52.199 Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and Christmas tree popularity was on the rise. 33 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:57.800 So another reason that evergreens are top of mind this time of the year, 34 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:01.080 and probably not a good way. I was reading an article from the 35 00:03:01.159 --> 00:03:08.800 National Library of Medicine that said Christmas tree syndrome, respiratory and skin allergies to 36 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:19.159 conifers occur in seven percent of people, mold and pollen mold allergy thirteen percent 37 00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:23.919 of people. So not everybody embraces cutting an evergreen tree and dragging it inside. 38 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:27.599 That we got to go back to that pollen thing for a second time. 39 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:31.599 I understand that pollen is absolutely an allergen. It's intended to be that 40 00:03:31.639 --> 00:03:36.639 way, because you know, from a plant perspective, pollen should not stick 41 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:38.560 on to things, but you know it should be up in the air or 42 00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:44.479 on insects and conifers such that we use for Christmas. Trees are wind pollinated, 43 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:50.479 but by the time Christmas rolls around. Pollen is a ghost of Christmas 44 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:53.840 pass as it were. There is no pollen around. The tree has been 45 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:58.080 well past flowering, doesn't have any flower buds on it because they've been trimmed, 46 00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:01.960 and any pullin that was flying around. I mean most of them flower 47 00:04:02.039 --> 00:04:04.840 like in March. So Fallon's a done deal by that point. Yeah, 48 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:09.639 well, you know it's a thing. It's right there in that study. 49 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:14.039 And I'm not polling your leg. Yeah, okay, So let's talk about 50 00:04:14.039 --> 00:04:18.040 the benefits of evergreens. They smell good all year long, continuity through the 51 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:21.839 season, so they give us interest twelve months out of the year. In 52 00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:27.519 structure, they tend to be low maintenance, energy efficiency for your home or 53 00:04:27.639 --> 00:04:32.120 privacy. They provide hedging, bird and wildlife, cover and sanctuary, a 54 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:40.240 foundational backdrop for color, oxygen, boundary, delineation, specimen beauty. In 55 00:04:40.279 --> 00:04:44.439 other words, four seasons of interest. A wind block, they muffle noise, 56 00:04:44.519 --> 00:04:47.839 they create a screen or a microclian. These are hard workers. I 57 00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:50.600 really do want to go back to the wildlife thing, because, yeah, 58 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:54.839 if you are a burder or you want to welcome birds in your yard, 59 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:59.360 it is so important to have a mix of evergreen and deciduous plants. There 60 00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:03.160 are lots of birds that prefer to hang out in evergreens, and they provide 61 00:05:03.160 --> 00:05:08.759 coverage from above. So if there's hawks about things like that, and you 62 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:11.920 know, I have a whole lot of chickadees in my yard right now, 63 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:15.199 taking full advantage of my two pine trees as well as all the deciduous stuff 64 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:18.360 that's out there. So it's an important part of making your yard welcoming. 65 00:05:18.360 --> 00:05:20.240 Well, yeah, it's a good point. Stay see, this time of 66 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:25.800 the year, the landscape is rather bare, and so when you have evergreens 67 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:30.000 to kind of hide out in, maybe protect from the wind. Of course, 68 00:05:30.199 --> 00:05:35.120 wildlife love evergreens. We all love evergreens. I feel a limb a 69 00:05:35.319 --> 00:05:41.000 rick coming on. Here we go otan and baum and evergreen. My natural 70 00:05:41.079 --> 00:05:46.360 winter dopamine right here in my neighborhood. The reason you smell so good, 71 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:51.839 you're not polypropylene. My car's pine tree freshener is scented to mask what has 72 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:58.240 fermented. It hangs from my rear view mirror, allows me to breathe much 73 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:02.600 clearer. One of the great things ever invented. I love those little pine 74 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:05.800 trees. That's a good one. Thank you like that. Well, you 75 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:10.439 know, evergreens give you a return on investment if you think about it. 76 00:06:10.439 --> 00:06:14.839 With deciduous trees, every year, they got to put out this energy to 77 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:20.519 create all this foliage, then manufacture all summer, and then drop that foliage 78 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:28.000 in winter and the process starts all over again next year. Evergreens don't necessarily 79 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:34.120 photosynthesize all winter. They can, but they don't necessarily photosynthesize all winter. 80 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:41.959 But they can handle harsher climates, mountainous climates because the foliage is there, 81 00:06:42.680 --> 00:06:46.040 ready to serve when the time is right. And that's the amazing thing about 82 00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:51.160 evergreens is that they're so adaptable even to harsh conditions. Yeah, and you 83 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:56.600 know, I think that it's important that people know that evergreens aren't actually evergreen 84 00:06:56.759 --> 00:07:00.839 exactly. They do lose their leaves, so they don't keep the same foliage 85 00:07:00.839 --> 00:07:04.519 for their entire lives. Eventually, the foliage becomes less effective at photosynthesis. 86 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:10.120 Dust pollen, indeed, when it's around, covers the foliage and makes them 87 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:14.959 less effective at photosynthesis. So depending on the plant, they lose their oldest 88 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:18.160 leaves every year every two years, and a lot of people freak out when 89 00:07:18.199 --> 00:07:21.680 they see it, because they think that something's happening, But it's just anytime 90 00:07:21.720 --> 00:07:27.240 that foliage is turning yellow, it indicates that the plant is translocating the chlorophyll 91 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:29.639 saying, Hey, I'm gonna store this all this good stuff up in here. 92 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:31.240 I'm not just going to drop it on the ground. I'm going to 93 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:34.360 take all that energy. I'm going to store it within me, and then 94 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:38.199 I'm going to drop these. So that's what the yellowing or browning, you 95 00:07:38.199 --> 00:07:41.920 know, signifies. But you know, it usually happens in fall, and 96 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:45.480 people get a little bit freaked out, but it's totally normal. And I 97 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:46.639 always tell people when they are, you know, like, oh, is 98 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:51.639 this okay? If it's within the body of the plant and not at the 99 00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:56.319 tips of the branches where the new growth is coming from, you probably don't 100 00:07:56.319 --> 00:08:00.360 have anything to worry about. Agree, And of course it depends on the 101 00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:03.279 species. Also, if you have, for example, white pine or state 102 00:08:03.319 --> 00:08:07.839 tree here in the state of Michigan, it will do that pretty much every 103 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:11.879 year, and I think it sheds what it's second year needles or third year 104 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:16.519 needles whatever. And then you look at a bristle cone pine maybe thirty forty 105 00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:20.480 fifty years, but so not all evergreens are created equally. But you're right, 106 00:08:20.600 --> 00:08:26.120 they will shed the needles. They're also very good and adapted to shedding 107 00:08:26.839 --> 00:08:31.320 snow. The branches tend to be flexible, bendy, they tend to swoop 108 00:08:31.440 --> 00:08:37.879 downward, and that helps these trees of course, ride out the winter well, 109 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:39.679 especially the conifers. So less so is some of the broad leaf everage. 110 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:43.159 It's not so great with the snow coverage, but certainly, you know 111 00:08:43.480 --> 00:08:48.720 the pines or spruces, the furs. Just looking at them, you can 112 00:08:48.759 --> 00:08:52.679 tell those branches are really designed to take that snowload, and they look so 113 00:08:52.759 --> 00:08:54.720 good. They don't look tortured. You know, if you see a plant 114 00:08:54.720 --> 00:08:58.759 that's not supposed to take a snowload all covered in snow is like e yikes. 115 00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:01.320 But when you see a con you're like, oh yeah, let's write 116 00:09:01.320 --> 00:09:03.279 a home, no problem, exactly exactly. And then of course you have 117 00:09:03.399 --> 00:09:09.200 the large conifers, which are totally confused because they drop all their needles. 118 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:13.720 But we'll save that for another show. Stacey with proven winners Color Choice Shrubs. 119 00:09:15.159 --> 00:09:18.000 I love a lot of the evergreens that are available for people to use 120 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:24.960 in their landscape. Tater tot arborvite comes to mind right away, Celtic pride. 121 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:31.120 I love that Siberian cypress in my landscape, full speed, a hedge 122 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:35.919 stonehenge taxis, and of course on a show last year, we talked about 123 00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:41.440 tortuga juniper. Oh yeah, I love my junipers. All fantastic for your 124 00:09:41.559 --> 00:09:46.639 landscape. So we embrace evergreens, not only at this time of the year, 125 00:09:46.679 --> 00:09:50.960 but of course year round and evergreens, my friends, are the gift 126 00:09:50.440 --> 00:09:54.279 that keeps giving. Coming up next, Plants on Trial. We'll see what 127 00:09:54.360 --> 00:10:00.360 Stacey has on our mind today. That's next here on the Gardening Simplified Ship. 128 00:10:05.360 --> 00:10:09.440 Prooven Winners Colored Choice Shrubs cares about your success in the garden. That's 129 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:11.639 why we trial and test all of our shrubs for eight to ten years, 130 00:10:11.960 --> 00:10:16.480 making sure they outperform everything else on the market. Look for them and the 131 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:22.799 distinctive white container at your local garden center. Greetings, gardening friends, and 132 00:10:22.039 --> 00:10:26.360 welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show. You know I'm going to get right 133 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:31.720 into it and just say that today's plant on trial is Castle Spire Blue Holly. 134 00:10:31.960 --> 00:10:35.759 Okay, and the reason that I'm just coming around you usually I get 135 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:39.519 a long preamble here, because it's not going to be a preamble. It's 136 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:43.080 gonna be a post amble because I've got so much to say about this plant 137 00:10:43.159 --> 00:10:46.799 that kind of I think it's the background is so fascinating and I really want 138 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:50.519 to share it as we talk about evergreens, so I might not fully get 139 00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:56.679 back around to telling you how amazing Castle spire blue holly specifically is. We 140 00:10:56.720 --> 00:11:01.200 are going to be talking about holly and heartiness and broad leaf evergreens, so 141 00:11:01.559 --> 00:11:05.360 you know, like you're saying in the first segment, most people, when 142 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:09.039 they think of evergreens, what comes to mind, the sort of stereotypical picture 143 00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:11.679 in their head is going to be a pine tree, pine, a spruce, 144 00:11:11.720 --> 00:11:15.679 a for you know, people tend to use pine trees as sort of 145 00:11:15.720 --> 00:11:18.639 the ketch all for all conifers. But I have that all the time. 146 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:20.960 People will say to me, can you come to my house? I'm having 147 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:26.480 a problem with my pine tree, and it ends up being something completely different. 148 00:11:26.600 --> 00:11:28.879 Right, We use that term loosely, like kleenex or like you know, 149 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:31.600 when you go in the South and they say, what kind of coke 150 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:37.080 do you want? Yeah? Something, So you know, it kind of 151 00:11:37.080 --> 00:11:39.679 becomes a ketch all. But like you said, these conifers which most people 152 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:43.960 think of as evergreens and are typically evergreens, so like you said, larch 153 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:48.159 and medicinqoia, there's some exceptions in there are either need a leaft so think 154 00:11:48.200 --> 00:11:54.759 of like a pine or scale leaft like a juniper or arborviidy where we've talked 155 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:58.360 about this before. They kind of almost look like under like seaweed or coral 156 00:11:58.480 --> 00:12:01.639 or something like that. But yeah, broad leaf evergreens is a term that 157 00:12:01.799 --> 00:12:05.919 you know, when someone's not familiar with it and you say, oh, 158 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:09.039 well, are you interested in broad leaf evergreens or whatever, they have to 159 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:11.559 kind of stop for a minute and say what is that? And a broad 160 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:16.840 leaf evergreen is exactly what it sounds like, an evergreen, but the leaves 161 00:12:16.840 --> 00:12:20.960 are wide broad instead of needle like or scill like and very narrow. So 162 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:26.919 we're talking about all the adaptations that conifers and things have for cold wintry weather, 163 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:33.960 and those vastly reduced leaf surfaces, just as needles or scales are one 164 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:37.559 of them. So like for example, a pine, the needles are in 165 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:41.440 little bundles, and when it's very cold, the pine responds by bringing that 166 00:12:41.559 --> 00:12:46.559 bundle together and reducing the leaf surface. So it's just the outside of each 167 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:50.639 needle in those center, those other edges, they all come together into a 168 00:12:50.679 --> 00:12:56.120 little bundle. It's just one of those adaptations. The numbers strength and numbers 169 00:12:56.159 --> 00:13:01.960 reduce that surface area. So broad leaf evergreens tend not to be quite as 170 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:07.000 cold tolerant as your need a leaf or scale leafed evergreen. Just like you 171 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:11.519 were saying that having that broad leaf surface means two things. It means that 172 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:16.919 there is a lot more surface area for water to evaporate off of, and 173 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:24.120 that catches the sun and a lot of repeated you know sun cold it can. 174 00:13:24.519 --> 00:13:26.759 Yeah, when it's just it causes the plant a lot of stress. 175 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:31.960 But that said, if you are in say USDA Zone four or five, 176 00:13:31.559 --> 00:13:37.159 even six, we definitely have some very popular broad leaf evergreens. You know, 177 00:13:37.200 --> 00:13:39.000 I think I grew up in a neighborhood. I think I've said this 178 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:45.000 before, where rhododendrons were like the front front yard planting the queen, Like 179 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:48.519 everybody had a rhododendron. Why because the front yards tended to be near the 180 00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:52.519 house, tended to be shady, So a rhododendron is a perfect example of 181 00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:56.840 a broad leaf evergreen because it is evergreen and indeed its leaves are quite broad. 182 00:13:56.159 --> 00:14:00.679 Cherry laurel is another one not totally hardy for us, so we done 183 00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:01.759 out to grow a lot of it. But if you sort of get more 184 00:14:01.799 --> 00:14:05.519 towards the southeast, skip laurel or cherry laurel is a very popular plant. 185 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:11.840 Boxwood sure rings about and boxwood is everywhere, and it's another great example of 186 00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:18.159 sort of what these you know, potential liabilities of a broad leaf evergreen are 187 00:14:18.200 --> 00:14:22.399 in a cold climate, because how many people when spring comes along are looking 188 00:14:22.440 --> 00:14:28.159 at a boxwood that doesn't really look all that great because they can be very 189 00:14:28.200 --> 00:14:33.960 susceptible to all of these challenges. Now, one of the classic, most 190 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:39.000 beautiful, most desirable broad leaf evergreens is holly. And you know, of 191 00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:41.679 course that comes from you know last year you talked about the oak King and 192 00:14:41.720 --> 00:14:48.759 the holly king. If you ever look at like any Victorian Christmas cards or 193 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:52.279 Christmas decorations, holly is a key part of that. And even if you 194 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:54.559 never do that, if you sing any Christmas song or can bring to mind 195 00:14:54.600 --> 00:14:58.919 any Christmas song, like I mean half of them have to mention holly, 196 00:14:58.039 --> 00:15:01.960 right, it's that it's that popular. Yes, yeah, the holly jolly. 197 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:05.440 There's we could go on all day about plants and Christmas girls. That 198 00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:07.240 would be a fun episode actually, and you can sing, so you could 199 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:13.279 give us a little bit to go. I have tried to sing, but 200 00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:18.360 holly. So when the holly that is typically mentioned in these in these songs 201 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:24.480 in Christmas lore is English holly Ilex aquafolium a very cool plant. It if 202 00:15:24.519 --> 00:15:28.720 you, you know, look up a picture of it, it looks like 203 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:33.159 that classic holly. The leaves are very spiny, the berries are very red, 204 00:15:33.159 --> 00:15:37.720 the foliage is dark, glossy. The thing about English holly is it's 205 00:15:37.720 --> 00:15:41.320 not hardy. It's about a USDA Zone seven at best plant. And some 206 00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:46.159 of the variegated varieties of English holly are even less so. So not a 207 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:50.879 plant that most of the US could grow. For many years, And there 208 00:15:50.919 --> 00:15:56.919 was a woman named Kathleen meeserv who lived on Long Island and really loved using 209 00:15:56.919 --> 00:16:00.879 holly for decorating. And you know what, I'm not content to just be 210 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:03.799 told no, I can't grow English holly, or it just keeps getting winter 211 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:07.279 damage. So even though she had no real experience. She was just a 212 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:11.679 home gardener. She went into her backyard and started making crosses, and she 213 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:15.919 took English holly, I like Sackapuliam, and crossed it with a bunch of 214 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:21.799 different Asian species, so transferring the pollen of one onto the other and planting 215 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:26.320 those out and testing them against the winters out on Long Island, and she 216 00:16:26.639 --> 00:16:32.039 eventually developed the plant that we now know as blue holly. And what most 217 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:34.279 of us in colder parts of the US, when we think of an evergreen 218 00:16:34.279 --> 00:16:38.679 holly, it is the plant that we think of that is the holly that 219 00:16:38.759 --> 00:16:44.440 we grow. So blue girl, Blue Boy, China Girl, China Boy. 220 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:47.240 There's all of these, all of these different ones, and they were 221 00:16:47.240 --> 00:16:51.559 all created by this woman who just took it on herself in the nineteen fifties 222 00:16:52.039 --> 00:16:55.600 to say, I'm not content with my options for holly. I want the 223 00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:57.360 best of English holly, and I'm going to get it. And she did 224 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:00.840 it. That's interesting, And she was for a time, Kathleen me serv 225 00:17:02.320 --> 00:17:07.160 owned the most plant patents out of anybody in the entire US wow as an 226 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:12.039 amateur plant breeder. So it's it's a I love this story because I think 227 00:17:12.039 --> 00:17:19.119 it really speaks to how a determined person can make something happen, and that 228 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:25.160 the spirit of risk that we talk so much about in everything that we talk 229 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:26.160 about is like, well, just give it a try. You know. 230 00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:33.559 The steaks are relatively entrepreneur Yeah. So Castle Spire was not developed by Kathleen 231 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:36.119 me Serve, but it is also a me Serve holly. So if you 232 00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:38.880 were to look at the tag of these plants, you'll see that the species 233 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:44.839 on there, instead of being Ilex aquafolium or Ilex opeka or whatever, it's 234 00:17:44.839 --> 00:17:48.079 going to say ilex an x, which is cross Mesurvey because the whole genus 235 00:17:48.200 --> 00:17:52.960 was named for Kathleen me Serf. So Castle Spier is a blue holly that 236 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:56.279 came from Germany. It became so popular that it spread all over the world, 237 00:17:56.039 --> 00:18:02.319 and a lot of the original Blue Girl China Girl hollies are a little 238 00:18:02.359 --> 00:18:08.599 bit more kind of columnar, and Castle Spire has a very very strong, 239 00:18:08.839 --> 00:18:14.519 pure middle habit, and people love that for an evergreen in their landscape. 240 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:17.559 You know, we didn't talk a whole lot about the habits of evergreens, 241 00:18:17.559 --> 00:18:21.440 but I think that's one of the things that so appeals to people, and 242 00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:23.480 especially at this time of year if you're driving around and you know, I 243 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:27.880 am not the world's biggest fan of dwarfelbertas Bruce by any stretch, but right 244 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:33.039 now I have to confess. When someone's putting Christmas lights on them, they 245 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:34.640 work perfect. It's like that was the only reason they were invented, was 246 00:18:34.839 --> 00:18:41.440 to make a good scaffolding for Christmas. Careful and to a track spider mights, 247 00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:47.000 of course, but they're pure middle and we love that pure middle shape, 248 00:18:47.079 --> 00:18:49.279 yes, exactly, and that great, that appealing shape. So Castle 249 00:18:49.319 --> 00:18:52.839 spire gets to be about eight to ten feet tall and three to five feet 250 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:56.599 wide, so it's going to have that nice narrow footprint, so it's a 251 00:18:56.599 --> 00:19:00.400 good space saver. It's a great hedging plant. Now, you know, 252 00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:03.839 we talk a lot about arborvidy or juniper for hedges, and those are great 253 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:07.359 choices, but they're not what everybody wants. Some people do want that look 254 00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:12.400 of a broad leaf evergreen. And the hardiness of all of the blue hollies 255 00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:18.039 is USCA zone five to seven. So Kathleen me sort of managed to bring 256 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:22.720 the hardiness down hold two full zones and still have a lot of the best 257 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:27.000 qualities of English holly, and that's what you're going to see in castle spire. 258 00:19:27.079 --> 00:19:30.680 So it is a female, you're going to need to plant the male 259 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:34.400 castle wall if you want those red berries. One male for every five to 260 00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:38.720 seven females should be sufficient and you can plant them anywhere within fifty feet of 261 00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:44.599 each other to make sure that there's berries on the females, or if it's 262 00:19:44.599 --> 00:19:47.400 a hedge, I think you can get away with intermixing the males. But 263 00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:51.160 sometimes if it's a really prominent front yard planning people want to kind of tuck 264 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:52.960 the males away. Having worked in a garden center for years, that's a 265 00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:56.920 question a lot of people ask. They see it's a big thing for people 266 00:19:56.960 --> 00:20:00.440 trying to figure out how do I get these hollies to pollen? Yep. 267 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:03.480 So that was a lot of information and there's a lot more I could say 268 00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:07.519 because I think they're really cool plants. And again I love that story and 269 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:11.160 I think that when you have that extra reason to love them, it just 270 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:12.759 makes you want to plant them even more. But you are definitely going to 271 00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:17.200 be best planted in spring, so they have all seasons to get established. 272 00:20:17.240 --> 00:20:19.920 So add this to your planting list for when you shop at the garden center 273 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:23.559 this spring. And if you would like to see pictures and get all the 274 00:20:23.559 --> 00:20:27.960 details about Castle Spier Blue Holly, you will find that at Gardening Simplified on 275 00:20:29.079 --> 00:20:30.920 Air dot com. In the show notes, we got to take a little 276 00:20:30.920 --> 00:20:33.920 break because that was a whole lot of information about holly that no one asked 277 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:37.079 for. Button now you know, and when we come back, we've got 278 00:20:37.079 --> 00:20:48.400 the garden mail bag, so please stay tuned. At proven winner's color choice, 279 00:20:48.440 --> 00:20:52.440 we've got a shrub for every taste and every space. Whether you're looking 280 00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:56.079 for an easycare rose and unforgettable hydrangea, or something new and unique, you 281 00:20:56.119 --> 00:21:00.359 can be confident that the shrubs and the white containers have been trying out and 282 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:06.640 tested for your success. Look for them at your local garden center. Greetings, 283 00:21:06.680 --> 00:21:10.440 gardening friends, and welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show. It's one 284 00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:14.799 of my favorite times of the week where we answer your gardening questions. If 285 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:17.759 you have a gardening question for us, you can reach us at help HLP 286 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:22.200 at Gardening Simplified on air dot com, or just visit Gardening Simplified on Air 287 00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:26.720 dot com and you can leave us a link a message through our contact form 288 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:33.400 as Jean did, and I believe that Jeane uh wanted to maybe perhaps fund 289 00:21:33.559 --> 00:21:38.480 the Rick Fanclub because she has glowing praise for you. Well, she says, 290 00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:41.400 just wanted to give a shout out to Rick. I've watched so many 291 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:45.599 gardeners talk about shredding leaves for the most wonderful compost. I have the leaves, 292 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:49.200 for sure, but my mower doesn't have a bagger. So I tried 293 00:21:49.240 --> 00:21:52.200 mowing through them and raking them up, lots of work with little to show 294 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:56.519 for it. Then Rick talked about how he used as weed eater in a 295 00:21:56.599 --> 00:22:00.319 trash can. I thought I'd give it a try my eye goggles and went 296 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:03.119 to work. I started with a few in a tub and it worked so 297 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:07.200 well. I used it in a wheelbarrow already filled with leaves. What a 298 00:22:07.319 --> 00:22:11.839 gold mine. I covered two raised beds and the rest I spread in a 299 00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:15.680 flower bed. I am fully expecting bumper crops of flowers next summer. So 300 00:22:15.880 --> 00:22:19.559 thank you very much. Rick's speaking your language. I love it. Gene, 301 00:22:19.559 --> 00:22:22.920 thank you so much for that note. I appreciate and I appreciate the 302 00:22:23.000 --> 00:22:29.200 fact that safety first you put on the eye goggles. Maybe even some earplugs 303 00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:32.519 and you grind those things up and boy, oh boy, is that beautiful 304 00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:34.640 for the landscape. Way to go. Jean. Yeah, I'm really glad 305 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:37.720 that that worked out. I wonder if anybody else tried it, So if 306 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:40.400 you did try it, let us know. I have to say, when 307 00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:41.480 you were describing it, I was sitting right here next to you, and 308 00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:47.240 I was like, okay, but uh, you know, now youveay, 309 00:22:47.559 --> 00:22:52.519 you know. And I appreciate Geene doing this because when I would do it, 310 00:22:52.680 --> 00:22:56.279 my neighbors would be watching. I'd see them peeking through the windows and 311 00:22:56.319 --> 00:22:59.920 I'm wearing eye goggles and I'm out there doing this and they think I've lost 312 00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:04.480 it, when the reality is it's pure genius. So thank you, Gene. 313 00:23:04.519 --> 00:23:10.039 I appreciate that so much. Yeah, so great, any Al. 314 00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:12.440 I love about this is that you only need one tool, you know. 315 00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:17.759 It's it's great when you can have a tool that you already own and use 316 00:23:17.799 --> 00:23:21.720 it for a completely novel and unexpected purpose like this. So and then once 317 00:23:21.799 --> 00:23:23.880 that works, Gene, you're gonna want to step up to the churninator. 318 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:30.039 I've got one of those, my Ernold Schwarzenegger churninator. And then you're on 319 00:23:30.119 --> 00:23:33.119 a whole new level. So it is like one invention that gets the next 320 00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:36.279 You got it? All right, What do we got in the mailbag this 321 00:23:36.359 --> 00:23:40.759 week? John from Ada would like to know if there's anything at this time 322 00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:45.640 of the year to support a lack of weeds in the spring in our flower 323 00:23:45.720 --> 00:23:53.880 beds and then birds exclamation Yeah, that's my answer. Oh yes, I 324 00:23:53.880 --> 00:23:57.200 put it in the notes, thank you, and then it does have two 325 00:23:57.200 --> 00:24:04.160 exclamation points, because that's the best possible solution here is birds. And I 326 00:24:04.200 --> 00:24:08.359 find that all the time. So one of the reasons that my yard is 327 00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:11.960 so full of birds. I put out to it and feed them as well. 328 00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:15.799 But I love to leave all of that stuff in my garden and the 329 00:24:15.799 --> 00:24:21.640 birds just pick around, and with the freezing and thawing and the ground heaving 330 00:24:21.720 --> 00:24:25.559 and moving through the winter, that keeps bringing up new seeds for them to 331 00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:30.920 eat. And I think that birds are the best organic weed control that we 332 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:34.240 have. You just have to have a scenario or a situation where they feel 333 00:24:34.319 --> 00:24:37.839 welcome enough to come in so there's not any cats roaming around or you know, 334 00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:41.039 other things that would make them feel and safe. You've got plenty of 335 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:44.599 coverage for them in the form of evergreens and shrubs and places where they can 336 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:48.880 perch and flee if they don't feel safe. But bird, I honestly, 337 00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:55.119 I often think about what my landscape would look like if I didn't have so 338 00:24:55.160 --> 00:24:56.400 many birds working on weed control. For me, I mean, it's bad 339 00:24:56.480 --> 00:25:00.720 enough as it is, so without their help, I shudder think I truly 340 00:25:00.759 --> 00:25:03.880 do. That's fantastic and a great natural approach. Of course, for John, 341 00:25:03.960 --> 00:25:08.240 I would mention, as I've mentioned on the program before, the best 342 00:25:08.240 --> 00:25:12.799 time of the year for weed control is in the fall September, October in 343 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:18.240 my opinion, because then we're dealing with annual weeds also as opposed to the 344 00:25:18.279 --> 00:25:22.200 spring. But yes, Stacy, at this point of the year, let's 345 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:26.680 let the birds do the work and eat away. And you know, here 346 00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:29.599 in Michigan this winter, we don't have a lot of snow cover like we 347 00:25:29.759 --> 00:25:32.960 usually do, so yeah, there's a lot of that natural food though right 348 00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:36.720 anytime that's exposed, they're going to be out there foraging. And then you 349 00:25:36.720 --> 00:25:41.000 know, I typically don't use a lot of pesticides or herbicides in my yard, 350 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:45.599 but I do make an exception for pre emergent in certain beds. In 351 00:25:45.640 --> 00:25:49.480 my yard, like where I'm growing cactus and stuff and I really can't get 352 00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:52.200 in there. It's a weed I do use like a pre emergent, and 353 00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:56.279 it works great. So you wouldn't put that down now because it would just, 354 00:25:56.359 --> 00:26:00.279 you know, basically go off and not really have any effectiveness. But 355 00:26:00.440 --> 00:26:03.119 that will take care of whatever the birds don't eat in spring, if you're 356 00:26:03.119 --> 00:26:04.720 open to using something like that. And the reason I do the control in 357 00:26:04.759 --> 00:26:10.079 the fall is because the winter annuals are in a rosette stage and it's not 358 00:26:10.279 --> 00:26:14.200 really blooming or seeding until we get to spring. When how would you put 359 00:26:14.200 --> 00:26:18.119 at Stacey Blamo all of a sudden they're there, Blamo Blamo. Indeed, 360 00:26:18.599 --> 00:26:22.720 all right, Mary asks help. This fall, I planted three little limelight 361 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:26.960 high ranges in front of my house, which faces southwest. Their tag said 362 00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:32.119 full to part sun, which probably would have been fine in western Pennsylvania, 363 00:26:32.160 --> 00:26:34.799 where I used to live, But I'm now in Middle Tennessee and I'm starting 364 00:26:34.799 --> 00:26:37.519 to think that it will be too hot and sunny for them in that spot 365 00:26:37.559 --> 00:26:41.200 by the middle of next summer. Should I dig them up, move them 366 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:45.119 someplay shadier in spring? I don't want to lose them. So it's a 367 00:26:45.160 --> 00:26:47.200 great question, Mary, and I'm glad you asked it. And there's a 368 00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:49.680 couple of issues here. So first of all, yeah, our plant tags, 369 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:52.279 as well as is other plant tags that you're going to read, are 370 00:26:52.319 --> 00:26:57.160 going to have typically that range of sun tolerance. And you know, the 371 00:26:57.200 --> 00:27:03.880 way that plants are produced in distributed in North America means that you know, 372 00:27:03.720 --> 00:27:07.079 typically you're not going to get a tag that's just for the South and a 373 00:27:07.119 --> 00:27:10.839 separate tag that's for the North. These plant tags, they need to serve 374 00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:17.160 the needs of an entire country with vastly different climate conditions, and so you 375 00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:19.680 know, a lot of times we really do rely on the expertise of local 376 00:27:19.680 --> 00:27:23.119 garden centers and local gardeners to say, sure, that would have been fine 377 00:27:23.119 --> 00:27:27.440 in western Pennsylvania, as Mary says, but in a warmer climate, you're 378 00:27:27.480 --> 00:27:32.759 going to go more for that semi shade or part sun kind of conditions. 379 00:27:32.839 --> 00:27:37.519 So it is a big story to tell in a little space, and that 380 00:27:37.559 --> 00:27:42.000 doesn't make it challenging. But that said, I would say that panicle hydrangees 381 00:27:42.279 --> 00:27:48.240 are unequivocally the most sun and heat tolerant of all hydrangees. So you're already 382 00:27:48.279 --> 00:27:52.000 off to a good start by having you know, those particular types of hydrangees 383 00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:56.240 in that And then second of all, even in the south, like unless 384 00:27:56.240 --> 00:28:00.799 you're in a very very hot climate like say USCA Zone nine or warmer most 385 00:28:00.839 --> 00:28:07.960 of the time, if you can provide those plants enough water by through irrigation, 386 00:28:07.519 --> 00:28:11.160 they can take more sun. The sun and the irrigation really go hand 387 00:28:11.200 --> 00:28:15.599 in hand and how much heat the plant can take. So yes, there's 388 00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:18.079 certainly exceptions, and I've heard from plenty of gardeners in Texas who there's just 389 00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:22.359 no way they're going to be able to grow something in the sun because it's 390 00:28:22.440 --> 00:28:25.319 much hotter and the sun is more intense than here. But you know, 391 00:28:25.400 --> 00:28:29.920 especially in a place like Middle Tennessee, if you are able to provide the 392 00:28:29.920 --> 00:28:33.119 irrigation, if they're on drip, if you have a regular irrigation system, 393 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:36.480 I wouldn't try it just through handwatering, because that will become a nightmare and 394 00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:40.680 you will soon start to resent them. But I would actually say, if 395 00:28:40.680 --> 00:28:42.400 you have irrigation, I think they're going to be just fine with mulch, 396 00:28:42.519 --> 00:28:45.920 you know, a good two to three inch layer of mulch, and I 397 00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:51.240 would not move them but if you don't have irrigation and you're concerned about it, 398 00:28:51.240 --> 00:28:52.519 it certainly wouldn't hurt to move them. Spring is a great time, 399 00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:56.240 and the sooner you move something after it's planted less, you know, stressful 400 00:28:56.240 --> 00:29:00.000 that is on you and the plant. So Stacy, you do a wonderful 401 00:29:00.279 --> 00:29:04.640 job writing descriptions for plants and copywriting, and people of course love using that 402 00:29:04.759 --> 00:29:10.200 information like they do with proven winners color choice shrubs. But I have to 403 00:29:10.200 --> 00:29:12.240 tell you when you're in the garden center and you look at a tag and 404 00:29:12.279 --> 00:29:18.559 it says part sun moist well drained soil, not quite sure how to do 405 00:29:18.680 --> 00:29:21.759 that? Yeah, I know it's but you know, I often tell people 406 00:29:21.880 --> 00:29:23.720 we garden in the real world, not the ideal world, but we do 407 00:29:23.839 --> 00:29:26.960 kind of have to give those ideal conditions. But you know, that's one 408 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:30.319 of the reasons we do the shelf is to help people better understand those conditions. 409 00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:34.359 And you can always ask at your garden center and hopefully you'll find someone 410 00:29:34.359 --> 00:29:38.640 who knows and wants to help you. But the information is out there and 411 00:29:38.680 --> 00:29:42.960 that's where the experienced part of gardening comes in as well. Karen is wondering 412 00:29:44.079 --> 00:29:47.440 I live in zone five. What's the best thing to do when my shrubs 413 00:29:47.480 --> 00:29:52.119 and trees are weighed down after a heavy snowfall? Should I try to shake 414 00:29:52.160 --> 00:30:00.359 off the snow or just wait for it to eventually melt the tailor switch thing, 415 00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:04.119 shake it off or whatever her song was. And by the way, 416 00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:08.960 for folks who are watching us or listening all over the world here in Zone 417 00:30:10.039 --> 00:30:15.079 five, Michigan, Halloween, oh gosh, yeah, the end of October, 418 00:30:15.119 --> 00:30:19.759 we got wet, heavy snow. I got twelve inches and boy, 419 00:30:19.880 --> 00:30:23.960 and the plants still had their foliage on them, so they were bending. 420 00:30:25.079 --> 00:30:29.079 Yeah, they were working bed. So that's the kicker of it all is 421 00:30:29.079 --> 00:30:30.759 that if the snow is very wet, it's very hard to remove. If 422 00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:34.240 it's fluffy, I would say, get a broom, try to take it 423 00:30:34.279 --> 00:30:37.759 off the best that you can. If it's a conifer, don't worry about 424 00:30:37.759 --> 00:30:41.440 it. They're made to take that snowload. You don't have to spend your 425 00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:44.720 time doing that. Make sure you stand back because if you ever tried to 426 00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:48.640 dust the snow off of something and gotten a head full of as yourself, 427 00:30:48.119 --> 00:30:52.240 not very fun. And I would also say to prioritize, and I've seen 428 00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:57.759 this in my old house. Prioritize plants that are likely to get dripped on 429 00:30:57.880 --> 00:31:02.039 by ice, because it's gonna happen if you have all the snow on there 430 00:31:02.519 --> 00:31:04.440 and then it's like near your home and there's gonna be dripping water and you're 431 00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:07.440 gonna get ice farming in there. That snow is going to contribute and add 432 00:31:07.480 --> 00:31:11.480 a ton of weight once that starts icing up. So it really does just 433 00:31:11.559 --> 00:31:14.920 depend. I would say, use a broom, try not to do with 434 00:31:14.960 --> 00:31:18.640 your hands because that's more likely to cause breakage. And sometimes it's just gonna 435 00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:22.400 happen, and that's just the way it is. Sometimes you just got to 436 00:31:22.440 --> 00:31:25.319 step away and let nature take its course. You really do, because you 437 00:31:25.359 --> 00:31:29.240 can do more damage for messing with Yeah, and sometimes if it's icy and 438 00:31:29.279 --> 00:31:33.079 things are sticking to the plant, So get out your broom, do the 439 00:31:33.079 --> 00:31:37.480 best you can, prioritize your most valuable plants, and hope for the best 440 00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:41.079 because that's all we do in winter really anyway. So thank you all for 441 00:31:41.119 --> 00:31:44.279 your questions. If you do have a question, don't forget Gardening Simplified on 442 00:31:44.359 --> 00:31:45.119 air dot com. You can find out how to reach us there. We're 443 00:31:45.119 --> 00:31:48.680 gonna take a little break when we come back. We've got a guest for 444 00:31:48.720 --> 00:31:56.400 branching News, so you're not going to want to miss that. The Gardening 445 00:31:56.480 --> 00:32:00.160 Simplified Show is brought to you by proven Winn's Color Choice Shrub. Our Award 446 00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:06.160 winning flowering shrubs and evergreens have been trialed and tested for your success so you 447 00:32:06.279 --> 00:32:09.559 enjoy more beauty and less work. Look for proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs and 448 00:32:09.599 --> 00:32:16.200 the distinctive white container at your local garden center. Welcome back to the Gardening 449 00:32:16.240 --> 00:32:21.440 Simplified Show. It's time for Branching News. And today we talked to Deborah 450 00:32:21.599 --> 00:32:28.039 Kannapki. Now she is the garden Sage Horticulture and teaching. Actually is her 451 00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:32.359 third career. She has a master's in horticulture, a master's in Speech Language 452 00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:38.279 Pathology, bachelor's and Speech and Hearing Science with a minor in vocal music performance 453 00:32:38.319 --> 00:32:43.240 from the Ohio State University. Wow. And then on top of that, 454 00:32:43.400 --> 00:32:46.279 I know because I've looked at her books and read some of them, writer 455 00:32:46.440 --> 00:32:51.920 of six books, including herb Gardening for the Midwest. On top of all 456 00:32:52.079 --> 00:32:54.079 that, she's a friend of ours, and I know that if you need 457 00:32:54.119 --> 00:33:00.400 someone to make some fresh bread and some herb butter. Deborah can do that 458 00:33:00.480 --> 00:33:04.799 too. Deborah, thanks so much for joining us on the Gardening Simplified Show. 459 00:33:05.880 --> 00:33:08.920 My pleasure to be here. And that was a wow of an introduction. 460 00:33:09.240 --> 00:33:13.680 Thank you. Well, that's a wow of a career. Oh my 461 00:33:13.720 --> 00:33:17.119 goodness, it's amazing. And I want people, of course to look for 462 00:33:17.160 --> 00:33:22.400 you, Deborah, because you are a wealth of information. Your website, 463 00:33:22.480 --> 00:33:25.400 Deborah, can you share that with folks right off the top? Sure? 464 00:33:25.559 --> 00:33:30.680 And just a side notes, my website is being updated by my new web 465 00:33:30.759 --> 00:33:38.359 mistress, and so more's coming. But my website is www. Deborah the 466 00:33:38.519 --> 00:33:45.759 Gardenstage dot com. And I wanted a shorter name, but the Garden Stage 467 00:33:45.839 --> 00:33:49.839 was already taken by someone else, and so we put my first name there 468 00:33:49.880 --> 00:33:54.440 and that's how it became Deborah the Stage and your Deborah dB R A right 469 00:33:55.359 --> 00:33:59.599 correct? Okay, thank you, Stacey. Speaking of someone whose name has 470 00:33:59.640 --> 00:34:06.079 multiple spellings, I feel you absolutely. Well, it's the holiday season. 471 00:34:06.200 --> 00:34:10.679 Of course, Deborah's a herb expert, but today we talk about tea, 472 00:34:10.800 --> 00:34:19.360 and of course that aligns with herbs. Deborah, you say t I say 473 00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:23.000 to Sane, is that correct? Well? You know, and it's kind 474 00:34:23.000 --> 00:34:30.000 of fun to play with those words. If we talk about straight t it's 475 00:34:30.039 --> 00:34:36.079 Camellia sinensus, it's that plant that we get green tea, Oolong's black tea. 476 00:34:36.719 --> 00:34:42.000 Who are a whole host of teas from a palm, from the palm 477 00:34:42.159 --> 00:34:46.400 to China, kimuns and more. But when we talk about herbal teas, 478 00:34:46.440 --> 00:34:52.280 technically the correct term to use is to sing or to son. It depends 479 00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:55.559 on how you wish to say it. I mean potato patato, but t 480 00:34:55.960 --> 00:35:02.239 I s a n e. So honestly, when I talk about my herbal 481 00:35:02.320 --> 00:35:07.079 teas, I usually don't say herbal tissain. I say herbal tea. But 482 00:35:08.679 --> 00:35:13.360 there would be some people who would correct you on that, not me. 483 00:35:13.679 --> 00:35:17.760 But it's interesting, so to say tussan, let's call the whole thing off. 484 00:35:17.800 --> 00:35:22.599 It's that typical thing something like that. But Deborah, you so you're 485 00:35:22.679 --> 00:35:28.639 saying that camelia, which many people would grow for the gorgeous flowers, You're 486 00:35:28.639 --> 00:35:31.920 saying, this is the base. This is the true tea plant, the 487 00:35:32.039 --> 00:35:38.199 true tea plant that you know if you believe in the story. Back around 488 00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:47.239 twenty six hundred BC, there was a Chinese emperor shen Nung who was sitting 489 00:35:47.360 --> 00:35:52.679 under a tree, and some leaves from the tree fell into water, and 490 00:35:52.800 --> 00:35:58.679 he drank the water and felt so refreshed that he said this was to be 491 00:35:58.960 --> 00:36:04.679 his beverage. And the leaves were from Camelia sinensus, the camelia that is 492 00:36:04.760 --> 00:36:10.199 from China. It's it's home base. And there's actually two variants of Camellia 493 00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:16.519 sinensus. One that's the southern Chinese variant with small leaves, and the Northern 494 00:36:16.519 --> 00:36:27.039 Indian variant which has large leaves or India, so you know that is tea. 495 00:36:27.119 --> 00:36:32.480 As there is the history of using Camelia sinensus for not only pleasure, 496 00:36:32.800 --> 00:36:38.239 but for help. And then there are herbs, which there are many that 497 00:36:38.360 --> 00:36:45.320 we have used also for pleasure and also for health. So I know a 498 00:36:45.320 --> 00:36:47.960 lot of people who are listening. I mean, we're we're based in Michigan, 499 00:36:49.000 --> 00:36:51.800 but we do have listeners all over the country, and they're probably thinking, 500 00:36:52.320 --> 00:36:53.800 well, hey, I have camelias, can I grow tea? But 501 00:36:54.159 --> 00:36:58.639 the tea plant, Camellia sinensus, is not as hardy as a lot of 502 00:36:58.960 --> 00:37:05.239 the ornamental kamelia. It's correct, that is my understanding. I accidentally did 503 00:37:05.320 --> 00:37:09.119 leave one outside, but we are zones at that time zone six A and 504 00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:15.239 it died. Yeah, they are quite tender. I thank you. It 505 00:37:15.320 --> 00:37:19.920 is more of a Zone seven or a Zone eight plant. So if you're 506 00:37:19.920 --> 00:37:25.199 thinking of Zone seven Raleigh, North Carolina zone or you know, Long Island, 507 00:37:25.480 --> 00:37:30.960 and Zone eight would be more of Atlanta, Georgia as a sort of 508 00:37:31.000 --> 00:37:37.039 a place to think about that. But a great history as it relates to 509 00:37:37.199 --> 00:37:43.079 teas, as you mentioned China, Japan, India, and then of course 510 00:37:43.599 --> 00:37:46.920 England. And I was reading some of your notes, Deborah, and you 511 00:37:47.039 --> 00:37:52.519 said it was interesting to me sweet tea and the use of milk in the 512 00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:58.000 Western world or in England, and that caught my eye because my parents are 513 00:37:58.000 --> 00:38:00.679 both from Europe and I never could figure out out why they put milk and 514 00:38:00.800 --> 00:38:05.239 sugar in their tea and ruin it. But you know, it's just a 515 00:38:05.320 --> 00:38:09.320 thing, right, It is a thing. And it depends because I only 516 00:38:09.480 --> 00:38:15.119 use well and I use oat milk. But I use milk in my black 517 00:38:15.280 --> 00:38:19.880 or red teas and in my pure but there will be no milk in my 518 00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:23.880 green or oolong teas, and don't I don't put milk in my herbal teas 519 00:38:24.000 --> 00:38:29.880 either, and often I don't use sweetener in herbal teas unless I have some 520 00:38:30.039 --> 00:38:36.519 bitter elements, but if I do use sweeteners, I usually stick to honey 521 00:38:36.760 --> 00:38:42.159 or agave syrup. Interesting. Yeah, And then of course tea makes it 522 00:38:42.199 --> 00:38:47.639 to America, and of course we're famous for the Boston Tea Party and my 523 00:38:47.760 --> 00:38:52.599 good friend Thomas Jefferson who always said tea and coffee are the drink of the 524 00:38:52.639 --> 00:38:58.000 civilized world. So a lot of history, a lot of history. There 525 00:38:58.480 --> 00:39:04.480 being someone who is an expert on herbs and loves herbs, it seems to 526 00:39:04.519 --> 00:39:08.480 me, Deborah, that tea is just a natural launching point for you. 527 00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:15.960 Absolutely. I was drinking herbal teas before, way before I went back to 528 00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:23.320 school for my horticultural degree. It's always it's calming. I can't tell you 529 00:39:23.360 --> 00:39:29.679 how many times I'll come home from a meeting at night and the only thing 530 00:39:29.719 --> 00:39:32.880 I want is Channel mile tea with a hint of mint, usually spearmints, 531 00:39:34.639 --> 00:39:37.960 and I find that very RESTful and it gets me set up for going to 532 00:39:38.079 --> 00:39:43.159 bed. But then there are other teas that kind of wage you up, 533 00:39:43.199 --> 00:39:46.880 like peppermint. I don't have peppermint at night because that will keep me awake 534 00:39:47.320 --> 00:39:52.920 almost as well as caffeine does. So it depends on what you want. 535 00:39:53.960 --> 00:39:59.679 There are so many herbs out there. I have many blends from friends and 536 00:40:00.280 --> 00:40:07.679 also local tea blenders or to say, blenders here in central Ohio, and 537 00:40:07.920 --> 00:40:13.000 just some wonderful things. And imagine drinking a tea from pine needles and from 538 00:40:13.199 --> 00:40:17.480 a spruce bud tip. And there are a lot of teas that you can 539 00:40:17.519 --> 00:40:24.880 make from our native plants, like bee bombs or Oswego tea, which was 540 00:40:24.960 --> 00:40:29.559 one of the tees that replaced the tea that ended up in the Boston Harbor. 541 00:40:30.239 --> 00:40:32.599 Yeah, that's right. As a matter of fact, I remember reading 542 00:40:32.679 --> 00:40:38.480 somewhere that Minarda or bee bomb was used as a substitute after that big Boston 543 00:40:38.519 --> 00:40:44.719 tea party. Right, yep, it was because it's growing wild here and 544 00:40:44.760 --> 00:40:50.840 it makes a pleasant minty tea that again is calming. Debraah, I'm seeing 545 00:40:50.920 --> 00:40:58.199 on the shelf a lot of echanation tees. Is this a fad a trend 546 00:40:58.280 --> 00:41:05.400 or is this something that has legs. Echination has been used for a very 547 00:41:05.480 --> 00:41:09.000 long time, and there were there are a lot of studies done in Germany 548 00:41:09.440 --> 00:41:15.360 on echinationia and its efficacy. And it doesn't you know, like everything that's 549 00:41:15.400 --> 00:41:20.800 out there in medicines or herbs or whatever. It doesn't work the same for 550 00:41:20.920 --> 00:41:27.400 everyone, but a lot of people will find an immune system boost if they 551 00:41:27.480 --> 00:41:34.840 drink echinationia tea. When I'm feeling what I call punky, you know, 552 00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:38.719 I feel like my you know, chest is tight, or my throat is 553 00:41:38.960 --> 00:41:44.239 or the first thing I go to is for a cup of echination tea and 554 00:41:44.280 --> 00:41:46.679 it usually again has a mint in it, and it may have elderberry, 555 00:41:46.760 --> 00:41:54.239 which is another fantastic immune system boosters, and I will drink one to two 556 00:41:54.280 --> 00:41:57.960 cups of that. Now, by the way, my cups are not that 557 00:41:58.000 --> 00:42:01.480 little six ounce cups that people talk about on label mine. I have a 558 00:42:01.559 --> 00:42:06.599 sixteen ounce cup. So when I have a cup of tea, I have 559 00:42:06.719 --> 00:42:10.960 a cup of tea. Yeah. Wow, that's great. We're talking to 560 00:42:12.360 --> 00:42:20.920 Deborah knap Key and you can find her her website, Deborahthegardensage dot com, 561 00:42:21.480 --> 00:42:25.119 herb expert, and today we're talking about teas and why not t in tranquility 562 00:42:25.639 --> 00:42:31.920 during a hectic holiday season, Deborah, one of my favorite things. And 563 00:42:31.960 --> 00:42:37.079 I was on Cape Cod this past summer looking at the Rosa rugosa, but 564 00:42:37.599 --> 00:42:43.920 rosehips, rosehips, is there a use for that in our teas? I 565 00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:49.719 drink a lot of rose hips in the winter. Rosehips have very high vitamin 566 00:42:49.800 --> 00:42:57.599 C content, so that is something that helps again your system to fight off 567 00:42:58.280 --> 00:43:02.119 maybe the cold that you're picking up from your daughter, niece, nephew, 568 00:43:02.800 --> 00:43:08.760 son in law, you name it. So I will often add rose hips 569 00:43:08.800 --> 00:43:14.519 and high diiscus flowers and that gives you a beautiful red colored teeth. And 570 00:43:14.559 --> 00:43:17.519 I may put in some mint and oh, I don't know, it depends 571 00:43:17.519 --> 00:43:22.320 on what I've sayed during the year. I have another favorite, which is 572 00:43:22.800 --> 00:43:27.079 lemon verbina, which is kind of a wake up key for me. Yeah, 573 00:43:27.119 --> 00:43:30.880 and it makes a phenomenal cold tea in the summer. How about lemon 574 00:43:30.920 --> 00:43:36.199 how about lemon grass along that line too, yep. In fact, I'll 575 00:43:36.199 --> 00:43:40.159 do a lemon grass, lemon balm, lemon verbina mix and then add in 576 00:43:40.280 --> 00:43:47.159 a bit of mint and then calm it down a little bit with either some 577 00:43:47.239 --> 00:43:52.519 lavender buds or let's say I'm trying to think. A lot of times I 578 00:43:52.599 --> 00:43:57.000 just go out in the garden with my snips and look at what's looking good 579 00:43:57.199 --> 00:44:00.159 and then shove that into a bottle of one of my jars of water, 580 00:44:00.239 --> 00:44:05.639 and to put that in the refrigerator and twelve to twenty four hours later, 581 00:44:05.719 --> 00:44:09.760 I have tea cold brew tea. You're talking about harvesting during the season, 582 00:44:09.880 --> 00:44:14.519 during the growing season when everything is fresh, and it sounds like you're also 583 00:44:14.599 --> 00:44:19.119 collecting and drying. So in terms of people who want to, you know, 584 00:44:19.199 --> 00:44:22.880 make their own teas from the garden or stockpile during the height of the 585 00:44:22.880 --> 00:44:27.159 season, what is what should they know about the difference between making tea from 586 00:44:27.199 --> 00:44:34.199 fresh herbs versus dried herbs. That's an excellent question. If you are if 587 00:44:34.239 --> 00:44:37.960 you are making tea from fresh herbs, you're going to use more of them, 588 00:44:38.800 --> 00:44:45.000 just because the flavors you know, in the green tea, I'm sorry, 589 00:44:45.039 --> 00:44:51.639 in the green h what you collect from your gardens aren't is concentrated. 590 00:44:51.719 --> 00:44:57.360 Once you dry something, you really concentrated those essential oils. And unfortunately, 591 00:44:57.559 --> 00:45:04.199 in some herbs there are some central oils that kind of volatize off of the 592 00:45:04.280 --> 00:45:08.480 herbs once it dries, So sometimes you don't get all the notes. If 593 00:45:08.519 --> 00:45:14.679 you know what I mean, you know all the flavors, but so dried 594 00:45:14.760 --> 00:45:19.679 tea fresh tea in the summer. I crave fresh tea in the winter when 595 00:45:19.719 --> 00:45:23.159 I can't get it. I have my dried herbs, and it's all kinds 596 00:45:23.320 --> 00:45:28.960 all times. Stage lavender buds, by the way, lavender buds, not 597 00:45:29.159 --> 00:45:35.920 lavender leaves. There are some compounds in the lavender leaves that can cause stomach 598 00:45:36.000 --> 00:45:40.599 upset and reactions and sensitive people. The buds are much a much safer part 599 00:45:40.639 --> 00:45:45.039 of the plant. And that's true of some of our other herbs too, 600 00:45:45.079 --> 00:45:50.400 that some parts are much better than others. Where it's something like echinatia, 601 00:45:50.880 --> 00:45:55.679 you can use the petals, the leaves and the roots, but not so 602 00:45:55.920 --> 00:46:00.920 for for all earths. So back to that question. So you'll be using 603 00:46:01.360 --> 00:46:08.320 less of the dried herbs when you make your tea than you would like a 604 00:46:08.360 --> 00:46:12.480 cold brew tea, although I don't usually do that in the winter it's usually 605 00:46:12.760 --> 00:46:17.519 usually hot. But my herbs, I'll use maybe one teaspoon to one tablespoon 606 00:46:17.760 --> 00:46:22.679 of dried herbs in a cup of tea, whereas I would have I have 607 00:46:22.760 --> 00:46:29.360 this big two gallon jar, or I would have a whole fistful of herbs 608 00:46:29.400 --> 00:46:34.119 in the summer that go into that jar with cold water. So a big 609 00:46:34.159 --> 00:46:38.800 difference in volume. Oh that's fantastic, all right, Deborah. So you 610 00:46:38.840 --> 00:46:45.599 sent along some pictures which for folks listening on radio or our podcast, you 611 00:46:45.639 --> 00:46:51.639 may want to spin over to our YouTube video. Adriana will put those pictures 612 00:46:51.679 --> 00:46:58.639 there. I'm interested in the time lawn and also in the tea box, 613 00:46:58.719 --> 00:47:01.199 so let's make a few quick comments there. First of all about the time 614 00:47:01.280 --> 00:47:07.760 lawn. Tell me about that. So I was the curator of the IRB 615 00:47:07.840 --> 00:47:14.199 Garden at Inneswood, the Central Ohio IRB Gardens from the Unit of the Earth 616 00:47:14.280 --> 00:47:19.480 Society of America. We have an IRB Garden at Innesswood Metropark, and I 617 00:47:19.559 --> 00:47:22.760 was the curator for several years, and they had a time lawn, and 618 00:47:22.840 --> 00:47:29.119 I thought, shoot, I want to get rid of grass. So I 619 00:47:29.320 --> 00:47:34.920 bought about twenty five different types of time and I planted them all. And 620 00:47:35.000 --> 00:47:39.519 now my timeline has matured because that was in the nineties. That was around 621 00:47:39.800 --> 00:47:44.840 ninety four ninety five. Wow, And so yeah, So that picture that 622 00:47:44.880 --> 00:47:49.199 you see now is probably about ten different varieties of time, because some are 623 00:47:49.239 --> 00:47:53.000 much more vigorous than others. So I will go out they all have different 624 00:47:53.039 --> 00:47:58.480 flavor profiles, and some of them don't have any flavor at all. They're 625 00:47:58.559 --> 00:48:02.400 great as a groundcover, but not as a tea. All yeah, all 626 00:48:02.519 --> 00:48:08.239 time is edible, but not all time is tasty. Okay. So yeah, 627 00:48:08.400 --> 00:48:15.880 So in that lawn there are about three three or four that I harvest 628 00:48:15.199 --> 00:48:20.400 for tea, and then I have more in my backyard in another sunny spot, 629 00:48:20.840 --> 00:48:25.920 some of the more vigorous types that would take over the world that I 630 00:48:25.960 --> 00:48:30.880 will cut and dry. So that's the timelawne. And in my front yard 631 00:48:30.880 --> 00:48:36.960 there's not very much grass and not very much in the backyard either. You 632 00:48:37.000 --> 00:48:39.039 could say, Deborah, you have time on your hands, and I'm sure 633 00:48:39.079 --> 00:48:45.840 you've heard that one many times. I do, and a friend even went 634 00:48:45.880 --> 00:48:49.880 down and rubbed it and said, oh, I have time on my hands. 635 00:48:50.000 --> 00:48:54.719 Oh my gosh. How about the tea box? So the tea box. 636 00:48:55.000 --> 00:49:01.800 I started giving tea talks probably about ten years ago because I wanted people 637 00:49:01.880 --> 00:49:08.840 to understand one the difference between the tea plant and then herbal teas or to 638 00:49:09.000 --> 00:49:15.360 same. And I also wanted to show the amazing variety of tea. It's 639 00:49:15.480 --> 00:49:21.920 like wine, there's terror so you can have the same tea plant in different 640 00:49:21.920 --> 00:49:25.039 parts of China and you get different flavors of tea. Same as in India 641 00:49:25.159 --> 00:49:30.800 that Darjeeling and the assams and the cealons, you know, they're just amazing. 642 00:49:30.840 --> 00:49:36.800 And it's the same plant, just like it's the same wine from grapes, 643 00:49:37.079 --> 00:49:40.679 you know, or same grapes for different wines. So I put together 644 00:49:40.760 --> 00:49:45.440 this tea box so people could see what they look like and some of the 645 00:49:45.559 --> 00:49:50.199 beautiful teas that result. And I'm opening it up right now, some of 646 00:49:50.239 --> 00:49:55.559 the beautiful teas that result when people are binding them in that beautiful pe andy 647 00:49:55.639 --> 00:50:01.559 flower that's in the picture, and you'll see some that look like snails. 648 00:50:02.440 --> 00:50:09.320 Actually that's the green China gunpowder, and it's rolled in someone's fingers, so 649 00:50:09.440 --> 00:50:14.679 someone does this all day long and rolls all of it so it looks like 650 00:50:14.920 --> 00:50:21.719 gunshot, so it's called gunpowder green. And there's also the little too o 651 00:50:21.960 --> 00:50:27.199 chaw, which means bird nests that's sitting there. That is a poo are, 652 00:50:27.360 --> 00:50:32.519 which actually is a fermented tea from Camelia sinensis, and it looks like 653 00:50:32.559 --> 00:50:37.320 a little bird's nest and it's a very wonderful tea that is delightful to drink 654 00:50:37.360 --> 00:50:42.880 and also very healthy for you. So I put this together so people could 655 00:50:42.880 --> 00:50:45.880 see the differences. So I've had pooar before, and I've had some that 656 00:50:45.920 --> 00:50:52.199 were excellent, some that were an acquired taste. I think that's one of 657 00:50:52.239 --> 00:50:57.039 the more polarizing teas. Would you was that in your experience? M I 658 00:50:57.079 --> 00:51:00.239 have a friend who bought some because I was sousiastic about it, and they 659 00:51:00.239 --> 00:51:09.679 said, this smells and tastes like a barnyard, and I then became the 660 00:51:09.719 --> 00:51:17.159 recipient of his Yeah, there's definitely I can see the appeal. But there 661 00:51:17.199 --> 00:51:23.239 are some that are much stronger and not maybe what people expect when when they're 662 00:51:23.239 --> 00:51:28.960 sitting down to a cup of tea. Yeah, it's there, and there 663 00:51:29.039 --> 00:51:35.119 are who ares that here in America we probably will never see that are one 664 00:51:35.199 --> 00:51:40.280 hundred years old and way out of most of ours pocket book range, Deborah, 665 00:51:40.360 --> 00:51:45.800 when we when we brew these wonderful teas. Herbal teas is water temperature 666 00:51:45.840 --> 00:51:52.719 a factor? Does water temperature matter? It does, and we're talking specifically 667 00:51:52.719 --> 00:51:57.519 about herbal teas. For the most part. You either want the water to 668 00:51:57.559 --> 00:52:04.400 be boiling or just under the boil, which means you either listen to your 669 00:52:04.400 --> 00:52:10.800 teapot or look at the water inside, or I have an electric teapot that 670 00:52:12.039 --> 00:52:15.400 brings to the temperature I want, so I can get it at two twelve 671 00:52:15.519 --> 00:52:20.039 boiling, or I can have it two hundred, which is what I call 672 00:52:20.199 --> 00:52:24.320 under the boil. If you have a delicate tea, like say you're just 673 00:52:24.360 --> 00:52:29.000 doing straight jasmine tea, not with the green tea in it, but just 674 00:52:29.079 --> 00:52:32.239 jasmine, you really don't want it to get above one hundred and ninety degrees 675 00:52:32.639 --> 00:52:37.079 because otherwise all that jasmine is just going to float right off of that water 676 00:52:37.159 --> 00:52:42.920 and you'll never you won't taste most of it, you won't get that really 677 00:52:43.119 --> 00:52:49.159 beautiful high note that you get with jasmine. So it does matter with the 678 00:52:49.199 --> 00:52:52.199 different types of herb teas. Now, if you are drinking a tea that 679 00:52:52.320 --> 00:53:00.719 has a lot of either branches or root like in echinaesia, then you need 680 00:53:00.719 --> 00:53:05.360 the water to boil, otherwise you won't extract the phyto chemicals that you're hoping 681 00:53:05.400 --> 00:53:12.519 to drink. So do you have to know this all specifically know just if 682 00:53:12.519 --> 00:53:16.199 you have any doubt, just do it under the boil or get it to 683 00:53:16.239 --> 00:53:20.199 boil, let it sit for a minute, and then pour it over your 684 00:53:20.199 --> 00:53:23.199 herbs, and for the most part you will get everything you need out of 685 00:53:23.199 --> 00:53:30.000 it. That you for everything you need or want out of it. So 686 00:53:30.039 --> 00:53:34.679 it's an art and a science just like gardening. Yeah, it is. 687 00:53:34.920 --> 00:53:38.079 And in fact, when you think about it, tea is so horticultural, 688 00:53:38.880 --> 00:53:44.559 whether it is Camellia sinensus or herb tea. You know, it's the growing 689 00:53:44.599 --> 00:53:46.679 of the keys, which I like it all. I love growing it, 690 00:53:47.000 --> 00:53:55.480 harvesting, drying, understanding where where the different teas come from, and also 691 00:53:55.679 --> 00:54:00.280 what they can do for our health. And of course the other part of 692 00:54:00.280 --> 00:54:06.039 that too is knowing which herbs not to use in tees or which herbs can 693 00:54:06.119 --> 00:54:12.159 cause a problem. There are many herbs that are contraindicated for someone who is 694 00:54:12.320 --> 00:54:17.760 pregnant or breastfeeding, and so you have to be aware that you should not 695 00:54:17.840 --> 00:54:25.679 be drinking those teas during that time. Very very interesting. Deborah Kannapkey, 696 00:54:25.800 --> 00:54:32.920 she is the garden Sage. Her website Deborahthegardensage dot com. Deborah would love 697 00:54:32.960 --> 00:54:37.199 to have you on the show again. And before I let you go, 698 00:54:37.239 --> 00:54:40.960 We're going to ask a very unfair question we always ask people that we interview, 699 00:54:42.000 --> 00:54:45.719 and that is I'm going to ask you for our listeners and our viewers 700 00:54:45.760 --> 00:54:51.960 to share with us in your knowledge. Give me your favorite herb number one 701 00:54:52.159 --> 00:54:54.360 if it had to be at the top of the list, and your favorite 702 00:54:54.440 --> 00:55:01.880 landscape plant. Go ahead. My favorite herb is lavender. It was also 703 00:55:01.920 --> 00:55:08.480 my master's research project and it's just an amazing, amazing herb. But I 704 00:55:08.599 --> 00:55:12.360 like all the mints, so I'm just going to add that. And for 705 00:55:12.519 --> 00:55:19.559 my favorite landscape plant, Oh gee, that's hard. It's unfair. I 706 00:55:19.639 --> 00:55:22.599 know that, I know, you know. I mean, if you ask 707 00:55:22.679 --> 00:55:27.760 me for my favorite tree and my favorite shrub and my favorite perennials, if 708 00:55:30.400 --> 00:55:40.360 pushed for my favorite favorite plant, I'm going to have to say orchids. 709 00:55:40.400 --> 00:55:46.559 And I know that's a huge group, you know, twenty six thousand species, 710 00:55:46.760 --> 00:55:52.239 and I've just I've fell in love with orchids and can't get enough of 711 00:55:52.280 --> 00:55:55.960 them, So that's actually a whole group. But if I have to say 712 00:55:55.960 --> 00:56:04.199 one single plant that gives me deep jew and that would be sunflowers, wonderful, 713 00:56:04.519 --> 00:56:07.960 wonderful, that's great. Her name is Deborah Kannapke. She's the garden 714 00:56:08.079 --> 00:56:14.079 Sage. Deborah. You what you do for the gardening industry is fantastic, 715 00:56:14.119 --> 00:56:17.119 and want to thank you and the education that you provide. Of course, 716 00:56:17.159 --> 00:56:22.000 folks. She has books also, which you can find at her website, 717 00:56:22.000 --> 00:56:28.440 including herb Gardening for the Midwest. Deborah, thanks so much for joining us 718 00:56:28.480 --> 00:56:31.400 on the Gardening Simplified Show, and we'd love to have you back again to 719 00:56:31.440 --> 00:56:36.559 talk about some other subjects. I'd love to come back. Thank you. 720 00:56:36.840 --> 00:56:40.360 Thanks Debra. Well, that was great. My only thing here is that 721 00:56:40.440 --> 00:56:44.639 I didn't harvest any of my herbs over the summer, so I can't enjoy 722 00:56:44.679 --> 00:56:47.679 any homegrown herbal teas this winter. But I'm putting it on the calendar for 723 00:56:47.719 --> 00:56:52.239 next summer, that's for sure. I'm inspired. Well, thanks to Deborah, 724 00:56:52.280 --> 00:56:53.599 thanks to Rick, thanks to Adriana, and of course, thank you 725 00:56:53.639 --> 00:56:55.960 so much to all of you. We hope you have a wonderful week ahead. Thanks