WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.839 --> 00:00:07.240 Here we grow again. It's time for the Gardening Simplified Show with Stacy Hervella 2 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:12.960 me, Rick weisst and our engineer and producer Adrianna Robinson as we broadcast from 3 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:18.760 beautiful Studio away here at Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs. Today, Stacy, 4 00:00:18.879 --> 00:00:24.199 we talk about self sowing plants. Many plants will self So you think about 5 00:00:24.199 --> 00:00:29.199 the maples and they're winged fruit, the Samaras kids. We call them helicopters 6 00:00:29.640 --> 00:00:34.679 floating to the earth and seating in your lawn or your landscape. Or you 7 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:41.439 think about perennial plants like loopens. I love loopens and they self sow with 8 00:00:41.560 --> 00:00:47.399 a vengeance. Proven Winners has the West Country loopens, a variety like Manhattan. 9 00:00:47.960 --> 00:00:51.799 Wow, those things are incredible, super colorful. I call them traffic 10 00:00:51.880 --> 00:00:56.479 cones when they're in bloom. But today, as we talk about self sowing 11 00:00:56.479 --> 00:01:00.719 plants, let's start with annuals. Because annuals are plants that can drop seed 12 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:06.159 in your garden before they die, germinate on their own the following year, 13 00:01:06.200 --> 00:01:08.480 and well it's kind of like a bonus when that happens, right, It 14 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:12.200 is a bonus. And what I particularly love about self sewing plants, and 15 00:01:12.200 --> 00:01:15.000 I do just want to clarify for anyone listening, we are saying so as 16 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:19.519 an s ow, yes like seed sewing, so they're not sewing themselves a 17 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:25.040 blanket or anything like that. Talking about seed sewing, I love self sewing 18 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:30.599 plants because you know, they take the guesswork out of design. They pop 19 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:36.000 up wherever, they wherever they will, and a lot of times they are 20 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:40.280 doing work that you as the gardener, would never think to put those plants 21 00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:42.799 together, and self sewers pop up and you think we'll shoot, I'm a 22 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:48.120 genius. I love that perspective. That is excellent. That really is, 23 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:51.760 you know. And when we talk about self sewing annuals, and there's there's 24 00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:56.799 many different plants and we'll get into that, but many proven winners annuals are 25 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:00.239 sterile, so we'll mention that from the top, meaning they don't produce seeds. 26 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:06.200 And these plants have been developed. It enables the plant to focus energy 27 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:10.680 on creating more blooms instead of seeds, and why they bloom so strongly and 28 00:02:10.759 --> 00:02:15.759 you don't need deadheading. But still there are many plants that can give us 29 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:22.599 that added bonus of blooming. Now, I think right off the top stacy 30 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:27.479 about plants. I've mentioned oft in my love for supertunias, like bubblegum, 31 00:02:27.879 --> 00:02:31.319 which is sterile and blooms its head off. But for me, someone who's 32 00:02:31.319 --> 00:02:36.800 been in the industry for a long time, a perfect example is sweet a 33 00:02:36.919 --> 00:02:39.840 lissm oh perfect one. Yeah. My friend in New Jersey, her mom 34 00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:45.599 had Sweetlism self sewing in her front stairs up to her house, and it 35 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:49.439 was just, you know, the sweetest, most charming look. It's you 36 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:53.280 know, if you like the cottage garden look, self sewing plants are your 37 00:02:53.479 --> 00:02:58.439 best friend. Yeah. Now today, instead of sweet lism often referred to 38 00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:01.919 as labularia. And when I first started out in the industry, there were 39 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:07.120 flats and flats and varieties of plants that were called Royal carpet or carpet of 40 00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:13.759 snow or rosy o day and the plant being in the mustard family, It's 41 00:03:13.800 --> 00:03:17.520 seeded like crazy. It'd be beautiful in early spring because it liked the cool 42 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:22.360 temperatures, and then it would wear out as we got into the heat of 43 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:28.520 summer. Today, the labularity of varieties proven winners offers a number of different 44 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:34.360 types, including snow Princess, which is both cold and heat tolerant and is 45 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:39.319 sterile. So that particular flowering annual has come a long way since thirty forty 46 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:43.879 years ago. It has people totally think about that plant differently. But you 47 00:03:43.879 --> 00:03:47.599 know what hasn't changed is it smells amazing. I love the fragrance. And 48 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:52.199 you know, snow Princess has larger flowers. Again, since it doesn't set 49 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:54.240 seed, it's putting all the energy into flower production, which is a very 50 00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:57.800 good thing. But I think there's room for both. You know, you 51 00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:02.360 can put your snow Princess in your containers to really enjoy that strong flower performance 52 00:04:02.680 --> 00:04:06.120 and then let those old fashioned types kind of self so around in your garden 53 00:04:06.520 --> 00:04:12.080 again to get that cottage garden look. And they're great pollinator plants as well. 54 00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:16.120 Yeah exactly. So let me right off the bat give you a lima 55 00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:21.439 rick about self sowing plants. It's just very short. These plants I do 56 00:04:21.519 --> 00:04:28.160 not know where from. It must be my prolific green thumb. The seedlings 57 00:04:28.199 --> 00:04:33.519 have become invasive, their presence is pervasive. I'll sell them for disposable income. 58 00:04:35.319 --> 00:04:38.519 Well, you know, you do see that. You do see people 59 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:42.879 taking things itself so and putting them in little containers and selling them, you 60 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:46.639 know, next to their driveway. That is not unheard of in these parts. 61 00:04:47.240 --> 00:04:51.680 Well, i'll tell you what. Let's get into some herbs and veggies 62 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:57.279 here a minute, because I know you really appreciate that in the garden stacy 63 00:04:57.399 --> 00:05:00.879 and when it comes to self so there, we would be able to do 64 00:05:00.920 --> 00:05:03.560 a number of episodes on this. I want to just throw out there initially, 65 00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:08.519 right off the bat. Borridge. Oh, one of my favorites is 66 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:15.160 it? I love it? Okay now, because it's controversial, seeds like 67 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:17.120 crazy, it does, it can get out of hand. So I did 68 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:21.120 have it at my old house. Uh, and then when we moved into 69 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:24.920 my new house, my husband said, you're not planting that borridge again, 70 00:05:25.079 --> 00:05:28.560 are you? And to be fair, I have not, but I do 71 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:30.399 love it. First of all, it does self so and it self soo's 72 00:05:30.439 --> 00:05:33.319 quite a bit, but very very easy to manage. You know. The 73 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:39.480 seedlings are super easy to just rip out. And then the thing about borridge 74 00:05:39.480 --> 00:05:42.160 I think is a self sower is it does make kind of a large planet, 75 00:05:42.199 --> 00:05:46.000 makes like a rosette, and that can shade out its neighbors. But 76 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:48.120 when it does flower, you know, we just had the Blue Flower Show, 77 00:05:48.199 --> 00:05:53.560 the Blue Plant Show. Absolutely gorgeous, heavenly blue flowers, beautiful, 78 00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:56.920 and they taste like cucumbers. Yeah. I love the flavor of borridge. 79 00:05:56.959 --> 00:06:00.319 It tastes just like cucumbers. It's common to you know, you them as 80 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:02.480 a garnish on salads. You can also put them in ice cubes if you 81 00:06:02.519 --> 00:06:08.319 want to get real fancy with them. So they're eminently useful as much as 82 00:06:08.360 --> 00:06:11.839 they are prolific. I love it. See, we did not plan this 83 00:06:11.959 --> 00:06:15.839 in advance, and I knew if I just said borridge, Stacy would take 84 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:18.839 off with it. Yeah, I love it. That's fantastic. Now a 85 00:06:18.839 --> 00:06:24.560 lot of people will plant boradge because they consider it to be a good companion 86 00:06:24.680 --> 00:06:29.439 plant to deal with the insects. But if you think about it, boradge 87 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:34.680 in the vegetable garden also as a pollinator or great plant for pollinators. And 88 00:06:34.680 --> 00:06:41.319 then we have other cool seasoned vegetables like spinach, mustard, greens, lettuce. 89 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:45.519 I think in a show a few weeks ago you mentioned dil oh yep, 90 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:47.639 dill self shows in my garden and you know a lot of people I 91 00:06:47.639 --> 00:06:50.959 think when we were talking about starting seeds in the spring, people are out 92 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:55.079 there buying dale from the store or trying to start at indoors. Honestly, 93 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:58.800 the best thing you can do sprinkle the seed around in your garden in spring, 94 00:06:59.319 --> 00:07:01.560 let it do its, let it go to flower, and then let 95 00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:04.399 dil figure it out. That's what I like, you know, That's what 96 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:11.000 I like about self sowers. It's a big deal, yes, to put 97 00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:15.199 that in your garden. But yes, prolific self seeder. Arugola. We've 98 00:07:15.240 --> 00:07:17.920 talked about that, you know. I love my arugola. I have the 99 00:07:17.959 --> 00:07:25.240 wild Arugela diplotaxis, not the cultivated arugo arugola, which is Arucas tiva. 100 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:29.120 But itself sows all over my garden. Again, very easy to manage. 101 00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:30.360 And this is a different sort of I think between a self sower and a 102 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:33.360 weed, as a weed is hard to pull out, you know, like 103 00:07:33.399 --> 00:07:38.399 a tree can be very difficult, but something like the arugola super easy to 104 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:41.639 pull out wherever it comes from. And honestly, any day in the summer 105 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:45.920 pretty much I can walk out into my backyard and harvest in arugola salad and 106 00:07:45.959 --> 00:07:48.480 I have done zero work to get it. I love it, and so 107 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:53.519 good for you too. Arugolas so good for you. And you mentioned weed. 108 00:07:53.639 --> 00:07:58.720 Yeah, weeds are great self sowers. I think about Teasel Dame's Rocket 109 00:07:58.920 --> 00:08:01.600 in the ditches or the roadways and how fast. But some people love it 110 00:08:01.639 --> 00:08:07.720 because it's so beautiful. When it's in flower, you think about garlic mustard 111 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:11.519 or hairy bittercress, and those are some bad ones, you know. I 112 00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:15.800 always wanted to start a rock band called Teasel and the Dame's Rockets. I 113 00:08:15.839 --> 00:08:18.439 always thought that that would be a great name. Yeah. So, as 114 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:22.279 far as seed from annuals are concerned, through a couple of quick ones out 115 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:28.480 here you've mentioned on previous shows flax right, yep, because I'll have to 116 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:33.679 have that on the list. Moss rows cleone, nasturtiums. They're popping up 117 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:37.559 in my garden all the time. Nasturtiums. Yes, you can't get enough 118 00:08:37.559 --> 00:08:41.519 of those in edible Colenjela Bachelor button. So that you know, there's a 119 00:08:41.639 --> 00:08:46.600 number of what will consider self seeders. So again, as far as annuals 120 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:52.200 are concerned, many of the new varieties are sterile. That causes them to 121 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:56.639 be tremendous bloomers. That's great, But there are also self sewers, and 122 00:08:56.919 --> 00:09:00.960 there's kind of a reward to it. I love it the fouling year when 123 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:03.720 I have tomato plants that are popping up in my vegetable day. Yeah, 124 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:07.320 you know, people, you know because tomatoes are a warm climate plant. 125 00:09:07.799 --> 00:09:13.720 People are often surprised to find out that tomatoes are remarkably persistent, and any 126 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:16.559 that you left to kind of sit around on the ground will almost certainly pop 127 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:18.480 up. The extra Now, you never know what you're going to get. 128 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:22.480 If you have an heirloom variety, you're probably going to get something very close 129 00:09:22.519 --> 00:09:26.519 to, if not mostly identical to the same plant you grew previously. But 130 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:30.720 if it's a hybrid plant, it's anybody's guess, and that's part of the 131 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:35.919 fun Love It the Self so show. We'll continue with this topic. As 132 00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:41.440 a matter of fact, we'll talk about heirlooms during the mailbag segment of today's 133 00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:46.200 show. But first we're gonna have plants on trial. Stacy's going to introduce 134 00:09:46.279 --> 00:09:50.279 us to a beauty that you should have in your landscape that's coming up next 135 00:09:50.360 --> 00:10:01.080 here on the Gardening Simplified Show, proven winner's color choice shrub cares about your 136 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:03.720 success in the garden. That's why we trial and test all of our shrubs 137 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:07.679 for eight to ten years, making sure they outperform everything else on the market. 138 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:11.240 Look for them in the distinctive white container at your local garden center. 139 00:10:13.320 --> 00:10:18.279 Readings Gardening Friends, and welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show where we were 140 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:24.200 talking about self sewers. That's s O W R. S plants that pop 141 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:26.159 up in your yard. And like I said, there's a difference between self 142 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:30.320 sowers and wheats weeds. Of course, our self sewing plants, that's why 143 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:33.720 they become problematic, but other self sewing plants can be quite useful, like 144 00:10:33.720 --> 00:10:37.879 we were talking about arugula time. And so when it comes to shrubs and 145 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:39.879 what plant we're going to put on trial, you know, I always try 146 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:46.759 to relate it somehow. And I wanted to pick a plant today that it 147 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:50.879 does not self sew, but sometimes it gets painted with two broad a stroke 148 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:56.440 and people think it does so they won't plant it. And that plant is 149 00:10:56.960 --> 00:11:05.600 Sunny Boulevard. Hypericum suddenly appeared in the Syria. Know so hypericum is generally 150 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:09.759 known as its common name is Saint John's wort, and I think a lot 151 00:11:09.799 --> 00:11:13.039 of people are familiar with it, not as a plant, but as an 152 00:11:13.080 --> 00:11:18.679 herbal supplement exactly. It is believed to alleviate depression or bad moods. And 153 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:24.440 I think when you look at the plants and these fabulous, bright yellow flowers, 154 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:26.279 it's easy to see why. I mean, how can you not smile 155 00:11:26.279 --> 00:11:30.879 when you look at these things. They are the definition of cheerfulness. I'm 156 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:35.679 not ingesting it and I'm smiling exactly. But you know, one of the 157 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:41.200 things that often happens with other plants is that because people just hear hypericum or 158 00:11:41.240 --> 00:11:46.120 they just hear Saint John's wort, and they may know that there are hypericums 159 00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:48.600 or Saint John's wort that are weedy, they are invasive, they have come 160 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:54.120 in from other countries they're taking over. But that does not mean that all 161 00:11:54.200 --> 00:11:56.960 hypericum are the same. And so this particular variety that we have here, 162 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:03.120 this is Sunny Boulevard hypericum. It is Hypericum kalmanum, and it is in 163 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:07.120 fact a North American native. It grows throughout the Midwest here even all the 164 00:12:07.159 --> 00:12:13.240 way over to the East coast. And this one is not going to become 165 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:18.080 invasive. See, people are going to love that stacy because again, hypericum, 166 00:12:18.120 --> 00:12:22.679 you said, kalmianum calmianum. Yes, because there are different types of 167 00:12:22.759 --> 00:12:26.960 Hypericum. I did a little research and some high pericums were brought by European 168 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:33.000 settlers to the US. But this is a North American native. And in 169 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:39.240 my research, Peter Kalm a student of the well the father of botanical nomenclature, 170 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:43.559 Carl Linnaeus, who discovered the plant in the wild in North America in 171 00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:48.279 the seventeen hundreds, right, And so Peter Calm was a very important figure. 172 00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:52.720 Hypericum calmianum is named after him, and he has a whole genus named 173 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:56.120 for him, Kalmia, which is our fabulous native mountain Laurel fantast which I 174 00:12:56.159 --> 00:13:00.120 think we had a mail bag question about that a few months ago back in 175 00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:03.399 the spring. So Peter Calm, Swedish guy, big fan of North American 176 00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:09.840 native flowers and foliage, and that is what brings us to this plant. 177 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:13.440 So I know most of the invasive hypericums out there are actually herbaceous plants. 178 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:18.000 Okay, so they're not woody plants. They're herbaceous perennials. They die back 179 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:20.120 to the ground, and you know, certainly when you see the flowers or 180 00:13:20.120 --> 00:13:24.200 if you look up, you know invasive Hypericum. You'll see that the flowers 181 00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:28.600 are really nothing like this. They're they're small, they don't have this fabulous 182 00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:31.759 sunbursts in the center of each of the flowers. So it's important as you 183 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:37.919 learn more about plants to not just assume that just because you hear this genus 184 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:39.960 or this common name and you hear that some of it is invasive. To 185 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:45.200 dig a little bit deeper to find out more. And one of the things 186 00:13:45.240 --> 00:13:46.919 that I love the most about this plant. Okay, there's two things I 187 00:13:46.919 --> 00:13:52.639 love most about this plant. Number one, it really naturally takes on a 188 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:56.759 nice rounded shape and it does. It's not too dense, it's not too 189 00:13:56.759 --> 00:13:58.000 meat bali, which you know, I kind of prefer things to be a 190 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:01.279 little bit more wild and open looking. I know some people do like the 191 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:05.519 meatball look, but I do like the natural shape that it takes on. 192 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:11.000 And it's covered in these yellow flowers basically all of July and August. So 193 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:13.200 it's here in the studio. If you want to check us out on YouTube, 194 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:16.720 you will see it here on the studio table. And like I said, 195 00:14:16.759 --> 00:14:24.360 each bloom is kind of crowned with this little sunburst of stamens. For 196 00:14:24.440 --> 00:14:26.480 a really unique look, and this will not become invasive. It's not going 197 00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:31.240 to set seed and pop up all over your yard. It's just a really 198 00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:33.720 really nice choice. Even if you aren't into native plants full sun. This 199 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:39.440 is a plant definitely for full sun. But if you can give it that, 200 00:14:39.559 --> 00:14:43.399 I think that you're really going to be happy with how long it blooms 201 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:46.720 and all the pollinators that it attracts. You know, when you look at 202 00:14:46.759 --> 00:14:50.360 the long blooming and the time of year that it blooms. To me, 203 00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:54.320 it's similar in the landscape to potentilla, a completely different plant but kind of 204 00:14:54.360 --> 00:14:58.519 has that same kind of working nature in our landscape. I'm really glad you 205 00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:05.720 mentioned the connection to potentilla, because this is not as it's so Both potentilla 206 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:09.519 and Saint John's were are not super heat tolerant plants. I know that's dangerous 207 00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:11.440 talk these days when so many people are are working through so much heat. 208 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:16.080 Both of the plants are pretty much hardy from like zone four to seven, 209 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:20.080 so not going into the heat. But I think that if you like potentilla, 210 00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:24.240 you like how long it blooms, this makes a really nice alternative. 211 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:30.039 It's much much less susceptible to spider mites than potentilla and Potentilla great plant very 212 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:33.399 deer resistant native. I do like potentilla a lot, but because it is 213 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:37.679 so dense and low, it can get outbreaks of spider mites, and that's 214 00:15:37.720 --> 00:15:41.639 really not going to be an issue with this. In fact, speaking of 215 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:48.679 you know, challenging conditions, Sunny Boulevard Hypericum last year won a Blue Ribbon 216 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:54.639 Award for drought tolerance from the University of California Davis Drought Trials. Wow. 217 00:15:54.120 --> 00:15:58.320 So that's some pretty high praise because you know, it's one thing to say, 218 00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:00.639 oh, it's drought tolerant in Michigan, in quite another to say it's 219 00:16:00.679 --> 00:16:04.559 drought tolerant in California. And these Blue Ribbon Trials, you know, they 220 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:08.320 have beds at the University of California Davis with tons and tons of plants. 221 00:16:10.039 --> 00:16:15.200 We had some other plants win too, including pugster blue Buddleia and Jukebox Pyracamalis. 222 00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:19.000 But this one I thought was particularly interesting because you know, when it 223 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:25.080 comes to drought tolerance, you have plants that can just survive, like they'll 224 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:29.480 come out of drought and not die, and plants that will actually continue doing 225 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:33.759 what you purchase them for. And this is in the ladder, so if 226 00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:37.279 you you know, can grow it even under challenging drought conditions, you're still 227 00:16:37.320 --> 00:16:41.000 going to get these really, really nice flowers. And you know, to 228 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:45.519 me that is hugely important because I don't want to water. Yeah, I 229 00:16:45.559 --> 00:16:51.440 agree, I love it. Now we've already established that the plant is native 230 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:55.559 to North America, and if you're keeping score at home, the plant is 231 00:16:55.600 --> 00:17:00.559 Sunny Boulevard hypericum and you'll get information at our website site Gardening Simplified on air 232 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:04.960 dot com. Stacy the story behind it, I'm going to guess that it 233 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:10.240 was developed right here in West Michigan. Am I right or wrong? You 234 00:17:10.599 --> 00:17:14.440 You are right right, You're right out of the nose. And this is 235 00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:18.519 an example of one of our earlier plants where you know, we weren't really 236 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:23.440 setting out to breed something. We were early in the life of Proof and 237 00:17:23.480 --> 00:17:29.519 Winner's Color Choice Shrubs, a lot of what we were doing was just looking 238 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:33.200 at native plants and trying to find outliers. You know, and when this 239 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:37.759 is interesting because it does tie back into seeds when plants inter hybridize, so 240 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:38.880 you know, you have one plan over here, one plant over here, 241 00:17:40.039 --> 00:17:42.480 a bee pollinates them. That seed now has multiple genetics in it, and 242 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:45.640 as a result, the seed that comes out of it can be different than 243 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:51.799 its parents. And what we noticed about this one is that it really had 244 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:55.440 that nice, dense habit, bigger flowers, because that's important. You know, 245 00:17:55.480 --> 00:17:59.640 if you were to see Hypericum calminum in the wild, you probably would 246 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:02.880 not look at it quite like Sunny Boulevard and go, whoa, those are 247 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:07.319 huge, interesting flowers. They would be smaller and a little less conspicuous. 248 00:18:07.680 --> 00:18:08.960 And that's what we're looking for is, you know, can we get all 249 00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:14.039 of those good qualities of the native plant, you know, the drought tolerance 250 00:18:14.519 --> 00:18:18.799 and the ability to attract pollinators, but also get it in a kind of 251 00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:22.799 habit and with flowering that makes people actually want to, you know, put 252 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:26.279 it in their landscape. So yeah, this is a this the original genetics 253 00:18:26.279 --> 00:18:30.359 for this are actually from right here in Michigan. So talk about a native 254 00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:33.799 plant and it's been around for a while, but I think it's really sort 255 00:18:33.839 --> 00:18:41.039 of undergoing a renaissance since it won this drought tolerance award in California. But 256 00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:42.359 overall in terms of growing it, like I said full sun, so you're 257 00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:45.759 gonna want at least six hours of sun each day to grow this successfully. 258 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:51.640 Not really going to need much pruning at all. It does naturally take on 259 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:55.799 this rounded habit. But if you are a meatballer and you like that nice 260 00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:59.160 dense look, you can certainly do that. You would do that in spring 261 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:02.480 it blooms on new wood, and then you know it will just keep putting 262 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:06.400 on these flowers. Other than that, it really doesn't need anything. It 263 00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:11.359 doesn't get any kinds of diseases or problems. It's just a super easy to 264 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:17.519 grow, very agreeable plant. And one again just to go back to why 265 00:19:17.559 --> 00:19:21.039 I picked it, because it's not going to sell so for you, but 266 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:23.160 you should not assume that it's going to be like all of those other weedy 267 00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:29.279 hypericums that would so. I love that. And I think I mentioned this 268 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:33.440 before, but with high peracum, I'm pretty sure if you go to Cedar 269 00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:37.799 Point the amusement park, when you're inverted on one of those roller coasters, 270 00:19:37.799 --> 00:19:41.559 there's a huge bed of high pericum in bloom. Yes, I had my 271 00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:45.160 eyes open. But the point that I'm trying to make here, Stacy, 272 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:49.359 is the bloom time July August, Prime Time. Fantastic. That was a 273 00:19:49.480 --> 00:19:53.880 very wise planting choice on the behalf of the Cedar Point Landscape Designers, So 274 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:57.480 salute to you. If you want to learn more about Sonny Boulevard Hypericum, 275 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:02.559 just visit Gardening Simplified OnAir dot com. We will have pictures, we will 276 00:20:02.599 --> 00:20:04.720 have links to it on the Proven Winner's Color Choice website and everything else you 277 00:20:04.759 --> 00:20:07.960 need to know. We're going to take a little bit of a break when 278 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:10.839 we come back, We're opening up that gardening mail bag, so please stay 279 00:20:10.839 --> 00:20:21.640 tuned at Proven Winner's Color Choice. We've got a shrub for every taste and 280 00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:26.400 every space. Whether you're looking for an easycare rose, an unforgettable hydrangea, 281 00:20:26.599 --> 00:20:29.680 or something new and unique, you can be confident that the shrubs and the 282 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:33.720 white containers have been trialed and tested for your success. Look for them at 283 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:40.359 your local garden center. Creatings Gardening Friends, and welcome back to the Gardening 284 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:45.359 Simplified Show. You know I do love helping people become better gardeners, helping 285 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:48.759 them demystify gardening. Simplify gardening if you will, so, I always love 286 00:20:48.839 --> 00:20:52.480 opening up the mailbag, and I know we're a little bit behind question on 287 00:20:52.599 --> 00:20:56.559 questions. So I want to thank everybody who's written to us. I will 288 00:20:56.599 --> 00:20:59.119 get back to you eventually. Some of the questions I can't answer on air 289 00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:03.920 because they're just too complicated to answer, but I do respond, and I 290 00:21:03.960 --> 00:21:07.359 appreciate in our new sends in pictures because you know what gardening is. I 291 00:21:07.400 --> 00:21:11.759 don't have a crystal ball, so pictures help us always give you the best 292 00:21:11.839 --> 00:21:15.079 possible answers. So what do we got in the mailbag this week? Rick? 293 00:21:15.160 --> 00:21:18.759 All right? Michelle is asking us I'm growing airloom tomatoes and let us 294 00:21:18.759 --> 00:21:23.839 this year from seeds received at a seed exchange. That's cool. The plants 295 00:21:23.880 --> 00:21:29.480 look marvelous. I'd love to harvest their seeds to use in next year's garden. 296 00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:33.079 Is there a special trick to saving tomato and let us seeds to ensure 297 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:40.000 viability next season? Such a good question, and so timely with ourself sewing 298 00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:44.519 show as well. So, as Ric explained, you don't have to really 299 00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:49.200 try necessarily to save tomato seeds if you leave some. You know, invariably, 300 00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:52.200 even with our best intents, some tomatoes fall off the vine. We 301 00:21:52.279 --> 00:21:57.000 forget about them. They pop up for years to come with airloom tomatoes that 302 00:21:57.079 --> 00:22:00.559 might be different, particularly if they're larger fruited though, because you're not you 303 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:03.799 know, you put so much energy into those, you're not letting those just 304 00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:07.519 fall by the wayside and rot. So in that case, to make sure 305 00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:14.000 that you have the best success with the seed, you want to take that 306 00:22:14.039 --> 00:22:19.920 tomato when it's fully right, squeeze out the seed and uh rinse it and 307 00:22:19.960 --> 00:22:23.519 then put it in like a little plastic cup or something disposable or that you 308 00:22:23.559 --> 00:22:27.079 don't care too much about of with a little bit of water. And what's 309 00:22:27.079 --> 00:22:30.799 going to happen is those seeds are going to develop mold. That's good. 310 00:22:30.119 --> 00:22:34.079 You want, very good. You want that to happen. Yes, yeah, 311 00:22:34.119 --> 00:22:38.359 So you're gonna don't panic. You want that mold to develop, and 312 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:42.119 that's basically going to just kind of get them ready to go dormant. So 313 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:47.920 once that mold develops, you're just gonna dump that out and leave the moldy 314 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:52.480 seeds kind of on a paper towel, you know, and let them dry, 315 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:56.960 and then you've got the seeds and that's that's pretty much all you have 316 00:22:56.039 --> 00:23:00.839 to do. Now. Airlomb tomatoes are airlomb tomatoes is because they are. 317 00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:07.559 They're open pollinated hybrids, so you don't have to worry that they that the 318 00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:11.519 people who produced seed made a special concerted cross to get this. Pretty much, 319 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:15.359 they're going to what's called come true from seed. You know. Chances 320 00:23:15.400 --> 00:23:21.240 are the pollinators went from one flower of whatever airloom tomato you have to the 321 00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:22.599 other, and so it's going to be identical to its parents, which is 322 00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:26.839 what makes an heirloom an airloom. Yeah, and I think that's the important 323 00:23:26.920 --> 00:23:30.119 key. You know. I love stories that I read of years ago when 324 00:23:30.200 --> 00:23:36.279 families would come to the United States from Europe and they didn't have many possessions, 325 00:23:36.319 --> 00:23:38.960 but they had some seeds with them. Yeah, there's nothing like the 326 00:23:40.039 --> 00:23:42.839 taste of home exactly and settled in New Jersey now. I think one of 327 00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:49.240 the keys here with Michelle's question also is that tomato she mentions tomatoes and lettuce. 328 00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:55.640 Tomatoes and lettuce are self pollinating plants, whereas if you get into Q 329 00:23:55.880 --> 00:24:00.880 curbets like watermelon or melons or squash, then things can it a little fun 330 00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:04.079 because you have both the female and the male flowers on the same plant. 331 00:24:04.160 --> 00:24:08.519 When we start cross pollinating, well, some interesting stuff can happen, but 332 00:24:08.599 --> 00:24:15.480 because they are self pollinating. Again, that wet seed approach I'm going to 333 00:24:15.559 --> 00:24:21.440 call it that you describe stacy is is perfect. I would say when you 334 00:24:21.559 --> 00:24:23.519 dry them, one thing when I've tried this, one thing that I would 335 00:24:23.559 --> 00:24:29.680 recommend is is possibly drying them on a ceramic plate or a cookie sheet, 336 00:24:30.279 --> 00:24:33.759 because sometimes on the paper toweling when they dry, they kind of stick. 337 00:24:34.119 --> 00:24:37.039 I got to peel them off there, that's true. Yeah, and then 338 00:24:37.039 --> 00:24:40.559 it's just gonna hold moisture. So that's that's a good point. Now, 339 00:24:40.599 --> 00:24:42.359 the lettuce, Michelle, you're not going to have to worry about you don't. 340 00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:45.079 You don't have to ferment it or anything like that. The trick with 341 00:24:45.079 --> 00:24:48.640 the lettuce, and a lot of people don't realize, you know, when 342 00:24:48.920 --> 00:24:52.559 when you're eating lettuce, you don't want it to flower because once lettuce starts 343 00:24:52.559 --> 00:24:56.400 to flower, if you've ever seen it, it gets this milky sap. 344 00:24:56.480 --> 00:25:00.400 It is the most bitter thing you have ever tasted in your life. But 345 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:03.920 that's what you need to do to get to seed because once that flower stalk 346 00:25:04.039 --> 00:25:07.160 starts to come up, lettuce is actually in the daisy family. A lot 347 00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:10.599 of people don't realize that, so you want to go ahead and let that 348 00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:12.200 flower stalk come up, and you know, naturally that's going to happen, 349 00:25:12.279 --> 00:25:15.599 especially if you live in a hot climate. The weather starts getting super warm 350 00:25:15.640 --> 00:25:18.839 and the lettuce bolts, and that means it's going to go to seeds. 351 00:25:18.839 --> 00:25:21.920 So with the lettuce, you basically just need to let that grow, let 352 00:25:21.960 --> 00:25:25.920 those flowers grow up, watch for those seed pods to develop, and then 353 00:25:26.039 --> 00:25:30.079 collect the seed before it starts to spread on its own. So that's going 354 00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:33.759 to be more of a timing issue. Just be there with your little envelope 355 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:36.839 or bowl or whatever when those seed pods just start to dry out. Don't 356 00:25:36.839 --> 00:25:40.759 wait too far because then they'll just drop and you'll get self sewing lettuce in 357 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:45.680 your cracks like Adriana has on her back porch. But very very easy to 358 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:48.839 collect the lettuce seeds, So I would encourage you to do that. And 359 00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:52.119 you know, if you participate in a seed library like at your local library, 360 00:25:52.440 --> 00:25:56.160 this is a great way to contribute the seeds that you've taken back to 361 00:25:56.440 --> 00:26:00.160 that source. Yeah, that's great, And of course, Stacy, you 362 00:26:00.200 --> 00:26:03.920 mentioned that important point of letting the seed dry. We don't want to put 363 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:08.680 them in storage wet in any way, put them in a good enclosed container. 364 00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:12.279 And then where you store it is important. Also, we don't want 365 00:26:12.319 --> 00:26:17.519 fluctuating temperatures in the area where you store this or high humidity. Yeah, 366 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:19.200 exactly, all right, what do we got next? All right? Thanks 367 00:26:19.200 --> 00:26:25.839 Michelle. Shirley yikes, surely saying this not me. My Annabelle hydrangea is 368 00:26:25.880 --> 00:26:27.319 a mess. I had to cut it to the ground. I must confess. 369 00:26:27.400 --> 00:26:32.160 Down came the rain. Now I'm in pain fixing it as hard, 370 00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:36.160 I guess. Wow, well done, well done. Surely, she says, 371 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:40.039 love your show, love Rix Limericks, but would love your help on 372 00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:44.680 what I should do now, So Stacy help Shirley out here. I don't 373 00:26:44.680 --> 00:26:47.680 know if I can do it in rhyme, but I can offer a little 374 00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:51.440 bit of advice here, so surely. Yeah. You know Annabelle hydrangea, 375 00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:56.319 which of course is a native smooth hydrangea, beautiful plant, classic, but 376 00:26:56.440 --> 00:26:59.319 it does flop. It's just kind of one of the things that it does. 377 00:26:59.359 --> 00:27:02.720 Now. It certainly can be a lot worse after a rain or when 378 00:27:02.720 --> 00:27:04.599 you have a more mature plant. But there are a few things that you 379 00:27:04.599 --> 00:27:10.400 can do to minimize the flopping on annabel. So number one, a lot 380 00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:12.720 of people cut their Annabelle hydrangees to the ground. Do not do that. 381 00:27:12.960 --> 00:27:15.400 The plant will be fine, you know, it will still grow on and 382 00:27:15.720 --> 00:27:19.039 grow up in flower. But when you cut annabel is a shrub, it's 383 00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:22.039 a hydrange so it's a woody plant. When you whack that back to the 384 00:27:22.039 --> 00:27:26.079 ground every single year, all of the growth that comes up is going to 385 00:27:26.119 --> 00:27:30.599 be soft herbaceous growth, and as such, it's not going to develop that 386 00:27:30.680 --> 00:27:37.559 wood strength to keep those blooms more upright. That's a super important point and 387 00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:41.039 something you taught me, Stacey, and it makes perfect sense to me. 388 00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:42.440 It really differ. So instead of cutting it all the way back to the 389 00:27:42.440 --> 00:27:45.200 ground, you're just going to cut it back by about a third. It's 390 00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:48.680 total height, so you know, if it's three feet tall, you're going 391 00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:52.960 to cut off the top foot. And at that same time you're going to 392 00:27:53.000 --> 00:27:56.759 want to clean out any thin spindley side branches because those aren't really going to 393 00:27:56.839 --> 00:28:03.000 be very strong either. So that will help. More sun, especially if 394 00:28:03.000 --> 00:28:04.799 you live in a cooler climate and it can take more sun, will also 395 00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:08.519 help quite a bit. You know, anytime you grow any plant in too 396 00:28:08.559 --> 00:28:12.799 much shade. It starts trying to stretch and reach the light and that's going 397 00:28:12.839 --> 00:28:17.920 to lead to those longer stems which are going to be a little bit floppier. 398 00:28:18.359 --> 00:28:22.079 And you also don't want to over fertilize like one application in spring. 399 00:28:22.240 --> 00:28:25.480 Totally fine, but if you're really like over fertilizing it, and a lot 400 00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:27.920 of people I've found they're not intending to over fertilize it, but they have 401 00:28:27.960 --> 00:28:32.720 like a lawn service or something like that that comes around and is fertilizing the 402 00:28:32.759 --> 00:28:34.240 lawn. Well, if it's you know, near the lawn, then it's 403 00:28:34.279 --> 00:28:37.759 taking up some of that fertilizer. That will also just push a lot of 404 00:28:37.759 --> 00:28:41.079 soft growth. But another thing that you can consider again, Annabelle is a 405 00:28:41.079 --> 00:28:48.160 classic, but we selected Incredible Hydrangea specifically to be less floppy, and as 406 00:28:48.200 --> 00:28:52.839 it turns out, the flowers are larger. So if some people like the 407 00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:55.640 flopping, you know, they make it work in their design and that's totally 408 00:28:55.640 --> 00:28:59.079 cool. But if you don't like the flopping, I would recommend that you 409 00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:03.920 give incredib ball a try. But all that said, you know, sometimes 410 00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:07.200 especially if you had a year where we haven't like this year was a perfect 411 00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:10.960 storm for flopping annabels, because we had a very very dry May in June, 412 00:29:11.640 --> 00:29:15.279 and then we've had, you know, quite a bit of rainfall in 413 00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:18.279 July and August so far, and that just doesn't give the plant the ability 414 00:29:18.359 --> 00:29:22.440 to like start developing strength against the rain. So some years, unfortunately, 415 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:26.160 you can do all of this and it's still going to happen. It's just 416 00:29:26.200 --> 00:29:30.240 one of the characteristics of the plant. That's a great answer. Surely, 417 00:29:30.359 --> 00:29:33.039 I told you Stacy would come to the rescue, and let's get together sometime 418 00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:37.680 and write some limb a ricks. All right, I gotta squeeze this one 419 00:29:37.720 --> 00:29:40.960 in a minute. Amy's asking about mock orange. Wants to use it as 420 00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:45.279 a hedge, has difficulty finding it. She asked, is it just not 421 00:29:45.480 --> 00:29:48.160 popular? Too old fashioned? And I guess I'd throw in real quickly here. 422 00:29:48.359 --> 00:29:53.200 I love mock orange, but I understand what Amy is saying. Is 423 00:29:53.240 --> 00:29:56.319 it because it's a lot like for scythia, where it just blooms for a 424 00:29:56.359 --> 00:30:00.720 short time in spring and then it's just leafy the rest of the years, 425 00:30:00.759 --> 00:30:03.799 So it's more difficult to find out there. That could be one reason I 426 00:30:04.279 --> 00:30:10.119 feel my personal thoughts on it are that it's considered a bit old fashioned and 427 00:30:10.200 --> 00:30:11.640 kind of fell out of favor. Now if you smell mock orange, you're 428 00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:15.160 gonna want it. I mean, the fragrance is is just amazing. But 429 00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:19.599 also a lot of the older varieties are huge, you know, ten twelve 430 00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:25.279 feet tall and just you know, as people have demanded you know, less 431 00:30:25.359 --> 00:30:29.279 intensive landscapes and all of that, they haven't wanted such a big plant. 432 00:30:29.279 --> 00:30:33.000 Now, we do have a couple of proven winners mock oranges, which hopefully 433 00:30:33.240 --> 00:30:36.559 will help them start getting into the market. They are smaller, their neater. 434 00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:41.839 It's the Illuminati series of mock Orange or Philadelphis. So I will put 435 00:30:41.839 --> 00:30:45.400 links to those in the show notes at Gardening Simplified on air dot com and 436 00:30:45.440 --> 00:30:49.480 hopefully that will start turning things around so you can make that fabulous mock orange 437 00:30:49.519 --> 00:30:52.440 hedge of your dreams. Amy, all right, we gotta take a little 438 00:30:52.440 --> 00:30:55.759 bit of a break. When we come back, we've got a special guest, 439 00:30:55.799 --> 00:31:03.599 so please stay tuned. The Gardening Simplified Show is brought to you by 440 00:31:03.640 --> 00:31:08.720 proven winners Color Choice Shrubs. Our award winning flowering shrubs and evergreens have been 441 00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:14.400 trialed and tested for your success. So you enjoy more beauty and less work. 442 00:31:14.799 --> 00:31:18.640 Look for proven winners color choice shrubs in the distinctive white container at your 443 00:31:18.680 --> 00:31:25.640 local garden center. Welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show. It's time for 444 00:31:25.720 --> 00:31:30.480 branching news and making news. This week is our interview with Andrew Bunting, 445 00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:37.480 who is Vice President of Horticulture and leads the utilization of planting and designed to 446 00:31:37.559 --> 00:31:45.319 promote environmentally sound gardening practices at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Now. Andrew received 447 00:31:45.359 --> 00:31:51.839 his Bachelor of Science degree in plant and soil science from Southern Illinois University. 448 00:31:52.200 --> 00:31:56.799 He also has worked at the Chicago Botanic Garden, chant the Clear Garden, 449 00:31:56.000 --> 00:32:02.240 and the Scott Arboretum, and in addition to that I saw with great interest, 450 00:32:02.319 --> 00:32:07.599 serves on the board of the Magnolia Society International. Andrew published his first 451 00:32:07.599 --> 00:32:15.880 book in twenty fifteen, The Plant Lover's Guide to Magnolias and True True to 452 00:32:15.960 --> 00:32:22.680 Our Hearts Stacy and myself. Andrew enjoys bird watching and travel and of course 453 00:32:22.759 --> 00:32:25.759 gardening. Andrew, Welcome to the Gardening Simplified Show. Thanks for joining us. 454 00:32:27.319 --> 00:32:30.640 Yeah, thanks for having me. Really appreciate it. Now, the 455 00:32:30.680 --> 00:32:37.079 Pennsylvania Horticulture Society in my research says that I guess the work that it does 456 00:32:37.440 --> 00:32:44.680 is it works to promote access to fresh food, healthy living environments, deep 457 00:32:44.799 --> 00:32:50.960 social connections, and economic opportunities. Tell us a little something about the Pennsylvania 458 00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:59.359 Horticultural Society. So you're you're absolutely right. The work that we do really 459 00:33:00.920 --> 00:33:06.160 needs to do, you know, either all or some of those We call 460 00:33:06.240 --> 00:33:10.359 them impacact priorities, which you just listed, and we do it through a 461 00:33:10.440 --> 00:33:16.200 number of different ways. We some of that work is through one of our 462 00:33:16.200 --> 00:33:22.519 program channels, which there's landscapes, So we maintain twenty different public gardens and 463 00:33:22.599 --> 00:33:29.920 landscapes throughout mostly Philadelphia and one to the north of Philadelphia Montgomery County, which 464 00:33:30.440 --> 00:33:36.079 is about eighty acres in total, and those areas gardens that are free and 465 00:33:36.200 --> 00:33:40.680 accessible to everyone. We also have another program matic arm called Healthy Neighborhoods. 466 00:33:40.839 --> 00:33:47.960 Within that program, we have a fairly extensive street tree program where we plant 467 00:33:49.079 --> 00:33:54.960 about three thousand street trees a year and most of these are in areas of 468 00:33:55.039 --> 00:34:00.759 the city where there's a limited three canopy low is two point five percent, 469 00:34:00.880 --> 00:34:07.119 so that's one of our targeted areas. We also have you talked about access 470 00:34:07.160 --> 00:34:13.800 to fresh food. We partner with about one hundred and seventy community gardens, 471 00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:21.320 and then we also have a workforce development program, and then a stormwater management 472 00:34:21.519 --> 00:34:30.800 program where we partner with the Philadelphia Water Department to give homeowners kind of water 473 00:34:31.079 --> 00:34:37.039 mitigation solutions such as rain barrels. And then the last big programmatic arm that 474 00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:45.159 most people know the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society or is the Philadelphia Flower Show. Love 475 00:34:45.320 --> 00:34:51.480 the Philadelphia Flowers Show. I tell you what when I've gone to the Philadelphia 476 00:34:51.519 --> 00:34:53.920 flower I'll tell you. I'll tell you what I do. Andrew, when 477 00:34:53.920 --> 00:34:58.599 I go to the show, do you live in the Philadelphia area? I 478 00:34:58.679 --> 00:35:02.119 do. I live just south of Philadelphia. Okay, So Stacy, what 479 00:35:02.199 --> 00:35:07.119 I'll do when I go to the Philadelphia Flower Show is I'll stay in a 480 00:35:07.199 --> 00:35:12.480 hotel near Independence Hall, and then early one morning I'll go for a run. 481 00:35:12.760 --> 00:35:15.599 And what you do is you run through the Ninth Street Italian Market, 482 00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:20.360 just like Rocky Balboa did. I had a feeling that's where this is. 483 00:35:20.400 --> 00:35:24.159 Got then past the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, you run through Chinatown and 484 00:35:24.199 --> 00:35:29.960 then as you proceed to the west, you get to the Philadelphia Art Museum 485 00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:34.239 and you get to run those steps like Rocky Balboa and Andrew. Boy, 486 00:35:34.320 --> 00:35:36.760 is that a great feeling when you get to the top of the steps. 487 00:35:37.119 --> 00:35:39.280 Yeah, yeah, because there's quite a few of them. Yeah, seventy 488 00:35:39.320 --> 00:35:45.719 two to be exact, Okay, And then your reward for the run as 489 00:35:45.760 --> 00:35:49.679 you get to go to the fabulous Philadelphia Flower Show exactly. So tell us 490 00:35:49.679 --> 00:35:54.000 about the Philadelphia Flower Show, Andrew. This is when for folks who have 491 00:35:54.119 --> 00:35:59.599 not attended, you walk in the door and it's like wow, it just 492 00:35:59.599 --> 00:36:05.960 blows away. It's amazing. Yea. So the Society was founded in eighteen 493 00:36:06.079 --> 00:36:09.400 twenty seven, and the Flower Show has been running almost every year since eighteen 494 00:36:10.079 --> 00:36:15.800 twenty nine, and it's most it's mostly an indoor show. We were outdoors 495 00:36:15.840 --> 00:36:22.880 because of COVID and twenty one and twenty two. We returned in twenty twenty 496 00:36:22.920 --> 00:36:27.320 three. So it's at the Pennsylvania Convention Center usually the last couple of days 497 00:36:27.360 --> 00:36:30.280 of February, the first week of March. In twenty twenty four, it's 498 00:36:30.360 --> 00:36:38.440 March second through the tenth and it's a large flower show over ten acres indoors, 499 00:36:38.519 --> 00:36:45.280 and about a third of it is major exhibits landscapers and designers put on 500 00:36:45.760 --> 00:36:52.800 especially put in large gardens within this space, and then the other portion or 501 00:36:52.320 --> 00:36:58.320 competitive classes. So there's an area called the port of Court where individuals can 502 00:36:58.400 --> 00:37:04.039 bring plants like us plants or cactus, succulent bulbs. You know, there's 503 00:37:04.039 --> 00:37:08.360 probably three hundred different categories where they bring individual plants, put them in individual 504 00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:13.800 classes, and then they're judge. And then there's other competitive classes like floral 505 00:37:14.639 --> 00:37:20.159 press plants. A lot of garden clubs make little gardens. There might be 506 00:37:20.199 --> 00:37:24.920 a whole class, and like balconies or window boxes or front stoops. There's 507 00:37:24.920 --> 00:37:30.639 a photography class, there's jewelry made out of natural materials. There's literally hundreds 508 00:37:30.679 --> 00:37:37.920 of classes where you can competitively enter, and then there's a fairly significant vendor 509 00:37:38.039 --> 00:37:45.320 area. So there's about four hundred vendors selling you know, mostly horticultural based 510 00:37:45.400 --> 00:37:50.360 or gardening based products. And then there's quite a bit of education that we 511 00:37:50.440 --> 00:37:57.079 kind of weave through the entire show. So the show as ten days long, 512 00:37:58.159 --> 00:38:02.440 and it is you know, if you're into gardening anywhere on the East 513 00:38:02.480 --> 00:38:07.159 Coast, most people trying to make it to the Flower So but we get 514 00:38:07.199 --> 00:38:13.320 people from all over the United States Boat as exhibitors and as judges, volunteers, 515 00:38:13.360 --> 00:38:17.239 and then as the attendees of the Flower Show as well. So there's 516 00:38:17.239 --> 00:38:22.519 something for everybody. Yes, yes, there's something for everyone, that's for 517 00:38:22.559 --> 00:38:25.000 sure. You know. The thing that's so amazing about the Philadelphia Flower Show 518 00:38:25.079 --> 00:38:30.480 is like it's timing. Just when you feel like you cannot take winter anymore, 519 00:38:30.760 --> 00:38:35.280 the Philadelphia Flower Show comes along and you come through those doors, and 520 00:38:35.880 --> 00:38:38.679 what always stands out to me in my memory is the smell of hyacinths. 521 00:38:39.039 --> 00:38:45.519 There's so yeah, I've heard that comment from dozens of people over the years, 522 00:38:45.599 --> 00:38:52.079 and it's you're right. It's in the Philadelphia area. It's still kind 523 00:38:52.119 --> 00:38:55.760 of winter. Maybe there's glimpses of spring with like with chaisals and some of 524 00:38:55.800 --> 00:39:00.960 the early bulbs they're just starting to poke out. So it's you know, 525 00:39:01.199 --> 00:39:07.880 it's a great kind of kickoff to the spring gardening season in the area. 526 00:39:07.840 --> 00:39:12.400 And you know, we put on the show and you know, we want 527 00:39:12.519 --> 00:39:20.239 to obviously h excite people about gardening, and you know, it's obviously just 528 00:39:20.320 --> 00:39:25.599 a great experience, but you know, they're like you said before, there's 529 00:39:27.000 --> 00:39:30.679 a little bit or a lot of content for everyone, and you know, 530 00:39:30.880 --> 00:39:37.199 that definitely excites the all the senses, especially the visual sense. Now, 531 00:39:37.320 --> 00:39:40.440 my favorite part of the Philadelphia Flower Show is by far the Horde of Court. 532 00:39:42.679 --> 00:39:45.000 You know that. I correct me if I'm wrong, but that really 533 00:39:45.039 --> 00:39:51.440 seems to me to sort of be like almost like a lost art or something 534 00:39:51.480 --> 00:39:52.920 that really isn't you know, you don't see that and a lot of other 535 00:39:52.960 --> 00:39:57.679 flower shows anymore. It used to be v thing for flower shows writer flower 536 00:39:57.719 --> 00:40:00.440 societies. They would get together and show off they're camilily blooms or you know, 537 00:40:00.599 --> 00:40:04.400 like you said, cactus and succulents. But you know, to me, 538 00:40:04.559 --> 00:40:08.920 seeing what's actually happening in people's greenhouses in homes and them sharing their skill 539 00:40:09.119 --> 00:40:15.000 and talent and seeing everything compared, that is hands down my absolute favorite thing 540 00:40:15.000 --> 00:40:19.800 in the flower show. Yeah, I agree, it's also my favorite, 541 00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:27.280 and it's you're right. I think it's to some degree like a type of 542 00:40:27.320 --> 00:40:31.800 gardening or displaying of gardening that was more popular, you know, decades ago 543 00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:37.960 with these local shows, whether it be roses or peones or whatever the case 544 00:40:38.079 --> 00:40:43.400 might be. Our show does differ a little in that all the plants are 545 00:40:43.639 --> 00:40:47.880 live. There's no there's only one class that has cut specimens in it. 546 00:40:49.639 --> 00:40:58.159 And so what it's done actually is with so many people interested in house plants, 547 00:40:58.159 --> 00:41:02.360 and that seems to be it seems to be continuing trend is we now 548 00:41:02.440 --> 00:41:08.280 have a lot of young people are participating and exhibiting in the Flowers Show, 549 00:41:08.480 --> 00:41:22.679 especially in the aeroid classes Baggia's terrariums jsinarians like African violence and streptocarpas and things 550 00:41:22.760 --> 00:41:30.119 like that. And there's fairly active societies in the Philadelphia area that are recruiting 551 00:41:30.239 --> 00:41:36.519 these new or younger members and it's great to see kind of the next generation 552 00:41:37.199 --> 00:41:39.880 coming along and they're literally we have a booklet until us a hunder page and 553 00:41:40.039 --> 00:41:45.360 long that outlines all the classes. So we say, if you have a 554 00:41:45.360 --> 00:41:50.639 plant, there's a class in the Horde of Court for you to enter it. 555 00:41:50.840 --> 00:41:54.000 So there's some classes that are fairly broad and open, like you know 556 00:41:54.440 --> 00:42:00.280 six inches or above foliage plants, well, that's that can encompass all sorts 557 00:42:00.320 --> 00:42:06.119 of different plants. And then there's dozens of classes that are specific to orchids. 558 00:42:06.760 --> 00:42:12.239 I'd say the cactus and succulents are probably the most popular, but then 559 00:42:12.280 --> 00:42:16.960 people also, you know, there's some local estates to bring in some mammoth 560 00:42:17.360 --> 00:42:25.280 specimens as well. So the only prerequisite two pre prerequisites of entering is it 561 00:42:25.320 --> 00:42:31.000 has to be an individual, So business can't enter plants. But an individual 562 00:42:31.119 --> 00:42:37.079 could be somebody you know, with a couple window sills in the city, 563 00:42:37.239 --> 00:42:40.679 or it could be somebody that has a mass of estate with a staff that 564 00:42:40.719 --> 00:42:45.840 takes care of their plants. And then you have to be in possession of 565 00:42:45.840 --> 00:42:49.920 the plants for six at least six months to enter it in the show. 566 00:42:50.280 --> 00:42:54.320 Okay, all right, interesting, we're chatting with Andrew Bunting, vice president 567 00:42:54.440 --> 00:43:01.519 of horticulture with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, talking about the Philadelphia Flower Show. 568 00:43:02.039 --> 00:43:07.280 Both Stacey and I would encourage you that if you've never gone to the Philadelphia 569 00:43:07.320 --> 00:43:10.440 Flower Show, you've got to have it on your list. Andrew, what 570 00:43:10.639 --> 00:43:16.599 is the website where people can learn more about both the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and 571 00:43:16.920 --> 00:43:22.320 the Philadelphia Flower Show? Right, so you can you can get all your 572 00:43:22.320 --> 00:43:30.519 information at PHS online dot org. All right, and Andrew, before we 573 00:43:30.639 --> 00:43:34.960 let you go, we do this with folks that we interview on the show. 574 00:43:35.000 --> 00:43:37.760 We did it with Bree Arthur last week. I know it's an unfair 575 00:43:37.840 --> 00:43:42.840 question, but we're going to ask you for a couple of plants that Andrew 576 00:43:43.000 --> 00:43:46.519 absolutely loves that you would share with our viewers and our listeners. Hey, 577 00:43:46.840 --> 00:43:50.480 you've got to grow this plant. And I'm going to guess with you. 578 00:43:50.599 --> 00:43:54.920 Probably one of them is some sort of magnolia, right, yeah, yeah, 579 00:43:54.960 --> 00:43:59.320 I would say, since you put me on the spot, yeah, 580 00:43:59.360 --> 00:44:02.840 I'll say magnolia. And one of my favorite magnolians. There actually a group 581 00:44:02.920 --> 00:44:08.199 of magnolias are the big leaf magnolias, and there are several species that are 582 00:44:08.199 --> 00:44:13.159 that are native to the United States, and one in particular is the ash 583 00:44:13.320 --> 00:44:20.480 Magnolia's Magnolia macropilla subspecies ashe it and has large leaves that kind of bring those 584 00:44:20.599 --> 00:44:29.239 tropical effect to the garden. It has large, white, fragrant flowers to 585 00:44:29.400 --> 00:44:32.280 be grown is out in the sun or as an understory plant. I know 586 00:44:32.480 --> 00:44:40.239 it's hardy in southwestern Michigan because it's a colleague that has one in Chicago, 587 00:44:40.280 --> 00:44:45.880 and I think Chicago is probably colder than where you are, so I would 588 00:44:45.920 --> 00:44:51.480 say that for a tree. And then I love annuals and tropicals, and 589 00:44:51.519 --> 00:44:55.719 one of my favorite plants that I grow every summer. Is the red Abyssinian 590 00:44:55.800 --> 00:45:06.280 banana, which is the in Setsi Morelli and morally I it's great purchas tropical 591 00:45:06.320 --> 00:45:13.400 effect in the summer garden. Yeah, that's fantastic, beautiful. Appreciate your 592 00:45:13.400 --> 00:45:17.920 time with us here on the Gardening Simplified Show, Andrew. I can't imagine 593 00:45:19.039 --> 00:45:22.719 the effort and the number of people it takes to put together the Philadelphia Flowers 594 00:45:22.719 --> 00:45:27.519 Show. Yes, thank you. It's great to be with you. Thanks 595 00:45:27.519 --> 00:45:30.639 so much, Andrew, have a great day. Okay, thank you. 596 00:45:30.400 --> 00:45:34.559 Well, you know, not only should the Philadelphia Flower Show be on everyone's 597 00:45:34.559 --> 00:45:37.559 bucket list, but a trip to Philadelphia during the gardening season should also be 598 00:45:37.639 --> 00:45:44.159 on everybody's bucket list because it is one of the capitals of amazing public horticulture 599 00:45:44.639 --> 00:45:47.400 in our country. And with that, we wish you a very happy gardening 600 00:45:47.400 --> 00:45:50.960 week ahead. Thanks to Rick, thanks to Adriana, and thanks to all 601 00:45:51.000 --> 00:45:51.800 of you for listening.