1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:07,719 Hello, my friends. You're tuned in to the Gardening Simplified radio podcast and 2 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:13,720 YouTube show coming to you from Studio A at Proven Winners, Color Choice Shrubs. 3 00:00:14,039 --> 00:00:20,160 It's Stacy Hervella me, Rick weisst and our engineer and producer Adrianna Robinson. 4 00:00:20,559 --> 00:00:25,239 Well, let's talk about plant change. Some plants changed dramatically over the 5 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:30,760 course of the season. I suppose we could say most plants change from year 6 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:36,200 to year, but some more dramatically than others. Or maybe it's like a 7 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:42,439 retro pair of designer genes. They just get more interesting when they're stonewashed, 8 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:47,920 ripped, distressed. We'll find out today on the Gardening Simplified Show. When 9 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:53,439 referring to a change in direction, position, or course of action, many 10 00:00:53,479 --> 00:01:00,039 times people will say we're going to change tack. Not thac t tactics, 11 00:01:00,119 --> 00:01:07,439 but tac tack. It's a nautical term when we come about and we change 12 00:01:07,799 --> 00:01:11,799 course direction. And Stacy, I've got to mention right off the top that 13 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:15,760 when we talk about plants that change course direction over the course of a year, 14 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:21,680 in my mind, hydranges have got to be the queen. Well, 15 00:01:21,719 --> 00:01:26,840 they definitely are the poster child for changing color. And I think that that 16 00:01:26,879 --> 00:01:30,239 makes a lot of people think that other plants have that same ability. But 17 00:01:30,359 --> 00:01:34,079 the fact is that unique ability for some hei ranges to change their flower color 18 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:38,480 based on the soil chemistry is pretty much unique to hyde ranges, to big 19 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:42,239 leaf heyranges on the top of the list, but there are many other plants 20 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:45,920 that go through changes too. Of course, I love the music of Billy 21 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:51,239 Joel. Don't go changing to try to please me or something like that. 22 00:01:51,599 --> 00:01:55,719 You never let me down before, But some plants do that. And by 23 00:01:55,760 --> 00:02:00,359 the way, as long as we're in the music realm Karma Chameleon, remember 24 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:05,159 that song Oh heck yeah I do Yeah Culture Club boy George and boy George 25 00:02:05,159 --> 00:02:08,080 said basically, if you aren't true, if you don't act like you feel, 26 00:02:08,199 --> 00:02:15,000 then you get karma justice. That's nature's way of paying you back. 27 00:02:15,759 --> 00:02:21,680 But some plants just naturally like to change. And one that I think does 28 00:02:21,719 --> 00:02:28,120 a beautiful job of it is plants that have bracked like flowers, like dog 29 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:34,919 woods. They kind of like hydranges, effortlessly go through the gears over the 30 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:38,680 course of the change the season and become very very interesting. Yeah. Same 31 00:02:38,719 --> 00:02:42,199 with another plant we talk about on the show, A lot, which is 32 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:46,080 temple of bloom. Hepticodium. Yes, another plant with bracts that change color 33 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:50,800 through the season. Good Point Virginia is a perennial that I love that changes 34 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,080 through the season. Autumn fern is another one. Now, this is a 35 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:59,960 great plant. It moves from gold orange to green to red orange, multi 36 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:06,199 hued in fall and then rod Jerseya's I don't know if you grow those in 37 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,560 your landscape, Stacey. They need wet soil and shade, but the foliage 38 00:03:10,599 --> 00:03:15,479 on those plants are quite interesting and they can kind of go through a metamorphosis 39 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,879 over the course of the season. Beautiful plant. My garden is way too 40 00:03:19,879 --> 00:03:23,360 sunny, way too dry to ever grow it. But I did see some 41 00:03:23,479 --> 00:03:27,759 fabulous for Jersey a many years ago in Ireland, and we were in this 42 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,360 garden, my husband and I. It's pouring rain. We both have our 43 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:35,039 hoods up on our raincoat because you know it's Ireland. And I said, 44 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:38,120 oh my gosh, look at that raw Jerseya. And he turned to me 45 00:03:38,159 --> 00:03:40,680 and he goes New Jersey because it God hear so well because of things. 46 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:45,199 Oh you can't say with Jersey about me thinking New Jersey. I love that 47 00:03:46,039 --> 00:03:50,039 piis Japanica, or some people would refer to it as lily of the valley 48 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:54,280 shrub, just brilliant red in spring and then transitions of course with the flowers 49 00:03:54,319 --> 00:04:00,120 too. That's a plant that changes throughout the year and goes through changes. 50 00:04:00,599 --> 00:04:05,319 Some of my favorite plants, Stacey, that go through changes during the season, 51 00:04:05,479 --> 00:04:10,479 I believe dramatically. We mentioned the hydranges, and I have to say 52 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:15,240 oak leaf hydrang is one of my favorites, very very dynamic plants goes through 53 00:04:15,279 --> 00:04:17,759 a lot of different changes. And there's a lot of things mine are about 54 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,839 to bloom and they're looking fabulous, at least the blooms that the deer couldn't 55 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:26,680 reach. But you're not bitter about it. It's pretty good. It's you 56 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,720 know, I'm happy about it. At least I got to that point. 57 00:04:29,959 --> 00:04:33,519 I'll take what I can get. Others for big change it ta father Gia, 58 00:04:34,199 --> 00:04:42,279 viburnums, blueberries, june berry, ornamental kale, sedum flowers. How 59 00:04:42,319 --> 00:04:46,279 they go from a lime green to a green and then red or pink and 60 00:04:46,319 --> 00:04:51,959 then rust and then of course a programming note here, I'm not recommending that 61 00:04:53,000 --> 00:05:00,480 you plant this plant, but we've all heard of the chameleon plant or bowl 62 00:05:00,519 --> 00:05:03,959 plant. Now again, I'm not advising you to put it in your landscape 63 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:11,079 because it will become a permanent plant in your landscape. I'm not quite sure 64 00:05:11,079 --> 00:05:15,439 how you pronounce that. I think it's Houtiniainia. Yeah, yeah, Hutinya, 65 00:05:15,519 --> 00:05:20,000 hutinya, something like that, named after a Dutch naturalist, Martin hutain 66 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:25,360 I believe it is. Don't plant it, but it's a great plant that 67 00:05:25,439 --> 00:05:29,319 goes through these chameleon changes. That's a weird smell. You like the smell 68 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,079 of it. No, I don't particularly care for it. No me either, 69 00:05:31,759 --> 00:05:36,600 alter Nanthera. That genus has a lot of great plants, including a 70 00:05:36,759 --> 00:05:44,800 proven winter's burgundy thread leaf Joseph's Coat. Some people look at that at that 71 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:47,040 genus, or at least some of the plants in that genus with the common 72 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:53,279 name Joseph's Coat. That tells you something about its change. And then a 73 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:58,680 perennial pullmon area. I love pulmon area and how the flowers will change color 74 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:02,839 over the course of the season, and as I understand it, at least 75 00:06:02,879 --> 00:06:10,319 I've read some studies that say that with pulmonaria, when it's nectar rich when 76 00:06:10,319 --> 00:06:14,720 the flowers are nectar rich. That's when they're that pinkish red hue, and 77 00:06:14,759 --> 00:06:18,319 then they move to a blue hue when they're going out of business. Yeah, 78 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:23,000 you know, I've been thinking ever since you said the billy Joel, 79 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,920 don't go changing to try to please me quote. I was thinking you could 80 00:06:25,959 --> 00:06:29,360 have said, don't go changing to try to please bees, because that is 81 00:06:29,399 --> 00:06:31,800 a reason that a lot of flowers change color. It indicates to pollinators, 82 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:35,759 no more pollen here. The deed has been done. I've been pollinated. 83 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:40,319 It don't bother. But these flowers over here, you know, we could 84 00:06:40,319 --> 00:06:44,720 still use your help with. So when plants make changes in the landscape, 85 00:06:44,759 --> 00:06:47,120 they're trying to tell us something. Maybe they're not talking to the bees, 86 00:06:47,199 --> 00:06:51,360 but they're trying to teach us more about them. Stacy. Of course, 87 00:06:51,399 --> 00:06:58,240 you know borage moving from pink to blue four o'clocks, that's a plant that 88 00:06:58,319 --> 00:07:02,079 can change on a daily basis. I remember years ago getting into the gardening 89 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:08,319 industry the Miracle of Peru. A lot of people used to plant that as 90 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:15,480 a flowering annual and great for attracting sphinx moths to the landscape. And then 91 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:21,720 let me mention super Bell's Magic Pink Lemonade calibri CoA that is such a neat, 92 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:28,439 proven Winner's plant, and it shifts its colorization throughout the season. It 93 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:33,199 varies based on day length and the light levels that it's getting, So the 94 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:39,279 blooms kind of move from lemon yellow and transition to a vibrant pink. That 95 00:07:39,439 --> 00:07:46,079 Superbell's Magic Pink Lemonade calibri CoA always something interesting happening in the landscape, Stacey, 96 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:50,360 and the plants that change really add a lot of character to our landscape. 97 00:07:50,399 --> 00:07:53,759 It's true. You know. One of my absolute favorites that I just 98 00:07:53,839 --> 00:07:58,199 I fall in love with it anew every year is Decadence pink lemonade Baptisia. 99 00:07:58,319 --> 00:08:01,240 Yes, and I have a lot of the Decadence Baptisias that are from Riven 100 00:08:01,279 --> 00:08:05,680 Winners. I adore them, but this particular one does something that the rest 101 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:09,000 of them don't. It starts off a really pretty pale yellow and then as 102 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:13,240 the blooms age, they turn pink. So you have this kind of bicolor 103 00:08:13,959 --> 00:08:16,360 look to it. And it just so happens that the yellow and pink go 104 00:08:16,519 --> 00:08:22,160 perfectly with the two yellow and pink. All yellow, all pink, decadence, 105 00:08:22,199 --> 00:08:26,759 baptisia as a combination. It is just beautiful. One of my absolute 106 00:08:26,759 --> 00:08:30,920 favorites. I love that beautiful. Well, before we go to Plants on 107 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:35,320 Trial, let me leave you with a limb, a rick home home on 108 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:39,200 the range, where something's amiss and strange. My flowers change color. They 109 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:45,840 were bright, now are duller their appearance? They rearrange? Is this okay? 110 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,559 Have they gone astray? A leopard may not change its spots, but 111 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:54,399 the flowers sure are in my pots. It's a botanical may lay. Let's 112 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:58,679 see how Stacey ties this all together. Coming up next in Plants on Trial. 113 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:09,399 Here on the Gardening Simplified Show, proven Winner's Color Choice Shrubs cares about 114 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:13,799 your success in the garden. That's why we trial and test all of our 115 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:16,799 shrubs for eight to ten years, making sure they outperform everything else on the 116 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,799 market. Look for them and the distinctive white container at your local garden center. 117 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,159 Greeting's gardening friends, and welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show, where 118 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,559 the theme of the episode is all about plants that change. And of course 119 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:33,279 we all know that plants change. I mean, you know, they start 120 00:09:33,279 --> 00:09:37,240 out small, they become something much larger by the end of the season. 121 00:09:37,279 --> 00:09:41,039 But we're not just talking about plants that just kind of undergo like an expected 122 00:09:41,159 --> 00:09:45,399 change. We're talking about plants that have an unexpected change, right, you 123 00:09:45,399 --> 00:09:46,960 know, something that you don't expect to happen. And a lot of times 124 00:09:48,399 --> 00:09:52,919 when we talk about flower color changing, it is due to the flowers aging, 125 00:09:52,279 --> 00:09:56,440 which causes a change to the pH level in the flower and that actually 126 00:09:56,519 --> 00:10:00,000 changes the flower color. So it's different than what you have what will happen 127 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,080 been with big leaf hydranges, where the flower color is going to be determined 128 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:07,720 by the soil chemistry at the time that they set and open their flower buds. 129 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:11,159 That's a totally different situation. So there's all of these different possible explanations, 130 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:16,200 and it's a feature that plant breeders often capitalize on, as you've just 131 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:20,639 heard us discuss, because it is very cool to watch that change and to 132 00:10:20,159 --> 00:10:24,960 have that extra element of surprise in the plant, and we have that in 133 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:26,480 a number of our plants. I mean, of course, we have a 134 00:10:26,519 --> 00:10:28,639 ton of big leaf hydranges which can change our color based on flower pH. 135 00:10:30,039 --> 00:10:33,559 We have a ton of panicle hydranges, which the flowers will turn some level 136 00:10:33,639 --> 00:10:37,759 of pink or red as they age again through that natural pH change within the 137 00:10:37,759 --> 00:10:43,000 flower. We have plants that change foliage color, not just in fall. 138 00:10:43,919 --> 00:10:48,240 A great example is a newer plant called Midnight sun Waijila, which if you 139 00:10:48,279 --> 00:10:50,600 look at it in our trial garden right now, it's kind of starting to 140 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:52,639 turn purple and you're like, Okay, that's cool. But within the next 141 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:56,799 couple of weeks it's going to turn all sorts of colors. This is an 142 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:01,799 amazing plant to what we transform. Never a dull moment, but you know, 143 00:11:01,879 --> 00:11:05,320 all of these things I feel like are expected. And when I was 144 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:09,519 thinking about what plant to put on trial for this episode, I thought long 145 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:11,799 and hard about it at first, and then I said, no, I 146 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:18,000 just had an amazing experience with this plant over the last weekend. That will 147 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:22,480 make it the perfect plant on trial because it's not that the flowers change, 148 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:28,399 it's not that the foliage changes, it's that it's scent changes when it is 149 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:33,919 in bloom, and that plants, yes, indeed, I'm not going to 150 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:39,559 keep you in suspense any longer. That is simply sensational. Cali canthus, 151 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:43,559 also known as sweet shrub, it is sometimes known as Carolina allspice. It 152 00:11:43,639 --> 00:11:48,399 is also sometimes known, quite charmingly as sweet Betsy. It's a native plant, 153 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:54,639 so like so many native plants, depending on you know, where you 154 00:11:54,919 --> 00:11:58,600 are, they have all these different regional common names that just have developed over 155 00:11:58,639 --> 00:12:03,000 the year. But whatever you want to call this, I cannot even I'm 156 00:12:03,039 --> 00:12:07,600 going to try to explain the fragrance, but I really it's it's very difficult 157 00:12:07,639 --> 00:12:11,759 to explain. So as you might have guessed by those common names like sweet 158 00:12:11,759 --> 00:12:16,200 trub, it is very very fragrant. And when we wanted to name this 159 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:18,679 plant originally simply sensational, I was a bit of a curmudgeon about it. 160 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:24,440 I was like, you know, everyone says Kelly Canthus sweet trub can be 161 00:12:24,639 --> 00:12:28,440 very very different, and it's fragrance. It smells different. Some people don't 162 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,600 smell it at all. We have Aphrodite, which is a beautiful hybrid Kelly 163 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:35,679 Canthus not all of our not just our native one, but it's a hybrid 164 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:39,600 of the American and Asian ones that doesn't have really amazing fragrance. I mean, 165 00:12:39,639 --> 00:12:41,960 it has some fragrance. So I said, you know, I don't 166 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:43,799 know if we should stick our neck out on saying, this thing is simply 167 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:48,159 sensational because it is a scent scee and t sensational caught there, yes, 168 00:12:50,399 --> 00:12:54,360 And so I was dubious. And then my boss dropped a flower on my 169 00:12:54,440 --> 00:13:00,519 desk and that thing did not stop being fragrant for like days, even as 170 00:13:00,519 --> 00:13:03,559 it was drying out on my desk. So I fell in love. And 171 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:05,840 I had to have this plant in my garden planted at about three years ago, 172 00:13:07,799 --> 00:13:11,840 and it was you know, it flowered and it did okay, but 173 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,240 I was just like, I don't know what's going on. I'm not really 174 00:13:13,279 --> 00:13:16,840 getting a lot of fragrance. Well over the last weekend, my husband and 175 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:20,919 I were walking around the garden and it was a beautiful sunny day and it 176 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:28,480 just the fragrance just hit us like a wall. It was so strongly fragrant. 177 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:30,799 And Adam said, what is that? And I said, oh my 178 00:13:30,799 --> 00:13:33,039 gosh, this thing is finally giving off fragrance after three years. I think 179 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:37,879 that it just needed to have the resources to be well enough established. And 180 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:41,559 as we're looking at the plant and looking at the flowers, I'm not even 181 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:46,360 joking you, each flower on this plant smelled different. We were going around 182 00:13:46,399 --> 00:13:50,799 to each individual flowers. Some smelled like pineapple, some smell like strawberries, 183 00:13:50,919 --> 00:13:56,879 some smell like citrus. Some people will say bubble gum strawberry. It's like 184 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:03,600 the Willy Wonka ever flavor changing gum and what. So everything smells really really 185 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:05,960 different. It's all very sweet. It's all really but like not like a 186 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:11,000 sickly sweet fragrance, just like a beautiful planty fragrance. So we cut some 187 00:14:11,039 --> 00:14:13,960 stems and we continue to, you know, sit outside and enjoy the beautiful 188 00:14:15,039 --> 00:14:18,159 day. And every time we went back to sniff these stems, it gave 189 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:24,919 off a different scent. Huh, who knows it? It was so wild 190 00:14:26,519 --> 00:14:28,679 it was, you know, I love fragrant plants, but honestly, most 191 00:14:28,679 --> 00:14:31,720 favorite plants, Like if I say, what's a lilac smell like? You 192 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:35,600 can kind of conjure a scent memory of what a lilac smells like, because 193 00:14:35,879 --> 00:14:39,960 what a lilac smells like is what the lilac smells like from the beginning to 194 00:14:39,159 --> 00:14:43,440 of it's bloom until the end. And yes, it might be lighter or 195 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:48,240 stronger depending on the weather and the age of the flower itself. But I 196 00:14:48,279 --> 00:14:52,679 cannot think of any plant that I have personally encountered at least as a common 197 00:14:52,679 --> 00:14:58,159 garden plant here in North America where its scent changes so much, not just 198 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:01,440 from day to day, not just through the pure of its bloom, but 199 00:15:01,559 --> 00:15:05,480 from minute to minute within a single flower. Yeah, heliotrope does that to 200 00:15:05,559 --> 00:15:11,080 me, but not to that extent. That's it this year. And that's 201 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:16,000 also a really, really wonderful fragrance. So the flowers are not what you 202 00:15:16,039 --> 00:15:22,840 would expect. They are burgundy, like a dark kind of brownish burgundy, 203 00:15:22,879 --> 00:15:26,000 beautiful color. I actually have it combined in my garden with my favorite nine 204 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:31,879 bark ginger wine nine bark and together that is an absolutely glorious combination, nice 205 00:15:33,159 --> 00:15:37,720 glossy textural foliage. But it's not the kind of plant where you would look 206 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:39,879 at it and go, oh, that looks like it's a fragrant plant. 207 00:15:39,879 --> 00:15:45,279 It's kind of like a sleeper hit like that. But it really is is 208 00:15:45,559 --> 00:15:50,000 just incredible, And I mean I was still kind of like beside myself and 209 00:15:50,039 --> 00:15:52,320 how unbelievable this was. Now the fragrance is going to be strongest in the 210 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:56,639 sun. I tried to bring some into the studio today so you could smell 211 00:15:56,639 --> 00:15:58,080 it. But our plants here at the office are in shape. They're in 212 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:02,720 full shade, so they didn't have any fragrance kicking around yet. It does, 213 00:16:02,759 --> 00:16:04,679 again tolerate some shade, so if you want to grow it in part 214 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:08,039 shade, but for the best fragrance, if you want that moment where you're 215 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:11,039 just walking into a wall of fragrance, you're definitely gonna want to make sure 216 00:16:11,039 --> 00:16:17,519 it's getting some full bright sun for at least for ideally six or more hours 217 00:16:17,919 --> 00:16:22,440 every day, which is where mine, of course is planted. Now, 218 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:26,360 this is a plant that is native throughout the United States pretty much the East 219 00:16:26,399 --> 00:16:32,159 Coast, so as far east as New York and Massachusetts down to say roughly 220 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:37,120 the Florida Panhandle and over through like Tennessee, so basically the East Coast and 221 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:41,759 southeast of North America. Understory shrub growing you know, sort of at the 222 00:16:41,879 --> 00:16:48,360 edge of woods and that kind of thing, and that's sort of where it 223 00:16:48,399 --> 00:16:51,360 gets that range of light tolerance, you know, because it's used to sort 224 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:56,799 of those peaks through in the woods. So at the start of the show, 225 00:16:57,159 --> 00:17:04,240 I talked about changing tech the nautical term and primarily done because the wind 226 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:11,519 has changed direction. What do you think is the motivation of this plant to 227 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:17,119 change fragrance. Well, I don't try to be more attractive to different types 228 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:19,240 of pollinator. I don't know, And actually, you know, I meant 229 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:25,640 to look up specifically what pollinates this in the wild. I could not tell 230 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:30,960 you if what's happening is a natural characteristic of the plant or if it's actually 231 00:17:32,039 --> 00:17:34,519 related to our perception. Yeah, it might not be the plant itself, 232 00:17:34,559 --> 00:17:40,319 but it might be the way that our brains perceive it. And it just 233 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:42,920 depends on the volatile oils, you know, within the planet itself. I 234 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:45,400 mean, it's kind of like if someone wears a perfume, it might smell 235 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:49,400 wonderful on some one person but smell terrible on another, or through the day 236 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:53,640 it changes. You know. There's a lot of like complexity, chemical and 237 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:57,480 olfactory complexity when it comes to fragrance. So I don't have an answer for 238 00:17:57,519 --> 00:18:00,359 that, but I can tell you it's enjoy It's like when I run a 239 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:03,599 marathon, I smelled different at the end than I did at the beginning or 240 00:18:03,599 --> 00:18:10,720 the middle too, especially depending on the weather. If it's full sun and 241 00:18:10,799 --> 00:18:12,799 a hot day, you're definitely going to be a lot more fragrant. Then 242 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:19,480 if it was a cloudy and cool day, move along. So that nice 243 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:25,279 wide native range for this plant means that it is cold tolerant down to USDA 244 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:27,599 Zone four and heat tolerant all the way up to USDA Zone nine. So 245 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:34,079 a huge number of our listeners and watchers out there can enjoy this amazing plant. 246 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:37,319 It's going to be about six feet tall by four and a half feet 247 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,920 wide, which is a nice size for most landscapes. So that's another thing 248 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:44,200 that we look for when we are selecting for native shrubs. Can we get 249 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:48,160 it to a size where it's actually useful in a suburban you know, or 250 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:52,319 a regular urban lot compared to you know, a really large wild specimen and 251 00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:57,359 deer resistant, extremely dear resistant, very very dear resistant. Everyone should have 252 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:02,480 one d now. I will say when I was researching it a bit more 253 00:19:02,519 --> 00:19:06,400 to bring it to you on the show today, one of the North Carolina 254 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:12,880 State University Extension website said for best results baby this plant for the first year 255 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:17,000 after planting. I can tell you I definitely did not do that. Now 256 00:19:17,039 --> 00:19:19,200 the plant survived, it is established now and it's looking amazing. But that 257 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:23,359 might have a reason as to why it took three years for me to get 258 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:26,519 the full fragrance off this planet. It was absolutely worth the weight. So 259 00:19:26,599 --> 00:19:30,599 if you want to try a simply sensational Kelly Canthas in your own yard, 260 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:36,279 definitely take that advice. Be a little kinder to it as it's getting established 261 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:37,720 than I was to mine. It still lived, it still looks great, 262 00:19:37,759 --> 00:19:41,720 but really it's worth the weight if you do have to wait for that fragrance. 263 00:19:41,759 --> 00:19:45,400 But if you can, you be a little bit more careful than I 264 00:19:45,519 --> 00:19:48,880 was. I would definitely recommend it. I think we should we should change 265 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:53,000 this segment from plants on Trial to story time with Stacy. I like that. 266 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:56,359 I like your stories well, and again I'm so excited about this plant 267 00:19:56,400 --> 00:20:00,720 because just when you have that experience, it really is amazing. At least 268 00:20:00,759 --> 00:20:03,160 go to your garden center check it out and decide if it's going to earn 269 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:04,880 a spot in your garden. You can see photos on our YouTube channel or 270 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:08,480 at Gardeningsimplified on air dot com. When we come back, we're opening up 271 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:18,039 the mailbag, so please stay tuned at proven winner's color choice. We've got 272 00:20:18,039 --> 00:20:22,519 a shrub for every taste and every space. Whether you're looking for an easycare 273 00:20:22,599 --> 00:20:27,160 rose and unforgettable hydrangea or something new and unique. You can be confident that 274 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:30,839 the shrubs and the white containers have been trialed and tested for your success. 275 00:20:32,079 --> 00:20:37,200 Look for them at your local garden center. Greeting's gardening friends, and welcome 276 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:41,559 back to the Gardening Simplified Show, where it's time for us to answer your 277 00:20:41,599 --> 00:20:45,480 gardening questions and we are deep in gardening question season. All sorts of crazy 278 00:20:45,519 --> 00:20:48,759 stuff is happening out there, good stuff, bad stuff, stuff that you 279 00:20:48,839 --> 00:20:52,440 might not know whether it's good or bad or what you should do about it. 280 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:55,680 Well, we are here to help you. So you can reach us 281 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:59,640 at help HLP at Gardeningsimplified on air dot com, or just go to Gardening 282 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:03,119 simplif fight on are dot com. We have a contact form there where you 283 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:07,359 can just send us a message and ask us your question. And you know, 284 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,359 I did want to bring up that we've been doing a new video on 285 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:15,319 YouTube called the Plant Panel, and in it we make recommendations for plants for 286 00:21:15,519 --> 00:21:21,279 specific areas for someone specific yard or garden. If you have something that you 287 00:21:21,319 --> 00:21:23,839 would like to submit for Plant Panel, just check out Proven Winners Color Choice 288 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:27,079 dot com. We have a special contact form just for that, and please 289 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:32,160 do include a picture and maybe we'll feature you on a future plants panel. 290 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:33,279 It's been a huge, huge hit so far and we have a lot of 291 00:21:33,319 --> 00:21:38,079 fun doing it. Outstanding. I love it. Maintain your composture. We're 292 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:44,400 here for you. Question from Terry today and a picture, what's wrong with 293 00:21:44,519 --> 00:21:48,400 my tree? Is it salvageable? Well, Terry, we took a look 294 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:53,319 at the picture and Stacy, this is something that I see often in neighborhood 295 00:21:53,440 --> 00:22:00,519 developments where the soil is heavy clay. Terry has a maple tree there and 296 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,799 what I see not only southwest disease on the trunk, which is not that 297 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:08,759 big a deal and happened years ago, expansion and contraction of the bark. 298 00:22:10,079 --> 00:22:12,559 But if you look into the top of the tree, it's thinning. The 299 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:18,279 leaves have dropped here in the month of June in the upper portion of the 300 00:22:18,319 --> 00:22:21,079 tree. As a matter of fact, the tree is dying at the top, 301 00:22:21,759 --> 00:22:26,039 usually in indication of girdling roots. The tree is choking itself. And 302 00:22:26,559 --> 00:22:30,440 it reminds us that when we plant trees, are put plants in heavy clay 303 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:37,799 soil, that preparation is so incredibly important. I still contend we work organic 304 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:42,599 matter into the soil fifty to fifty with the parent soil as opposed to digging 305 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:47,799 a hole, throwing some soil in it and putting the plant in the ground. 306 00:22:47,839 --> 00:22:51,839 Those roots will start to circle and someday down the road you're going to 307 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:55,079 pay the price. And I think that's what we're finding with Terry's tree here. 308 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:59,000 You know, there was for a very long time a sort of school 309 00:22:59,079 --> 00:23:02,920 thought where the tree root ball was sacrificing. You can't touch it, you 310 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:07,000 can't do anything to it. And really research over the past couple of years 311 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,960 has shown that people will wash the roots, they will actually wash all the 312 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:14,799 soil off of the roots and replant it, and that that has been a 313 00:23:14,839 --> 00:23:18,640 good way to find defects in the tree rooting, which you know, it's 314 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:22,079 not a deliberate thing that happens at nurseries, but it is something that can 315 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:26,119 happen because that's outside of the natural condition. So the tree roots can start 316 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:32,279 growing around and around itself, and so it's not if you notice a problem 317 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:36,839 with the roots when you are planting a tree, fix it. Then don't 318 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:40,519 you are going to be able to fix it down the line. You know, 319 00:23:40,559 --> 00:23:41,960 when the plant's already starting to struggle. And I thought it was interesting 320 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:47,359 you talked about the heavy blue clay, because a lot of times when you 321 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:51,839 have that really really heavy wet clay in addition to you know, just causing 322 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:56,160 drainage problems, that is what typically will encourage disease issues. And I did 323 00:23:56,200 --> 00:24:00,400 wonder if perhaps there was some issues of verticillia in this maple, because that 324 00:24:00,559 --> 00:24:04,000 sort of you know, whole branch die back, large branches at the top 325 00:24:04,079 --> 00:24:10,240 is pretty common for verticillium, and vertacilium is a soil fungus that's pretty ubiquitous, 326 00:24:10,279 --> 00:24:12,480 but it's only when it really gets going because conditions are just right for 327 00:24:12,559 --> 00:24:18,920 it, that it can start causing real problems like this. So, you 328 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,839 know, Terry asks, is her tree salvagable. I don't actually think that. 329 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:26,640 It probably is probably not now at a cost, possibly it would be 330 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:33,720 salvageable. I know arborists who actually use equipment that is used in finding landmines, 331 00:24:34,279 --> 00:24:38,279 and it's highly compressed air, and they'll blow all the soil out, 332 00:24:38,519 --> 00:24:41,680 like you mentioned, when the when the plant was young, getting a look 333 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:45,480 at the roots, and that can be done. But of course that's a 334 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:48,799 lot of work, and there's a lot of expense involved and probably not worth 335 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,759 it. In addition to that, many people are taking the approach as opposed 336 00:24:52,759 --> 00:24:59,039 to digging a round hole when initially planting, digging a square hole, a 337 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:03,319 large square hole, and then again working organic matter fifty to fifty into that 338 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:07,480 clay soil, so when the roots extend out, they're familiar with the soil 339 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:14,160 and will penetrate into that soil. So an interesting question and picture. Thanks 340 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:18,319 Terry, we appreciate it. Shannon asks, thank you guys for a great 341 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:22,200 show. I look forward to hearing every episode. I have a rose bush 342 00:25:22,279 --> 00:25:26,279 that has come out beautifully this spring. However, it has one really long 343 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:30,200 cane that is shooting up like a wild hair. Oh I have that too. 344 00:25:30,839 --> 00:25:33,160 Should I prune it now? Not me personally, I have a rose 345 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:37,240 like that. Should I prune it now and just shorten it? Or should 346 00:25:37,279 --> 00:25:40,319 I go to the base and cut it off there? Or do I just 347 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:44,599 let it go until spring? It's a three year old own root rose. 348 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:47,759 There are buds on the rest of the plant. Thanks for your advice. 349 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:52,400 Yes, so this is a scenario that is called dog legging. Well, 350 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:55,680 at least that's what Judson our new plant development manager calls it. That's what 351 00:25:55,680 --> 00:26:00,839 they call it in the South, and it's an appropriate, oh appropriate name. 352 00:26:00,039 --> 00:26:03,240 And you see it on roses. You will also see it on abelia. 353 00:26:03,319 --> 00:26:06,519 There's some other plants too, and it's just like all you know, 354 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:08,240 you're growing along, everything looks good, and then all of a sudden, 355 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:12,680 the shoot just decided to be like an overachiever and pop right out. But 356 00:26:12,839 --> 00:26:17,680 it's not a cause for concern. It really is just a matter of Typically, 357 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:22,000 what I think happens is that the bud was created a little bit later 358 00:26:22,039 --> 00:26:23,559 in the season, and the plant is just mature enough that it has the 359 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:27,000 energy, and it just puts a ton of energy into that bud, and 360 00:26:27,039 --> 00:26:32,079 so you do get that wild growth. There was absolutely no harm in just 361 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:36,640 cutting that thing back to within the plant body or cutting it out entirely. 362 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:40,799 You know, if it's something like an abelia, which kind of naturally grows 363 00:26:40,839 --> 00:26:42,920 as a little mound, just cut it back into the body of the plant, 364 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:47,400 that's fine. But for a rose, where you're really typically working more 365 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:52,799 for an overall shape, I would probably take it out to the ground. 366 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:55,279 But it really is up to each of you. It's not going to cause 367 00:26:55,319 --> 00:26:57,960 the plant any harm to cut it off, and it's just again, it's 368 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:02,559 just something that happens. I don't have a really really good explanation for it. 369 00:27:02,559 --> 00:27:04,160 It's just the way plants grow. Yeah, I agree, Stacy. 370 00:27:04,519 --> 00:27:08,960 Sometimes we'll see this also on weeping cherries, right at the graft and you'll 371 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,759 see it shoot up. I call them water sprouts, but he calls them 372 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:17,000 dog legs. Well, so it's not like a water sprut because it's not 373 00:27:17,039 --> 00:27:21,440 coming really necessarily from the trunk. It's just like coming from within the body 374 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:23,079 of the plant. And it's just like a wild shoot. Like the plants 375 00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:26,759 like all they're a nice little tidy tufet and then this one plant, this 376 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,039 one stam or whatever, just decides to go rogue. Well, and I 377 00:27:30,079 --> 00:27:34,160 appreciate the fact that Shannon told us that it's an own root rope. Yes 378 00:27:34,519 --> 00:27:40,799 with an older grafted rose potentially could be from the wild rootstock down below, 379 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,160 right, And that's what you're seeing like on the cherry. So anytime you 380 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:48,960 have a grafted plant, the roots are going to be much stronger than the 381 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:52,640 top plant. So the growth, any growth that comes from that bottom stock 382 00:27:52,759 --> 00:27:56,880 or rootstock is naturally going to be more vigorous than whatever's coming from the top 383 00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:00,799 or desirable part. So that was a very very useful thing to include, 384 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,240 Channon. So go ahead, cut it off or not, whatever you prefer. 385 00:28:03,279 --> 00:28:06,920 You're not going to hurt the rose. Just make it look so that 386 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:10,680 you can stand it, and you're not going darn shoots driving me crazy every 387 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:12,759 time I look out at it. Thank you very mulch Shannon. We appreciate 388 00:28:12,799 --> 00:28:17,200 it. Great question, Cheryl writes, I'm wondering what to do with a 389 00:28:17,279 --> 00:28:22,000 lilac bush that is channeling its inner giraffe. I know the arbor vite that 390 00:28:22,039 --> 00:28:26,720 it's planted near, shading it too much and most likely causing the stretch for 391 00:28:26,799 --> 00:28:30,400 the sun. My question is how, when if to prune it does have 392 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,079 some new shoots coming out of the ground, which I'm hoping you can see 393 00:28:33,079 --> 00:28:37,000 in the picture. Should I cut the big part down and let the energy 394 00:28:37,319 --> 00:28:44,559 go to the shoots. Yeah, we see this often in landscapes, Stacey, 395 00:28:44,599 --> 00:28:49,279 with lilacs or other sun loving plants where eventually shade takes over. Yes, 396 00:28:49,519 --> 00:28:53,720 it does, and what you're seeing in Cheryl's photo. If you're watching 397 00:28:53,759 --> 00:28:56,960 this on YouTuber, checking us out at gardening simplified to on air dot com 398 00:28:57,519 --> 00:29:02,599 is a very common thing for lilacs. It is actually the way that a 399 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:07,680 lilac shrub would naturally expand in nature, having those new shoots, And it's 400 00:29:07,759 --> 00:29:11,559 just the way that the plant is regenerating itself, the way that it is 401 00:29:11,599 --> 00:29:15,920 basically keeping younger, new and more productive wood, because older wood typically becomes 402 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:21,480 less productive in terms of flower over time. So there's nothing wrong with what's 403 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:26,680 happening. Lilacs do this. It's not like it is, I guess essentially 404 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:29,279 suckering. But I think a lot of people when they think of suckers, 405 00:29:29,279 --> 00:29:30,799 are thinking about like a crab apple, you know, growing all around the 406 00:29:30,839 --> 00:29:36,119 base, or something that grows at a distance from the parent plant. And 407 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:38,119 that's not exactly what's happening here. It's just the lilac putting out new growth 408 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:44,720 so it can keep you know, being alive and full and fluoriferous plant. 409 00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:47,880 So you know, when I look at Cheryl's photo, you can see that 410 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:52,440 the older stems are leaning forward. I would definitely not personally cut out the 411 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:56,000 old stems. I like the look of them. I think I love like 412 00:29:56,039 --> 00:29:59,359 a mature lilac. It just gives everything a sense of place. Now, 413 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:02,200 if you want to take those old stems out, you can, and that 414 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:04,759 new growth it's coming out will take over for the whole plant in time, 415 00:30:04,839 --> 00:30:07,480 and you know, twenty some years down the line, it will be that 416 00:30:07,599 --> 00:30:12,160 old growth. But this is really a matter of your personal preference. If 417 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:15,680 you want to take the growth out, it really doesn't matter what time of 418 00:30:15,759 --> 00:30:18,200 year it is. It doesn't matter if the plant booms on old or new 419 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:21,680 wood. If you want that growth out, just take it out, get 420 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:23,880 your loppers, take it right out at the ground. I would not recommend 421 00:30:25,079 --> 00:30:29,160 cutting them back to encourage like a lot of branching and kind of like a 422 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:30,960 witch's broom type of look. If you want to take them out, I 423 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,720 would take them out all the way at the base. If you don't want 424 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:34,640 to take them out, I would let them grow and let them fill in. 425 00:30:34,799 --> 00:30:37,680 Yeah. I call that the little off the top method, and I 426 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:44,359 don't like that method either. So be decisive. Prune lilacs, rejuvenate based 427 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:48,359 on pruning, and if you want it to throw some blooms next year, 428 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:52,720 well the optimum time would be to prune right after lilacs are done blooming. 429 00:30:52,759 --> 00:30:56,480 But as Stacy said, if this job needs to get done, just get 430 00:30:56,519 --> 00:31:00,319 it done whatever it is. And you know the other thing is there is 431 00:31:00,359 --> 00:31:03,480 no urgency. So if you want to live with it for a little while 432 00:31:03,519 --> 00:31:06,920 and think about it, there is no harm in that. You can always 433 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:08,920 prune it up later. We're going to take a little break. When we 434 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:17,960 come back, we have a special guest, so please stay tuned. The 435 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:22,640 Gardening Simplified Show is brought to you by Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs. Our 436 00:31:22,759 --> 00:31:26,880 award winning flowering shrubs in evergreens have been trialed and tested for your success so 437 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:32,400 you enjoy more beauty and less work. Look for Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs 438 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:37,279 in the distinctive white container at your local garden center. Welcome back to the 439 00:31:37,279 --> 00:31:44,440 Gardening Simplified Show. It's time for branching news and this week we interview Stephanie 440 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:49,359 Walker. Stephanie Walker has a beautiful book out called how to Grow Flowers in 441 00:31:49,519 --> 00:31:56,039 Small Spaces. I know that's something that a lot of folks struggle with and 442 00:31:56,079 --> 00:32:00,000 we're hoping to get some pointers here from Stephanie. Again, Stephanie Walker. 443 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:05,519 If you look for her book, it's called How to Grow Flowers in Small 444 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:09,480 Spaces. Stephanie, thanks for joining us on the Gardening Simplified Show. Oh, 445 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:12,519 thank you so much for having me. I'm happy to be here, 446 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:20,720 Stephanie. In writing this book, what were your experiences and your inspirations that 447 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:25,279 were influential in getting you to write the book How to Grow Flowers in Small 448 00:32:25,319 --> 00:32:32,000 Spaces. Well, it's really interesting how it came about. I received an 449 00:32:32,079 --> 00:32:37,680 email from someone with as Simon and Schuster email address one day, and they 450 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:39,079 asked me if i'd be interested in writing a book. I thought it was 451 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:44,400 spam. I thought this is not real. Nobody does that. So I 452 00:32:44,519 --> 00:32:47,400 kind of ignored it. And then I got a couple more emails and they 453 00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:52,119 realized and I realized they were serious. So I kind of gave it my 454 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:54,680 attention for a little bit and thought about, you know, what if I 455 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:58,480 were to write this book, what would it be and what would I do? 456 00:32:58,599 --> 00:33:02,759 And so I have always loved gardening, except when I was little because 457 00:33:02,799 --> 00:33:07,839 gardening meant weeding on the weekends, and I hated that. But as I 458 00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:13,039 grew older and just knew that I love to have living things around me, 459 00:33:13,079 --> 00:33:17,160 and especially flowers, then I became excited about gardening and I had an aunt, 460 00:33:17,359 --> 00:33:22,119 my aunt Camilla, who is an amazing gardener, and she always had 461 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:25,640 beautiful gardens and I always just kind of aspired to have gardens like she did. 462 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:31,160 So she really throughout my life as it inspired me in flowers especially, 463 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:35,720 but in gardening in all aspects. I love that. That's great. There's 464 00:33:35,759 --> 00:33:38,920 always a story behind the story. And to help lay the groundwork here, 465 00:33:39,039 --> 00:33:45,079 Stephanie, we have viewers and listeners all over the place, and so we 466 00:33:45,119 --> 00:33:50,960 want to figure out where are your gardening. Where are you practicing some small 467 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:55,440 space gardening? Okay, So I am in Queen Creek, Arizona, which 468 00:33:55,599 --> 00:34:00,000 is a suburb of Phoenix. It's on the east side of the valley in 469 00:34:00,039 --> 00:34:06,759 Phoenix, and so I am gardening in one hundred and fifteen degrees temperatures this 470 00:34:06,799 --> 00:34:10,559 summer up to one and twenty. Yeah, and I am able to have 471 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:16,639 amazing success with flowers and other plants and even my vegetable garden in full sun, 472 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:22,119 planting strategically for some things, especially tomatoes, to make sure that they're 473 00:34:22,159 --> 00:34:27,519 shaded. But if it's going to require a lot of babysitting, I'm not 474 00:34:27,599 --> 00:34:30,480 going to do it. I'm like passivelyst resistance gardener. I want to make 475 00:34:30,519 --> 00:34:36,679 sure that I have the most beautiful output with the least exertion throughout the summer. 476 00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:39,880 So I'm really strategic in what I plant. Well, that is great, 477 00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:45,920 So what is the best strategy. What's the best way to set up 478 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:53,360 for success in a small space. I would guess that soil preparation is just 479 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:59,400 as important in a small space as it is in a large one. Oh, 480 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:04,000 absolutely, absolutely the most important. My favorite thing. When I'm teaching 481 00:35:04,039 --> 00:35:09,119 workshops and classes and when I'm doing consultations with clients, I stress to them, 482 00:35:09,199 --> 00:35:14,199 don't treat your soil like dirt like in other words, make sure that 483 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:17,039 you are paying as much attention to your soil as you are to your plants. 484 00:35:17,039 --> 00:35:21,400 Because really, if we feed our soil, our soil is what feeds 485 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:25,639 our plants, and we can have the most healthy plants from the best soil 486 00:35:25,679 --> 00:35:29,840 that we can possibly have. So I feel like the best way to set 487 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:32,000 ourselves up for success is to believe that we can. First of all, 488 00:35:32,039 --> 00:35:38,000 I think going into it and knowing that it's possible, especially in different climates 489 00:35:38,039 --> 00:35:44,239 where there's harsher weather or you know, even whatever. We all have different 490 00:35:44,639 --> 00:35:49,159 environments where we are so just believing that you can and then following your local 491 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:54,599 planting calendar that comes from your extension office or you know your zone, checking 492 00:35:54,599 --> 00:35:59,960 with the USDA and seeing what your growing zone is. Those things will really 493 00:36:00,079 --> 00:36:05,360 set you up for success. And making sure, especially in my climate, 494 00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:08,360 that I have an automated watering system because I don't want to be out there 495 00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:13,119 hand watering when it's super hot, so I'm making sure that I have something 496 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:17,119 set up where my irrigation comes on automatically makes a big difference. Well, 497 00:36:17,119 --> 00:36:20,559 you know, I think what you said about believing that you can is so 498 00:36:20,559 --> 00:36:23,119 important, especially for small spaces, because a lot of people, if they're 499 00:36:23,159 --> 00:36:28,280 downsizing or whatever, they're like, oh, I love gardening, but it's 500 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:30,079 just not worth it with this small space. And I think your book really 501 00:36:30,119 --> 00:36:35,079 shows that it's absolutely worth it and that you can have something really colorful, 502 00:36:35,519 --> 00:36:39,840 really beautiful that really actually expresses your personal style, regardless of how small the 503 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:43,880 spaces. And in some ways having a small space can be a real gift. 504 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:49,880 It really, yeah it can because it's less overwhelming, but totally believing 505 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:53,800 you can and small spaces, it's so worth it because anything living, any 506 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:58,960 plant, if we're just in proximity to it, in its presence for twenty 507 00:36:59,079 --> 00:37:02,400 minutes, show that it elevates our moods. It can increase serotonin. So 508 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:07,639 having living things around us, being able to garden regardless of the space is 509 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:13,599 so beneficial for us as humans. Yeah, no question about it. So 510 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:16,599 what are some plants that in your experience? And by the way, folks 511 00:37:16,599 --> 00:37:22,760 were chatting with author Stephanie Walker, and her new book came out in April 512 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:29,519 this year, How to Grow Flowers in Small Spaces An Illustrated Guide to planting, 513 00:37:29,559 --> 00:37:34,599 planting, and caring for your small space flower garden. Let's talk about 514 00:37:34,599 --> 00:37:37,760 flowers a moment, Stephanie, what are some of your favorites for a small 515 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:43,800 space. Oh, my gosh, my favorite flower is any flower that's blooming, 516 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:49,480 like whatever is in season that is showing off. That's my favorite flower 517 00:37:49,559 --> 00:37:52,360 and it brings me joy every time I see a new plant start to bloom. 518 00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:59,280 But some of my favorite flowers for small spaces are anything that has an 519 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:07,320 upright roast pattern. So think of Vinia's sunflowers cosmos right now for the summer. 520 00:38:07,159 --> 00:38:14,360 In the spring, it's your bold plants, irises, lilies, vernunculous 521 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:17,840 anemones, hyacinth, daffodils and tulips, those kinds of things. If it's 522 00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:22,880 not going to spread and it doesn't require a whole lot of space, it's 523 00:38:22,920 --> 00:38:27,280 going to be optimal for a small space. But if you do have something 524 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:31,039 that's a vining plant, it's always awesome to put something on a trellis. 525 00:38:31,159 --> 00:38:36,320 It just adds interest to bring height to your garden, to kind of make 526 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:39,360 something look a little more majestic than what it might in a small space. 527 00:38:39,719 --> 00:38:46,280 So vining plants are always a good option. Climbing roses like an ivy or 528 00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:52,480 something, but something that can dry your eye heavenward, it's always a good 529 00:38:52,519 --> 00:38:57,960 strategy. So in a nutshell, Stephanie, you have found and I would 530 00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:02,559 agree with you, that success in hardening in small spaces is taking advantage of 531 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:08,800 and using airspace, going up, going vertical, right, Yes, absolutely, 532 00:39:09,159 --> 00:39:13,440 always. Yeah, Now, it seems like a lot of your advice 533 00:39:13,559 --> 00:39:16,920 in the book is about growing flowers from seed. Is that do you think 534 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:22,320 is especially challenging for you in Arizona? Is that is that a money saving 535 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:27,079 technique? Why is that sort of one of your approaches on that? Definitely 536 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:32,320 a money saving technique. I feel like you can optimize your growing power by 537 00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:37,840 buying a seed packet for three dollars and fifty cents where you can get fifty 538 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:43,320 plants, versus you know, going to your garden center or wherever it is 539 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:46,679 the nursery and buying a six pack of plants for four dollars where you just 540 00:39:46,719 --> 00:39:51,639 have six plants. And I have a small flower farm, so I'm also 541 00:39:51,679 --> 00:39:55,760 growing on a larger scale, so using seeds is money saving for me. 542 00:39:57,159 --> 00:40:00,800 But also here in Arizona, our climate is amazing where we're gardening three hundred 543 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:05,880 and sixty five days of the year, and so germination is not typically a 544 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:09,159 problem here. So I do tend to grow a lot by seed, but 545 00:40:09,199 --> 00:40:15,199 I also see the value in transplants where you have a shorter growing season. 546 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:22,440 Sometimes maybe that transplant really jump starts your the length of time to bloom on 547 00:40:22,519 --> 00:40:28,559 a plant or whatever. So transplants definitely are our wonderful option, and I 548 00:40:28,599 --> 00:40:35,599 do grow from transplants a lot, but just money wise, seeds are super 549 00:40:35,639 --> 00:40:39,119 savers in that respect. Sure, absolutely so. I've been watching the national 550 00:40:39,159 --> 00:40:45,280 news, the weather and the temperatures in Las Vegas and Arizona. My word, 551 00:40:45,800 --> 00:40:50,320 so if gardening's three hundred and sixty five days out of the year. 552 00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:52,719 For you guys, maybe you might want to take June in July off. 553 00:40:54,960 --> 00:41:00,079 We definitely do, and that's you know, definitely my vegetable garden slows down 554 00:41:00,119 --> 00:41:05,800 in June and July. I never stop planting flowers just because they bring me 555 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:08,679 so much joy. So I'm always always got flowers going. But like I 556 00:41:08,719 --> 00:41:13,400 said, I am path of least resistant, so I'm making sure that I'm 557 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:15,920 growing varieties that don't need a lot of dead heading, don't need a lot 558 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:19,880 of tending too, so that I can just enjoy their beauty. I can 559 00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:22,960 kind of and bring them inside my home and make sure that, you know, 560 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:27,079 I'm just surrounded by them. But yeah, definitely definitely slow down in 561 00:41:27,119 --> 00:41:30,400 June in July. So what's really going crazy? What's really going bananas right 562 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:36,159 now? Despite the extreme climate that you're the extreme challenges you guys are dealing 563 00:41:36,199 --> 00:41:37,719 with right now, Like what makes you go, yeah, I'm glad I 564 00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:43,880 planted that. Oh definitely the zinnias. Zinnias are always that just fun, 565 00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:50,360 beautiful pop of color. I love sunflowers. Filosia is another one that is 566 00:41:50,559 --> 00:41:53,719 just it brings just a different texture and a different element to my garden. 567 00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:59,960 But one of my favorite summer flowers is lizing at this which is super drought 568 00:42:00,159 --> 00:42:06,239 tolerant, heat resistant. It's so good so and it has a huge phenomenal 569 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:09,280 based life. So lizianthis is one of my very favorites for the summer. 570 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:15,639 I will never not grow Lisianthus. But yeah, there's there's cosmos, marigolds 571 00:42:15,719 --> 00:42:21,000 we've got going right now. Of course our summer, our spring flowers are 572 00:42:21,079 --> 00:42:23,480 done that we've so you know, we've got the seasons. But making sure 573 00:42:23,519 --> 00:42:28,119 that I plant those flowers that can handle the heat, that's key, and 574 00:42:28,199 --> 00:42:31,119 I think that's key for any gardener. Making sure that you're not frustrating yourself 575 00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:35,760 by planting the wrong thing at the wrong time. Making sure that you've got 576 00:42:36,320 --> 00:42:40,280 a knowledge of what is what should be growing in your area at this moment 577 00:42:40,519 --> 00:42:44,840 is key. And Stephanie, you make a great point. If you're gardening 578 00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:51,039 in small spaces, it doesn't mean you cannot grow cut flowers to bring indoors 579 00:42:51,280 --> 00:42:55,400 and enjoy. And I really appreciate your perspective on that. Her name is 580 00:42:55,440 --> 00:43:00,079 Stephanie Walker. Her beautiful new book is called How to Grow flowers in small 581 00:43:00,159 --> 00:43:04,960 spaces. Stephanie, before we let you go today, wanted to ask you. 582 00:43:05,199 --> 00:43:10,079 We ask most folks this question that we interview, give us your favorite 583 00:43:10,320 --> 00:43:15,719 flower, your favorite plant. We asked that because it's a very unfair question. 584 00:43:15,400 --> 00:43:19,599 So let me ask you that question. If you had to pick one, 585 00:43:19,719 --> 00:43:22,679 what is it? Right now? It is Lizianis for me for the 586 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:27,320 summer flower. I love lizianas it's beautiful. It has kind of like a 587 00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:30,400 shape that's reminiscent of a rose. But it's just it brings so much beauty, 588 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:36,360 so right now it's that it could be something different depending on what's blooming 589 00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:38,559 now. I do have to ask you with eliziandas are you growing that in 590 00:43:38,679 --> 00:43:44,039 your home flower garden or is that primarily for your cut flower farm? Because 591 00:43:44,079 --> 00:43:46,159 I have I mean, of course I know the plant. It is beautiful. 592 00:43:46,239 --> 00:43:50,199 People love it when they see it in an arrangement, but I haven't 593 00:43:50,239 --> 00:43:53,400 really seen it grown as a garden plant so much. I do both. 594 00:43:53,599 --> 00:43:58,159 I have it in my landscape and I have it in my flower field, 595 00:43:58,639 --> 00:44:02,000 and in the landscape it's beautiful. It's something that in my book I kind 596 00:44:02,039 --> 00:44:07,119 of discussed. There's a table that kind of shows you positions of plants and 597 00:44:07,199 --> 00:44:10,039 where to put them in your garden if they're background, metal or foreground. 598 00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:14,920 So with both lisianthas, they're kind of more towards the background because they can 599 00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:19,920 get pretty tall and sometimes they might need help standing up. You might need 600 00:44:20,000 --> 00:44:23,679 to stake them or provide some support. But they are a beautiful landscape flower 601 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:28,280 bed plant, and so yeah, I kind of have those towards the back 602 00:44:28,360 --> 00:44:31,960 of my beds and then kind of stair stepping down in height depending on what 603 00:44:32,079 --> 00:44:37,159 the flower is. But they are a beautiful background flower in a garden well, 604 00:44:37,199 --> 00:44:39,000 and then not one I would think of as being particularly heat tolerant. 605 00:44:39,119 --> 00:44:43,480 You know, to look at them, it's really interesting to find out that 606 00:44:43,559 --> 00:44:47,760 they are thriving in your extreme meat. Yeah. Oh, they are so 607 00:44:47,960 --> 00:44:52,119 good. And like I said, for a cut flower, their base life 608 00:44:52,239 --> 00:44:58,400 is like ten to fourteen days. They're phenomenal. That's like the biggest bang 609 00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:02,079 for your buck flower almost they last forever. Wow, that's interesting. Page 610 00:45:02,159 --> 00:45:08,360 ninety eight and ninety nine, Lizzianthus in Stephanie Walker's beautiful new book How to 611 00:45:08,480 --> 00:45:14,400 Grow Flowers in Small Spaces. If folks want to learn more or find the 612 00:45:14,480 --> 00:45:20,519 book. What's your recommendation, Stephanie, So I would say Simon and Schuster 613 00:45:20,719 --> 00:45:23,920 on their website. It's available. It's available through Barnes and Noble. If 614 00:45:23,960 --> 00:45:28,559 your Barnes and Noble is not carrying it, you can request it and they 615 00:45:28,599 --> 00:45:30,760 can order it in for you. Of course, it's on Amazon. It's 616 00:45:31,199 --> 00:45:37,000 pretty much almost everywhere books are sold you can get it. So, yeah, 617 00:45:37,639 --> 00:45:40,719 it's a great book. I love it, fantastic. It is a 618 00:45:40,719 --> 00:45:45,440 beautiful book, Stephanie Walker. How to grow flowers in small spaces. Stephanie, 619 00:45:45,599 --> 00:45:50,960 stay cool there in Arizona and take care of yourself. And thanks so 620 00:45:51,119 --> 00:45:54,800 much for joining us on the Gardening Simplified Show. Oh you are so welcome. 621 00:45:54,880 --> 00:45:59,920 Thank you for having me, and thank you for looking at my book 622 00:46:00,079 --> 00:46:04,000 and helping to get the word out. It's awesome. Have a great summer. 623 00:46:04,199 --> 00:46:06,760 Thank you you too. Well, I'm not sure that we're going to 624 00:46:06,800 --> 00:46:09,639 be able to complain about the heat here in Michigan every again after talking after 625 00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:15,239 talking, so I am certainly inspired, and I hope all of you are 626 00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:19,159 as well. So thank you to Stephanie, thank you Rick, thanks Adriana, 627 00:46:19,239 --> 00:46:21,400 and of course, as always, thanks to all of you for listening. 628 00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:22,159 We really appreciate it. Have a great week ahead.