WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:05.040 Coming to you from Studio A here at Proven Winners 2 00:00:05.080 --> 00:00:09.199 Color Choice Shrubs. It's time for the Gardening Simplified Podcast, 3 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:13.560 radio and YouTube show with Stacey Hervella, me, Rick Weist, 4 00:00:13.560 --> 00:00:18.199 and our engineer and producer Adrianna Robinson. Well Stacey. Around 5 00:00:18.199 --> 00:00:21.399 here in the North, it's felt like Groundhog Day every 6 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:25.679 day for the last two months. Snow, snow, snow, and 7 00:00:25.719 --> 00:00:29.440 it makes you wonder when spring is going to arrive. 8 00:00:30.280 --> 00:00:36.759 I love following the adventure in Danville, Vermont, where they 9 00:00:36.799 --> 00:00:40.320 put a palette out on the ice on the lake. 10 00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:44.320 It's called Joe's Pond. They have an annual ice out. 11 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:47.359 It has bricks on it. It's wired with a weather 12 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:50.719 proof clock. And when that palette and bricks finally break 13 00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:53.759 through and sink to the bottom, you know it's spring. 14 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:57.000 And they have people who pay a dollar each for 15 00:00:57.079 --> 00:01:00.439 a ticket. It's a big deal. But when that brick 16 00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:02.479 goes through the ice, you know at spring. 17 00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:02.840 Oh. 18 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:05.959 I like that, that's a real symbol. We've had a 19 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:09.239 lot of false spring here exactly in West Michigan. Not 20 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:11.239 sure about the rest of our listeners. If I know, 21 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:12.799 we have a lot of people in warm climates, so 22 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:14.319 you're probably like, yeah, it's great. 23 00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:16.359 It has been less. 24 00:01:16.239 --> 00:01:20.480 Than great here in Michigan, and really no signs of 25 00:01:20.519 --> 00:01:24.000 it improving in the near forecast, at least that I've seen, And. 26 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:27.439 So you start to question yourself when does spring start. 27 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:31.359 So they're on Joe's pond, they know definitively when spring starts. 28 00:01:31.400 --> 00:01:35.959 But in the North and Midwest, we are anxious for spring, 29 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:39.760 and most people will do a few things as spring starts. 30 00:01:39.760 --> 00:01:45.480 They'll fertilize their lawn and apply an annual crab grass control. 31 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:49.640 They'll spray weeds, and in many cases they're winter annual 32 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:53.159 weeds like hen bit or chick weed or my good 33 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:57.560 friend Harry bittercress, who are going to die anyhow, That's 34 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:01.840 always driven me crazy in the garden center industry, people 35 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:05.560 need to understand the difference between annual and perennial weeds. 36 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:09.680 Many people will have a massive pile of mulch dumped 37 00:02:09.719 --> 00:02:13.759 on their driveway and then in May they'll head to 38 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:15.719 the garden center and try and get it all done 39 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:17.560 at once. That's what I see. 40 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:20.120 Yeah, that's pretty accurate. 41 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:22.960 You know, like maybe two weeks ago it was somewhat 42 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:26.280 nice on the weekend. I'm speaking relatively like it wasn't 43 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:28.319 like oh one of those days you just gotta get outside. 44 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:29.800 You know. I saw the. 45 00:02:29.800 --> 00:02:32.520 People out there pulling up their leaves and you know, 46 00:02:32.599 --> 00:02:35.199 putting around here and there because it was a bit sunny. 47 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:38.360 I don't know if most people are as organized as 48 00:02:38.360 --> 00:02:41.719 you make them out to be in that and that. 49 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:43.520 I think that a lot of times what happens is 50 00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:46.400 people is people think, Okay, it's nice, I'm going to 51 00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:50.000 go outside do some ard work. And you know, they again, 52 00:02:50.039 --> 00:02:52.080 they start putting around, they get a rake, they pull 53 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:55.159 some leaves out of the beds. You know, they go should. 54 00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:56.000 I cut this? Should I not? 55 00:02:56.960 --> 00:02:59.120 But then you know, maybe they listen to us, or 56 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:01.759 they read an article or you know, see something on 57 00:03:01.800 --> 00:03:03.759 social media and they're like, oh, shoot, I should have 58 00:03:03.759 --> 00:03:06.439 been doing X, Y and Z right, and then it's all, 59 00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:07.800 you know, all hands on deck. 60 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:10.759 Yeah that's true. And coming up in segment four it 61 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:14.479 we'll talk to Mike Connor, he's a pollination and be expert. 62 00:03:14.520 --> 00:03:17.039 We'll talk about cleaning up the leaves, clean up in 63 00:03:17.159 --> 00:03:21.039 spring effect on native bees. That's coming up in segment four. 64 00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:25.240 But you know your garden in spring, it's an outdoor 65 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:28.080 living room. And I guess my point what I'm trying 66 00:03:28.120 --> 00:03:31.360 to make, and I see people do this is uh, 67 00:03:31.840 --> 00:03:34.639 don't try and get it all done at once. I mean, 68 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:38.800 spring is a little over ninety days long, plus garden 69 00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:43.240 centers greenhouses have gotten very good at the shoulder seasons. 70 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:46.800 You know, we head well into June, July, into the fall. 71 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:51.919 You have plenty of time, so peace yourself. Spring is 72 00:03:52.039 --> 00:03:56.120 not a weekend. This week's limb a rick. There once 73 00:03:56.319 --> 00:04:00.840 was a man from ocean whose plant choices weren't well chosen. 74 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:03.840 The plants he had grown were outside of his own, 75 00:04:03.960 --> 00:04:08.039 and now his camellias are frozen. He learned winter over 76 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:12.840 exposes and splits your left out new hoses. The azaleas 77 00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:17.040 are toast his flowers compost. Yes, life ain't a bed 78 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:20.680 of roses. But let's get out there in the yard 79 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:22.759 and let's kick off spring. So stacy, A lot of 80 00:04:22.759 --> 00:04:26.639 people do feeding. I want to say real shortly. I 81 00:04:26.839 --> 00:04:30.360 like to feed my shrubs, perennials and plants in spring. 82 00:04:30.920 --> 00:04:36.040 I like to use a slow release organic fertilizer. But 83 00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:39.160 a lot of people feed their lawns. And if you're 84 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:43.120 going to do that, use a good quality slow release 85 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:47.000 because that grass is going to grow like nuts anyhow. 86 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:50.199 So if you just jump you dump a quick release 87 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:53.360 nitrogen fertilizer on the lawn, it's gonna cause it to 88 00:04:53.399 --> 00:04:57.040 grow even faster. And I just think that feeding a 89 00:04:57.120 --> 00:04:59.800 lawn and fall is more important than feeding it in. 90 00:04:59.720 --> 00:05:04.480 S I couldn't speak to lawn fertilization, as you know, 91 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:08.480 it is not my forte quite the opposite. But I 92 00:05:08.519 --> 00:05:11.879 do agree with you on fertilizing the trees and shrubs 93 00:05:11.879 --> 00:05:13.680 and perennials if you're going to do that. And you know, 94 00:05:13.720 --> 00:05:17.040 people always ask us if they should fertilize their shrubs, 95 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:19.920 and you know my answer, and I'm not trying to 96 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:22.920 be obtuse or whatever is if you want to, it 97 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:28.439 is not necessary in most areas to fertilize landscape plants. Now, 98 00:05:28.519 --> 00:05:31.240 if you started with something small, you might want to 99 00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:34.040 fertilize to get because it does indeed boost growth, and 100 00:05:34.040 --> 00:05:36.600 that's why people fertilize their lawn and greens everything up. 101 00:05:38.040 --> 00:05:39.680 Or if you are trying to grow for. 102 00:05:39.800 --> 00:05:43.079 Privacy, so I have a privacy hedge of junipers. I'm 103 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:46.199 trying to get established on the back line of my yard, 104 00:05:46.360 --> 00:05:48.439 and you better believe I went out and fertilized those 105 00:05:48.519 --> 00:05:52.560 last week when it was a somewhat nice day, because 106 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:54.519 we're gonna get some rain. So that's like the ideal 107 00:05:54.600 --> 00:05:57.160 time to do this is if you have a day 108 00:05:57.160 --> 00:05:58.639 where it's nice enough for you to be out there. 109 00:05:58.680 --> 00:06:01.279 The ground should not be frozen. And whether you're doing 110 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:04.120 your lawn or you know, perennials and shrubs and the like, 111 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:07.560 try to pick a nice day ground's not frozen and 112 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:10.279 it's gonna rain really good the next day to get 113 00:06:10.279 --> 00:06:13.120 that stuff, you know, working, because all of these slow 114 00:06:13.160 --> 00:06:15.920 release fertilizers, and when we talk about slow release fertilizers, 115 00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:19.399 we're not talking about like the little osma code or 116 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:21.399 other things like that that you put in your in 117 00:06:21.480 --> 00:06:24.480 your annual containers that release fertilizer for them all summer. 118 00:06:24.519 --> 00:06:28.720 We're talking about a fertilizer that weathers due to rain 119 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:30.959 and acidity and the soil and all of that and 120 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:35.319 releases those nutrients slowly correct to their plants, rather than 121 00:06:35.399 --> 00:06:36.959 like here you go, you just got your boost. 122 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:38.000 Now deal with it, you know. 123 00:06:38.279 --> 00:06:41.040 And that's exactly my point with the lawn. So I'm 124 00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:44.000 not saying don't feed your lawn, I'm saying, use a 125 00:06:44.199 --> 00:06:48.319 good quality slow release. My point is not all fertilizers 126 00:06:48.360 --> 00:06:49.600 are created the same well. 127 00:06:49.519 --> 00:06:51.720 That is for sure, and there's a lot of confusion. 128 00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:55.439 And I'm a big fan of granular fertilizers. Anyway, as 129 00:06:55.480 --> 00:06:58.319 we've talked about before, especially for this time of year. 130 00:06:58.360 --> 00:07:00.800 You know you're fertilizing your annuals, your veget a little 131 00:07:00.839 --> 00:07:02.639 bit later in the season by all means, mix up 132 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:05.399 that liquid stuff. But when we're talking about more of 133 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:09.120 this long term sustained growth, I really like a good stony, 134 00:07:10.040 --> 00:07:11.879 granular slow release for life. 135 00:07:12.040 --> 00:07:14.720 You too, I agree. So here's a few things that 136 00:07:14.759 --> 00:07:17.120 you can do. Of course, I love in viral weather. 137 00:07:17.399 --> 00:07:21.879 I'm a meteorologist wannabe. So if you're north of let's 138 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:24.959 say a line between Kentucky and Virginia, and you're north 139 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:30.079 of that area, get to know soil temperatures because it matters. 140 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:35.160 It makes a difference on how quickly things emerge. Insects emerge. 141 00:07:35.399 --> 00:07:40.000 Also GDD growing degree day accumulation. Don't have time to 142 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:42.800 explain it right now, but get to know that, and 143 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:45.720 there are great tools on the internet where you can 144 00:07:45.879 --> 00:07:50.800 track that. I do that all the time. Then get 145 00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:54.000 edging out of the way. Early springs a great time 146 00:07:54.040 --> 00:07:57.920 to get edging work done. Clean out your shed. I 147 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:01.199 say that, but I won't do it. Sharpen your pruners 148 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:06.839 and shovels, divide and move some perennials like ornamental grass yep, 149 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:08.519 good time for that for sure, and when you plant 150 00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:11.199 them in spring, they won't heave out of the ground 151 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:14.199 like they might in fall. Stacy, I like to give 152 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:17.079 my mulch beds a stir. I joke about the people 153 00:08:17.079 --> 00:08:19.439 who put a big pile of mulch in their driveway 154 00:08:19.519 --> 00:08:22.959 and pile it on too deep. By the way, don't 155 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:26.439 pile it on to old mulch and pile mulch too 156 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:29.000 deep just because you feel that's something you gotta do 157 00:08:29.079 --> 00:08:32.840 at the outset of the spring. Appropriate amounts of mulch 158 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:37.240 are important for plants, and the old mulch I like 159 00:08:37.320 --> 00:08:37.879 to stir it. 160 00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:40.879 Yeah, break up that surface tension. I mean the wood 161 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:46.159 as it sits does the waxes prevent water from wetting it. 162 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:47.720 So it is a good idea to kind of stir 163 00:08:47.799 --> 00:08:50.279 that around and get some air under there, and you 164 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:51.639 keep it from looking too flat. 165 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:59.159 Absolutely, you have a strategic functional advantage when you understand pruning. 166 00:09:00.440 --> 00:09:03.000 And we'll talk about pruning throughout the spring, but it 167 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:06.200 makes a world of difference to know what you're doing. 168 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:09.399 It's a perfect time to set up your irrigation system 169 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:12.639 and your needs for the season. In other words, I'm 170 00:09:12.679 --> 00:09:15.559 talking about we're in spring here. Before you can set 171 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:18.679 out annuals, we're still going to get some hard frosts. 172 00:09:19.960 --> 00:09:24.120 I like the HHH approach that means inspect heads on 173 00:09:24.360 --> 00:09:29.960 irrigation hoses and hardware in early spring, put soil in 174 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:32.840 your containers so they're ready to go when you do 175 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:36.039 buy those annuals. And maybe this is one of those 176 00:09:36.120 --> 00:09:40.039 years where you upsize your hanging baskets. I often recommend 177 00:09:40.039 --> 00:09:44.200 to people who buy the ten inch hanging baskets upsize 178 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:48.159 them into a twelve or fourteen inch basket. They're readily 179 00:09:48.200 --> 00:09:51.799 available right now in stores. If you go looking for 180 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:54.159 them in June, you might not be able to go. 181 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:56.000 Oh, that's for sure, the hanging baskets will sell out. 182 00:09:56.240 --> 00:09:58.240 Well, there's an idea of some things on your list 183 00:09:58.279 --> 00:09:59.679 when you're just raring to go. 184 00:09:59.639 --> 00:10:02.679 In Yeah, I'd say if you're out there inspecting your 185 00:10:02.679 --> 00:10:05.080 heads in hardware and organizing your shed, I would say 186 00:10:05.080 --> 00:10:09.039 you indeed have a case of spring fever, and that 187 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:11.639 would probably be the way this season appears to be going, 188 00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:14.919 although I did see that they're predicting a very warm April. 189 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:18.360 So we'll see what happens. Because March has been, you know, 190 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:21.840 a little little less time outside than I had been 191 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:22.399 hoping for. 192 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:25.320 March hasn't been a lion or a land, it's just 193 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:30.240 been awful. Yes, we'll see what Stacy has in mind. 194 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:33.840 And plants on trial coming up next here on the 195 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:35.519 Gardening Simplified Show. 196 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:44.799 Beautify your home and community with proven Winner's Color Choice 197 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:47.960 Shrubs with over three hundred and twenty five unique varieties 198 00:10:47.960 --> 00:10:50.639 to choose from. There's a flowering shrub or evergreen for 199 00:10:50.679 --> 00:10:53.840 every taste and every space. Just look for the distinctive 200 00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:56.639 white container your local garden center or learn more at 201 00:10:56.639 --> 00:11:02.080 proven Winner's Color Choice dot com. Greetings, gardening friends, and 202 00:11:02.200 --> 00:11:04.679 welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show, where we are 203 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:08.879 talking about springtime tasks. And you know, if you're in 204 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:11.559 one of the areas that are nice right now, your 205 00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:13.600 tasks may look a little bit different than us here 206 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:16.679 in Michigan, just trying to pass the time until we 207 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:19.360 can get outside and do something meaningful. But I did, 208 00:11:19.360 --> 00:11:22.159 before I launch into today's plan on trial, want to 209 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:25.600 just bring up two really important facts. And number one, 210 00:11:25.720 --> 00:11:29.960 Ricky mentioned pruning a bit. Pruning is obviously a massive topic. 211 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:33.240 I mean, we could do multiple shows about pruning, but 212 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:37.159 as you have hopefully heard me say before, the thing 213 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:41.480 to remember about pruning in spring is when in doubt, 214 00:11:41.799 --> 00:11:45.759 don't just don't. So if you're out there, you got 215 00:11:45.799 --> 00:11:49.200 the pruners, you're getting a little you know, over excited 216 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:52.480 about everything, and you're clearing it out, and you're wondering, 217 00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:55.000 should I have cut that back? Should I be cutting this? 218 00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:57.320 Where should I cut this? This is the best thing 219 00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:00.320 to do is to take that moment to RECOGNI that 220 00:12:00.360 --> 00:12:01.919 you don't know what to do, and you should just 221 00:12:02.039 --> 00:12:04.279 walk away because it's much easier to fix something that 222 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:07.200 you didn't prune than to fix something that you did. 223 00:12:07.399 --> 00:12:10.279 And stay tuned to the Gardening Simplified show as we 224 00:12:10.360 --> 00:12:13.440 advance into spring, because we're going to have to continue 225 00:12:13.480 --> 00:12:14.639 to address this time. 226 00:12:14.759 --> 00:12:17.240 Oh yes, for sure. But I did also want to 227 00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:20.559 tell you that you know, with perennials, so a perennials 228 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:22.399 and our baceous plant that died back to the ground. 229 00:12:22.440 --> 00:12:24.879 So you've got plants parts that are above ground if 230 00:12:24.919 --> 00:12:28.879 unless you cut them all back and fall that are 231 00:12:28.919 --> 00:12:31.039 going to be cut back. And if you don't cut 232 00:12:31.080 --> 00:12:32.960 back a perennial like that, the worst thing that's going 233 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:34.480 to happen is you're just going to have all of 234 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:36.799 the old brown foliage and the green foliage mixed together 235 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:40.759 and it doesn't look great, but the plant will be fine. 236 00:12:41.559 --> 00:12:43.039 And with shrubs, of course, if you cut them at 237 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:46.200 the wrong time, you could be removing flowers and that's, 238 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:48.960 you know, something that you can live with, but it's disappointing, 239 00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:52.279 Like we don't want you to be disappointed, but you know, 240 00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:55.960 we do have information on every Prooven Winner's Color Choice shrub, 241 00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:58.080 how to prune it, when to prune it on our 242 00:12:58.120 --> 00:13:01.320 website at Proven Winner's Color Choice doch, So that is 243 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:04.919 a great place to start finding out whether you can 244 00:13:05.080 --> 00:13:07.440 or should prune. And then as far as cutting back 245 00:13:07.480 --> 00:13:09.679 perennials go, you know, I've said it before and we're 246 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:11.240 going to get into it much more with Mike and 247 00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:14.679 segment four. But I am a big believer in not 248 00:13:14.840 --> 00:13:17.679 over cleaning the garden in spring, letting all of that 249 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:20.720 stuff emerge. But on the other hand, I also don't 250 00:13:20.840 --> 00:13:22.919 like to have to pick through all that fresh new 251 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:24.639 growth while I'm trying to pull out all of the 252 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:27.759 dead stuff. So my solution, of course is just to 253 00:13:27.799 --> 00:13:30.679 pile it up somewhere and let it sit. So that's 254 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:32.039 just something to keep in mind if you have the 255 00:13:32.039 --> 00:13:35.039 real estate, which I don't actually have the real estate anymore, 256 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:37.399 but I'm going to figure it out somehow or another. 257 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:42.919 So anyway, plants on trial, if there is one shrub 258 00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:46.000 that you think of when it comes to spring, what 259 00:13:46.200 --> 00:13:47.519 is it, Well. 260 00:13:47.399 --> 00:13:51.200 I can tell you, but I looked at your notes here, 261 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:54.519 so that's not fair for even if I'm stealing. 262 00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:55.759 Here, even if I hadn't told you. 263 00:13:57.159 --> 00:13:59.360 Of course, it's for city, of course, you know and 264 00:13:59.559 --> 00:14:02.120 every and I'm sure I've said this on the show before, 265 00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:06.399 but it amazes me that Forsythia is one of these 266 00:14:06.440 --> 00:14:11.960 plants that nobody thinks even for a moment about outside 267 00:14:12.039 --> 00:14:12.960 of its bloom. 268 00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:15.759 Time, paying no attention, and then when it's in bloom, 269 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:18.159 it is just so unignorable. 270 00:14:17.720 --> 00:14:20.600 And everybody comes to the garden center wanting to buy. 271 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:24.519 It exactly, and it's just it's a It's a wild 272 00:14:24.600 --> 00:14:27.759 thing to go from not thinking about forcythia at all 273 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:33.080 to seeing Forsythia literally everywhere. It seems like everyone has 274 00:14:33.159 --> 00:14:36.200 a forcythia, and I think that's a great testament to 275 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:41.120 how tough and durable and easy to grow this plant is. 276 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:44.879 But isn't it something when it's in bloom with daffodils 277 00:14:44.919 --> 00:14:45.360 at the ceme? 278 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:46.600 Oh, it's perfection. I love it. 279 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:48.279 Yeah, you know, I mean, I'm you know, I do 280 00:14:48.360 --> 00:14:52.120 have a Forsythia in my yard. It was there when 281 00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:54.639 we moved in. I'm actually going to cut it back 282 00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:57.559 to kill it this year. I'm going to kill it. Yeah. 283 00:14:57.799 --> 00:15:00.879 But we didn't want to pull it out entirely because 284 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:03.200 we don't want to disturb all the soil. But I 285 00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:05.159 am after I'm gonna give it one last balloon. But 286 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:08.039 you know, it's just for me. It's too big. This 287 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:09.960 is this is one of the old fashioned varieties. So 288 00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:13.240 our plant and a trial today show off sugar baby 289 00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:15.559 Forcythia is going to change all of that. But let 290 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:18.399 me just finish my point here about the massive forcythia 291 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:20.600 that I have in my yard that is every bit 292 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:23.519 of six feet tall and wide. And you know, for me, 293 00:15:23.960 --> 00:15:26.639 it's just not my yard, and my garden is too 294 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:29.279 small for something that doesn't do a little bit more, 295 00:15:29.559 --> 00:15:29.720 you know. 296 00:15:29.720 --> 00:15:30.840 What I mean, I understand. 297 00:15:30.919 --> 00:15:34.720 Yeah, so it's coming out. I don't know exactly what 298 00:15:34.759 --> 00:15:37.200 I'm gonna plant in its place, probably give some room 299 00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:39.519 to some other things that are already kind of muscling 300 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:44.480 it out. But I do love the golden color of Forsythia, 301 00:15:44.519 --> 00:15:47.360 and for me, it's kind of like I can I 302 00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:50.360 get my fill from everybody else who's got the forcythia. 303 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:51.799 I don't necessarily need it in. 304 00:15:51.799 --> 00:15:52.440 My own yard. 305 00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:57.120 Okay, I borrowed, borrowed sceener. The borrowed scenery is sufficient. 306 00:15:57.559 --> 00:16:00.600 But if I did want to continue to grow for 307 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:04.080 Scythia in my yard, I would indeed pick today's plan 308 00:16:04.120 --> 00:16:07.039 on trial show off sugar Baby forcythia. Why it is 309 00:16:07.320 --> 00:16:11.720 hands down the smallest forcythia on the market. It reaches 310 00:16:11.879 --> 00:16:14.039 just one and a half to two and a half 311 00:16:14.120 --> 00:16:15.200 feet tall and wide. 312 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:16.000 That's amazing. 313 00:16:16.039 --> 00:16:17.080 That is very tiny. 314 00:16:17.159 --> 00:16:17.639 That's small. 315 00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:22.200 I mean for most forsythias are gigantic, right, and you know, 316 00:16:22.440 --> 00:16:24.600 people make room for them. They still make a great 317 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:27.799 privacy heads. There's still a place for those larger ones. 318 00:16:28.360 --> 00:16:30.960 But I think as a lot of us find ourselves 319 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:34.639 either as gardeners with more and more plants that we 320 00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:38.039 want to accommodate and plants that give us maybe longer 321 00:16:38.039 --> 00:16:42.840 seasons of interest compared to Forsythia, or we move to 322 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:45.679 smaller areas and we just love forsythia with like a 323 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:49.279 condo or apartment or something like that. This is a 324 00:16:49.320 --> 00:16:53.039 great choice for you. And because it is so small, 325 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:56.279 it is a plant that can grow in places where 326 00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:57.480 other forcythia can't. 327 00:16:57.879 --> 00:17:00.960 Yeah, instead of using it as a fountain dation plant 328 00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:04.319 against your house, how about putting it in a perennial guard. 329 00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:07.119 It's great in a perennial gardener. It can be grown 330 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:10.079 in containers. And I would also encourage you, if you're 331 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:12.680 the kind of gardener who just likes to create really 332 00:17:12.680 --> 00:17:16.599 pretty containers. Check out show off sugar Baby at your 333 00:17:16.599 --> 00:17:18.960 garden center. Go ahead and plant it temporarily in a 334 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:22.680 container with pansies and bulbs and all of that fun stuff, 335 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:24.440 and then just plant it in your garden when you're 336 00:17:24.440 --> 00:17:26.200 ready to change that container over for summer. 337 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:30.400 I saw Forcythia's in containers at corkin Hoff in the 338 00:17:30.440 --> 00:17:33.079 Netherlands with bulb plants. Wow. 339 00:17:33.160 --> 00:17:35.799 Yeah, it's such a great combination. And then you know, yes, 340 00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:38.279 you're investing a bit into the forcythia, but you're going 341 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:41.119 to plant it out in your yard, so it's a 342 00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:43.319 really great choice. You can also plant it. This is 343 00:17:43.319 --> 00:17:46.759 an interesting choice for planting, say on either side of 344 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:50.880 your steps, because also, unlike those larger forcythia's, a show 345 00:17:50.920 --> 00:17:54.079 of sugar Baby has a very tidy habit, so regular 346 00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:57.200 forcythia's kind of can be a little bit messy, no rangey. 347 00:17:57.359 --> 00:17:59.119 I like that about them because I like things to 348 00:17:59.160 --> 00:18:01.880 look a little bit while and sometimes when I see 349 00:18:01.880 --> 00:18:05.519 a forcythia that's really been you know, super meatebald, I'm 350 00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:08.039 a little like ouch that looks like it hurts. 351 00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:11.599 Or it hurts. In the right setting, it can work 352 00:18:11.640 --> 00:18:12.519 really really well. 353 00:18:12.839 --> 00:18:14.480 But the nice thing about show off sugar Baby is 354 00:18:14.519 --> 00:18:16.880 you don't have to worry about that because it does 355 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:20.720 just naturally grow as this very dense, little kind of 356 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:26.319 column of golden flowers. So it has the structure that 357 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:29.000 you need for these more formal applications, like I said, 358 00:18:29.480 --> 00:18:31.759 going up to your front door on either side of 359 00:18:31.799 --> 00:18:34.759 your garage. Of course, in perennial gardens, You can also 360 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:37.039 even plant this as kind of a low hedge around 361 00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:39.160 the front of landscape. 362 00:18:40.200 --> 00:18:40.440 Yeah. 363 00:18:40.519 --> 00:18:44.559 So the size is a great way to get everything 364 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:48.319 you love about Forcythia two areas that you normally wouldn't 365 00:18:48.359 --> 00:18:52.039 have grown it. Now, there's another big advantage of a 366 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:54.359 small Forcythia like show off sugar Baby, that I wanted 367 00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:57.599 to share with our listeners, and that is it is 368 00:18:57.720 --> 00:19:02.079 hardy to USDA Zone five, but we have heard reports 369 00:19:02.119 --> 00:19:06.680 of people in colder climates being successful with it because 370 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:10.279 it is so small that it's usually covered by snow 371 00:19:10.920 --> 00:19:13.319 in those colder you know, zone four areas. If you 372 00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:16.400 live in a zone four that usually has reliable snow cover, 373 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:19.440 it is a Forcythia that you can actually potentially grow 374 00:19:19.480 --> 00:19:22.640 because the snow provides all that insulation during the coldest 375 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:25.039 part of the winter when those buds would potentially be 376 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:28.960 susceptible to cold damage. It's got that nice fluffy white 377 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:32.519 coat on and it's able to bloom and survive. And 378 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:34.799 I have heard this even in places as cold and 379 00:19:34.839 --> 00:19:36.200 exposed as Edmonton. 380 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:39.039 Alberta is. Yeah, so love it another word. 381 00:19:39.079 --> 00:19:42.880 Way to kind of use plant sizes and these unique 382 00:19:42.920 --> 00:19:46.400 features of plants in your favor and to experiment with 383 00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:49.240 that a little bit. These heat tolerant through usda is 384 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:51.119 own eight. I think it's funny that people tend to 385 00:19:51.160 --> 00:19:53.880 think of Forsythia as more of a hardy plant, but 386 00:19:53.920 --> 00:19:56.680 it's actually more heat tolerant than it is hardy. It's 387 00:19:56.960 --> 00:20:00.160 I don't think a lot of people realize. Did you 388 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:05.279 know that, botanically speaking, for Scythia is related to olives. 389 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:08.400 I did know that, and I find that interest. 390 00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:10.960 It is interesting because you know, again we're talking about 391 00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:13.559 heartiness and heat tolerance, and of course olives are not 392 00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:16.960 the least bit heat tolerant, and for Cynthia looks nothing 393 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:20.799 really like an olive, but it is in the oly 394 00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:25.000 ace the or the olive family, and so it's not 395 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:29.079 only unlike olives, but it's also unlike other plants that 396 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:30.839 are in the oly ace that we grow in our 397 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:33.920 gardens that are grown for fragrance. So Lilac is in 398 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:39.920 the oly ac jasmine privet fringe tree, Osmanthus ke and 399 00:20:39.960 --> 00:20:44.519 othis or yeah, ke and othis the fringe tree. Adriana 400 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:46.480 sorry was looking at me like trying to trying to 401 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:48.240