WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:05.160 Coming to you from Studio A here at Proven Winners 2 00:00:05.240 --> 00:00:08.960 Color Choice Shrubs. It's time for the Gardening Simplified radio 3 00:00:09.080 --> 00:00:13.560 podcast and YouTube show with Stacey Hervella Me, Rick weisst 4 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:18.320 and our engineer and producer Adrianna Robinson. Well. Over the 5 00:00:18.359 --> 00:00:22.239 past few weeks, the Gardening Simplified Show has gone on 6 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:25.800 the road. We've gone our separate ways on trips, and 7 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:29.960 today we'll share some of those adventures with you. Stacey 8 00:00:30.039 --> 00:00:34.560 went to Japan, Adriana went to Australia, and I went 9 00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:41.119 to Costa Rica now Putavida. It's pure life. What a 10 00:00:41.159 --> 00:00:44.200 wonderful life it is. I loved Costa Rica. It was great. 11 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:47.000 I have heard great things. I have also had people 12 00:00:47.039 --> 00:00:49.799 say to me, if you go to Costa Rica, they're 13 00:00:49.799 --> 00:00:51.799 going to have to drag you away because they're going 14 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:53.280 to go crazy from all the plants. 15 00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:58.880 And there are many Americans, many Canadians who live in 16 00:00:58.920 --> 00:01:01.799 Costa Rica. I look, the US Department of States said 17 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:06.959 one hundred and twenty thousand private US citizens, many including 18 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:13.000 retirees like me and tourists, live in Costa Rica. So 19 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:16.799 it's pretty cool. Twenty five percent of the land is conservation, 20 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:22.079 with twelve ecological zones over one hundred national parks, reserves 21 00:01:22.120 --> 00:01:26.400 and protected lands. It was incredible, and the people there 22 00:01:26.439 --> 00:01:30.799 I found to be very very friendly. The people are 23 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:36.359 very proud of their country. They're proud of their echodiversity, 24 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:41.760 the plants, the birds, the animals. Every morning, at seven 25 00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:44.120 o'clock in the morning on the radio, they play the 26 00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:46.680 national anthem. Oh and I don't know if you've ever 27 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:49.599 heard the national anthem of Costa Rica, but it's a 28 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:54.719 pretty cool national anthem. You get adjusted pretty quickly for breakfast. 29 00:01:54.760 --> 00:01:59.719 Forget bacon and eggs. You quickly learn to eat gallo pinto. 30 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:04.359 It's a breakfast breakfast staple essentially beans and rice. 31 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:06.120 Love it very good. 32 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:11.400 The people there I think are very healthy. Gallo pinto 33 00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:15.919 means spotted rooster. I don't know why. Nobody could tell 34 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:18.840 me why, but it means spotted rooster. Of course, as 35 00:02:18.840 --> 00:02:27.360 far as agriculture and horticulture are concerned. Coffee, rice, banana, sugarcane, beans, citrus, plantains, 36 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:32.240 which I found interesting stacy. You eat those for breakfast, 37 00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:37.599 chopped up and fried and just like climatis or clematis. 38 00:02:37.639 --> 00:02:41.319 Some people call them plantins and some people call them plantains. 39 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:44.159 Or platinos. If you're a goods. 40 00:02:44.439 --> 00:02:47.800 There you go exactly, or platano, whatever it may be. 41 00:02:48.360 --> 00:02:53.840 But pie, passion, fruit, dragon fruit, coconuts, pineapple, watermelon, cantaloup. 42 00:02:54.199 --> 00:02:56.840 It goes on and on and Stacy. I thought of 43 00:02:56.919 --> 00:03:00.719 both you and Adriana often on my trip because if 44 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:05.159 bird watching is a favorite pastime of yours, Costa Rica 45 00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:06.919 is a must visit place. 46 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:09.479 You know. There, I've read about so many different birding 47 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:13.039 excursions and hotels resorts that are specifically up in the 48 00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:15.479 mountains for birding in it. It's definitely my dream to 49 00:03:15.479 --> 00:03:18.000 do one of those one day. And you saw some amazing. 50 00:03:17.560 --> 00:03:22.159 Birds, amazing bird The two cans, of course, were just unreal. 51 00:03:22.360 --> 00:03:24.599 Tell me back to my childhood when I eat fruit 52 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:25.879 loops for breakfast, you. 53 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:30.400 Know, Sam, So, were those just common, like, oh, there's 54 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:32.639 another two can because you had multiple photos of them? 55 00:03:33.159 --> 00:03:35.800 Yeah, and no. It was more so when we got 56 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:41.159 into the rainforest area near the volcanoes. That's where I 57 00:03:41.240 --> 00:03:45.800 really saw the two cans, the sloths, which were just amazing. 58 00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:51.680 I had some personal interaction with some snakes yikes, like 59 00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:57.199 the eyelash eyelash pit viper. And this is a snake 60 00:03:57.319 --> 00:04:02.719 that preys on hummingbirds. Oh no, yeah, ziplining saw you know. 61 00:04:02.759 --> 00:04:04.719 They tell you not to go ziplining because it's not 62 00:04:04.919 --> 00:04:08.719 too safe. But it was fine, and I got up 63 00:04:08.759 --> 00:04:13.039 close and personal with the birds, hummingbirds. There's a social 64 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:17.120 fly catcher called the kiss Kadi. I thought that bird 65 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:20.480 was beautiful and if you're watching on YouTube, you can 66 00:04:20.519 --> 00:04:23.519 see a picture of that. I got a kick out 67 00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:28.079 of these white throated magpies. They look like bluebirds. No, 68 00:04:28.120 --> 00:04:31.319 not bluebirds, they look like blue jays with a little 69 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:34.199 tuft on their head. And of course in Costa Rica 70 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:36.920 it's nice and warm, so the restaurants are open air. 71 00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:41.720 And every morning I'd watch these guys, the locals there 72 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:47.000 call them horakas, and these horakas would gather on tables 73 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:50.199 and railings outside of the restaurant and you'd watch them 74 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:53.800 have a little conference, a little meeting, and they would debate, 75 00:04:53.879 --> 00:04:56.160 and then finally one of them would be knocked to 76 00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:01.079 the ground, and I guess that's the designated hraka to 77 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:04.480 make a venture into the restaurant to see what kind 78 00:05:04.519 --> 00:05:08.319 of food or snacks the haroca could find. And I 79 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:11.879 watched every morning someone would be pushed to the ground. 80 00:05:11.959 --> 00:05:15.519 The horocca would fly into the open air restaurant and 81 00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:19.040 return about thirty seconds later with two sugar packets in 82 00:05:19.079 --> 00:05:21.800 their mouth, and they would drop them on the floor 83 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:24.079 and then there'd just be an all out brawl. They'd 84 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:27.720 fight over the sugar, and then the whole thing would 85 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:29.120 repeat itself. 86 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:31.720 Well, you know, not many places can boast free entertainment 87 00:05:31.720 --> 00:05:33.720 at breakfast, so that is impressive. 88 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:37.920 But it was fun for me. You know, I live 89 00:05:37.959 --> 00:05:42.079 in Michigan and enjoy the hummingbirds, the Baltimore Orioles in 90 00:05:42.279 --> 00:05:45.680 spring and summer, and to see them vacationing down there 91 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:50.319 in Costa Rica was pretty cool. Speaking of flying, it 92 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:54.600 took four attempts to land the plane in Liberia. 93 00:05:54.680 --> 00:05:55.920 Oh dear for a tech. 94 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:58.199 Now, I didn't land the plane. It was the nice 95 00:05:58.279 --> 00:06:03.000 Delta Airlines pilot who landed the plane due to debris 96 00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:09.040 on the runway, potholes and torrential downpours. And that brings 97 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:10.759 me to my next point. If you're going to go 98 00:06:10.759 --> 00:06:15.240 out traveling and enjoying plants, my gim a rick for 99 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:18.519 the week. These are life hacks. You can use travel 100 00:06:18.600 --> 00:06:22.560 on the shoulder seasons because you get better deals and 101 00:06:22.680 --> 00:06:26.759 fewer crowds just don't go when the rainy season is 102 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:34.360 supposed to end torrential downpours, unbelievable tropical depression, Hurricane Sarah. 103 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:38.160 And that leads me to my limb a rick for 104 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:43.279 the week. I had an inspiration, eureka, why not travel 105 00:06:43.399 --> 00:06:47.279 to Costa Rica? Despite the rain? I went. The weather 106 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:53.480 did circumvent my route through Lovely Topeka. Actually I was 107 00:06:53.480 --> 00:06:58.240 circumvented through Atlanta, but Atlanta doesn't rhyme with coast. 108 00:06:57.959 --> 00:06:59.240 Of fair Enough. 109 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:03.519 Okay, thanks, as far as plant material is concerned, Bird 110 00:07:03.560 --> 00:07:06.800 of Paradise is a big deal in Costa Rica. But 111 00:07:07.079 --> 00:07:12.759 interestingly enough, it's really not bird of Paradise. It's heliconias. 112 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:18.439 Heliconias are native to Central and South America. Whereas the 113 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:21.800 bird of Paradise Strelitzia was a plant that I would 114 00:07:21.879 --> 00:07:24.279 often bring up to the garden center. People love it. 115 00:07:24.600 --> 00:07:29.199 The foliage looks like bananas. Same thing with the heliconia, 116 00:07:29.240 --> 00:07:33.800 which the hummingbirds in Costa Rica just love. They call 117 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:40.519 it false bird of Paradise or Pico deloro parrots beak 118 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:43.240 because they do look like some of those toucans that 119 00:07:43.319 --> 00:07:44.720 I pictures of the Tucans. 120 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:47.399 Yeah, they do. You know, when I was at the 121 00:07:47.399 --> 00:07:50.399 New York Botanical Garden, they had an incredible collection heliconias, 122 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:52.720 and the common name that they would usually put on 123 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:53.639 them was lobster claw. 124 00:07:53.800 --> 00:07:56.279 Yes, lobster claw, which. 125 00:07:55.639 --> 00:07:57.839 Is accurate as the parrots beak. 126 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:03.560 So you're right, yeah, just amazing the biodiversity in Costa Rica. 127 00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:05.839 So if you're into plants, you're into birds, I recommend 128 00:08:05.879 --> 00:08:09.519 you go the Guanacosta Tree. What a huge crown on 129 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:12.959 that tree provides shade in the hot weather. Some people 130 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:15.519 refer to it as elephant ear tree because of the 131 00:08:15.560 --> 00:08:20.360 seed pods. The blue water in the waterfalls in proximity 132 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:26.920 to the volcanoes in the northwestern province of Guanacosta just unreal, 133 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:30.240 I mean waterfalls in general. And then to see plants 134 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:33.960 like Philodendron cordatum just lining the walls, plants that I 135 00:08:34.039 --> 00:08:36.600 used to sell in the garden center and hanging baskets 136 00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:40.240 and just growing in the wild. I mentioned the coffee, 137 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:43.799 the landscape and the vistas. It's so diverse. There was 138 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:48.759 a really cool tree called sandpaper leaf. You grab the 139 00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:51.559 foliage and it is as rough as sandpaper. 140 00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:52.960 Interesting unreal. 141 00:08:53.080 --> 00:08:57.039 The snakes, the sloths, the lizards on the roof on 142 00:08:57.080 --> 00:09:01.600 the clay tile roof, the leaf cutter ants watching. 143 00:09:01.320 --> 00:09:02.759 Them, those are amazing. 144 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:07.080 They're fascinating. The monkeys I could not get used to 145 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:10.960 the howling monkeys or the howler monkeys. Man, do they 146 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:15.080 make a racket at dawn and at dusk? So the 147 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:19.039 papaya trees made me think of Steve Miller band. You know, 148 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:23.559 I brought you a creative papayas chewing on sugarcane. So 149 00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:26.919 the lawn and short of it is, if you get 150 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:30.320 the opportunity to go to Costa Rica, don't go during 151 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:34.639 the rainy season. Even though the rainforest was just beautiful. 152 00:09:35.399 --> 00:09:38.679 But I recommend that you not go during the rainy season. 153 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:46.200 But what a wonderful country, wonderful people and horticulturally agriculture birds. 154 00:09:46.759 --> 00:09:47.600 It's a paradise. 155 00:09:47.960 --> 00:09:49.639 Did you see an equal frogs? 156 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:52.840 Yes, incredible frogs. As a matter of fact, we have 157 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:55.919 a picture for the YouTube version of the show. Got 158 00:09:56.039 --> 00:09:59.519 up and up close and personal to sloth, snakes and 159 00:09:59.639 --> 00:10:02.600 frog and the red eyed green foot. 160 00:10:02.600 --> 00:10:03.600 Oh so beautiful. 161 00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:08.120 They're gorgeous, unreal. So I recommend you make a trip 162 00:10:08.519 --> 00:10:11.919 to Costa Rica and go to Topeka too if you want. 163 00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:14.679 Well, it sounds great, but I'll tell you if I went, 164 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:16.519 I think I would probably have to go for two 165 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:18.679 weeks because it would probably take me like an entire 166 00:10:18.759 --> 00:10:19.759 day to go fifty yards. 167 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:23.720 Unbelievable, It really is. It really is kid in a 168 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:27.200 candy store. Coming up next Adriana, we'll talk about Australia. 169 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:32.320 Stacey will talk about Japan. That's on The Gardening Simplified Show. 170 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:40.679 Proven Winner's Color Choice Shrubs cares about your success in 171 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:43.200 the garden. That's why we trial and test all of 172 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:45.799 our shrubs for eight to ten years, making sure they 173 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:48.519 outperform everything else on the market. Look for them in 174 00:10:48.600 --> 00:10:53.639 the distinctive white container at your local garden center. Reading's 175 00:10:53.679 --> 00:10:56.679 gardening friends, and welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show. 176 00:10:56.679 --> 00:10:59.120 Today we are ripping up the script. We're doing things 177 00:10:59.159 --> 00:11:02.120 totally different because all three of us have taken some 178 00:11:02.200 --> 00:11:04.759 pretty amazing vacations. We've been lucky enough to do that 179 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:07.279 over the past couple of months, and we wanted to 180 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:10.120 tell you about what we did and what we saw 181 00:11:10.279 --> 00:11:13.440 and maybe get you inspired to take a vacation. Plant 182 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:16.480 based vacation of your own. So I am going to 183 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:18.639 hand it over to Adriana, who's going to tell you 184 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:20.600 about her trip to Australia. But before I do that, 185 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:23.480 I do want to mention since we're talking about Adriana, 186 00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:26.480 our editor and producer and who does all of our YouTube. 187 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:29.360 Of course, this is a great episode to join us 188 00:11:29.639 --> 00:11:33.279 for on YouTube because there are run me so many photos, videos, 189 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:35.679 stuff like that that we took of our vacation. So 190 00:11:36.159 --> 00:11:38.440 if you were interested, it would definitely be a good 191 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:40.480 one to tune in. Just go to YouTube and type 192 00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:44.039 in gardening some fun. Yes, all right, so let's kick 193 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:44.360 it off. 194 00:11:44.440 --> 00:11:48.399 I visited Australia and Tasmania in October, so while that 195 00:11:48.679 --> 00:11:51.399 was fall for us here in the Northern Hemisphere, it 196 00:11:51.480 --> 00:11:55.159 was spring down there. The first stop that I made 197 00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:58.080 was in Sydney, and in Sydney I have to talk 198 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:04.080 about the jacaranda trees. The scientific name is Jacaranda mimosa folia. Yeah, 199 00:12:04.120 --> 00:12:07.519 that's it, and it is in the family Bignoni a sea, 200 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:10.000 which is the trumpet vine family. These trees have been 201 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:13.600 growing steadily in Australia for around one hundred and fifty years. 202 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:17.279 They are not native to the area, they are originally 203 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:20.600 from parts of Central and South America, and they think 204 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:24.159 that the seeds were brought along with sea captains from 205 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:29.000 South America. This species epithet means having leaves like a mimosa, 206 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:31.279 and the leaves truly did look like a mimosa tree 207 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:33.159 with that really fine kind of foliage. 208 00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:35.759 But they are not related, yeah, because Momosa is in 209 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:38.559 the bean family and Jackaranda is in the big Nonia 210 00:12:38.600 --> 00:12:41.279 the like you said. But the thing about Jackaranda and 211 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:43.240 when I saw your picture on YouTube, because I was 212 00:12:43.240 --> 00:12:45.279 on vacation at the same time you were, and I 213 00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:46.759 looked at your picture on YouTube and I was like, 214 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:49.000 oh my gosh, Adrian is there. When the jack Arandas 215 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:51.120 are in flower, I am so jealous. I mean, you 216 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:52.679 have to talk about what they look like when they flower. 217 00:12:52.759 --> 00:12:55.200 Oh my gosh. Yes, especially being in Sydney. 218 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:57.000 It's a big city so seeing these. 219 00:12:56.879 --> 00:13:03.240 Vivid, lavender blue flowers just lining the streets was incredible. 220 00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:05.679 It almost looks like you're looking through a UV filter 221 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:08.360 or like a Doctor Seuss kind of tree. But they 222 00:13:08.360 --> 00:13:12.039 are absolutely stunning and they do actually drop the flowers 223 00:13:12.039 --> 00:13:13.799 so they kind of have a carpet like effect, which 224 00:13:14.039 --> 00:13:15.679 I'm sure for some people if they planted by a 225 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:17.960 pool or something, could be a little annoying. But along 226 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:20.320 the streets it was stunning. And actually a fun fact 227 00:13:20.440 --> 00:13:24.000 is that studies have shown it to have anti cancer activity, 228 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:30.200 antimicrobial properties, and antioxidant capacity, and these characteristics may be 229 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:35.120 used to fight off E. Coli, staphylococcus, and leukemia. In 230 00:13:35.399 --> 00:13:40.840 these trees like Rick like it hot and sunny. And 231 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:45.399 so next we'll move to Melbourne, or Melbourne as they 232 00:13:45.480 --> 00:13:48.600 like to say. In the Royal Botanic Gardens of Victoria, 233 00:13:49.320 --> 00:13:51.360 I saw a Banksia plant. 234 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:55.399 Are you familiar? You know I am crazy about anything 235 00:13:55.399 --> 00:13:58.559 in the proteac also known as Protea family. Australia is 236 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:02.840 an epicenter along with self the South Africa for these plants, 237 00:14:02.840 --> 00:14:05.320 and they are They're just like nothing else that you 238 00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:06.120 have ever seen. 239 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:09.000 They are not. And so it was in the botanic garden, 240 00:14:09.159 --> 00:14:11.120 but walking along it was kind of in a not 241 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:14.000 conspicuous area, but I just stopped me in my tracks. 242 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:16.039 So it's a genus in the Proteacea family with over 243 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:18.240 one hundred and seventy species, which I was surprised to 244 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:19.200 find native of them. 245 00:14:19.200 --> 00:14:21.039 Fabulous, all of them fabulous. 246 00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:24.320 Native to Australia and New Guinea, they can grow as 247 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:27.120 trees or shrubs and they are popular garden plants around 248 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:30.080 the area. Most of the species the flowers are quite distinguishable. 249 00:14:30.120 --> 00:14:33.120 They're kind of like a bottle brush spiky cone of 250 00:14:33.159 --> 00:14:36.240 flowers that usually has like one hundred to thousands of 251 00:14:36.279 --> 00:14:38.240 flowers in that individual kind. 252 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:39.039 Of conical shape. 253 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:41.000 And then it's actually if you do run your hand 254 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:44.320 along certain species, it does have like a bottle brush 255 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:46.679 effect where it kind of feels bristly and hard a 256 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:49.360 little bit. A nice thing about these flowers is that 257 00:14:49.639 --> 00:14:52.720 they produce tons of nectar, so they attract pollinators and 258 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:53.840 nectar loving birds. 259 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:55.879 And guess what else? What else? 260 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:57.320 Honey possums? 261 00:14:57.360 --> 00:14:58.320 What I did? 262 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:02.120 Adorable little creeture. They look like mice, but they have 263 00:15:02.200 --> 00:15:05.600 elongated snouts and they're perfect forgetting that sweet, sweet nectar out. 264 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:08.000 But I'll put photos in of these things because they 265 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:08.879 are adorable. 266 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:11.200 Did you see one of them? No? I didn't, I didn't. 267 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:13.559 Gotta go back, I know, yeah, just another reason. 268 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:18.840 So then the foliage size and structure will vary depending 269 00:15:18.840 --> 00:15:22.240 on the species. But the fruit contains seeds and this 270 00:15:22.360 --> 00:15:25.519 protective structure, so it's still that elongated kind of shape. 271 00:15:25.559 --> 00:15:28.919 And most species will often open from exposure, so typically 272 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:31.360 with fire, so bushfires are kind of important for this 273 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:34.480 genus in most cases. And the seed pods are really 274 00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:38.720 unique looking. The old flower spikes commonly referred to as cones, 275 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:41.360 but they aren't technically cones botanically speaking. 276 00:15:41.559 --> 00:15:43.159 But when they open, they kind of look like. 277 00:15:43.159 --> 00:15:47.399 What I think of as a chorus of singing cartoon frogs. 278 00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:48.159 Oh I love that. 279 00:15:48.360 --> 00:15:49.440 Yeah, do you know what I'm saying? 280 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:51.720 Yea, I do. Yeah, yeah, because they have like they 281 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:54.080 kind of open up like little mouths. Yeah, exactly. 282 00:15:55.159 --> 00:15:57.799 So on top of that, these plants typically thrive in 283 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:00.120 USDA zones nine to eleven. 284 00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:03.039 And they are you can find them as ornamental plants 285 00:16:03.039 --> 00:16:05.360 in the US, not in Michigan, of course, but you 286 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:07.960 can also use get them as cut flower sometimes. So yeah, 287 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:09.600 it gets your little Australia fixed that way. 288 00:16:09.720 --> 00:16:12.879 Yeah. It was funny because when we were in Tasmania, 289 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:15.840 actually we were in the on this popular hiking trail 290 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:18.840 where it had beautiful vistas and overlooks, and I saw 291 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:22.360 a protea flower and it was just as perfect cut stem, 292 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:25.639 but it was overlooking what they call Wineglass Bay, so 293 00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:27.639 it's like the super picturesque area. 294 00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:29.639 I was like, that's a weird spot, and I was looking. 295 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:31.240 All around for the plant and I couldn't find it. 296 00:16:31.320 --> 00:16:34.639 Go down to a beach, another beautiful picturesque spot, and 297 00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:37.320 there's another flower. And then it dawned on me though 298 00:16:37.320 --> 00:16:39.320 it was probably from a photo shoot that someone had 299 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:42.320 been clipping these flowers and taking them along, so I 300 00:16:42.360 --> 00:16:45.080 wasn't likely to find the plant there. But so now 301 00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:49.480 moving over to Tasmania. I love Tasmania. I kind of 302 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:53.399 describe it as Jurassic Park mixed with Scotland. It's this 303 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:57.080 phenomenal landscape. There were so many plants here it was 304 00:16:57.200 --> 00:16:58.840 kind of hard to pick which one. So I kind 305 00:16:58.840 --> 00:17:02.840 of picked two staples, and the first one being eucalyptus, 306 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:07.599 and so Eucalyptus is predominant everywhere in Australia and Tasmania. 307 00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:09.000 But what really struck me. 308 00:17:09.079 --> 00:17:11.440 Was the sheer size of some of these trees. 309 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:15.839 I'm going to talk about Eucalyptus regnans aka mountain ash, 310 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:20.000 giant esh, swamp gum, and stringygum. These are in the 311 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:24.640 family murdy race Myrtasi myrtasi and our native to Tasmania 312 00:17:24.680 --> 00:17:26.000 and Victoria. They're actually the. 313 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:27.839 Tallest hardwood trees in the world. 314 00:17:28.200 --> 00:17:31.400 So red yeah, redwoods are softwood and they're they're kind 315 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:33.359 of up there as well, but these ones will often 316 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:37.000 reach over eighty meters or two hundred and sixty feet tall. 317 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:40.559 And fun fact, regnans comes from the Latin word regnar, 318 00:17:40.839 --> 00:17:43.559 meaning to rule, so they kind of rain over the 319 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:45.559 forest there. And it was really cool to see these. 320 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:48.240 I saw these in the Huon Valley next to the 321 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:51.960 Huon River in Tasmania, which is southeast Tasmania area. It 322 00:17:52.039 --> 00:17:55.799 was beautiful because you have these giant, towering Eucalyptus trees. 323 00:17:56.119 --> 00:17:59.440 The understory is all rainforest, so just seeing them pop 324 00:17:59.519 --> 00:18:04.039 up ever was absolutely phenomenal. The trunks are smooth with 325 00:18:04.119 --> 00:18:08.160 a beautiful cream gray brown coloring. 326 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:10.599 And some flaky bark because that bark's gotta go somewhere. 327 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:15.400 And those ones actually grow mostly in cool, mountainous rainy areas, 328 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:18.680 so fitting for the Huon Valley. And because these trees 329 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:21.960 want to tower over most of the rainforest understory plants, 330 00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:25.160 they take on that live fast approach, so they grow 331 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:27.279 very fast when they're young and then they kind of 332 00:18:27.319 --> 00:18:29.599 peter out as they get a little older. But when 333 00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:32.680 they're young, they'll grow from one to two meters or three. 334 00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:35.799 To seven feet per year. WHOA yeah, fast. 335 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:39.599 Yes, But unfortunately these trees are quite susceptible to fire, 336 00:18:39.720 --> 00:18:42.359 and they had actually had a fire in recent years 337 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:44.160 that you could see the damage from some of those 338 00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:47.839 older mature trees. On the flip side. Moving on from 339 00:18:48.200 --> 00:18:52.440 the eucalyptus is the huon pine with a very fun 340 00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:56.160 scientific name Lageristrobos Frank Lnei. 341 00:18:56.880 --> 00:18:57.960 I practiced them one. 342 00:18:58.279 --> 00:19:01.920 Unlike Mountnash or swamp gum, which is a eucalyptus, the 343 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:05.640 huon pine takes the slow and steady approach to life. 344 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:09.359 So this long lived tree is only native to the 345 00:19:09.359 --> 00:19:12.599 wet rainforests of Tasmania, so it felt really special to 346 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:15.400 see something that old and just kind of a staple 347 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:17.880 to the land. It's not actually a pine but a 348 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:21.319 conifer in the Podocarpesi family. Some have grown to be 349 00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:24.240 over two thousand years old, making them some of the 350 00:19:24.279 --> 00:19:26.400 oldest living organisms. 351 00:19:25.880 --> 00:19:27.319 On the planet. That's amazing. 352 00:19:27.400 --> 00:19:29.839 Yeah, And because they're so old, their tree rings have 353 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:34.240 actually been used to help establish records of climate variation 354 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:36.200 throughout ers, which I thought was pretty cool. And then 355 00:19:36.279 --> 00:19:39.240 another fun fact is that it's highly prized for its 356 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:42.200 wood because it has a high oil content that makes 357 00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:45.640 it impervious to insects and also quite waterproof. 358 00:19:46.039 --> 00:19:48.000 So the high oil content also. 359 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:50.680 Allows the wood to bend easier, all of these characteristics 360 00:19:50.680 --> 00:19:53.200 making it great for making boats. It was a sought 361 00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:56.039 after lumber back in the day, so they were just 362 00:19:56.160 --> 00:19:58.640 cutting these trees down until they kind of realized, wait, 363 00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:01.160 these things grow pretty slow. Oh, and they take a 364 00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:06.079 long time to grow. So in the nineteen seventies there 365 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:09.039 was a consensus that it is not sustainable to cut 366 00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:11.839 down thousand year ols' trees, and they have since stopped 367 00:20:11.880 --> 00:20:12.200 doing that. 368 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:14.279 Well, thank goodness. Yeah, someone learns a lesson. 369 00:20:14.359 --> 00:20:17.960 Yeah, but yeah, those were definitely some of my favorite. 370 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:21.680 I mean, the fauna and flora down there is absolutely incredible. 371 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:25.160 I saw little blue penguins which were amazing, and I 372 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:32.279 did cry walla, thees wombats, kangaroos, the birds were incredible. 373 00:20:32.359 --> 00:20:35.319 So it was a phenomenal time and I highly recommend 374 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:39.400 anyone who was interested in nature to absolutely visit Australia 375 00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:40.079 and Tasmania. 376 00:20:41.319 --> 00:20:43.240 All Right, I hear you on that one, and you know, 377 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:45.480 Tasmania is not as like a place where I don't 378 00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:47.839 think people really prioritize for visiting Australia. 379 00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:50.440 No, I mean, honestly, you are the one who informed 380 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:51.880 me about it, and once you told me about it 381 00:20:51.920 --> 00:20:53.920 and I started looking it up and everything. It is 382 00:20:54.119 --> 00:20:58.640 just such a such a beautiful place. Everyone is so friendly. 383 00:20:59.480 --> 00:21:02.359 We stayed in Hobart, which is a really cool old town, 384 00:21:03.559 --> 00:21:06.640 and it was just incredible to see the variation of 385 00:21:06.680 --> 00:21:10.079 the natural landscape around there, from rainforest to dry eucalyptus 386 00:21:10.119 --> 00:21:12.960 for us, waterfalls. 387 00:21:12.839 --> 00:21:16.960 To the coast and caves. It was just absolutely amazing, 388 00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:18.880 and all on a relatively compact island. 389 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:22.680 Relatively compact island, I think it takes around four hours 390 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:25.240 to get from one end of the island to. 391 00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:27.599 The other, unless you're stopping for every bird. 392 00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:30.440 Yeah, yeah, it'd probably take us at least four days. 393 00:21:30.519 --> 00:21:34.000 I feel that, all right. So that's a Dana's recap 394 00:21:34.039 --> 00:21:36.400 of Australia. When we come back, I'm going to give 395 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:45.599 you my recap of Japan at proven Winter's Color Choice. 396 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:48.599 We've got a shrub for every taste and every space. 397 00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:51.960 Whether you're looking for an easy care rose and unforgettable 398 00:21:52.039 --> 00:21:55.119 hydrangea or something new and unique. You can be confident 399 00:21:55.160 --> 00:21:57.440 that the shrubs and the white containers have been trialed 400 00:21:57.440 --> 00:22:00.160 and tested for your success. Look for them at your 401 00:22:00.200 --> 00:22:05.000