WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.839 --> 00:00:07.000 Broadcasting from Studio A here at proven winners Color Choice Shrubs. 2 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:11.359 It's time for the Gardening Simplified radio podcast and YouTube 3 00:00:11.400 --> 00:00:15.599 show with Stacy Hervella me Rick Weisten, our engineer and 4 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:19.719 producer Adrianna Robinson. Well Stacey. Today we're going to talk 5 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:24.800 about eating your landscape. Sixteen percent of the American population 6 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:29.519 moves every year. I thought that was an interesting statistic. 7 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:34.359 Suburbanites have become transient while chasing the American dream. And 8 00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:39.560 something I have learned is edible plants and the occasional 9 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:45.960 chocolate chip cookies help you meet your neighbors. Increasing regional 10 00:00:46.119 --> 00:00:50.719 food security is another issue. People are thinking about existing 11 00:00:50.840 --> 00:00:56.079 vacant lots, flat rooftops, and residential yards. What about your 12 00:00:56.240 --> 00:01:02.520 yard enter the suburbs, what about your lawn? Studies have 13 00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:07.599 exclaimed the lawn as the largest crop in the United States, 14 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:10.319 and that was a wake up call for many people 15 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:14.000 in water stressed areas of the country. The lawn is 16 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:20.000 as an abundant in the suburbs as corn is in Iowa, 17 00:01:20.120 --> 00:01:23.879 and yet Stacy and I are living examples of simply put, 18 00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:28.040 you can't eat your lawn. Well, actually you can if 19 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:32.400 you have dandelions, clover, and plantain growing in your turf 20 00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:36.239 like many people do. You can eat elements of your lawn. 21 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:40.319 But edible landscape design is a type of gardening that 22 00:01:40.439 --> 00:01:44.640 emphasizes the production of food crops while still maintaining a 23 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:50.519 visually pleasing appearance. Often used in small spaces, city gardens, 24 00:01:50.519 --> 00:01:56.480 suburban yards where traditional gardening methods may not be practical, 25 00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:02.120 so edible landscape design. I have an example, and we'll 26 00:02:02.120 --> 00:02:05.359 show a picture on YouTube of the frames that I 27 00:02:05.480 --> 00:02:09.680 build to grow my cucumbers so that they're just not 28 00:02:09.960 --> 00:02:13.080 sprawling all over the ground. It's healthier for them. We 29 00:02:13.159 --> 00:02:16.840 get good air movement. These are wire frames that are 30 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:19.759 put at a forty five degree angle. The cucumbers grow up. 31 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:22.400 It keeps them nice and clean. I don't have big 32 00:02:22.439 --> 00:02:26.919 problems with powdery or downy mildew. There's a method to 33 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:28.599 growing food in your own yard. 34 00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:31.680 States, Oh, there absolutely is, whether you're talking about just 35 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:36.120 you know, a standard vegetable garden or at all landscaping 36 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:38.319 like you said, where instead of having things like you know, 37 00:02:38.759 --> 00:02:42.919 boxwood and crab apples, you have apple trees and blueberry 38 00:02:42.919 --> 00:02:44.039 shrubs exactly. 39 00:02:44.199 --> 00:02:48.439 And a thought that stimulated this whole eat your yard 40 00:02:48.520 --> 00:02:52.960 thing in my mind was thinking about garlic. Of course, 41 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:57.759 you grow a lot of garlic. Stacey and I grow 42 00:02:57.800 --> 00:03:00.800 garlic also, and part of the reason is because it's 43 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:04.520 fun and it's easy to grow in your own yard. 44 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:08.800 But I was once again reading statistics, China accounts for 45 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:14.120 seventy three point two percent of garlic production in the world. 46 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:18.360 That's amazing to me. The top three countries hold an 47 00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:26.439 eighty six percent share of garlic growth. That's China, India, Bangladesh, 48 00:03:26.479 --> 00:03:31.039 and then South Korea and Egypt. What about growing garlic 49 00:03:31.080 --> 00:03:31.960 in your own yard? 50 00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:34.639 Yeah, I mean that is that is very interesting. And 51 00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:36.879 that is also why if you are interested in growing 52 00:03:36.919 --> 00:03:40.159 garlic in your own yard, I generally don't recommend that 53 00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:43.280 you just use regular store about garlic and throw it 54 00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:46.159 in the ground, because all of those climates are a 55 00:03:46.199 --> 00:03:48.960 lot different than the mess of the American Midwest, and 56 00:03:49.800 --> 00:03:53.280 they're probably growing varieties that are very specific to their 57 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:56.919 climate conditions, have resilience to you know, the various challenges 58 00:03:56.919 --> 00:04:00.280 and things. So I and also why if you're growing garlic, 59 00:04:00.280 --> 00:04:01.879 why would you want to buy the same garlic that 60 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:04.479 you can get at the store when you can grow 61 00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:08.159 many more interesting varieties. And once you start shopping for garlic, wow, 62 00:04:08.360 --> 00:04:12.400 like it's mind boggling. How many really cool and unique 63 00:04:12.599 --> 00:04:15.479 different airloom varieties from all over the world and throughout 64 00:04:15.479 --> 00:04:18.199 history you can grow. And you know, I'm glad we're 65 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:20.399 talking about this right now, because it is almost time 66 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:24.680 to buy garlic. They usually, it's very often the interesting 67 00:04:24.759 --> 00:04:28.199 varieties will get sold out by mid to late September, 68 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:30.120 so it's a good time to start shopping. Reserve your 69 00:04:30.120 --> 00:04:32.800 garlic and they'll ship it for you at the proper time, 70 00:04:32.839 --> 00:04:34.120 and then you'll be like, oh good, I get to 71 00:04:34.120 --> 00:04:35.720 plant garlic this weekend. This is going to be great. 72 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:36.680 It's so easy to. 73 00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:39.639 Plant exactly, and that's why I use it as an 74 00:04:39.680 --> 00:04:43.199 example of each your yard. Or let's talk about a 75 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:47.079 beautiful flowering shrub that I love. Quints Yeah, now, how 76 00:04:47.079 --> 00:04:52.600 many people grow it? For the actual quints fruit? It's 77 00:04:53.079 --> 00:04:56.519 as of itself. Quints fruit is full of pectin. It's 78 00:04:56.600 --> 00:04:59.879 often found as a jam, jelly, or marmalade. 79 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:03.079 Yeah. And you know, a lot in North America we 80 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:06.360 do not have a quince culture. In Europe, quince is 81 00:05:06.439 --> 00:05:09.759 much more popular. There's a Spanish membryo paste, which has 82 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:12.439 I think maybe made some inroads here in the US 83 00:05:12.600 --> 00:05:15.879 because of charcuterie boards. People like to have that with 84 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:19.680 their cheese and salami and so forth. But there's actually 85 00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:22.240 two types of quince. There's a quince tree and that's 86 00:05:22.279 --> 00:05:26.120 the one that is normally used for eating, and the 87 00:05:26.199 --> 00:05:29.079 quince shrub, like our double take quince, which actually don't 88 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:31.279 set fruit for which for some people is a good thing. 89 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:33.680 That one is used more for a jam and has 90 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:36.600 a really beautiful yellow hue. Now when you see a 91 00:05:36.680 --> 00:05:39.959 quince shrub laden with fruit, it's kind of like stops 92 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:40.680 you in your tracks. 93 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:41.839 It's stunning, yeah. 94 00:05:41.639 --> 00:05:44.920 Because it's all very closely born to the stem and 95 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:47.120 it just looks like this sort of like alien thing 96 00:05:47.199 --> 00:05:49.720 with like these yellow eggs stuck to it. It's pretty cool. 97 00:05:50.120 --> 00:05:53.800 So we can be decorative and functional as far as 98 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:59.519 eating our landscape or our yard. Let me do a 99 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:02.639 limerick here for you a minute to kind of create 100 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:06.839 a synopsis of the topic. I'm out for a late 101 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:10.800 night snack. It's growing right out back. I'm wearing my 102 00:06:10.920 --> 00:06:15.759 bathrobe and slippers, holding my favorite clippers, my munching by 103 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:19.319 moonlight neck I did it. I ripped up my lawn 104 00:06:19.639 --> 00:06:22.360 and now have something to feed on for all of 105 00:06:22.360 --> 00:06:26.600 my labors. I'm the talk of the neighbors, a suburbia phenomenon, 106 00:06:27.319 --> 00:06:30.399 my buffet on the boulevard for all to see, no 107 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:34.800 holds barred. I'm developing better habits and eat better than 108 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:38.800 the rabbits right in my very own yard. 109 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:40.680 Oh that was lovely, very nice. 110 00:06:40.720 --> 00:06:43.839 And part of the reason for doing this, Stacey, is 111 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:48.480 that there's there's a real sense of accomplishment when you're 112 00:06:48.519 --> 00:06:54.680 able to both improve your landscape decoratively and derive the 113 00:06:54.759 --> 00:06:57.639 benefit of feasting off your landscape. 114 00:06:57.680 --> 00:07:02.600 Also, yeah, you know, there's something about having the produce 115 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:05.199 from your own backyard, whether again it is a landscape 116 00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:09.480 or an herb. There's just something that is really magical 117 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:13.160 about running out back and getting it and serving it. 118 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:15.920 And you know, if you know, you know, and if 119 00:07:15.959 --> 00:07:17.959 you don't know, you know, it doesn't have to be 120 00:07:18.120 --> 00:07:20.040 an all out kind of thing. You can do this 121 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:24.120 in steps. I think basil is a great entryway plant, 122 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:28.360 you know, for people who just kind of want to 123 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:31.399 start getting to know the luxury and joy of growing 124 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:32.519 animals in your own backyard. 125 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:38.040 It's beautiful I'm thinking basil and chives. Yeah, I love 126 00:07:38.120 --> 00:07:40.720 going out there clipping some chives, putting them on the 127 00:07:40.759 --> 00:07:43.959 potatoes or whatever it may be. So we're talking about 128 00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:49.240 service berry, blueberries, chives, and garlic, something like colengula or 129 00:07:49.399 --> 00:07:54.800 nasturtiums of course fruit trees. And then I think that 130 00:07:55.480 --> 00:07:58.560 I want to use as an example. I mentioned garlic earlier, 131 00:07:58.600 --> 00:08:02.160 but what about rubar. Rhubarb is the perfect example of 132 00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:05.160 an edible decorative perennial. 133 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:09.680 Such a beautiful plant, you know, big lush leaves. You 134 00:08:09.720 --> 00:08:12.040 can almost think of it as like an edible hostile. 135 00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:16.199 Actually hostas are edible, but it kind of has that 136 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:18.800 same effect in the garden, but for sun and you know, 137 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:21.439 big beautiful red stems. I love reubarbara. And you know 138 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:24.399 what I'm growing this year that I am also loving 139 00:08:24.519 --> 00:08:27.399 is horse reddish. Oh yes, and that is a really 140 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:29.800 lovely plant too. But it has these elegant leaves on 141 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:32.639 these long stems and just makes this clump and it 142 00:08:32.679 --> 00:08:36.000 has a beautiful color. And I'm very very happy with that, 143 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:39.120 and I plan to harvest it and replant. That's how 144 00:08:39.159 --> 00:08:40.600 you do it. You dig up the whole thing, take 145 00:08:40.600 --> 00:08:44.440 the roots, put them back in and repeat as necessary. 146 00:08:44.600 --> 00:08:46.360 Yeah, and let me add to the mix. When we're 147 00:08:46.360 --> 00:08:49.960 talking about healthy and colorful, what about Swiss chard? 148 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:50.399 Oh? 149 00:08:50.440 --> 00:08:50.879 I love that. 150 00:08:51.320 --> 00:08:54.000 You know, when I first started gardening, my very first 151 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:57.840 vegetable garden was the year that bright Lights Swiss charred 152 00:08:57.919 --> 00:09:00.679 kind of came on to the scene and I saw 153 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:02.919 that on the cover of the Johnny Seed catalog and 154 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:05.399 that was it. I was just like, I need that plant. 155 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:09.720 At the time, nobody had any earthly idea on what 156 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:12.000 to do with Swiss chard in North America, not really 157 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:15.600 a vegetable that people ate. But I was in love 158 00:09:15.639 --> 00:09:17.519 with that plant and I grew in and that was 159 00:09:17.799 --> 00:09:18.840 kind of what got me hooked. 160 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:22.720 Yeah, yeah, you know, along the lines of rhubarb and 161 00:09:22.279 --> 00:09:29.000 the beautiful leaves, I do want to mention ganera. Oh yeah, 162 00:09:29.080 --> 00:09:32.639 so there. In other words, there are rhubarb plants that 163 00:09:32.759 --> 00:09:38.360 you don't eat. They are grown specifically for ornamental purposes. Now, 164 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:42.960 ganera is not a rubarb, it is not in that family. 165 00:09:43.399 --> 00:09:48.080 But when I've visited gardens and seen these huge plants, Wow, 166 00:09:48.279 --> 00:09:51.879 talk about an impact plant. And there's some very interesting 167 00:09:51.960 --> 00:09:55.559 articles too on how folks are being told don't plant 168 00:09:55.639 --> 00:10:01.279 this plant, it's invasive. We'll put those links at Gardeningsimplified 169 00:10:01.320 --> 00:10:07.120 on air dot com because it's an interesting plant to know, 170 00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:12.960 known as giant rhubarb. But again invasive and controversial. 171 00:10:13.159 --> 00:10:14.679 Yeah, well, we don't really have to worry about that 172 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:17.879 here in Michigan. It's not warm enough to grow it, 173 00:10:18.039 --> 00:10:20.159 and it's certainly way too dry. This is a plant 174 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:23.879 for swampy, wet areas and mild climates. And when it 175 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:26.639 looks good, it is gorgeous, so incredible. 176 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:29.159 You bet. Let's find out what Stacy has on her 177 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:32.159 mind for plants on trial. That's coming up next here 178 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:34.120 on the Gardening Simplified Show. 179 00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:42.399 Prooven Winners Colored Choice Shrubs cares about your success in 180 00:10:42.440 --> 00:10:44.879 the garden. That's why we trial and test all of 181 00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:47.519 our shrubs for eight to ten years, making sure they 182 00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:50.240 outperform everything else on the market. Look for them in 183 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:55.440 the distinctive white container at your local garden center. Greeting's 184 00:10:55.480 --> 00:10:58.360 gardening friends, and welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show. 185 00:10:58.360 --> 00:11:01.919 We're talking edibles, and you know, I had a dream 186 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:03.720 that when I did buy a house, I would have 187 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:06.399 an edible landscape that I would do exactly what I 188 00:11:06.440 --> 00:11:08.639 was just talking about where, you know, when I would 189 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:10.879 if I would say to myself, okay, well I want 190 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:14.279 a groundcover here. You know, instead of choosing say, pacassandra, 191 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:16.799 I would choose cranberry, and you know I would be 192 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:18.799 able to err, yeah, I would be able to make 193 00:11:18.840 --> 00:11:22.039 all of these swaps. Well, I unfortunately have run against 194 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:25.639 the reality of deer in rabbits, which is making that 195 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:29.559 hard because very often a number of edible plants that 196 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:35.320 we enjoy are widely relished oh right, deer by deer 197 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:37.960 and rabbits, and that can kind of put a little 198 00:11:37.960 --> 00:11:40.799 bit of a kaibash on your dreams, certainly for me, 199 00:11:40.919 --> 00:11:43.559 you know, having to have my vegetable garden enclosed in 200 00:11:43.639 --> 00:11:46.799 some sort of you know, prison to keep deer out. 201 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:49.399 But I did want to talk a little bit about. 202 00:11:49.279 --> 00:11:53.320 About vegetable they are, Yeah, what. 203 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:55.080 Else are you going to do? You can't have them otherwise, 204 00:11:55.720 --> 00:11:58.519 Gotta do what you gotta do. We're talking about lawns, 205 00:11:58.519 --> 00:12:00.759 and you were talking about how dandelions edible, and there's 206 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:03.120 certain you know, lawn weeds. But one of the interesting 207 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:06.559 things that I have found in my garden is I 208 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:10.320 have grown more and more edibles. Is that my weeds 209 00:12:10.679 --> 00:12:12.399 become edible plants. 210 00:12:12.679 --> 00:12:12.759 Now. 211 00:12:12.840 --> 00:12:15.480 I mean, of course I still get regular conventional obnoxious weeds. 212 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:19.120 Who doesn't. But you know, for example, I've talked about 213 00:12:19.159 --> 00:12:21.039 it on the show before, but when we moved into 214 00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:24.919 our house, the previous owners had at one point planted arugola, 215 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:27.840 and itself sows all over my garden. And it's a 216 00:12:27.879 --> 00:12:30.240 great weed to have. I don't have to do anything 217 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:32.720 to grow it, and I can pretty much go out 218 00:12:32.759 --> 00:12:37.360 anytime around my yard and scrounge up in a arugola salad. Meanwhile, 219 00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:39.360 they're selling it at the grocery store for like fifteen 220 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:41.480 bucks a pound, and it's just growing in my backyard 221 00:12:41.480 --> 00:12:42.240 like there's no tomorrow. 222 00:12:42.279 --> 00:12:45.799 I know it's something else and so healthy, so nutritious, 223 00:12:46.360 --> 00:12:50.159 but what do I know. I'm only a rugola guy. 224 00:12:50.279 --> 00:12:53.000 It's it's very nice, it's very tasty, you know, and 225 00:12:53.039 --> 00:12:56.360 I have herbs self sewing. It's a good problem to have. 226 00:12:56.440 --> 00:12:59.360 So the more you fill your yard with these kind 227 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:02.960 of plants, the more you're going to find that your 228 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:05.799 yard becomes sort of more of that kind of habitat. 229 00:13:06.200 --> 00:13:07.639 So we're on the edge of our seat. 230 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:09.840 I know, I've built up a lot of suspense here 231 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:13.279 in the studio on what today's plant on trial is. 232 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:16.639 And you know, we do have some edible shrubs here 233 00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:20.240 in the proven Winter's Color Choice line. But I always 234 00:13:20.440 --> 00:13:23.840 love whenever the subject of eating, you know, plants that 235 00:13:23.879 --> 00:13:28.120 people don't expect to be edible. I love bringing up 236 00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:32.559 this plant because people, really people are always surprised when 237 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:34.639 I tell them, And I was very surprised when I 238 00:13:34.759 --> 00:13:37.279 found out myself, which was not actually all that long ago. 239 00:13:37.320 --> 00:13:40.039 This is not knowledge that I've had for years. Today's 240 00:13:40.120 --> 00:13:44.200 plant on trial and it is edible is paraplue pink 241 00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:50.120 ink hibiscus, also known as a rosa sharon. And of course, 242 00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:52.720 roses of sharon are in bloom right now here in Michigan. 243 00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:56.279 Roses of sharon are one of those ubiquitous summer plants 244 00:13:56.440 --> 00:13:57.759 that we're well familiar with. 245 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:00.320 So are you eating it when it's in bloom? Or 246 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:03.759 are you eating the buds? Or are you eating the foliage? 247 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:07.200 Or are you gnawing on the stems? What's the deal. 248 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:09.159 Well, if you're a deer, you're gnawing on the stems. 249 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:14.519 But if you are human, the flowers are edible. So yeah, 250 00:14:14.559 --> 00:14:18.120 it's so what you eat them when they are in 251 00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:21.279 what I would call the tube stage. So if you're 252 00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:23.480 familiar with what a rosa sharen looks like when it's 253 00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:26.320 coming out, you know, first day it's kind of in 254 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:29.759 a tight pointed bud, very close to the plant, and 255 00:14:29.799 --> 00:14:32.879 then the following day it extends into a tube. The 256 00:14:32.919 --> 00:14:35.519 next day it opens, and then usually a couple of 257 00:14:35.559 --> 00:14:37.679 days after that, it goes away. So you want it 258 00:14:37.799 --> 00:14:39.840 when it's gone out of that pointed bud stage, but 259 00:14:39.960 --> 00:14:43.519 before it opens and it's in this tube, and yeah, 260 00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:47.440 you can eat them fresh straight off the plant, and 261 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:50.639 they to me, they taste very good. But the reason 262 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:53.320 that they taste good to me is because I like okra. 263 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:56.639 Oh oh, you do like okra. That's good. 264 00:14:56.799 --> 00:14:57.240 I love it. 265 00:14:57.600 --> 00:14:59.679 And okra is very polarizing vegetable. 266 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:02.519 I'm wondering, so could you deep fry these things? 267 00:15:02.679 --> 00:15:04.919 So I don't know about that. That's a good question. 268 00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:07.919 They are definitely more delicate than okra because of course 269 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:10.960 they're you know, flower petals instead of a vegetable, a 270 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:14.559 seed pod as it were. But they taste like okra. 271 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:16.720 They have a slight kind of sliminess, which I think 272 00:15:16.799 --> 00:15:19.600 is a good thing. Like okra, But yeah, they're good 273 00:15:19.720 --> 00:15:21.720 enough to just put on a salad. I've only ever 274 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:24.799 had them fresh, and I chose pair of blue pink 275 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:27.360 ink today because it is, to me, one of our 276 00:15:27.399 --> 00:15:31.039 prettiest and most interesting varieties. I am crazy about it. 277 00:15:31.480 --> 00:15:34.720 But the fact is that all roses of Sharon are 278 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:39.600 actually edible as flowers, and you can eat them. Surprise 279 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:42.360 your friends bring them over to your house, just you know, 280 00:15:42.519 --> 00:15:44.960 casually pull one out and shomp on it and see 281 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:48.200 their face when they do. Now, one thing I would 282 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:51.600 say in terms of selecting roses of Sharon to actually 283 00:15:51.639 --> 00:15:56.919 eat in your garden is I would generally, probably maybe 284 00:15:56.919 --> 00:16:01.159 a matter of personal taste, shy away from the double variety. 285 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:03.519 So like our Chaffon series where you have a lot 286 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:07.039 of extra petals, and this isn't really because of flavor 287 00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:09.279 or anything, but my concern is just that when they 288 00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:12.200 start opening into that tube phase, that's a lot of 289 00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:15.480 hiding places for bugs. So if you are squeamish, all 290 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:17.480 those extra pedals can give them a lot of places 291 00:16:17.480 --> 00:16:20.080 to hide. And you know, if you're trying to be all, 292 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:22.679 you know, macho and eat a hibiscus in front of 293 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:25.000 your friends and family, and you bite into some horrible 294 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:28.000 ant or something might ruin your facade, and we don't 295 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:31.600 want that. Yeah, a lot of people are really surprised 296 00:16:31.639 --> 00:16:33.639 to find out that roses of Sharon are edible. And 297 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:35.559 so if you have a rose of Sharon, whether it 298 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:37.840 is paraplue pink ink, or any of the other number 299 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:41.559 of roses of Sharon out there, congratulations, you have edible 300 00:16:41.639 --> 00:16:42.720 landscaping well. 301 00:16:42.759 --> 00:16:45.039 And you know, it does make sense when you look 302 00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:51.759 at how pollinators, bumblebees, hummingbirds are attracted to the blooms 303 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:56.240 of rows of Sharon, it seems to make sense that, yeah, 304 00:16:56.279 --> 00:16:58.559 maybe this is kind of a tasty snack. 305 00:16:58.919 --> 00:16:59.519 I think it is. 306 00:16:59.639 --> 00:16:59.799 So. 307 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:03.000 Paraplue pink ink is just as tasty to the eyes 308 00:17:03.080 --> 00:17:05.559 as it is to the tongue if you are an 309 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:09.119 Okra kind of person. The flowers are so The Para 310 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:13.839 blue series in general is characterized by extra large open flowers, 311 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:16.359 So a lot of roses of Sharon they're kind of 312 00:17:16.359 --> 00:17:19.000 more bell like, they don't fully open, like a big 313 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:22.079 old satellite dish. So the Para blue series has really 314 00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:25.839 large flowers that open fully, and paraplue pink ink the 315 00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:27.960 flowers are so pretty if you have to go to 316 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:30.759 Gardening Simplified on air dot com and look at photos 317 00:17:30.759 --> 00:17:33.480 of this plant. So they are white flowers and the 318 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:37.680 pink ink part comes in because the center is pink 319 00:17:37.799 --> 00:17:39.960 and it has these what's known as eye extensions on 320 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:43.480 the hibiscus world that come out into the petals, So 321 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:46.880 it's like a pink kind of swirl in the center. 322 00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:50.240 And a single flower is beautiful, but when you have, 323 00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:52.480 you know, dozens of flowers, which is one of the 324 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:54.079 strengths of Rows of Sharon is that you have a 325 00:17:54.119 --> 00:17:56.839 lot of flowers at once on the plant. So when 326 00:17:56.839 --> 00:17:58.720 you have a whole bunch of flowers in bloom with 327 00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:03.000 that kind of swirl pink center, it really is a 328 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:06.680 very very impressive kind of eye dazzling site to see. 329 00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:10.319 I think impressive is a good description. In the Garden Center, 330 00:18:10.440 --> 00:18:14.920 when Paraplue is in bloom, it stops you in your 331 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:18.519 tracks if you're walking the aisles shopping flowering shrubs, or 332 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:22.000 even walking through the Rows of Sharon section, when you 333 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:26.839 come upon this plant, there's something distinctive and different about. 334 00:18:26.599 --> 00:18:28.680 It, definitely, and I feel like that is true of 335 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:31.480 all of the Parablue series. You know, paraplue violet is 336 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:33.240 another one of my favorites, and that is a plant 337 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:35.319 that I always have to say you just have to 338 00:18:35.319 --> 00:18:37.759 see to believe because the color is just so unique. 339 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:40.720 But paraplue pinking, I think, is the one that like, 340 00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:43.440 when people see it, they're just they're gonna want to 341 00:18:43.480 --> 00:18:44.960 grow it. And then if you are the kind of 342 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:48.039 person who you know, likes to throw some weird stuff 343 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:51.079 in your salads and amaze your friends, it has that 344 00:18:51.240 --> 00:18:54.880 added advantage too. And by and large, you know, as 345 00:18:54.920 --> 00:18:57.480 someone who, as I was just saying, can't really grow 346 00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:00.480 the edible landscape of my dreams because of dear pressure, 347 00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:03.759 roses of Sharon are by and large pretty deer resistant. 348 00:19:03.799 --> 00:19:04.799 Have you found that, Yes? 349 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:05.839 Absolutely so. 350 00:19:05.960 --> 00:19:09.880 They do browse my plants a little bit, I mean certainly, 351 00:19:09.880 --> 00:19:12.240 not enough to cause any damage. And once your roses 352 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:15.079 of Sharon are established, you know, you probably wouldn't even 353 00:19:15.160 --> 00:19:18.039 barely notice. And the more established they get, the more 354 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:21.079 mature your plants get, the less deer damage occurs because 355 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:23.400 they just become woodier and the deer are less interested 356 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:25.440 in them than when they're very young and fresh. 357 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:27.119 The best way to describe it is like when you 358 00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:29.759 go to a buffet in Las Vegas, you know, and 359 00:19:29.799 --> 00:19:32.720 you've got all this food along the buffet. You kind 360 00:19:32.720 --> 00:19:34.720 of nose around in there a little bit. But now 361 00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:36.720 I'm moving on to something else. And that's what the 362 00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:38.960 deer do with rows of share. 363 00:19:38.839 --> 00:19:42.039 Take a little taste, Yes, enough, something else. Dot's try 364 00:19:42.119 --> 00:19:44.839 something else in my house. That actually means you're probably 365 00:19:44.839 --> 00:19:47.039 just moving on to now my summarific hibiscus, which they 366 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:51.880 hopefully won't eat either. But yeah, so very easy to grow. 367 00:19:52.039 --> 00:19:54.680 Roses of Sharon of course love full sun. They are 368 00:19:54.759 --> 00:19:57.839 hardy down to USDA Zone five heat teller all the 369 00:19:57.880 --> 00:20:00.960 way through USDA Zone nine, so good portion of the 370 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:06.359 country can grow these edible hibiscus. And one of the 371 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:09.720 other great things about the Parablue series in general, as 372 00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:12.440 well as Parablue Pink Ink, is that they have a 373 00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:15.519 really elegant habit. And this is a crucial part of 374 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:18.200 our selection process here at Proven Winters Color Choice shrubs 375 00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:22.720 for hibiscus, because a lot of older varieties they kind 376 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:24.720 of have what my boss is referred to as a 377 00:20:24.759 --> 00:20:27.079 caveman club habit, like they just kind of look like 378 00:20:27.079 --> 00:20:31.880 a club. And these are really elegant parablue pink ink 379 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:34.400 is five to eight feet tall and four feet wide, 380 00:20:34.440 --> 00:20:36.599 so it's got a good space saving habit, you know, 381 00:20:37.079 --> 00:20:38.880 not the old varieties. It gets to be ten feet 382 00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:40.920 tall and ten feet wide and you know, watch out, 383 00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:42.519 you have to clear a whole area to be able 384 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:47.720 to grow them. They're actually pretty restrained, nice small footprint 385 00:20:47.759 --> 00:20:50.680 and so a really nice plant to add. Or imagine 386 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:53.960 this an edible hedge of hibiscus, and that's. 387 00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:56.759 What I like because people are always looking for plants 388 00:20:56.799 --> 00:20:59.839 that they can use for hedging. Talk about a knock 389 00:20:59.880 --> 00:21:01.160 your socks off hedge. 390 00:21:01.480 --> 00:21:04.039 Yeah, great choice, and your neighbors will be grateful too, 391 00:21:04.039 --> 00:21:05.720 because they're going to be enjoying the other side of 392 00:21:05.759 --> 00:21:09.240 it and it's going to look absolutely amazing. And another 393 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:12.640 great thing, Hibiscus rosa sharon is drought tolerant once it 394 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:16.319 is established, and really it's just a great choice for 395 00:21:16.440 --> 00:21:20.880 the garden and kind of one of those accidentally incidentally edible, 396 00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:23.039 Like it's edible, but you know that's not the main 397 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:25.079 reason you grow it. So check out the pictures at 398 00:21:25.079 --> 00:21:28.359 Gardeningsimplified on Air dot com or visit us at proven 399 00:21:28.400 --> 00:21:30.519 Winter's Colour Choice dot com to find a retailer near 400 00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:32.960 you so you can add Para blue pink ink hibiscus 401 00:21:33.079 --> 00:21:35.359