Are some plants aphrodisiacs, or is that just a myth? This week on We Dig Plants, Garden expert and plant detective Helen Yoest takes us on a romp through history, lore and ethnobotany to find out plants got their hot reputation - and what modern science has to say about it. Discover which common garden plants and favorite edibles have that something extra, and why. Her book, Plants With Benefits is filled with lush photography, growing tips, and recipes for preparing teas, potions and tasty treats for your pleasurable use. Can a plant create feelings of arousal, contentment or receptivity? It looks like the answer is yes. This is the first book about selecting garden plants for their sex appeal. This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. Certain foods put you in a receptive mode, like cayenne pepper. its heating the body and making you receptive. [14:00] --Helen Yoest on We Dig Plants

Episode 143: Plants with Benfits

We Dig Plants® brings the Culture to Horticulture. Examining our human interaction with plants via authors, industry professionals, historians, plants people, cooks, gardeners & artists and combining our 20 plus years of designing gardens, we delve into the magic, power and influence of plants within a global context and share that charm with international listeners.

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On our season finale, host Carmen Devito visits Zone 1 of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which includes Alaska, and also revisits Zone 13, which includes Puerto Rico.

First, we hear from Peter Johnson and Rusty Foreaker, agronomists with Alaska's Department of Natural Resources Division of Agriculture. After the break, we're joined by Dr. Grizelle González, Project Leader of the Research and Development Unit at the International Institute of Tropical Forestry in Puerto Rico.

Episode 212: Zone Envy – Zone 1

This month on We Dig Plants, hosts Alice Marcus Krieg and Carmen Devito visit Zone 2 of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which includes Fairbanks, Alaska, where our first guest Cyndie Warbelow is a gardener.

After the break, we're joined by Marta McDowell, author of The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes That Inspired the Little House Books.

Episode 211: Zone Envy – Zone 2

This month on We Dig Plants, hosts Alice Marcus Krieg and Carmen Devito visit Zone 3 of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which includes parts of Alaska.

Joining them on the line is Jeff Lowenfels, the author of a trilogy of award winning books on plants and soil, and the longest running garden columnist in North America.

Episode 210: Zone Envy – Zone 3

This month on We Dig Plants, hosts Alice Marcus Krieg and Carmen Devito visit Zone 4 of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which includes the Wisconsin prairie.

A pioneer in the native plant industry and recognized internationally as an expert in native plant community ecology, Neil Diboll has guided the growth of Prairie Nursery for 30 years. He has dedicated his life to the propagation of native plants and their promotion as uniquely beautiful, ecologically beneficial and sustainable solutions for landscapes and gardens. In 2013 Neil was the recipient of the Great American Gardeners Award from the American Horticultural Society.

Episode 209: Zone Envy – Zone 4

This month on We Dig Plants, hosts Alice Marcus Krieg and Carmen Devito visit Zone 5 of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which includes parts of both Nebraska and Iowa.

Del and Alice Hemsath are members of Nebraska's Soil Sisters and Misters Garden Club, which promotes education of the general public about the importance of outside activities for health, supports community projects, and provides education for youth and adults.

Kelly Norris is an award-winning author and plantsman from Iowa and the first director of horticulture at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, a newly revitalized public garden in Des Moines, Iowa.

Episode 143: Plants with Benfits

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