Keeping It Green

Join the Keeping It Green podcast team as we talk with Sam Hoadley, the Manager of Horticultural Research at Mt. Cuba Center. Discover how a small organization makes a significant impact! During our conversation, we delve into their research trials, where the team assesses native plants and associated cultivars for their horticultural and ecological significance. And how many young children realize their passion for the plant world early on? Listen to Sam's unique journey and insights.

Episode Hosts/Speakers:
Margaret Pickoff, Penn State Extension (host)
Tim Abbey, Penn State Extension (host)
Sam Hoadley, Manager of Horticultural Research at Mt. Cuba Center

Image: The Mt. Cuba Center conducted a four-year trial assessing the horticultural characteristics, robustness, and suitability of 70 various species and cultivars of Carex plants. Carex muskingumensis ‘Oehme’ was rated among the top performers of this evaluation. Photo of Carex muskingumensis ‘Oehme’  by Tom Butzler, Penn State Extension

Keeping It Green has an email: [email protected]
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode? Want more information on something we talked about? Send us your questions and comments, or just say hello! We would love to hear from you!

Check out Penn State Extension's Green Industry Team website!

Join the podcast team as we trace Nancy Knauss' fascination with plants from an early age to leading horticulture tours across the world with her company, Xylem Excursions. Her philosophy is that these horticulture tours are a gateway to history, food, culture, and the connections that plants weave into our daily lives.

Episode Hosts/Speakers: 
Margaret Pickoff, Penn State Extension (host) 
Sandy Feather, Penn State Extension (host)
Nancy Knauss, Xylem Excursions

Image: 2023 Horticulture tour at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.  Nancy Knauss, Xylem Excursion

Keeping It Green has an email: [email protected]
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode? Want more information on something we talked about? Send us your questions and comments, or just say hello! We would love to hear from you!

Check out Penn State Extension's Green Industry Team website!

Is it possible to talk about brown tree snakes, Creedence Clearwater Revival, owls, swimming pools, Guam, bees, and Furby stuffed animals in one podcast? The Keeping it Green podcast team pulled it off with the assistance of Penn State Entomology Postdoctoral Scholar Nash Turley. Join us as we talk to the globe-trotting ecologist Nash Turley and his adventures in the world of ecological research. We’ll also spend some time on his effort with the Pennsylvania bee monitoring program.   

Margaret Pickoff, Penn State Extension (host)
Tom Butzler, Penn State Extension (host)
Tim Abbey, Penn State Extension (host)
Nash Turley, Penn State Entomology Postdoctoral Scholar

Image: Nash Turley explaining the finer points in netting bees.  Photo: Val Sesler, Penn State Extension

Keeping It Green has an email: [email protected]
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode? Want more information on something we talked about? Send us your questions and comments, or just say hello! We would love to hear from you!

Check out Penn State Extension's Green Industry Team website!

Listeners are invited to explore disc golf courses' basic design and maintenance principles. With disc golf’s surging popularity, Penn State Extension Educator Glen Bupp discusses the unique aspects distinguishing disc golf courses from traditional ball golf counterparts. The team also looks at the pivotal issue of invasive species, showcasing how the management of disc golf courses serves as an opportunity to promote environmental stewardship and biodiversity. 
And how can a simple sunflower seed spark a lifelong pursuit in horticulture?

Margaret Pickoff, Penn State Extension (host) 
Tom Butzler, Penn State Extension (host)
Glen Bupp, Penn State Extension 

Image: Disc golf basket, Hole #1, at Deer Lakes Disc Golf Course in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Leaves can add beauty to the landscape even when not on the tree.  Glen Bupp, Penn State Extension

Keeping It Green has an email: [email protected]
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode? Want more information on something we talked about? Send us your questions and comments, or just say hello! We would love to hear from you!

Check out Penn State Extension's Green Industry Team website!

Join the podcast team as they journey to Connecticut to chat with Mark Sellew of Prides Corner Farms. Mark shares the intriguing story of transitioning from greenhouse tomatoes to ornamentals 44 years ago. With four locations in Connecticut, the farm now cultivates 3,000 plant varieties and employs 700 during peak seasons. Mark unveils secrets to the operation's success, including insights into a Black Swan event. Tune in to what challenges Mark off the farm.

Margaret Pickoff, Penn State Extension (host)
Tim Abbey, Penn State Extension (host)
Mark Sellew, Prides Corner Farms

Image: Colorful sugar maple leaves can add beauty to the landscape even when not on the tree. Photo: Tom Butzler, Penn State Extension

Keeping It Green has an email: [email protected]
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode? Want more information on something we talked about? Send us your questions and comments, or just say hello! We would love to hear from you!

Check out Penn State Extension's Green Industry Team website!

Residential landscapers specialize in creating and maintaining outdoor spaces for individual homeowners, focusing on aesthetics and personalized design. In contrast, grounds managers of institutions oversee larger outdoor areas, emphasizing not only aesthetics but also safety and events. Listen to the interview with Hugh Weldon and Dan Bangert as they talk about their humble beginnings, falling off dump trucks and life in Ireland, and their journey managing institutional grounds. The two also explain the benefits of The Professional Grounds Management Society.  And how does battery-powered equipment fit into their operations?

Margaret Pickoff, Penn State Extension (host)
Sandy Feather, Penn State Extension (host)
Hugh Weldon, Grounds Manager with Villanova University
Dan Bangert, Grounds Team Leader with Pennsylvania Hospital

Image:  Maturing fruit of spicebush (Lindera benzoin) by Tom Butzler, Penn State Extension

Keeping It Green has an email: [email protected]
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode? Want more information on something we talked about? Send us your questions and comments, or just say hello! We would love to hear from you!

Check out Penn State Extension's Green Industry Team website!

The Keeping It Green podcast team takes a dive into the challenges faced during the summer growing season. Maybe the podcast title should have been "The Landscaping Apocalypse" instead of “Summer Wrap-Up?" The group had a realistic discussion about the invasive pests and ecological problems that plagued landscapes during these hot months. We wrap on a positive note, shifting focus to some of our favorite fall activities. (What is the Phantom Fall Fest?)

Margaret Pickoff, Penn State Extension (host) 
Tom Butzler, Penn State Extension (host)
Tim Abbey, Penn State Extension (host)
Sandy Feather, Penn State Extension (host)

Photo: Over 300,000 acres of state-owned land in Pennsylvania were sprayed to manage spongy moth populations in 2023. Image courtesy of Tom Butzler, Penn State Extension

Keeping It Green has an email: [email protected]
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode? Want more information on something we talked about? Send us your questions and comments, or just say hello! We would love to hear from you!

Check out Penn State Extension's Green Industry Team website!

Pennsylvania has become a hot spot for tick-borne diseases with the dubious distinction of ranking #1 in the country for the number of Lyme disease cases per year. Amy Korman, a Penn State Educator, joins the podcast team to discuss the complex tick lifecycle, who is at most risk to exposure, and some management techniques. What is an accidental entomologist? And finally, why does Amy like to play in a really terrible orchestra?

Margaret Pickoff, Penn State Extension (host)
Tom Butzler, Penn State Extension (host)
Tim Abbey, Penn State Extension (host)
Amy Korman, Penn State Extension

Image: Each dot represents one case of Lyme disease. Note the concentration in Pennsylvania. Image courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Keeping It Green has an email: [email protected]
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode? Want more information on something we talked about? Send us your questions and comments, or just say hello! We would love to hear from you!

Check out Penn State Extension's Green Industry Team website!

From her origins in East Germany to her current role as the principal of Phyto Studio, Claudia West's story is intertwined with the significance of North American native plants. Tune in to today's podcast episode to unravel Claudia's remarkable journey and gain insights into her perspective on landscape design. For Claudia, landscape design transcends mere decoration; it serves as a conduit to amplify biological diversity. By seamlessly melding aesthetics with ecological richness, she perceives each design as an avenue to reintroduce people to the wonders of nature. And what is her favorite North American native plant?

Tim Abbey, Penn State Extension (host)
Tom Butzler, Penn State Extension (host)
Claudia West, Penn State Master Gardener, Co-Author of Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes

Image: A curved walkway with benches allows visitors to the Pollinator and Bird Garden to cross over the pond in the Penn State Arboretum. The planting design was created by Claudia West with Phyto Studio. Photo by Patrick Mansell, Penn State

Keeping It Green has an email: [email protected]
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode? Want more information on something we talked about? Send us your questions and comments, or just say hello! We would love to hear from you!

Check out Penn State Extension's Green Industry Team website!

So how did a Nebraska farm girl, raised on an animal/row crop operation, become interested in horticulture? And what brought her to the East Coast? Tune in as Erin Kinley talks about her path from the farm to the coordinator of Penn State’s Master Gardener program in Eastern Pennsylvania. Plus, she’ll talk about the training and educational efforts of the 4,000-plus Master Gardener volunteer base.  And what is the difference between a garden club and Master Gardener?

Margaret Pickoff, Penn State Extension (host)
Tom Butzler, Penn State Extension (host)
Erin Kinley, Penn State Area Master Gardener Coordinator


Master Gardener Manual
American Society for Horticultural Science National Award Winner! 
In full color and with nearly 600 photographs, this 800-page hardback book provides basic horticultural knowledge in botany; plant propagation; soil health and fertilizer management; plant pathology and diseases; entomology; integrated pest management; lawn care; vegetable gardening; indoor, herbaceous, woody, and native plants; tree fruit and small fruit; weeds and invasive species; and pruning. 
Order yours today!

Keeping It Green has an email: [email protected]
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode? Want more information on something we talked about? Send us your questions and comments, or just say hello! We would love to hear from you!

Check out Penn State Extension's Green Industry Team website!