Welcome back to the It's All Greek Retrospective series that contains previously aired short segments about gardening acronyms, jargon, and botanical nomenclature. In this third and last part of a series, Master Gardener Jean Thomas covers plants that have been named after people, a discussion about soil pH, and a range of acronyms.

The first short segment covers the popularity of naming plants for people. It's been going on since people began naming plants at all, dating back to at least four centuries BC. Two causes are usually to blame; either the ego of the “discoverer” or the desire to flatter someone powerful. There are often great stories to uncover. One of the most interesting is the name of the Christmas standard, the Poinsettia (not poinTsettia). Dr, Joel Poinsett was the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and an avid plant collector. His life story is a colorful one, but the only reason anyone remembers his name is because of the seasonal flower. Actually, the history of the flower and its interaction with humans is equally interesting. Some other names every gardener is familiar with are: Forsyth because this gentleman (1737-1804) was a respected palace gardener in England and was honored with the name of the familiar Forsythia; Kasper Wister (died in 1818) was a famous botanist in Pennsylvania and honored with the name of the popular Wisteria. Wister and Forsyth were honored by the English botanist Thomas Nuttall (1786-1859), who spent over thirty years cataloging plants in the U.S., and had the power to assign formal names to plants. The familiar Magnolia x soulangeana was named by and for Pierre Magnol and m. Soulange-Boudin, and developed from two Chinese species. Many familiar shrubs bear the species names (like Sargentii( C.S. Sargent), Fortuneii (R. Fortune), Thunbergii ( Carl Peter Thunberg)), named for contemporaries and students of Linnaeus. Many plant and animal names honor the interesting Pere Armand David with the appelation “davidii.” The familiar Fuchsia (Dr. Fuchs) and Dahlia (Dr. Dahl) are good herbaceous examples. The large Lobelia group (415 species) was named by Linnaeus himself for Dr. Mathias De Lobile.

The final segment moves on to acronyms, which translates to “names from the extremities.” It refers to new names for things created from the initials of word describing the things. Like Scuba, Laser, and Yahoo. There is also another related usage of initials called initialism, where the actual letters are sounded out, not merged into a new word. For instance, AT&T or DEC. Both of these practices are twentieth century phenomena. Further discussion of acronyms leads us to AVID, CRISP and PRISM, all popular programs in New York, devised by Cornell and the NY Department of Conservation. In a nutshell, the ideal acronym is an invented word that should either help recognize its subject or be catchy enough to be memorable and relatable to its subject.

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In this episode, part 2 of the “It's All Greek Retrospective” series, Master Gardener Jean Thomas talks about jargon and acronyms with the help of some examples from our own New York gardens. These previously aired short segments have been grouped together as they all focus on a common topic: helping to better understand gardening nomenclature.

From the Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptrostroboides) to the vast Iris family, nicknames and descriptions abound. The Latin name of the Dawn Redwood is great and grand, but when translated, it turns out to be fancy words that repeat themselves. Iris fanciers discuss the German or the Russian or the Dutch or the Japanese types and rave about their standards and their falls. 'Standards' are the three upright and 'falls' are the three down-facing petals. Part of the fun is peeking into the mythology surrounding Iris. Did you know that the Harpies, famously terrible, were related to the famously beautiful goddess of the rainbow?

The next two segments focus specifically about other perennials we know and love. Echinacea is named for a hedgehog (which has no population in North America where the Echinacea was “found”). Hemerocallis is Latin for “Beauty for a Day,” although we commonly call it the “Daylily.” Hostas also have identity issues, being often called Funkias in Europe. Peonies have a long history in China as well as some wild mythological rumors in Greece about Zeus and his shenanigans. And while the Greeks are being discussed, there is a wonderful story about the famous doctor Asclepias and how the milkweed got its formal name.

Listen, learn, and enjoy!

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Are you bewildered by botanical names, typically in Latin, the jargon, or the acronyms surrounding gardening and most other outdoors activities? This series, It's All Greek Retrospective, consists of previously aired podcast segments that provide some insightful descriptions in an attempt to untangle such language puzzles so we can all use the terms as intended... to describe things more accurately.

In this first of three episodes, Master Gardener Jean Thomas discusses a variety of issues and questions about language. Some of the terminology we pretend to understand is reviewed in the first segment. Things like GMO and IPM are decoded, and what is it when scientists talk about a plant's habit? What does it mean if a tomato is described as determinate? And the whole idea of using Latin can be a puzzle.

Jean explains all of these, The second segment goes more deeply into the whole idea of Latin as the international scientific language. Why Latin? And the credit that goes to Carl Linnaeus for devising the system known as binomial nomenclature. Like any other system, it gets bogged down with “improvements.” Taxonomy is the name for the whole system described by binomial nomenclature, and the history of the science of taxonomy is fascinating. For instance, minerals don't get included because the final decision was that only living things can be included. Basically, the assigning of a formal Latin name means that the plant described is always the same plant, not just another with a similar popular name. The third segment delves into how particular use of names can describe color as part of the formal identity. Often the formal name can give a physical description, but also can describe a dominant color. The history buffs enjoy such items as the origin of the phrase “royal purple” and how it came from the ancient Phoenicians and the rare dye they developed from a particular type of sea snail.

This is a digression from plants, but a great example of the use and history of language. Another issue cropping up recently is the use of DNA. Scientists keep reallocating plants to different species and categories according to DNA interrelations that were previously unknown. Clarifications can be confusing.

We hope you find this episode both enlightening and informative.

Host: Jean Thomas

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In this episode, Master Gardener Volunteer Nicole Schmitt of Hannacroix Hill Farm chats with Tim and Jean about her career as a flower farmer. Like so many stories in recent years, her interest in flower gardening came about as a result of the pandemic. Constrained in many ways, Nicole moved to a farm with a few acres and began to achieve many goals. In a previous episode, Tim and Jean talked with Nicole about her mini-farm, which incorporates the flower farm. The flower growing evolved from a hobby garden to a business when she introduced herself to her new neighbors at Hannacroix Hill Farm by going to their doors with home-grown bouquets.

The hobby became a dream and then a mission. Nicole pursued her career adamantly, studying online classes and joining professional organizations. She even went through the rigorous Master Gardener Volunteer training. Nicole undertook the project very seriously. As she says, “setting up is NOT cheap.” A phenomenal amount of preparation and equipment was mandatory. Preordering seed and plugs must be coordinated and planned to coincide with harvest times. Different crops must not only be chosen for color and hardiness, but timed for holidays and special occasions. Some species are very difficult to grow, or have extremely long growing seasons. The grower must know a great deal about individual floral crops, and plan their care accordingly. Cool weather flowers are treated differently than tulips or sunflowers. The grower must always give thought to coordinating multiple kinds of flowers simultaneously, since the goal is most often to produce mixed bouquets for the markets.

Given the need for extensive planning, much thought must be given to the growing areas. Nicole uses outdoor row planting to the maximum, but also extends the growing seasons with a hoop house and a high tunnel structure, and starts seeds under lights indoors, along with hydroponic systems and bulb forcing. Like any other type of gardening, the flower farmer must be alert for insect and disease pests.

Hannacroix Hill Farm practices organic methods as much as possible. IPM (Integrated Pest Management) is the main system of keeping the crops healthy. Minimal chemicals are used, so constant watch is essential, along with as much sustainable soil regeneration as can be done to maintain the health of the soil. Fortunately, the “other” farm produces unlimited compost and reduces the need for additional fertilizer from outside sources. The work is constant and unrelenting, with the aim to be self-sustaining as much as possible. Nicole describes this as the “grit” work that produces the luxury. Constant research and study go into the effort. Things like introducing more native plants and more perennial plants for repeat harvests are worked into the repertoire, and local demand is always considered. Harvesting processes can vary widely among flower crops.

Flowers are sold mostly retail through CSAs, at farm stands and farmer's markets, with a growing call from restaurants for table vases, which florists are beginning to fill some of the gaps from imported flowers. Other flower farmers are popping up everywhere. Many join associations to learn from and support the community of growers. Greene County has about twenty association members, but there may be many more. To find a flower farmer in your own area, Nicole advises that you go

Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas

Guest: Nicole Schmitt

Photo by: Jean Thomas 

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Tim Kennelty, Amy Meadow,

Shane Stevens, Natural Resource Program coordinator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties, is our featured guest in this episode.. Shane is also Regional Director of the Master Forest Owners Program of the Catskills and the Lower Hudson. The topic is the Master Forest Owner (MFO) program.

Begun in 1991, the program is a collaboration of Cornell Cooperative Extension with the US Department of Agriculture, the New York Forest Owners Association (NYFOA), and others. The purpose is to create and train a network of volunteers to help private forest owners to be better stewards of their own properties. Fourteen million acres of New York State woodlands, approximately 75% of the total state's wooded acreage, are in private hands, Cornell and others want to enable individual landowners to tend their lands responsibly. Education and access to expert and experienced resources are the best means to this goal.

The benefits of knowledgeable management of privately owned woodlands include more reliable clean air and water, maintainable harvests and use of timber resources, and accessible recreational resources. The MFO program is set up to train property owners who are interested in the long term maintenance of their forest resources. Members are valued for their experience, enthusiasm, and willingness to share their expertise. There are no required minimal experience levels, and the “forest ownership” need not be large acreage. A few acres and a passion for the forest is enough, combined with a willingness to share their expertise with the public.

Training has gone hybrid, and is mostly Zoom sessions, with a final in-person field day at the conclusion of training. For most counties in the Hudson Valley, this takes place at the Siuslaw Model Forest, in Acra (Greene County). Students get the chance to meet in person and bond while exploring, among other things, the teaching forest's deer exclosure test area and the shiitake mushroom growing yard. There are no required volunteer hours, but each trainee is encouraged to conduct forest visits as requested by landowners.

The requests for a 'woods walk' are usually submitted online, with a questionnaire providing details about the landowners' interests and goals for their woodlands. Initial forest visits are done with an experienced MFO, but the volunteer can proceed on his or her own once he/she feels confident. The actual visit can cover a range of topics including questions about the overall health of the trees in the forest, management of invasive species, creating habitat for birds and wildlife, deer management, agroforestry, silviculture, and/or options for forest regeneration. On average, a MFO volunteer does 1-3 visits a year. Additional information or referrals are usually sent to the landowner after the visit depending on the landowner's interests. Direct referrals to individuals are not done, but lists of approved practitioners in the appropriate fields can be provided. NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has a cooperating foresters list, and mywoodlot.com and Forest Connect have rich websites. Forest Connect even has an excellent YouTube channel.

There is a wide array of resources available to learn how to steward a forest. A Woods Walk with a Master Forest Owner volunteer is a great place to start. Listen in to determine if this makes sense for you to explore further.

Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas

Photo by: Teresa Golden

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Tim Kennelty, Amy Meadow, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski, Jean Thomas

In this episode, Tracey Testo-Smith, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Program Manager at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties, is our guest. The topic is a timely one, Carbon and Forests. Climate change and its ramifications have made us aware of the importance of halting excessive release of carbon as CO2 into the atmosphere.

One of the main agents of sequestering and storing carbon on the planet is the planet's network of forests and woodlands. Tracey explains the importance of sequestering (gathering) and storage of carbon molecules in the tissue of plants. Trees are made up of fifty percent carbon, and as they grow and mature, they collect more molecules during their lifespan. Even after death, they hold the carbon until the stage at which they begin to decay. Even then, the carbon may be absorbed into the soil and continue to be stored there. Carbon exists in “pools” of standing live trees, the forest floor, and dead and decaying wood and leaf litter. In a healthy forest, the cycle continues for years. Forest owners, who are aware of these facts, strive to maintain healthy systems, and are encouraged to assess their property for value and balance.

There are many carbon “market” programs in place to try to encourage landowners to keep a healthy carbon control in place, some regulatory, like in California, and many voluntary, both private and in cooperation with state and local governments. One in particular is the Family Forest Carbon Program, for owners with thirty or more acres of woodland. In conjunction with the Nature Conservancy, it gives smaller forest owners financial incentive to keep acreage in woodlands, and can provide long term contracts with some payments and access to forestry advice, planning, inventory and data.As owners of woodlots, Tim and Jean had many questions about specifics. Acknowledging that the most efficient carbon sequestration and storage happen in a healthy forest, Tracey addresses nine management strategies available. Among them are deer management, with deer exclosures getting considerable attention. How to recognize success can consist of monitoring the impact of such stresses as insects, diseases, population of invasives, and tracking the inventory of plants and other data. The goals are regeneration, a healthy canopy, and a balance of young and older growth plants. Tracey also has information about scorecards for keeping your forest healthy, and her office as well as many partner agencies can provide help and information.

Photo by: Jean Thomas

Resources

In this episode, Master Gardener Volunteer Nicole Schmitt joins Tim and Jean to talk about her mini farm where she raises goats, chickens and hogs amidst an active flower farming operation. Small-scale farming is experiencing a resurgence, and Nicole has hands-on experience to share. Nicole describes how she came into Hannacroix Hills Farm, her ten acre farm based from a nineteen thirties farmhouse, by chance. Since assuming the property, she has been able to fulfill her dream of escaping suburbia and knowing exactly where her food comes from. She is also striving to have the farm support itself in an ecologically responsible manner.

Her descriptions of the herd of Nubian goats, dozens of chickens, and a small group of pigs tell about the ultimate uses for each type of animal. The goats are dairy goats, and their product is for personal use, with surplus being fed to the pigs. Some of the kids are sold for livestock as 4-H projects. The pigs are a seasonal endeavor, being bought as piglets in the spring, then allowed to forage in a special fenced area until the fall, when they are sent to be butchered and sold as half and whole shares, custom butchered. All her animals are raised as near organic as possible, although regulations make it too cumbersome to qualify as officially organic with the state. Each type of animal serves as a factor in the cycle of life on the farm. Surplus dairy product from the goats feeds the chickens and pigs. The chicken waste becomes fertile compost, and the pigs roaming their fenced area are rooting up the soil and serve as disruptors to improve the ultimate quality of the soil for other farm uses.

Photo by: Jean Thomas

Master Gardener Volunteer for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ulster County, Barbara Bravo, joins the Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley podcast to provide some guidance and ideas. This collection of four previously aired Made in the Shade short segments has been consolidated into a single episode that focuses entirely on shade gardening.

The first segment discusses the differences between light shade, partial share and deep shade, some of the advantages of shade gardening, and things to consider when selecting appropriate plants for your garden.

Next, learn about Barbara's recommendations for drought-tolerant plants that thrive in dry shade. They are a game-changer for those struggling to cultivate their gardens. Epimedium, brunnera, liriope, hellebores and carex are all options that may work for you.

The third segment focuses on the wide range of options available to add some height to a New York shade garden which usually consist of low-growing plants. But structure and interest can be added with a number of shade tolerant plants such as flowering quince, giant fleece flower and goat’s beard. Ninebark is one of Barbara's favorites. Typically known as a medium shrub native to the eastern and central United States, there are ninebark cultivars that do well in shade. In addition to being a pollinator favorite, most varieties are drought tolerant too.

This episode concludes with a segment on how to add contrast and texture to a summer shade garden. By incorporating plants like Ligularia ‘Britt Marie Crawford’, Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’, Athyrium niponicum, Dryopteris Ferns and others, your shade garden doesn’t have to be ‘boring’. Keep it going into the fall with Colchicum autumnale ‘Pleniflorum’ a/k/a Autumn Crocus, or Asarum Europa a/k/a European wild ginger. Listen to the possibilities!

These tips can help you make a shade garden the focal point of your landscape.

Host: Jean Thomas

Guest: Barbara Bravo

Photo by: Teresa Golden

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Tim Kennelty, Amy Meadow, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski, Jean Thomas

Resources

In this episode, Master Gardener Volunteers Jean and Tim chat with Joe Behn of Behn's Best Perennials in Malden Bridge, NY. Joe has been our guest multiple times before, on episodes 9, 65 and 66. On these prior occasions, we delved into the world of perennials, as Joe is a respected wholesaler of perennials to the landscaping world. This time, we spoke to him during his winter hiatus and he described his life as being “me in my pajamas, accompanied by the dogs".

For a change of perspective, Joe was asked to provide a topic other than growing and/or selecting perennials. He suggested talking about a style of gardening that goes in and out of style... making garden rooms. This is an almost inevitable response to the ever-present challenge of deer. Joe explained that the core idea of garden rooms was making walls and fences around “rooms” where deer could not penetrate. This would make it possible to garden with plants the deer would usually wipe out in one visit. Hardscaping was one focus of a wide-ranging conversation, with ideas flying fast and furious. Joe has strong opinions about the idea that a fence should be beautiful on both sides as well as impermeable to deer and other freeloaders.The conversation then ranged from plant selection, to space demands of a smaller garden, to the value of hardscaping for simplifying maintenance. And, as usual, Jean and Tim had many questions for Joe about their own gardens and plant shopping. Enjoy!

Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas

Photo by: National Park Service

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In this episode, Jamie Purinton chats with Tim and Jean about some of the finer points of being a landscape architect. A landscape architect is more than a designer. To be a licensed RLA (registered landscape architect), there is an intense educational requirement followed by a lengthy internship, and culminating a three-day exam! This is because the landscape architect must be expert in engineering aspects of structures, grading, drainage and topology as well as all the design skills and plant expertise found in a landscape designer. In fact, she considers the plants to be “icing on the cake.”

As you might expect, the size of the projects she is involved in can be pretty big. And so can the size of the issues she must address. Public health and environment must be considered, as well as future consequences of climate change. She has worked on many public gardens and waterfront projects, and closer to home, the Mountain Top Arboretum. 

The Mountain Top projects spanned several years and included work with partnerships with many of our former guests on the podcast (episode list below). Some of her favorite projects included building a bird-attracting garden and an amphitheater, with a prevailing emphasis on native plants. She states that of the many facets of her job, she has no particular favorite because it is the “pulling it together” that gives her the most satisfaction.

She advises her clients to step away from a rush to manipulate the landscape, and observe what is already there. She says the High Line in New York City is an influence on many people,. There is growing appreciation of habitat among her clients, even to the point where she is planning to shift her work emphasis from larger “public” projects to individuals.

Her two books express her philosophy well. “The Voices of the Land” is a collection of essays, and “Landscape Narratives: Design Practices for Telling Stories,” with M. Poettinger. The latter has become a respected textbook. So if you're curious about how large scale projects can be carried out with minimal intrusion to the environment and ecology, join Tim and Jean and listen in to this episode.

Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas

Guest: Jamie Purinton, RLA

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden,Tim Kennelty, Amy Meadow, Xandra Powers,Jean Thomas