If you’re bored with your usual breakfast, this episode is for you. We also explain photoperiodism, talk about starting pepper seeds and growing them in the garden, and answer a listener’s question about Lantana.

:30 What’s for dinner: Breakfast Alternatives

8:11 Insider Information:  Photoperiodism  

10:56 Eat/Drink/Grow:  Peppers

25:55 Love Letters and Questions: Sam writes to ask about Lantana

Link to Ellen's Clafouti recipe.

Link to C.L.'s Oatmeal Cups recipe.

Do you grow citrus indoors for at least part of the year? Learn to be the bee! We also suggest plants for the “COVID cranky” (and who isn’t?) plus becoming a local or niche garden expert.

:34     Plant Noob:  Pollinating Citrus You’re Growing Indoors    4:24    Eat/Drink/Grow: Plants for the Covid Cranky 18:36   Plant Empowerment:   Becoming a local or niche garden guru.

Have you ever wondered if plants talk to each other? Do you want to have a big number of perennial plants cheaply? Would you like to know what it takes to grow Cannibis from seed? Ellen and C.L. cover these topics in this episode.

 :30   True or False: Plants talk to each other. 7:22   Eat/Drink/Grow:  Growing Perennials From Seed 21:06   Love Letters and Questions:    R.B. wrote:  “Last year I tried growing Cannabis from seed and it was a failure.

In this episode Ellen and C.L. talk about cilantro and coriander...one in the same plant. We have agreeing opinions about Stevia, and explain the reason that it takes awhile for some new introductions to reach the marketplace. The podcast ends with Anne’s question about hauling weeds to the compost...necessary?

:30        What’s For Dinner:  Coriander/Cilantro  

10:38    Eat/Drink/Grow:   Plants that are natural sweeteners...beyond sugar.

19:41    Insider Information:  How the horticultural supply chain works

22:25    Love Letters and Questions: Anne wonders if she can leave the weeds in the garden after pulling

This episode starts with ideas for cooking with dried mushrooms. We explain how to tell the difference between pine, fir and spruce trees, do a dive into Ericaceous plants, and end with a question about taking cuttings and transplanting houseplants in the winter.

:30 What’s for dinner:  How to cook with dried mushrooms 

9:16 Insider Information:  Pines, firs and spruce.

14:11 Eat/Drink/Grow:    Ericaceous plants

22:11 Love Letters and Questions:  Shannon wrote about repotting houseplants now.

The Plantrama team discuss a botanic term for plants that put leaves straight up out of the ground (no stems!), and answer a listener’s question about a Bromeliad that hasn’t made more blooms. Ellen and C.L. present a new segment: Plant Empowerment, which explains how to make a passion for plants into a profession. We start with custom container plantings.

:33    Plant Noob:   Acaulescent plants 

2:38    Eat/Drink/Grow:  Plant Empowerment! 

25:33    Love Letters and Questions    Jennifer wrote about a Bromeliad that isn’t flowering.

The Plantrama team discusses the common belief that eggshells provide quick calcium for plants. Next we look at the myths, misunderstandings and misuse of moss, and end with a question about making a terrarium.

:30  True or False:  Eggshells are good calcium for gardens

4:45  Eat/Drink/Grow:  Moss.

21:37  Love Letters and Questions:  Ricci asks about terrariums

Ellen and C.L. talk about eating chestnuts, the perennial plant that’s commonly called hellebores, and what it means when you are talking about pesticides. We end with a listener’s question about growing foxglove plants from seed.

 :34  What’s For Dinner:   Chestnuts 

6:31  Eat/Drink/Grow:   Helleborus

17:50  Insider Information:  Define “Pesticide”

21:38  Love Letters and Questions:  Lynn asked about propagating foxgloves

We start out discussing what can be substituted for rice when you cook. Our main segment is about grafted plants, and we end with a discussion about vegetable seeds that you might want to start in the winter, and whether it’s worth it to save a poinsettia from year to year.

:30  What’s For Dinner  Alternatives to rice 9:58   Eat/Drink/Grow:  Grafting and Grafted Plants 18:46   Insider Information:  Vegetable seeds that get started early. 22:29   Love Letters and Questions:  Kenny wrote: Poinsettia…save it or not?”

In this just-after-the-solstice episode, Ellen and C.L. discuss how to use juniper berries, supporting heavy amaryllis flowers, taking cuttings and Cyclamen.

 Ellen's Smreka recipe here.

:30 What’s for dinner: What can you use juniper berries for?

5:00 Insider Information: Supporting heavy Amaryllis flowers

9:57 Eat/Drink/Grow: Taking Cuttings – which plants should you take cuttings from, how and when.

22:22 Love Letters and Questions: How to keep Cyclamen alive.