Super Cool Plants - Formerly Known as Let's Argue About Plants

Yes, that's right: plants can solve problems. Maybe not problems like those noisy neighbors next door or your husband failing to replace the toilet paper roll, time and time again. But plants can solve problems like a barren patch of garden under a shallow-rooted tree, or a lack of pollinators in your yard. Today's array of fantastic perennials are plants that can address conditional or pest problems that you may be struggling with. Need a vole-proof, pollinator magnet? We've got one. Need a plant that will deter teenagers from driving on your lawn? We have that too. Listen now for more plants that you'll need to add to your list of must-haves this year.

Special guest: Sabrena Schweyer and her husband, Samuel Salsbury, own and manage Salsbury-Schweyer Inc., a sustainable landscape design and development group based in Akron, Ohio.

They're often called the "exclamation points" of the landscape, drawing attention in a not-so-subtle way. Of course, we're talking about columnar (AKA fastigiate) plants and today we're highlighting some of the best options. Skinny plants are invaluable for several reasons other than their ability to catch the eye. They also have a small footprint which makes them ideal for siting in narrow places including along the side of a house or in a tight spot between established plants in a border. Their habit is clear, concise, and always intriguing. Along with our guest, Richie Steffen from the Elizabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden, we're discussing skinny trees, shrubs, and even a few perennials that will give your garden an instant focal point like no other.

Special guest: Richie Steffen is executive director for the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden in Seattle, Washington.

Even though there's still snow on the ground for many of us, warmer weather is most definitely on our brains. So today we're going to be talking about native plants that put on a spectacular show in spring. And, although we're a podcast based out of New England, the plants we decided to talk about have an extensive native range (even into Texas!). There is an exquisitely fragrant perennial, a self-sowing ephemeral, a delicious edible, and several trees and shrubs that bloom so prolifically in April, May, and June you'd think it was their only job. Want a list of nearly a dozen native plants that are show-stoppers? Then press play now!

Special guest: Nancy J. Ondra is a garden photographer, author, freelance editor, and licensed seed seller who lives and gardens on four acres in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

There's no reason to tell everyone how great 'Brandywine' tomatoes are because everyone already knows! And the same goes for 'Blue Lake' green beans or 'Hot Wax' peppers. We all know these names because they are great varieties that vegetable gardeners have relied on for decades. Yet, there are a bunch of lesser-known veggies that deserve the same praise, but their PR agents aren't the best. On this episode Carol and Danielle are taking the time to call out some of the unsung heroes of their veggie gardens. These are varieties that have proven themselves over and over, but their names aren't generally well-known in edible circles. We're hoping to change that after today!

Special guest:

Steve Bellavia conducts vegetable research as a product manager for Johnny's Selected Seeds in Winslow, Maine.

If you live in the Northeast, Mountain West, or Midwest your idea of winter interest is certainly different than say, a gardener living in the South. Those of us who live in cooler locales are often satisfied with calling any plant that sticks its head above a snowbank "a winter stunner." But in today's episode we're holding the bar a bit higher and talking about plants that really do save their best for the months of December, January, and February. We discuss shrubs that flower in winter, perennials that are evergreen, and even a few trees that every garden (regardless of geographic location) would benefit from. Our special guest is from Montana, so if she can find plants for winter interest, you know that anyone can.

Special guest:

Kielian DeWitt lives and gardens on a horse ranch in the Bitterroot Valley in Montana.

Is there a better time of year than seed-ordering season? You may shop for seeds online, or perhaps you prefer the analog version (like us) of paper catalogs. Regardless, ordering and starting seeds is an act of defiance against the winter conditions outside. Starting seeds says, "Hey snow and ice--you don't scare me! I know spring is right around the corner." Today we'll talk about the seeds that have made it into our virtual shopping carts this year and tell you a little bit about what a particular variety was deemed a must-have. Carol, being the resident seed-starting expert offers up some ornamental and edible options, while Danielle sticks to tried-and-true veggies. Joining the hosts on this episode is digital content manager for FG, Christine Alexander who has some extra insight to share after she started a slew of seeds last year to grow her own wedding flowers. What did well--and what didn't? Tune in to find out.

Special guest:

Christine Alexander, digital content manager for Fine Gardening.

What if you could have a garden that basically planted itself? The idea isn't as far-fetched as you might think. Self-sowing plants are delightfully serendipitous plants that will happily disperse seed without any intervention from you. Yes, there are lots of plants out there that spread indiscriminately and obnoxiously--but those are not the ones we are discussing in this episode. Instead, we're focusing on an array of perennials, annuals, and even edibles that will create offspring politely--filling in gaps and blank spots in your beds and borders. The English have embraced the idea of self-sowers more readily than gardeners stateside, but on today's podcast we argue that opportunistic plants have a place in virtually every garden. Listen now to find out which self-sowers dance through our gardens (and driveways).

Expert testimony: Amanda Thomsen is a horticulturist, garden designer, and author based in suburban Chicago.

Perhaps it's the winter season we're in right now, or perhaps we're just hungry, but regardless, we have berries on the mind. This episode highlights some plants that provide us with unexpected (but very appreciated) fruit. It could be a perennial that is grown for its foliage but puts on a late fall show with its berry-set. Or a shrub that is known for it's berries--just not in a certain bubblegum color. We'll give credit where credit is due for this topic: Andy Brand, who is our expert for this episode, pitched the idea of plants that have a secret talent of producing amazing berry displays. Did we surprise you with some of these plants? Our guess is yes. Spoiler alert: there is no such thing as a crunch berry tree, despite what Cap'n Crunch says.

Expert testimony: Andy Brand is the interim director of horticulture at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay.

Well loyal listeners, it's hard to believe, but this is our 100th episode! We cannot thank everyone out there who has stuck with us from the early days of trying to figure out what a podcast about plants should sound like, and still downloads episodes to this day (when we've only figured out a bit more of what we're doing). We're not big on birthdays around here, but we did decide to kick off this anniversary episode with a question: If you could have 100 of any plant to give as gifts to friends and fellow gardeners, what would it be? Our answers may surprise you. Then we stick with the theme of gifts and launch into our annual holiday episode of plants that have made it onto our wish lists this year. Listen today and join the celebration.

Expert testimony:

Amanda Bennett is Vice President of horticulture and collections at Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Danielle's Plants

• 100 Plant Choice: Redbud (Cercis and cvs., Zones 4-9)

'Lemon Squeeze' fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Lemon Squeeze', Zones 4-9)

'Ragin Cajun' Indian pink (Spigelia marilandica 'Ragin Cajun', Zones 5-9)

'Boom Chocolatta' geranium (Geranium pratense 'Boom Chocolatta', Zones 4-8)

Little Hottie® panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Bailpanone', Zones 3-8)

Carol's Plants

• 100 Plant Choice: 'Raydon's Favorite' aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Radon's Favorite', Zones 3-8)

'Gilt Edge' toad lily (Tricyrtis formosana 'Gilt Edge', Zones 5-8)

Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia, annual)

'Sango-kaku' Japanese maple (Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku', Zones 5-8)

Flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata, Zones 5-8)

Expert's Plants

'Gethsemane Moonlight' hardy chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum 'Gethsemane Moonlight', Zones 5-9)

Jelly palm (Butia capitata, Zones 9-11)

Bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa, Zones 8-11)

'Fragrant Pink' camellia (Camellia 'Fragrant Pink', Zones 8-10)

'Florida King' peach (Prunus persica 'Florida King', Zones 6-9)

The thought of restricting most gardeners to only three of any plant might sound cruel. After all, what makes us happier than heading to the nursery to fill a shopping cart? But limiting your plant palette has many advantages. Less variety means less chaos, in many cases. And, when it comes to trees, limiting yourself to just three options may also be necessary since trees take up more space and are more expensive than a perennial. It's for these reasons that we decided to imagine ourselves on a strict three-tree diet. In this episode we answer the question: If you could only have three trees, which ones would you choose? The answers might surprise you.

Expert testimony: Ed Gregan works for Bailey Nurseries in Saint Paul, Minnesota.