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

Asking listeners to submit questions for our annual Q & A episode is a bit like sending out party invitations (in pre-COVID) and hoping that someone shows up. Thankfully, you guys not only showed up but you brought snacks and drinks too! We got an overwhelming numbers of questions submitted for this episode, so we weren’t able to answer them all. But, we did pick out a handful to tackle to the best of our ability. We cover evergreen percentages, garden design tips, and why your water may be killing your houseplant. Even our faithful sidekick Peter got in on the action and had a few questions of his own. Whether you sent us a question that we didn’t get a chance to answer or didn’t ask a question at all, hopefully you’ll glean some insight from our answers. Or at least be amused by our best attempt to offer advice! We like to think of ourselves as the garden equivalent of Dear Abby, but sadly we’re not.

Listener audio question: Elizabeth Haller, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Truth be told, Steve and Danielle don’t grow many clematis. But, over their many, many years at Fine Gardening, they’ve researched and written a lot about this genus. In doing so, they’ve formed strong opinions about the species and cultivars that are truly top-notch. Their picks may not include the huge, in-your-face star flower-types folks first think of when they hear “clematis.” Instead, our podcasting duo offers insight into selections that have unique habits or interesting flower colors and shapes. By the end of this episode you’ll come away wanting to try at least one of these gorgeous vines and wondering why you haven’t planted them before.

Expert testimony: Dan Long is the owner of Brushwood Nursery, which specializes in vines and climbers in Athens, Georgia.

What can we say about 2020 that hasn’t already been said? With all the bad that occurred, one positive for the staffers at FG was more time spent in our gardens. This enabled us to truly monitor what plants did well and which ones did not—sometimes by no fault of their own. We are ending the year by taking stock of our plant successes and failures. There were some surprises from little-known native plants that appeared to enjoy the drought this summer, while other plants that we had coveted, struggled. Steve even talks about plants that made it through an entire year (or three) in a pot, on the side of his driveway, and lived. If those selections can survive those conditions, just think how well they’d do in your garden with a little more attention! We asked Associate Editor Carol Collins to join in the reminiscing and she shares an amusing story about growing an annual she longed for, only to have uninvited garden guests spoil everything.  

It’s that time of year when we dream of all the plants we’d buy if a blank check showed up in our stockings. Some are weird, some are workhorses we never got around to purchasing, and some are brand new offerings that will only become available in 2021. Danielle brought out her infamous jingle bells to up the festiveness (much to Steve’s chagrin) and the entire conversation was filled with cheer and goodwill—well, most of it anyway. Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, these plants will surely give you a reason to celebrate the season.

Expert testimony: Joseph Tychonievich, horticulturist, frequent Fine Gardening contributor, and author of, Rock Gardening:  Reimagining a Classic Style.

Shade, generally speaking, can be dark, dreary and difficult to garden in. It’s hard enough finding a plant that requires not all that much sunlight, let alone one that has light coloring to its foliage. But these rare birds are essential to making a good shade garden truly great. Plants with white, silver, or even light green variegation brighten up the dimmest of spots and instantly get elevated to focal point status. Have you always thought your shade was lacking something? Chances are, it’s some variegation and this episode has plenty of options to pick from.

Expert testimony: Susan Calhoun, owner of Plantswoman Design in Bainbridge, Washington.   

Danielle was convinced that this was HER episode, considering she’s shorter than Steve. But turns out Steve had a lot of great short plants to talk about on this episode, too. The pair discusses why short plants are important to good design and exactly what dimensions qualify a plant as “short.” The list includes some shrubs, some perennials, and plenty of options for multiple seasons of interest. After all, if you put a plant front-and-center, don’t you want it to look good for as long as possible?

Expert Testimony: Susan Morrison owner of Creative Exteriors Landscape Design in the East Bay region of Northern California.

The leaves are falling, the temperatures are cooling and that can only mean one thing: It’s time to talk bulbs. We’re sick of talking about the same old yellow daffodils and pink hybrid tulips though, so Steve and Danielle decided to wade into the world of rarer—or at least lesser-known—fall planted bulbs. You will hear us talk about a tulip or two on this episode, but likely not ones you’re familiar with, instead focusing on species tulips that are more likely to come back year after year—which is only one of their awesome attributes. You’ll also hear about a garlic that is grown only for its beautiful bloom and a few other bulb options that seem to be ignored by voles!  This episode proves weirder sometimes is better.

Expert testimony: Erin Presley is a horticulturist at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin.

When it comes to autumnal color in the garden, most of us probably think of leaves changing from green, to perhaps yellow, orange, or even red. This foliage show is a staple of the season in many parts of the country. Plants that actually bloom in fall get less attention, perhaps it’s because they have a hard time competing with the fiery foliage of their neighbors. On today’s show, Steve and Danielle give several plants that bloom in fall their due. This array of perennials and shrubs save their best for last, highlighting the landscape with vibrant pinks and cool blues—hues not often associated with October.

Expert testimony: Karen Beaty, horticulturist for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. 

Why would you ever want the shinier version of a beloved plant? In this episode Steve and Danielle talk about all the reasons including better disease resistance, better habits, or perhaps a more exciting foliage color. Disclaimer: we’re not dissing the classic favorites, just recommending some improvements, if you’re in the market for new plants. Author Andy Keys is our expert, who is the perfect choice, given he wrote the popular Fine Gardening article, Improved Varieties of Classic Favorites, which you can read here (KARA—insert hyperlink please).

Expert testimony: Andrew Keys is a Massachusetts-based horticulturist and author of several gardening books, including Why Grow That When You Can Grow This? and Growing the Northeast Garden.

Here in the Northeast, we experienced one of the hottest summers on record. In Connecticut (where we make this wonderful podcast), we broke a 38-year record for most consecutive days over 90°F. Add to these steamy temps a record low rainfall and this summer turned out to be pretty miserable—and not just for Steve, who always likes to have something to complain about, but for our plants. Therefore, we thought it was a good time to take stock and see which plants of ours simply made it through. Our selections include species we never expected to be drought-tolerant and cultivars that seemed to fair better than others. Given the topic, we had to reach out to David Salman a renowned horticulturist from New Mexico, to see what plants made it through a decade old high intensity drought (after a year's respite in 2019) in his backyard. Surprisingly, he says, quite a few.

Expert testimony: David Salman, chief horticulturist for High Country Gardens in Santa Fe, New Mexico.