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

For many gardeners, sharing a love of plants with family and friends adds another layer of enjoyment to a very fulfilling pastime. In this episode, Danielle, Carol, and expert guest Catharine Cooke explore plants that have special meaning or associations with their loved ones. Whether it is a dogwood that provides seedlings to share with others, a native orchid that is worth a long hike to see growing in the wild, a buttery colored rose, or "that gangly plant by the stone wall" that Danielle's husband especially likes, these plants will surely get you thinking about the memories, stories, and connections that make some of the plants in your garden meaningful to you.

Expert guest: Catharine Cooke is a landscape designer and co-owner of Spring Lake Garden Design in Sherman, Connecticut. You can read some of Catharine's past articles here: https://www.finegardening.com/author/catharine-cooke.

Danielle's Plants

Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa, Zones 5-8)

Siberian iris (Iris sibirica, Zones 4–9)

Koreanspice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii, Zones 4–8) 'Horstmann's Recurved' larch (Larix decidua 'Horstmann's Recurved', Zones 2–7)

Carol's Plants

Lady's slipper orchid (Cypripedium reginae, Zones 2a–7)

Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana, Zones 2–9)

Trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens, Zones 3–7)

Strawberry rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum, Zones 3–8)

Expert's Plants

Julia Child™ rose (Rosa 'Wekvossutono', Zones 4–9)

'Constance Spry' rose (Rosa 'Constance Spry', Zones 5–10)

'New Dawn' rose (Rosa 'New Dawn', Zones 5–10)

Much like the United States Postal Service, these plants will not let rain, nor sleet, nor driving snow stop them from pulling through the worst winter weather imaginable. It can be hard to find plants that will look two months of drying winds in the eyes and laugh—or sit in a frozen puddle for 4 months and not rot. We decided to sing the praises of those perennials and woodies that will take whatever January, February and March have to doll out and come out on the other side, unscathed. Tune in to this epside to learn about plants that truly are up to the challenge of taking winter's worst on the chin.

Expert guest: May Ann Newcomer is a native Idahoan who gardens, scouts gardens, and writes about gardening in the Intermountain West.

Danielle's Plants

'Ninja Stars' epimedium (Epimedium 'Ninja Stars', Zones 4-9) Leatherleaf viburnum (Viburnum rhytidophyllum, Zones 5-8) 'Blue Chip' juniper (Juniperus horizontalis 'Blue Chip', Zones 3-9) 'Biokovo' hardy geranium (Geranium cantabrigiense 'Biokovo', Zones 5-8)

Carol's Plants

Rosemary willow (Salix elaeagnos, Zones 4-8)

Smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum leave, Zones 3-8)

Golden Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris 'Aurea', Zones 3-7)

Siberian iris (Iris sibirica, Zones 3-9)

Expert's Plants

German bearded iris (Iris x germanica cvs., Zones 3-10)

European snowball viburnum (Viburnum opulus 'Roseum', Zones 3-8)

'Autumn Brilliance' serviceberry (Amelanchier × grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance', Zones 4-9)

'Blue Shag' Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus 'Blue Shag', Zones 3-8)

The winter blues have certainly set in around here. But thankfully we have a few plants outside that seemed to have saved their best for last. Today Carol and Danielle are talking about Winter Stunners—trees, shrubs, and even a subshrub that look so gorgeous in January and February, you'll forget that technically it's the "off-season." Whether your winter is mild and wet, cold and dry, or you live where it snows seemingly every day, we've got some options that will help make the landscape seem vibrant.

Expert guest: Michelle Provaznik is the chief executive officer of American Public Gardens Association. She lives and gardens in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Danielle's Plants

'Wintergold' white fir (Abies concolor 'Wintergold', Zones 3-8)

'Goldilocks' Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora 'Goldilocks', Zones 5-7)

Blue deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara cv., Zones 6b-9)

'Divinely Blue' or 'Feelin' Blue'

Coral bark maple (Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku', Zones 5-9)

Carol's Plants

American beech (Fagus grandifolia, Zones 3-9)

Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea, Zones 3-7)

Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamillia, Zones 5-8)

Star magnolia (Magnolia stellata, Zones 4-8)

Expert's Plants

'Panchito' manzanita (Arctostaphylos × coloradensis 'Panchito', Zones 4b–8)

Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus spp. and cvs., Zones 4-9)

Red osier/ red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea, Zones 3-7)

Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus, Zones 3-8)

Flowers and foliage get most of the fanfare, but a plant with eye-catching seed heads will add interest for weeks or even months after its bloom time is over. The textures and shapes of these seed-bearing structures are delightfully diverse, ranging from alliums' showy starbursts to plump peony pods and the feathery tassels of clematis. Our hosts and expert guest will share some favorite selections that look great after they go to seed.

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

Danielle's Plants

'Purple Sensation' allium (Allium 'Purple Sensation', Zones 3-9)

'Kopper Kettle' Itoh peony (Paeonia 'Kopper Kettle', Zones 3-8)

'Goldsturm' black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm', Zones 3-9)

Baptisia (Baptisia australis, Zones 3-9)

Carol's Plants

'Strawberry Fields' gomphrena (Gomphrena haageana 'Strawberry Fields', Zones 9-11)

Tibetan clematis (Clematis tibetana, Zones 6-9)

Kamchatka sedum (Sedum kamptschaticum, Zones 3-8)

'Blue Glow' globe thistle (Echinops bannaticus, Zones 3-8)

Expert's Plants

Angel's trumpet (Datura innoxia, Zones 9-10)

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena, annual)

Love lies bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus, annual)

It doesn't matter whether we've been naughty (Danielle) or nice (Carol) this year—we're still going ahead and adding plenty of plants to our wish lists. We're talking about trees that we've had our eyes on for months and a perennial that shines in spring, summer, and light up electric yellow in fall. Many of these plants will be new to nurseries this coming spring, while others have been around a bit longer. If you're wondering what plants the hosts of a podcast all about plants dream and drool over, tune in today. Because visions of sugarplums don't dance through our heads…but visions of coneflowers do!

Expert guest: Laura Trowbridge is a garden designer based in Peterborough, New Hampshire. You can read her article from issue 177 here: https://www.finegardening.com/article/how-to-use-annuals-in-your-garden

Danielle's Plants

'Lady Sunshine' dove tree (Davidia involucrata 'Lady Sunshine', Zones: 6–8)

Magical® Moonlight button bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis 'Kolmoon', Zones 5-9)

'Stained Glass' liverleaf (Hepatica nobilis 'Stained Glass', Zones 4-8)

'Fiery Meadow Mama' coneflower (Echinacea 'Fiery Meadow Mama', Zones 5-9)

Carol's Plants

'Seventh Inning Stretch' bluestar (Amsonia x illustris 'Seventh Inning Stretch', Zones 5-9)

'Giggles' dahlia (Dahlia 'Giggles', Zones 8-10)

Owl's claws (Hymenoxys hoopesii, Zones 5-9)

'Golden Delicious' salvia (Salvia elegans 'Golden Delicious', Zones 8-11)

Expert's Plants

'Burgundy Spice' sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus var. purpureus 'Burgundy Spice', Zones 6-9)

Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius, biennial, Zones 5-9)

'Amistad' salvia (Salvia 'Amistad', Zones 8b-11)

Lion's ear (Leonotis leonurus, Zones 8-11)

It's the most wonderful time of the year! No, not because it's the holidays, because it's the annual Q & A episode here on Let's Argue About Plants. When we put a call out each year asking you, our faithful listeners, to send us your most pressing questions about plants and gardening, we never know what to expect. But boy did you deliver this time! We had so many questions roll in that we had to create a spreadsheet just to keep track. In today's episode we'll answer as many of those queries as possible, and in some cases, reach out to our colleagues in horticulture to respond (because let's face it, we don't know everything). Tune in to see if your question—or a question similar to yours—is answered and what we had to say about cottage gardens and whether or not you may need therapy because of a plant addiction.

Expert guest: Award-winning landscape designer Jay Sifford is the owner of a design firm located in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is an author for Fine Gardening magazine with a new feature out in December 2022, Designing a Stylized Meadow.

Depending on where you live in North America, fall in the garden can bring anything from a flood of vibrant color to just the slightest hint of a new hue. Here in New England, we're pretty lucky to get an explosion of autumnal colors most years. But today we decided to talk about those plants (trees, shrubs, perennials, and yes—even an annual) that can be counted on to express THE most shocking color when the temps cool down, regardless of geographic location. We realize that some of you live in warmer climes, so we have included a few fall-bloomers that will put on a show into Zone 9, as well. If seasonal depression has started to set in, beat back those impending winter-blues by listening to this episode and then head to the nursery to pick up some fall stunners—it's not too late!

Expert guest: John Forti is the executive director of Bedrock Gardens in Lee, New Hampshire and author of The Heirloom Gardener: Traditional Plants and Skills for the Modern World. He has previously directed gardens for Plimoth Plantation Museum, Strawbery Banke Museum, and Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

Danielle's Plants

'Pocahontas' Japanese anemone (Anemone hupehensis 'Pocahontas', Zones 5-8)

Blue-stemmed goldenrod (Solidago caesia, Zones 4-8)

Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia, Zones 5-8)

White baneberry (Actaea pachypoda, Zones 3-8)

Carol's Plants

'Vibrant Dome' New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Vibrant Dome', Zones 3-8)

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin, Zones 4-9)

'Blackhawks' big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii 'Blackhawks', Zones 3-9)

'Rouge Vif D'Etampes' pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima, annual)

Expert's Plants

Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans, Zones 8-10)

Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboretum, Zones 5-9)

Poke (Phytolacca americana, Zones 4-8)

Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, Zones 5-9)

They're creepy and they're kooky. Mysterious and spooky. They're all together ooky. Nope, it's not the Adam's Family, it's the array of wicked plants on today's episode. It's Halloween season so we'll be talking about an assortment of plants that are spiky, darkly pigmented, stinky, or perhaps even the most wicked of all: invasive. But don't think every perennial or tree on this episode is unworthy of a spot in your garden, some are actually quite lovely landscape specimens. Can a plant truly be frightening? Sure it can—just ask Seymour Krelborn.

For further reading on wicked plants, check out this book by Amy Stewart.

Expert guest: Christine Alexander is the digital content editor for FineGardening.com.

Danielle's Plants

'Sasaba' holly tea olive (Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Sasaba', Zones 6b-10)

Jack in the pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum, Zones 4-9)

Wingthorn rose (Rosa sericea spp. pteracantha, Zones 5-9)

Carol's Plants

Common dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum, Zones 4-8)

'Barker's Variety' monk's hood (Aconitum carmichaelii 'Barker's Variety', Zones 3-7)

'Flying Dragon' hardy orange (Citrus trifoliata 'Flying Dragon', Zones 5-9)

Christine's Plants

'Teton' firethorn (Pyracantha 'Teton' Zones 6 to 9)

'Zanzibarensis' castor bean (Ricinus communis* 'Zanzibarensis' Zones 8–10)

Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis*, Zones 4 to 9)

*Indicates this plant may be considered invasive in certain parts of North America

We very pleased to bring you a special episode of Let's Argue About Plants today, featuring an interview with Douglas Tallamy, PhD. Several months ago, Christine Alexander, digital content manager for FineGardening.com, sat down with the famed professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware to discuss how plants can save our planet. Tallamy has spent his life's work researching the impact of nonnative plant species on the environment with his fieldwork playing a critical role in solving the mystery of the plummeting insect and bird populations seen over the past 50 years. Despite the seemingly larger-than-life problems we face, Tallamy insists there are ways average gardeners can help save our ecosystems. Within the interview we get answers to the questions gardeners want to know like, "Should we be planting only native plants?" And "What are keystone species and why should I be filling my landscape with them?" Tallamy's message is sometimes misconstrued, especially when it comes to a gardener's role in the climate crisis. We hope this interview sheds some light and hope on actions steps we can all take to help nature. As Tallamy says, "we're its last hope."

This interview was edited for length and clarity. For further reading, check out Douglas Tallamy's most recent books, The Nature of Oaks (2021) and Nature's Best Hope (2020).

Keystone Plants:

1. Goldenrod (Solidago spp., Zones 3–9)
2. Aster (Aster spp., Eurybia spp., Symphyotrichum spp., Zones 4–9)
3. Sunflower (Helianthus spp., Zones 3–9)
4. Oak (Quercus spp., Zones 2–9)
5. Cherry (Prunus spp., Zones 3–8)
6. Birch (Betula spp., Zones 3–9)
7. Cottonwood (Populus spp., Zones 2–9)
8. Elm (Ulmus americana, Zones 3 to 9)
9. Willow (Salix spp., Zones 4-10)

What's not to love about sedums? They're drought-tolerant, they attract pollinators, and they flower later in the season when not much else is going on in the garden. But they also have their drawbacks—namely a proclivity to splay open (we're looking at you Autumn Joy) and look rather awful in some cases. But rest assured that today we're talking about sedums that maintain a compact habit (whether they're an upright or ground cover type), still sport gorgeous flowers, and thrive in terrible conditions. If you have full sun, lean soil, and hate plants than need a lot of pampering, then this episode is for you.

Expert testimony: Sandy McDougle is the founder and owner of Sandy's Plants in in Mechanicsville, Virginia.

Danielle's Plants

'Boogie Woogie' sedum (Sedum 'Boogie Woogie', Zones 3-9)

'Night Light' sedum (Sedum 'Night Light', Zones 3-9)

'Plum Dazzled' sedum (Sedum rupestre 'Plum Dazzled', Zones 4-9)

'Carl' sedum (Hylotelephium telephium 'Carl', Zones 3-9)

Carol's Plants

'Matrona' sedum (Hylotelephium telephium 'Matrona', Zones 3-9)

'Blue Spruce' creeping sedum (Sedum reflexum 'Blue Spruce', Zones 4–9)

Dragon's blood sedum (Sedum spurium 'Schorbuser Blut', Zones 4-9)

'Angelina' sedum (Sedum rupestre 'Angelina', Zones 5–9)

Expert's Plants

'Dazzleberry' sedum (Sedum 'Dazzleberry', Zones 4-9)

Goldmoss sedum (Sedum acre, Zones 4-9)

Chinese sedum (Sedum tetractinum, Zones 4-8)

'Weihenstephaner's Gold' sedum (Sedum kamtschaticum var. floriferum 'Weihenstephaner's Gold', Zones 3-8)