This week on The Circle, the gang is back together as Stony makes his highly anticipated return after a six-and-a-half-month sabbatical (well, not that long but it sure felt like it), much to the delight of the hosts who clearly missed him dearly.

Welcome back to an episode of The Circle with hosts Johnny Apple, Reverend Pirate Frog, Stoney Alpinist, and Howlingbuds.  The episode quickly dives into some fascinating gardening discussions:

• **The Mystery of the Loofah**: Johnny shares his unique experience growing loofah plants, revealing that the leaves, when rubbed, incredibly smell just like ballpark nacho cheese!. He also explains that young loofah is an edible summer squash

• **Sunflower Surprises**: They explore the intricate nature of sunflowers, discussing how what appears to be a single flower is actually many tiny individual flowers, and share tips for growing massive plants. Johnny also boasts about his outdoor auto-flowers thriving in upstate New York, despite the challenging, humid fall conditions

Perennial Powerhouses for Your Garden: A significant segment is dedicated to beneficial perennial plants as inputs into garden:

* **Comfrey** is highlighted as a "bioaccumulator" with deep roots that bring essential nutrients to the soil. Beyond garden benefits, it's incredibly useful for humans in salves for tissue regeneration, wound healing, arthritis, and has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. A word of caution: comfrey roots are toxic to dogs, and proper dosage for kids should be researched

* **Horsetail** is introduced as a natural source of plant-available silica, ideal for shady, moist areas, and can be brewed into a tea for plant health

Finally, get ready to meet everyone! They announce details for Alebrije’s upcoming popup event in Chicago, including a YAG barbecue at Stoney's house on Friday night and a potential after-party at Howling's place on Saturday. They encourage listeners to reach out via email or Discord if they're coming to join the inclusive gathering.

You can find more from Your Average Grow (YAG) at:

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/AfapacH8Rj

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TH1tL5Bh0AsdT3ToyAiqG

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@youraveragegrow

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