40. Theresa Crimmins on the Power of Plant Phenology

THERESA CRIMMINS BIO

Theresa Crimmins is an internationally recognized phenology researcher, director of the USA National Phenology Network, and associate professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona. In her role with the Network, Theresa supports an amazing team and works enthusiastically to support the growth and use of phenology data and resources curated by the USA-NPN, involvement in Nature’s Notebook, and a broader appreciation of phenology among scientists and non-scientists alike.

Theresa has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in journals including Nature, Geophysical Research Letters, Global Change Biology, and Journal of Ecology. Her writing has appeared in Scientific American, The Hill, and the Old Farmer’s Almanac, and Nautilus Magazine. She shared her thoughts about the importance of observing phenology in a TEDx talk in October 2024 and her book Phenology was published through MIT Press in early 2025.

You can learn more about Theresa by visiting the USA National Phenology Network website.

SHOW NOTES

• How an early interest in plant biology and hands-on classes in college sparked Theresa’s passion for plants

• The pivotal role of a professor in shaping her botanical interests

• Transitioning from biology to geography to learn GIS and mapping technologies

• Returning to ecology for her Ph.D. to escape computer work and engage with the outdoors again

• Studying Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana) and modeling its potential spread under future climate scenarios

• Leading the USA National Phenology Network and coordinating a national-scale citizen science program

• Defining phenology as the study of seasonal biological events and their links to environmental conditions

• Why phenology is a valuable tool for understanding species’ responses to climate change

• The power of phenological cues like “oak leaves the size of squirrel ears” and their ecological basis

• Dr. Dan Herms using bloom times of indicator plants like spirea and lilac to predict insect activity like pine needle scale and developing the Ohio State Phenology Calendar

• Encouraging gardeners to observe and document bloom sequences as a gardening tool

• Nature’s Notebook as a citizen science platform for tracking phenology across the country

• Benefits of contributing observations to formal databases for research and conservation

• How to develop a personal phenological calendar by tracking repeated seasonal patterns

• Growing degree days as a method for quantifying heat accumulation and predicting biological events

• Accumulated Growing Degree Day models

• The value of even simple observations written in journals or calendars

• How Nature’s Notebook provides standardized protocols and mobile or paper options for data entry

• Explanation of phenophases as distinct life cycle events like leaf-out, flowering, and fruit drop

• Observing multiple phenophases on a plant at the same time and how to identify them

• The depth and utility of the Phenophase Primer (and Botany Primer) as a visual guide to nuanced plant development

• How detailed observation fosters wonder and reduces plant blindness

• The delight and insight Theresa found in observing her saguaro cactus begin to bud for the first time

• The emotional and restorative impact of observing Patty’s memorial Palo Verde tree

• How phenology cultivates gratitude, mindfulness, and a stronger relationship with nature

• Creating a weekly habit of phenological observation as a calming personal practice

• Developing regional bloom calendars as cultural records of seasonal events

• How long-distance migrants triggered by sun angle may arrive too late for peak caterpillar abundance

• The importance of citizen science in documenting shifts and informing conservation strategies

• Writing the book to make phenology more accessible and to shift everyday attention to seasonal life

• The challenge of maintaining the network and transitioning from federal to foundation support

• Clarifying the difference between phenology and phrenology, a common misconception

• Native moon calendars and Japanese microseasons as inspirations for localized phenological tracking

• Documented mismatches between bird migration and insect emergence due to differing climate cues

• Observing ocotillos flowering without leafing out in response to drought, challenging common assumptions

• Examples of stress-induced flowering and how plants may behave unpredictably under extreme conditions

• Advocating for surprising others with botanical facts to spark curiosity and connection

• Using plant-based activities, like dissecting fruits with kids or adults, to nurture appreciation for plants

• Resources on the USA-NPN website including Nature’s Notebook, training modules, and local programs

• The potential for community-building through shared phenology observation projects

• Theresa’s favorite recent read: The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl

• How routine observation sharpens awareness, deepens ecological literacy, and creates personal meaning

• You can learn more about Theresa by visiting the USA National Phenology Network website.

39. John Magee on Native Plant Design

JOHN MAGEE BIO

John Magee has been designing and building landscapes in the Washington DC Metro area and beyond for the past 30 years.  After receiving his B.S. degree in Agriculture from the Ohio State University and spending a few years training and showing horses, he settled into the landscaping industry as the General Foreman of Pennsylvania’s highest award-winning landscaping firm.  While in Pennsylvania, he became a volunteer at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary where he met his wife Susana and was introduced to habitat gardening and the use of native plants in the landscape.  He now operates his own award-winning design firm Magee Design in the beautiful countryside of Middleburg, VA where he also enjoys kayaking and taking long walks with his wife and dogs Shaq and Dilly.  He created and hosts the award-winning Native Plant Podcast to help inform the public about the benefits of landscaping with native plants. You can learn more about John at his website john-magee.com and at The Native Plant Podcast.

SHOW NOTES

• Finding rejuvenation and inspiration in the native ecosystems of Dolly Sods, West Virginia

• A moment of awe sparked by discovering pink-flowered Pedicularis canadensis (wood betony) in the wild

• Childhood memories in his grandmother’s garden sparking a lifelong love of plants

• Transitioning from a career in horse training to landscape design through hands-on landscaping work

• Lessons learned from building projects for designer Joanne Kostecki of Garden Design in the New American Garden style

• Realizing the lack of plant knowledge in many commercial landscaping contexts

• Shifting from production to design in his career

• Advocating for hands-on landscape crew experience as essential for aspiring designers

• Insights on starting with production before moving into design and how it shaped a practical approach

• John’s recent article in Fine Gardening about a pollinator garden he designed

• Experience designing a pollinator garden in a gated community with strict color constraints

• Using plugs and small plants to manage large-scale installations economically

• Emphasizing the ecological value of elderberry and strategic placement in wet sites

• Applying bold, naturalistic planting in high-end landscapes while meeting client expectations

• The benefits of constraints in the design process

• Strategies for managing weeds in naturalistic plantings using modified weed trimmerw between close plantings

• Incorporating maintenance efficiencies by burying weeds on-site to reduce hauling

• Philosophy of combining ecological soundness with appealing, client-specific aesthetics

• Managing stormwater on-site with rain gardens piped from rooftops and planted with wetland species

• Early adoption of rain gardens and recognizing their growing relevance in ecological design

• Thoughts on using herbicides judiciously and only with client consent

• Advocacy for smoother piping to prevent mosquito breeding in stormwater systems

• Cautioning against overly ambitious soil prep, which can trigger invasive weed outbreaks

• Personal shift away from intensive bed preparation due to changes in invasive species pressures

• Emphasizing mass planting as both a design and maintenance strategy

• Perspective on native plant design as a process of working with and responding to each site

• Key takeaways for students: don’t be afraid to fail, start with production, and enjoy the process

• Favorite plant combinations like Eryngium yuccifolium (rattlesnake master) with Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem), and Eupatorium perfoliatum (joe pye weed) with Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)

• Insight into iterative design as a collaborative, evolving process with clients

• The importance of responsiveness and clear communication in design relationships

• Lessons learned from managing large projects and adjusting plans to meet budgets

• Realization that aggressive soil prep can unintentionally benefit invasive species more than natives

• Warning against downplaying the threat of invasive species within the horticultural industry

• Personal responsibility in no longer planting species that show invasive tendencies

• Frustration with the continued sale of known invasive plants in nurseries

• Advocating for voluntary industry standards to avoid government regulation of invasive species

• Example of discovering a beloved plant (Nigella damascena) was invasive and promptly removing it

• Reflections on designing with ecological consciousness while still creating beauty

• The value of podcasts in bringing together voices and sparking ideas across the horticulture field

• Origin story of the Native Plant Podcast and working with Mike Berkley and other co-hosts

• Memorable podcast guests like Dr. Michael Osborne and Felder Rushing for their emotional insights and big-picture thinking

• Reminder that planting design is a living, evolving craft shaped by both intention and unpredictability

• Use of waterproof notebooks as a simple but powerful tool for capturing ideas

• Recommended reading: The Man Who Would Dam the Amazon and Other Accounts from Afield by John G. Mitchell for perspective on environmental ethics

• Debunking the myth that native plants are more expensive or harder to grow

• Emphasis on education and outreach as a way to engage the next generation of horticulturists

• Encouragement to observe, experiment, and stay open to learning in the field of native plant design

• You can learn more about John at his website john-magee.com and at The Native Plant Podcast.

38. Sarah Sikich and Ryan Watson on Growing Orchards with Giving Grove

Sarah Sikich and Ryan Watson Bio

Sarah Sikich and Ryan Watson are dedicated urban orchard advocates, spreading The Giving Grove’s mission to grow sustainable community orchards nationwide.

Sarah, Director of Marketing and Communications, began her journey with The Giving Grove as a volunteer at the first little orchard, witnessing how urban orchards can transform neighborhoods. Combining her background in communications with her passion for gardening, she now works to expand the reach of community orchards across the country.

Ryan, National Orchard Operations & Education Manager, brings over a decade of experience in urban agriculture. After co-founding North Brooklyn Farms and developing public green spaces in New York City, he now lives in the Catskill Mountains, managing an heirloom apple orchard at Wild Russet Farm with his wife. His expertise in community greening and orchard care guides The Giving Grove’s programs nationwide.

Together, Sarah and Ryan bring hands-on experience and practical knowledge to the world of urban orchards, helping communities grow sustainable green spaces that nourish neighborhoods.

You can learn more about Giving Grove at their website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Youtube.

SHOW NOTES

• How Ryan’s passion for plants began on a balcony in Los Angeles, and lead him to community gardens and urban farming in Brooklyn

• The influence of Brooklyn Grange and the transformation of an empty lot into a seven-year urban farm project.

• A move to the Catskills and an introduction to wild apple foraging that sparked a love for cider making and fruit trees.

• How working for a cider maker using foraged apples deepened Ryan’s appreciation for apple trees and led him to the Giving Grove.

• Sarah’s background growing up in Texas with a family connection to agricultural research.

• The unexpected career shift from marketing to community orcharding started with a school orchard planted near her home.

• The power of community orchards in revitalizing neighborhoods and fostering connections.

• The Giving Grove’s mission to address hunger and climate change through community-led urban orchards.

• How Giving Grove has helped establish over 650 orchards nationwide, projected to produce 93 million servings of fresh fruit annually.

• The universal language of fruit and how community orchards create inclusive, welcoming spaces.

• Essential lessons for starting and maintaining community orchards, including the importance of long-term tree care and education.

• The challenge of fruit tree selection and why choosing disease-resistant cultivars is crucial.

• Using Surround WP kaolin clay to help protect trees from insects

• The importance of community buy-in for orchard success and why the Giving Grove only establishes orchards where they’re invited.

• How different regions require different fruit tree strategies, from pawpaws in Pittsburgh to muscadines in Atlanta.

• Strategies for engaging communities while waiting for fruit trees to mature, such as planting berry brambles and hosting orchard events.

• The role of celebrations in orchard culture, from wassailing events to community jam-making contests.

• Michael Pollan’s The Botany of Desire

• Insights from the Orchard Project in the UK and how their education focus complements the Giving Grove’s data-driven approach.

• The benefits of integrating understory plantings in orchards for pest control, soil health, and biodiversity.

• Practical examples of plants for orchard understories, including comfrey, clovers, rye grass, daffodils, and dynamic accumulators.

• Michael Phillips The Apple Grower and The Holistic Orchard

• The importance of soil testing and site selection for healthy orchards, including strategies for soil improvement.

• Using Azomite for fertility

• The role of ramial wood chips in supporting fungal-dominant soil and promoting tree health.

• Managing challenges in urban orchards, including soil contamination concerns and strategies for site remediation.

• The power of signage and community education in reducing vandalism and ensuring proper fruit harvesting.

• How giving children ownership over orchard spaces fosters stewardship and reduces damage and vandalism.

• The need for dedicated program managers to ensure the long-term success of community orchards.

• Common mistakes in orchard management, including planting too many trees without a long-term care plan.

• The importance of pruning and holistic sprays in maintaining healthy, productive fruit trees.

• The holistic spray recipe

• Helen Atthowe’s keynote address where she mentioned research on holistic sprays in Oregon

• How traditional orchard structures are evolving to incorporate food forests and greater plant diversity.

• Favorite ways communities celebrate harvests, from cider pressing to jujube drying and mead making.

• The history of cider in America and how Prohibition nearly wiped out the country’s cider apple diversity.

• The impact of southern heirloom apples and their adaptation to warm climates with efforts to preserve rare cultivars.  

• Jason Bowen of the Southern Heritage Apple Orchard and Josh Fuder with UGA’s Heritage Apple Orchard

• Jason Bowen and Josh Fuder’s NAFEX presentation

• Personal routines and practices that help Sarah and Ryan grow creatively

• Book recommendations, including Susan Poizner’s books, The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, Mycorrhizal Planet by Michael Phillips, and for social justice Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka.

• The significance of involving children in growing and harvesting food to foster future horticulturists.

• You can learn more about Giving Grove at their website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Youtube.

37. Jack McCoy on Garden Lessons from Travels Abroad

Jack McCoy Bio

Jack McCoy designs residential and commercial landscapes in Knoxville, the Southeast United States, and beyond through his practice, Jack McCoy Garden Design Company. His work reflects a deep understanding of plants, shaped by global experiences in some of the world's most renowned gardens.

Jack's horticultural journey began in landscape construction as a teenager, followed by earning an Undergraduate Degree in landscape design and construction from The University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 2012. He furthered his design education at Inchbald School of Design in London, UK, where he received a Postgraduate Garden Design Degree.

In 2016, Jack volunteered at Great Dixter, the iconic garden of Christopher Lloyd and then returned as the Christopher Lloyd North American Scholar which is supported by Chanticleer Garden in Pennsylvania to train under head gardener Fergus Garrett. This marked the start of a transformative time at both Great Dixter and Chanticleer where he refined his design skills and plant knowledge.

Jack then received a fellowship at The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, managing Israel’s rare and endangered plant species. He credits this experience with deepening his understanding of plant ecology and survival. To expand his propagation expertise, Jack worked at Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina, known for its rare and unique perennials.

In 2022, Jack returned to Knoxville to focus on garden and landscape design, drawing from his diverse experiences to create gardens that are both beautiful and enduring.

You can learn more about Jack on Instagram at @jackmccoygardendesign, where he shares updates on his projects.

SHOW NOTES

• Jack shared how growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee, gave him an early connection to nature and gardening.

• His passion for plants began unexpectedly when helping his father in the garden as a child initially as a form of punishment.

• How studying at UT Knoxville and taking plant science classes opened up opportunities in horticulture.

• The rain garden project at UT Knoxville where he focused on stormwater management and native plants.

• Jack emphasized the importance of adapting designs on-site and learning to collaborate with maintenance staff for successful implementation.

• Inspiration from following in the footsteps of Luciano Giubbilei

• His time at the Inchbald School of Design in the UK was instrumental in shaping his design philosophy and focusing on gardens as an extension of the home.

• Thinking of the whole space outside as a garden

• His paper topic of looking at the trend of plant introductions over time

• The influence of Great Dixter and Fergus Garrett on his understanding of planting combinations and horticultural practices.

• Using boards to minimize soil compaction while gardening, a practice he continues today.

• Seeing plants in the wild during his time at the Jerusalem Botanical Garden deepened his understanding of plant ecology and propagation.

• He shared insights about collecting seeds from Israel’s distinct zones and developing propagation protocols tailored to each environment.

• Returning to the U.S., Jack observed how plants he encountered abroad, like Salvia (sage), Nepeta (catmint), Asphodeline (king’s spear), and Ferula (giant parsley) could thrive in southeastern landscapes.

• How to look at a space to create a theme and guiding future design decisions

• Taking time to understand a site deeply before starting the design process

• Design strategies like juxtaposing mass and void in garden plantings

• His work rethinking the suburban U.S. gardens by integrating more diverse and sustainable plantings.

• Jack is currently advising and designing areas at Lakeshore Park in Knoxville by balancing natural beauty with thoughtful design.

• He mentioned the importance of using notebooks to document observations, ideas, and tasks, a practice he learned at Great Dixter.

• Using Field Notes to write down gardening tasks

• Jack cited Gardens Are for People by Thomas Church, Grace Hall, and Michael Laurie and The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden by Roy Diblik as influential books.

• Propagating more horticulturists by exposing more people to the broad opportunities available in horticulture to inspire future generations.

• Jack can be found on Instagram at @jackmccoygardendesign, where he shares updates on his projects.

36. Shannon Currey on Elevating Plantings with Education

SHANNON CURREY BIO

Shannon Currey is a horticultural educator with Izel Native Plants. After starting a career in social science research and education, she transitioned to horticulture in 2003, training in horticultural science and landscape design at North Carolina State University. She worked short stints at a local landscape design firm and at Niche Gardens, a pioneering native plant nursery in North Carolina. In 2007 Shannon joined Hoffman Nursery, a wholesale grower specializing in grasses, sedges, and other graminoids where over the next 15 years she developed a deep understanding of these specialized plants.

In 2022, Shannon joined Izel Native Plants, an online retailer for native plants, to expand their education and outreach efforts. Since joining Izel, her ongoing interest in native perennials has blossomed, as she researches, writes, and talks about their role in managed landscapes. A sought-after speaker, Shannon has shared her knowledge in nationally published articles and traveled throughout the country speaking to professional organizations, community groups, and at public gardens.

Shannon enjoys being involved with plants at a broader level and served on the Boards of the Perennial Plant Association and the Perennial Plant Foundation. She currently serves on the North Carolina Plant Conservation Program Scientific Committee, the Advisory Committee for the University of Georgia’s Landscape Architecture Short Course, and the Legislative Committee of the North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association (NCNLA). She was recognized by NCNLA in 2021 with the Libby Wilder Award for her contributions to the North Carolina plant industry.

Shannon lives in Durham, North Carolina and finds inspiration exploring the native flora in natural areas and cultivated gardens wherever her travels take her. You can learn more about Shannon on the Izel Plants blog, on Instagram @sscurrey, and LinkedIn.

SHOW NOTES

• Shannon’s early connection to nature through playing outdoors as a child in Alabama

• How her interest in plants was sparked during adulthood while working at UNC Chapel Hill

• The transformative impact of taking a horticulture class with Bryce Lane

• Leaving a career in social psychology to pursue horticulture full-time

• How her background in social psychology informs her current work in horticulture, particularly in research, teaching, and changing attitudes about landscapes

• The critical role plants play in improving human health and well-being

• Challenges in connecting people with plants and changing perceptions about the natural world

• The evolution of perennials in horticulture over the past 15-20 years, from decorative use to recognition of their ecological functions

• Shannon’s experiences at Niche Gardens and Hoffman Nursery

• How grasses and perennials became more popular for their functional roles in landscapes, including stormwater management and habitat creation

• The concept of green infrastructure and its growing influence on public and private landscapes

• Helping gardeners at Izel Plants by focusing on education and providing tools to improve plant selection and garden success

• The value of understanding plant behavior, including survival strategies and adaptability

• Wetland indicator status as a useful tool for understanding a plant’s water needs and adaptability (US Plants Database and Izel Plants)

• How facultative plants thrive in both wet and dry conditions, making them ideal for rain gardens and bioswales

• Using The Flora of the Southeastern United States to better understand their growing conditions and heliophily for determining light levels

• The importance of lists as starting points for plant selection but encouraging deeper understanding beyond them

• Recognizing that gardening is dynamic, and plant failure is a source of valuable information

• The role of experimentation and observation in becoming a better gardener

• How personal experience and talking with other gardeners enhance plant knowledge

• The coefficient of conservatism and its use in gardens

• Obligate versus facultative species and their use in the garden

• Knowing more how the habitat of native species determines growth in the garden

• Understanding perennial longevity and how different plants serve specific roles in plantings

• Short-lived perennials like Penstemon digitalis (foxglove beardtongue) and Chrysopsis mariana (Maryland aster) as valuable fillers in plant communities

• The importance of honesty in communicating plant adaptability and challenges to gardeners

• Why the matrix layer hasn’t quite caught on yet

• How plugs and smaller plant sizes are gaining popularity for economical and practical landscape planting

• Increasing interest in ground cover plants and native sedges for sustainable, low-maintenance landscapes

• Trends toward matrix planting and layered plantings using ground covers like Carex (sedge) species, Packera aurea (golden groundsel), and Chrysogonum virginianum var. australe (green and gold)

• Observing plants throughout the year and keeping a photo record as part of her gardening practice

• Visiting local gardens like Sarah P. Duke Gardens and Coker Arboretum to observe plant behavior and longevity

• Sketching plants as a method for better understanding their structure and behavior

• Continually learning by identifying and researching plants in natural areas

• Recommended horticulture books: Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont by Timothy Spira and Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast by Laura Cotterman, Damon Waitt, and Alan Weakley

• How to propagate more plant passion by using public spaces to foster a love for plants and attract more people to horticulture and valuing expertise in the horticultural industry and improving systemic support for horticulturists

• Learn more about Shannon on the Izel Plants blog, on Instagram @sscurrey, and LinkedIn

35. Ben O'Brien on Wild by Design

BEN O’BRIEN BIO

Ben O'Brien is the owner of Wild by Design, a naturalistic garden design business in Prince Edward County in Ontario that specializes in artfully crafted, richly planted, lovingly tended gardens. For the past decade Ben's passion for plants has informed a wide range of projects, from small town gardens to large rural properties and urban public spaces. Ben's trial garden research explores innovative ways to create beautiful, biodiverse and resilient designed plant communities. 

Ben has presented a webinar specifically focused on his trials for Garden Masterclass (UK), and appeared on their popular "Thursday Garden Chat" interview series. He has been a speaker for horticultural societies and professional landscape audiences across Ontario, and has written articles for the Ecological Landscape Alliance, the American Society of Landscape Architects' Professional Practice blog and Ground Magazine, published by the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects. You can learn more about Ben by visiting his instagram Wild by Design and his website Wild by Design, where he has multiple resources about grit gardening and the plant list.

SHOW NOTES

• Ben O'Brien shared how his love for plants began with his rural upbringing in Ontario, surrounded by wild landscapes, and how studying landscape architecture at the University of Guelph solidified his passion.

• The epiphany of visiting the High Line in New York City, which inspired him to explore naturalistic planting design.

• Ben emphasized the "sweet spot" between ecological restoration and traditional horticulture, which he sees as a magical space for planting design.

• In college, much of his knowledge about planting design came from self-directed study, including influences from books like Planting in a Post-Wild World and works by Nigel Dunnett, James Hitchmough, and Piet Oudolf.

• His undergraduate thesis focused on how naturalistic plantings can shift perceptions about the natural world and demonstrate positive human influence.

• When approaching planting design, Ben prioritizes understanding soils, microclimates, and site conditions.

• The importance of layers in planting, filling every niche, and the CSR strategies of plants.

• The value of experimenting with plant architecture and creating resilient plant communities through trial-and-error approaches.

• Ben highlighted the challenges and benefits of using stress-tolerant substrates like grit, recycled concrete, and sand to grow diverse plant communities with minimal inputs.

• He detailed his trials on planting into recycled materials, emphasizing how specific substrate compositions can reduce weeds and encourage long-term plant survival.

• Ben reflected on the importance of ongoing management and stewardship in naturalistic plantings, sharing insights from his experiences maintaining client projects over several years.

• The need for landscape architects and horticulturists to embrace innovative planting methods and reconsider traditional soil and mulch approaches.

• Ben stressed the importance of publicizing successful trials and results to encourage adoption of new planting techniques.

• He discussed the potential for rotational disturbance-based planting models to sustain dynamic plant communities over time.

• Big successes and failures that he had from the trials.

• Approaches to planting woody plants into gravel.

• Limitations to naturalistic planting including plant knowledge and management issues.

• The need to invest in management and stewardship of designed landscapes, suggesting that the future of naturalistic planting depends on skilled and supported caretakers and being able to see how plantings change over time.

• Ben shared his perspective on balancing native and non-native species in planting, advocating for a thoughtful, context-dependent approach.

• UGA’s pollinator study on pollinators and Celosia

• On parenthood, Ben noted the importance of maintaining work-life balance and how becoming a parent has influenced his efficiency and priorities in work.

• Ben highlighted the importance of efficient systems and processes, like using drone photography and spreadsheets, to streamline his design and project management workflows.

• He explored the complexities of plant supply chains and genetic variability, expressing a desire for more transparency and knowledge in the horticulture industry.

• For aspiring horticulturists, Ben encouraged curiosity and self-education while acknowledging the importance of creating viable career paths in horticulture management.

• Ben recommended resources such as Planting: A New Perspective and The Dynamic Landscape for those interested in naturalistic planting and emphasized the value of exploring academic journals for practical insights.

• Ben credited accessible resources like books, journals, and webinars for much of his learning and encouraged professionals to share knowledge to inspire the next generation.

• Ben reflected on the need for the horticulture industry to move beyond traditional practices and embrace more innovative, ecologically sound methods of planting and management.

• Learn more about Ben by visiting his instagram Wild by Design and his website Wild by Design, where he has multiple resources about grit gardening and the plant list.

34. Lucy Bellamy on A Year in Bloom

LUCY BELLAMY BIO

Lucy Bellamy spent five years as editor of Gardens Illustrated magazine, during which she grew its print and digital readership to over 50,000—its highest level ever. In 2018, she won the British Society of Magazine Editors Editor of the Year award and has written three books.  Her most recent book A Year in Bloom is an illustrated insider’s guide to the best flowering bulbs for beautiful garden plantings throughout the year.  She showcases a wide-ranging selection of more than 150 bulbs, each presented with informative text, expert planting advice, and striking photography by Jason Ingram.

She has also authored Brilliant and Wild (winner of the Garden Media Guild Practical Book of the Year, 2018) and Grow 5: Simple seasonal ideas for small outdoor spaces with just five plants.

Lucy was the founding editor of Modern Gardens magazine and writes about gardening for national publications such as The Guardian and The Sunday Times. She lives in Bristol with her partner, multi-award-winning garden photographer Jason Ingram. You can learn more about Lucy and A Year in Bloom from her Instagram page and her Substack Garden and House.

SHOW NOTES

• Lucy's finding the passion for gardening after buying a house with a small, shady garden as a primary school teaching.

• The influence of her stepfather, a former parks department worker, who guided her in the technical aspects of gardening.

• Pursuing more formal training with the RHS Certificate, Chelsea Physic Garden, and Kew Gardens.

• The importance of hands-on experience in the garden, particularly propagating woody shrubs and observing plant growth, as a key part of Lucy’s gardening education.

• Lucy’s career shift into writing, starting with a feature for the newspaper, leading to a career in garden journalism.

• The influence of the book Royal Horticultural Society Propagating Plants by Alan Toogood

• Launching Modern Gardens, a magazine for UK gardeners

• Becoming the editor for Gardens Illustrated, where she contributed to the magazine’s growth of increasing readership by 50,000.

• Taking your garden over the top by knowing microclimate and soil and take those factors into consideration and spending time in the space to actually get to know it.

• The role of microclimates in garden design and how successful gardens are often a response to their environment.

• The role of Anna Pavord and Margery Fish in encouraging the use of bulbs

• Lucy’s book A Year in Bloom, which highlights the best bulbs for gardeners today, with insights from 50 top gardeners and designers.

• The rise in popularity of perennial bulbs and their sustainability benefits, with emphasis on species tulips and Narcissus varieties that are more reliable year after year.

• The importance of selecting bulbs with simpler flowers to enhance biodiversity and support pollinators.

• Classification of bulbs into true bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes, and more.

• Why grit is added to planting holes, including improving drainage and helping bulbs remain healthy in dormant stages and as a marker for where small bulbs are dormant

• The challenge of growing bulbs in different climates, including how East Texas gardeners can grow bulbs like Muscari neglectum and Narcissus tazetta.

• How book contributors fell into two groups—the landscape architects and designers who prefer familiar, well established, and low cost bulbs and plantspeople and head gardeners who focused on bulb nuances.

• The appeal of Muscari neglectum (grape hyacinth), a hardy bulb that thrives even in abandoned yards or gravel driveways, proving its resilience and Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’, chosen for its unique shade of blue.

• Enjoying Narcissus tazetta (tazetta daffodil) and Narcissus papyraceus (paperwhite) for the wonderful fragrance and small flowers

• The beauty of Galanthus, particularly Galanthus elwesii 'Mrs. Macnamara' (giant snowdrop) known for their early bloom and Galanthus nivalis (common snowdrop) for its massed charm in the late winter garden.

• The discussion of why snowdrops are so captivating, with their small, nuanced appearance and their status as one of the first signs of spring.

• Narcissus pseudonarcissus (lent lily), chosen for its simplicity and perennial nature, as one of the most popular bulbs featured in the book.

• The most popular bulb from book contributors was Tulipa sylvestris (woodland tulip), which is reliable and sustainable in various climates and can naturalize beautifully over time.

• How different bulbs like Tulipa ‘Lady Jane’ are chosen for their their value in naturalistic planting designs and graceful dieback.

• The joy of Leucojum aestivum (summer snowflakes), which blooms early in East Texas and offers both beauty and structure.

• The role of bulbs like Ipheion uniflorum (starflower) as a low-maintenance ground cover, particularly when planted alongside late-emerging perennials for a dynamic, seasonally shifting garden.

• The benefits of using bulbs like Crocus tommasinianus (early crocus) as ground covers under late-emerging perennials to create early-season color and fill gaps.

• The appeal of Allium (Nectaroscordum) siculum (honey garlic), featured for its unique flower shape and appeal to pollinators, as well as its status as a perennial in UK gardens.

• How bulbs like Gladiolus communis var. byzantinus (Byzantine gladiolus) can thrive in gardens, offering vibrant pink flowers and growing in narrow slots between plants

• The challenge and appeal of bulbs like Fritillaria persica (Persian lily), known for its beautiful dark flowers, and how to grow it successfully despite its tricky nature.

• Why using bulbs like Scilla peruviana (Portuguese squill), which has brilliant blue flowers, could be a great option for gardeners in warmer climates like East Texas, despite it being tricky in the UK.

• How to select bulbs that suit the late-season garden, such as Tulbaghia violacea (society garlic), which can provide long-lasting blooms and support pollinators.

• The focus on corms like Liatris spicata (dense blazing star) in the book, which offer reliable growth and color, and the surprising way bulbs like this can blur the line between bulbs and perennials.

• The benefits of adding grit to planting holes for bulbs like Colchicum (autumn crocus), ensuring good drainage and preventing rotting during dormancy.

• The story behind bulbs like Narcissus cordobensis (Cordoba daffodil), a delicate flower that repeats its blooms and offers a pleasant fragrance, making it a favorite for Lucy.

• The unique appeal of the bulbs selected for A Year in Bloom, and how Lucy’s journey of cataloging and researching them led to a deeper appreciation of their role in gardens.

• The impact of professional garden photography, with tips on how photographers like Jason Ingram view plants at the eye level and work with light to capture the essence of gardens.

• How Lucy’s experience and observations in her own garden, growing bulbs, propagating plants, and experimenting with different gardening techniques, has shaped her approach to writing and teaching about horticulture.

• A discussion on how we need to recognize the creativity and careers of gardeners more.

• The lesson in A Year in Bloom about creating dynamic, year-round garden interest by using bulbs as a tool for filling gaps and complementing the growth cycles of other plants.

• Propagating more gardeners by encouraging creative skills and professionalism and being patient and not forcing people into it

• You can learn more about Lucy and A Year in Bloom from her Instagram page and her Substack Garden and House.

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KEEP GROWING

33. Lis Meyer on Home Plant Propagation

LIS MEYER BIO

This month’s episode of The Plantastic Podcast is Lis Meyer, a senior lecturer in the Dept. of Horticultural Science at NC State, where she has taught for the past 14 years. She currently teaches several courses in Plant Propagation, her favorite horticultural topic! As a native of North Carolina, she is grateful for the opportunity to pursue her passion for teaching at the best university in her home state.

SHOW NOTES

• [01:00] Lis reflects on how her passion for plants started with her parents and reminisces about childhood activities like collecting seeds and experimenting with cuttings

• [03:00] Lis majored in both English and botany at NC State

• [04:00] Lis discusses her graduate work with Tom Rainey, describing his unconventional but rewarding approach to plant breeding and her humorous interview experience

• [06:00] Valuable lessons from graduate school include not being afraid to try new ideas, even if they seem risky

• [07:00] Lis now lectures at NC State, teaching classes on plant identification, propagation, and advising student organizations.

• [13:00] Lis emphasizes the importance of understanding plant anatomy, particularly when working with cuttings, and details the distinction between stem and leaf cuttings.

• [16:00] Time of year, plant physiology, and type of cutting (softwood, semi-hardwood, or hardwood) are key factors in successful propagation, especially with woody plants.

• [17:00] Good reference books on plant propagation include Hartmann & Kester's Plant Propagation: Principles and Practices, 9th edition by Hudson Hartmann, Dale Kester, Fred Davies; Robert Geneve; and Sandra Wilson; The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation by Michael Dirr and Charles Heuser Jr.; Plant Propagation by Alan Toogood; The Manual of Plant Grafting by Peter MacDonald; and Creative Propagation by Peter Thompson

• [18:00] The importance of plant anatomy in determining success when taking cuttings, emphasizing the differences between woody and herbaceous plants.

• [19:00] Understanding growth stages of woody stem cuttings (softwood, semi-hardwood, hardwood) and their relevance to propagation success.

• [20:00] Lis explains how intermittent mist systems can greatly improve cutting success but are not always practical for home gardeners.

• [21:00] For home gardeners, alternatives to mist systems include humidity domes, ziplock bags, or repurposed materials like soda bottles and Red Robin delivery containers.

• [22:00] JC Raulston video on building a mist system at home

• [25:00] Recommendations for air circulation and placing cuttings in indirect light to avoid auxin breakdown, which is crucial for root development.

• [26:00] Discusses the role of auxin in root formation, particularly how it breaks down in the presence of light, making lower light conditions favorable for cuttings.

• [28:00] Home gardeners should consider using rooting hormone for woody plants, while herbaceous plants may root without it but benefit from improved root systems when used.

• [29:00] Lis advises gardeners to carefully check rooting hormone labels for the presence of auxin and warns against misleading products that are actually fertilizers.

• [31:00] Dispelling myths around home remedies like using honey for rooting cuttings and emphasizing that natural methods like willow water can work but are unpredictable.

• [33:00] Lis provides a detailed explanation of preformed latent roots versus wound-induced roots, using examples like sweet potatoes, hydrangeas, and tomatoes.

• [35:00] Some plants, like sweet potatoes, root quickly due to preformed root initials, while others can take months to root, depending on the species.

• [38:00] Lis shares her love for bulb scaling, highlighting how easy and efficient this method can be for home gardeners without fancy equipment.

• [39:00] She dives into how to propagate different types of bulbs and offers step-by-step instructions for tunicate and scaly bulbs.

• [44:00] Best time of the year for bulb scaling

• [47:00] Grafting can be an intimidating process for beginners, but Lis explains that practice and the right equipment, like a sharp grafting knife, make it approachable for both professionals and hobbyists.

• [48:00] Biology of grafting and the importance of callus tissue and lining up vascular cambium

• [50:00] Using chip budding to do easy grafting on plants

• [52:00] The importance of having a sharp grafting knife (not pocket knife!)

• [53:00] Vegetable grafting, particularly with tomatoes, is discussed as a way to combine heirloom varieties with disease-resistant rootstock for improved growth.

• [57:00] Clips and starter kit for grafting tomatoes and grafting tools and/razor blades

• [58:00] Time of the year for chip budding

• [60:00] How to propagate failure by encouraging others to imbrace failure, as it's a natural part of the learning process in both home gardening and professional horticulture.

• [62:00] Learn more from Lis by visiting her NC State profile page and her Youtube videos

  • Begonia leaf propagation

  • Twin scaling a tunicate bulb

  • Woody stem cuttings part 1

  • Woody stem cuttings part 2

  • Softwood versus semi-hardwood

  • Overview of tissue culture

  • JC Raulston video on building a mist system at home

32. Patrick Cullina on Dynamic Naturalistic Planting

PATRICK CULLINA BIO

Patrick Cullina is an award-winning horticulturist, landscape designer, photographer, lecturer, and organizational consultant with more than twenty-five years of experience in the landscape field. He runs a design and consulting business that is dedicated to the innovative and sensitive integration of plants and materials into a diverse range of compelling designs, drawing inspiration from both the natural world and constructed environments alike.

Previously, he was the founding Vice President of Horticulture and Park Operations for New York City's High Line; the VP of Horticulture, Operations & Science Research at Brooklyn Botanic Garden; and the Associate Director of The Rutgers University Gardens in affiliation with the school's Department of Landscape Architecture.

Throughout his career, he has served as a consultant and advisor to an array of public and private clients and projects and has lectured throughout the U.S. and abroad for universities, public gardens, garden clubs, horticultural organizations, museums, libraries and professional organizations on the subjects of plants, living environments, horticulture, landscape design, landscape maintenance and the urban experience.
His consulting work provides services to a host of private, municipal, corporate and conservancy clients and to a number of leading landscape architecture and architecture firms. His work in horticulture has been recognized by organizations like the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Garden Club of America (Zone Horticultural Commendation, 2010), and the Garden Club of New Jersey (Gold Medal, 2005).

You can learn more about Patrick Cullina through his website and on Instagram @pjctwo

SHOW NOTES

• Passion for plants started in childhood, influenced by Olmstead Brothers Park in Hartford, Connecticut where he grew up playing in the park and participated in educational tours by the parks department

• Formal education was in English literature at Fordham University

• His after college work with youth programs in urban areas, which led to an affiliation with Rutgers University

• Influential figures at Rutgers including Dr. Bruce Hamilton and Dr. Elwynn Orton

• At Rutgers, Pat’s work on revitalizing the university's arboretum, learning about plant taxonomy, and family patterns

• Transitioned from administrator to plantsman through practical experience and teaching

• Creating compartments of plants to easily reference plants

• Emphasizes the importance of observation and careful interpretation in plant science

• Coming into horticulture backwards from being an English major

• Challenges from early mentors to learn plants

• Caution on turning one observation into canon

• How design is like a tiger on a chain that has to be tightly held through the entire process

• The challenges of maintaining integrity in design projects especially with herbaceous plants

• Valuing gravity and narrative over novelty

• Mentions specific plant selections and preferences, like reliable Echinacea and Baptisia species

• Notes the difficulty of managing multiple projects over time

• His work on Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum as an example of building stories around plants

• Describes the chaotic nature of the design process and the importance of a strong narrative

• The influence of his family's storytelling tradition on his approach to landscapes and narratives

• The importance of creating effective narratives in any field connected to people and comparing it to teaching

• Admiration of individuals like Roy Diblik, Betty Scholtz, and Darrel Morrison for their personal and authentic engagement with the public

• Pat’s frustration with misleading advice in public landscapes and gardening and advocating for honest guidance that helps people succeed

• He discusses the challenges of landscape design in public projects and the impact of poor design choices on community perceptions and funding

• Cullina contrasts the High Line's success with other projects and suggests that small-scale, meaningful interpretations can be impactful

• Pat’s design process organizing plants into three groups: grasses, long-lived perennials that act as anchors, and blooming elements, to create diverse and dynamic landscapes in sun and shade

• Building a narrative with a planting with considering succession and average height and piercing plants

• Adapting plant choices based on regional characteristics, soil, and exposure, using examples from projects in different climates

• He talks about the importance of regional connection in gardens, encouraging local engagement with native plants and landscapes

• Cullina highlights the educational role of public gardens, using the Fort Worth Botanic Garden as an example of promoting regional flora

• How to change the public's perceptions of native plants, using the Highline's Rhus (sumac) and Sassafras as examples of how context can transform appreciation

• Discussing the narrative behind garden design and the importance of seeing plantings as communities rather than individual plants

• The visual appeal and ecological function of natural landscapes, emphasizing the interplay and repetition of plant combinations

• Critique of overly rigid or overly sparse garden designs that rely heavily on color or mulch

• The goal of achieving a fully realized planted ground plane, minimizing visible ground or mulch

• The importance of plant density and inter-planting to create a secure and cohesive space

• Lessons from a visit to a remnant prairie with diverse plant species, highlighting the inspiration drawn from natural plant communities

• The debate between block style and matrix style planting, with a preference for a hybrid or matrix style for its adaptability and resilience

• Discussion on the practical challenges of block style planting, including maintenance and the visual impact of large, homogenous groups

• Visiting Chiwaukee Prairie

• Emphasizing the need for understanding plant scale and cultural requirements in landscape design

• The importance of selecting plants appropriate to the space to make landscapes that consume less, avoid excessive maintenance, and avoid unintended effects

• Recommendations for using bulbs to bridge gaps in planting design, particularly during seasonal transitions

• Encouraging the use of reliable sources for plant information and the importance of scale in both design and maintenance

• The role of seasonal progression and plant behavior in designing sustainable and aesthetically pleasing landscapes

• Consideration of color and texture in planting design, including the importance of flower structural variety among plants

• The role of flowering plants, grasses, and woody plants in supporting wildlife through pollination, fruiting, and seed production.

• Practical strategies for managing plant growth and structure, such as using certain species to support others.

• The process of determining color preferences with clients, including addressing specific dislikes or strong preferences.

• Flexibility in plant selection while maintaining a cohesive design vision, adapting to client preferences and site conditions.

• The High Line’s evolution from a new project to a major attraction surpassing even the Statue of Liberty in visitor numbers

• The High Line’s transformation into a popular urban promenade, influencing social interactions and city dynamics

• Personal anecdotes from visitors to the High Line, showcasing diverse reactions and engagement

• The narrative richness of the High Line, including its history, architecture, and cultural significance

• Discussion on the concept of "editing" landscapes versus traditional gardening

• The importance of maintaining and observing landscapes over time to make informed recommendations and improvements

• Challenges in identifying and managing stealth weeds and plant gaps during the editing process

• The necessity of understanding plant performance beyond initial installation conditions, including future growth and shade development

• The value of visiting botanical gardens and nurseries for ongoing plant evaluation and knowledge

• The role of cross-training culturally and engaging in diverse experiences to stay inspired and productive

• The influence of collaborative experiences and collective observations in shaping one’s approach to landscape design

• Emphasis on the importance of ongoing improvement, ecological function, and community impact over personal accolades in landscape work

• Appreciation for the variety of approaches in engaging people through audio, newsletters, teaching, and social media

• Importance of public spaces in creating connections, such as children playing with fallen magnolia leaves in the High Line

• Viewing urban spaces as part of an ecological community, and the role of diverse plantings in promoting positive change

• Discussion on the concept of native plants and the significance of regional ecologies

• Debate on the value of native plant cultivars versus wild types, considering factors like pollination and plant performance

• Observations on plant pricing in garden centers and the impact of plant sizes on design efficacy

• Encouragement to listen to others' perspectives in teaching rather than imposing one's views

• The challenge of balancing multiple educational approaches versus focusing on one niche

• Recognition of the need for a broad approach to make diverse and compelling landscapes accessible

• Propagating more horticulturists by telling stories and rewarding any engagement from individuals interested in horticulture

• Emphasis on the value of real, tangible outcomes in client projects and the surprise element in final results

• You can learn more about Patrick Cullina through his website and Instagram @pjctwo

31. Erin Presley on Making Gardens Relatable to All

Erin Presley BIO

A lifelong Wisconsin girl, Erin Presley grew up in the rural center of the state and has a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has worked as a boots-on-the-ground gardener for more than two decades, both in the private sector and as a horticulturist at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison since 2014. Her interests include native woodland plantings, sedges, low-maintenance and drought-tolerant gardening styles, recycling woody debris, and all things related to herbs, vegetables, and cooking. In addition to teaching at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Erin loves talking plants and collaborating with herb societies, master gardeners, and local community organizations. Never shy when it comes to sharing the joy of gardening, she has appeared on the nationally syndicated podcast Cultivating Place and Wisconsin Public Radio’s Garden Talk and is a contributor publications such as Fine Gardening and Edible Madison. Learn more about Erin by visiting her Instagram @presleyspreferredplants, listening to her interview on Cultivating Place, interviews on Garden Talk with Larry Meiller, the PBS presentation with Rita Peters, and visit Olbrich Botanical Gardens.

SHOW NOTES

• Erin’s youth in rural central Wisconsin which fostered her love for nature from an early age

• Central Wisconsin, where she grew up, is in a tension zone with a unique mix of plant species and interesting glacial geology

• Her involvement in 4-H and landscaping projects as a kid and realizing horticulture was a career path in college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Erin emphasized the importance of building a professional network in horticulture

• Erin’s time as a professional gardener in the private sector and lessons learned about plant resilience, client attitudes toward gardening, and the importance of persistence and transformation in gardening

• Erin current role at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, a 16-acre public garden in Madison, Wisconsin, which includes outdoor gardens and a tropical conservatory

• Olbrich Botanical Gardens was founded by Michael B. Olbrich to ensure public access to green spaces as Madison's lakeshore was developed

• Erin manages the herb garden, a native shade garden, pond garden, and one of the earliest gravel garden installations in the Midwest

• Elements that Erin would teach in a masterclass on gardening including making gardens relatable to visitors, showing practical techniques, and incorporating cultural elements

• Culturally relevant gardens at Olbrich, including those focusing on Ayurveda, indigenous food practices for the Ho Chunk Nation , and gardens for Hmong culture, including a theme on the Plain of Jars

• Erin emphasized adding elements of fun and whimsy to gardens to engage visitors and make gardening seem accessible and enjoyable

• She believes in showcasing unique and eye-catching plants to surprise and educate visitors, such as Spigelia marilandica (Indian pink) and Euphorbia marginata (snow-on-the-mountain).

• The dichotomy of working in public gardens, balancing the enjoyment of nature with the hard work it entails.

• Making the herb garden interesting all year by incorporating strong plants with winter interest for off-season appeal, utilizing colorful bark of willows and dogwoods, using formal hedges to provide structure and contrast, and pruning fruit trees in espalier style for strong visual elements

• The practice of recycling woody debris to create garden structures and support for vines and leaving perennial debris to benefit native insect populations

• The story of a decaying crab tree turned into a garden centerpiece supporting wildlife

• The importance of using garden materials for a sense of history and character

• Techniques for starting hügelkultur beds with woody debris and organic matter to enhance soil quality without disturbing soil microbiology

• Beetle bumps of beetle banks

• Engaging with indigenous cultures like the Ho-Chunk Nation through garden projects

• Establishing cultural gardens with input from community members like Rita Peters

• The importance of trust, authenticity, and being culturally aware in creating culturally relevant gardens

• Public engagement through events like milkweed soup sessions

• Using food as a means of engaging and educating the public about cultural traditions like the Hmong cucumber drink

• Learning from interns with strong cultural heritage

• The oral history of the Hmong people and its richness in stories and traditions

• Listening to non-gardeners for fresh ideas and inspiration

• Observing people's reactions and conversations for new gardening insights

• The woodland garden at Olbrich was planted in the mid-1990s and has grown into a fantastic collection of ephemerals, supporting a range of specialist pollinators.

• The insect scouting group that monitors bugs throughout the garden and records their findings in iNaturalist and helping to bolster the garden’s ecosystem value.

• Managing invasive species at Olbrich like Epipactis helleborine (broad-leaved helleborine)

• Gravel garden experts like Jeff Epping, Roy Diblik, and Cassian Schmidt

• Details on the gravel gardens including using a thick layer of quartzite-based gravel and drought-tolerant perennials.

• The importance of self-care, professional networking, paying attention to how people interact with garden spaces, and exploring nature to cultivate oneself as a horticulturist.

• Writing about plants involves making the information accessible, keeping the tone friendly, and providing practical takeaways, while also watching the word count.

• Erin’s favorite horticulture book is Wisconsin’s Natural Communities by Randy Hoffman, which offers insights into plant communities and serves as a guidebook for exploring natural areas in Wisconsin.

• A garden myth Erin wants to bust is the belief in plant spacing tags on perennials, advocating for denser planting to create a more natural and community-like environment.

• How to propagate more horticulturists by educating the public, having internships or camps, engaging with professional gatherings, and treating people fairly

• Learn more about Erin by visiting her Instagram @presleyspreferredplants, listening to her interview on Cultivating Place, interviews on Garden Talk with Larry Meiller, the PBS presentation with Rita Peters, and visit Olbrich Botanical Gardens

30. Gary Lewis on Ground Covers for Every Garden

GARY LEWIS BIO

Gary Lewis has had a life-long interest in plants and gardening. His retail and mail order nursery, Phoenix Perennials, located in Richmond, BC, offers more than 5000 different plants. Gary authored The Complete Book of Ground Covers: 4000 Plants that Reduce Maintenance, Control Erosion, and Beautify the Landscape and has written for various garden magazines including Fine Gardening and has been a frequent guest on local and regional radio and television stations in British Columbia. He speaks regularly to garden clubs around BC and the Pacific Northwest and has presented at conferences across North America. In 2013 he was selected as Communicator of the Year by the BC Landscape and Nursery Association and in 2014 as one of Canada’s Top 10 Horticultural Professionals under 40 by Greenhouse Canada magazine. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Perennial Plant Association and is a committee member of Great Plant Picks. Learn more about Gary by visiting his website phoenixperennials.com, finding him on Facebook, or his Instagram handle @phoenixperennials.

SHOW NOTES

• A fun memory from Longwood Gardens, running to catch the last bus back to Lancaster while photographing Bruce Munro’s Field of Light

• Gary's passion for plants began in childhood, influenced by his grandmother, mother and early experiences with wildflowers

• The challenges of working at a wholesale nursery as a teenager

• Details his master's research on soil chemistry and plant relationships in serpentine soil ecosystems

• Buck Creek Barrens in North Carolina

• Becoming the owners of Phoenix Perennials, a nursery in Richmond, British Columbia, which he acquired during his master's in botany

• Phoenix Perennials grows a wide selection of plants for retail and provides mail-order services across Canada

• The importance of managing and inspiring a team in horticulture

• The diversity and uniqueness of plants available at Phoenix Perennials, including rare succulents and new introductions from breeders worldwide

• Discussing the value of ground covers in gardens, noting their role in naturalistic planting and ecosystem support

• Why Gary wrote The Complete Book of Ground Covers: 4000 Plants that Reduce Maintenance, Control Erosion, and Beautify the Landscape

• Why ground covers are crucial for creating functioning ecosystems within gardens, supporting pollinators, and enhancing habitat complexity

• Benefits of ground covers fall into three main categories: functional/economic, environmental, and aesthetic

• Functional/economic benefits include outcompeting weeds, reducing lawn maintenance, protecting tree root zones, acting as green mulch, controlling erosion, and covering difficult-to-maintain spaces

• Environmental benefits include supporting pollinators and wildlife, reducing the size of lawns, retaining biomass, and improving rain gardens

• Ground covers impact on aesthetics by creating continuity in garden design, adding magical touches and tying plantings together

• Different types of ground covers (rhizomatous, stoloniferous, trailing) have specific uses and considerations in garden design

• What Gary loves about his book on ground covers that is a comprehensive encyclopedia for the temperate gardening world, covering around 4,000 taxa

• Gary shares a favorite ground cover, Azorella trifurcata 'Nana' highlighting its aesthetic impact in a garden

• Lewis’s book has been translated into Japanese, reflecting its broad appeal and relevance.

• David MacKenzie’s Perennial Ground Covers

• How Gary approached writing the book including extensive research and reviewing nursery lists, catalogs, and existing literature, which resulted in a shortlist of 12,000 species and cultivars which he whittled down to 4,000

• Gary’s daily curiosity and exploration in horticulture and his always seeking new plants and forms.

• Discussing the prevalence of "plant blindness" in society and the lack of public awareness and appreciation for plants.

• The repetitive selection in local garden centers and the need for more diversity and inspiration in plant offerings.

• Challenges faced include managing diverse plant stocks and navigating seasonal challenges like powdery mildew outbreaks.

• Recommends Anna Pavord's books The Tulip and The Naming of Names for their captivating insights into plant history and evolution and Dan Hinkley’s books

• Debunking horticultural myths like the use of pot shards and the necessity of the Chelsea chop in modern gardening.

• Travel experiences botanizing in South Africa, Western Australia, and exploring garden and wild plant diversity globally

• Finding Cordyline indivisa (mountain cabbage tree) in the wild

• The beautiful Hellebore painting in Gary Lewis’s office by Gwen Dirks (image included below)

• How to propagate more horticulturists by inspiring more people with plant diversity and nurture curiosity in horticulture.

• Learn more about Gary Lewis by visiting his website phoenixperennials.com, finding him on Facebook, or his Instagram handle @phoenixperennials.

29. Polly Nicholson on The Tulip Garden

Polly Nicholson Bio

Specialist flower grower and tulip expert, Polly Nicholson is the owner of Bayntun Flowers in Wiltshire – growers of organic flowers cultivated in walled gardens and a one-acre field at the foot of the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire. Nicholson holds the National Collection of Tulipa (Historic) with Plant Heritage, and has been featured on BBC Gardener’s World, Radio 4, in Gardens Illustrated, Country Life, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, The World of Interiors, and House & Garden. Learn more about Polly through her book The Tulip Garden, her Instagram @bayntunflowers, and website Bayntun Flowers.

Show Notes

• Polly's passion for plants started in early childhood with exploring and gathering the wild around Bath, England

• Interest in medieval art and architecture influenced love for old design helped her find florilegia and herbals

• Her first job at Sotheby's as an antiquarian book specialist where she discovered tulips through early botanical books

• Discussing historic tulips from floral motifs that are still grown today and their significance

• Polly's collection includes Tulipa ‘Duc van Tol’ that dates back to 1595

• Polly holds National Collection of Tulipa (Historic) with Plant Heritage

• The history and benefits of the resilience and natural beauty of species tulips

• Favorites species tulips include Tulipa clusiana 'Peppermint Stick,' Tulip orphanidea (Whittallii Group), and Tulipa sylvestris

• Overcoming challenges of growing tulips in wet soil by planting them in containers and gravel

• A fun story about Tulipa turkestanica

• Arne Maynard article on historic tulips photographed by Andrew Montgomery, the photographer of Polly’s book

• Inspiration for writing The Tulip Garden book

• For Polly, writing a book commits the knowledge to paper, establishes the author as an authority, and allows the writer to delve into a topic deeper

• The importance of preserving old tulip varieties and telling their story

• Polly’s unique selling point (USP) of old tulip varieties

• Highlighting the beauty of photographs and using natural materials in her garden

• Polly’s tortoises and the story of Ottoman Emperor Ahmed III and tulip feasts where he had mirrors and tortoises with candles on their back to light the tulips up at night

• The story of the late flowering Tulipa aximensis from Aime, France saved from a housing development

• Polly’s presentation at the New York Botanical Garden

• Learning objectives from a masterclass on tulips include no chemical inputs and hand irrigating to be able to watch for issues

• Describing Bayntun Flowers, Polly’s small, organic flower farm

• Shane Connolly, who holds Royal Warrants of Appointment to both HM The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales

• Advice from Bayntun Flowers including the importance of feeding soil with organic matter, keeping soil covered with crops or mulch, having a four-year tulip rotation to prevent pathogens

• How to rotate tulips by digging them up and drying tulips for reuse

• Propagating tulips by pulling the offshoots off the main bulb

• The environmental benefits of reusing tulip bulbs

• How to store tulips once they are dried

• The story of Tulipmania in the 1630s Netherlands

• How viruses caused tulip bulbs to break in color

• Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach

• A discussion on tulips still growing with the virus

• Practices that help like like the importance of routines in gardening, including ordering bulbs late

• Polly’s practice of adhering to organic principles in gardening, avoiding chemical applications, and using alternatives like smothering and MyPex

• Challenges Polly is facing including climate change resulting in long, warm, and wet winters and post-Brexit challenges include difficulties in garden help and importing horticultural goods.

• Polly recommends The Tulip by Anna Pavord for tulip enthusiasts and A Flower Garden for Pollinators by Rachel de Thame

• Polly's garden at Bayntun Flowers is entirely planted for pollinators, like British black bees that Polly keeps

• Polly debunks the myth that tulips are only for one season and advocates for recycling tulips

• Species tulips are recommended for their perennial nature and ease of maintenance

• For gardeners in warmer climates, Polly suggests digging tulips after they start going dormant, let tulips dry out, and replant in cooler months

• Polly discusses proper storage for tulip bulbs to prevent dampness

• A discussion on using containers and coolers for vernalization in regions with insufficient cold periods.

• Polly is planning a trip to Kyrgyzstan to see tulips in the wild and learn from other gardens.

• How to cultivate more horticulturists by sharing gardens and joining horticultural societies to propagate interest in gardening like Plant Heritage and the RHS.

• Learn more about Polly through her book The Tulip Garden, her Instagram @bayntunflowers, and website Bayntun Flowers.

28. Preston Montague on Urban Planting and Design

PRESTON MONTAGUE BIO

Preston Montague is a landscape architect and artist working to strengthen relationships between people and the natural world. His eponymous studio focuses on creating a flow between the arts, horticulture, and landscape architecture in the pursuit of building places that have meaning and ecological depth. When not in the studio, Preston enjoys teaching landscape architecture at North Carolina A&T University and hiking the wilder places. You can connect with Preston Montague via his website, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

SHOW NOTES

• Discussing the ecology and lessons of Panthertown Valley its analog to urban environments

• Preston’s passion for plants sparked from his mother’s encouragement of art, his father's work with the USDA, and how his love for gardening emerged in his twenties

• Preston’s practice in the aquarium industry, the influence of Takashi Amano, and his prior work with koi ponds, water lilies, and lotus

• Preston gives practical advice for adding water features to gardens, suggesting Pontederia cordata (pickerel rush), Lilaeopsis brasiliensis (swordgrass), and Sagittaria latifolia (duck potato), the importance of including small fish to manage mosquitoes, and how aquatic plants can amplify garden resources

• Preston shares his journey from horticulture to landscape architecture inspired by the interactions in his Greensboro garden, his education at NC State, the practical skills gained, and the decision to pursue a master's in landscape architecture

• The differences between landscape architecture and residential landscape design

• He discusses the development of Preston Montague Studio and how it fulfills his dream of creating an artist's studio environment

• The challenges landscape architects face in incorporating plants into projects due to budget constraints, long timelines

• The lack of follow-up or post-occupancy evaluation in landscape architecture, which affects plant decisions

• Preston notes that many landscape architects rely on tried and tested patterns due to time and budget pressures

• He stresses the need for landscape architects to provide management plans and ensure proper installation of plants

• The issue of improper plant installations due to availability problems or other constraints

• He advocates for landscape architects to focus on maintenance and follow-up to improve planting designs

• Montague suggests involving landscape architects and horticultural consultants in projects to enhance plant use without adding significant overhead

• Preston’s passion for incorporating shrubs into urban environments

• Montague describes the benefits of shrubs in creating texture and color in landscapes and their utility in various urban settings

• He discusses his experience with large-scale herbaceous plantings and the need to adapt them to local climates

• Montague highlights the importance of shrubs in code-mandated landscapes and the challenges posed by the recent native plant mandate in North Carolina that requires all state-funded projects to use 100% native plants, which also impacts nursery production and landscape design.

• Preston explains the difficulties in sourcing native shrubs and trees that meet the new regulations

• Preston shares his experience in promoting native plants and adapting plant palettes to reflect local species.

• Preston emphasizes the importance of considering the local ecosystem and environment when selecting plants for urban landscapes and how native plants help add ecosystem service potential to large-scale landscapes, such as privacy berms.

• Succession can be manipulated to maintain certain ecological states, like herbaceous or shrub levels, to suit specific environments.

• Garden Revolution by Larry Weaner and Thomas Christopher

• Fire suppression and lack of disturbances in places like the Piedmont affect shrub diversity and ecosystem health.

• Climax forests need periodic disturbances to maintain diversity and ecosystem health.

• A planting plan is a snapshot in time; landscapes evolve post-installation.

• Woodland management techniques, like those at Great Dixter, balance harvesting with promoting species diversity.

• Promoting shrub use in urban landscapes requires proper management and maintenance.

• Shrouded in Light by Kevin Philip Williams and Michael Guidi

• Influencing municipal design involves creating diverse and layered planting plans for habitat creation, and updated plant lists and diverse plant selections are essential for sustainable urban planting.

• Residential landscape design often mirrors commercial work, focusing on practical and tidy planting solutions

• Creating layers in planting designs enhances habitat potential and supports biodiversity

• The importance of structure and diversity in plantings for achieving ecosystem services

• Effective shrub maintenance and pruning practices are crucial for long-term landscape health

• Educating clients on proper shrub care and maintenance ensures the success of planting designs

• Maintenance is often undervalued and underfunded, leading to improper pruning and landscape care practices

• His drawing practice as a crucial aspect of his design work, emphasizing drawing as a way of thinking with low expectations and judgment

• Advice for drawers like focus on observation rather than strict accuracy and encouraging participants to lose themselves in the process

• Project Codex Carolinum involved traveling around the state to draw plants in different seasons and noticing patterns in their habitats

• Using sketches on photographs or digital platforms like Procreate and AutoCAD to convey design experiences effectively

• Systems and processes Preston uses like having conversations, post-construction visits, maintenance participation, and documenting work to ensure longevity and competitiveness in the field

• Time management with email and design

• Preston's focus on restoration rather than traditional garden design due to the context of development in the Triangle area

• Balancing time management between design processes and field work during construction for optimal results

• Landscape Painting Now by Todd Bradway and Barry Schwabsky where Preston is exploring composition, color, and form for inspiration in landscape architecture

• The magic of visiting Panthertown during mid-August to mid-September for its unique ambiance

• How to propagate more horticulturists including encouraging conversations and mentorship to propagate a love for horticulture, highlighting the importance of sharing knowledge and experiences within the community

• How to connect with Preston Montague via his website, Instagram, or LinkedIn

27. Jazmin Albarran on Seed Your Future

Jazmin Albarran Bio

Jazmin Albarran, MBA, is the Seed Your Future Executive Director with over a decade of change and systems management experience. With a solid knowledge of associations and philanthropy, she will bring her skills and expertise in planning, leading, and managing development projects and programs to the movement. She has experience in a broad range of nonprofit organizations, including those focused on crisis support, youth development, and workforce development. Jazmin will lead Seed Your Future’s next phase of growth, promoting horticulture sectors and the nationwide expansion of career development opportunities with plants.

You can learn more about Jazmin and Seed Your Future by visiting the website, emailing Jazmin at jalbarran@seedyourfuture.org, and finding her on LinkedIn.

Show Notes

• Jazmin’s background in mental health and youth development

• Introduction to Seed Your Future through and meeting previous director Susan Yoder

• Her experience of attending Cultivate and discovering the diverse careers in horticulture

• Jazmin emphasizes how loving what you do impacts mental health and how Seed Your Future aligns with her values

• Connecting plants with kids through mentors that foster that passion and making it fun

• Exposure to plants and horticulture drops off for kids after 3rd grade and misunderstandings about horticulture

• Addressing parental concerns and advising parents to explore the diverse career opportunities in horticulture and shares resources from Seed Your Future

• The excitement among students for careers in automation, technology, and robotics within the horticulture industry

• Jazmin talks about the misconception of horticulture careers and the importance of showcasing the diverse opportunities available

• Jazmin mentions strategies such as engaging with social media influencers and creating educational content to combat plant blindness

• How to keep people gardening after economic downturns by promoting gardening as a communal activity and emphasizing the mental, emotional, and physical benefits

• How Seed Your Future connects career changers with opportunities in the horticulture industry through local partnerships and training programs

• People considering non-traditional career paths like horticulture due to passion and dissatisfaction with previous jobs

• Career changers often faced discouragement from parents, school counselors, or advisors due to misconceptions about the industry, leading to pursuing unsatisfying careers before finding their way to horticulture

• Resources on Seed Your Future like career profiles, quizzes, scholarships, internships, and educational videos to help students explore plant-related careers based on their passions and interests

• Success stories include testimonials from scholarship recipients and individuals who transitioned to horticulture careers thanks to Seed Your Future's resources

• Green Career Week aims to connect industry professionals with students through field trips, classroom presentations, and social media engagement to raise awareness about horticulture careers

• Encouraging industry participation in initiatives like Green Career Week to showcase career pathways to students

• Emphasizing the importance of industry involvement in nurturing the next generation of horticulturists and gardeners

• Partnerships with Scholastic and the Seed to STEM program provide educational materials and professional development opportunities for teachers to integrate plant science and horticulture into their curriculum

• Challenges include college students graduating without clear career paths and limited outreach to schools and students to raise awareness about horticulture careers

• Home gardeners play a crucial role in promoting horticulture by sharing their passion, knowledge, and resources with others, potentially inspiring interest in plant-related careers

• Suggestions for increasing awareness include using inclusive language, leveraging social media to share stories and showcase the impact of horticulture, and incorporating career information at garden centers through signage and QR codes

• Emphasizing the passion and purpose behind horticulture work can attract more individuals to the industry and foster a greater appreciation for the value of plants in improving mental, physical, and emotional well-being

• Addressing cultural barriers in gardening by fostering open conversations about emotions and backgrounds

• Importance of representation in gardening spaces to promote diversity and inclusivity

• Jazmin’s use of lists and prioritization for organization and efficiency in daily tasks

• Incorporating technology, like AI note-taking app Fireflies, to enhance productivity

• Strategic planning for weekly tasks and time blocking to manage schedules effectively

• Overcoming the fear of failure in gardening and viewing mistakes as learning opportunities

• Empowering individuals to propagate horticulturists by promoting awareness of career opportunities in the field

• Learn more about Jazmin and Seed Your Future by visiting the website, emailing Jazmin at jalbarran@seedyourfuture.org, and finding her on LinkedIn

26. Julie Witmer on Designing Gardens and Inspiring Minds

JULIE WITMER BIO

Julie Witmer works to create beautiful and ecologically sensitive gardens across the continental United States. She began in perennial production and garden nursery retail before earning a Certificate of Horticulture—Britain’s professional gardener qualification—from the Royal Horticultural Society in Wisley, UK. She is a popular local speaker, teaching classes for all ages, and is a published garden photographer in books by Timber Press, Kew Gardens, and Rodale. Her own garden, Havenwood, is nearly one acre and divided into fifteen diverse garden spaces which grow a wide variety and succession of plants throughout the year. 

With a keen eye for design and place, Julie has worked with private clients for nearly twenty years, helping them realize their own garden dreams, and providing one-on-one coaching in order to grow the skills of the gardener alongside their garden. She shares online classes and garden inspiration on her Substack Julie Witmer Gardens and Instagram at @juliewitmergardens. 

You can learn more about Julie by visiting her website juliewitmer.com.

SHOW NOTES

• How her passion for plants started while working at a local retail nursery after college and her transformational experience with plants, propagation, and gardening books

• Julie credits Christopher Lloyd and Beth Chatto for shaping her early gardening philosophy

• A favorite quote from Gertrude Jekyll in the Wooden Garden about the endless learning in gardening:

“I have learned so much. And I’m always learning from other people’s gardens. And the lesson I have learned most early is to never say, I know there is so infinitely much. To learn and the conditions of different gardens vary so greatly, even when soil and situation appear to be alike, and they are in the same district. Nature is such a subtle chemist that one never knows what she’s about and what surprises she may have in store for us.”

Insights from Charlotte Mason on nature study and fostering a love for plants in children

“Let them once get in touch with nature and a habit is formed, which will be a source of delight through life. We were all meant to be naturalists, each in his degree. And it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plants and animal life and to care for none of these things.”

• Working at the nursery, Julie discovered her ability to solve complex problems with plants

• Julie reflects on her college journey, transitioning from biochemistry to teaching

• Teaching botany to her children and homeschooling

• The creativity of table studies

• Julie explains her locally based design business and her passion for helping families create better spaces with plants.

• Her experience pursuing the RHS professional gardening certificate long-distance.

• The importance of viewing the entire outdoor space as a garden, not just specific areas.

• The emotional aspect of gardening and her role in helping clients navigate design decisions.

• Julie recounts a project in Ohio where she helped a family overcome strife with neighbors through thoughtful garden design.

• Julie emphasizes the uniqueness of each garden, highlighting that no two gardens are identical

• Being honest about one's garden, expectations, strengths, and constraints is crucial.

• The importance of aligning the garden with the gardener's desires and the environment.

• Layering in garden design to create diversity, interest, and complexity by incorporating various elements such as trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, bulbs, groundcovers, and self-seeding plants

• Discovering wildflower treasures once mowing stopped

• The Erythronium post Julie references

• Sharing her knowledge through writing, teaching classes, and engaging with gardening communities

• Her daily routine of walking around the garden, observing plants, pests, and seasonal changes to help her with planning, problem-solving, and documenting the garden's progress

• Julie’s approach to Japanese beetles

• Her commitment to continuous learning from her garden and other horticulturists like Fergus Garrett

• The North American Friends of Great Dixter

• Her three main methods of note-taking: using photos, journaling, and using post-it notes

• Julie reflects on how her garden plan, made a decade ago, has evolved over time.

• favorite books that inspire her: Christopher Lloyd’s Succession Planting for Adventurous Gardeners, Beth Chatto’s Woodland Garden, The Well-Gardened Mind by Sue Stewart-Smith, which explores the therapeutic effects of gardening, and The Grove by Ben Dark, which combines humor and historical plant knowledge.

• The challenges of gardening in a cold climate (zone 5) .

• Julie discusses the myth that perennial mixed borders require more work than maintaining a lawn.

• The lack of knowledge about complex habitats in gardens for biodiversity

• How to propagate horticulturists by making gardening accessible, instilling a love for plants early on through exposure and hands-on experiences, and empowering families to design and live in their gardens

• You can learn more about Julie by connecting with her on Instagram (@JulieWitmerGardens), through her Substack newsletter (juliewitmergardens.substack.com), and her design website (juliewitmer.com).

25. Scott Beuerlein on Zoos and Botanic Gardens

Scott Beuerlein Biography

Scott Beuerlein is the Manager of Botanical Garden Outreach at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. He runs the Zoo’s Botanical Garden educational programs, including three symposiums. He is involved in most of the department’s other outreach and with the plant trialing.  

Scott is a 1982 graduate of Xavier University, earning a B.A. in Communication Arts. He is an ONLA Certified Landscape Technician and an ISA Certified Arborist.  Scott is also a garden writer and horticultural speaker. He has published hundreds of articles and columns in several gardening and green industry publications. He currently pens two columns in each issue of Horticulture Magazine—the (usually, hopefully!) humorous Deep Roots column and the Garden Views series of interviews. Scott is a partner in the long running and highly respected GardenRant blog and posts about twice a month, including a spirited and sometimes passive-aggressive sparring of wits with garden writer Marianne Wilburn in a series of letters.   

Scott has received the following recognition for his horticultural efforts:

• 2022 Silver Medal for blogs from the International Association of Garden Communicators 

• 2020 Silver Medal for Magazine Article from the International Association of Garden Communicators 

• 2020, Garden Clubs of America’s Club Horticulture Commendation

• 2019, two Gold Medals for articles from the International Association of Garden Communicators 

• 2019, the Civic Garden Center of Cincinnati’s Building Community Award

• 2018, the Citation Award from the Garden Clubs of Ohio 

• 2018, the Johnny Appleseed Award from Taking Root

• 2015, named “One to Watch” by Cincinnati Magazine

• In 2012, his garden received the Garden Recognition Award from the Cincinnati Horticulture Society

Scott is the currently serving as:

• Board Member of Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum

• Chair of the Boone County Arboretum Collections Committee

• Member of the Cincinnati Urban Forestry Board

• Member of the Green Industry Conference committee 

• Member of the Perennial Plant Association’s Education Committee

• Judge on the 2021 GardenComm Awards Committee 

Previously, Scott has served as:

• Chairman of Taking Root, a tree planting initiative

• Chairman of the Cincinnati Flower Growers Association

• President of the Northern Kentucky Urban and Community Forestry Council

Learn more about Scott by visiting his website, by reading his articles on GardenRant and Horticulture Magazine, and learning from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanic Garden's website where there are additional resources, including event details, trialing program brochures, and the plant for pollinators initiative.

SHOW NOTES

• The early passion for plants from a family of gardeners, and that passion rekindled when he had his first house

• Starting a landscape company and eventually delving deeper into ornamental horticulture

• Leaving Delta Airlines in 2008 to pursue his passion full-time and led him to his current role at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanic Garden

• The prevalence of second-career individuals in horticulture and their diverse experiences

• Pretending to teach people about plants as a kid

• His role at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanic Garden involves communication, teaching, and sharing the importance of horticulture with the world

• A shoutout to Steve Foltz

• The success of symposiums at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanic Garden and the importance of information exchange within the horticultural community.

• Plant trials to assess the success of various plants in their urban environment

• Soil improvement techniques include removing heavy subsoil clay, backfilling with commercial topsoil blended with sand and compost, and creating raised beds

• The importance of not walking on the soil to maintain its loose structure and achieve rapid plant establishment.

• The commercial blend for topsoil typically includes clay, sand, and pine fines, with a focus on planting heavily and using liquid fertilizers for initial establishment.

• How limited space led to a unique display/trial approach

• The addition of a two-acre botanical garden on a nearby school campus at Rockdale Academy in Avondale and how it provided room for more scientific, side-by-side plant trialing

• The zoo's involvement in community projects with projects funded by local organizations

• Core principles of horticulture and zoos including diversity of projects, doing projects the same way each time, and use of shade trees

• How horticulture is involved in planning for new projects at the zoo

• Creating a sense of place for zoo exhibits

• How the zoo uses plants to keep animals happy

• The story of Fiona the hippo

• How more zoos should integrate horticulture more

• The significance of ArbNet accreditation levels based on collections, policies, education programs, and research, highlighting their achievement of level four on the first try.

• Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)

• Scott’s approach to writing and his contributions to GardenRant and Horticulture Magazine

• Scott's interview column in Horticulture Magazine, where he engages with influential figures in horticulture and offers a sneak peek into the industry's professionals

• Enjoying the gardening experience

• The daily practice of walking through his garden to center himself, providing a quiet moment of reflection and appreciation for the work he has done.

• The connection between people and plants

• The impact of plants on hospital patients

• How small actions like planting a pollinator garden or conservation at home can make a better environment

• Favorite horticulture book is Hugh Johnson's Principles of Gardening, a comprehensive and readable book that covers the history, science, and various aspects of horticulture

• The challenge of gardening with a bad back

• Challenging the common belief that planting small trees results in faster and better growth compared to larger trees

• The importance of sharing knowledge about soil and how success in gardening is strongly tied to the initial soil preparation and plant choice

• How to propagate more horticulturists by exposing children to good horticulture through programs and community spaces

• Learn more about Scott by visiting his website, by reading his articles on GardenRant and Horticulture Magazine, and learning from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanic Garden's website where there are additional resources, including event details, trialing program brochures, and the plant for pollinators initiative.

24. Janet Draper on Creativity at Smithsonian Gardens

Janet Draper Bio

Janet Draper has been the sole gardener for Smithsonian’s Mary Livingston Ripley Garden for 26 years.   This tiny 1/3 of an acre garden is located on the National Mall and is open 24 hours a day to visitors from around the globe.  Janet’s roles in the garden include everything from design and maintenance to cleaning the fountain and answering questions from visitors.  Janet’s approach is to try to do something different every year to challenge herself and to keep educating visitors about the amazing diversity of plants! 

Janet was raised in a rural farming community in Indiana and always knew she wanted to do something with plants. She pursued a bachelor’s in horticulture from Purdue University in 1987. Afterwards, she sought addition training with a series of internships that took her further than she could ever have imagined. She worked at Mt. Cuba Center for the Study of Native Piedmont Plants in Greenville, Delaware before it was open to the public; Kurt Bluemel’s nursery in neighboring Maryland where she learned the European approach to running a nursery, the famed perennial nursery of Countess von Stein-Zeppelin in Germany’s Black Forest, and Beth Chatto at her amazing Nursery and Garden in Elmstead Market, England. 

Once back in the States, she continued to gain experience at numerous nurseries from Long Island to Illinois.  After nearly a decade of working in perennial nurseries, she then started putting plants in the ground instead of little black plastic pots as an estate gardener and contractor for Oehme van Sweden where she helped install and maintain their designs.  She also helped co-found the Annapolis Horticulture Society. You can learn more by visiting Smithsonian Gardens, by contacting Janet at her email address drapeja@si.edu, and by following Smithsonian Gardens on Instagram.

Show Notes

• Janet shares childhood experiences with gardening and her family's influence and early fascination with growing plants like cotton, Job's Tears, and peanuts

• Janet talks about studying horticulture at Purdue and the influence of early mentors

• Recommendations to gain hands-on experience and pursue internships

• Her first internship at Mt. Cuba Center

• Valuable lessons learned at Kurt Blumel Nursery

• Lessons on learning plants and the importance of saying "I don't know"

• Differences in horticulture education between the US and Europe and changes she would make

• American Landscape Institute (ALI)

• Her time in Germany working at Helen von Stein-Zeppelin’s nursery

• The importance of hands-on learning and being open to new experiences

• Working at Beth Chatto’s Plants and Gardens

• Meeting Christopher Lloyd and seeing exciting colors at Great Dixter

• Contrasting Beth Chatto and Christopher Lloyd’s approaches to combining plants

• Discussing the influence of both Beth's naturalistic approach and Christopher's bold use of color

• Janet discusses bouncing between different horticultural roles and eventually moving to Annapolis

• Founding the Annapolis Horticulture Society and its continued success

• The transition from private estate work to the public setting of the National Mall

• The story of the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden at Smithsonian Gardens and how it used to be a road

• How the garden was designed as raised planters for handicapped accessibility

• Janet’s approach to garden planning, emphasizing color coordination, texture, and form by flying by the seat of her pants

• Combining plants with a triangulation method by starting with a core plant, then adding three plants for texture, repeating the process to build outwards

• Experimenting with new and unique plant varieties

• Challenges and benefits of planning and adjusting on the go

• Janet's Access database for tracking plants and their characteristics

• Challenges during President Obama's first inauguration and how support from community, volunteers, industry friends, and the public led to restoration

• Increased activity on social media to reach a broader audience by sharing knowledge, beauty, and the joy of gardening with the public

• Janet's day-to-day adventures and how the garden dictates what needs to be done

• The dynamic nature of public horticulture and the joy of working in the garden

• The challenge of keeping the garden fresh and interesting after many years and adapting to the changing climate and finding plants that thrive in the heat and humidity of Washington, D.C.

• The myth of closing down the garden in winter

• How gardening is an evolving science

• Planting what is not in your neighbor’s yard and oaks and embracing diversity

• Janet shares her passion for the Perennial Plant Association, emphasizing its role in fostering collaboration, information sharing, and learning within the horticulture industry

• How to propagate more horticulturists by finding passionate people and youth interested in plants and investing in them

• Learn more by visiting Smithsonian Gardens , contact Janet at her email address drapeja@si.edu, and follow Smithsonian Gardens on Instagram.

23. David Hoffman on Grasses and Green Infrastructure

David Hoffman Bio

David Hoffman is Chief Operating Officer at Hoffman Nursery, Inc. in Rougemont, N.C. Hoffman Nursery is a wholesale nursery specializing in ornamental and native grass liners for the horticultural trade. David grew up on the nursery, which was started in 1986 by his parents, John and Jill. In 2012, David earned his horticulture degree from NC State University. After a two-year internship at Stauden Peters Nursery in Germany, David returned to Hoffman Nursery, where he applied his experience with European automation and quality control techniques. In 2022, David assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer of Hoffman Nursery. He oversees long range strategic planning and the management of operations, sales and marketing, IT, and HR. This position involves decisions and communications across all sectors of the nursery and nursery-managed properties. He is passionate about the role grasses, sedges, and other plants play in nature-based solutions for sustainable environmental management and resilience.

David is a member of the various organizations including Perennial Plant Association (PPA), International Plant Propagator’s Society (IPPS), AmericanHort, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association (NCNLA). In addition to serving on the board of the JC Raulston Arboretum, David has been honored with the Perennial Plant Association’s Young Professional Award, NC State University’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award, NCNLA’s Bill Wilder Outstanding Young Nursery Professional Award, and a 40 Under 40 Award from Greenhouse Product News.  You can learn more about him by visiting his website hoffmannursery.com or their LinkedIn page Hoffman Nursery.

Show Notes

• A discussion with David was the origin of the idea for The Plantastic Podcast

• David's passion for plants is rooted in the family business with a childhood spent exploring gardens and nurseries eventually leading to David's current role at Hoffman Nursery

• Insights from his time at NC State, including the importance of learning from failures, the power of travel, and networking during his horticulture club experiences

• Superseed at NC State

• Learning from failures and adapting to unexpected challenges like weather events

• David discusses his internship in Germany at Stauden Peters and talks about the differences in plant production and automation.

• Recognition of horticulturists like Cassian Schmidt, Karl Foerster, and Piet Oudolf in increasing awareness of grasses

• Observations on European growers' practices, including closer plant spacing and streamlined sizes

• Returning to Hoffman Nursery, a family-owned business specializing in grasses and sedges

• The nursery's focus on consistency, innovation, and adaptability

• The importance of consistent improvement, asking the right questions, and embracing curiosity in the nursery business

• The concept of asking five why questions to get to the root cause of issues

• Teaching a class on nursery production and core principles to take away

• Consistency, curiosity, and adaptability as core principles for running a successful nursery business

• The importance of recognizing and addressing problems promptly to ensure plant health

• A discussion on grasses as the understory of plant populations and how adaptable they are to various ecosystems worldwide

• The resilience, adaptability, and ecological importance of grasses, including their role in fire-prone ecosystems

• Emphasis on the importance of considering ecosystem benefits and native habitats and balancing the introduction of non-native species with preserving local ecosystems.

• The distinctions between warm-season and cool-season grasses

• Practical considerations for planting and dividing warm-season grasses.

• The significance of green infrastructure in managing water and preserving ecology.

• Research from Dr. Helen Krauss and Rebecca (Pledger) Turk’s work on evaluating rain gardens for remediation

• Challenges and common pitfalls in implementing green infrastructure projects.

• Small-scale initiatives for homeowners to contribute to green infrastructure. Ideas include rain gardens, bioswales, and meadows for managing stormwater.

• Exploring the broader impact of green infrastructure on wildlife habitats like wildlife highways and pollinator pathways

• David shares various methods to stay up to date, including attending nursery events, trade shows, and industry-specific gatherings.

• Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and Cities Alive, emphasizing community involvement in green infrastructure

• Visiting Brooklyn Grange

• Discussion on regional events like Beyond Our Backyard hosted by Keep Durham Beautiful, promoting collaboration among municipalities and landscape contractors.

• Mention of the importance of local events in fostering community engagement and environmental stewardship.

• Insights into David's diverse media consumption, including trade magazines like Grower Talks and Greenhouse Management, and e-newsletters.

• Encouragement to explore information beyond horticulture, including podcasts like Farnam Street's Knowledge Project.

• David discusses the challenges of maintaining a daily routine for staying updated.

• Insights into the use of calendars, task lists, note-taking, and whiteboards to manage time effectively and brainstorm.

• A candid discussion on David's reading habits, including attempts at journaling and exploring different book formats.

• David’s favorite books like Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish, Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely, and The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

• Memorable encounters with grass installations, including the High Line in New York, Duke University’s Blomquist Piedmont Prairie, Lurie Garden in Chicago, and tied up grasses in the Netherlands

• Visiting Appeltern Adventure Gardens in the Netherlands for inspiration

• Propagating more horticulturists with an emphasis on education as a key tool for spreading plant knowledge and fostering curiosity, acknowledging of initiatives like Seed Your Future's Green Career Week, and the potential impact of job shadowing opportunities.

• How to connect with David Hoffman and Hoffman Nursery via their website or LinkedIn

22. Susan Poizner on Growing Fruit Trees

SUSAN POIZNER BIO

Susan Poizner is an urban orchardist in Toronto, Canada and the author of Grow Fruit Trees Fast and Growing Urban Orchards. Susan trains new growers worldwide through her award-winning fruit tree care training program at Orchardpeople.com. Susan is also the host of The Urban Forestry Radio Show and Podcast and an ISA Certified Arborist.

SHOW NOTES

• Susan shares her journey into the world of plants and how her passion developed

• The pursuit of a certificate in horticulture

• Her interest evolved into a focus on fruit trees and how planting fruit trees in a public park helped fuel her interest

• The practice of mulching fruit trees with compost or manure in the early spring

• The cylces in fruit tree growth

• The importance of proper pruning for fruit trees.

• How pruning helps create a strong tree structure and improves fruit production and the timing to encourage growth or slow it down.

• Getting over the fear of pruning

• Seeing that fruit trees require an ongoing partnership and how fruit trees need humans to thrive

• Maintaining nutrition in urban soils is essential for fruit tree health

• The need to protect fruit trees from pests and diseases and researching and choosing the right fruit tree varieties

• Holistic sprays as alternatives to chemical pesticides made using simple household items

• Using holistic sprays for fruit trees

• Fruit trees sharing resources with soil organisms, creating a mutually beneficial cycle

• Who is researching holistic sprays like The North American Fruit Explorers and her podcast guests

• Lessons learned writing her two books Grow Fruit Trees Fast and Growing Urban Orchards

• Intercropping in orchards and the importance of creating biodiverse environments around fruit trees

• Pollinator gardens and insectary gardens to support beneficial insects

• How cover crops can enhance soil health and provide long-term benefits

• Remedial wood chips, or fungal-oriented mulch, mimic natural processes in forest ecosystems

• Experimentation and further research are encouraged to optimize orchard management practices

• Susan hosting The Urban Forestry Radio Show and Podcast discusses various topics related to fruit trees

• Some favorite episodes featuring holistic sprays with Nigel Palmer and John Kempf.

• The importance of storytelling in education

• Susan believes in the power of community, accountability, and planning with orchard management

• Nigel Palmer’s book The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments

• Cultivating more gardeners through community involvement

• Susan's website, orchardpeople.com, offers access to her podcast, articles, and courses and she has a YouTube channel, too
  

21. Bryce Lane on the Craft of Teaching Horticulture

BRYCE LANE BIOGRAPHY

Bryce Lane discovered his passion for plants and telling others about them working at a small Massachusetts garden center through high school and college. After earning his BS in Plant Science at the University of Massachusetts and MS in Ornamental Horticulture at The Ohio State University, he came to the Department of Horticultural Science at NC State University as a lecturer in 1981. Bryce also served as the department’s Undergraduate Coordinator from 1987 to 2014. He spent 34 years teaching and advising over 20,000 students. He was the recipient of numerous local, regional, and national teaching awards. Bryce retired in 2014, but still teaches part-time in the department.

From 2003 to 2014 Bryce hosted and produced a three-time, Emmy winning, UNC TV public television show called In the Garden With Bryce Lane. The show focused on all things home gardening and served all levels of gardeners.

He now spends his time giving horticulture talks, doing leadership, and communication training, teaching part-time at NC State, and at the JC Raulston Arboretum. He has worked closely for years with North Carolina Extension and the NC Nursery and Landscape Association. An avid gardener, Bryce has gardened on the same one quarter acre plot for 40 years. He and his wife of 46 years also spend plenty of time with their 6 grandchildren. You can find out more about Bryce by visiting his website.

SHOW NOTES

• Early exposure to plants by spending time outside

• His passion for plants and developing soft skills by working at a local nursery in Massachusetts called Hadley Garden Center

• Encouragement to go to graduate school and what mentors saw

• Experiences in teaching at The Ohio State University and working with Dr. Steven Still

• The decision to not pursue a PhD and advice for students

• Rising from lecturer to undergraduate program coordinator at NC State

• Honing the craft of teaching students with tools, techniques, and artistry

• Early criticism from other professors over his teaching style

• Core skills for improving teaching others about plants

• Motivation and creating an environment where if students choose to engage they will learn

• The power of story and the importance of authenticity

• His friendship with the late JC Raulston, JC’s role as a teacher and observational scientist, and naming Styrax japonicus ‘Emerald Pagoda’

• Fostering curiosity and bringing a chainsaw into the classroom

• Having a roadmap as an educator, and the minutiae of teaching techniques like outlines, analogies, and Powerpoint

• Teaching in retirement and hosting gardening classes with the JC Raulston Arboretum

• Lessons learned from transitioning online during COVID

• Hosting and producing In the Garden with Bryce Lane for 10 years and winning three Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards

• How Bryce approaches goals and objectives

• Using Google and apps to learn about plants

• Soil Science for Gardeners: Working with Nature to Build Soil Health by Robert Pavlis

• The myth of how much plant growth/dry weight comes from photosynthesis versus the soil

• Propagating more horticulturists by not holding back and sharing plants with children

• You can find out more about Bryce by visiting his website.