Plantrama - plants, landscapes, & bringing nature indoors

Ellen and C.L. discuss ways to use the mint you grow, the basics of harvesting garlic, and ways of supporting vegetables and newly planted trees. Plus we answer a listener’s question about spraying fertilizer directly onto foliage. :33 What’s for dinner: Mint beyond mojitos 4:12 Insider Information: Harvesting Garlic 17:46 Eat/Drink/Grow: Plant supports. 26:40 Love Letters and Questions: Karen asks about spring fertilizer directly on plants.

Ellen and C.L. talk about a common insect that causes damage in many vegetable gardens: flea beetles. Next they address questions and issues that arise when houseplants have been put outside for the summer, review an inspiring new book, and answer Ryan’s question about possible ground cover crops for weed suppression in flower farms. :28 Plant Noob: Flea beetles 7:37 Eat/Drink/Grow: So your houseplants are out for Summer Camp 18:12 Book Review: The Urban Garden 22:12 Love Letters and...

C.L. and Ellen discuss what to do if your tree dies, and what actions to take when something has already happened and you need to respond or do your best to fix it. :30 True or False: You should remove dead trees from your property 6:24 Eat/Drink/Grow: After the fact. Or, I’ve already done it! Now What??? 22:00 Love Letters and Questions: Sandi asks: “When early flowering perennials such as blue salvia, peonies, or penstemon stop blooming, what do I do with them?

:38 What’s For Dinner: Dill. 8:59 Eat/Drink/Grow: “Is it too late to plant?” 20:14 Insider Information: What alliums do. 22:42 Love Letters and Questions: Donna re: miniature lemon cypress tree In this first of five June episodes, C.L. and Ellen talk about growing dill, planting in the summer, and what allium foliage does when these bulbs come into bloom. Plus we answer a listener’s question about growing lemon cypress trees indoors…was she given bad advice?

In this end-of-May episode Ellen and C.L. discuss using lettuce to wrap tasty fillings, for a meal or snack. We explain what a botanist does, the importance of several types of diversity in our yards and gardens, and answer Pete’s question about applying Mediterranean style to a Minnesota garden. :28 What’s for dinner: Lettuce Wraps 3:22 Insider Information: What is a botanist? 7:33 Eat/Drink/Grow: Garden Diversity 21:58 Love Letters and Questions: From Pete about “Mediterranean...

The Plantrama team discusses the best way to fill a raised bed, why the practice called hugelkulture is getting so much buzz, a podcast recommendation, and finding a garden mentor. :30 Plant Noob: Why you shouldn’t fill a raised bed with only compost. 5:24 Eat/Drink/Grow: Hugelkultur 16:29 Check THIS Out!: a plant podcast that C.L. loves. 18:48 Love Letters and Questions Morgan in Michigan writes about finding garden mentors.

Have you ever bought an envelope of seeds that had no instructions on it? Do you have clay soils where you garden? Ellen and C.L. start the program with these topics, then move onto invasive plants in the landscape, and the differences between different types of potting media. :30 True or False: It’s okay to send out seeds without any germination information. 5:12 Eat/Drink/Grow: Gardening in Clay 21:18 Insider Information: Inspired by Carol invasives in the landscape 25:16 Love Letters...

It’s pasta for dinner, and everything coming up roses in this episode of Plantrama. Ellen shares her nettle pasta recipe, and C.L. talks about a quick way to use any garden greens with linguine. We discuss the highs and lows of growing roses, and end by answering a listener’s question about catkins. :37 What’s For Dinner: A go-to garden or foraged pasta. 6:55 Eat/Drink/Grow: Roses. 24:50 Love Letters and Questions: Diedre asked What is a catkin? Brought to you by our friends at...

In this episode Ellen and C.L. celebrate spring salads, discuss organic fertilizers and discuss the many ways to grow vining Clematis. :28 What’s for dinner: Spring Salads 6:24 Insider Information: Organic fertilizers 11:03 Eat/Drink/Grow: Clematis This episode is brought to you by our friends at Rainwand.com

The Plantrama team gives those new to vegetable gardening some advice about raised beds...how deep, what to fill them with, and whether they need a weed barrier underneath. We talk about how to remember what you’ve planted, without sticking ugly labels next to every plant in your garden. In a new segment, we tell you about a couple of great things that we’ve discovered. :45 Plant Noob: Raised bed Tips 10:46 Eat/Drink/Grow: Methods for remembering what you’ve planted 21:36 Check THIS...

Do you need a special fertilizer for Cannabis budding? Do you need special fertilizers for different types of plants? Do some fertilizers work better than others, and can you make your own out of food scraps? These questions answered and more in this episode. :33 True or False: In order to get Cannabis to bud, you have to use special “bloom” fertilizers 3:22 Eat/Drink/Grow: Fertilizer Facts and Fantasies 20:06 Love Letters and Questions: Shelley wrote: “Is it true that the roots of...

The Plantrama team gets their fingers sticky with strawberry juices today as we talk about foraging for wild berries, and how to grow strawberries in your garden. Hear about the types of plants, protecting berries from critters, using this plant as groundcover, and more. We end with some thoughts about soil temperatures. Here is a great chart from the Cooperative Extension-Sacramento County, showing how long seeds take to germinate in different soil temperatures. :38 What’s For Dinner:...

Spring Greens, Plants for Arbors, and Forced Bulbs In the last episode for March Ellen and C.L. answer the last batch of questions collected at the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival in Seattle. Many of these focus on plants for arbors and pergolas. :28 What’s for dinner: Spring Greens 3:37 Insider Information: Can a night blooming Cereus grow indoors in AK? 5:27 Eat/Drink/Grow: Plants for arbors, pergolas and trellises 18:16 Love Letters and Questions: From Rachel about a forced...

Ellen and C.L. address more questions from the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival in Seattle. We discuss the herb that gets no respect, Parsley, plus keeping outdoor furniture dry, escaping the insect invasion in your outdoor living areas, and how we started a podcast...and how you might start a garden business too! :40 What’s for dinner: Parsley 4:19 Insider Information: Garden furniture in rainy climates 10:57 Eat/Drink/Grow: Keeping mosquitoes out of the garden 16:05 Plant...

Hear about how to garden if you move frequently, creating consistent gardens in sun and shade, colors that work together, and growing strawberries in a greenhouse. That and keeping the neighbor’s dogs from killing plants when they urinate on them. With thanks to our sponsors: Storey Publishing, Gardener's Supply Company and Botanical Interest Seeds! 1:06 Plant Noob: The neighbor’s dogs kill my plants on the sidewalk! 4:42 Eat/Drink/Grow: Designing Gardens – questions from the Northwest...

Questions from the 2022 Seattle flower show continue, with blue, mophead hydrangea blooming and pruning in our main segment. Ellen and C.L. also talk about pH for vegetable gardens and peonies that stop blooming. This episode brought to you by our friends at Dramm - makers of rainwands and other garden gear. :45 The Plant Noob: How important is soil pH for vegetables 6:56 Eat/Drink/Grow: Hydrangea Happiness 18:17 Love Letters and Questions: 30 year old peony stopped blooming.

C.L. and Ellen answer questions that were submitted at the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival in Seattle. They discuss pruning raspberries, great plants with white flowers, and how to get rid of fungus gnats. 1:31 What’s For Dinner: Raspberries! 10:14 Eat/Drink/Grow: Gardens with White Flowers. 21:56 Insider Information: Fungus Gnats With thanks to our sponsors at the NWFGS: Storey Publishing. Gardener's Supply Company, and Botanical Interest Seeds.

If you’re bored with your usual breakfast, this episode is for you. We also explain photoperiodism, talk about starting pepper seeds and growing them in the garden, and answer a listener’s question about Lantana. :30 What’s for dinner: Breakfast Alternatives 8:11 Insider Information: Photoperiodism 10:56 Eat/Drink/Grow: Peppers 25:55 Love Letters and Questions: Sam writes to ask about Lantana Link to Ellen's Clafouti recipe. Link to C.L.'s Oatmeal Cups recipe.

Do you grow citrus indoors for at least part of the year? Learn to be the bee! We also suggest plants for the “COVID cranky” (and who isn’t?) plus becoming a local or niche garden expert. :34 Plant Noob: Pollinating Citrus You’re Growing Indoors 4:24 Eat/Drink/Grow: Plants for the Covid Cranky 18:36 Plant Empowerment: Becoming a local or niche garden guru.

Have you ever wondered if plants talk to each other? Do you want to have a big number of perennial plants cheaply? Would you like to know what it takes to grow Cannibis from seed? Ellen and C.L. cover these topics in this episode. :30 True or False: Plants talk to each other. 7:22 Eat/Drink/Grow: Growing Perennials From Seed 21:06 Love Letters and Questions: R.B. wrote: “Last year I tried growing Cannabis from seed and it was a failure.