October 25, 2025 • 42 mins
Welcome to the Little Shop of Horticulture! Gardening is a joy, but in honor of the season, we discuss the spooky side of gardening - invasive plants, daunting diseases, and woeful weeds. Learn about the goth garden trend and the perfect plants to use to create your own eerie escape.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Broadcasting from Studio A. Here at proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs.
It's time for the Gardening Simplified Show with Stacy, Hervella me,
Rick Weist, and our engineer and producer Adrianna Robinson. Well
as Vincent Price would say in the thriller, darkness falls
across the land. The midnight hour is close at hand. No,
(00:23):
I'm not talking about Halloween. I'm talking about the end
of daylight saving time and the growing season. Oh boy, today,
little shop of horticulture.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Hmm.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I was thinking about you the other day, Stacy, because
I have a neighbor just down the road and she
has a Stacey Halloween Nightmare yard. Not on Elm Street,
but on my street. This neighbor has a yard full
of agapodium, goutweed, vinkevine growing all over the place, and
(00:58):
chameleon place at the Yes, all three. I watch your
fill a little bucket of miracle grow and go out there.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
On that fertilizes. That's the scariest part.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yes, I know that. I know that. Is there a
barbary scarier?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Right?
Speaker 1 (01:13):
There was no barbary?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Is there? Wind chimes?
Speaker 1 (01:15):
There are?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Got me?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
So four out of five something like that.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
It's a tree nightmare.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
There might be some barbary in the backyard that you
just haven't seen yet, so.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
I'll check it out. Are you decorating in your yard
or landscape like many people do for Christmas? Americans are
expected to spend four point two billion dollars on Halloween
decorations decorating their house uh this year, and many people
that the number of people decorating their homes has continued
(01:46):
to increase. Some displays look so elaborate people have had
to call the police.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
And I have a neighbor down the road, not the
same neighbor with Stacy's horror land, but a neighbor down
the road that decides to put up Christmas and Halloween
at the same time and just get it over with.
Oh my, yeah, so it looks like the Holidays threw
up in their yard. It's just crazy, the.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Whole Halloween yard decorating. I mean, it's fun.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Don't get me wrong. I don't begrudge anyone. They're fun,
but it is wild. It came out of nowhere, you know.
It is like you used to put some pumpkins on
your porch and call it good. And now I mean
people start decorating in September, and they have to get
their money's worth because they're spending so much on these displays.
And I mean they are really fun to see, but wow,
I mean it's in some ways it's like more than
(02:37):
Christmas decorating.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
It's unreal.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Yeah, And where do they store it all?
Speaker 1 (02:41):
That's that's always the big problem. Where do you put
those things? Well, invasive plants and invasive bugs are a
big contributor to Halloween horror stories and the Little Shop
of Horticulture. Now, I do want to mention something right
off the bat, and we have some pictures for our
YouTube viewers, Stacy. But at this time of the year
(03:02):
I get real melancholy and sad based on the fact
that I don't get to see that bright yellow color
of green ash trees in the landscape. Because of Emerald
ash bore. Many of our ash trees are gone, and
I'm chilled by the lack of that bright color in
our neighborhoods our parks. Green ash had ecological and cultural
(03:28):
significance in our landscapes. Streets lined with green ash trees.
They made baseball bats, bowling pins out of green ash.
I really really missed that tree, and you'll see some
here and there where they're struggling to survive or growing
out of the base of the plant, sending out suckers
(03:49):
or shoots. I've got some pictures to show you in
a parking lot that I went through the other day, Stacy,
I missed that tree. And Emerald ash bore is one
of those little shop of horse to culture things that
I'm dealing with personally.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
It's horrifying they are, and you know, what they did
to trees all over the Midwest is really genuinely horrifying.
But where my in laws live out in the Detroit
area is literally just a few miles from what was
ground zero of the Emerald ashboor invasion here in Michigan.
And it's interesting because ashes are coming back because they
(04:26):
ate everything, you know. So the ashes took care of
everything that they could.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Eat in the area extinct.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yes, and so they have then moved on to new
areas because it's saying, hey, there's nothing for us to
eat here, better move to West Michigan. And now that
is giving ash from seed because it does spread pretty
significantly from seed and other ones that were just significantly
weakened a chance to come back, and there are actually
some quite large ash trees now around there.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Now.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
That doesn't mean they can't come back, but there is
this kind of sequential or succession of ash and Emerald
ashboorger that.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Maybe they will be back.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Now we're behind the Detroit area because we didn't get
it as early as they did, but maybe.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
In a couple of years. Yeah, I agree, your ashes
could be back.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
I agree, And that's why I took pictures of these trees,
because they're also seeking out some of these trees that
seem resistant to Emerald ashbourer to develop cultivars for future generation.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Well, that's exactly what happened with the Dutch Olean disease
and the bark beetle.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Exactly when we talk about Little Shop of Horticulture. Of course,
one of the things we've talked about this year in
our show is that area between the street and the
sidewalk and what in the world to do with it.
Some people call it the hell strip, some people call
it a parkway, a boulevard or right of way. I'm
planting some loriopee and some creeping time in mine. And
(05:55):
for folks who are watching or listening to the show
in the south. Remember also here in the Earth we
suffer from something called snowplow disease in winter, so that
is an area also that creates problems. Many plants we
could talk about in our show on Little Shop of Horticulture, Stacy.
(06:15):
You know, one that I can't stand is stinging nettle.
Some people love it for the health potions that they
can create out of it, but I get intense burning
and an itching sensation. Low grow sumac. Now you'll see
that growing in island beds at stores and parking lots
because it's super tough. But I made the mistake of
(06:37):
putting it in my landscape and they call it a
fragrant sumac. It smells awful.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
I've ever really spelled it. What's it like.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
It's just pungent and it's kind of like Russian sage
on steroids.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
So it really ran and spread and it's one of
those plants that it's suckering and if it's happy yet,
it'll sucker and colonize, which is perfect for parking lot beds,
but maybe not so much for the backyard.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
So that's what's happened to your right.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
So I'm I'm pulling it out. But the whole time
I'm pulling it out, I'm like holding my nose. It's awful.
O Punti or prickly pear cactus. I love prickly pear wine.
I love Opuntia and prickly pear cactus. But those pads
are so innocent looking. You get close to them and
you get those stickers in your socks, in your gloves.
(07:30):
I was watching some deer eating them. I'm wondering, how
in the world can they eat those pads real thirsty?
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Oh boy, you know, I have to say I don't
think that our native a Puntia chumafusa, the one that
grows out here. The glockids, which are the little teeny
tiny hairs that are the most irritating because you can
usually avoid those big, long thorns. It's the little tiny
ones that get you. They're not as bad as long
lasting as like cactus that you'll find in the Southwest.
(07:57):
They provide a temporary irritation, but you know, for the
most part, they're not that bad. But the thing that
I find about them, at least in my garden, they
need a lot of management.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
They really overgrow.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Might have started spreading from seed, which, as you can
imagine is simply delightful. We dead headed ours this year
to prevent that from happening, because, yeah, you do not
want to be weeding and come across a little cactus
seedling in your vegetable garden, which I did have one there.
The other thing about managing this plant, talk about horror stories.
We're always really careful about what we do with it
(08:31):
and make sure that we put it in thick bags
in our trash and not the yard disposal, because I
don't want, you know, the poor person who takes away
that garbage just to get an unpleasant surprise. So it
also has to be managed carefully, not just in the garden,
but for other people to deal with.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
You're right, you're right about that. Well, on today's show,
we're going to talk about some plants and some invasive issues.
I've got things on my list like calorie pair daughter,
horse bind weed, all of these things that have to
be part of our Shop of Horticulture Hall of Fame.
Here's a terrifying thought. Rick at your doorstep, Rick or treat. Yeah,
(09:13):
today's limb a Rick Rick visits your doorstep. Caution with me,
maybe hoove, I see a plant in your yard. I
disapprove while you're busy doling out candy. The distraction I'll
find handy in darkness, the plant to remove. If there's
a weed in your yard, I'll pluck it. Take your
treat in my bag, I'll tuck it my costume. Likewise,
(09:36):
you may recognize I'm the guy wearing a five gallon bucket.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
You are on a roll, rick roll.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Thank you very much. Yeah, on Halloween, I go out
there wearing a five gallon bucket. It's ideal.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Uh, okay, just drill some Oh it's a mask, gotcha.
I was thinking like a full body, five gallon buck
it kind of costume. But oh, you were in I
didn't know you were such a Halloween fan.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
I don't know. I just little shop.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
I feel you're feeling the spirit. I like it.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
I can't wait for Plants on Trial that's coming up next.
Here on the Gardening Simplified.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Show, beautify your home and community with proven winner's color
Choice shrubs. With over three hundred and twenty five unique
varieties to choose from. There's a flowering shrub or evergreen
for every taste and every space. Just look for the
distinctive white container your local garden center or learn more
(10:37):
at proven Winner's Color Choice dot com. Boo and greetings
gardening friends, and welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show
where we are opening up the little shop of horticulture.
You know, everyone's always like, oh, Seymour feed me because
of you know, the famous movie.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
But that's not really that scary. I mean, they didn't
make it very scary.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
It's not scary.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Yeah, but thank goodness, there's not actually plants like that.
Of course, there are carnivorous plants that eat insects, but
they are not ever going to harm you personally, so anyway, and.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
There's always barbary.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
There's all that.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Barbary is indeed scary. You can scare me with many
things in the garden, you know, stinging nettle. I also
have a big, major issue with.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Very very big rastion.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
And no one ever told me about stinging nettle. Right,
so I'm working as a landscaper in college weaving and
all of a sudden, like what the heck just happened?
And also those stinging caterpillars. Yes, you know you're hearing
a lot about those these days. So but you're not
to discourage you from gardening, because all you have to
do is learn a little bit. And that's what we're
here for, is to kind of teach you some of
(11:46):
that stuff, help you make you aware of those things
so you can avoid them, whether that is an invasive
plant or a pest or a bug or you know,
whatever that that that scary thing is for you. We
all have our own fears. But you know, last year
there was quite a bit of talk going on about
(12:06):
Gothic gardens, goth gardens, goth gardening, and you know, those
words just got thrown around, and I realized that probably
a lot of people don't really know what that means.
You know, like I grew up in the eighties and
nineties when goth people dressing like goths was the subculture
was a thing, you know, like we knew what that was.
(12:28):
But some people who are older might not. Maybe even
some people who were younger might not. And that got
me thinking, where did that goth term come from? So
of course I looked it up, because this is what
I do. So the original use of goth goes back
to the term Gothic, which was a tribe of Germanic
people in the fourth century. Now, the Romans did not
(12:51):
like the Goths, and considered them uncouth and barbaric, and
so to some extent you could say, okay, well, like
dark ages, that's where the association with darkness comes from
from that. But then fast forward to the twelfth century
and we've got Gothic architecture, which plenty of people are
familiar with. Of course, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is
(13:13):
one of the classic examples, and that actually had nothing
really to do with the Germanic tribe of the Goths.
That just kind of came out of nowhere. Then fast
forward to seventeen sixty four. Okay, so we're up, you know,
another four hundred and five hundred years here, and Gothic
takes on a new, yet another new meaning. In this case,
(13:36):
the first Gothic novel, which was Horace Walpole's book The
Castle of Otronto, which later got the subtitle, added a
Gothic story, and that gave birth to the whole subgenre
of Gothic novels. So, of course Rebecca by Daphne du
Morier is a classic example. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is
another classic example. So it was kind of this, like,
(13:58):
you know, mysterious is sometimes supernatural, freaky, scary, but also
darkly atmospheric, taking place in creepy labs or abandoned mansions
or castles and all of that kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Yeah, and if you're keeping score at home, that's O Toronto.
I thought it was a typo. I thought it was
supposed to be Toronto. It's Toronto.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Yes, Okay, The Castle of Otronto by Horace Walpole. If
you would like to spend this spooky season reading the
first ever Gothic novel, I have not read it, but
I find it sounds like it's very interesting, So I
think that that is really where this idea of the
goth subculture comes from. Is more of the gothic novel, dark, creepy,
staying inside. But what really characterizes the goth subculture is
(14:42):
wearing black, like dressing in black.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Oh yeah, so Rick maybe a goth.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Where we'll.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Find a future API, but that's what it means.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
So when we say like a goth garden or a
Gothic garden, what is generally meant by that is plants
with black foliage or plants that kind of have this
looming presence. So it can mean a lot of different things.
So in celebration of Today's Little Shop of Horticulture. I
wanted to share my top picks for proven Winner's color
(15:16):
choice shrubs for Goth gardens.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Fantastic, let's hear.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Okay, So my number one quality, and this is the
easiest one, is black foliage, because you know, that's a
very common thing now. You could because black foliage has
been so popular for the last gosh, I don't know,
fifteen years, twenty years or something like that. There's tons
and tons of options, everything from annuals, vegetables, perennials, shrubs,
(15:41):
even trees if you wanted to plants it.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Tulips, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
If you wanted to plant an entirely black flower and
foliage garden, you actually could, and if you did, please
let us know because we want to see it. That
sounds pretty amazing. But black foliage is just one way
you could think about this. You could also go for
a plant with creepy gothy names, and like I said, other
plants with a looming silhouette. You know one plant that
I always think of. And when Lisa Roper from Chanticleer
(16:08):
was on, she talked about it a little bit about
the big weeping spruces that they have around the ruined
garden at Chanticleer that kind of look like ghostly looming presences.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Yeah around the garden it be oh yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Definitely a good creepy plant. So black foliage. Center Stage
crape myrtle, now this is an interesting one. Beautiful, it
is beautiful, and so most crape myrtles are considered Southern plants,
and the tree forms definitely are because of course they
can't die back, or you would not have a tree anymore.
But center stage is a shrubby crape myrtle which is
(16:46):
actually hardy down to USDA Zone six. It can die
back to the ground and it will just come right
back up and flower. And this has some of the
darkest foliage out of any crape myrtle out there. But
what's cool about it is it's not like goth and
brooding all season long. Blooms in summer, and when those
flowers come out, it just takes on a totally different character. Now,
(17:07):
I personally like center stage red, and I think that
probably is the most goth because it's combining that black
with that red. But we also have center Stage pink
and center Stage coral, and they're really just beautiful plants.
That I think because of that they're long blooming and
have that colorful flower. They don't just kind of suck
the life out of the landscape, which can be a
(17:30):
risk of black plants that they just kind of become
a black hole or they blend in with the soil.
The other thing about it it is very resistant to
powdery mildew, because there is nothing scarier than a ugly
crape myrtle covered in powdery mildew. No one wants that
now our jazz hands. Variegated Laura pedulum. This is a
really cool plant that is looking so beautiful right now.
(17:53):
It is a varigated Laura pedilum. Of course, if you
live in the South, you also know this plant dark
purply black foliage. But the new both on this is
variegated with white and spots of purple and pink and black.
But it's also not like a festive party. It still
has I think some like very goth kind of vibes
to it. It's not overly happy, so so don't worry
(18:14):
about that. Kodiak Jet black dravilla. Love that some of
the darkest foliage that has ever been introduced on a darvilla.
And what I love about this one much like the
center stage crape myrtle in summer. It has these bright,
bright yellow flowers and they're small, but the contrast when
those are out is just so beautiful. Also, I love
black and yellow because I like really strong contrasts, like
(18:36):
that black hat rhododendron.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
You gave me one a few years ago. I planted
it in my landscape. I love that plant. That has
become a favorite.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
So, so do you have a planet where you can
set off the color or you just yet?
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Oh yeah, there's there's hosta, and there's the hack and
a kloa yellow hack and a cloa near it, and
that is just gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Love that. It's a great combination.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
And then I was thinking, you know, we don't really
have anything yet. We will have a butterfly bush coming
out in twenty twenty seven with near black flowers, but
right now, we don't have anything with super moody gothy flowers,
with a possible exception of wee bit grumpy hydrangea. And
this plant it got its name. I think I've talked
(19:19):
about it before because one of its trial codes was
among seven the seven dwarfs. So each of the plants
in that trial group had a name from one of
the seven Dwarfs. This one was grumpy. It made us
laugh every time we looked at it, so we kept it.
But in the right soil conditions, so acidic cool, the
flowers turned some very very moody, dark purples that are
(19:40):
really really cool. Moving on to we've got, of course
the white Gela Wine and spirits, which also has the
benefit of a creepy name, Midnight Wineeshine, which is probably
the blackest of any Whygela, and Sonic bloom Wine, which
is a reblooming wygeala. So if you just want to
be like a little goth with a black foliage, but
you want some nice flower in there, it really splits
(20:01):
the difference. And then kind of to end up, I
think that laced up and black lace elderberry are really
the ultimate Goth shrubs in our collection. So they have
really dark black, kind of lacy foliage. But once that
first frost hits, the foliage kind of does this thing
(20:21):
where it just kind of droops on the plant, So
it doesn't fall off right away, it doesn't turn color,
but it kind of droops and it's got like immaculate
abandoned mansion vibes. It really really a cool choice. So
if you were looking for Halloween vibes or goth vibes
in your landscape, there's just a couple of suggestions. But
(20:42):
of course it's always about using your imagination and making
it work for you. But be sure to tune in
on YouTube so you can see what all of these
plants look like. In the meantime, we're going to take
a break and when we come back, we're opening up
the mail bag.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
I don't think it'll be too scary, but.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
You never know what lurks inside. At Proven Winner's Color
Choice Shrubs, we know that a better landscape starts with
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(21:18):
For easycare, reliable, beautiful shrubs to accentuate your home and
express your personal style, look for Proven Winner's Shrubs in
the distinctive white container at your local garden center or
learn more at proven Winner's Color Choice dot com. And
welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show where Adriana just
(21:39):
scared me half to death with some wind chimes. You know,
again it's to each their own, but when you live
in a windy neighborhood and your neighbors have wind chimes,
it's hard. It's hard to get some rest. And that's
scary because I could be pretty scary when I don't
get enough sleep. But anyway, it's our time to answer
(22:03):
your gardening questions. If you have a gardening question that
you would like us to answer, you can always just
visit us at Gardening Simplified on air dot com. There
is a contact form there you can just send it
right in. There's even a place to attach a photo,
because there's nothing scarier than trying to identify a garden
problem without a picture to tell us what the heck
is going on. And you can also just leave a
(22:24):
comment on our YouTube version of the show. He Drana
reads all of those and responds to them and tells
us if there's something that should be answered on air.
So lots of different ways to get your questions answered.
And we're kicking this edition of Mailbag off with a
question for Rick. So Rick's expertise is requested by Melissa.
(22:46):
I heard Rick talk about his leaf mulching machine. Can
you describe what that is? And did you make it yourself?
Why do you grind leaves instead of leaving them as is?
I'm also curious about creating my own compost in much.
Can you please describe the best formula. I know you
have to mix the browns and the greens, but I'm
not sure how to start on my own.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Wow. Well, okay, so we're referring here to the what
I call the cherninator. So this all started a number
of years ago when I recognized that leaves were super
important in my landscape infall, and they were free, and
I wanted them because of my Dutch heritage. But they
(23:29):
decomposed so much more rapidly if you shred them up,
and that's what we do in the lawn. We get
a super sharp blade for the lawnmower, a ninja type blade,
and you can grind up the leaves and define pieces
and not have to rake them up because, like my
good friend Neil Sedaka said, raking up is hard to do.
(23:52):
So we use a lawnmower and shred the leaves finally,
and the turf can handle it and not be matted.
I thought, well, this is going to work well in
the landscape. So I got myself a garbage can, a
weed whacker, some safety glasses, and I'm out there churning
up these leaves. I went on an online site and
you can take a look at it on YouTube. Adriana's
(24:15):
showing you the video right now that I put together
of the cherninator in action. It's loads of fun, it's entertaining.
I entertain myself out there and it just shreds these
leaves and they make the most fantastic mulch for my
garden or if you wanted to put them in a
compost bin. Yeah, they're basically decomposing quicker. You're speeding up
(24:39):
the process by tearing them, just shreds.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Increasing the surface area that makes them decompose more quickly.
You know.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
That reminded me.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
I did complain a bit about windy areas and wind chimes,
but one of the benefits of living in a windy
area is it tends to blow all of my leaves away.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
It's true, and I don't.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Usually have to do very much raking orlyaf removal because
nature kind of just takes care of it for me.
Hopefully they end up, you know, down in the woods
somewhere and not in a neighbor's yard. But hey, once
they blow away, I don't know what the heck happens
to them. I wanted to talk about Melissa's questions about
creating composts, and we've talked a little bit about this
without ever directly addressing it, but you know the basics,
(25:19):
you can read. There's whole books written about composts. But ultimately,
composting is really just kind of managing the conditions that
allow a natural process to take place so that it
happens more quickly and that you actually get a usable product.
Because all organic products, which is to say, anything that
comes from nature naturally is are going to decompose eventually,
(25:43):
but some things like oak leaves can take an extremely
long time because they're very very and the tannins and
all of that. But when you're composting, you want a
mix of greens, which is to say, fresh material, so
it doesn't necessarily literally need to be green. It's just
something that's fresh and you see and browns, and the
browns are going to be dry material. And by combining
(26:05):
these in a rough proportion of one to two one
part green to two part brown, which is so much
easier said than done, because it seems for most of
us we have no shortage of greens and a major
shortage of browns. But again, you don't I mean I
when I've composted, you don't need to like get don't
be out there with like a scale or a measuring
(26:27):
tape or anything like that. It's you know, you mix it,
you put you layer them down, continue to layer, keep
it moist. That is what I've always found is the
most crucial. And then once you get it kind of
up to the top of your bin or whatever, then
you can start mixing it and mix it every once
in a while, and eventually you'll have composts. How long
that takes depends on the weather. Of course, it's going
(26:49):
to happen much more quickly in warm weather than it's
going to happen in cool weather, although you can compost
all year long, I have found. I think my number
one tip though, would be that you were never really
going to get composts if you keep adding to the
same pile, because then you're always going to have bits
of fresh stuff in there. So it really is best,
(27:10):
if at all possible, to have two separate piles. One
that is that you're actively adding to that's my and
one that's actively you know, rotting, because I've tried it
and you know, you just you go to get it
and then you got like a big squishy old tomato
or pepper or something nasty in there. So it's really
best to have one that's rotting, one that you are
(27:31):
continuing to add to. Advice, and then compost is multra interchangeable.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Yeah, I've learned a lot from you through the years,
and last week you said something that I thought was brilliant,
and that is set aside some brown browns for winter,
because I'm always putting my broccoli scraps vegetable scraps into
my composter, and but I don't have in winter, I
don't have the browns.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
So I think, do you know if that reminds me?
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Someone did say I don't know if it was on
YouTube or they wrote to the show, I don't recall,
but someone did share that they tear up paper grocery
sacks because we were talking about how it used to
be that they used to just recommend newspaper and there
was no shortage of newspaper. Now there is a massive
shortage of newspaper. If indeed, you can even find one,
(28:13):
so they tear up paper grocery sacks to provide some browns.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
So, you know, while you were talking about the leaves
to enshredding them. In my neighborhood, as long as we
have this scary show, I have two neighbors who are feuding.
Oh no, when the leaves have fallen off the trees.
If one of the neighbors leaves the house and leaves
his garage door open, the other one will get out
his leaf blower.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
And well that's the very nice I know.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
But it's the wind, did it?
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Wow? And you're witnessing all the wall.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Yeah, yeah, from my living room. I'm sitting there having a.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
This is like a real rear window kind of situation.
We had another question and I thought it was also
very timely from Lily great name. I'm in Usda Zo
nine A, and I like to transplant my roses from
their planters to the ground this fall. They still have leaves,
Should I prune them before transplanting? And if so, how
(29:11):
much should I prune?
Speaker 3 (29:14):
So?
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Absolutely prune them. It's going to make it easier for you.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
Right, there's really nothing scarier than transplanting roses. I mean,
I've been saying that about a lot of things this show,
so forgive me. It is the Little.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Shop of horticulture.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
But transplanting a rose is totally one of those easier
said than done things. Now, I think that you can
prune if you want, you don't really have to worry
about it. But I have to tell you my approach
would be to not pruin them before transplanting, solely because
or at least not majorly prune them, because if you
have more to work with as you're trying to dig
(29:48):
them out and move, that often makes it a little
bit easier than if you've kind of cut them down to,
you know, just a few inches or whatever. Then you know,
you really have to kind of work with very little.
And if you cause damage then and you have less
of the plant, then you're gonna have to prune that
off anyway. So my general approach would be, yes, it's
(30:09):
okay to prune, but I would typically save the pruning
for after it's done. And what I would do when
you've got all those unruly canes going all over the
place is use some rope or an old pair of tits,
Although that's going to be a little bit tricky on
a rose, but you know, just like a durable rope,
put it into a ponytail and then gather that all
(30:30):
up so that will help you get closer to the plant,
and then that provides something that's much easier to move.
You can't do that if you cut it back to
little stump, So this isn't really a plant health issue.
You're absolutely free to prune them, and pruning and transplanting
often go very well together because no matter how careful
you are, there's always some root loss, so it's good
to compensate with a little bit of loss from the
(30:51):
top as well.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
That's what I do with my ornamental grass is when
I cut them back, is I'll use the rope tie
tie them in a tight bundle and then chop them
off at the base.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
So much easier than trying to get in there, and
because that's a tough job too, So yes, it's totally
up to you. I think this is going to be
a your mileage may very type of situation where it's
going to depend on the rows and how big it
is and how flexible it is. But usually if people
are planning to prune and transplant, I recommend giving yourself.
(31:22):
Obviously you need to sometimes prune stuff so you can
actually get into it, but give yourself a margin of
error of leaving the plant intact for that transplanting process
and then go ahead and do your pruning once it's
in its new home. So that's just one approach. But
you know, again, this is not a plant health based reason.
This is a convenience in transplanting based reason. So thank
(31:47):
you both for your questions. We're going to take a
little break. When we come back, we are going to
be continuing a very scary conversation about creepy Crawley's and
weeds and all that scary stuff.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
So stay tuned.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Thanks for listening to the Gardening Simplified podcast, brought to
you by Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs. Our award winning
flowering shrubs and evergreens are trialed and tested by experts
with your success in mind. Learn more at Proven Winners
color Choice dot com.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Welcome back to the Little Shop of Horticulture, Stacy. We
could probably do three, four five shows on this because
thinking about it, for example, someone could say you haven't
mentioned poison ivy yet, and is poison ivy the worst
thing growing on planet Earth? Some people would argue that
maybe it's a harsh assessment as far as summertime problems go.
(32:40):
A bad case of poison ivy competes with horrible sunburn,
a swarm of black fly and mosquito bites. Or how
about the ubiquitous European paper wasp that loves to congregate
under your deck, your patio furniture, and when disturbed, packs
a punch. There's all kinds of weeds like bind weed.
(33:03):
I call that frankenvine is what I call it. And
there are different types of bind weed. There's a hedge
bind weed, and then there's one that's a relative to
the morning glory family called field bind weed. And this
thing is a real problem. And I think we have
to take our cues from the agriculture industry, and that
is bind weed can become a real problem in fields.
(33:27):
And the problem that it creates Stacey is not necessarily
the esthetic issues, but its root system is extensive and
it sucks a lot of water out of the ground,
and if you have a year like we had this
past year with drought and heat, can create some problems.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Yeah, And you know, I think one of the biggest
issues and I'm certainly guilty of this. Well before I
was in horticulture school, but when I was working as
a landscaper. You're out there, you're weeding, You're like, oh,
a wild morning glory. How lovely exactly because the flowers
do look very much like a morning glory. And so
if you have this in your yard and you're weeding,
you might be inclined to say, hey, this is perfectly lovely.
(34:07):
I'm going to leave this go. You should not.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
You will regret it.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Not to mention that by letting it go to flour
you're just going to get more seeds to spread more,
and that is really scary thing about weeds. They're very
very successful at spreading and growing. So look up bind weed.
There may be different types of bind weed that are
native to your area, and know what you're dealing with,
so you don't just think that you have some special
(34:32):
wild morning glory popping up in your yard.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
Yeah. Some people refer to it common name as devil's
weed or devil's guts, so careful gy, Yeah it is.
How about Dodd. It's an annual seed bearing parasitic vine.
Now more of a problem in the south than it is.
Let's say here, in the north or with our Canadian friends.
But this is, you know, one of these parasitic type vines.
(34:58):
It's fascinating how it well, you know, the seeds will
fall to the soil, and then when the growing season starts,
it starts to grow and it tries to find something
to latch onto, and then once it does, it abandons
the roots and basically sucks the life out of the
plant that it's consuming. Dotter, it's an annual seed bearing
parasitic vine that's got to be in the shop of horror.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
Oh absolutely, And I distinctly remember the first time that
I ever encountered daughter and I freaked out. I mean it, so,
you know, you're obviously you're envisioning sort of everything that
Rick just describes so well. But what Rick didn't mention
is that it is this bright yellow orange color.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
So it's not green.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
It is this weird bright yellow orange that looks like
something that like dropped out of some sort of alien
ship or something. And yeah, I remember, so I was
working again as a landscaper, going way back here to
all of those those old times, and we had this
little kind of bed at the entrance to a subdivision
or a condo development or something like that, and there
was it was all planted with you know, annuals and
(36:02):
one time, you know, we came there to do our annualine,
our our weekly or bi weekly weeding or whatever, and
the whole bed was covered in this orange spaghetti looking thing.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
Crazy.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
It happened so fast, you know, because we were doing
relatively regular maintenance. Adriana is going for her phone because
she's got to get the mental image. So if you
need the mental image, be sure to check us out
on YouTube.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
Yeah, and Stacy, let me quick mention if you're keeping
score at home or you're in the car listening on
the radio or podcast d O D D E R.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Yes, scot cascuda is its scientific name. Adriana has a
big frown on her face because she just looked up
the daughter c us c us t a. So it's
kind of a fun, uh scientific name. But yeah, So
then it makes these little suckering structures that it attaches
to the host plant with. They're called astoria H A
(36:54):
U S T R I A and yeah, so there
they aren't just using the plant's as structure that they
literally make these little mouth like structures that directly connect
to the plants, and they are literally sucking the xylum
and connecting to the xylum and flow and sucking the
water and sugar out of the host plant. And yet
(37:14):
once it is established, it totally disconnects from the ground.
So you can't even trace this thing back and find
a place to pull it and sever it if you
have daughter. If you had daughter in a bed, then
I would honestly just recommend that you take out everything
that's in it, and I would use a pre emergent
in that bed, even if that means that you couldn't
(37:35):
grow something that you wanted to. And of course a
pre emergent is fine as long as you're not trying
to grow from seed. Daughter is a true annual, so
you don't have to worry about the plant returning. But
as a weed, it does put out a ton of seeds.
And yeah, you don't see it often here, but you
do see it.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
So, yeah, the plants are weakly photosynthetic. More So, as
Stacey mentioned, the host storia basically just tap into the
plant's vasculars Yep, they just.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Chuck the juices right out like a barnacle or something.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
I've got a hot take. Hot take controversial plant in
my shop of horticultural horrors, and people are going to
be upset with me, oh marigolds, But again, remember I
come from the garden center industry. I have handled hundreds
and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of flats over the
(38:27):
course of my lifetime. And when you've handled fifty two thousand,
five hundred and sixty seven flats of marigolds and you
smell like them, you do not like marigles hardy. I
had to get that, all right, fair you had your
win chimes. I got my marigolds, hardy orchid, broad leaf
helleborine drives me crazy. And then we've got to mention
(38:48):
for a lot of people, especially on the East coast Northeast,
are dealing with spotted lantern fly. And this thing is
an invasive species that has spread to eighteen states in
the United States. Key areas that have been affected are Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, New York, Virginia. But it's moving along.
(39:08):
We're waiting for it here in Michigan to appear. And
this is an invasive insect that will basically do damage
to all kinds of plants, but loves the tree of heaven. Yeah,
ilanthis and ilanthus is another shop of horticulture horrors. That
(39:29):
tree is it is? So I got to mention it.
Speaker 2 (39:31):
No, and that's good to mention because now, especially if
you live in an area, well, maybe it's not a
good idea to remove any ilanthis if you don't have
spotted lantern fly yet, because then that just means they're
going to eat your other stuff as soon as they arrive.
And they're like, wait, what, no, right, exactly, better go
eat your Japanese maple because maple is one of their
favorite other foods and when they can't get the ilanthis.
(39:53):
But yeah, and unfortunately it's just a matter of time
because they One of the main ways that they spread
is if you make a nice road trip to an
area where there is spotted lantern fly, they love to
lay their eggs on cars. Yeah, and so that is
one of the ways. You know, it's not just a
situation where the insect itself is just flying and you know,
moving its range a little bit here and there. Humans
(40:14):
are actively playing apart. It's spreading it by you know,
accidentally transporting the eggs.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
And in that adult stage, they don't necessarily have to
fly as a matter of fact, they like to go
for a walk. They take a walk. So if you're
out there on the patio in summer and you've got one,
you're sweating and they're crawling up the back of your neck.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
Have you seen one yet a spotted lantern fly?
Speaker 1 (40:35):
My daughter has described in detail to me what it's
like to sit in Pennsylvania. Oh, okay, and when she
was living there.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
Oh, I have not seen one yet. I truly dread
the day when I do. But yeah, anyone I know
on the East Coast is just, you know, saying horrible
things about you know, how they're just ruining your ability
to sit outside, and they just they can conglomerate. So
there's bunches of them. But at least when there's a
lot a lot of them, you can you know, kill
a whole bunch at once with like a fly swater.
(41:04):
So get to know what they look like, so you know,
if they do reach you what they're actually quite pretty.
I mean I hate to say that about them because
they are so destructive, but they are quite lovely.
Speaker 1 (41:15):
We've got to include on the list, and there are
hundreds of plants and invasive species we could include, and
we're gonna have to do an additional show on this,
but I got to make sure to throw in here
calorie pair. Good intentions got out of control. You know,
it's one of the first trees to bloom in the spring,
covered with white flowers that have this objectionable fouls smell
(41:36):
to them. Some people say they smell like mothballs or
ammonia or whatever, but it just doesn't smell well. The
tree grows at upright angles with weak crotches that break
with age. And of course, Stacey, the problem here this
plant has become highly invasive and crowds out native species.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
Oh, the invasive on this plant is really out of control.
I mean, if you drive pretty much anywhere at least
I can speak for the eastern half of the US
anywhere in the spring when it's in bloom. You know,
you don't really notice it too much when it's not
in bloom, but when it is in bloom, you just
see how utterly widespread it has become. And this isn't
as simple as just saying like, oh, hey, I'll just
(42:19):
take my little trowel with me on a hike and
you know, take up any invasive species. I mean, you
need a chainsaw to manage this invasive species and that
is dangerous.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Scary.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
You got it, boy, what a scary show. Maintain your composture.
We're here for you in coming weeks and we'd love
your questions and your comments. Send them to us. Remember
we're on YouTube, podcast and radio. Thank you Stacy Rick
or re ooh Rick Rick or treat.
Speaker 3 (42:48):
Rick or treat everybody.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
Thank you, Rick, Thank you very much. Thanks Adriana, and
thank you. Have a great week.
Broadcasting from Studio A. Here at proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs.
It's time for the Gardening Simplified Show with Stacy, Hervella me,
Rick Weist, and our engineer and producer Adrianna Robinson. Well
as Vincent Price would say in the thriller, darkness falls
across the land. The midnight hour is close at hand. No,
(00:23):
I'm not talking about Halloween. I'm talking about the end
of daylight saving time and the growing season. Oh boy, today,
little shop of horticulture.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Hmm.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I was thinking about you the other day, Stacy, because
I have a neighbor just down the road and she
has a Stacey Halloween Nightmare yard. Not on Elm Street,
but on my street. This neighbor has a yard full
of agapodium, goutweed, vinkevine growing all over the place, and
(00:58):
chameleon place at the Yes, all three. I watch your
fill a little bucket of miracle grow and go out there.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
On that fertilizes. That's the scariest part.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yes, I know that. I know that. Is there a
barbary scarier?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Right?
Speaker 1 (01:13):
There was no barbary?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Is there? Wind chimes?
Speaker 1 (01:15):
There are?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Got me?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
So four out of five something like that.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
It's a tree nightmare.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
There might be some barbary in the backyard that you
just haven't seen yet, so.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
I'll check it out. Are you decorating in your yard
or landscape like many people do for Christmas? Americans are
expected to spend four point two billion dollars on Halloween
decorations decorating their house uh this year, and many people
that the number of people decorating their homes has continued
(01:46):
to increase. Some displays look so elaborate people have had
to call the police.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
And I have a neighbor down the road, not the
same neighbor with Stacy's horror land, but a neighbor down
the road that decides to put up Christmas and Halloween
at the same time and just get it over with.
Oh my, yeah, so it looks like the Holidays threw
up in their yard. It's just crazy, the.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Whole Halloween yard decorating. I mean, it's fun.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Don't get me wrong. I don't begrudge anyone. They're fun,
but it is wild. It came out of nowhere, you know.
It is like you used to put some pumpkins on
your porch and call it good. And now I mean
people start decorating in September, and they have to get
their money's worth because they're spending so much on these displays.
And I mean they are really fun to see, but wow,
I mean it's in some ways it's like more than
(02:37):
Christmas decorating.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
It's unreal.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Yeah, And where do they store it all?
Speaker 1 (02:41):
That's that's always the big problem. Where do you put
those things? Well, invasive plants and invasive bugs are a
big contributor to Halloween horror stories and the Little Shop
of Horticulture. Now, I do want to mention something right
off the bat, and we have some pictures for our
YouTube viewers, Stacy. But at this time of the year
(03:02):
I get real melancholy and sad based on the fact
that I don't get to see that bright yellow color
of green ash trees in the landscape. Because of Emerald
ash bore. Many of our ash trees are gone, and
I'm chilled by the lack of that bright color in
our neighborhoods our parks. Green ash had ecological and cultural
(03:28):
significance in our landscapes. Streets lined with green ash trees.
They made baseball bats, bowling pins out of green ash.
I really really missed that tree, and you'll see some
here and there where they're struggling to survive or growing
out of the base of the plant, sending out suckers
(03:49):
or shoots. I've got some pictures to show you in
a parking lot that I went through the other day, Stacy,
I missed that tree. And Emerald ash bore is one
of those little shop of horse to culture things that
I'm dealing with personally.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
It's horrifying they are, and you know, what they did
to trees all over the Midwest is really genuinely horrifying.
But where my in laws live out in the Detroit
area is literally just a few miles from what was
ground zero of the Emerald ashboor invasion here in Michigan.
And it's interesting because ashes are coming back because they
(04:26):
ate everything, you know. So the ashes took care of
everything that they could.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Eat in the area extinct.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yes, and so they have then moved on to new
areas because it's saying, hey, there's nothing for us to
eat here, better move to West Michigan. And now that
is giving ash from seed because it does spread pretty
significantly from seed and other ones that were just significantly
weakened a chance to come back, and there are actually
some quite large ash trees now around there.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Now.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
That doesn't mean they can't come back, but there is
this kind of sequential or succession of ash and Emerald
ashboorger that.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Maybe they will be back.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Now we're behind the Detroit area because we didn't get
it as early as they did, but maybe.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
In a couple of years. Yeah, I agree, your ashes
could be back.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
I agree, And that's why I took pictures of these trees,
because they're also seeking out some of these trees that
seem resistant to Emerald ashbourer to develop cultivars for future generation.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Well, that's exactly what happened with the Dutch Olean disease
and the bark beetle.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Exactly when we talk about Little Shop of Horticulture. Of course,
one of the things we've talked about this year in
our show is that area between the street and the
sidewalk and what in the world to do with it.
Some people call it the hell strip, some people call
it a parkway, a boulevard or right of way. I'm
planting some loriopee and some creeping time in mine. And
(05:55):
for folks who are watching or listening to the show
in the south. Remember also here in the Earth we
suffer from something called snowplow disease in winter, so that
is an area also that creates problems. Many plants we
could talk about in our show on Little Shop of Horticulture, Stacy.
(06:15):
You know, one that I can't stand is stinging nettle.
Some people love it for the health potions that they
can create out of it, but I get intense burning
and an itching sensation. Low grow sumac. Now you'll see
that growing in island beds at stores and parking lots
because it's super tough. But I made the mistake of
(06:37):
putting it in my landscape and they call it a
fragrant sumac. It smells awful.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
I've ever really spelled it. What's it like.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
It's just pungent and it's kind of like Russian sage
on steroids.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
So it really ran and spread and it's one of
those plants that it's suckering and if it's happy yet,
it'll sucker and colonize, which is perfect for parking lot beds,
but maybe not so much for the backyard.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
So that's what's happened to your right.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
So I'm I'm pulling it out. But the whole time
I'm pulling it out, I'm like holding my nose. It's awful.
O Punti or prickly pear cactus. I love prickly pear wine.
I love Opuntia and prickly pear cactus. But those pads
are so innocent looking. You get close to them and
you get those stickers in your socks, in your gloves.
(07:30):
I was watching some deer eating them. I'm wondering, how
in the world can they eat those pads real thirsty?
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Oh boy, you know, I have to say I don't
think that our native a Puntia chumafusa, the one that
grows out here. The glockids, which are the little teeny
tiny hairs that are the most irritating because you can
usually avoid those big, long thorns. It's the little tiny
ones that get you. They're not as bad as long
lasting as like cactus that you'll find in the Southwest.
(07:57):
They provide a temporary irritation, but you know, for the
most part, they're not that bad. But the thing that
I find about them, at least in my garden, they
need a lot of management.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
They really overgrow.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Might have started spreading from seed, which, as you can
imagine is simply delightful. We dead headed ours this year
to prevent that from happening, because, yeah, you do not
want to be weeding and come across a little cactus
seedling in your vegetable garden, which I did have one there.
The other thing about managing this plant, talk about horror stories.
We're always really careful about what we do with it
(08:31):
and make sure that we put it in thick bags
in our trash and not the yard disposal, because I
don't want, you know, the poor person who takes away
that garbage just to get an unpleasant surprise. So it
also has to be managed carefully, not just in the garden,
but for other people to deal with.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
You're right, you're right about that. Well, on today's show,
we're going to talk about some plants and some invasive issues.
I've got things on my list like calorie pair daughter,
horse bind weed, all of these things that have to
be part of our Shop of Horticulture Hall of Fame.
Here's a terrifying thought. Rick at your doorstep, Rick or treat. Yeah,
(09:13):
today's limb a Rick Rick visits your doorstep. Caution with me,
maybe hoove, I see a plant in your yard. I
disapprove while you're busy doling out candy. The distraction I'll
find handy in darkness, the plant to remove. If there's
a weed in your yard, I'll pluck it. Take your
treat in my bag, I'll tuck it my costume. Likewise,
(09:36):
you may recognize I'm the guy wearing a five gallon bucket.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
You are on a roll, rick roll.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Thank you very much. Yeah, on Halloween, I go out
there wearing a five gallon bucket. It's ideal.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Uh, okay, just drill some Oh it's a mask, gotcha.
I was thinking like a full body, five gallon buck
it kind of costume. But oh, you were in I
didn't know you were such a Halloween fan.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
I don't know. I just little shop.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
I feel you're feeling the spirit. I like it.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
I can't wait for Plants on Trial that's coming up next.
Here on the Gardening Simplified.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Show, beautify your home and community with proven winner's color
Choice shrubs. With over three hundred and twenty five unique
varieties to choose from. There's a flowering shrub or evergreen
for every taste and every space. Just look for the
distinctive white container your local garden center or learn more
(10:37):
at proven Winner's Color Choice dot com. Boo and greetings
gardening friends, and welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show
where we are opening up the little shop of horticulture.
You know, everyone's always like, oh, Seymour feed me because
of you know, the famous movie.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
But that's not really that scary. I mean, they didn't
make it very scary.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
It's not scary.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Yeah, but thank goodness, there's not actually plants like that.
Of course, there are carnivorous plants that eat insects, but
they are not ever going to harm you personally, so anyway, and.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
There's always barbary.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
There's all that.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Barbary is indeed scary. You can scare me with many
things in the garden, you know, stinging nettle. I also
have a big, major issue with.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Very very big rastion.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
And no one ever told me about stinging nettle. Right,
so I'm working as a landscaper in college weaving and
all of a sudden, like what the heck just happened?
And also those stinging caterpillars. Yes, you know you're hearing
a lot about those these days. So but you're not
to discourage you from gardening, because all you have to
do is learn a little bit. And that's what we're
here for, is to kind of teach you some of
(11:46):
that stuff, help you make you aware of those things
so you can avoid them, whether that is an invasive
plant or a pest or a bug or you know,
whatever that that that scary thing is for you. We
all have our own fears. But you know, last year
there was quite a bit of talk going on about
(12:06):
Gothic gardens, goth gardens, goth gardening, and you know, those
words just got thrown around, and I realized that probably
a lot of people don't really know what that means.
You know, like I grew up in the eighties and
nineties when goth people dressing like goths was the subculture
was a thing, you know, like we knew what that was.
(12:28):
But some people who are older might not. Maybe even
some people who were younger might not. And that got
me thinking, where did that goth term come from? So
of course I looked it up, because this is what
I do. So the original use of goth goes back
to the term Gothic, which was a tribe of Germanic
people in the fourth century. Now, the Romans did not
(12:51):
like the Goths, and considered them uncouth and barbaric, and
so to some extent you could say, okay, well, like
dark ages, that's where the association with darkness comes from
from that. But then fast forward to the twelfth century
and we've got Gothic architecture, which plenty of people are
familiar with. Of course, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is
(13:13):
one of the classic examples, and that actually had nothing
really to do with the Germanic tribe of the Goths.
That just kind of came out of nowhere. Then fast
forward to seventeen sixty four. Okay, so we're up, you know,
another four hundred and five hundred years here, and Gothic
takes on a new, yet another new meaning. In this case,
(13:36):
the first Gothic novel, which was Horace Walpole's book The
Castle of Otronto, which later got the subtitle, added a
Gothic story, and that gave birth to the whole subgenre
of Gothic novels. So, of course Rebecca by Daphne du
Morier is a classic example. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is
another classic example. So it was kind of this, like,
(13:58):
you know, mysterious is sometimes supernatural, freaky, scary, but also
darkly atmospheric, taking place in creepy labs or abandoned mansions
or castles and all of that kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Yeah, and if you're keeping score at home, that's O Toronto.
I thought it was a typo. I thought it was
supposed to be Toronto. It's Toronto.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Yes, Okay, The Castle of Otronto by Horace Walpole. If
you would like to spend this spooky season reading the
first ever Gothic novel, I have not read it, but
I find it sounds like it's very interesting, So I
think that that is really where this idea of the
goth subculture comes from. Is more of the gothic novel, dark, creepy,
staying inside. But what really characterizes the goth subculture is
(14:42):
wearing black, like dressing in black.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Oh yeah, so Rick maybe a goth.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Where we'll.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Find a future API, but that's what it means.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
So when we say like a goth garden or a
Gothic garden, what is generally meant by that is plants
with black foliage or plants that kind of have this
looming presence. So it can mean a lot of different things.
So in celebration of Today's Little Shop of Horticulture. I
wanted to share my top picks for proven Winner's color
(15:16):
choice shrubs for Goth gardens.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Fantastic, let's hear.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Okay, So my number one quality, and this is the
easiest one, is black foliage, because you know, that's a
very common thing now. You could because black foliage has
been so popular for the last gosh, I don't know,
fifteen years, twenty years or something like that. There's tons
and tons of options, everything from annuals, vegetables, perennials, shrubs,
(15:41):
even trees if you wanted to plants it.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Tulips, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
If you wanted to plant an entirely black flower and
foliage garden, you actually could, and if you did, please
let us know because we want to see it. That
sounds pretty amazing. But black foliage is just one way
you could think about this. You could also go for
a plant with creepy gothy names, and like I said, other
plants with a looming silhouette. You know one plant that
I always think of. And when Lisa Roper from Chanticleer
(16:08):
was on, she talked about it a little bit about
the big weeping spruces that they have around the ruined
garden at Chanticleer that kind of look like ghostly looming presences.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Yeah around the garden it be oh yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Definitely a good creepy plant. So black foliage. Center Stage
crape myrtle, now this is an interesting one. Beautiful, it
is beautiful, and so most crape myrtles are considered Southern plants,
and the tree forms definitely are because of course they
can't die back, or you would not have a tree anymore.
But center stage is a shrubby crape myrtle which is
(16:46):
actually hardy down to USDA Zone six. It can die
back to the ground and it will just come right
back up and flower. And this has some of the
darkest foliage out of any crape myrtle out there. But
what's cool about it is it's not like goth and
brooding all season long. Blooms in summer, and when those
flowers come out, it just takes on a totally different character. Now,
(17:07):
I personally like center stage red, and I think that
probably is the most goth because it's combining that black
with that red. But we also have center Stage pink
and center Stage coral, and they're really just beautiful plants.
That I think because of that they're long blooming and
have that colorful flower. They don't just kind of suck
the life out of the landscape, which can be a
(17:30):
risk of black plants that they just kind of become
a black hole or they blend in with the soil.
The other thing about it it is very resistant to
powdery mildew, because there is nothing scarier than a ugly
crape myrtle covered in powdery mildew. No one wants that
now our jazz hands. Variegated Laura pedulum. This is a
really cool plant that is looking so beautiful right now.
(17:53):
It is a varigated Laura pedilum. Of course, if you
live in the South, you also know this plant dark
purply black foliage. But the new both on this is
variegated with white and spots of purple and pink and black.
But it's also not like a festive party. It still
has I think some like very goth kind of vibes
to it. It's not overly happy, so so don't worry
(18:14):
about that. Kodiak Jet black dravilla. Love that some of
the darkest foliage that has ever been introduced on a darvilla.
And what I love about this one much like the
center stage crape myrtle in summer. It has these bright,
bright yellow flowers and they're small, but the contrast when
those are out is just so beautiful. Also, I love
black and yellow because I like really strong contrasts, like
(18:36):
that black hat rhododendron.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
You gave me one a few years ago. I planted
it in my landscape. I love that plant. That has
become a favorite.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
So, so do you have a planet where you can
set off the color or you just yet?
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Oh yeah, there's there's hosta, and there's the hack and
a kloa yellow hack and a cloa near it, and
that is just gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Love that. It's a great combination.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
And then I was thinking, you know, we don't really
have anything yet. We will have a butterfly bush coming
out in twenty twenty seven with near black flowers, but
right now, we don't have anything with super moody gothy flowers,
with a possible exception of wee bit grumpy hydrangea. And
this plant it got its name. I think I've talked
(19:19):
about it before because one of its trial codes was
among seven the seven dwarfs. So each of the plants
in that trial group had a name from one of
the seven Dwarfs. This one was grumpy. It made us
laugh every time we looked at it, so we kept it.
But in the right soil conditions, so acidic cool, the
flowers turned some very very moody, dark purples that are
(19:40):
really really cool. Moving on to we've got, of course
the white Gela Wine and spirits, which also has the
benefit of a creepy name, Midnight Wineeshine, which is probably
the blackest of any Whygela, and Sonic bloom Wine, which
is a reblooming wygeala. So if you just want to
be like a little goth with a black foliage, but
you want some nice flower in there, it really splits
(20:01):
the difference. And then kind of to end up, I
think that laced up and black lace elderberry are really
the ultimate Goth shrubs in our collection. So they have
really dark black, kind of lacy foliage. But once that
first frost hits, the foliage kind of does this thing
(20:21):
where it just kind of droops on the plant, So
it doesn't fall off right away, it doesn't turn color,
but it kind of droops and it's got like immaculate
abandoned mansion vibes. It really really a cool choice. So
if you were looking for Halloween vibes or goth vibes
in your landscape, there's just a couple of suggestions. But
(20:42):
of course it's always about using your imagination and making
it work for you. But be sure to tune in
on YouTube so you can see what all of these
plants look like. In the meantime, we're going to take
a break and when we come back, we're opening up
the mail bag.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
I don't think it'll be too scary, but.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
You never know what lurks inside. At Proven Winner's Color
Choice Shrubs, we know that a better landscape starts with
a better shrub. Our team of experts tests and evaluates
all of our flowering shrubs in evergreens for eight to
ten years to ensure they outperform what's already on the market.
(21:18):
For easycare, reliable, beautiful shrubs to accentuate your home and
express your personal style, look for Proven Winner's Shrubs in
the distinctive white container at your local garden center or
learn more at proven Winner's Color Choice dot com. And
welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show where Adriana just
(21:39):
scared me half to death with some wind chimes. You know,
again it's to each their own, but when you live
in a windy neighborhood and your neighbors have wind chimes,
it's hard. It's hard to get some rest. And that's
scary because I could be pretty scary when I don't
get enough sleep. But anyway, it's our time to answer
(22:03):
your gardening questions. If you have a gardening question that
you would like us to answer, you can always just
visit us at Gardening Simplified on air dot com. There
is a contact form there you can just send it
right in. There's even a place to attach a photo,
because there's nothing scarier than trying to identify a garden
problem without a picture to tell us what the heck
is going on. And you can also just leave a
(22:24):
comment on our YouTube version of the show. He Drana
reads all of those and responds to them and tells
us if there's something that should be answered on air.
So lots of different ways to get your questions answered.
And we're kicking this edition of Mailbag off with a
question for Rick. So Rick's expertise is requested by Melissa.
(22:46):
I heard Rick talk about his leaf mulching machine. Can
you describe what that is? And did you make it yourself?
Why do you grind leaves instead of leaving them as is?
I'm also curious about creating my own compost in much.
Can you please describe the best formula. I know you
have to mix the browns and the greens, but I'm
not sure how to start on my own.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Wow. Well, okay, so we're referring here to the what
I call the cherninator. So this all started a number
of years ago when I recognized that leaves were super
important in my landscape infall, and they were free, and
I wanted them because of my Dutch heritage. But they
(23:29):
decomposed so much more rapidly if you shred them up,
and that's what we do in the lawn. We get
a super sharp blade for the lawnmower, a ninja type blade,
and you can grind up the leaves and define pieces
and not have to rake them up because, like my
good friend Neil Sedaka said, raking up is hard to do.
(23:52):
So we use a lawnmower and shred the leaves finally,
and the turf can handle it and not be matted.
I thought, well, this is going to work well in
the landscape. So I got myself a garbage can, a
weed whacker, some safety glasses, and I'm out there churning
up these leaves. I went on an online site and
you can take a look at it on YouTube. Adriana's
(24:15):
showing you the video right now that I put together
of the cherninator in action. It's loads of fun, it's entertaining.
I entertain myself out there and it just shreds these
leaves and they make the most fantastic mulch for my
garden or if you wanted to put them in a
compost bin. Yeah, they're basically decomposing quicker. You're speeding up
(24:39):
the process by tearing them, just shreds.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Increasing the surface area that makes them decompose more quickly.
You know.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
That reminded me.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
I did complain a bit about windy areas and wind chimes,
but one of the benefits of living in a windy
area is it tends to blow all of my leaves away.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
It's true, and I don't.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Usually have to do very much raking orlyaf removal because
nature kind of just takes care of it for me.
Hopefully they end up, you know, down in the woods
somewhere and not in a neighbor's yard. But hey, once
they blow away, I don't know what the heck happens
to them. I wanted to talk about Melissa's questions about
creating composts, and we've talked a little bit about this
without ever directly addressing it, but you know the basics,
(25:19):
you can read. There's whole books written about composts. But ultimately,
composting is really just kind of managing the conditions that
allow a natural process to take place so that it
happens more quickly and that you actually get a usable product.
Because all organic products, which is to say, anything that
comes from nature naturally is are going to decompose eventually,
(25:43):
but some things like oak leaves can take an extremely
long time because they're very very and the tannins and
all of that. But when you're composting, you want a
mix of greens, which is to say, fresh material, so
it doesn't necessarily literally need to be green. It's just
something that's fresh and you see and browns, and the
browns are going to be dry material. And by combining
(26:05):
these in a rough proportion of one to two one
part green to two part brown, which is so much
easier said than done, because it seems for most of
us we have no shortage of greens and a major
shortage of browns. But again, you don't I mean I
when I've composted, you don't need to like get don't
be out there with like a scale or a measuring
(26:27):
tape or anything like that. It's you know, you mix it,
you put you layer them down, continue to layer, keep
it moist. That is what I've always found is the
most crucial. And then once you get it kind of
up to the top of your bin or whatever, then
you can start mixing it and mix it every once
in a while, and eventually you'll have composts. How long
that takes depends on the weather. Of course, it's going
(26:49):
to happen much more quickly in warm weather than it's
going to happen in cool weather, although you can compost
all year long, I have found. I think my number
one tip though, would be that you were never really
going to get composts if you keep adding to the
same pile, because then you're always going to have bits
of fresh stuff in there. So it really is best,
(27:10):
if at all possible, to have two separate piles. One
that is that you're actively adding to that's my and
one that's actively you know, rotting, because I've tried it
and you know, you just you go to get it
and then you got like a big squishy old tomato
or pepper or something nasty in there. So it's really
best to have one that's rotting, one that you are
(27:31):
continuing to add to. Advice, and then compost is multra interchangeable.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Yeah, I've learned a lot from you through the years,
and last week you said something that I thought was brilliant,
and that is set aside some brown browns for winter,
because I'm always putting my broccoli scraps vegetable scraps into
my composter, and but I don't have in winter, I
don't have the browns.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
So I think, do you know if that reminds me?
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Someone did say I don't know if it was on
YouTube or they wrote to the show, I don't recall,
but someone did share that they tear up paper grocery
sacks because we were talking about how it used to
be that they used to just recommend newspaper and there
was no shortage of newspaper. Now there is a massive
shortage of newspaper. If indeed, you can even find one,
(28:13):
so they tear up paper grocery sacks to provide some browns.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
So, you know, while you were talking about the leaves
to enshredding them. In my neighborhood, as long as we
have this scary show, I have two neighbors who are feuding.
Oh no, when the leaves have fallen off the trees.
If one of the neighbors leaves the house and leaves
his garage door open, the other one will get out
his leaf blower.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
And well that's the very nice I know.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
But it's the wind, did it?
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Wow? And you're witnessing all the wall.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Yeah, yeah, from my living room. I'm sitting there having a.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
This is like a real rear window kind of situation.
We had another question and I thought it was also
very timely from Lily great name. I'm in Usda Zo
nine A, and I like to transplant my roses from
their planters to the ground this fall. They still have leaves,
Should I prune them before transplanting? And if so, how
(29:11):
much should I prune?
Speaker 3 (29:14):
So?
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Absolutely prune them. It's going to make it easier for you.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
Right, there's really nothing scarier than transplanting roses. I mean,
I've been saying that about a lot of things this show,
so forgive me. It is the Little.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Shop of horticulture.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
But transplanting a rose is totally one of those easier
said than done things. Now, I think that you can
prune if you want, you don't really have to worry
about it. But I have to tell you my approach
would be to not pruin them before transplanting, solely because
or at least not majorly prune them, because if you
have more to work with as you're trying to dig
(29:48):
them out and move, that often makes it a little
bit easier than if you've kind of cut them down to,
you know, just a few inches or whatever. Then you know,
you really have to kind of work with very little.
And if you cause damage then and you have less
of the plant, then you're gonna have to prune that
off anyway. So my general approach would be, yes, it's
(30:09):
okay to prune, but I would typically save the pruning
for after it's done. And what I would do when
you've got all those unruly canes going all over the
place is use some rope or an old pair of tits,
Although that's going to be a little bit tricky on
a rose, but you know, just like a durable rope,
put it into a ponytail and then gather that all
(30:30):
up so that will help you get closer to the plant,
and then that provides something that's much easier to move.
You can't do that if you cut it back to
little stump, So this isn't really a plant health issue.
You're absolutely free to prune them, and pruning and transplanting
often go very well together because no matter how careful
you are, there's always some root loss, so it's good
to compensate with a little bit of loss from the
(30:51):
top as well.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
That's what I do with my ornamental grass is when
I cut them back, is I'll use the rope tie
tie them in a tight bundle and then chop them
off at the base.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
So much easier than trying to get in there, and
because that's a tough job too, So yes, it's totally
up to you. I think this is going to be
a your mileage may very type of situation where it's
going to depend on the rows and how big it
is and how flexible it is. But usually if people
are planning to prune and transplant, I recommend giving yourself.
(31:22):
Obviously you need to sometimes prune stuff so you can
actually get into it, but give yourself a margin of
error of leaving the plant intact for that transplanting process
and then go ahead and do your pruning once it's
in its new home. So that's just one approach. But
you know, again, this is not a plant health based reason.
This is a convenience in transplanting based reason. So thank
(31:47):
you both for your questions. We're going to take a
little break. When we come back, we are going to
be continuing a very scary conversation about creepy Crawley's and
weeds and all that scary stuff.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
So stay tuned.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Thanks for listening to the Gardening Simplified podcast, brought to
you by Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs. Our award winning
flowering shrubs and evergreens are trialed and tested by experts
with your success in mind. Learn more at Proven Winners
color Choice dot com.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Welcome back to the Little Shop of Horticulture, Stacy. We
could probably do three, four five shows on this because
thinking about it, for example, someone could say you haven't
mentioned poison ivy yet, and is poison ivy the worst
thing growing on planet Earth? Some people would argue that
maybe it's a harsh assessment as far as summertime problems go.
(32:40):
A bad case of poison ivy competes with horrible sunburn,
a swarm of black fly and mosquito bites. Or how
about the ubiquitous European paper wasp that loves to congregate
under your deck, your patio furniture, and when disturbed, packs
a punch. There's all kinds of weeds like bind weed.
(33:03):
I call that frankenvine is what I call it. And
there are different types of bind weed. There's a hedge
bind weed, and then there's one that's a relative to
the morning glory family called field bind weed. And this
thing is a real problem. And I think we have
to take our cues from the agriculture industry, and that
is bind weed can become a real problem in fields.
(33:27):
And the problem that it creates Stacey is not necessarily
the esthetic issues, but its root system is extensive and
it sucks a lot of water out of the ground,
and if you have a year like we had this
past year with drought and heat, can create some problems.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Yeah, And you know, I think one of the biggest
issues and I'm certainly guilty of this. Well before I
was in horticulture school, but when I was working as
a landscaper. You're out there, you're weeding, You're like, oh,
a wild morning glory. How lovely exactly because the flowers
do look very much like a morning glory. And so
if you have this in your yard and you're weeding,
you might be inclined to say, hey, this is perfectly lovely.
(34:07):
I'm going to leave this go. You should not.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
You will regret it.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Not to mention that by letting it go to flour
you're just going to get more seeds to spread more,
and that is really scary thing about weeds. They're very
very successful at spreading and growing. So look up bind weed.
There may be different types of bind weed that are
native to your area, and know what you're dealing with,
so you don't just think that you have some special
(34:32):
wild morning glory popping up in your yard.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
Yeah. Some people refer to it common name as devil's
weed or devil's guts, so careful gy, Yeah it is.
How about Dodd. It's an annual seed bearing parasitic vine.
Now more of a problem in the south than it is.
Let's say here, in the north or with our Canadian friends.
But this is, you know, one of these parasitic type vines.
(34:58):
It's fascinating how it well, you know, the seeds will
fall to the soil, and then when the growing season starts,
it starts to grow and it tries to find something
to latch onto, and then once it does, it abandons
the roots and basically sucks the life out of the
plant that it's consuming. Dotter, it's an annual seed bearing
parasitic vine that's got to be in the shop of horror.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
Oh absolutely, And I distinctly remember the first time that
I ever encountered daughter and I freaked out. I mean it, so,
you know, you're obviously you're envisioning sort of everything that
Rick just describes so well. But what Rick didn't mention
is that it is this bright yellow orange color.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
So it's not green.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
It is this weird bright yellow orange that looks like
something that like dropped out of some sort of alien
ship or something. And yeah, I remember, so I was
working again as a landscaper, going way back here to
all of those those old times, and we had this
little kind of bed at the entrance to a subdivision
or a condo development or something like that, and there
was it was all planted with you know, annuals and
(36:02):
one time, you know, we came there to do our annualine,
our our weekly or bi weekly weeding or whatever, and
the whole bed was covered in this orange spaghetti looking thing.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
Crazy.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
It happened so fast, you know, because we were doing
relatively regular maintenance. Adriana is going for her phone because
she's got to get the mental image. So if you
need the mental image, be sure to check us out
on YouTube.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
Yeah, and Stacy, let me quick mention if you're keeping
score at home or you're in the car listening on
the radio or podcast d O D D E R.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Yes, scot cascuda is its scientific name. Adriana has a
big frown on her face because she just looked up
the daughter c us c us t a. So it's
kind of a fun, uh scientific name. But yeah, So
then it makes these little suckering structures that it attaches
to the host plant with. They're called astoria H A
(36:54):
U S T R I A and yeah, so there
they aren't just using the plant's as structure that they
literally make these little mouth like structures that directly connect
to the plants, and they are literally sucking the xylum
and connecting to the xylum and flow and sucking the
water and sugar out of the host plant. And yet
(37:14):
once it is established, it totally disconnects from the ground.
So you can't even trace this thing back and find
a place to pull it and sever it if you
have daughter. If you had daughter in a bed, then
I would honestly just recommend that you take out everything
that's in it, and I would use a pre emergent
in that bed, even if that means that you couldn't
(37:35):
grow something that you wanted to. And of course a
pre emergent is fine as long as you're not trying
to grow from seed. Daughter is a true annual, so
you don't have to worry about the plant returning. But
as a weed, it does put out a ton of seeds.
And yeah, you don't see it often here, but you
do see it.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
So, yeah, the plants are weakly photosynthetic. More So, as
Stacey mentioned, the host storia basically just tap into the
plant's vasculars Yep, they just.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Chuck the juices right out like a barnacle or something.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
I've got a hot take. Hot take controversial plant in
my shop of horticultural horrors, and people are going to
be upset with me, oh marigolds, But again, remember I
come from the garden center industry. I have handled hundreds
and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of flats over the
(38:27):
course of my lifetime. And when you've handled fifty two thousand,
five hundred and sixty seven flats of marigolds and you
smell like them, you do not like marigles hardy. I
had to get that, all right, fair you had your
win chimes. I got my marigolds, hardy orchid, broad leaf
helleborine drives me crazy. And then we've got to mention
(38:48):
for a lot of people, especially on the East coast Northeast,
are dealing with spotted lantern fly. And this thing is
an invasive species that has spread to eighteen states in
the United States. Key areas that have been affected are Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, New York, Virginia. But it's moving along.
(39:08):
We're waiting for it here in Michigan to appear. And
this is an invasive insect that will basically do damage
to all kinds of plants, but loves the tree of heaven. Yeah,
ilanthis and ilanthus is another shop of horticulture horrors. That
(39:29):
tree is it is? So I got to mention it.
Speaker 2 (39:31):
No, and that's good to mention because now, especially if
you live in an area, well, maybe it's not a
good idea to remove any ilanthis if you don't have
spotted lantern fly yet, because then that just means they're
going to eat your other stuff as soon as they arrive.
And they're like, wait, what, no, right, exactly, better go
eat your Japanese maple because maple is one of their
favorite other foods and when they can't get the ilanthis.
(39:53):
But yeah, and unfortunately it's just a matter of time
because they One of the main ways that they spread
is if you make a nice road trip to an
area where there is spotted lantern fly, they love to
lay their eggs on cars. Yeah, and so that is
one of the ways. You know, it's not just a
situation where the insect itself is just flying and you know,
moving its range a little bit here and there. Humans
(40:14):
are actively playing apart. It's spreading it by you know,
accidentally transporting the eggs.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
And in that adult stage, they don't necessarily have to
fly as a matter of fact, they like to go
for a walk. They take a walk. So if you're
out there on the patio in summer and you've got one,
you're sweating and they're crawling up the back of your neck.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
Have you seen one yet a spotted lantern fly?
Speaker 1 (40:35):
My daughter has described in detail to me what it's
like to sit in Pennsylvania. Oh, okay, and when she
was living there.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
Oh, I have not seen one yet. I truly dread
the day when I do. But yeah, anyone I know
on the East Coast is just, you know, saying horrible
things about you know, how they're just ruining your ability
to sit outside, and they just they can conglomerate. So
there's bunches of them. But at least when there's a
lot a lot of them, you can you know, kill
a whole bunch at once with like a fly swater.
(41:04):
So get to know what they look like, so you know,
if they do reach you what they're actually quite pretty.
I mean I hate to say that about them because
they are so destructive, but they are quite lovely.
Speaker 1 (41:15):
We've got to include on the list, and there are
hundreds of plants and invasive species we could include, and
we're gonna have to do an additional show on this,
but I got to make sure to throw in here
calorie pair. Good intentions got out of control. You know,
it's one of the first trees to bloom in the spring,
covered with white flowers that have this objectionable fouls smell
(41:36):
to them. Some people say they smell like mothballs or
ammonia or whatever, but it just doesn't smell well. The
tree grows at upright angles with weak crotches that break
with age. And of course, Stacey, the problem here this
plant has become highly invasive and crowds out native species.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
Oh, the invasive on this plant is really out of control.
I mean, if you drive pretty much anywhere at least
I can speak for the eastern half of the US
anywhere in the spring when it's in bloom. You know,
you don't really notice it too much when it's not
in bloom, but when it is in bloom, you just
see how utterly widespread it has become. And this isn't
as simple as just saying like, oh, hey, I'll just
(42:19):
take my little trowel with me on a hike and
you know, take up any invasive species. I mean, you
need a chainsaw to manage this invasive species and that
is dangerous.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Scary.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
You got it, boy, what a scary show. Maintain your composture.
We're here for you in coming weeks and we'd love
your questions and your comments. Send them to us. Remember
we're on YouTube, podcast and radio. Thank you Stacy Rick
or re ooh Rick Rick or treat.
Speaker 3 (42:48):
Rick or treat everybody.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
Thank you, Rick, Thank you very much. Thanks Adriana, and
thank you. Have a great week.
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