Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's guarden with Scott Berlin.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
I'm here with Jennifer Smith from Wimburg Landscaping here in town,
and in just a second we'll talk to Irvin Atn
from Newfields in Indianapolis. A great homested garden. But I
just wanted to mention real quick before we do that. Jennifer,
you had a great newsletter on the Wimberg website that
I caught. It came out Thursday or Friday, I think,
(00:21):
and you made a really good point that we should
give our how did you phrase this, We give ourselves
full permission, if not hard, a hard order, the purchase
plants that may not be in bloom on Mother's Day.
Well said very important. Everybody buys their plants on Mother's Day.
They buy what's in bloom and what the rest of
(00:41):
the year. Starkness, starkness.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
It's bad, it's bad, It's really bad.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
You said that there's truly no wrong way to arrange
your plants, meaning that.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Well you get into a group and block and matrix.
I think people are stressing out over it, like just
do what.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
You want your tall plants in front of short ones.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
But yeah, okay, and I like this last point too,
what's most important to consider is what you like and
how you want to garden. Your garden should reflect your
personality a man. You also mentioned our friend, your core cohort,
Sarah Geiger Bean, is giving a talk on May nineteenth
at Wimberg called.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Think like a Bee. Isn't that cool? Yea?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
So making gardens that reflect your own personality. This is
where Irvin comes in.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Irvin, are you there, I'm here.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Can you imagine making a garden that's not reflecting your personality?
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (01:43):
That would be torture, true torture.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
No one should be forced to do that.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
I mean you, you obviously your home garden, and you
have your work garden. And the work garden has to
be more than you probably but at home mm hmmm yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
Buy what you love, plant what you love. It's your
it's time, energy, and money.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Without a doubt.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
You do work at new Fields, which is, like I
just said, an Olmsted designed public garden. Brothers okay themselves
did not do the design. Ah, okay, good point, but
it's a classic Olmstead look and it's there with the
Indianapolis Museum of Art. A lot of resources and effort
(02:33):
put into it, into the gardens in the last decade maybe,
and the place last especially, And I'm just going to say,
if you're ever in that Indianapolis area or even maybe
as a destination, go there. It's a great art museum,
but it's really a great garden easy from here.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, and you might even see Irvan in the gardens.
You might, just might. You're also a blog and writer.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
You've got all kinds of awards, and uh, you were
featured in the Max what was it, The Max Gardening
Gardens to the Max Chase of Ward's recent books.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
So that's all cool. Your new garden.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
I mean, how long ago was it you took your
entire city garden and moved it to the country.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
That was what five or six years ago?
Speaker 5 (03:24):
It will be seven in all seven?
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Yeah, time flies, I.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
Could stupidly so stupidly so.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
And your garden was packed with mostly a lot of tropicals,
but a lot of just great plants. Uh, and you
just boxed it up and took it. I can't imagine
what what an effort that must have been.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Not everything made it. But when I moved everything, I
stored every tons of stuff at Chad Frainger's house.
Speaker 5 (03:57):
And I had three hundred some that I.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Moved three hundreds and pots of plants, of hardy plants.
Speaker 5 (04:05):
That doesn't count the delicate.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Stuff, which had to be at least as much more,
I would think, because you're such a collector of bananas
and canna is yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
And if that weren't enough, you also hauled rabbits and
ducks and chickens.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Who finally got their chicken their country life, you know.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Out there in the in the uh what do you say,
the rural part of Indiana?
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Rural? Yes, yes, in the open fields surrounded by open
fields and lots of wind.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Lots and lots of wind, which is not easy with
tropical plants.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
Now there's some issues on occasion.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Yeah, and you fill this garden up. I mean, how
big is your garden now? In in in the country.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Honestly, the first year I put in four five thousand
square feet and I don't I've lost track since then.
And to be brutally honest, and you know, guarden's all
about honesty, right, except we don't want anybody.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
To know anything.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
While yeah, once in a while, but where'd you get that?
Speaker 1 (05:24):
I don't know somebody.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
Anyway, I have.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Not readed my shade garden three years, so this is
my summer of schalvenging the Shade garden. It's just life
gets busy, and I've discovered that in space.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
The last couple of years.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
But you know, it's it is what it is, and
you roll with the punches. I'm slowly, very very slowly
trying to accept that I didn't get done, and it's okay.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
I just I'm imagining, like looking from space, you're looking
on Google Earth, and you're looking at your garden out
in the country, jam packed with plants and tropical plants
and things, surrounded by farm fields and farmers.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Yes, how have the neighbors responded?
Speaker 4 (06:20):
I one time, I've phoned to a friend of mine
that lives out here also, and I'm going to comment,
probably on Facebook, but somebody's say, well, what do the
people say? Not It's like I no one's ever said anything.
I don't know if they even notice. And this friend
of mine was like, oh.
Speaker 5 (06:35):
They notice.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
They know they're talking.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
Obviously, those of us of a certain personality quirk. Our
gardens look different from everybody else, so we have usually
more than everybody else, and no one has this, And
I mean.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
You know, they probably just think you're this eccentric country
gardener from you probably came from England.
Speaker 5 (07:04):
Don't follow the weird old guy down the road. Just
don't bother him. He's weeding.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
He might be dangerous. We don't know. We don't know.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Frankie when he's in the middle of weeding, hasn't planeted
Italias yet.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yeah, he's all upset because he's behind, as we always are.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
Yeah, And you know, I don't know what to say
about it. It's what I do.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
The kind of garden I do is not for the
vast majority of people.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
And I'm okay with that, and they should be okay
with that. And whenever I.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Get lectures or write some article about it or whatever,
I don't expect anybody to do what I'm doing. But
they can't get ideas of plants to use, ways to
arrange plants. You know, you don't want a hundred square
feet of cannons and die, of.
Speaker 5 (08:00):
Course not probably you've got brain function. Probably, But you
might have two or three containers you want to tow
some in.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Absolutely, and you can do this.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
You know, whatever I'm throwing in the ground in the
spring could go into a container instead, But then I
wouldn't water and near but die. So it's better the
ground where there's a noble's chance in hell that mother
Nature will drop some rain on it.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
Lately, rain is real, as you know, rain is.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
It has a mind of its own. Yeah, it's just
there's no consistency anymore. Just that's what it does.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Apparently I don't have to I don't have control over
that either.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
We were lamenting the before. There's nothing we can do.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
I'll tell you what, Ervyon, We'll take a break and uh,
when we get back, we'll carry on this conversation. You're
listening to let Garden with Scott Berlin will be bright
numbers eight hundred eight two three eighty two fifty five.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
I'm here with.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Jennifer Smith and and also with Urban at n one
of my favorite people and a great gardener, uh and
kind of a superstar sort of in a way. Irvan
I mentioned that you know, almost every professional horticulturist that
I know, Uh, they get their fill of gardening during
(09:18):
their work hours and go home to relatively small gardens.
You're you're on the extreme opposite of that that spectrum.
You're your passion for your passion for horticulture, for gardens,
and plants.
Speaker 5 (09:31):
Is is.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
You know in the Michael Jordan kind of elevation of
of of.
Speaker 5 (09:38):
The world without the page.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Without how do you keep it together? How do you
how do you do you ever burn out? Yes, I'm
actually glad to hear that.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
Last summer or yeah, last summer I got things in late,
especially Valuas and the elephantar type things, the Colocasia allocasia nonsense,
and then we had dry a dry summer here. I
was dry here than forty miles west at work, and
(10:16):
I'm on a whale, so I'm not watering all the time.
I try to get things established and I do a
little bit anyway.
Speaker 5 (10:22):
By fall the.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
Daluas where the colloccations and stuff were just crap, and
it was like.
Speaker 5 (10:32):
You all, you all are not coming in the house
this winter. I'm not I don't have the energy.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
I don't know that you would make it even And
so I was like, die and live a happy life
someplace else.
Speaker 5 (10:45):
And so there there you have moments like that.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
And my my only thing there is it was something
you know, that was truly special, maybe something I could
not find possibly again, or something and that somebody important
gave to me. I would dig into the gut and
find that extra bit of energy. But I'm sorry, if
it's a black or yellow color casion, go die and
(11:13):
leave me alone. You just.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
It's funny.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
When you burn out like that, you kind of wonder
will it ever come back? And it's amazing how quickly
the passion and the energy comes back.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Right then you see he's strong, and you make it
through December, and you make it through January and early February.
One day you just snap and the next thing you know,
you have three orders.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Online and the credit card comes out.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
Talk about that, Scott, Let's not talk about that awful
part when the bank where the credit card bill comes
due and you're like, I do to the truck stop
again some money?
Speaker 2 (11:52):
What would you you're I think if when I think
of you, I'm thinking tropicals. I know you're you're broader
than that, but you're so strong in the tropics. For
for home gardeners, what would be like your number one
couple of things to say that that could really help
them learn and and and enjoy tropical plants.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
First of all, the really simple group of plants to
buy for the look is cannas, bananas and the elephant ears.
Those automatically take the mind kind of to the tropics.
You can buy hardy bananas so you don't have to
dig them every year. That'll save you some energy, time
and energy. There are two or three hearty co occasions
(12:38):
on the market now again could save you some time
and energy. Sometimes canneth even will come back. I've had
to come back the last couple of years.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
You just never know.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
Unfortunately, you know, no one tells you're in October that
it's a safe winter not to dig. Yeah, but so
first of all, stick to just a few plants like that.
Remember that you do not have to dig them and
save them. That yeah, betweens you bought you are not
(13:09):
going to save that come fall. Correct, So if the
fifteen dollars canna come fall, you're like, oh, didn't leave it.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
It's okay, right, Isaiah. Think the most important thing is
don't don't think you have to save everything.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
It's just not the fact you do. But if it
makes you happy to save it, yes, But otherwise you're
spending more money on food when you eat out, on
tickets to this or that, they give you one night
of joy or whatever. You spend that twenty five fifty
(13:48):
dollars on a plant, and you're guaranteed six months.
Speaker 5 (13:50):
At least of joy.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
So you look at the money you're putting down and
the plants are the much better value.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
That's a great way to look at it. That is
a good way to look at I like that very
forgiving too.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
Yeah, yeah, because I get that.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Question a lot.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, a lot.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
Oh I have to dig them, no, precious, you don't.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Yeah, how much soil preparation is important. I know, when
you just moved a lot of material out to your
whole new garden, did you do a whole lot of
soil preparation.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
I have incredible, beautiful Lomi soil here.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Oh, I hate you.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
It's amazing. It's truly amazing. The only prep I do
it's like all my rabbit manure goes into the garden,
and that's a mixture of rabbit manure and urine and
wood shaving, so it's incredible. It's furtilizers. Plus I'm improving
soil texture all the time. If you have decent garden soil,
(14:59):
you don't have to do much. If it's kind of
rough stuff, you know, clay that you find in a
new subdivision or even an old subdivision, I say, compost
is your answer. Try to find a good compost to
mix in. Otherwise I don't do a lot of anything.
I do not furtilize anything that goes in.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
The ground, nothing at all.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
No at work, I for lize my annuals at work
and maybe on occasion a perennial, but at home I
never for lies stuff in the garden.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
Again, I'm putting down when.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
You're every year and one, we're not going to be
doing that.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
And that's when you can put down straight out, straight away.
You don't have to compost.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
It correct so you can just it does not burn.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Right, you just throw it in. Do you mix it
down or you just throw it on top?
Speaker 4 (15:48):
If I have a hole, I'll mix it in.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
But usually when i'm doing it, it's my mulch.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
If I get the garden cleaned up in the fall,
which news flash, I did not last year. Uh everybody, Yeah,
it was a glorious year, wasn't it.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (16:09):
And you know all the fall and winter when year
can go directly onto the gardens. Otherwise I make a
big pile out by the barn, and then in the spring,
as I weed areas, I bring it in and cover
things up. But I realized most people don't have access
to that obviously. But if or if you're somewhere that
has uh access to Horseman.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
You're.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Yeah, that's that's that's really important. If you have that access,
take advantage of it.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Real quick, we got less than a minute. What are
some of your favorite places to buy tropical plants?
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (16:48):
In Ohio Bakers Acres.
Speaker 6 (16:52):
I have an order there right now.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
Is Groovy Plant Rights of course, yeah online, I'll use anybody.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
Uh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
By Botanicals down by Louisville. And I've done plant the
light dot done well.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
We got to go IRV and we'll carry this on.
We'll have you back again real soon.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
You're listening Let's got Garden with Scott Berline, Joe Boggs
his neck, Let's Garden with Scott Berlin, and here with
Jennifer Smith from Wimburg Landscaping and all of you people
who have been listening for a long time to the
Ron Wilson Show.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
In the Garden with Ron Wilson. Uh, we'll be very
happy to hear our next guest, a long time favorite
and what a what a resource of great information and
just a goofball.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Uh. We have Joe Joe Boggs on the line. Joe,
how are you.
Speaker 6 (17:49):
I'm doing great, and uh it's nice to hear you too, Jennifer.
That's that was a surprise. That was fantastic.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
You know, I just couldn't be here alone. I just
can't do that.
Speaker 6 (18:00):
So oh no, this is great. Oh this is outstanding.
You know, I have to say the previous guest right
at the very end. You know, all I heard was
access to horse maneuver, and I thought that was Mike Cue.
I thought, well, you know you were going to immediately
introduce me. That's it.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Yeah, man, Well we have lots of things to talk about.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Yeah, whatmer Earlier today, early in the show, Evelyn called
and talked about TICS. Uh this is actually National Line
Disease Awareness Month, and what a good reminder to talk
about TICS. What I saw you had a big live
about ticks that came out just a few days ago. Uh,
what's new in that world?
Speaker 6 (18:48):
Well, I'll tell you the one thing that's new, well,
two things actually, the first being that many of us
grew up with a tick, you know, called American dog tick.
It was just I grew up in West Virginia. You
grew up around here, right, Scott, So American dog tick
and you know that was that was that was the tick.
And and yes it could carry a very serious disease
(19:11):
Rocky Mountain spotted fever. But but we just we were
just sort of used to it. Every time you went out,
you come back and check yourself for ticks. You know,
That's how I grew up in West Virginia, very very
very common. So the first change is we now have
more than just American dog tick, the deer tick or
black leg tick. You know, that was that came along first.
(19:33):
And of course, as you just said, you know, line
disease came on the scene, which took a long time
to recognize. And and now we have a lone Star tick. Now.
You know, the Southern listeners that lone Star tick is
nothing new, but for us in Ohio, it's it's something new.
And of course it has a different complement of diseases
(19:54):
that it spread. Some ones, some scary ones, Asian longhorn tick,
which I keep thinking, you know, it looks like a
longhorn beetle, you know, a great big long antenna. But
of course that's just me. But all of these ticks,
of course can spread you know, very serious diseases. So
unlike when I grew up, which I didn't really worry
(20:16):
about ticks.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Now I do know you didn't really grow up well.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
I just kind of paused and development. Yes, that's right. Yeah,
I'm just moving along now right there. But you know,
we do have repellent now. Dep dee t is a
very effective repellent. I actually can't get that on my skin,
believe it or not. I become even goofier than normal. Yeah,
(20:42):
some people are sensitive to it, but you know, you
can spread on your clothes. I actually have a couple
pairs of pants and some socks that I've treated with
a a pyrithroid tick repellent. It's permethron and it's actually
a product that you can buy. It's just about any
sporting store. Actually, you can get it just about everywhere.
(21:07):
And that's a very effective repellent. The military actually uses
it for treating clothing that you can even buy pick
treated clothing, and that's what they do. Very effective. And
I would just strongly urge, you know, don't mess around
with exposure to ticks because even line disease, I'm saying that, like, okay,
(21:30):
it's becoming less of a. It's still a big deal.
Really really knock a person down. And these other diseases,
I mean, the one that can make you allergic to
meet gee whiz. I mean I would just be eat asparagus.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Right, But.
Speaker 6 (21:48):
So so protect yourself. That's the main point.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
When you treat your clothing with permeteran, how long does
that last? Do you have to retreat at some point?
Speaker 6 (21:59):
Oh, that's excellent question. No, you don't. You do need
to retreat it, of course, Scott. Every time that we
mentioned a pesticide, anything that is used. In this case,
it's a repellent. But still, you know, you must read
and follow those label directions. For example, when you do
treat the clothing, you don't treat it while you're wearing it.
You're not spraying on like you might deep so in
(22:22):
my case, for example, I go outside, just hang them
up and spray them down and let him completely dry.
That's what the that's what the label says to do.
And then it can last anywhere from all about four months, however,
and you can wash them. However, I don't go quite
(22:43):
that long. I do it a little bit more frequently
because of course, you know, and I always get a
little concerned about, you know, how much of the crystals,
because that's what happens, it dries and becomes kind of
crystaline materialists and embedded in the fibers. How much How
long will that last through washing? And so I do retreat, Oh,
(23:05):
probably about every two months. But again it's not a
big deal compared to you know, what would happen if
you would contract one of these tickborn diseases.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
I saw recently a point online that said that cleaning
up yard debris, you know, at leaves and things, is
a step towards, you know, eliminating some of your tick population.
But that's the opposite of a lot of good gardening advice.
It does cleaning you know, cleaning up leaves, is that
(23:40):
actual tick habitat You.
Speaker 6 (23:43):
Know, it's interesting the you know, the the arthropods they're
not insects or more closely related to spiders. They require
they like to have high humidity. They can become subject
to drying out. By the way, it's kind of the
same thing with chiggers. So because of this onslaught of ticks,
it seems I mean, that's you know, it's in the
(24:05):
news a lot, rightfully, so you know, I think we're
starting to recognize Scott, that a lot of the things
that you and I've taught for years, and Jennifer, I mean,
you know, naturalized areas. You know, people we have a
saying that that you know, your lawn is the campus
on which you paint the rest of the landscaping, right,
(24:26):
you know, it's it's so you know, we've long taught Okay,
let's minimize turf grass and and take advantage of the
space with a lot of plant diversity, and that's that's
still something we hope to do. On the other hand,
one of the reasons that is speculated and I think
probably becoming very well supported that some of these ticks
(24:49):
are becoming problems closer to home is because we are
landscaping right up to the doorsteps. And so that is
a very important point that you're making. If you just
read about tick habitat, you will find unfortunately, a lot
of the things that we do enhances it. So that's
(25:09):
the first step I would say if you're designing and
working in your own landscaping and you're trying to decide, well,
I want to keep these at bay as you just said,
you know, cleaning up, keeping things debris and everything away,
and also just what you plant and where you plant it.
A turf grass buffer for example, you know when you're
(25:29):
mowing and you're keeping that turf grass kind of low,
so that not too low. Right, Remember we always want
people to you know, two and a half three inches tall.
But still that's not good tick habitat. And as I said,
I'm not implying we should reverse the wonderful things that
the designs I've seen Jennifer do the things you've done, Scott,
(25:51):
I'm not suggesting I think now though, we need to
consider landscape designs with ticks in mind.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Yeah, I'm wondering you since you said they like high moisture,
if irrigation might be a problem. If if you let
these areas with a lot of plants dry out from
time to time before before you water again.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
You know that if that constant, you know.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Every day or every other day, irrigation could be a factor.
Speaker 6 (26:21):
Well, that's a good that's a good point because and
you've just said it perfectly. You know, an irrigation system
is a two edged sword. Right, It's wonderful when you
have a drought. However, you know that's where we see
some of the best samples of root rots. If you
really want to find root rots and various plants over,
irrigation is a surefired way to get that to happen.
(26:43):
So there again, if you do have an irrigation system,
it just means you use it properly. And you've just
said it perfectly, Scott. We we need to consider, you know,
making sure to keep that space between that irrigation coming
on and off such that things are allowed to dry out.
A lot of these systems are set up, whether it's
(27:04):
raining or not, that needs to be taken into account.
But you're absolutely right, you do need to.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
It's better for that garden to you know, absolutely turf
may want water every day in a small amount, but
really your garden you want a good soaking and then
allowed to dry out and then a good soaking again.
Speaker 6 (27:25):
Well and actually, you know, I I teach something a
little different about turf grass. You know, it's not our
cool season. Turf grasses aren't intended to be green in August.
Let that sink in a little bit. They're they're designed,
I mean they're they're they've evolved so that they go
dormant in hot, dry weather. Kentucky bluegrass turf type Paul
(27:45):
fescue for example. You know they're they're cool season grasses.
So if you don't irrigate heavily, I mean every day
is way too often. You know, once a week can
be good enough. But then we move into the summer season,
we move into hot and dry conditions. It's not a
bad idea to back off and let your and let
(28:08):
the turf grass actually go brown.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
I know people don't like that.
Speaker 6 (28:11):
Look, but that's how you're You're also dodging a lot
of turf grass diseases. Yeah, because that's the other challenge
with with over irrigation of turf grass. So we have
a lot of built in features out there that can
suppress ticks if we just think about what ticks need.
And then also, as I said before, just manage your landscaping.
(28:32):
So we're not making it perfect.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
For ticks exactly. I'll tell you what.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Joe will take a break and when we come back,
we'll talk about stuff that isn't tick related. How's that
sound Okay? All right, you're listening. Let's got Garden with
Scott Berlin. Will be back shortly here with Jennifer Smith
and on the phone with one of my favorite people.
Joe Bogs one of everybody's favorite people.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
I think we've.
Speaker 6 (28:58):
Had a lot of fun over the years. I had
to chuckle.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Yeah, we share, hear in your voice, share the weird,
weirdest sense of humor. Uh, we do. Everybody else gets
that's right.
Speaker 6 (29:10):
Yes, yeah. There've been a few times where we've actually
seen the lead balloon go across the floor, right, you know, yeah,
I think, oh, yeah, we're laughing, but everyone else is thinking,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
And you look at the expressions on their faces and
sort of that sick, embarrassed for you kind of yes.
Speaker 6 (29:27):
Yeah, last night. Sometimes they're headed for the exits, you know,
all those different reactions things.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
I want to mention that you're going to be on
every month now, I think we did. We call it,
say the first weekend of every month, the first s.
Speaker 6 (29:41):
Or the last I misread my calendar. You know, you
were surprised when I said to you, I'll talk to
you tomorrow, and it's like, oh my gosh, but.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
You know, so glad you were available and got you
on the show. So what else should we be looking
for out there?
Speaker 6 (30:00):
Well, I'll tell you. You know one thing though that
I think I don't know if we want to come
up with a name for the segment, but it just
occurred to me that, you know, I'm going to give
my age away a little bit. It's sort of like
gloom to spare and agony on me, right, I mean
when you think of those guys singing that, because you know,
I have to admit I'm you know, here we're talking about,
you know, beautiful plants most of the time, right, I mean,
(30:22):
Jenniferson with her designs, and here I come along and
it's like, oh, okay, here are all these bad things
that can happen. But you can learn from them though,
And that's what I think is important, is that if
you are dealing with, you know, an insect or disease
problem or the thing I'm going to talk about here
in a second, a weed problem. Yeah, the first thing
to do, yeah, is just look into the you know,
(30:43):
gather all the information you can. And and we do
have that outlet. It's called the Buckeye Yard and Garden
Line b yg L. If people just just google that,
you'll find that it will come up very quickly. And
I want to refer to a posting the idea just
to while back on two very serious plants that we
(31:05):
now find, I have to say, throughout much of the
United States, and that's poison hemlock and wild parsnip. Now,
let's first separate those two. Poison hemlock is one of
the most toxic plants that we can find in you know,
US landscaping. It's not put there obviously, it's a non
(31:26):
native invasive, but you have to ingest the toxin. You
have to get it inside of you. Wild parsnip, though,
it is a little different, and it is just as
it sounds. It's actually the same scientific name as parsnips
that you would grow in the garden, but these are
escaped and they've reverted back to the toxic form evolved
(31:50):
in Eastern Europe to defend themselves. And the toxicity from
wild parsnip is totally different. If you get the SAP
on your skin, it starts breaking down the DNA of
the epithermal cells and you get this big these big blisters,
very painful. They last a long time. It's called phyto
(32:10):
for plant photo for light dermatitis, phyto photodermatitis, and you
just don't want to mess around with that. Scott of
the two wild parson actually worries me more because the
reaction can take anywhere from twenty four to seventy two hours,
and it has to be exposed to light. So someone
(32:33):
may get the sap on their you know, on their arm,
and once the reaction starts, you know, a shower and
that's not going to stop it. So you may, you know,
go outside, you're weeding, and you've gotten your skin, you know,
and you don't do anything right away, and then you know,
two days later, you start getting these And sometimes people
(32:57):
don't connect the two obviously because well I was weeding
and I you know, but they don't realize what they
run into. And here's the really bad part with both
of these plants. They can grow together for reasons we
do not understand. You very commonly find poison hemlock and
wild parson growing side by side. And that's where the
(33:18):
misunderstanding can come from, where people think poison hemlock can
cause blistering. But any rate, the reason why I'm bringing
it up is both of these plants and identification is
very important poison hemlock. You look at the leave, the
compound leaves, they're very frelly. They're actually this plant was
actually brought to the US as an ornamental back in
(33:41):
the eighteen hundreds. The frilly leaves look a lot like
tarrot leaves. So you have this thing coming up kind
of freely now wild parson up. The leaves look a
little bit, I think a little bit like celery leaves.
But the real point is that at this time of year,
these plants are about to do something we call bolting.
(34:03):
They're biennial plants. They spend the first year is rosettes
just kind of growing low to the ground. The second
year they reproduce by first bolting, and they can rise.
Bois and hemlock can rise over seven feet tall. Wild
parts can be five to six feet tall. So you
see these things rising up rapidly. Now, once they flower,
(34:23):
you're kind of sunk because even if you cut them off,
you know, as you know and Jennifer, you know, there
are a lot of weeds. If they flower and you
cut them down, those flowers can still develop seeds even
after the plants are cut. So what we want people
to do is to make sure that they are looking
for these and then properly time And this is one
(34:45):
situation where frankly, herbicides are the safest approach. Oh, nocause.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
All the sap and juices in your it's just going
to get in your skin and your lungs.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
Parson, I'm actually quite attractive looking too, which is if
you were walking around you would say, oh, I love this.
I'm gonna dig it up and put in my garden.
I mean, yeah, it's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Knowing what these look like is key.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
And and your your article in in Beagle and again
that spuckeye yard and garden line. Uh, it's available easily
by googling. It's from Ohio State Extension.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
Your article does a great job of depicting these different plants,
and that's that's a great service.
Speaker 6 (35:38):
It is very important, and it's important to do two things.
Number one, suppress them and number two plant competition. So
we have some recommendations in there. And I got it.
I hear the music. I'm seeing the light, Jennifer, So
I can't believe it. Jo.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
It's been absolutely fun to hear your voice and get
you on the show. And I know everybody's going to
enjoy your your monthly appearance loosely based on what our
availability is and what is going on in the world.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
When you would call you in it for an emergency
at any time.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
There you go, yeah, but yeah, thanks again and we'll
see you in a month.
Speaker 6 (36:20):
Take care of Scott and Jennifer. Bye bye, goodbye.
Speaker 5 (36:23):
Hi Joe Uh.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
You're listening to Let's Guard with Scott Berlin.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
You can check out the podcast of past shows online.
Just google a lot Let's Guard with Scott Berlin and
stay with us.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
Jeff Epping is next. You don't want to miss it.
Let's guarden with Scott Berlin.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
I'm here with Jennifer Smith from Wimburg Landscaping here in town,
and in just a second we'll talk to Irvin Atn
from Newfields in Indianapolis. A great homested garden. But I
just wanted to mention real quick before we do that. Jennifer,
you had a great newsletter on the Wimberg website that
I caught. It came out Thursday or Friday, I think,
(00:21):
and you made a really good point that we should
give our how did you phrase this, We give ourselves
full permission, if not hard, a hard order, the purchase
plants that may not be in bloom on Mother's Day.
Well said very important. Everybody buys their plants on Mother's Day.
They buy what's in bloom and what the rest of
(00:41):
the year. Starkness, starkness.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
It's bad, it's bad, It's really bad.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
You said that there's truly no wrong way to arrange
your plants, meaning that.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Well you get into a group and block and matrix.
I think people are stressing out over it, like just
do what.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
You want your tall plants in front of short ones.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
But yeah, okay, and I like this last point too,
what's most important to consider is what you like and
how you want to garden. Your garden should reflect your
personality a man. You also mentioned our friend, your core cohort,
Sarah Geiger Bean, is giving a talk on May nineteenth
at Wimberg called.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Think like a Bee. Isn't that cool? Yea?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
So making gardens that reflect your own personality. This is
where Irvin comes in.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Irvin, are you there, I'm here.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Can you imagine making a garden that's not reflecting your personality?
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (01:43):
That would be torture, true torture.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
No one should be forced to do that.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
I mean you, you obviously your home garden, and you
have your work garden. And the work garden has to
be more than you probably but at home mm hmmm yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
Buy what you love, plant what you love. It's your
it's time, energy, and money.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Without a doubt.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
You do work at new Fields, which is, like I
just said, an Olmsted designed public garden. Brothers okay themselves
did not do the design. Ah, okay, good point, but
it's a classic Olmstead look and it's there with the
Indianapolis Museum of Art. A lot of resources and effort
(02:33):
put into it, into the gardens in the last decade maybe,
and the place last especially, And I'm just going to say,
if you're ever in that Indianapolis area or even maybe
as a destination, go there. It's a great art museum,
but it's really a great garden easy from here.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, and you might even see Irvan in the gardens.
You might, just might. You're also a blog and writer.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
You've got all kinds of awards, and uh, you were
featured in the Max what was it, The Max Gardening
Gardens to the Max Chase of Ward's recent books.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
So that's all cool. Your new garden.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
I mean, how long ago was it you took your
entire city garden and moved it to the country.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
That was what five or six years ago?
Speaker 5 (03:24):
It will be seven in all seven?
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Yeah, time flies, I.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
Could stupidly so stupidly so.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
And your garden was packed with mostly a lot of tropicals,
but a lot of just great plants. Uh, and you
just boxed it up and took it. I can't imagine
what what an effort that must have been.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Not everything made it. But when I moved everything, I
stored every tons of stuff at Chad Frainger's house.
Speaker 5 (03:57):
And I had three hundred some that I.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Moved three hundreds and pots of plants, of hardy plants.
Speaker 5 (04:05):
That doesn't count the delicate.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Stuff, which had to be at least as much more,
I would think, because you're such a collector of bananas
and canna is yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
And if that weren't enough, you also hauled rabbits and
ducks and chickens.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Who finally got their chicken their country life, you know.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Out there in the in the uh what do you say,
the rural part of Indiana?
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Rural? Yes, yes, in the open fields surrounded by open
fields and lots of wind.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Lots and lots of wind, which is not easy with
tropical plants.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
Now there's some issues on occasion.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Yeah, and you fill this garden up. I mean, how
big is your garden now? In in in the country.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Honestly, the first year I put in four five thousand
square feet and I don't I've lost track since then.
And to be brutally honest, and you know, guarden's all
about honesty, right, except we don't want anybody.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
To know anything.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
While yeah, once in a while, but where'd you get that?
Speaker 1 (05:24):
I don't know somebody.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
Anyway, I have.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Not readed my shade garden three years, so this is
my summer of schalvenging the Shade garden. It's just life
gets busy, and I've discovered that in space.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
The last couple of years.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
But you know, it's it is what it is, and
you roll with the punches. I'm slowly, very very slowly
trying to accept that I didn't get done, and it's okay.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
I just I'm imagining, like looking from space, you're looking
on Google Earth, and you're looking at your garden out
in the country, jam packed with plants and tropical plants
and things, surrounded by farm fields and farmers.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Yes, how have the neighbors responded?
Speaker 4 (06:20):
I one time, I've phoned to a friend of mine
that lives out here also, and I'm going to comment,
probably on Facebook, but somebody's say, well, what do the
people say? Not It's like I no one's ever said anything.
I don't know if they even notice. And this friend
of mine was like, oh.
Speaker 5 (06:35):
They notice.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
They know they're talking.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
Obviously, those of us of a certain personality quirk. Our
gardens look different from everybody else, so we have usually
more than everybody else, and no one has this, And
I mean.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
You know, they probably just think you're this eccentric country
gardener from you probably came from England.
Speaker 5 (07:04):
Don't follow the weird old guy down the road. Just
don't bother him. He's weeding.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
He might be dangerous. We don't know. We don't know.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Frankie when he's in the middle of weeding, hasn't planeted
Italias yet.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yeah, he's all upset because he's behind, as we always are.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
Yeah, And you know, I don't know what to say
about it. It's what I do.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
The kind of garden I do is not for the
vast majority of people.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
And I'm okay with that, and they should be okay
with that. And whenever I.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Get lectures or write some article about it or whatever,
I don't expect anybody to do what I'm doing. But
they can't get ideas of plants to use, ways to
arrange plants. You know, you don't want a hundred square
feet of cannons and die, of.
Speaker 5 (08:00):
Course not probably you've got brain function. Probably, But you
might have two or three containers you want to tow
some in.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Absolutely, and you can do this.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
You know, whatever I'm throwing in the ground in the
spring could go into a container instead, But then I
wouldn't water and near but die. So it's better the
ground where there's a noble's chance in hell that mother
Nature will drop some rain on it.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
Lately, rain is real, as you know, rain is.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
It has a mind of its own. Yeah, it's just
there's no consistency anymore. Just that's what it does.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Apparently I don't have to I don't have control over
that either.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
We were lamenting the before. There's nothing we can do.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
I'll tell you what, Ervyon, We'll take a break and uh,
when we get back, we'll carry on this conversation. You're
listening to let Garden with Scott Berlin will be bright
numbers eight hundred eight two three eighty two fifty five.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
I'm here with.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Jennifer Smith and and also with Urban at n one
of my favorite people and a great gardener, uh and
kind of a superstar sort of in a way. Irvan
I mentioned that you know, almost every professional horticulturist that
I know, Uh, they get their fill of gardening during
(09:18):
their work hours and go home to relatively small gardens.
You're you're on the extreme opposite of that that spectrum.
You're your passion for your passion for horticulture, for gardens,
and plants.
Speaker 5 (09:31):
Is is.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
You know in the Michael Jordan kind of elevation of
of of.
Speaker 5 (09:38):
The world without the page.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Without how do you keep it together? How do you
how do you do you ever burn out? Yes, I'm
actually glad to hear that.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
Last summer or yeah, last summer I got things in late,
especially Valuas and the elephantar type things, the Colocasia allocasia nonsense,
and then we had dry a dry summer here. I
was dry here than forty miles west at work, and
(10:16):
I'm on a whale, so I'm not watering all the time.
I try to get things established and I do a
little bit anyway.
Speaker 5 (10:22):
By fall the.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
Daluas where the colloccations and stuff were just crap, and
it was like.
Speaker 5 (10:32):
You all, you all are not coming in the house
this winter. I'm not I don't have the energy.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
I don't know that you would make it even And
so I was like, die and live a happy life
someplace else.
Speaker 5 (10:45):
And so there there you have moments like that.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
And my my only thing there is it was something
you know, that was truly special, maybe something I could
not find possibly again, or something and that somebody important
gave to me. I would dig into the gut and
find that extra bit of energy. But I'm sorry, if
it's a black or yellow color casion, go die and
(11:13):
leave me alone. You just.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
It's funny.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
When you burn out like that, you kind of wonder
will it ever come back? And it's amazing how quickly
the passion and the energy comes back.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Right then you see he's strong, and you make it
through December, and you make it through January and early February.
One day you just snap and the next thing you know,
you have three orders.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Online and the credit card comes out.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
Talk about that, Scott, Let's not talk about that awful
part when the bank where the credit card bill comes
due and you're like, I do to the truck stop
again some money?
Speaker 2 (11:52):
What would you you're I think if when I think
of you, I'm thinking tropicals. I know you're you're broader
than that, but you're so strong in the tropics. For
for home gardeners, what would be like your number one
couple of things to say that that could really help
them learn and and and enjoy tropical plants.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
First of all, the really simple group of plants to
buy for the look is cannas, bananas and the elephant ears.
Those automatically take the mind kind of to the tropics.
You can buy hardy bananas so you don't have to
dig them every year. That'll save you some energy, time
and energy. There are two or three hearty co occasions
(12:38):
on the market now again could save you some time
and energy. Sometimes canneth even will come back. I've had
to come back the last couple of years.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
You just never know.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
Unfortunately, you know, no one tells you're in October that
it's a safe winter not to dig. Yeah, but so
first of all, stick to just a few plants like that.
Remember that you do not have to dig them and
save them. That yeah, betweens you bought you are not
(13:09):
going to save that come fall. Correct, So if the
fifteen dollars canna come fall, you're like, oh, didn't leave it.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
It's okay, right, Isaiah. Think the most important thing is
don't don't think you have to save everything.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
It's just not the fact you do. But if it
makes you happy to save it, yes, But otherwise you're
spending more money on food when you eat out, on
tickets to this or that, they give you one night
of joy or whatever. You spend that twenty five fifty
(13:48):
dollars on a plant, and you're guaranteed six months.
Speaker 5 (13:50):
At least of joy.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
So you look at the money you're putting down and
the plants are the much better value.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
That's a great way to look at it. That is
a good way to look at I like that very
forgiving too.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
Yeah, yeah, because I get that.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Question a lot.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, a lot.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
Oh I have to dig them, no, precious, you don't.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Yeah, how much soil preparation is important. I know, when
you just moved a lot of material out to your
whole new garden, did you do a whole lot of
soil preparation.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
I have incredible, beautiful Lomi soil here.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Oh, I hate you.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
It's amazing. It's truly amazing. The only prep I do
it's like all my rabbit manure goes into the garden,
and that's a mixture of rabbit manure and urine and
wood shaving, so it's incredible. It's furtilizers. Plus I'm improving
soil texture all the time. If you have decent garden soil,
(14:59):
you don't have to do much. If it's kind of
rough stuff, you know, clay that you find in a
new subdivision or even an old subdivision, I say, compost
is your answer. Try to find a good compost to
mix in. Otherwise I don't do a lot of anything.
I do not furtilize anything that goes in.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
The ground, nothing at all.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
No at work, I for lize my annuals at work
and maybe on occasion a perennial, but at home I
never for lies stuff in the garden.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
Again, I'm putting down when.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
You're every year and one, we're not going to be
doing that.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
And that's when you can put down straight out, straight away.
You don't have to compost.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
It correct so you can just it does not burn.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Right, you just throw it in. Do you mix it
down or you just throw it on top?
Speaker 4 (15:48):
If I have a hole, I'll mix it in.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
But usually when i'm doing it, it's my mulch.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
If I get the garden cleaned up in the fall,
which news flash, I did not last year. Uh everybody, Yeah,
it was a glorious year, wasn't it.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (16:09):
And you know all the fall and winter when year
can go directly onto the gardens. Otherwise I make a
big pile out by the barn, and then in the spring,
as I weed areas, I bring it in and cover
things up. But I realized most people don't have access
to that obviously. But if or if you're somewhere that
has uh access to Horseman.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
You're.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Yeah, that's that's that's really important. If you have that access,
take advantage of it.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Real quick, we got less than a minute. What are
some of your favorite places to buy tropical plants?
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (16:48):
In Ohio Bakers Acres.
Speaker 6 (16:52):
I have an order there right now.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
Is Groovy Plant Rights of course, yeah online, I'll use anybody.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
Uh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
By Botanicals down by Louisville. And I've done plant the
light dot done well.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
We got to go IRV and we'll carry this on.
We'll have you back again real soon.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
You're listening Let's got Garden with Scott Berline, Joe Boggs
his neck, Let's Garden with Scott Berlin, and here with
Jennifer Smith from Wimburg Landscaping and all of you people
who have been listening for a long time to the
Ron Wilson Show.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
In the Garden with Ron Wilson. Uh, we'll be very
happy to hear our next guest, a long time favorite
and what a what a resource of great information and
just a goofball.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Uh. We have Joe Joe Boggs on the line. Joe,
how are you.
Speaker 6 (17:49):
I'm doing great, and uh it's nice to hear you too, Jennifer.
That's that was a surprise. That was fantastic.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
You know, I just couldn't be here alone. I just
can't do that.
Speaker 6 (18:00):
So oh no, this is great. Oh this is outstanding.
You know, I have to say the previous guest right
at the very end. You know, all I heard was
access to horse maneuver, and I thought that was Mike Cue.
I thought, well, you know you were going to immediately
introduce me. That's it.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Yeah, man, Well we have lots of things to talk about.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Yeah, whatmer Earlier today, early in the show, Evelyn called
and talked about TICS. Uh this is actually National Line
Disease Awareness Month, and what a good reminder to talk
about TICS. What I saw you had a big live
about ticks that came out just a few days ago. Uh,
what's new in that world?
Speaker 6 (18:48):
Well, I'll tell you the one thing that's new, well,
two things actually, the first being that many of us
grew up with a tick, you know, called American dog tick.
It was just I grew up in West Virginia. You
grew up around here, right, Scott, So American dog tick
and you know that was that was that was the tick.
And and yes it could carry a very serious disease
(19:11):
Rocky Mountain spotted fever. But but we just we were
just sort of used to it. Every time you went out,
you come back and check yourself for ticks. You know,
That's how I grew up in West Virginia, very very
very common. So the first change is we now have
more than just American dog tick, the deer tick or
black leg tick. You know, that was that came along first.
(19:33):
And of course, as you just said, you know, line
disease came on the scene, which took a long time
to recognize. And and now we have a lone Star tick. Now.
You know, the Southern listeners that lone Star tick is
nothing new, but for us in Ohio, it's it's something new.
And of course it has a different complement of diseases
(19:54):
that it spread. Some ones, some scary ones, Asian longhorn tick,
which I keep thinking, you know, it looks like a
longhorn beetle, you know, a great big long antenna. But
of course that's just me. But all of these ticks,
of course can spread you know, very serious diseases. So
unlike when I grew up, which I didn't really worry
(20:16):
about ticks.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Now I do know you didn't really grow up well.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
I just kind of paused and development. Yes, that's right. Yeah,
I'm just moving along now right there. But you know,
we do have repellent now. Dep dee t is a
very effective repellent. I actually can't get that on my skin,
believe it or not. I become even goofier than normal. Yeah,
(20:42):
some people are sensitive to it, but you know, you
can spread on your clothes. I actually have a couple
pairs of pants and some socks that I've treated with
a a pyrithroid tick repellent. It's permethron and it's actually
a product that you can buy. It's just about any
sporting store. Actually, you can get it just about everywhere.
(21:07):
And that's a very effective repellent. The military actually uses
it for treating clothing that you can even buy pick
treated clothing, and that's what they do. Very effective. And
I would just strongly urge, you know, don't mess around
with exposure to ticks because even line disease, I'm saying that, like, okay,
(21:30):
it's becoming less of a. It's still a big deal.
Really really knock a person down. And these other diseases,
I mean, the one that can make you allergic to
meet gee whiz. I mean I would just be eat asparagus.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Right, But.
Speaker 6 (21:48):
So so protect yourself. That's the main point.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
When you treat your clothing with permeteran, how long does
that last? Do you have to retreat at some point?
Speaker 6 (21:59):
Oh, that's excellent question. No, you don't. You do need
to retreat it, of course, Scott. Every time that we
mentioned a pesticide, anything that is used. In this case,
it's a repellent. But still, you know, you must read
and follow those label directions. For example, when you do
treat the clothing, you don't treat it while you're wearing it.
You're not spraying on like you might deep so in
(22:22):
my case, for example, I go outside, just hang them
up and spray them down and let him completely dry.
That's what the that's what the label says to do.
And then it can last anywhere from all about four months, however,
and you can wash them. However, I don't go quite
(22:43):
that long. I do it a little bit more frequently
because of course, you know, and I always get a
little concerned about, you know, how much of the crystals,
because that's what happens, it dries and becomes kind of
crystaline materialists and embedded in the fibers. How much How
long will that last through washing? And so I do retreat, Oh,
(23:05):
probably about every two months. But again it's not a
big deal compared to you know, what would happen if
you would contract one of these tickborn diseases.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
I saw recently a point online that said that cleaning
up yard debris, you know, at leaves and things, is
a step towards, you know, eliminating some of your tick population.
But that's the opposite of a lot of good gardening advice.
It does cleaning you know, cleaning up leaves, is that
(23:40):
actual tick habitat You.
Speaker 6 (23:43):
Know, it's interesting the you know, the the arthropods they're
not insects or more closely related to spiders. They require
they like to have high humidity. They can become subject
to drying out. By the way, it's kind of the
same thing with chiggers. So because of this onslaught of ticks,
it seems I mean, that's you know, it's in the
(24:05):
news a lot, rightfully, so you know, I think we're
starting to recognize Scott, that a lot of the things
that you and I've taught for years, and Jennifer, I mean,
you know, naturalized areas. You know, people we have a
saying that that you know, your lawn is the campus
on which you paint the rest of the landscaping, right,
(24:26):
you know, it's it's so you know, we've long taught Okay,
let's minimize turf grass and and take advantage of the
space with a lot of plant diversity, and that's that's
still something we hope to do. On the other hand,
one of the reasons that is speculated and I think
probably becoming very well supported that some of these ticks
(24:49):
are becoming problems closer to home is because we are
landscaping right up to the doorsteps. And so that is
a very important point that you're making. If you just
read about tick habitat, you will find unfortunately, a lot
of the things that we do enhances it. So that's
(25:09):
the first step I would say if you're designing and
working in your own landscaping and you're trying to decide, well,
I want to keep these at bay as you just said,
you know, cleaning up, keeping things debris and everything away,
and also just what you plant and where you plant it.
A turf grass buffer for example, you know when you're
(25:29):
mowing and you're keeping that turf grass kind of low,
so that not too low. Right, Remember we always want
people to you know, two and a half three inches tall.
But still that's not good tick habitat. And as I said,
I'm not implying we should reverse the wonderful things that
the designs I've seen Jennifer do the things you've done, Scott,
(25:51):
I'm not suggesting I think now though, we need to
consider landscape designs with ticks in mind.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Yeah, I'm wondering you since you said they like high moisture,
if irrigation might be a problem. If if you let
these areas with a lot of plants dry out from
time to time before before you water again.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
You know that if that constant, you know.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Every day or every other day, irrigation could be a factor.
Speaker 6 (26:21):
Well, that's a good that's a good point because and
you've just said it perfectly. You know, an irrigation system
is a two edged sword. Right, It's wonderful when you
have a drought. However, you know that's where we see
some of the best samples of root rots. If you
really want to find root rots and various plants over,
irrigation is a surefired way to get that to happen.
(26:43):
So there again, if you do have an irrigation system,
it just means you use it properly. And you've just
said it perfectly, Scott. We we need to consider, you know,
making sure to keep that space between that irrigation coming
on and off such that things are allowed to dry out.
A lot of these systems are set up, whether it's
(27:04):
raining or not, that needs to be taken into account.
But you're absolutely right, you do need to.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
It's better for that garden to you know, absolutely turf
may want water every day in a small amount, but
really your garden you want a good soaking and then
allowed to dry out and then a good soaking again.
Speaker 6 (27:25):
Well and actually, you know, I I teach something a
little different about turf grass. You know, it's not our
cool season. Turf grasses aren't intended to be green in August.
Let that sink in a little bit. They're they're designed,
I mean they're they're they've evolved so that they go
dormant in hot, dry weather. Kentucky bluegrass turf type Paul
(27:45):
fescue for example. You know they're they're cool season grasses.
So if you don't irrigate heavily, I mean every day
is way too often. You know, once a week can
be good enough. But then we move into the summer season,
we move into hot and dry conditions. It's not a
bad idea to back off and let your and let
(28:08):
the turf grass actually go brown.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
I know people don't like that.
Speaker 6 (28:11):
Look, but that's how you're You're also dodging a lot
of turf grass diseases. Yeah, because that's the other challenge
with with over irrigation of turf grass. So we have
a lot of built in features out there that can
suppress ticks if we just think about what ticks need.
And then also, as I said before, just manage your landscaping.
(28:32):
So we're not making it perfect.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
For ticks exactly. I'll tell you what.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Joe will take a break and when we come back,
we'll talk about stuff that isn't tick related. How's that
sound Okay? All right, you're listening. Let's got Garden with
Scott Berlin. Will be back shortly here with Jennifer Smith
and on the phone with one of my favorite people.
Joe Bogs one of everybody's favorite people.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
I think we've.
Speaker 6 (28:58):
Had a lot of fun over the years. I had
to chuckle.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Yeah, we share, hear in your voice, share the weird,
weirdest sense of humor. Uh, we do. Everybody else gets
that's right.
Speaker 6 (29:10):
Yes, yeah. There've been a few times where we've actually
seen the lead balloon go across the floor, right, you know, yeah,
I think, oh, yeah, we're laughing, but everyone else is thinking,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
And you look at the expressions on their faces and
sort of that sick, embarrassed for you kind of yes.
Speaker 6 (29:27):
Yeah, last night. Sometimes they're headed for the exits, you know,
all those different reactions things.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
I want to mention that you're going to be on
every month now, I think we did. We call it,
say the first weekend of every month, the first s.
Speaker 6 (29:41):
Or the last I misread my calendar. You know, you
were surprised when I said to you, I'll talk to
you tomorrow, and it's like, oh my gosh, but.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
You know, so glad you were available and got you
on the show. So what else should we be looking
for out there?
Speaker 6 (30:00):
Well, I'll tell you. You know one thing though that
I think I don't know if we want to come
up with a name for the segment, but it just
occurred to me that, you know, I'm going to give
my age away a little bit. It's sort of like
gloom to spare and agony on me, right, I mean
when you think of those guys singing that, because you know,
I have to admit I'm you know, here we're talking about,
you know, beautiful plants most of the time, right, I mean,
(30:22):
Jenniferson with her designs, and here I come along and
it's like, oh, okay, here are all these bad things
that can happen. But you can learn from them though,
And that's what I think is important, is that if
you are dealing with, you know, an insect or disease
problem or the thing I'm going to talk about here
in a second, a weed problem. Yeah, the first thing
to do, yeah, is just look into the you know,
(30:43):
gather all the information you can. And and we do
have that outlet. It's called the Buckeye Yard and Garden
Line b yg L. If people just just google that,
you'll find that it will come up very quickly. And
I want to refer to a posting the idea just
to while back on two very serious plants that we
(31:05):
now find, I have to say, throughout much of the
United States, and that's poison hemlock and wild parsnip. Now,
let's first separate those two. Poison hemlock is one of
the most toxic plants that we can find in you know,
US landscaping. It's not put there obviously, it's a non
(31:26):
native invasive, but you have to ingest the toxin. You
have to get it inside of you. Wild parsnip, though,
it is a little different, and it is just as
it sounds. It's actually the same scientific name as parsnips
that you would grow in the garden, but these are
escaped and they've reverted back to the toxic form evolved
(31:50):
in Eastern Europe to defend themselves. And the toxicity from
wild parsnip is totally different. If you get the SAP
on your skin, it starts breaking down the DNA of
the epithermal cells and you get this big these big blisters,
very painful. They last a long time. It's called phyto
(32:10):
for plant photo for light dermatitis, phyto photodermatitis, and you
just don't want to mess around with that. Scott of
the two wild parson actually worries me more because the
reaction can take anywhere from twenty four to seventy two hours,
and it has to be exposed to light. So someone
(32:33):
may get the sap on their you know, on their arm,
and once the reaction starts, you know, a shower and
that's not going to stop it. So you may, you know,
go outside, you're weeding, and you've gotten your skin, you know,
and you don't do anything right away, and then you know,
two days later, you start getting these And sometimes people
(32:57):
don't connect the two obviously because well I was weeding
and I you know, but they don't realize what they
run into. And here's the really bad part with both
of these plants. They can grow together for reasons we
do not understand. You very commonly find poison hemlock and
wild parson growing side by side. And that's where the
(33:18):
misunderstanding can come from, where people think poison hemlock can
cause blistering. But any rate, the reason why I'm bringing
it up is both of these plants and identification is
very important poison hemlock. You look at the leave, the
compound leaves, they're very frelly. They're actually this plant was
actually brought to the US as an ornamental back in
(33:41):
the eighteen hundreds. The frilly leaves look a lot like
tarrot leaves. So you have this thing coming up kind
of freely now wild parson up. The leaves look a
little bit, I think a little bit like celery leaves.
But the real point is that at this time of year,
these plants are about to do something we call bolting.
(34:03):
They're biennial plants. They spend the first year is rosettes
just kind of growing low to the ground. The second
year they reproduce by first bolting, and they can rise.
Bois and hemlock can rise over seven feet tall. Wild
parts can be five to six feet tall. So you
see these things rising up rapidly. Now, once they flower,
(34:23):
you're kind of sunk because even if you cut them off,
you know, as you know and Jennifer, you know, there
are a lot of weeds. If they flower and you
cut them down, those flowers can still develop seeds even
after the plants are cut. So what we want people
to do is to make sure that they are looking
for these and then properly time And this is one
(34:45):
situation where frankly, herbicides are the safest approach. Oh, nocause.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
All the sap and juices in your it's just going
to get in your skin and your lungs.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
Parson, I'm actually quite attractive looking too, which is if
you were walking around you would say, oh, I love this.
I'm gonna dig it up and put in my garden.
I mean, yeah, it's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Knowing what these look like is key.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
And and your your article in in Beagle and again
that spuckeye yard and garden line. Uh, it's available easily
by googling. It's from Ohio State Extension.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
Your article does a great job of depicting these different plants,
and that's that's a great service.
Speaker 6 (35:38):
It is very important, and it's important to do two things.
Number one, suppress them and number two plant competition. So
we have some recommendations in there. And I got it.
I hear the music. I'm seeing the light, Jennifer, So
I can't believe it. Jo.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
It's been absolutely fun to hear your voice and get
you on the show. And I know everybody's going to
enjoy your your monthly appearance loosely based on what our
availability is and what is going on in the world.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
When you would call you in it for an emergency
at any time.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
There you go, yeah, but yeah, thanks again and we'll
see you in a month.
Speaker 6 (36:20):
Take care of Scott and Jennifer. Bye bye, goodbye.
Speaker 5 (36:23):
Hi Joe Uh.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
You're listening to Let's Guard with Scott Berlin.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
You can check out the podcast of past shows online.
Just google a lot Let's Guard with Scott Berlin and
stay with us.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
Jeff Epping is next. You don't want to miss it.
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