Ep. 041 In late June it’s time to talk about repeat sowings of salad greens, foraging for lamb’s quarters, sending houseplants to summer camp, and all about Rosa rugosa. Ellen and C.L. end the episode with advice about how to keep a hanging basket looking good all summer.

Ep 040 Ellen and C.L. explain how to preserve the season’s bounty by dehydrating; which twelve herbs we would not be without; what needs to be done in early summer to keep your perennial garden looking great; and how to grow backup plants for use later in the summer.

Ep 039 – Asparagus, Marigolds for Insect Control, and Mixed Containers. Ellen and C.L. discus how you can grow asparagus (and what type to plant), explain about marigolds in the vegetable garden, and talk about designing mixed containers for your deck, yard, patio or porch.

Ep 038 – When Ellen and C.L. spoke at the NWFGS in Seattle in February, there were more questions that came in from the audience than they had time to answer. So this episode addresses all of those excellent written queries that we brought home with us. From deer to yellow jackets…favorite books to cleaning Smart Pots, your answers are here.

Ep 037 – Today we move from the lovely and delicious (edible flowers) to the strange and stinky (skunk cabbage). In our main segment we are all about drizzle and downpours as Ellen and C.L. discuss rain chains, rain barrels, rain gauges and rain gardens. We discuss the design and functional advantages to elevating containers and finish with a question about when to fertilize bulbs.

Ep. 036 This episode of Plantrama was recorded live at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle. We talk about great plants and products, provide cocktail hour recipes and give garden design tips gained from the displays at this flower show. Thanks to our good friends at Smart Pots for sponsoring our appearance.

Ep 035 – In this episode we talk about rhubarb and Japanese knotweed (the forager’s rhubarb?), what is meant by “curb appeal” and how to get it, The Invasion of The Garden Gnomes (should you be afraid?) and chickweed. C.L. challenges Ellen to create a chickweed cocktail. See the final beverage in our show notes: it’s practically a spring tonic!

Ep 034 – Ellen and C.L. discuss ideas for landscaping around a house with plants that have edible parts. We talk about how people grow houseplants from pits and seeds saved from supermarket fruit, plus discuss those cheery florist primroses you find in supermarkets and garden centers at this time of year.

Ep 033 – Ellen Zachos and C.L. Fornari talk about foraging for spring mustards and cresses, and if there is any truth to the saying that we “plant peas on St. Patrick’s Day.” Next we give tips for keeping Cymbidium orchids alive and bring them back into flower. In our main segment we talk about cold frames and other ways of getting a jump on spring planting. Other topics include care of shamrocks sold as gift plants in March and how early pansies can be planted.

Ep 032 – In this episode Ellen shares her tips for making jams, we talk about how to keep a lemon cypress alive, and discuss scale infestations on indoor and outdoor plants. C.L. and Ellen give suggestions about how to know when to start your seeds indoors, and we answer Corey’s question about keeping greenhouse gift plants alive until they can be planted outside.