Fostering Blooms – Details, episodes & analysis

Dream garden unlocked! In this episode of Fostering Blooms, Shannon walks us through designing and installing a courtyard knot garden / parterre inspired by classic English white gardens at Sissinghurst and Hidcote—think boxwood edging, yew "sofa" hedging, limestone gravel paths, and lush white blooms that carry interest through the seasons. We talk layout math (hello precision!), off-center paths that look perfectly centered, and how to blend a modern home with historical garden style.

You'll hear how the space evolved—killing the lawn, setting four equal parterre squares with keyhole cutouts, adding spiral topiary moments, and creating a Mediterranean-leaning gravel zone for flow and access. We dig into plant picks (from white catmint, foxglove, phlox 'David', Culver's root, cosmos 'Sonata White', lavender, alliums, poppies and more) and why western sun exposure plus koi-pond humidity shaped the choices. Shannon also swaps a bamboo planter for a whimsical medlar tree (yes, the Shakespeare fruit!) and shares tips for pacing, filming progress, and keeping maintenance flexible for future gardeners.

Takeaways:

• How to design a small-scale knot garden/parterre you can view from above

• Using hedging structure with airy, abundant white plantings

• Gravel, screenings, and pathways for circulation (and moving furniture!)

• Year-round interest planning in a hot, reflective courtyard

• Two must-have whites for staying power: catmint and foxglove

If you love formal structure + romantic abundance, this one's your blueprint. Follow along on IG for the before/after and planting day reveals—then let's go grow, baby.

Fall may be here, but your garden isn't done yet! In this cozy, laugh-filled October chat, Shannon and Caitlyn share what's still thriving, what they're harvesting (spoiler: chili peppers and bean chaos), and what you can still plant before the first frost. From garlic and shallots to arugula and tatsoi, they break down exactly what you can do now to stay garden-ready through November.

You'll hear stories about runaway sweet potato vines, tangled bean towers, and why sometimes a weed tree can be a trellis. The duo also covers how to divide perennials, prep for winter, save leaves for next year's mulch, and make peace with procrastination (because we're all behind this time of year).

Let's go grow, baby! 🌿✨

Show Notes

Sweet Potatoes:
We have confirmed it! Sweet potatoes grow from a single tuber (or "slip") that sends out long, vining stems. Along those vines, nodes will root wherever they touch the soil — but typically, only the original planting site forms the main cluster of sweet potatoes. The rooted nodes might form small tubers, but the bulk of the harvest develops right beneath the original plant. Cutting the vines back during the season won't harm your crop and can actually help keep them contained.

Rio Zape Beans:
Shannon definitely made an oopsie! Rio Zape beans are a vining (pole-type) shelling bean — not a true bush type — so they'll happily climb trellises or other plants nearby. Give them support and space to sprawl, and they'll reward you with beautiful, richly flavored beans.

It's the last call for summer sowing! 🌱 In this episode of Fostering Blooms, Shannon and Caitlyn share what's happening in the garden in August—from cutting back strawberry runners to sneaking in those final summer crops.

We cover:

• Fast-growing veggies you can plant in early August

• Which fall crops and herbs to sow now (and which to wait on)

• Our favorite flowers for drying and saving seeds

• A few "just for fun" fall plants we're trying for the first time 🌿

If you've been waiting to plant your fall veggies or sneak in one more summer harvest, now is the time. Grab your gardening gloves, and let's go grow, baby!

In this cozy (and slightly chaotic) episode of Fostering Blooms, Shannon and Caitlyn get a head start on the holidays—yes, in July!

From canning jam and fermenting kraut to crafting herbal tea blends, oxymels, and even goat milk soap, they share creative, garden-inspired gift ideas that celebrate the full-circle joy of growing and giving. Whether you're ready to make your own sourdough crackers or you're just curious about shrubs (the drink, not the plant), this episode is packed with inspiration, laughter, and practical tips to help you plan thoughtful handmade gifts that feel special, not stressful.

• Peach vanilla jam (small-batch canned)

• Cranberry pomegranate jelly

• Mexican escabeche (pickled carrots, onion, jalapeño)

• Shelling beans in muslin bags

• Vinegar shrubs (rhubarb mint, plum lavender, peach strawberry, cranberry pomegranate)

• Dehydrated citrus (lime, lemon, blood orange)

• Cocktail/mocktail kits (including dried citrus, bitters, shrub syrups)

• Bitters (alcohol-infused herbal blends)

• Oxymels (honey and herb digestives)

• Basil vinegar

• Preserved lemons (salt-cured)

• Dried tea blends (e.g. lemon balm, mint, holy basil)

• Dried herb mixes

• Spa gift kits (bath salts, lavender towels, muslin cloths with essential oil)

• Sourdough crackers

• Goat milk soap

• Dog treats

• Custom packaging: stamped muslin bags, canvas totes, thrifted baskets, market baskets

In this quick solo episode of Fostering Blooms, Shannon shares what to do when your garden is exploding with more cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and beans than you can possibly eat.

From the early days of handing out extra produce to neighbors and HVAC repair people (yep, really) to a full-blown canning and preserving setup, Shannon walks you through simple, beginner-friendly ways to enjoy your garden harvests longer. You'll get tried-and-true ideas for water bath canning, freezing, dehydrating, and baking—plus easy ways to give back with your garden abundance if you're short on time.

Whether you're curious about pickles, drowning in cherry tomatoes, or finally ready to try pressure canning green beans, this episode will help you make the most of summer's generosity—without wasting a bite.

Feeling burned out in the garden? You're not alone—and you're definitely not failing. In this episode, we talk about the real side of gardening in midsummer: when the weeds take over, the heat zaps your energy, and the pests push you to the brink.

We'll share honest stories about why burnout happens, how it shows up, and what we've learned over the years about managing overwhelm. From strategies to cut down on watering and weeding to giving yourself permission to pause and reset, here's how we keep going—or take a much-needed break. Gardening doesn't have to be perfect to be worth it.

The dog days of summer are here, but your garden isn't slowing down! In this episode, we break down what to sow, harvest, and plan in July—from beans and garlic to fall crops and shade cloth strategies.

We share how we're prepping beds for late summer planting, troubleshooting pest invasions, and tackling fertilizer dilemmas (RIP to all the bone meal–raided dahlias). You'll hear about:

🌱 Succession planting bush beans and vining beans (over 170 ft of beans!)
🌿 Harvesting garlic and shallots and prepping for fall sowing
💦 Drip irrigation setups and shade cloth tips for beating the heat
🍅 Second plantings of tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers
🎃 Dreaming up pumpkin and corn patches for fall harvests
🌸 Flowers you can still sow in July—snapdragons, foxglove, scabiosa, and more

Whether you're planning a late-season bounty or fighting the midsummer burnout, we've got you covered.

Let's go get dirty—let's go grow, baby

f you've ever dreamed of skipping the grocery store garlic aisle and harvesting your own flavorful bulbs—this is the episode for you. 🧄

We're diving deep into everything garlic and shallots:

• The difference between hardneck vs. softneck garlic

• When and how to harvest for peak flavor

• Curing and storing tips for long-lasting bulbs

• Why garlic scapes are your new kitchen obsession

• What & when to plant in the fall for big summer rewards

Plus: real talk on what went wrong in one of our garlic beds, and how we plan to fix it next season. Whether you're a first-time grower or a garlic fanatic, there's something here for you.

Let's grow, baby 🌱

Can our wives tell the difference between an aphid and a stratified seed? Do we know what a full nelson is or how many yards it takes to get a first down? It's time for the ultimate showdown in this hilarious episode of Fostering Blooms!

We recorded this battle of the brains back in winter—but with roses blooming and sports season in full swing, it felt like the perfect time to drop it. Shannon and Caitlyn face off against their wives, Beth and Cierra, in a trivia match of gardening vs sports knowledge. The prize? David Austin roses or Lady Vols center court tickets. The trash talk is real. The answers? Sometimes wildly wrong—and that's what makes it so good.

🌱 Want to see the results of the winnings? Check out our Instagram @FosteringBlooms.

🎧 Whether you're team Garden or team Gameday, you're gonna love this one.

Welcome to Fostering Blooms! In this episode, we're sharing our latest round of "No Thank You" plants — the ones we've grown, inherited, or almost bought… but now politely decline. 🙅‍♀️🌿

These aren't plants we hate — okay, maybe one or two — but ones we've learned aren't the right fit for our gardens due to invasiveness, poor pollinator value, maintenance headaches, or just plain overuse.

And of course, we're not here to judge — we're here to help you make better planting choices with smarter, more beautiful alternatives. ✨

Grab your tea (or gloves), and get ready to laugh, learn, and maybe rethink that plant sitting in your cart.

Let's go grow, baby!

SHOW NOTES:

Korean Dogwood: Cornus kousa

Discover Life in America

Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry