Super Cool Plants - Formerly Known as Let's Argue About Plants – Details, episodes & analysis

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Super Cool Plants - Formerly Known as Let's Argue About Plants

Fine Gardening Magazine

Leisure

Arts

Frequency: 1 episode/18d. Total Eps: 100

The new Super Cool Plants podcast (formerly Let's Argue About Plants) from Fine Gardening magazine is where botanical enthusiasts celebrate standout plants for nearly every situation. Each episode features a rotating panel of horticultural pros from across North America sharing their favorite picks around a specific theme – whether it's deer-resistant performers, top shade standouts, or must-have natives. Hosted by Fine Gardening editors Carol Collins and Danielle Sherry, the show blends expert insight with approachable conversation, introducing listeners to a wide range of plants including familiar favorites and under-the-radar gems. The goal is simple: to expand plant knowledge, spark new ideas, and help everyone (the hosts included) become better gardeners.

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🇨🇦 Canada - hobbies
20/08/2026
#17
🇺🇸 USA - hobbies
20/08/2026
#60
🇨🇦 Canada - hobbies
19/08/2026
#61
🇬🇧 Great Britain - hobbies
19/08/2026
#100
🇺🇸 USA - hobbies
19/08/2026
#65
🇨🇦 Canada - hobbies
18/08/2026
#30
🇬🇧 Great Britain - hobbies
18/08/2026
#56
🇺🇸 USA - hobbies
18/08/2026
#55
🇺🇸 USA - hobbies
17/08/2026
#57
🇨🇦 Canada - hobbies
16/08/2026
#81

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https://www.finegardening.com/podcast
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https://www.finegardening.com/author/richard-hawke
3 shares
https://www.chicagobotanic.org/
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https://www.facebook.com/p/Jason-Reeves-in-the-garden-100057356383777/
1 share

https://www.instagram.com/sfahorticulture
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Score global : 48%

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Episode 165: Not Your Typical Ground Covers

Friday, August 16, 2024 • Duration 56:43

The best ground covers are multi-purpose workhorses, suppressing weeds, preventing soil erosion, and adding another level of interest to garden beds. Naturally, we'd prefer them not to be invasive, and to look good over a long season. But why do so many gardeners seem to fall back on the same few choices? In this episode, Danielle, Carol, and expert guest Amanda Thomsen cover new ground in their quest to expand the definition of what a ground cover can be. Whether it's a tough but underused North American native, a cheeky little annual, or an unusual self-seeding edible, we hope you will find something unexpected but garden-worthy in this episode.

Expert: Amanda Thomsen is the author of Kiss My Aster: A Graphic Guide to Creating a Fantastic Yard Totally Tailored to You and owner of the Aster Gardens plant shop in Lemont, Illinois.

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Episode 164: The Joys of Plant Exploration with Mark Weathington

Friday, August 2, 2024 • Duration 50:08

Mark Weathington is the director of the JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina and author of Gardening in the South: The Complete Homeowner's Guide. Mark is a frequent FG contributor, covering a wide range of topics including magnolias, redbuds, compact shrubs, and unexpected replacements for overused plants. Some of Mark's most fascinating work at the arboretum has involved his extensive travel to collect, preserve, and distribute plants from around the world. In this episode he discusses the unexpected path that led to a career in horticulture and the international collaborations that are helping to conserve endangered species and bring diversity to American landscapes.

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Episode 155: Deer Resistant Favorites

Friday, March 22, 2024 • Duration 55:12

One of the worst sights you can ever see in the garden is a plant that has been browsed by deer. (Sidenote: we don't love the gentle word "browsed" in this instance. A more appropriate term might be "obliterated.") If the munching is particularly bad, that perennial, tree, or shrub becomes unrecognizable. And in many cases, this can mean instant death to your prized specimen. With deer pressure increasing from coast-to-coast, we decided it's time to highlight some of our favorite deer-resistant plants. Yes, we're from deer-ridden New England, but rest assured that we've included plants in this episode that will thrive from Texas to Michigan, and everywhere in between.

Guest: Karen Chapman is a landscape designer in Duvall, Washington, and the author of Deer-Resistant Design: Fence Free Gardens that Thrive Despite the Deer.

Danielle's Plants

'Childhood Sweetheart' hellebore (Helleborus 'Childhood Sweetheart', Zones 4-9)

Winter daphne (Daphne odora, Zones 7-9)

'Bonfire' euphorbia (Euphorbia polychroma 'Bonfire', Zones 5-9)

Sunshine Blue® blue mist shrub (Caryopteris incana 'Jason', 5-9)

Carol's Plants

Hiba arborvitae (Thujopsis dolobrata 'Variegata', Zones 5-8)

Expert's Plants

Episode 154: Putting Plants to the Test with Richard Hawke

Friday, March 8, 2024 • Duration 01:00:14

Richard Hawke is the Director of Ornamental Plant Research at Chicago Botanic Garden, where he oversees comparative evaluations of ornamental plants. The CBG Plant Evaluation Program has included 117 distinct trials over the past four decades, with 26 comparative trials currently underway in three evaluation areas. In 2011, Richard began reporting trial results in Fine Gardening magazine, and has since written dozens of feature articles that can be found by visiting his author page.

In this entertaining episode, Richard Hawke discusses his earliest memories of plants and gardening, the education and internships that laid the foundation for his career, and the joys and challenges of developing a world-class plant trial program. He also digs into the day-to-day details of plant evaluation and talks about some trials that yielded surprising results and some that were particular favorites, including evaluations of clematis, baptisias, butterfly bushes, and tender salvias.

Richard joined the staff of the Chicago Botanic Garden in the mid-1980s.

CBG's trial of tender salvias identified many vigorous cultivars that do well when grown as annuals.

The Chicago Botanic Garden has trialed 198 heucheras since 1995. Find out which cultivars performed better than the classics here.

Episode 153: Compact Plants for Tight Spaces

Friday, February 16, 2024 • Duration 56:27

Every gardener wishes they had 25 acres to garden on, right? Well maybe not, but most of us do dream of a healthy amount of ground to build beds and borders to our hearts' desire. The reality of homeowners today, however, is that land is expensive and typical suburban lots have decreased in size steadily since the 1970s. And smaller lots mean smaller gardens. That isn't an issue though, if you select plants that are polite and "stay in their lane" as the kids say. On this episode Danielle and Carol talk about compact plants that are prefect for tighter spaces. We've got several perennials, one annual, and even a few well-behaved shrubs that made the list. Filling your tiny plot with these beauties will enable you to have a wide variety of colors and textures without sacrificing an enormous amount of precious square footage.

Julie Lane Gay lives and gardens in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she previously owned a nursery specializing in climbers and perennials.

Danielle's Plants

Creeping variegated gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides 'Radicans Variegata', Zones 8-11)

'Prairie Moon' rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium 'Prairie Moon', Zones 3-8)

Spicy Devil ® ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius 'ZLENATALIE', Zones 3-7)

'Jack of Diamonds' brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack of Diamonds', Zones 3-8)

Carol's Plants

Ivory Halo® dogwood (Cornus alba 'Bailhalo', Zones 3-7)

'Rainbow Bouquet' dwarf strawflower (Helichrysum bracteatus 'Rainbow Bouquet', annual)

Let's Dance Sky View® hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla × serrata 'SMNHSME', Zones 4-9)

'Summer Beauty' allium (Allium tanguticum 'Summer Beauty', Zones 4-9)

Episode 152: Best of LAAP: Best of Our Listener Q & As

Friday, February 2, 2024 • Duration 01:10:42

One of our favorite things to do here on the pod is dig through emails and social media shout outs from our listeners. It is always nice to hear about what problems you may be having in your gardens and to be able to offer advice from our decades of horticultural experience. And we're lucky to have scores of experts at our fingers tips if we don't have an answer for a plant suggestion or design fix. These Q&A episodes are some of our favorites, so we decided to revisit an array of your best questions from the past few years in this new Best Of LAAP. The inquiries included advice on planting under trees, attracting hummingbirds, and info about what garden tasks we hate tackling. Tune in to see if one of our favorite questions was yours, or to hear about some solutions to problems that tend to plague us all.

Links to all our Q&A episodes:

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Episode 151: Underappreciated Plants for Winter Interest

Friday, January 19, 2024 • Duration 01:01:53

During the winter months many plants reveal subtle patterns, fine details, and a new range of colors that help us to see familiar beds and borders with fresh eyes. This is an excellent time to get outside, evaluate your garden's bones, and make some plans for spring planting. In this episode Danielle, Carol, and their guest will explore some of the plants that fly a bit under the radar in winter months, but certainly deserve more attention. Do you have any of these underappreciated wonders in your landscape? If not, you may want to start digging holes as soon as the ground thaws to ensure that some of these unsung heroes get some well-deserved garden real estate. Will any of these winter beauties make it onto your wish list this year?

Jay Sifford is the owner and principal designer at Jay Sifford Garden Design in Charolette, North Carolina.

Danielle's Plants

Spotted wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata, Zones 4-8)

'Peppermint Patty' bergenia (Bergenia 'Peppermint Patty', Zones 4-8)

Moosewood (Acer pensylvanicum, Zones 3-7)

'ReJoyce' drooping laurel (Leucothoe axillaris 'ReJoyce', Zones 6-9)

Carol's Plants

Golden Duke Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis 'Monjers', Zones 4–8)

American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana, Zones 3b–9)

'Little Heath' pieris (Pieris japonica 'Little Heath', Zones 5–9)

'St. Mary's Broom' blue spruce (Picea pungens 'St. Mary's Broom', Zones 2-7)

Expert's Plants

American witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana, Zones 3-8)

Episode 150: Design Rules of Thumb with Stacie Crooks

Friday, January 5, 2024 • Duration 56:35

Stacie Crooks is a Seattle-based garden designer who has created beautiful, ecologically friendly, low-maintenance gardens throughout the Pacific Northwest. She is also a contributing editor for Fine Gardening magazine and has shared her insights with our readers through 10 feature articles and several departments over the past 17 years. In this episode, Carol interviews Stacie about the lessons that she has gained from her years of garden design experience.

Stacie Crooks's Garden Design Rules of Thumb

1. Identify your project. Ask yourself "What do I want to achieve?" and "Why do I want to do this?" Having a clear goal in mind- be it lower maintenance, better curb appeal, or more wildlife in the garden- will help you make the right design, style, and plant choices.

2. Know your site. Before you can make any changes, you need to know your limitations. Determine the garden's light exposure and angles, soil types, drainage, topography, and size. Consider irrigation (if you need water, where will it come from?) and access (how will you get into the garden and move through it?) Bearing all this in mind, set a budget.

3. Get inspired. With your goals and guidelines clear, It's time for a solid plan. People always ask, "Where do I start?" Engage in activities that foster learning and friendships. Read books and magazines and go to lectures. Join a garden club. Volunteer at a public garden. Look in the newspapers and on the internet for opportunities. Take notes, make lists and make sketches. Take photos of gardens you visit and copy them.

4. No zone denial. When you go to buy your plants at your local nursery, read the tags carefully. Choose only that which is suited for your site and to your lifestyle. If it is not clear, ask a nursery person. Be sure that the amount of care that plant needs match the time and energy you can afford.

5. Finish one garden before you start another. Resist buying plants that are not for your current project- they'll just die waiting for you to plant them. Stick to the list.

6. Be responsible environmentally. Always aim to use less water, less fertilizer, and no chemicals. The better you know your site, the easier it is to achieve success naturally. There's an importance to NOT gardening, using fewer resources and less labor and just enjoying your space more.

Episode 149: Silver Plants

Friday, December 15, 2023 • Duration 48:40

Plants with a silvery sheen stand out beautifully against the sea of green that fills most garden beds. In this episode, Danielle, Carol, and their guest will highlight some shimmering shrubs, drought-tolerant perennials, a tiny dwarf conifer, and even an unusual silvery vine with a bit of a back story. Perhaps one of these lovely, luminous plants could be the silver bullet solution to one of your own garden design dilemmas.

Chloë Bowers, a garden designer based in southwestern Connecticut, is the moderator for Fine Gardening's Northeast Gardening Answers forum. Join the conversation here: https://www.finegardening.com/discussion-forum/northeast-gardening

Danielle's Plants

'Quicksilver' hebe (Hebe pimelioides 'Quicksilver', Zones 7b-9)

Woolly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus, Zones 5-9)

Silver sage (Salvia argentea, Zones 5-8)

'Angel Wings' sea cabbage (Senecio candicans 'Angel Wings', Zones 8–10)

Carol's Plants

'Pimoko' Serbian spruce (Picea omorika 'Pimoko', Zones 4-9)

Sea kale (Crambe maritima, Zones, Zones 5-9)

'Elijah Blue' fescue (Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue', Zones 4-8)

'Kintzley's Ghost' honeysuckle vine (Lonicera 'Kintzley's Ghost', Zones 4-8)

Expert's Plants

Pussytoes (Antennaria plantaginifolia, Zones 3-8)

Blunt mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum, Zones 4-8)

Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea, Zones 3-8)

Prairie sage (Artemisia ludoviciana, Zones 3-7)

Episode 148: Wish List Plants

Friday, December 1, 2023 • Duration 01:05:37

Oh, dear listeners...it's the most glorious time of the year! No, not because it's time to hang the stockings or trim the tree—because it's time to make the 2024 gardening wish lists. This year Carol and Danielle have selected the 8 plants they are pining over most. You will hear about a brand-new perennial that few, if any, have seen before. And there's also a new hydrangea with...brace yourselves...BLACK foliage! The list also includes plants that our contributors have written extensively about, and we've just now sat up and paid attention. Listen now to hear about the plants we'll be dreaming about as the flakes fly this winter.

Expert guest: Jennifer Benner is content editor for Fine Gardening. She has a bachelor's degree in horticulture from The Ohio State University.

Danielle's Plants

'Blue Bunchkin' baptisia (Baptisia 'Blue Bunchkin', Zones 4-9)

'Nichirin' false nettle (Boehmeria nipononivea 'Nichirin', Zones 6-9)

Eclipse® bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmacseven', Zones 5–9)

'Fusion of Fire' oredenia (Oredenia 'Fusion of Fire', Zones 5-8)

Carol's Plants

'Humilis' red buckeye (Aesculus pavia 'Humilis', Zones 4-8)

Blackberry lily (Iris domestica, Zones 5-10)

'Hillside Sheffield Pink' garden mum (Chrysanthemum 'Hillside Sheffield Pink', Zones 4-9)

Tropicanna canna Lily (Canna 'Phasion', Zones 7b to 10)

Expert's Plants

'The Blues' little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues', Zones 3-9)

Acapulco® Salmon and Pink agastache ( 'Salmon and Pink', Zones 5-9)

Super Cool Plants - Formerly Known as Let's Argue About Plants – Details, episodes & analysis

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Super Cool Plants - Formerly Known as Let's Argue About Plants – Details, episodes & analysis

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