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The Plantastic Podcast

Jared Barnes

Plants can’t talk, but we can! The Plantastic Podcast is a show for plant killers, green thumbs, and everyone in between. Listen along as Dr. Jared deconstructs the practices of the best plantspeople of our time so that you can better cultivate your plants and yourself.

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22 episodes
monthly
Avg 1 hr 12 min
English

Episodes 22

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#57
September 5 · 54 min
Dr. Noel Kingsbury on Naturalistic Planting Design (#57)
In this episode, Dr. Noel Kingsbury and I have a fabulous conversation getting into the nuts and bolts of naturalistic design. We talk about where the name "New Perennial Movement" came from, and some of the confusion that comes with naturalistic-planting terminology. We dive into models for thinking about how plants grow in the wild, including root anatomy and shrub growth patterns. We talk about experiments he's conducted, including a seven-year observational trial to see what plants would tak
#56
August 23 · 1 hr 29 min
Haven Kiers on Managing Biodiverse Landscapes (#56)
In this episode Haven Kiers unpacks her research project Keeping Up: Maintaining Biodiversity in Public Landscapes. She describes five barriers that emerged from the data, from funding gaps to the lack of knowledge of maintenance labor to conflicting public expectations around tidiness and wildness. We also talk about specific field-tested strategies, including "cues to care" design techniques, the 30% flowering rule for meadows, and low-visibility trial zones for testing new species before they
#55
July 13 · 1 hr 11 min
Jeff Epping on Creating Great Gravel Gardens (#55)
In this episode Jeff Epping goes into depth discussion how he has designed gravel gardens at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Epic Systems, and more, and in this episode he walks you through the entire process, start to finish. He covers site selection, how to build the edge and lip that hold the gravel in place, the exact depth to install, how to plant into it, and the watering schedule to get plants established before you wean them off. He also shares the spring cleanup routine that's the one piece
#54
June 10 · 1 hr 20 min
Heather Holm on Pollinators and Native Plants (#54)
In this month's episode of The Plantastic Podcast, I sat down with Heather Holm, author, photographer, and pollinator researcher based in Minnesota, to dig into the world of native bees, wasps, and the plants that support them. Heather shares some genuinely surprising information including why bee diversity is actually highest in arid, stressed landscapes rather than lush ones, and why many insects we casually call pollinators, including the monarch butterfly, may not be completing the pollinat
#53
May 11 · 1 hr 31 min
Shelby Radcliffe on Designing with Florida Natives (#53)
This month, Shelby Radcliffe of Emergent Gardens joined me on The Plantastic Podcast to share about designing with natives in Florida. She talked about the formative lessons she took from internships at Wave Hill and the US National Arboretum, including why the first year in any new garden should be spent mostly observing. Shelby showed how roadside wildflowers and overlooked field plants can become the most exciting things in a designed garden. She also digs into her favorite underused grasses
#52
April 5 · 1 hr 22 min
Tim Boland on Lessons from Polly Hill Arboretum (#52)
For this month's episode of The Plantastic Podcast, I welcomed my dear friend Tim Boland on to talk about lessons from Polly Hill Arboretum. Tim shares the remarkable story of Polly Hill, who started her arboretum at age 50. We dig into the importance of record keeping, provenance, and plant propagation. Tim also talks about always having a paper bag in your back pocket for seed collecting, trying multiple approaches when a seed won't germinate, taking ecological notes whenever you encounter pl
#51
March 19 · 1 hr 10 min
Shaun McCoshum on Natural Habitats and Wildlife Gardening (#51)
Shaun McCoshum is a certified Senior Ecologist and Wildlife Biologist with over 20 years of experience restoring habitats, conducting research, and gardening. His work includes published scientific papers, books, and restoration plans from coast to coast, on lands with bison, endangered plants, threatened pollinators, black bears, and mountain lions. His new book Natural Habitats and Wildlife Gardening explores the pre-European ecology of North America, how habitats existed before widespread dev
#50
February 7 · 1 hr 14 min
Dr. Allan Armitage on Common-Sense Gardening (#50)
In this 50th episode of The Plantastic Podcast, I interview a legend in the world of horticulture—Dr. Allan Armitage. We talk about how he was once a grave digger and a touching moment he had one day in a cemetery, we cover his early life and how he found his way to being a horticulture professor at the University of Georgia in Athens. I asked him about changes and shifts that he has seen in the industry from breeding to the emergence of perennials and natives. We talk about strategies for te
#49
January 6 · 1 hr 7 min
Rachel Lindsay on Regenerative Design (#49)
In this month's episode of The Plantastic Podcast, I interview Rachel Lindsay of Regenerative Design Group to discuss how to create productive, resilient landscapes. We dive deep into the Massachusetts Healthy Soils Guide, a wonderful resource that Rachel helped develop and how it's changing the way practitioners approach soil health from the ground up. Rachel shares how ecological design goes beyond plants to integrate soil, water, wildlife, and human needs into one holistic system. We discuss
#48
Dec 7, 2025 · 1 hr 22 min
John Little on Caring for Gardens and Gardeners (#48)
(00:00) Introduction (01:00) Early influences and growing up with a permaculturist grandfather and in post-industrial landscapes (03:00) From retail to professional horticulture without formal training (04:00) The shift from native plants to wildlife and habitat creation (05:00) Green roof experimentation and breaking free from conventional substrate wisdom (08:00) Topography as an underplayed design tool (10:00) Effects of putting substrate on top of soil (13:00) The art of seeing landscapes (
#47
Nov 8, 2025 · 1 hr 21 min
Molly Hendry on the Bergamo Landscape Festival (#47)
In this month's episode of The Plantastic Podcast, Molly Hendry returns to share lessons and inspiration from attending the Bergamo Landscape Festival in Italy, a gathering that unites some of the world’s most creative ecological designers. She reflects on how experts like Henrik Sjöman are redefining tree selection, succession, and long-term landscape care. Molly discusses Sarah Price’s artful Piazza Vecchia garden, Tom Stuart-Smith and Katie Barrington’s designer–gardener collaboration, Jame
#46
Oct 4, 2025 · 1 hr 11 min
Pam Penick on Gardens of Texas (#46)
In this episode, Pam Penick shares how her childhood and background in writing led her to become one of Texas’s most recognized garden voices. She talks about starting her blog Digging nearly 20 years ago and how authentic, local storytelling continues to resonate even as platforms shift. Pam discusses the inspiration behind her books, including Lawn Gone!, The Water-Saving Garden, and her newest release, Gardens of Texas, highlighting how gardeners across the state are adapting to drought, floo
#45
Sep 5, 2025 · 1 hr 11 min
Luke Dahlberg on Sowing Native Seed (#45)
I talk with Luke Dahlberg, native plant propagator at Citizens for Conservation, about the art and science of seed collecting and germination. Luke shares his expertise in working with over 300 native species, from understanding the crucial differences between orthodox and recalcitrant seeds to mastering complex stratification cycles that can take up to two years. We explore practical techniques like hot water scarification for fire-adapted plants, ethical wild seed collection practices, and inn
#44
Aug 2, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min
Kelly Holdbrooks at Southern Highlands Reserve (#44)
In this episode of the Plantastic Podcast, I talk with Kelly Holdbrooks of Southern Highlands Reserve about how gardeners and land stewards can actively participate in conservation. Kelly shares how the Reserve’s design philosophy—“don’t mess it up, just polish the stone”—can inspire gardeners to enhance what nature is already doing, rather than overwrite it. We dive into lessons from red spruce restoration, stormwater-smart design, assisted migration, and the biodiversity potential of cultivate
#43
Jul 19, 2025 · 53 min
Claire Chambers on Native Sod from Meadow Lab (#43)
In this episode of The Plantastic Podcast, Claire shares how her business background shaped her approach to launching Meadow Lab and developing wildflower sod as a scalable, ready-to-plant solution for naturalistic landscapes. We discuss the complexities of meadow design, site preparation, and the species selection process behind her sod mixes. Claire explains how her product adapts to different microclimates and why it offers a practical alternative to plugs and seed. She also shares valuable i
#42
Jun 28, 2025 · 1 hr 6 min
Rochelle Greayer from Rocket Science to Garden Magic (#42)
In this episode of The Plantastic Podcast, I chat with Rochelle Greayer about her incredible journey from working in rocket science to discovering her passion for garden design after a life-changing visit to the Chelsea Flower Show. We discuss how that pivot led to her founding Pith + Vigor, teaching design online, and most recently, leading the redesign of The American Gardener magazine with her editorial mantra of “surprise, delight, and joy on every page.” Rochelle shares practical ways to fi
#41
Jun 7, 2025 · 1 hr 13 min
Sam Hoadley on Native Plant Trials at Mt. Cuba Center (#41)
I interviewed Sam Hoadley Manager of Horticultural Research at Mt. Cuba Center to explore how their plant trials are helping gardeners make more informed, ecologically sound decisions. Sam shared behind-the-scenes insights into how plant trials are structured, what makes a plant a top performer, and how Mt. Cuba balances aesthetic value with wildlife support. We took a dive into the results of reports released like Helenium, Echinacea, Hydrangea arborescens, Carex, Amsonia, and Vernonia, and how
#40
May 24, 2025 · 1 hr 6 min
Theresa Crimmins on the Power of Plant Phenology (#40)
This month on The Plantastic Podcast, I dive into the seasonal rhythms of the garden with phenologist Theresa Crimmins. Theresa shares how a college class sparked her lifelong fascination with plants and how that journey led to her role as director of the USA National Phenology Network. We explore how gardeners can use phenology to build their own bloom calendars, observe seasonal cues, and connect more deeply with their landscapes. She offers practical insights into tracking life cycle events l
#39
Apr 14, 2025 · 1 hr 12 min
John Magee on Native Plant Design (#39)
This month on The Plantastic Podcast, I have a rich conversation on native plants, design philosophy, and practical garden maintenance with John Magee. John shares how his hands-on experience in landscape installation shaped his approach in design. He discusses the importance of working with and not against client constraints to create gardens that are both ecologically vibrant and visually compelling. We also discuss one of his favorite designs that was recently featured in Fine Gardening ma
#38
Mar 5, 2025 · 1 hr 18 min
Sarah Sikich and Ryan Watson on Growing Orchards with Giving Grove (#38)
This month on The Plantastic Podcast, I interviewed Sarah Sikich and Ryan Watson of The Giving Grove to learn about how to grow better orchards at home and in a public space. We discuss strategies they have used to establish over 650 orchards nationwide, fruit tree selection and efforts to save heirloom varieties, pest management techniques using holistic sprays and kaolin clay, beneficial understory plantings under fruit trees, how to create a thriving soil in orchards, how they help reduce va

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