1 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: Maybe it's because I read a lot of archie comics 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: growing up, or maybe it's because I watched too much 3 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,719 Speaker 1: Laguna Beach. But it's hard not to look at all 4 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: the flora and fauna in the garden and see it 5 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: for what it really is, a whole lot of high 6 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: school drama. In the cafeteria of our backyards. You have 7 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: the nerdy veggies clustered together and doing their work. I mean, 8 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: I was one of those. The vs are clearly running 9 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: for student council, desperately visiting every flower and trying to 10 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: round up votes. The roses feel like the homecoming court, 11 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: tall and good looking and yes, a little prickly. The 12 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: ivy leans against the wall, all punk rock, zero regard 13 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 1: for authority. The squirrels made varsity and can't stop running laps. 14 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: The worms are in everyone's business. The trees are gossip queens, 15 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: throwing so much shade. And the ants have to be 16 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: the worst marching band in the state, always out of formation. 17 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: Oh and the poor slugs they are never where they're 18 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: supposed to be, just total burnouts. Whatever zip code you're in, 19 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: it's clearly nine O two one oh in your backyard. 20 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 1: And while yes they look like a rambunctious group of 21 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: youngsters gooping off and causing trouble. They look out for 22 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: each other more than you might think, participating in a 23 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: network that shares resources, foster's growth, and makes for a 24 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:35,400 Speaker 1: healthier backyard and community as a whole. And the day 25 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:37,960 Speaker 1: after prom I'm sure they'll take this all in and 26 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 1: realize they cared about each other more than they ever thought. 27 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: Except the slugs, they won't remember any of this. Hey there, 28 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: I'm Mongays Articular, a co host of Part Time Genius, 29 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: one of the co founders of Mental Floss, and this 30 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: is Humans Growing Stuff, a collaboration from My Heart Radio 31 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: and your friends at Miracle Grow. My goal is to 32 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: make this the most human show about plants you'll ever 33 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:09,119 Speaker 1: listen to. And along the way, we'll share sweet, inspiring stories, 34 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: tips and tricks to nurture your planet, addiction, and just 35 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: enough science to make you sound like an expert. On 36 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: today's episode, we're gonna take you through the bio diverse 37 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: world living in your backyard. We'll learn how you can 38 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: increase the health of that ecosystem so we can thrive 39 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: and become a sanctuary for the community. Not to mention 40 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: a cool place for all the wildlife in your neighborhood 41 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: to hang out. Chapter seven, The backyard Ecosystem. If you 42 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: know your history the way I do, you've read all 43 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: about the greatest warring tribes who battled for dominance, the 44 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: Lanisters and the Starks, the Rebels and the Empire, the 45 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 1: sharks and the Jets, the English ivys, and the deciduous trees. 46 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,639 Speaker 1: Well maybe that last one is less talked about, but 47 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: hear me out in your backyard. Part of maintaining order 48 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: is keeping the peace between your green friends and their 49 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: common foes, and that brings us to the topic of 50 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: this segment, Invasive plants. Invasive plants are like your freeloading 51 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,679 Speaker 1: cousin sal who slept on your couch for two weeks, 52 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: a little tough to get rid of, and evasive plants 53 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: can cause a lot of issues. They seed prolifically, so 54 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: they can overwhelm an ecosystem with aggressive growth. Some create 55 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: dense mats or complex root systems that inhibit growth or 56 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 1: force other plants out. And while they can look quite beautiful, 57 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: the species can cause big problems for the food chain. 58 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: Insects and animals that thrive on native plants, they don't 59 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: stick around when they realize their food supplies dwindling. But 60 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: that's where we come in, because our backyards actually provide 61 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: sanctuary for all wildlife to sleep, feed and survive. So 62 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: what exactly can we do? The answer may be obvious, 63 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: but it requires some work. Grow native plants and remove 64 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: the invasive ones. And there are some simple choices you 65 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: can make based on the ecosystem of where you live. Like, 66 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: say you're dying to plant something purple and perrywinkle feels 67 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: like you're only option. Maybe opt for the native frog 68 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: fruit or ground morning glory instead. If you're craving a 69 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,839 Speaker 1: wall covered in ivy, get rid of that English ivy 70 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 1: and plant Virginia creeper. It's far less creepy than it sounds. 71 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 1: Plus it's not harmful to trees the way English ivy is. Oh, 72 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: and it's berries are a good food source to bring 73 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: in birds and insects. But that's just the tip of 74 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 1: the iceberg. I wanted to learn a little more, so 75 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: I decided to call up an expert. Michelle Burtleson is 76 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 1: an ecologist for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and 77 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: I thought maybe she could point me in the right 78 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: direction and Michelle, how's it going good? How are you 79 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 1: doing super well? So I I'm so excited to talk 80 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: to you about the ecosystems in our backyard. But first 81 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: I'm curious as an ecologist, what are some of the 82 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 1: more exciting aspects of the research and work you're doing 83 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: with plant ecosystems. So one of the things that is 84 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: most exciting to me, especially about the grassland systems, is 85 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 1: they're often called a forest upside down, so most of 86 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 1: their mass is underground. You can't see it, but it's massive. 87 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: There's a wonderful picture that I think the Nature Conservancy 88 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: originally did. It's a picture of roots of prairie roots basically, 89 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: so they show the top and it's with a scale 90 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,919 Speaker 1: um and the underground goes down fifteen ft and the 91 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: above ground is only three feet tall. And so it 92 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: just shows what's going on under the ground. And then 93 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 1: as I studied that, you've realized that it's an entire 94 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: it's an entire community under the ground, just as diverse 95 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 1: as the one above the ground. And so it's this 96 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: hidden diversity that's I find very exciting, This incredible invisible 97 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: world right that is functioning beneath this is amazing. Yeah, 98 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 1: and a lot of what we're doing in restoring sire 99 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: actually trying to restore that that below ground community as 100 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 1: best we can. We only barely understand it. So for 101 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: those at home who don't know, can you talk a 102 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 1: little bit about what an invasive species is and and 103 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: if they're all bad? So, an invasive species is a 104 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: species that comes into a system and takes over. There 105 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: are not a lot of laws in ecology, but diversity 106 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:25,599 Speaker 1: being helpful thing is one of them we need. We 107 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: want lots of types of species, we want lots of ages, 108 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: all of those things. And what an invasive species will 109 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: do is it comes in and you go from a 110 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: hundred species to one or two. It's still a plant. 111 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 1: It's doing what plants do. So there will be some 112 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 1: function that that is a monoculture. That's not good. Um. 113 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: The term gets thrown around a lot and just apply 114 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: to all non natives, which is not necessarily the case. 115 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:50,679 Speaker 1: Many of the invasives are non natives. The natural checks 116 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 1: are not here, and we have our own species from 117 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: this continent have gotten off of this continent. There we 118 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: can havoc elsewhere. How do you how do you rid 119 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: yourself of if you find these species in your backyard. 120 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: First of all, you have to learn your plants, because 121 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: I like to let weeds come up. I kind of 122 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 1: enjoy watching them come up and see what they are. 123 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: But you need to know what those volunteers are. Some 124 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: of them are great, some of them are not great. 125 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: Some some of them you actually have to use herbicide. 126 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: There are re sprouters that you have to cut it 127 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: off and then spray the stone. Some of you can 128 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: just pull out as long as you're aggressive about it, 129 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: or you can do things like solarizing. If you're just 130 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: like this whole spot is nothing, but in basically um, 131 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: you can solarize. So that's just covering the ground in 132 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: in plastic for a certain amount of time and then restarting. 133 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: That's really interesting. What is a volunteer? So it's just 134 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: a plant that comes up without you putting it there, 135 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: just volunteered and it's here now. It's a cute term, 136 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: which I think it's great because they came up without 137 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: me having to do anything. But a lot of them 138 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: are not things I want to keep, so you do 139 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: have to identify them as they come up. We'll talk 140 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: about how you can bring pollinators to a small patch 141 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 1: of this. Pollinators are one of the most fun things 142 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: to work for, So I want an entire suite of function. 143 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: But the pollinators give you the most bang for the 144 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 1: buck right away. So just take the monarchs. So they 145 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: need milk weaves. You need to have the milk weaves 146 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: there so the caterpillars can have something to eat. But 147 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: then you also need to have nectar plants, so things 148 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: like blue missed flour which draws them in and they 149 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: eat the nectar off. But and it's just beautiful. And 150 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: so that information is very easy to find. There's people 151 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: all over the country working on pollinator plants and so 152 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: they will be I can guarantee a list for your area. 153 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 1: These are the twenty pollinator species that work, and so 154 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 1: then you just pick a mix of them and put 155 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 1: them in your yard and hopefully your neighbors do the same. 156 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 1: And then you can become these little way points with these, 157 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: especially the migrating pollinators who need they need points. They 158 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: need ways to get across the cities. And just from 159 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: an experience standpoint, so this is one place. It's my 160 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 1: favorite spot in the wild Flower Center. There's just a 161 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:59,599 Speaker 1: little spot, so there's a pathway heading down to the 162 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: family garden. On either side of it, they've got planted 163 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: blue miss flower, which attracts just clouds of butterflies in 164 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:07,679 Speaker 1: the fall. Because it's on either side of the path. 165 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 1: What happens is they just get covered in them and 166 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: then they fly across the path, and so it becomes 167 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: this like you're going through a bridge until this natural 168 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: area just with the living butterflies, and people just stop. 169 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: It's a moment and they stop and they notice and 170 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,200 Speaker 1: they think, oh, we're in a natural place now. And 171 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 1: so just that movement helps people feel like you're in 172 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: a living system. Yeah, I know that that's beautiful. I 173 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:34,079 Speaker 1: remember my parents took us to San Francisco when I 174 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: was a kid and going to like a butterfly garden. 175 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: Just the joy of it is incredible. So they're gonna 176 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 1: be a lot of homeowners and and and people who 177 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:46,599 Speaker 1: are working in little gardens listening to this podcast and 178 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:50,439 Speaker 1: and we're wondering what are some small but critical things 179 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 1: that that you can do to help facilitate growth and 180 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:56,079 Speaker 1: make your yard a better place for your plants. Yeah. 181 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 1: I mean, and if you're a gardener, you know this, 182 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: But it all starts with the soil. So get your soil, 183 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 1: seeing what condition it's in and what condition it depends 184 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 1: on what you're trying to grow. And one thing that 185 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 1: is pretty much never wrong is adding organic matter to 186 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: the soil. So nice finished compost will help pretty much 187 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: any soil because it does it does a lot of things. 188 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: Having more organic matter in your soil will moderate, it 189 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: will help your soil hold onto water better. You will 190 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 1: also help you have better soil structures. You've got better 191 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: you know those whole you want holes in your soil 192 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:28,720 Speaker 1: to have air in them. Um. It provides food for 193 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 1: all those microbes and fungi and everything we're trying to 194 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 1: grow in the soil. It's the base of that food chain. 195 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: If you do nothing else, add a little bit of 196 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 1: organic matter will help everything. And I'm kind of curious, 197 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: aside from the butterflies, what are the other creatures that 198 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 1: you want to see in your back here? Yeah? Well, 199 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: I mean you want to see bees. People are afraid 200 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:52,559 Speaker 1: of them, but you don't. As long as you don't 201 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 1: mess with them, they tend to leave you alone. But 202 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: they're nice to see. It's nice to have in your 203 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 1: soil as nice if you've got some worms. In my 204 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 1: view of health, the healthy backyard would have a wide 205 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: variety of plants, so different types of plants. You want grasses, 206 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: and you want flowers, and you want trees, big trees, 207 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 1: little cheese. You want different ages. So if all of 208 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 1: your trees are the same age, that's a problem because 209 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:14,679 Speaker 1: they're all going to die at the same time. So 210 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 1: you need to have some younger ones coming up. So yeah, 211 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: that's just high diversity, high cover, not a lot of 212 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 1: spaces between your plants, unless you're in the desert where 213 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 1: you need big spaces. Most places you don't need the 214 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: really wide spacing. You need more cover um and healthy soil. 215 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: I love uh, you know. I feel like when we 216 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: hear the word diversity, we often think of one thing. 217 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 1: But the idea of like so much diversity living in 218 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: your garden, living close together and it all helping one 219 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 1: another is such a beautiful idea. It is, and I 220 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 1: love seeing it. I mean, the great thing about working 221 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: with natural systems is you really are a partner. You 222 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 1: don't have to do everything. You just have to put 223 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 1: the pieces in place and remove impediments and it will start, 224 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,240 Speaker 1: it will click on, and it'll start trying to become 225 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 1: a healthy system, and that's fun to watch. Michelle, thank 226 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:03,959 Speaker 1: you so much for being here. I feel like I've 227 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,560 Speaker 1: learned so much and and it's been wonderful to have 228 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: you here. Thanks for having me so, guys, I've got 229 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:15,559 Speaker 1: a special treat for you today. I invited my producer, Molly, 230 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 1: who's behind so much of the excellence of the show, 231 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: to come in front of the mic and bring me 232 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 1: a quiz, which I'm a little nervous about, but I'm 233 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 1: excited to have you here. Molly. You should be anxious, 234 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: you should be nervous. You should be excited too, though 235 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: I did intentionally make this pretty difficult. So okay, man, 236 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 1: go here's the game. It's called Friend or Foe. And 237 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 1: what I'm going to do is I'm going to give 238 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: you the name of a plant, insect, or animal species. 239 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 1: And what I want you to do is I want 240 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: you to tell me if it is a friend or 241 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,200 Speaker 1: a foe to your backyard. Are you ready? Yeah, let's 242 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: do it all right. The first one is called passion vine. 243 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 1: Passion vine, passion vine. I feel a little bit like 244 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 1: I'm in the script's spelling bee right now. The word 245 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:07,200 Speaker 1: is passion vine. Yeah, I could you use in a 246 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:11,439 Speaker 1: sense for me or tell me that. Um, I'm gonna say, 247 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: a friend, you are correct. It is also known as 248 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 1: passion flower or maypop, and it's called maypop because the 249 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 1: fruit is actually hollow, so when you crush the fruit, 250 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: it makes this popping sound. But what's really great about 251 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:30,480 Speaker 1: passion vine is it attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, bumble bees, and 252 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: they're going to come in and help pollinate all the 253 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 1: flowers and plants in your garden. Oh my god, I 254 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:37,959 Speaker 1: actually just pulled it up on Google and it's beautiful. Yeah, 255 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:40,559 Speaker 1: it's a really pretty flower. Yeah, it's like this very 256 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 1: unusual kind of striking purple flower. Yeah. Yeah, I'll definitely 257 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:50,400 Speaker 1: look for it. Okay. Next one butterfly bush. Butterfly bush. 258 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 1: So we had one of these in my house in Delaware. 259 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 1: I feel like my mom ordered it from like a 260 00:13:56,679 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 1: catalog or something, but I really hated it. Um, I 261 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 1: don't know, I friend, you know what your childhood instincts were. 262 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:10,120 Speaker 1: Actually right, is a foe. It is an invasive species. 263 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:14,079 Speaker 1: It is a noxious weed, as some might call it. 264 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: That's not great, all right. Next one tree of heaven. 265 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: I feel like you're tricking me with all these like 266 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 1: beautiful sounding names. It's really deceptive. I told you this 267 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 1: was going to be hard. Tree of heaven. I'm gonna say, friend, 268 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:38,040 Speaker 1: you are incorrect. It is a foe. It is an 269 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 1: invasive species that was brought over to North America in 270 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: the seventeen hundreds, and it's actually really known for just 271 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: smelling horribly. It might also be known as its common name, 272 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: the stinking sumac um. It's also known as the varnish 273 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 1: tree and the stinking tree. But what's even worse is 274 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 1: it actually secretes a chemical into the soil that just 275 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 1: straight up poisons other plants. What what a misleading name? 276 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 1: That's crazy? All right, next one, and I will give 277 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:13,800 Speaker 1: you a hint that this is a bird. It's called 278 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: a European starling friend or foe. This one, I feel 279 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 1: like is a famously invasive species like cane toads and 280 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: cut zoo or whatever like. I feel like it's it's 281 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: always on the list. You are correct. These birds are 282 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 1: actually not supposed to be in the US at all, 283 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 1: but now they have taken over in large flocks. They 284 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:38,880 Speaker 1: compete with other birds for nesting location, and their droppings 285 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:43,920 Speaker 1: are super problematic. Yeah, these aerial attacks, right, but they're 286 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 1: droppings in particular can hinder soil growth because they're droppings 287 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 1: can actually carry seeds of invasive species, and the droppings 288 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 1: transmit disease. Even the National Audubon Society says, it's okay 289 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: not to like this bird. Have to like this bird. 290 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 1: This bird's kind of a jerk. Whole goal is to 291 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: like make you appreciate birds. That's incredible, right, exactly, Okay, 292 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: Next one slugs, Oh my nemesis, friend or foe. Um, 293 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 1: I'm gonna say foe. So they're kind of both friend 294 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: and foe. They eat a lot of dead plants, which 295 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 1: is great, but they also eat a lot of your 296 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: living plants as well, so that's not so great. Not 297 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 1: to mention that they procreate at what I can only 298 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 1: call an alarming rate. One slug can spawn nearly four 299 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: hundred and thirty offspring in a single year. WHOA. But 300 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 1: the other really important thing to know about these is, 301 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:50,120 Speaker 1: while I know a lot of people at home listening 302 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 1: will want to find remedies to get rid of these 303 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 1: slugs and kill them off in your backyards, they are 304 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 1: an important part of the ecosystem. They're a food source 305 00:16:57,200 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: for animals and birds, and like I said, they will 306 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 1: actually help clean out some of this dead stuff on 307 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 1: your backyard floor because they'll eat it. And while they 308 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: are going to eat some of your living plants, it's 309 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:10,720 Speaker 1: sort of important to keep them. Is there any way 310 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:14,440 Speaker 1: to just get them to procreate less, like put fewer 311 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:20,480 Speaker 1: candle lights out? Like very like, I don't have that 312 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:24,639 Speaker 1: kind of insight right now. Okay. The last one is 313 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: something that I know, like slucks, you've had some personal 314 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:31,080 Speaker 1: experience with, and it's possums. Yeah, I don't. I don't 315 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:32,920 Speaker 1: know what to do about this possum and how to 316 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,200 Speaker 1: feel about it because it is so ugly and it's 317 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:38,439 Speaker 1: russell by our door and woken me up at like 318 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: three in the morning. I mean, so ugly. It's cute too, 319 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: I guess, but but but then I also saw it 320 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: like scurry up the stairs, and I got really nervous. 321 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 1: I am gonna say, friend, you are correct. While his 322 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 1: presence may make you feel a little uncomfortable, mango um, 323 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:02,600 Speaker 1: he's actually a friend to your backyard. So possums will 324 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,439 Speaker 1: eat snails and slugs and other insects in your backyard, 325 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 1: which is great and but if you're in a place 326 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: like Brooklyn or New York, they'll even eat small rodents, 327 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 1: according to the Humane Society, which I'm I'm a big 328 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: fan of because I have lived in a couple of 329 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 1: New York apartments where we have had mouse issues, and 330 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,439 Speaker 1: I gotta be honest, I would have loved a pet possum. 331 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 1: I loved that. Yeah, this is great. But you know 332 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:30,719 Speaker 1: they'll also come through and they'll kind of eat all 333 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 1: the fallen fruits and vegetables from your backyard floor or 334 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 1: garden floor too, so they'll keep things kind of tidy 335 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 1: as well, which is super helpful. Yeah, so possums are friends. Yeah, 336 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 1: I see it in a completely different light now. Alright, man, 337 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: that was friend or foe? How do you feel? I 338 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:50,439 Speaker 1: feel like you showed me a chart of all the 339 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:53,919 Speaker 1: like community helpers and and now I know who to 340 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: be a little a are of and and and who 341 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:57,879 Speaker 1: I should be smiling at. I'm glad I could do 342 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: that for you. Thanks much for coming to your molley. 343 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:11,399 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. My pleasure anytime. And now for another 344 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 1: trip to poetry corner. This poem is called an Apology 345 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: to the Possum in My garden. I'm sorry that when 346 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:28,679 Speaker 1: I saw you, I screamed and shoot you away, But 347 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 1: now that I know you feast on slugs, please help 348 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:42,920 Speaker 1: yourself to the buffet. Thank you humans growing stuff will 349 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: be right back after a short break. As much as 350 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 1: we've been at home, isolated for the past few months, 351 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: it's strange also feel the strength of our communities. It 352 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:05,840 Speaker 1: makes me smile to think of the people who have 353 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: been donating their time, their harvest, bringing groceries to the elderly, 354 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,919 Speaker 1: pulling together to create services for kids in need. I 355 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:17,359 Speaker 1: see it all over my neighborhood, all these volunteers, and 356 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 1: it's inspiring. But it's fine to look at the backyard 357 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 1: and think about all the symbiotic relationships out there too, 358 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 1: How the participants in that little ecosystem need one another. 359 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:34,680 Speaker 1: Birds dispersing seeds so wildflowers can grow, geraniums warding off 360 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:38,080 Speaker 1: pest to help the other plants around them, all these 361 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 1: things quietly helping one another out. On days when I'm 362 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,399 Speaker 1: overwhelmed by the outside world, it's nice to look at 363 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 1: your garden and see all these things cooperating, realizing it's 364 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:52,919 Speaker 1: natural to help one another thrive, and to take some 365 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:56,679 Speaker 1: comfort in that. Speaking of comfort, someone who makes me 366 00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 1: feel better about the world right now is comedian, act 367 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 1: and author Jim Gaffigan. You may know Jim from his 368 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:06,679 Speaker 1: weekly segments on CBS Sunday Morning, or from any of 369 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 1: his numerous stand up specials, including his most recent The 370 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: Pale Tourist, which is available for streaming now on Prime Video. 371 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 1: Since March, Jim has really gotten into gardening, and it's impressive. 372 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:21,480 Speaker 1: He's built out a couple of gardens in his backyard 373 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:24,360 Speaker 1: and I want to call him up to ask him 374 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:28,280 Speaker 1: how he views his garden, what sort of natural relationships 375 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,160 Speaker 1: he's spotted out there, and what he finds inspiring about 376 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 1: it all. Hey, Jim, how's it going? Who is this? Hey? 377 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:43,080 Speaker 1: How are you? Thank you for answering. I've been so 378 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 1: comforted by some of the stuff you've been doing. I 379 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:47,880 Speaker 1: really love your family dinners that you've been putting on. 380 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,399 Speaker 1: I'm a big fan of your work. But I know 381 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 1: you've been gardening in quarantine, and you know, I'm always 382 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 1: curious about childhood memories. And I read somewhere that I 383 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: think it's an eighth grader in India and you planted 384 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,800 Speaker 1: some corn and had a good experience with that. Can 385 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: you can you tell me a little bit about that. Yeah, 386 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 1: it's so interesting. So it was so long ago when 387 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: I had done my first gardening experiment. It was summer 388 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 1: after eighth grade, and my mom really enjoyed gardening, and 389 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,840 Speaker 1: I remember just thinking she's crazy. She goes out there 390 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 1: for just hours noodling around. But I was kind of 391 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:33,159 Speaker 1: fascinated by the idea of growing something. I thought that 392 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 1: was appealing, and so I was in eighth grade. We 393 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan in Indiana. 394 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: I decided to just plant some popcorn seeds to see 395 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 1: if they would work. I planted them in sand, essentially, 396 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 1: but they grew and it sparked this fascination and I 397 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,159 Speaker 1: eventually had kind of a mini garden. But it was 398 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: very much a lazy approach to gardening. Not not not 399 00:23:03,359 --> 00:23:07,639 Speaker 1: that my enthusiasm wasn't there, but I didn't really embrace 400 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:11,760 Speaker 1: the research that was necessary. I mean, I planted popcorn 401 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 1: in sand, which is you know, probably a red flag 402 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:21,639 Speaker 1: that I didn't but it was it was so strangely rewarding. 403 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:24,119 Speaker 1: And that doesn't that doesn't even feel like it should 404 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 1: work right, like it feels like a miracle in itself. Yeah, 405 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:31,919 Speaker 1: it's you know, I mean the sand could support uh, 406 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 1: you know, beach grass, so it's and corn is a grass, 407 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 1: so I guess it's It's not the craziest thing, but 408 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:44,399 Speaker 1: um and it was something that, you know, so it 409 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:48,359 Speaker 1: built a bit of a memory that became a little 410 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:50,919 Speaker 1: bit of folklore and my family. I'm the youngest of 411 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:55,439 Speaker 1: six kids, so crazy Jimmy grows growesome corn and sand. 412 00:23:56,160 --> 00:24:01,120 Speaker 1: And so I did have this almost this belief that 413 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 1: I wanted to be a farmer. It was something that 414 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: I liked, the independence II you know, and that's what 415 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: brought me back to it during the pandemic was you know, 416 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:17,960 Speaker 1: there's some some element of gardening that and farming that 417 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 1: seems you have some element of control. It's very similar 418 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:26,360 Speaker 1: to stand up comedy. Like farmers are very similar two comedians. 419 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 1: They have no control. They attempt to control it. It's 420 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:36,360 Speaker 1: an insane pursuit. And uh so there is something about 421 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:42,359 Speaker 1: the gardening exercise that is very solitary that reminds me 422 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: of stand up is gardening has it become a habit 423 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:49,639 Speaker 1: for you? Is what is your routine? Like I, you know, 424 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:56,159 Speaker 1: I came upon it uh in a very unplanned way. 425 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: We had been in the pandemic in our apartment in 426 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 1: New York City for you know, from March to the 427 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:09,399 Speaker 1: end of May, you know, not leaving our apartments. And 428 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 1: then I decided to rent a house outside of New 429 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:16,679 Speaker 1: York City for my kids because we had to get outside. 430 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:18,920 Speaker 1: And so we rented a place so that they could 431 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:23,919 Speaker 1: run around, and there were garden beds there from the owner. 432 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 1: And so initially it was just this exercise, Well, it 433 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:32,000 Speaker 1: would be fun for I've got you know, kids eight 434 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 1: nine and eleven and fourteen and sixteen, so it'll be 435 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 1: great for some of the kids to see something grow. 436 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:41,800 Speaker 1: And so we got some tomato plants and we planted 437 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:46,480 Speaker 1: some corn, and my eldest planet some watermelon, not realizing 438 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:50,399 Speaker 1: that was too late for the watermelon. But it was 439 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:52,680 Speaker 1: one of those things where I thought maybe I could 440 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 1: bring the kids over and they would be interested. But 441 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:59,400 Speaker 1: my kids had had no interest whatsoever. But what what 442 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:03,720 Speaker 1: I did learn was that and maybe it's a result 443 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 1: of after this really intensive quarantine with my family, the 444 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:16,919 Speaker 1: allure of this time, this solitary time outside tending to 445 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 1: these plants, you know, pouring water on mud and turning 446 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:26,199 Speaker 1: into something was incredibly rewarding. I would wake up. I 447 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:28,680 Speaker 1: found myself waking up early so that I could water 448 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:33,120 Speaker 1: before it would get hot. And um, it was it 449 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:37,960 Speaker 1: was really Yeah, it ended up being such a rewarding thing, 450 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:40,719 Speaker 1: you know, And it was you know, I think my 451 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 1: wife was kind of like, good, he's not here too. 452 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 1: So it was. And I know that, you know, gardening 453 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:51,400 Speaker 1: during the pandemic was was very common. You know, some 454 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:55,400 Speaker 1: people you know baked, some people you know worked out, 455 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:57,719 Speaker 1: but you know, I don't. I don't know how to 456 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:01,399 Speaker 1: make sour dough bread. So I did the garden. I 457 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: mean that that is the thing about all this, right, 458 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,520 Speaker 1: being outside is a rewarding. But but also this reminder 459 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:09,280 Speaker 1: that like going to a nursery is really fun, and 460 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:11,720 Speaker 1: like forcing my kids to go on that walk, look 461 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:14,920 Speaker 1: at plants and explore it is something I didn't expect 462 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:18,920 Speaker 1: to get joy from. Yeah, absolutely, it is. It's kind 463 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 1: of hard to articulate, right because it is. I mean, 464 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:26,520 Speaker 1: I'm also I should say that I'm a gardener that 465 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 1: does that enjoys growing things that have a functional purpose, 466 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 1: Like when I encounter friends that are like I'm growing 467 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:39,880 Speaker 1: these flowers I'm like, that's weird. I mean, it's not weird. 468 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:43,440 Speaker 1: It's not end garden for you. So next year if 469 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:47,400 Speaker 1: we had this conversation because I tried to do sunflowers 470 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:53,480 Speaker 1: like three times, not realizing that rabbits love sunflowers and dear, 471 00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:56,480 Speaker 1: you know, it doesn't matter how large they are. The 472 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: deal eat anything and everything. You know, it's so fascinating 473 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:03,639 Speaker 1: because it's doing the garden. Not only was it it 474 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 1: was probably you know, beneficial to my mental well being 475 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:11,760 Speaker 1: and there was a meditative quality to it. But I 476 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:15,480 Speaker 1: think it changed my diet for me because I'm like, well, 477 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:19,840 Speaker 1: I grew this zucchini. I would never eat a zucchini otherwise, 478 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:22,880 Speaker 1: but since I grew it, we gotta figure out how 479 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:26,960 Speaker 1: to eat this. And I think it's there's also something 480 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:32,640 Speaker 1: really social about a garden, like you have this overabundance 481 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 1: of eggplants and zucchini, so and it prompts you to 482 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 1: be generous with those things. In some ways, you're like 483 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 1: just trying to get rid of them. So we rented 484 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 1: this house that they had a long crew. But I 485 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: would go out there and I'd be like, do you 486 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 1: guys want these eggplants? And uh, and it's you know, 487 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:52,640 Speaker 1: then they became friends of mine. They're like, well, this 488 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:57,960 Speaker 1: guy offered me food. But I also thought it was 489 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: fascinating how the things that were easy to grow, we're 490 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:07,320 Speaker 1: less likely to be something I'd want to consume. Like 491 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:10,600 Speaker 1: the eggplants and the zucchini's were like the FoST things 492 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 1: come out where they were edible, and I was like, what, 493 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:17,520 Speaker 1: I gotta grow some cheeseburgers here. I don't know how 494 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 1: to get some of this stuff. I'm curious. How do 495 00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:25,840 Speaker 1: you feel about about all the wild life? Do you 496 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: look out there and and you're sort of amazed by it? 497 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 1: Are you just annoyed by it? And what are you 498 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: observing in your backyard? Oh, it's it's so fascinating, right, 499 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 1: It's just I mean, we're not that far from New 500 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 1: York City, but it is it's I'm observing, you know, 501 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 1: the you know, the circle of life, you know, stuff 502 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:51,640 Speaker 1: going on where there's there's little critters everywhere, and there's 503 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 1: I don't know that I feel like there's a thousand rabbits, 504 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 1: you know, and in the front there's some I think 505 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 1: it's fast sinating how the rabbits they do that freezing thing. 506 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:06,479 Speaker 1: Where you'll you'll be walking up and my eleven year 507 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 1: old daughter just goes crazy for animals, and the rabbits 508 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:14,760 Speaker 1: will do that pause where they freeze, thinking you won't 509 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 1: see them or something. It's a very strange tactic. You 510 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 1: almost imagine that among rabbits. They're like if you see 511 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 1: a human, just play debt, you know, or they they 512 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:29,600 Speaker 1: have some approach similar to how we react or supposed 513 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:32,840 Speaker 1: to react when we see a bear. But it is 514 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:39,600 Speaker 1: fascinating how truly beautiful the little critters are. And you know, 515 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:42,239 Speaker 1: even a fox. It's I don't know, maybe I'm just 516 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 1: I'm turning into an old man in the pandemic, but 517 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 1: I know it sounds corny or something, but but it's 518 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:50,960 Speaker 1: it's stunning to appreciate all these things and like to 519 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 1: take the time to appreciate them too, even though they're 520 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: irritating as well, right, like like you have to be 521 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 1: irritated by the bunnies, yeah, and and but like the 522 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 1: bunnies or the fox there, it's weird because they're living outside, 523 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 1: but they look like they just had their hair done 524 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:09,760 Speaker 1: during me Like it's like that fox, you know, that 525 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:13,560 Speaker 1: box is going to a hairdresser. It's like there's the fox, 526 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 1: like the tail. You're like, come on, you're too effect 527 00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:18,920 Speaker 1: me to believe you live in a hole. You live 528 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:21,640 Speaker 1: in a hole in your tail looks like that, you know. 529 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:23,959 Speaker 1: I mean, there's got to be conditioner or something that 530 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 1: you're using. You know. I was wondering, was it just 531 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:29,320 Speaker 1: like muscle memory from eighth grade that you're gardening with? 532 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:33,040 Speaker 1: But clearly you're like investigating YouTube and diving into things 533 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 1: like what are some of the things that you geek 534 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:39,400 Speaker 1: out over? I geeked out over, uh, you know how 535 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:42,440 Speaker 1: my wife would pretend to be impressed or you know, 536 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:46,040 Speaker 1: I would post on social media like what my harvest was. 537 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 1: And sometimes I would post because we're in essentially quarantine, 538 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 1: and I would occasionally go to a carding store, but 539 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:56,560 Speaker 1: I would ask for feedback online from people. I'm like, 540 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:59,800 Speaker 1: is this what do I do wrong? Here? And there's 541 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 1: a there's a resourcefulness and a generosity from other gardeners. 542 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:08,080 Speaker 1: They're like, you know what, put that on a shelf 543 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:10,320 Speaker 1: for a week, It'll be fine, you know. And some 544 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:13,080 Speaker 1: of this stuff I feel like maybe I knew or 545 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:15,200 Speaker 1: I would hear my mom talk about it. But I've 546 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 1: been just thinking of like jokes about being lazy for 547 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:21,760 Speaker 1: the past thirty years, so I haven't remembered it, but 548 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:26,760 Speaker 1: I geek out about how it's all connected. How you know. 549 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 1: It's like if you get ladybugs, they'll deal with the 550 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:32,800 Speaker 1: avids and you know, uh, and some of it I 551 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 1: haven't implemented, but like the you plant things near each 552 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:43,960 Speaker 1: other to help protect them. How people will plant. But 553 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 1: there's there's so much to know, uh that it's it's 554 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:52,520 Speaker 1: really fun. But I'm still at the point where I 555 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:56,360 Speaker 1: will plant things in my herb garden. I'm like, I 556 00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:59,080 Speaker 1: don't even know what that is. And someone are coming 557 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,080 Speaker 1: to go, you're growing mint, and I'm like, yeah, I 558 00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:05,800 Speaker 1: am growing mint. It's like I didn't know or and 559 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:09,000 Speaker 1: it's not like I cook a lot, so people are like, oh, 560 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:11,200 Speaker 1: you're growing basil. I want to make my own pesto, 561 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:13,200 Speaker 1: and I'll be like, I can make pesto from that. 562 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 1: It's really dumb. I actually saw online that you didn't 563 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:22,120 Speaker 1: just stick to those raised beds. You actually expanded and 564 00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:25,080 Speaker 1: create a second garden in a corner of the back yard. 565 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 1: And I'm curious, how is gardening They're different from gardening 566 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:33,840 Speaker 1: in those raised beds. Well, it is a dramatic difference 567 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:40,240 Speaker 1: in that the gardening beds that I inherited from the homeowner, uh, 568 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:46,400 Speaker 1: they had those drip coils, they had they were raised 569 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:53,960 Speaker 1: beds that had great soil. So that soil was pretty 570 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 1: crummy soil. So it was there was a process of 571 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,400 Speaker 1: trying to fix the soil. And again I'm not an 572 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:05,080 Speaker 1: expert on it, so I would try and do things, 573 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:09,200 Speaker 1: and then I would go off and decide to I 574 00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:11,839 Speaker 1: would read about something like all right, I'll put hay 575 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:14,400 Speaker 1: down there or something that will retain some of the 576 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:19,600 Speaker 1: moisture in there. And then so it was totally improvising 577 00:34:19,640 --> 00:34:23,120 Speaker 1: the whole way. But it was it was completely different 578 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:27,080 Speaker 1: because I also, um, I had done this clearing, and 579 00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:31,080 Speaker 1: so I was growing stuff and then I think someone 580 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:35,359 Speaker 1: said to me, oh, you're growing it near a pine tree, 581 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:37,680 Speaker 1: and I was like yeah, and they're like, well, that's 582 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:40,680 Speaker 1: a pretty that makes the soil acidic. And I was like, 583 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:42,640 Speaker 1: I don't even know what that means, you know. So 584 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:49,760 Speaker 1: there's so many puzzles in the equation, right, There's so many. 585 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:53,520 Speaker 1: So I'm like, I can't chop down that tree, you know. 586 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:58,040 Speaker 1: But well, and then I was like, what grows around 587 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:03,480 Speaker 1: pine trees? Does anything? Yeah? Well what did grow? There 588 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:09,480 Speaker 1: was pumpkins that bloomed but didn't fruit. But I don't 589 00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:13,640 Speaker 1: know if that's a result of me starting pumpkins too late, 590 00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:18,520 Speaker 1: which is very likely, or pumpkins can grow in acidic 591 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:21,319 Speaker 1: so well. I know that peppers didn't work, and I 592 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:25,480 Speaker 1: know that beans didn't work in the acidic soil. I 593 00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 1: mean I was going through this exercise earlier of trying 594 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:30,280 Speaker 1: to figure out like where in the high school hierarchy, 595 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:35,759 Speaker 1: like various things in the backyards set who are the athletes? Yeah, 596 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:42,920 Speaker 1: I would say tomatoes. They're like the stars of all gardens. 597 00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:47,120 Speaker 1: And I don't know if it's the functionality of them 598 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:50,960 Speaker 1: that everyone likes them. Everyone likes tomatoes, whether it be 599 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:53,799 Speaker 1: in a salad or in a marine era. But they're 600 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:57,200 Speaker 1: also pretty. But I just feel like there's so much 601 00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:02,640 Speaker 1: They get so much attention, where as kale is like 602 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:06,680 Speaker 1: so easy to grow. No one really wants it. It's 603 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:09,840 Speaker 1: just it's like you're You're like, we can mix it 604 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:15,680 Speaker 1: into a salad. It's it's essentially an herb or a 605 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:21,480 Speaker 1: weed like kale, you know, was declassified from weed to 606 00:36:22,239 --> 00:36:25,239 Speaker 1: edible it feels like in the last decade. And then 607 00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:28,960 Speaker 1: I would say that there's just and then there's the 608 00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:32,120 Speaker 1: there's the frequent friends, you know, like that you spent 609 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:35,239 Speaker 1: a lot of time with, which are the beans. And 610 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:39,080 Speaker 1: then there's like I feel as though beats and carrots 611 00:36:39,320 --> 00:36:42,160 Speaker 1: are you know, those are the friends that you hung 612 00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:45,640 Speaker 1: around with maybe once or twice. Like I feel as 613 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:48,880 Speaker 1: though there's something about the reveal of a beat or 614 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:53,920 Speaker 1: a carrot that is it's very deceptive. I guess it's 615 00:36:54,080 --> 00:36:56,400 Speaker 1: you know, it's kind of like that old visual of 616 00:36:57,719 --> 00:37:00,640 Speaker 1: a man sees the back of a beautiful with long 617 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:04,240 Speaker 1: flowing hair and then as they get up, the woman 618 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:07,960 Speaker 1: turns and she's, you know, ninety years old. It's a 619 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:10,760 Speaker 1: little bit like that. I mean that probably sounds horrible, 620 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:15,120 Speaker 1: but like where you you see this huge, bushy carrot 621 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:18,400 Speaker 1: plant and you pull it out and it's just this stubby, 622 00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:21,759 Speaker 1: tiny carrot or it's deformed. I don't know what I'm 623 00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:24,160 Speaker 1: doing with, Like carrots are way too hard, Like carrots 624 00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:27,160 Speaker 1: should be much easier to grow. It's like you're just 625 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:32,480 Speaker 1: gonna give us one, you know, whereas peppers or like 626 00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:35,959 Speaker 1: an apple tree, you're like, you know, like apples are 627 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:39,800 Speaker 1: It almost feels kind of silly how many apples, and 628 00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:43,680 Speaker 1: apple Tree provides like you're just like, that's that's not necessary, 629 00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:46,279 Speaker 1: do you know what I mean? It's just we're not 630 00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:49,160 Speaker 1: gonna eat this many apples, all right, Mr apple Tree, 631 00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:53,920 Speaker 1: Like just settle down. This episode is also a lot 632 00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:57,160 Speaker 1: about the relationships that are going on in your backyard 633 00:37:57,200 --> 00:37:59,520 Speaker 1: between like the flora and fauna and and and the 634 00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:02,200 Speaker 1: eCos them back there, and we're kind of curious what 635 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:06,359 Speaker 1: analogy would you draw to all the layers and relationships 636 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:12,920 Speaker 1: within your own garden. Wow. I think there's something really 637 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:19,000 Speaker 1: fascinating about the fence around the garden because it, you know, 638 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:22,320 Speaker 1: like it's a pretty white fence around these raised beds. 639 00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:27,120 Speaker 1: It feels very it's necessary the the animals would eat 640 00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:29,520 Speaker 1: the vegetables and stuff like that. But there is part 641 00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:32,160 Speaker 1: of me that's like, well that's not fair, right. It's 642 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:35,080 Speaker 1: like it's a little cruel for the rabbits to be 643 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:37,879 Speaker 1: able to look in and go cheese. You know, there's 644 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:40,040 Speaker 1: food right in there, and there's plenty of food everywhere, 645 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:42,799 Speaker 1: so there is I guess I feel a sense of 646 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:47,440 Speaker 1: almost guilt at times because I know that you know, 647 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 1: I'm relieved that this plastic owl will somehow stop a 648 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:57,320 Speaker 1: bird from right when the tomatoes ripe enough, it'll stop 649 00:38:57,360 --> 00:39:00,960 Speaker 1: a bird from pecking at the tomato. But there is 650 00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:02,839 Speaker 1: part of me it's like, well, yeah, they I could 651 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:07,759 Speaker 1: give them some of them. I mean, yeah, completely. So 652 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:10,799 Speaker 1: I guess one of the questions we're wondering about is 653 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:12,719 Speaker 1: when you look out in the back like, what really 654 00:39:12,719 --> 00:39:16,719 Speaker 1: inspires you most in the backyard undergarden. I don't know 655 00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:22,799 Speaker 1: if I can even put put to words of what it's. 656 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:29,600 Speaker 1: I think it's the silence or the absence of our world. 657 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:35,560 Speaker 1: How you can get away from the chaos of the world. 658 00:39:35,719 --> 00:39:42,600 Speaker 1: And that occurs when I'm noodling around the garden. It's 659 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:48,080 Speaker 1: probably what I imagine people that run long distance and there, 660 00:39:48,920 --> 00:39:51,160 Speaker 1: like I look at joggers that aren't listening to anything. 661 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:55,520 Speaker 1: I'm like, that's crazy, you know, But that's what I 662 00:39:55,640 --> 00:40:02,560 Speaker 1: experience in that quiet time in the garden. It's it's 663 00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:07,239 Speaker 1: I guess peace. Yeah. I like going out to the 664 00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:11,960 Speaker 1: garden because then there are these times when there's going 665 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:15,120 Speaker 1: to be a surprise. There's you know that garden. You 666 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:20,720 Speaker 1: know that pepper bloom could have turned into a little 667 00:40:20,719 --> 00:40:24,880 Speaker 1: bit of a pepper at this point, or uh, maybe 668 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:29,040 Speaker 1: maybe I can harvest the cucumber this time. Do you 669 00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:32,400 Speaker 1: know what I mean? Because you know what there is 670 00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:39,560 Speaker 1: also about gardening is that there's something optimistic about a garden. 671 00:40:40,080 --> 00:40:45,640 Speaker 1: And we live in this with a certain level of cynicism. 672 00:40:45,680 --> 00:40:48,440 Speaker 1: I think the old me before I garden would have 673 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:53,160 Speaker 1: been like, okay, you know, and there is the reality 674 00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:56,040 Speaker 1: is is you can go to a farmer's market and 675 00:40:56,120 --> 00:40:59,000 Speaker 1: get better vegetables than you're going to attempt to grow, 676 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:04,759 Speaker 1: and the financial resources will be you know, if you 677 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:08,000 Speaker 1: weigh out time value of money, it's there's no comparison. 678 00:41:08,560 --> 00:41:15,000 Speaker 1: So there is something creative and optimistic about a garden. Yeah, 679 00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:18,120 Speaker 1: I mean I found there's like pure optimism right, like 680 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:20,600 Speaker 1: that you plant these seeds and expect them to grow 681 00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:23,640 Speaker 1: and whatever. But but I've also been thinking a lot 682 00:41:23,719 --> 00:41:27,279 Speaker 1: about if more people garden, will this be sort of 683 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:30,640 Speaker 1: a more caring world? Just this whole idea of like 684 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:34,560 Speaker 1: if you're constantly paying attention to plants and their needs 685 00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:37,000 Speaker 1: and like you make a practice of that, like will 686 00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:40,239 Speaker 1: that actually affect a whole generation of people? Yeah? And 687 00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:44,040 Speaker 1: you also think of as we've become more and more modern, 688 00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:47,000 Speaker 1: have we lost sight of some of these lessons that 689 00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:53,239 Speaker 1: we learn by realizing the different elements of how things 690 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:56,400 Speaker 1: work in nature, And that I'm not saying I understand it, 691 00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:58,359 Speaker 1: but you're like, oh, you know what, I guess we 692 00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:01,360 Speaker 1: do need. Not that I have anything against ladybugs, but 693 00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:05,680 Speaker 1: ladybugs get rid of the a fits and and those 694 00:42:05,680 --> 00:42:08,759 Speaker 1: birds are actually good because they're protecting the plants, but 695 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:11,799 Speaker 1: they get to eat some of them and so. And 696 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:16,560 Speaker 1: I do also think that the first hand experience with composting, 697 00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:19,480 Speaker 1: which again the old man would have been like like 698 00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:23,759 Speaker 1: my last year, my wife had a compost on our 699 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:27,640 Speaker 1: roof with my kids, and I remember I never went 700 00:42:27,719 --> 00:42:30,840 Speaker 1: up and saw it. I remembering that's great, honey, great 701 00:42:30,880 --> 00:42:36,680 Speaker 1: doing the composting, And that first hand experience with composting. 702 00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:42,840 Speaker 1: When you witness, you know, quality soil being created, it 703 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:47,359 Speaker 1: changes things, right, you have an understanding and when you're 704 00:42:47,360 --> 00:42:50,920 Speaker 1: growing things, you you appreciate the importance of quality soil. 705 00:42:51,640 --> 00:42:54,319 Speaker 1: So it all kind of feeds into things. Not that 706 00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:57,759 Speaker 1: you know, like if I'm on vacation or like we're 707 00:42:57,760 --> 00:42:59,719 Speaker 1: ever going to be able to do that again, but 708 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:02,359 Speaker 1: if I'm in a certain place I'm not looking at 709 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:07,279 Speaker 1: the sho is decent soil, but you're mindful of Oh, 710 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:11,440 Speaker 1: this would be good, a good area to grow something. Well, 711 00:43:11,560 --> 00:43:13,600 Speaker 1: thank you so much for being on this program. We 712 00:43:13,640 --> 00:43:16,400 Speaker 1: really really appreciate your time. Thanks so much, it was 713 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:31,440 Speaker 1: so fun. Welcome to Pollination Station. So I learned earlier 714 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:35,840 Speaker 1: from Molly that despite the deceptive marketing behind butterfly bushes, 715 00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:39,239 Speaker 1: they actually do very little to bring butterflies to your yard. 716 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:42,120 Speaker 1: So I decided I needed a quick lesson on how 717 00:43:42,160 --> 00:43:45,960 Speaker 1: to encourage pollinators to come to the garden. Pollinators are 718 00:43:46,200 --> 00:43:50,600 Speaker 1: obviously important because they encourage reproduction and plants. Plus, over 719 00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:55,240 Speaker 1: the food we consume, it's actually distributed by these helpful friends. 720 00:43:56,200 --> 00:43:59,160 Speaker 1: Here are four tricks to bring pollinators to your yard. 721 00:44:01,280 --> 00:44:06,120 Speaker 1: Plant native plants. This sounds obvious, but growing more native 722 00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:09,719 Speaker 1: plants is a must do. Over time, pollinators have co 723 00:44:09,800 --> 00:44:13,440 Speaker 1: evolved alongside native plants, so your job is to continue 724 00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:16,520 Speaker 1: that chain and not disruptive. And if you keep native 725 00:44:16,520 --> 00:44:19,200 Speaker 1: plants growing, it won't be long before you have bees 726 00:44:19,280 --> 00:44:24,760 Speaker 1: and hummingbirds showing up at the party too. Garden a rainbow. 727 00:44:25,200 --> 00:44:30,040 Speaker 1: Everyone wants a beautiful, colorful garden. That's full of flowers, right, Well, 728 00:44:30,040 --> 00:44:34,680 Speaker 1: it turns out so do pollinators, especially bees. Planting different 729 00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:37,879 Speaker 1: colored flowers attracts bees to your garden, and once they're there, 730 00:44:38,280 --> 00:44:42,640 Speaker 1: they will get to work. Throw some herbs in there. 731 00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:46,040 Speaker 1: Planting a herb garden may seem like a no brainer 732 00:44:46,080 --> 00:44:49,040 Speaker 1: to give an herbaceous lift to your dinners, but it's 733 00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:52,160 Speaker 1: also an easy way to attract bumble bees. And while 734 00:44:52,239 --> 00:44:55,719 Speaker 1: basil and rosemary are helpful in getting more pollinators over, 735 00:44:56,239 --> 00:44:59,840 Speaker 1: they're non native, so supplement them with lots of native buddies. 736 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:04,120 Speaker 1: Put in a bird bath. People don't often think about it, 737 00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:06,960 Speaker 1: but bird bats are a super helpful way to keep 738 00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:10,120 Speaker 1: a water source close by. You can also create a 739 00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:13,680 Speaker 1: basin for rain, which will attract butterflies and birds, and 740 00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:34,560 Speaker 1: that'll keep your pollination station up and running. That's it 741 00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:37,600 Speaker 1: for today's episode. Don't forget whether you're a beginner like me, 742 00:45:38,080 --> 00:45:41,880 Speaker 1: a pro trying something new, or someone in between enjoying 743 00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:45,759 Speaker 1: your backyard garden, they are incredible resources waiting for you 744 00:45:45,840 --> 00:45:48,879 Speaker 1: on the Miracle Grow website. Next time on our show, 745 00:45:49,080 --> 00:45:51,920 Speaker 1: we'll be diving into the world of garden fitness, talking 746 00:45:51,920 --> 00:45:55,080 Speaker 1: to experts on how to take advantage and burn some calories, 747 00:45:55,280 --> 00:45:57,920 Speaker 1: all while tending to your plants. If you like what 748 00:45:58,040 --> 00:46:00,319 Speaker 1: you heard, don't forget to rain and review a show 749 00:46:00,320 --> 00:46:03,719 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcast. Also, we want to hear from you. 750 00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:08,719 Speaker 1: What are your inspiring plant stories, relatable struggles or growing questions. 751 00:46:09,160 --> 00:46:11,520 Speaker 1: Tag us in your post or tweet using the hashtag 752 00:46:11,600 --> 00:46:14,359 Speaker 1: Humans Growing Stuff, and don't be surprised if you hear 753 00:46:14,400 --> 00:46:18,120 Speaker 1: your story featured on an upcoming episode. Humans Growing Stuff 754 00:46:18,160 --> 00:46:20,520 Speaker 1: is a collaboration from I Heart Radio and your friends 755 00:46:20,520 --> 00:46:22,839 Speaker 1: at Miracle Grow. Our show was written and produced by 756 00:46:22,840 --> 00:46:26,880 Speaker 1: Molly Sosha and me Mongy Chatigler in partnership with Ryan Ovadia, 757 00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:31,320 Speaker 1: Daniel Ainsworth, Hayley Ericsson, and Garrett Shannon of Banter Until 758 00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:33,360 Speaker 1: Next Time. Thanks so much for listening.