1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 1: Hey there, I'm Mangish. They're a co host of Part 2 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:08,800 Speaker 1: Time Genius, one of the founders of Mental Flaws, and 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: this is Humans Growing Stuff, a collaboration from My Heart 4 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: Radio and your friends at Miracle Grow. Our goal is 5 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: to make this the most human show about plants you'll 6 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: ever listen to, and along the way, we'll share inspiring stories, 7 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: tips and tricks to nurture your plant addiction, and just 8 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 1: enough science to make you sound like an expert. We 9 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: are on summer break right now, but the truth is 10 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: Molly and I can't stop won't stop our plant addictions, 11 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: so we're bringing you some mini episodes to brighten up 12 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,520 Speaker 1: your feed and grow your plant curiosity. Throughout the summer. 13 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: We're dropping incredible stories from growers, fund advice from experts, 14 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: and we'll have some great conversations around fascinating plant facts. 15 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: For this episode, Molly and I took a field trip 16 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: to explore Governor's Island and all its natural wonder in 17 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: New York City, and I think you're gonna of it. 18 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: So just a little background. Governor's Island is a one 19 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: seventy two acre island in New York Harbor, just east 20 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: of the Lower Tip of Manhattan, and since the early 21 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: eight hundreds, the island has been this important military base. 22 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: Today it's not really that. It's one of the largest 23 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: public parks in New York City. They have lavender fields 24 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: and public hammocks and modern art installations. There's clamping and 25 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: food trucks, playgrounds and urban farm and this last spring 26 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: they offered a flock of sheep residency on the island 27 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: through the summer. That's right, they gave residency to some sheep. 28 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: And one other thing I love about the island is 29 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: the only way to get there is by ferry. Yeah, 30 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: we are in the cabin on the ferry to Governor's Island, 31 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: and I'm glad I got on this ferry rather than 32 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: the one to Staten Island, because although I'm sure Staten 33 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: Island as gorgeous gardens, I don't know how many sheep 34 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: they have. How about you? What are you excited to say? 35 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 1: I'm determined to find your sheep. Every time I go 36 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: to Governor's Island, I find something new I'm delighted by. 37 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: And on this trip, I was on a mission to 38 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 1: find the sheep they brought to the island this year. 39 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: And then the hammock grows right across from that entrance. Nice, 40 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: and we're certain they're still sheep there. I don't know, however, 41 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 1: those sheep seem to be continually hiding from us as 42 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: we searched. But in our quest to find the flock, 43 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: we stumbled across another hidden gem. I wonder, what's going 44 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:51,959 Speaker 1: on our here? That's okay, legit, gardening happened right here. 45 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, oh my god. It starts smelling so good, 46 00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: Oh my god, so good. I'm just gonna roll around 47 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,799 Speaker 1: all these different kinds of let's walk through here. We 48 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: stumbled into the lavender fields of Governor's Island. It's a 49 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: small patch of garden containing four main varieties of lavender, 50 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: along with some lesser known ones like my favorite, this 51 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: new varietal I learned about called fat spike. In total, 52 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: they have over five hundred individual lavender plants, and the 53 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: lavender was apparently planted on the island in June of 54 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 1: two thousand seventeen. But here's the really wonderful part. Every Sunday, 55 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,079 Speaker 1: the public is welcome to harvest some of the blooms, 56 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: and one of the loveliest parts of the spot, aside 57 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 1: from the incredible fragrance and all these glorious waves of 58 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: purple is watching all the different pollinators flutter and buzz 59 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: from plant to plant. You know, lavender is such a 60 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: unique plant. Aside from attracting pollinators, a single lavender plant 61 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: can survive fifteen to twenty years in the right environment. 62 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: They are super sturdy, heat and drought tolerant, and they 63 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: can grow in a variety of soils from being potted 64 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: indoors or out in the backyards. But you know, I 65 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: was told if you're planning outside, it might be best 66 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: to choose late spring or early summer when the soil 67 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: is warmer. After spending a good half hour wandering through 68 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: these gorgeous purple blossoms, Molly and I accepted a bouquet 69 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: of freshly cut lavender from some of the gardeners there. 70 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: It was such a sweet gesture, and then continued on 71 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: our way in search of these evasive sheep. You might 72 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 1: be wondering, Mango, why are you obsessed with these sheep? Well, 73 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 1: the wooly creatures go by the name's flower sam, Evening 74 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: philip aries, and my favorite chad and they've been imported 75 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: from Albany, But they are not on the island to sightsee. 76 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: They're here to work, and their residency is designed to 77 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 1: help keep the invasive plant species in control. And for 78 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 1: the next four or five months they're going to be 79 00:04:55,320 --> 00:05:00,480 Speaker 1: super busy feasting on grasses, fragmites, mug war and sun flowers. 80 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: But in the full lushness of the Hammock Rove area, 81 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 1: these sheep were not easy to find. Sheep chip chip 82 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: chip chip chip chip chipchip cheep. What's she called? Shipipchip 83 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:26,160 Speaker 1: chip cheep. No sheep yet, it's like a scavenger hunt. Yeah, 84 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 1: we honestly asked everyone we saw, and we nearly gave 85 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: up after finding one empty enclosure. But then, just like 86 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: the fresh lavender, the smell of the sheep wafted in 87 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 1: on the wind and we caught a big whiff of 88 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: them before we could see them. So Molly and I 89 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: followed our noses straight to them. I definitely smell them. Yeah, 90 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: I know, We're just gonna have to follow our noses stronger. 91 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:04,159 Speaker 1: I know, I agree. I sent this stronger, and eventually, 92 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: peeking between the branches of a second enclosure, Molly and 93 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: I finally found all five of those beautiful fluffy monsters. 94 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:19,159 Speaker 1: Sam evening flower philip aries and yes, of course, Chad 95 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 1: like that looks like there, I think, yeah, basking in 96 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: the shade over there. Oh two two of them and 97 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,280 Speaker 1: did that make my day? So okay, we've been looking 98 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 1: around for a while. Yeah, so we've been wandering and 99 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: there are three paths we could go down to try 100 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: to find the sheep, and we took two of the 101 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: wrong paths and asked a lot of people who pointed 102 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: in vague directions which I forced you to chase down. 103 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 1: And then finally we bumped into one guy who said 104 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,160 Speaker 1: he had no idea where the sheep were, and they 105 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: were right around the corner for room. And we've been 106 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:08,839 Speaker 1: but we couldn't really see them very well. But we could. 107 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: We were We're like real like creeps to the sheep. 108 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, completely creep. Were sheep creep sheeping toms. But 109 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 1: then it was it was so joyous to like spot 110 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: like one fluffy tail and then see there's another body 111 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: next to it, and then another body and then like 112 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: the whole crew was there. Yeah, yeah, you were so excited. 113 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: I know, it's a good day. Someone hands me a 114 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: bouquet of lavender and you get to see sheep. It's 115 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: pretty good day's work. I agree. I agree. That's it 116 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: for today's episode, but check back here again soon for 117 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: more bonus episodes this summer. And don't forget no matter 118 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: what season it is or where you're at in your 119 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: gardening journey, there are some incredible resources is waiting for 120 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: you on the Miracle Grow website. Humans Growing Stuff is 121 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: a collaboration from I Heart Radio and your friends at 122 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: Miracle Grow. Our show is written and produced by Molly 123 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 1: Sosha and me Mony Fatiga there thank you so much 124 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: for listening.