261 episodes

Ellen Zachos and C.L. Fornari help you discover the amazing world of plants: in the garden, in the wild, and on your plate. They show you how to grow plants successfully, how to enjoy your natural surroundings, and how to make the most of your harvest, whether it's cultivated or foraged. (Spoiler alert: they don't always agree!) You'll find three different topics in each episode, plus email questions from listeners.

Plantrama - plants, landscapes, & bringing nature indoors Ellen Zachos and C.L. Fornari

    • Leisure
    • 4.7 • 184 Ratings

Ellen Zachos and C.L. Fornari help you discover the amazing world of plants: in the garden, in the wild, and on your plate. They show you how to grow plants successfully, how to enjoy your natural surroundings, and how to make the most of your harvest, whether it's cultivated or foraged. (Spoiler alert: they don't always agree!) You'll find three different topics in each episode, plus email questions from listeners.

    Seed Planning, Catching Up, and See You In Seattle

    Seed Planning, Catching Up, and See You In Seattle

    Ellen and C.L. talk about three interesting edibles from the True Leaf Market catalog, explain what they’re working on and catch up with some listener emails. They end by talking about seven seed starting tips offered by our friends at Gardeners Supply Company, and invite listeners to join them at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle.
     
    :30 What’s For Dinner: Our top picks from the True Leaf Market catalog
    7:23 Eat/Drink/Grow:   What's new with the Plantrama team.
    19:46 Insider Information: 7 tips for seed starting

    • 32 min
    Tasty meals, New Plant Discoveries and a Dormant Period

    Tasty meals, New Plant Discoveries and a Dormant Period

    We’re talking about garlic and crabapples, plants that are new to our hearts, and some interesting research on bulbs done at Cornell University. Plus some words of appreciation for all of our listeners…Plantrama people are the best!
     See the bulb research information here.
    :27 What’s For Dinner: What C.L.and Ellen love for tasty meals.
    5:14 Eat/Drink/Grow:   New Plants…new to us, that is.
    15:21 Insider Information:   Bulb research from Cornell University
    23:03 Love Letters and Questions:  We’re entering a dormant period, but here’s our shout out to all of our listeners.

    • 25 min
    Rusty Nails For Blue Hydrangeas, Queen Anne_s Lace, and Too Many Plants

    Rusty Nails For Blue Hydrangeas, Queen Anne_s Lace, and Too Many Plants

     
    Learn about turning Hydrangea flowers blue, how to tell if you’re looking at Queen Anne’s lace or the poison hemlock, and not enough room for all these plants! Plus C.L. loves listening to the Audible version of Michael Pollen’s book, This is Your Mind on Plants.
     
    :29  True or False:   To turn Hydrangeas blue, place rusty nails in the ground
    3:48 Eat/Drink/Grow:  Queen Anne’s Lace and Poisonous Look-Alikes
    15:04 Check This Out:  Michael Pollen’s book “This is Your Mind on Plants”
    20:30 Love Letters and Questions: Candace writes: “There isn’t room in my house for all of these plants…not if I want to say married. Help!”    

    • 26 min
    Peppers, Dry Summers, and a Clover Lawn

    Peppers, Dry Summers, and a Clover Lawn

    In this episode Ellen and C.L. discuss some favorite peppers, and answer common listener questions about drought-damaged plants and helping their gardens recover from a hot, dry summer. We share an exciting new plant from Proven Winners, and answer a listener’s question about clover lawns.
     
    :36 What’s For Dinner: Peppers!
    10:39 Eat/Drink/Grow:  Recovering From A Hot, Dry Summer  
    19:45 Insider Information:  Excited about Queen Tut Papyrus
    21:35 Love Letters and Questions: Sandy writes:  “Do you like clover lawns?”

    Link to Queen Tut on the Proven Winners Website:  https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/cyperus/graceful-grasses-queen-tut-dwarf-papyrus-cyperus-prolifer 

    • 25 min
    Encore Snacks, Outdoor Office and Entertaining

    Encore Snacks, Outdoor Office and Entertaining

    In this Encore presentation from 2017, Ellen and C.L. start the end-of-summer party off with suggestions for snacks and garden hors d’oeuvres. The second segment offers ways that you benefit from an outdoor office, and no, it’s not the low rent.
    Our main segment suggests ways you can spruce up (horticultural pun intended) your yard and gardens for summer gatherings. Whether you’re holding a simple barbecue, birthday celebration, rehearsal dinner, cocktail party or other event, here are ideas for hiding eyesores, improving what you’ve got and adding color.
    Our fourth segment addresses a plant noob’s question: “Will this plant will come back to life or is it dead?” We end with an email from a listener who asks about end-of-year bargain plants.

    • 27 min
    Encore of Yellow Leaves, Fall Vegetables and Bringing Houseplants Inside

    Encore of Yellow Leaves, Fall Vegetables and Bringing Houseplants Inside

    In this end-of-August episode, C.L. and Ellen discuss how to tell why the leaves on your plant are turning yellow. They explain that noticing which leaves are yellowing, and where they are, can help explain why this is happening. Next the Plantrama team explains some botanic terms, and discusses what to forage for or plant in your vegetable garden right now. The episode ends with advice to Sandy about when to bring her houseplants back inside after they have spent the summer out of doors.
    :38 Plant Noob: Yellow Leaves – how to know what causes this?
    9:42 Insider Information: Angiosperm and Gymnosperm – what do these terms mean?  
    11:26 Eat/Drink/Grow: Fall Planting and Foraging     
    22:23 Love Letters and Questions: Sandy wonders “when does houseplant summer camp end?”
     https://backyardforager.com/rose-hip-soup-recipe-nyponsoppa/
    https://rainwand.com/

    • 27 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
184 Ratings

184 Ratings

Kitzi from Kansas City ,

One of the best gardening podcasts!

C.L. and Ellen are on a hiatus and that makes me sad. Together their knowledge of all things that grow is amazing. If one doesn’t know something the other one does. They are totally relatable and smart as all get out! Come back, ladies!

lewolf1006 ,

The best!

I love this podcast. As a cook, gardener and naturalist it meets all my needs. Good for beginners or experienced people!

NDJIson ,

Just wish there was more!

This podcast always teaches me something. I just wish the episodes were longer. I’ve listened to all episodes multiple times and especially love hearing about foraging and seed collecting. I’d love to hear more on those subjects as well as more on design and curb appeal.
Thanks so much for the awesome content.

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