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Plants Always Win

Plants Always Win

Written by: Sean Patchett and Erin Alladin
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About this listen

 A podcast where two Ontario gardeners dive down plant-fact rabbit-holes, answer audience questions, interview intriguing guests, and compete to bring you the most interesting stories and information. We care about ecologically sound gardening, strong human communities, and up-to-date science.Copyright 2025 Plants Always Win Biological Sciences Science
Episodes
  • Ep. 47 Are You Starting Your Spring Garden Right?

    Ep. 47 Are You Starting Your Spring Garden Right?
    Apr 30 2026

    Spring is tiptoeing in and we want to set you up for the smoothest garden year ever. This week we’re recording live on location in Erin’s garden and examining what tasks she has already done, what’s next on the list, and what pressures to let go of. (Remember: don’t let perfect be the enemy of good!)

    The first order of business as winter ends is to prune woody fruit-producing perennials. We chat about currants, apples, and grapes—yes, grapes in zone 4b. Naturally that leads into propagation: cuttings, mound layering, and even air layering. Next we talk seed starting indoors and out and the season extension that helps us save space on our windowsills. Then it’s on to spring bulbs to plant, fall bulbs that are blooming, water management (if you’re listening from a region with flooding, our hearts go out to you!) and the ever-vital skill of observation. Finally, we wrap up with a lightning round of fifteen other early-spring tasks that get you set up for success.

    Ready to get your hands dirty? Listen now!

    Take a Peek at Erin’s Garden Last year’s cuttings Swenson Red The Swenson Red grape, pruned The IKEA trellis The peas are sprouting! Erin’s vegetable garden The air layering device Comments? Feedback? Want your garden question to be featured in a future Q&A segment?

    Email us, reach out over social media, or get Q&A priority by supporting us on Patreon.

    Discord: https://discord.gg/K6wF9dY4Ja
    Bluesky: @plantsalwayswin.com
    TikTok: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
    YouTube: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
    Website: www.plantsalwayswin.com

    Credits
    Website Design and Illustration by Sophia Alladin

    Intro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-plays

    License code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PH

    Timestamps

    00:41 Introduction
    02:11 The Myth That Your Garden Is Already Behind
    04:18 Late April in Zone 4b
    04:58 What Erin Has Done So Far
    05:56 Season Extension
    06:36 Growing Swenson Red Grapes in Zone 4b
    10:52 Pruning Currant Bushes
    12:45 Mound Layering: Intentional or Unintentional Propagation
    14:00 Apple Trees and Winter Damage
    15:46 Propagating Fruit Tree Cuttings
    17:28 Air Layering to Propagate Fruit Trees
    20:28 Sean’s Paean to Crabapples
    24:54 Starting Seeds Indoors and Hardening Off
    27:13 Starting Seeds When You Have No Indoor Space
    32:50 Use Up This Year’s Seed Inventory
    33:53 Bulbs to Plant in Spring
    35:00 Fall Bulbs and the Siberian Squill Controversy
    39:35 Native Lawn Alternatives
    42:32 Water Harvesting and Rain Gardens
    45:37 Observing Your Garden
    47:41 Lightning Round: Things To Do at This Time of Year
    53:53 Outro and Contact Us
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    Less than 1 minute
  • Ep. 46 Ontario One Call

    Ep. 46 Ontario One Call
    Apr 14 2026

    Are you breaking the law every time you plant a shrub?

    This week we welcome Ian Simpson, VP of Communications and Corporate Affairs at Ontario One Call. That’s the public safety administrative authority that makes sure your gardening project doesn’t end in a damaged gas line or ruptured water main. You’ll find Call Before You Dig services across Canada and the United States (search “One Call” for your province or “811” for your state), but Ontario is the one place where that call—or that click—is required by law. If you’re breaking ground, even by an inch or two, even out in the country, it’s your responsibility to submit a locate request to make sure you won’t be nicking any underground infrastructure.

    Fortunately, Ontario One Call makes the process easy, free, and surprisingly quick. Ian explains how it works behind the scenes, what your responsibilities are as a homeowner, renter, or landscaping contractor, and why it matters so much. He also shares some startling statistics about the number of accidents that do happen, especially to people who think they know where their underground utilities are. Don’t be one of those statistics! Listen now and get the dirt on digging safety.

    Connect with Ontario One Call

    Colour Codes: https://ontarioonecall.ca/#colours
    Ontario One Call: https://ontarioonecall.ca/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnwjQMBxkG4QrPW2q5sbjpA
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ON1Call/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/on1call/

    Comments? Feedback? Want your garden question to be featured in a future Q&A segment?

    Email us, reach out over social media, or get Q&A priority by supporting us on Patreon.

    Discord: https://discord.gg/K6wF9dY4Ja
    Bluesky: @plantsalwayswin.com
    TikTok: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
    YouTube: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
    Website: www.plantsalwayswin.com

    Credits
    Website Design and Illustration by Sophia Alladin

    Intro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-plays

    License code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PH

    Timestamps

    00:15 Introduction
    00:45 Meet Ian Simpson and Ontario One Call
    01:48 Underground Infrastructure in Rural Locations
    02:40 How to Request a Locate
    03:43 What if I’m Only Digging an Inch or Two?
    05:25 Sometimes the Infrastructure is a Mess
    06:20 Ian’s Role at Ontario One Call
    07:30 Close Calls and Consequences
    08:40 Statistics on Digging and Damage in Ontario
    12:03 Who’s At Fault When Damage Occurs?
    12:33 How it Works: Getting Locates from Infrastructure Owners
    14:05 Expiry Dates on Locates?
    15:30 How to Read the Colours of Spray-Painted Markings
    08:45 Unexpected Jobs that Might Require Locates
    19:36 Landscapers, Handymen and Liability
    24:12 Sharing Locates with Multiple Contractors
    26:19 Busting Myths
    28:00 Timing for Locates
    33:55 If You Do Hit Something…
    35:04 Courses and Resources Available from Ontario One Call
    37:00 When to Call 911
    38:31 What If You’re Not in Ontario?
    39:50 Final Words of Wisdom
    40:45 Outro and Contact Us
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    42 mins
  • Ep. 45 Hydrangea Happiness with C.L. Fornari

    Ep. 45 Hydrangea Happiness with C.L. Fornari
    Mar 27 2026
    For some of us, happiness is a hydrangea in full, glorious bloom. And if you’re not yet well acquainted with these flowering shrubs, who better to learn from than The Garden Lady herself? C.L. Fornari is the author of the upcoming 2026 book Hydrangea Happiness: Planting, Pruning and Blooming, among many others. She’s also a well-known gardening radio host and podcaster, appearing over the years as a contributor on NPR’s The Cultivated Gardener, as host of GardenLine on WXTK, as co-host of the podcast Plantrama, and today as the eponymous host of The Garden Lady on several NPR stations. We get the scoop on her broadcasting career, on her founding of the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, and on how she planned a modern-day guide to hydrangeas that’s “more Instagram and less coffee table book.” Dive into this interview to learn about choosing the right hydrangea for a northern garden, about the truth of acidifying your soil for those beautiful blue mophead blooms, and about finding joy in your garden and your life. Find C.L. Online at: GardenLady.comFacebook: @CLTheGardenLadyInstagram: @CLTheGardenLady Mentioned in This Episode Hydrangea Happiness: Planting, Pruning & Blooming: https://brandeisuniversitypress.com/title/hydrangea-happiness-planting-pruning-and-blooming/ The Cope Cod Hydrangea Festival: https://www.capecodchamber.org/events/cape-cod-hydrangea-fest/ Hydrangeas on the Azores: https://www.treehugger.com/hydrangeas-azores-4869708 Comments? Feedback? Want your garden question to be featured in a future Q&A segment? Email us, reach out over social media, or get Q&A priority by supporting us on Patreon. Discord: https://discord.gg/K6wF9dY4JaBluesky: @plantsalwayswin.comTikTok: @plantsalwayswinpodcastYouTube: @plantsalwayswinpodcastWebsite: www.plantsalwayswin.com CreditsWebsite Design and Illustration by Sophia Alladin Intro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-plays License code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PH Timestamps: 00:14 Introduction00:56 C.L. Fornari’s Garden Radio Host Career05:52 Founding the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival08:33 Why (and How!) C.L. Wrote About Hydrangeas11:21 Postcards from Plants14:43 How Many Hydrangeas? Breeding and Selection16:43 A Paniculata Hydrangea for Erin’s Cold, Clay Conditions18:47 Finding the Right Spot for Your Shrub21:16 Are Hydrangeas Invasive?23:00 Hydrangea paniculata, a.k.a. Panicled Hydrangea23:25 Hydrangea arborescens, aka Smooth Hydrangea24:15 Hydrangea macrophylla, a.k.a. Bigleaf Hydrangea, a.k.a. Mophead Hydrangea25:09 Hydrangea serrata, a.k.a. Mountain Hydrangea27:10 C.L.’s Hydrangea Poetry28:25 Hydrangea quercifolia, a.k.a. Oakleaf Hydrangea28:35 Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris., a.k.a. Climbing Hydrangea28:55 Acidifying Soil for Blue Hydrangeas31:05 The Stubborn Myth that Pine Needles Acidify Soil33:20 Moss Lawn Plant Rant34:27 Macrophylla Hydrangeas with Inconsistent Colours37:56 Poison Ivy Acres and Embracing All of Gardening39:40 Find C.L. Fornari Online40:45 Outro and Contact Us
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    42 mins
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