Welcome to the Good Growing Podcast.

I am Chris Enroth, horticulture educator with University of Illinois Extension coming at you from Macomb, Illinois, and we have got a great show for you today.

We are looking back fondly upon 2025, and we're going to go over some of our favorite moments of last year.

You know I'm not doing this by myself.

I'm joined as always every single week by horticulture educator Ken Johnson in Jacksonville.

Hey, Ken.

Hello, Chris.

You survived another year.

Another year.

Yes.

And just so we can complain about things this year.

But we made it.

Yes.

And, of course, we have to have horticulture educator, Emily Swihart, from Milan, Illinois.

That's a different way to say it.

Milan, Illinois.

I'll get it right.

It's a different and new.

New way of saying it.

Yes.

Yes.

Hi, guys.

Happy New Year.

Welcome to 2026.

Here we are.

Here we are.

So, yeah, I yeah.

We we're all here today so we can talk about, you know, some of the the the high points of last year, of which I think in the gardening world, we can say, yes.

We definitely had some.

And maybe we should dive in first to some of the most popular episodes that we had for the podcast.

And so kind of like what we did last year, we went to YouTube where we post our videos, and then we also went to our our audio platforms.

So if you listen to us without the the visual aspects, then, yeah, the old iTunes, all that kind of stuff that you can hear us on.

So and, of course, like last year, the people who watch us like different things than the people who listen to us.

So we have two different lists for you today.

So, Ken, you are a master at pulling all of these stats.

So do you could you start us off?

And let's start with the podcast, like the audio episodes.

Audio episodes.

What were the top three audio episodes of last year?

What do people like to listen to?

Apparently, people are getting bit by mosquitoes quite a bit because summer mosquito control was the number one for the audio version.

Second was vegetable gardening in small spaces.

And then third was compost your way.

So kinda got the whole game up there.

Yeah.

That's oh, okay.

Well, first of all, like, recall, if we can, we had a pretty wet early part of the year, so the mosquitoes probably were I think they're better every year.

But that okay.

That maybe tracks that that was a popular topic.

The what was the second one you said?

It was the small space gardening.

One of

my favorites.

That was one of my favorites.

So look at me being trendy.

Oh,

I mean, composting is perennially popular.

At least I get requests for it.

Do you guys get that too?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Would say vegetable learning and composting are usually pretty pretty consistently up there.

Yeah.

Good.

Good.

I'd say so.

Yeah.

I I I enjoyed the mosquito one, especially.

It's always a very common question people pose to us, and so it was nice to dive into that topic.

And and and yeah.

I I don't that was the one I think, Ken, you had talked about the mosquito bucket.

Right?

The bucket of death or the doom bucket of doom.

Yeah.

I up a couple of those, and I don't know if I'll necessarily reduce the mosquitoes, but there was, you know, stuff in there for a little bit and then dead.

And so I don't know.

It seemed like it worked.

I may set up some more next year.

They I put them on our deck, which we don't have a lot of mosquitoes.

I need to put them in our backyard where it's a little more shaded.

So I think for for this year, give me some more five gallon buckets and make some more buckets of death or doom and put them in the backyard where the mosquitoes are actually at.

Well, Kent, just invite me over.

I can be the the test subject, the before and after, because I exude some chemical cocktail that they just find there's no way they can resist me, these ladies.

So so yeah.

I'm I'm happy to lend my blood to your research.

Give you a few beers beforehand to make you even more attractive.

And I think we found out in that episode that is one of the things that attracts them.

Yes.

Yep.

So I'm my own worst enemy.

Some things you just need to accept in life.

I guess so.

Yep.

What about the videos, Ken?

What were the popular videos?

And mine before you get into that, if we do this mosquito study, maybe that is a video for next year.

Mhmm.

So what were the popular videos of twenty twenty five?

Alright.

Number one, was your favorite plant, Emily, cluster of mountain mint.

Sweet Jesus.

Okay.

Number number two was the the episode on milkweed, and then number three was one of our garden bites on buffalo nets.

K.

Can we talk about mountain mint just briefly?

Why do you hate it so much, Emily?

Well, okay.

Just reminding folks what the, like, inside joke is.

So in 2024, we did an episode of plants that we wouldn't grow again, that were just not our favorites.

We kind of vented a little bit.

And I had mentioned that mountain mint was on my list of I won't plant it again because it's a mint.

Like, it would grow.

And I did plant the straight species.

No cultivars.

No well behaved mountain mint for me.

And I just I I still find it popping up.

Like, I thought of you all and that podcast and the perennial plant of the year, like, all year long as I'm finding it in places in my garden many, many feet away from where the original plant was.

And so it's a great pollinator plant.

It is lovely, but it just does not it did not belong where I'd put it.

And so it was a little I don't I don't want to have it in in my landscape.

In a I think I did say in a in the right place, it's a great pollinator plant.

It's really lovely, that, like, gray kind of, you know, color to it, the foliage, the soft texture.

Like, it's fine.

But then it was named Pruner Plant of the Year, and that's how it goes for me sometimes.

So I'm glad other people enjoyed it.

I that's fine.

That's kind of the beauty of horticulture and growing things is we all get to have our our favorites and our not so favorite favorites.

But, anyways, so good.

I'm glad that was on the list.

Let me try to put my foot in my mouth again this year, please.

Well, just tell us what other plants you don't like.

We'll we'll get them added to the

They'll be they'll be top of Yeah.

What?

The videos are really, like, two videos about pollinator geared topics and then one about, like, a pest insect.

So, like, cluster mountain mint, I guess there's ornamental appeal there, maybe.

I think it looks very pretty in a prairie.

Like

Yes.

Acres and acres of of land.

But but, yeah, you know, the big appeal being that it is a pollinator magnet, milkweed being the obvious, association with the monarch butterfly.

So yeah.

Then we had buffalo gnats.

And just like we had mosquitoes, so it's like we have these, like, kinda like pollinator.

We wanna protect the insects, but that there's this one insect we really wanna not protect.

In this case, buffalo gnats.

Yeah.

No buckets of doom for them, though.

No.

Gotta wait for the water to warm up.

Yep.

And you should be thankful they're there because that means you got relatively clean

water.

Relatively.

Yes.

Yes.

Cleaner than the seventies and eighties and nineties.

Alright.

Well, thank you, Ken, for reviewing those.

And those are still on, online.

So if people wanna go back and listen to them or watch them, those those still exist.

They live in the the interwebs.

So Or everywhere.

Yes.

Okay.

So our favorites.

So do you guys have favorites from last year?

Do we do we remember what some of our favorites were from last year?

Chris, I'll let you go first.

You know, the one that the odd one that really seems to stand out is our episode on chamomile.

I went down some rabbit holes on that one.

I read a few papers.

I watched a really interesting webinar on that.

I don't know.

I just it's one that stands out, probably because I took actual notes before the the podcast.

So I'm like, I actually remember that one.

I just didn't cram right before the show.

But, yeah, that that the chamomile episode was a favorite of mine.

Nice.

Ken, do you have a a favorite?

Say, I'm looking through the list here, and maybe I'll do two.

So the one on peonies, your peonia.

I had never heard of that up in Mhmm.

The Macomb area.

Need to find that this year.

Maybe on three.

You know, three.

The one on grapes with Elizabeth.

Oh, we got Elizabeth.

Yeah.

That

was great.

That's grapes is one thing I've always kind of wanted to grow in my daughter.

We were at a garden center, and there was a grape on clearance, so we bought it.

We didn't get it put in the ground.

It's living in our basement currently, but she calls it grapey.

So we need to plant grapey.

I need to go watch that episode again and remember how to grow grapes.

And I'll say that, like, the cranberry show, maybe it's what recency bias here, but I didn't realize, like, you go on, tours and stuff with Boggs.

So I may have to add that to my list of things to do this fall.

Head up to Wisconsin.

Check out a cranberry bug.

Yeah.

That we field trip.

We could do a field trip up there.

That'd be so fascinating.

And Wisconsin's probably amazing in the fall with all the trees.

So we could do a tree thing, a cranberry thing.

There's probably insects we could incorporate.

I don't know.

I've heard there's a lot of spiders in those bogs.

There you go.

Only one way to find out.

It's verify.

It's what it's what good educators would do.

We would verify.

Exactly.

Well, I'll agree with you, Ken.

I love the Peony episode.

Like, that's I love Peonies, full stop, like, any anything and everything about them.

And so I really enjoyed that, you know, learning more about them, propagation, just the different types and the different I, in fairness, really love them just because of their beauty and their fragrance.

But, like, you guys went so much deeper than I have ever gone.

But on peonies before, I want to, I think, keep exploring that and collecting.

I need to collect more as a good researcher.

Just more.

More is better.

So

Yeah.

Gotta gotta get them all.

All of them.

All of them.

Yeah.

Yep.

And then the dogwoods, one that we all did together.

Love dogwood.

And there's such a variety of species that it was fun to kind of dive into that research even more so than I had done before.

And I think I need more dogwoods too.

I think, honestly, the takeaway from anything that we do here is I need more of all of it.

But really enjoyed those two episodes.

And I personally I'll speak for I'll just, like, put a plug in.

Like, I like the question like, the answering questions episodes.

Like, they're a little like, just we we get to respond to what people are are asking in the in, like, real time almost, and I think that those are really useful.

It it's immediate feedback for what listeners and viewers want.

So I think we should put more of those on the schedule.

Done.

Yes.

Sign you up.

Yeah.

Can I also volunteer?

So we did this.

We did it in 2024, technically, but I like to have flexibility in a book episode, gentlemen.

Like, I loved the book episode.

We've talked a little bit in the sidebars, but I'm putting it out into the universe.

We're gonna talk some of our favorite books sometime.

Let's cram and read some Start

reading.

Start reading.

And start reading.

Reading and listening and all of the things.

I've actually read some really fun ones last year that I would really like to share with folks because they were really fascinating.

I actually reread a book that I'll recommend.

I'm not gonna spoil it, but I don't reread books.

So this one, actually reread because it was so interesting.

So let's do that one too, please.

Sure.

I'll finish some books that I've started multiple times.

Oh, I've got one that I stopped.

I will tell talk about too.

I stopped reading it.

I couldn't keep going.

Yep.

Still reading that mosquito book.

So

I

Read that thing till I retire.

I got it.

I haven't started reading it, though.

Was there were there any things is there anything that as I always say this, like, you know, if if people listening, watching, if you don't realize this, you know, it's it's impossible for any one person, I think, to have the knowledge that maybe we, expound every single week.

And so there's a lot of cramming involved.

But I don't know.

Emily, Ken, is there anything that you remember that that stood out to you last year that we had talked about?

Any one thing in particular?

There's dogwood ground covers.

There you go.

I did not

know that.

Yep.

We all wanted a dog on ground cover by the end of the show.

I don't know.

I mean, I'm gonna be honest.

I just don't have a great memory anyways, which is why I always have to keep cramming for things.

My family, they'll vouch for this.

Like, I don't have a great memory.

I I don't know.

I'm gonna pass on that.

Maybe in the book at the end, I'll I'll come up with something.

But it's fun to keep learning about a variety of topics.

Like, that's like the blessing of this this, you know, endeavor, this series, you know, with between the blog and the podcast.

Like, there's so much always to learn and to dive deeper on.

It's it's both a blessing and a curse where you're like, oh, I could, like, go on for days researching, you know, certain topics.

Or like the mosquito book.

Right?

Like, it's it is hefty and fascinating.

So it's it's sometimes frustrating because you do have to just finally stop.

But Yeah.

It's really a blessing that we can kinda keep exploring different areas.

And sometimes we find really, really cool things.

Sometimes we're like, yeah.

Okay.

Moving on.

But some things are I mean, I'm trying to be honest here.

Like, some of the topics you're like, well, I thought that'd be I was more excited about that than it panned out.

Can I just emailed you earlier about something where it just didn't work out?

I was like, that was I thought that was gonna go somewhere, and it didn't.

And most of the time, it's really fun to to learn something new.

So yeah.

How about you, Chris?

I will say the the one thing that I've remember from last year is, Ken, when you talked about how milkweed flowers are like little Chinese finger traps for insect legs and how it, like yeah.

The the insect leg sometimes you can see insect legs dangling out of a flower.

It gets yeah.

It, like, holds on too tight and, yeah, insect lose a leg.

So that's, so now I go around all the milkweeds looking for bug legs.

Never look at milkweeds the same way again.

No.

They're dangerous.

Stay away if you're little if you're very, very small.

Yep.

I'll say the parasites one was a good one too.

That was

Parasites was fun.

Rabbit hole episode as well.

Yep.

You can see us dressed up too.

Broke out broke out of the plaid.

Did he?

Yeah.

For our listeners, go to the go and watch here.

They're back.

They're back in their flat.

Well but outside of because we do a lot.

I mean, this is a big part of our our job, but what we do, we eat, sleep, breathe this horticulture business.

It feels like outside of research and and normal work hour type of stuff.

Like, how was your guys' year?

Like, growing from the community gardens that we have personally, like, are there any takeaways, lessons relearned perhaps?

We keep refusing to to learn every year.

I don't have as much time as I think I do or would like to have to to dedicate to gardening.

So one of these days, I learned that lesson.

It probably won't be until I do have enough time to do it.

But yeah.

Every year.

Yeah.

Every year in the spring, it's the same thing.

I'm gonna grow this, that, and the other, and everything.

And by the time summer ball rolls around, why did I do this to myself again?

Yeah.

I I mean, Chris, I'll I think we all do that.

I think it's a time of life that we're in.

You know, we we're just busy in all aspects, and we enjoy it so much that it's hard to demonstrate some self control.

I do that every year.

I think, oh, I have a new system and a new idea, and it's gonna work out this year.

And then, honestly, like, from, like, July hits.

Well, can can you left for a long time?

You know, it's kinda have unrealistic expectations.

But I I will say to that, and I was I was I did some reflecting.

Like, I'm gonna try to learn that it's okay to not be, like, the very best self in the garden.

I get really frustrated when I see, like, more weeds than I had wanted or that something isn't doing as well because I missed, like, you know, a week of care.

It was it it really, really frustrates me, but it's still it's okay.

So I'm gonna I don't think I'm gonna accept that I need to do less.

I'm just going to accept that it's not gonna be at a 100%.

That's my suggestion, Ken.

Yeah.

How about you, Chris?

I I didn't I kinda spoke for you.

But

I think I need to fertilize because I, like, don't do that.

So I I used to use I've used a couple things.

I've I've I've done the slow release stuff.

I've done the corn gluten meal.

I've done this fish emulsion.

And I will say all that organic stuff really draws in the raccoons.

So I'm going to go look for something else, and maybe help my plants out a little bit because they really seem to struggle, lately.

And so well, I used these last few years.

So I'm gonna maybe see if a little bit of fertilizer might help out.

The soil tests that I've done have have indicated I have most of the nutrients I need, but I have a pretty low pH, which might make some nutrients unavailable in some cases.

So, yeah, we'll we'll see if maybe a little fertilizer, and I'm gonna try something different.

So if you've heard a corn gluten meal, I'm now going to try a corn extract.

I don't know.

We'll see what happens.

Yeah.

I live in Illinois, so I have to use corn.

So what kind of corn extract?

It's I'll pull it up here.

It's corn hydros hydrolas high hydro.

I can't say I can't even say it.

It's corn liquor, and it's $8.09 6.

So it's pretty low, compared to, like, a synthetic, but but still, I'm I'm gonna give it a try then see if the plants do better.

Have you ever incorporated just, like, a a aged compost?

I did that last year on my soil, and that, I think, made a huge difference also.

I you might do, like, a control study.

It was I don't know.

Just a suggestion.

I should do that.

Yeah.

Compost.

I do a lot of the wood chip stuff, which they all decompose back into Mhmm.

Organic matter, but it doesn't last that long.

You know?

That it seems pretty ephemeral when it comes to that organic matter that breaks down with the wood chips.

But, yeah, I'll I'll I'll give anything a try.

You can do what you want.

I just I'm like, oh, this is an opportunity to do a case study.

Like, we could do side by side comparison, but I don't have any time to garden at all, so I'm just gonna have weeds is what I had said earlier.

I am in

no position.

Am in there you go.

I am in no position to tell you what to do.

But

It's not a weed if you want it.

True.

Very wise, Ken.

One of the things this is kinda fun last year that I'm reflecting on, and I'm gonna do a better job of this year also, is getting the right tool for a job.

So I am pretty thrifty.

Was raised pretty thrifty and would use kinda, like, what we would have or would hesitate to get some of the more fun power tools available on the market.

Just and last year, bought an a tiller that I can use for garden prep.

We have a really large one and it's very hard and challenging for me to use in the garden.

And so I bought a smaller one, and I love her.

She's very easy to use and very made garden prep a lot easier.

So advocate for getting tools that are appropriately sized for you.

Safer.

It was way safer.

And then also just made the job, like, more enjoyable.

So that was great.

And then we got, a leaf blower, like a backpack leaf blower.

It's very heavy, but, man, it has a lot of power.

So, like, yard work, not just in the garden, but, like, cleaning up, like, you know, material out of the yard was so it was honestly just fun because it was, like, this big power tool, and it was quick work, and it was you know, it wasn't such a burden because it didn't take very long.

So that was a nice tool to invest in.

And we use it to burn the woodlands too, and so, kinda makes that job safer and more effective.

And so that was a good investment.

And then finally, what I'm excited for is my husband got me, battery powered pruners for Christmas.

So I've got some oaks that need to be pruned, like, right now.

And I think that that'll just, like, make the job go quicker.

Like, I've got a lot of pruning to do on just different things in the yard and having something battery powered.

I I won't fatigue as quickly.

So get the right tools for the job.

I, like, invest in it.

If you really like doing it, this is our hobby.

This is our passion.

This is our job.

That's what I'm gonna tell my husband at least when I start spending all our money on tools.

It's nice to have the right tool, though.

So and I'm slow to come to this.

I'm sure you guys you have talked about this before, but it's worth the investment.

Yeah.

I I'm also thinking of this.

I was actually in the garage the other day, and I tripped over this handle of this tool that I I don't think I need.

It's for working in, like, good friable soils, which I do not have.

And so it's like, well, I should probably just get rid of this thing because my soils can be hard as a rock, or they're mulched.

So

Yeah.

Yeah.

So buy the right tool for what you for how you garden.

Yes.

Yeah.

Do you have what you need, Chris, or do you need to trade?

I'll trade you.

What?

I don't I'll take your tiller.

Is that what we're talking about?

I guess we are now.

I'm gonna I'll give you this this one long handled tool for a tiller.

Nice try.

Okay.

Ken, tool talk.

Do you have favorites or need to clean out the shed?

So I got a an old wheel plow at an auction.

So I used that last year to plant our corn and stuff, which is usually, I just use a hoe, and a wheel plow is much quicker work.

Yeah.

So because I don't we don't I don't till in our vegetable garden at all.

So it's a little more I'd say it's not it it's a little more, like, I guess, physical work.

I mean, it doesn't take as much time compared to tilling a pole garden, but just I'm hoeing a row instead of just tilling it up.

It's a little more elbow grease that goes into it, but a wheel hoe makes it easier, especially with our our thicker soil.

And I got all kinds of cover crop roots in the ground and which we didn't plant.

I didn't get around to planting last fall, so I don't have any cover crops in the in our home garden that I need to terminate this year so I can probably get stuff planted a little bit earlier than I normally would.

So we'll see.

Ken, I think while I'm in your backyard wearing a Speedo for this mosquito study, because you gotta have all skin exposed.

Right?

Speedo.

So, I'll, put in a irrigation system in the vegetable garden.

How's that sound?

All automated.

Just run it with your phone.

So it's a good tool to have.

Sounds good.

While while you're being bitten, you can.

Yep.

Mhmm.

And then you can count the bites afterward.

Take lots of pictures.

Sounds like a plan.

Okay.

I'm busy that day, just so just so you guys know.

I'm, like, scheduled on that day.

An irrigation system does sound like a fantastic tool to have, though.

That would be so sweet.

They agree.

Glass.

I don't think it's in my future.

But and, Kim, congratulations on the new irrigation system.

Thank you.

And the the

new lawn decoration in the back too.

Yeah.

And and the rumors that the neighbors are gonna

Need to rebuild our deck too if you're available.

Sure.

The power tools, Speedo.

What could go wrong?

Anything else looking back at 2025 before we go forward and build a new deck in Esbito.

Mhmm.

I did accomplish one of my goals from our recap episode last year of getting my fused hose off the spigot.

That had Yay.

By the time I got off, had been on for about two years fused on.

So I used about a third of a can of, it was lubricant, and it would not come off.

So I had to get a hacksaw off and cut it off the the threading.

So fortunately, I didn't cut too deep.

I didn't get I just kinda nicked the threading on the spigot, so it should it still works fine.

So Good.

But that hose

That's impressive.

I will have to repair and put a new, end on that, which I did not do.

It's still sitting in the yard, so who knows if it's still good?

I would say, is the hose still good?

That might be the bigger story here after four years sitting out.

Okay.

I've I've started doing that.

Like, hoses are so expensive.

I have started just buying the hose repair fittings, and I've just been, like, cutting them and just putting on new, like, ends, you know, couplers for that.

One of the the this last year, though, somehow water got between the two linings of the hose, and it blew up like a balloon.

I thought it was going to explode.

Got a little scared there for a second.

Yeah.

So just make sure you get those on nice and tight.

So we did have that the, I guess, the collapsible ones that really shrink down.

We did have a large water balloon developing one of those, and it did burst.

Oh.

That was kinda cool.

Kinda cool.

I got my hose in.

I'll brag.

I got my hose put away this year.

Like, drained it, got it put away.

So we'll see if it I don't think I might have to do any repair.

Fingers crossed.

I'll, I'll let you I'll let you know in a, couple months.

There you go.

There you go.

Okay.

Shall we look ahead?

2026.

Are we still doing this?

This thing called gardening and and horticulture?

I don't know.

I guess we should.

Yes.

The the plan is yes.

I think we should.

We'll see how the execution goes.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I think we should.

Maybe we could learn a few lessons, you know, like, and modify moving forward.

I am here's one thing.

It's kind of a crossover took from last year into this year.

I got to partner with a local, couple of different local groups, our Riverbend Food Pantry, there's an organization called Tapestry Farm, our SNAP Ed, and SNAP, colleagues last year to do a a gardening program that grew food, and and partnered with local pantries to donate to our food insecure neighbors.

And through those partnerships, like, I learned so much about the, like, the immense need that is in our communities.

And so, I'm actually recruiting my kids.

We're gonna grow it through, like, our gardens, our community gardens with the master gardeners.

We've always done that and donated the food, but I'm going to recruit, in my personal life, kids.

And my kids are gonna help grow it, and I'm trying to get my nieces and nephews on board to have, like, a little family competition to see who can grow the most to donate because there's so much need.

And it, like, it feels like that might be a nice motivator to get the kids out there and, like, pulling weeds.

Because every year, I think they're gonna join me, and they don't.

There's something about, like, electronic devices that is more appealing than pulling weeds.

I don't get it.

But I'm hoping maybe they're they'll be a little more motivated by competition.

So, and plus then, like, community members would benefit from the that extra produce.

So I'm that's how that that's the mentality I'm going into my vegetable garden planning, with this year.

So we'll grow some fun stuff, but we'll also just grow for weight and quantity, like the reliable types of things as well that we can share with others.

So we'll see how that goes.

That's good.

That's a good goal.

Yeah.

I mean, that's I'd say that's probably the one of the more rewarding things that we can do in the garden is to grow food, not only for ourselves, but for others.

Yep.

Yeah.

How about you can Well, Well, I was saying, just on that, like, you can you can grow a lot.

Like, when when I started paying attention to how much was being produced in, like, small areas or, like, on for different plants, like, really started to pay attention by the the quantity.

We really grow a lot in a small space with, like, just a little bit of extra effort.

And so really excited to kind of build on that program.

We're we're gonna do the program again locally.

So if anyone's in interested in that program, please reach out.

Whether you're local to to my unit or beyond, I'm happy to provide those resources and get you connected with us.

But you can do it without being connected, you know, just in your own garden.

Grow something and then find someone that needs it, whether it's a neighbor, food pantry.

So

Well, you know, I think, like, the food is so critical.

But the one thing I also like that you talked about last year, Emily, was growing cut flowers for people Yeah.

For donation.

I like, beauty is also something that the beauty of nature around us, that that's also something that is needed.

That could lighten a room, could lighten us your spirits.

So, yeah, I think growing more cut flowers for people too is just that that's another thing that we can like, that would be so neat to also have that that floral display at, like, a donation space.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

And when we did that, just as as a quick reminder about that program, and we continued it last year.

So we, grew a whole variety of different perennials and annuals throughout the season, and we would the master gardeners were primarily the ones that would do it, but they would harvest bouquets large and small, arrange them, you know, then, kind of with using the materials that were available during the season.

So we would cut, like, grass head seed heads and put them into a fall bouquet with some sunflowers and some zinnias that were were hanging on or small really, like, just dainty bases with some of the smaller, like calendula, you know, that we had that were just they're smaller sized flowers.

And so or snapdragons in the, you know, early spring.

Like, there's a lot you can peonies.

You can cut peonies and get peonies.

You know, like, there's all sorts of different things you can harvest from, perennial beds, from an an annual bed.

You can intentionally plant them or you can just find you know, if if your garden is abundant in flowers, you can do a one time donation.

But being thoughtful and aware of the the need and the joy that it brings, and we would take them to, you know, people who were sitting for a dialysis treatment, you know, for, like, all day long, just sitting in this, like, kind of stark room, just being, you know, kind of in a scary place in life, you know, brightening their day with some flowers.

Or in a, like, residential facility, you know, there's sometimes garden spaces, sometimes there's not.

And so having a bouquet of cut flowers, like, in in a room is really lovely.

And then the the joy and the, the gratitude, like, on both ends, the giving and the receiving is really lovely.

So, yeah, thanks for reminding us of that, Chris.

Like, that I've I've done it for a number of years, and so I do kind of forget that that that's just a habit of mine now, but I I really encourage others to do it.

It's really gratifying.

Ken, you have some goals for 2026?

So I think we're gonna like, on on our personal garden, I think we're gonna continue the trend of probably reducing some of the more high maintenance vegetables.

Talking about vegetables here, like tomatoes and stuff, Green beans, that stuff you have to go out and constantly harvest.

I think we're getting more into, like, doing dried beans because that's a big one at the end of the season, type thing.

Doing more of the, like, popcorn, flint corn instead of sweet corn, things like that.

So we'll probably continue.

That'd be my preference anyway.

Continue that path.

We'll see what my wife and kids say.

Oh, the kids don't really care too much about the vegetable garden.

So I'll probably keep doing that.

Maybe grow some more.

Might have grown rice in the past, maybe try doing some more rice.

Might try teff, which is, you know, an ancient grain from Ethiopia.

What they make injera.

If you ever had Ethiopian food, had injera, that's the the grain they use for that.

So, yeah, we'll see.

I still got time to to figure all that out.

And then I think we're gonna you know, I'd we've talked about for, ornamental stuff, we're kinda converting our front lawn into native plants.

We'll continue that transition piece by piece.

We'll have to do some editing in the the Boulevard Hell Strip so the city doesn't come after us again, but we'll we'll get there.

Yep.

Edit away so the yeah.

You don't have to have your natives mowed down.

But, yes, it was about time for it, though.

So it probably opened everything up, and now it's gonna be they thought it was bad last year.

Now when you're so you're expanding the natives.

Like, are you starting any?

Are you gonna shop at some of the local plant sales or

or something?

We did start some we tried to start some grasses last year, and some of them did fairly well.

Some, I can't remember.

Prairie drop seed, some little bluestem.

We got a few plants here and there, but we just didn't we didn't take care of them as well as they needed to.

We were, you know, in and out, and things got left out or didn't get watered and did not do as well as we had hoped.

And we didn't have very good germination on some of the stuff either.

So we've we've tried some seed.

We've done, some local places, some mail order when the sales are going and stuff.

So a little bit of everything.

And we've had stuff like our, you know, blazing star kinda become a weed.

So we've we've just dug stuff up from areas where it's kind of over populated and spread it throughout as well.

So and rattlesnake master rattlesnake master's kinda can be kinda weedy as well.

So but I like it.

I dream of rattlesnake master being weedy.

So just some perspective.

Like, I can hardly get one to grow.

Our soil is just too rich for it, which that that sounded braggy.

I didn't mean it that way.

It's So we've got we've got pretty thick, you know, black soil.

Yeah.

It keeps it keeps popping up.

Right?

It's usually, like, right next to the sidewalk where I don't want it.

Yeah.

Maybe it's because the soil's a little crumbier there, but Yeah.

I I dig them up the best I can and and move them elsewhere.

Well, if you ever have extras.

You know someone.

I got lots of extras.

Stop on by.

Stop on by.

We'll just zip over.

Well, maybe we could talk.

Like, maybe your rattlesnake master is like my mountain mint.

So

Except better.

Except better.

Fair.

Chris, what are you doing in twenty twenty six?

Oh, I don't know.

Surviving I I think, you know, we built up some of our spring ephemerals, so I'm looking forward to those.

So that's one of the things I'm looking forward to, I suppose, is, you know, we have some mayapples that I've had going for a few years, and they keep popping up.

So I'm hoping, like, fingers crossed, they're gonna start expanding as opposed to being like a lone plant.

We we have we did the spring beauty episode last year.

That was a lot of fun, by the way.

We got all met up in Jacksonville.

Saw something really neat there at Ken's Neck Of The Woods with all the spring beauties.

And so I have some spring beauties now planted.

Hopefully, they come up this year.

We'll see what happens.

So, yeah, I'm I'm just, like, looking forward to spring right now in those ephemerals, and I think I'm gonna cut down this burning bush finally.

I think we've got I think we've got some plants going or at least I have some ideas of plants that that can fill in that space now that that burning bushes will be gone.

So it's time to saw out, get a little bit of glyphosate and kill it, cut it down.

It's time.

Do it.

Yeah.

I I mean, I got burning bush seedlings all over the place, so I I know it's spreading.

It's it's getting getting out out of control there.

What are you thinking for replacement?

So right now, I have I've I had to move an arborvitae.

So I moved an arborvitae right next to it on one side, and then on the opposite side, I have an Aronia.

So but I I I wanna put maybe a larger hydrangea in eventually.

I mean, I'm gonna have to rip the stump out once it's dead, I think.

And and then, hopefully, I'll plant a maybe a limelight hydrangea.

I'm not sure yet.

I gotta go through the list, because Mount Cuba Center, they had the list of hydrangeas that are most attract pollinators, and so I wanna try some of those.

And I was talking to some nursery growers last year.

They're like, yeah.

We don't carry those.

It's a special order.

So it it might be a might be a special order down the line.

Very nice.

Good deal.

Do you do you have any Aronia already?

I had some last year.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

I didn't try them.

You could.

I love the I I love aronia.

I think that that's I'm glad to hear that you're gonna plant that because, like, I just don't think that that's planted enough.

It's really four seasons of interest.

Like, right now, I'm enjoying ours with the berries.

Some of them are persisting, but the flowers are so fragrant.

The foliage is wonderful in the summer and then that red color.

So big fan.

Mhmm.

I hope you like it like I do.

And my kids ate.

My kids tried the berries, and they did not love them.

But I have gotten aronia syrup from a local, and it's so yummy if you process it right.

So maybe we could if you get some berries and I get some berries, we can get Ken some.

Maybe we could do a experiment.

Right.

I'm down with that.

I've had aronia pie before, and it was delicious.

Yeah.

So They planted some loose game mound, but we'll see if they survived the drought.

Mhmm.

I did not do well with mine kept getting eaten off.

So you might also watch the bunnies when that emerges.

I had a

really Yes.

I actually lost mine.

It was apparently very appealing and, like, at the right height.

So, but I like the idea of it.

And I guess I gotta do something about these darn deer in my yard, but I'll we'll figure some stuff out because they're just tearing things up right now.

They're getting too comfortable.

Emily, I might have to call your husband and come over.

Yep.

You're in town, though.

That's different.

You might need different

Technically, county lines in my backyard.

You can sit on the deck and take care take care of things.

Okay.

I'll get him I'll get you his number.

That is not my area.

That is super not my area.

Like so I do make good venison meals.

That's all I will say.

That's all I contribute is I can cook venison pretty well.

Anything else?

2026?

I I mean, I feel like we're underway, and it's only the January 7.

Like, we're in it.

Sense.

But there's seed catalogs now.

Yeah.

We're gonna do the grow along again.

Third year.

Yes?

You guys still game for that?

Let's do it.

Yes.

Good.

So viewers and listeners can keep an eye out for that.

That that'll be couple of months down the road, probably.

But we would welcome Chris, you had someone offer a suggestion.

Like, we would take suggestions for some unusual things to grow, fun things to grow.

I don't know.

That's true.

Yeah.

Open to suggestions.

Alright.

Well, that was a lot of great information about 2025 in review.

And then what are the plans for 2026?

So, yeah, we'd we'll do the grow along again.

So grow along right with us, and we'll we we haven't even really started in terms of the what we're what we're picking out yet.

So, yeah, the two more information will be shared in the future.

Because right, Emily, it is only January 7, and I feel like I feel already a little overwhelmed by gardening this year.

Well, the Good Growing podcast production of University of Illinois Extension edited this week by who's doing it?

Ken Johnson?

You got it?

Yep.

I got

it.

Thanks, Ken.

Ken in his cool glasses.

So thank you, Ken, for adding the podcast this weekend.

Thank you, Emily, for, being with us this week to reminisce about last year and plan for 2026.

My pleasure.

You are the best way to start a new year is here on Good Growing.

And

if you zoom in on Ken's glasses, you'll see that those are dinosaurs wearing Santa hats.

Yes.

So cool.

Ken's got all the fun stuff.

No.

Thank you so Ken for sharing that with us.

That's that's my my daughter decided I should wear these today.

So

Nice.

Keep her keep it up.

Yes.

And thank you, Emily, again for being on and for your suggestions.

And Chris, let's do this again next week.

Oh, we shall do this again next week.

The horticulture the the horticultural hijinks continue in 2026.

So, yeah, we have a lot on the plate here for us.

So looking forward to sharing those gardening information with everyone coming up this year.

So everyone, listeners, thank you for doing what you do best and that is listening or if you watch just on YouTube watching.

And as always, keep on growing.