Episode 154: Putting Plants to the Test with Richard Hawke
Release Date: 03/08/2024
Episode 181: Plants You Can’t Kill
Let's Argue About Plants
It’s worth finding a few stalwarts that will survive almost anything When plants are done in by pests, diseases, or bad weather, it is hard not to take it personally. But on the positive side, each plant that shuffles off this mortal coil does offer an opportunity to add something newer and better to our garden. In this episode, Danielle, Carol, and expert guest Kielian DeWitt talk about some of the most reliable cultivars that have stood the test of time under tough conditions. Perhaps one of these choices will be just right for filling a gap that has recently opened up in your...
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Episode 180: Plants with Big, Bold Foliage
Let's Argue About Plants
In this episode, we’re turning up the drama—garden drama, that is! We’re talking all about plants with big, bold foliage that steal the show and bring serious texture and presence to your landscape. Whether you're designing a tropical-feel patio or adding contrast to a woodland border, these leafy giants know how to make a statement. We'll cover our favorite varieties, tips for placement and care, and how to use them effectively in garden design. If you're ready to go big and leafy, this episode is for you! P.S. We promised not to sing...we’ll leave that to Sir Mixalot. Expert:...
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Episode 179: Most Beautiful Flowers
Let's Argue About Plants
If your pulse quickens at the sight of a dogwood or peony in full bloom, this is the episode for you. Although a restrained, foliage-focused design is always a safe bet, fabulous floral textures and colors offer a level of excitement that leaves alone can’t provide. For many of us, a love of flowers was the gateway that brought us to gardening. Follow along as Danielle, Carol, and expert guest Wambui Ippolito discuss some of the beautiful blooms that make their hearts sing. Expert: Wambui Ippolito is an award-winning landscape designer, horticulturist, and author based in New York...
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Episode 178: Best Interview Moments from Let’s Argue About Plants
Let's Argue About Plants
While the Fine Gardening team is busy exploring the Philadelphia Flower Show, we’re taking a moment to look back at some of the most insightful and inspiring conversations we’ve had on Let’s Argue About Plants over the past year. In this special episode, we’re revisiting standout moments from interviews with horticulturists, garden designers, and educators who have shaped the way we garden. You’ll hear from , a self-taught garden designer from Seattle, as she shares how she got her start in horticulture. , a North Carolina-based designer, discusses...
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Episode 177: Seeds We’re Starting This Year
Let's Argue About Plants
As we recorded this episode, snow was gently falling outside our windows here in New England. But that isn't depressing for us—it simply means it’s time to start our seeds! Today we are joined by digital editor Christine, and we are talking all about which seeds we’re starting this year and why. There’s an assortment of edibles and flowers on our lists, and we discuss the best practices for getting them to germinate. Do all seeds need a heat mat? Or is it a good idea to pop your packets of seeds in the freezer before sowing them into a soil block? Get the answers to these pressing...
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Episode 176: Plants with Personality with Amanda Thomsen
Let's Argue About Plants
is a landscape designer, project manager, and garden writer. Recently, she opened in Lemont, Illinois. This neighborhood boutique offers plants, home décor, classes, and events. Amanda brings an irreverent, punk-rock spirit to her horticultural work, so she is the perfect person to help adventurous gardeners to explore some plants with personality. Unusual herbs, hardy cacti, and a foxglove that is not your usual cottage garden suspect all make appearances in this fun episode. Here's Amanda’s personality-packed plant list: 1. Lovage (Levisticum officinale, Zones...
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Episode 175: Great Houseplants
Let's Argue About Plants
Potted plants will bring life and positive energy into any room, and studies have shown that having them nearby can relieve stress, boost creativity, and improve focus. In winter, when the weather is not good for outdoor gardening, it is particularly satisfying when we can help the living gems on our windowsills to thrive and look their best. In this episode Danielle and Carol chat with their friend and colleague, Christine Alexander, about the houseplants they consider to be truly worthy of a spot indoors. Expert: Christine Alexander is the digital content editor at Fine...
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Episode 174: Plant Evaluation with Sam Hoadley and Richard Hawke
Let's Argue About Plants
Catalogue descriptions for new plants may grab our attention, but usually provide little useful information about how these up-and-coming cultivars will perform in your garden. Fortunately, comparative trials like those conducted at and put plants to the test, side-by-side, under typical garden conditions. In this episode, and delve into a few of the similarities and differences between their trial programs. They compare notes, trade stories, and dispel a few misconceptions as they prepare for the talk they will give on Thurday, March 6th, 2025 as part of the Know to Grow lecture series at...
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Episode 173: Beneficial Host Plants
Let's Argue About Plants
This week we might rename the show Pollinator Haven, the podcast where we dig into the vibrant world of pollinators and the plants that sustain them! Well, probably not, but we will be diving into the essential role host plants play in supporting bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. These are species that are critical in providing places for insects to lay their eggs and food for hungry larvae. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, you'll discover how choosing the right plants can turn your yard, balcony, or community space into a thriving...
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Episode 172: Focal Points with Susan Morrison
Let's Argue About Plants
, owner and principal designer at , has created hundreds of gardens in California’s East Bay area. Her designs incorporate comfortable outdoor rooms into landscapes of all sizes, from hillside estates to postage-stamp front yards. Susan’s features thoughtfully arranged spaces for relaxing and entertaining enfolded in an artful, water-wise plant palette. Focal point plants in key locations draw the eye through the landscape, inviting visitors to explore. In this episode, Susan describes her thought process for siting focal point plants, and shares some of the eye-catching cultivars she...
info_outlineRichard Hawke is the Director of Ornamental Plant Research at Chicago Botanic Garden, where he oversees comparative evaluations of ornamental plants. The CBG Plant Evaluation Program has included 117 distinct trials over the past four decades, with 26 comparative trials currently underway in three evaluation areas. In 2011, Richard began reporting trial results in Fine Gardening magazine, and has since written dozens of feature articles that can be found by visiting his author page.
In this entertaining episode, Richard Hawke discusses his earliest memories of plants and gardening, the education and internships that laid the foundation for his career, and the joys and challenges of developing a world-class plant trial program. He also digs into the day-to-day details of plant evaluation and talks about some trials that yielded surprising results and some that were particular favorites, including evaluations of clematis, baptisias, butterfly bushes, and tender salvias.
Richard joined the staff of the Chicago Botanic Garden in the mid-1980s.
CBG’s trial of tender salvias identified many vigorous cultivars that do well when grown as annuals.
The Chicago Botanic Garden has trialed 198 heucheras since 1995. Find out which cultivars performed better than the classics here.
The Chicago Botanic garden was built on a series of islands, and soil conditions are not ideal. The original trial beds were atop a substrate of clay soil compacted by heavy equipment; the water table is very high, and drainage can be problematic. Richard talks about these soil woes, and the solutions that have improved soil structure and drainage in the newest plant evaluation area.
The Chicago Botanic Garden was built on a series of islands with heavy clay soil.
Field evaluation is a core component of plant trials at Chicago Botanic Garden.
The Green Roof Gardens built atop the Plant Conservation Science Center are used to evaluate the suitability of plants for use in green roof assemblies.
With 26 trials currently underway, the evaluation areas at the Chicago Botanic Garden are a hub of research activity.
Richard now spends much of his time behind a desk, which makes him relish his time in the field even more.
The Plant Evaluation Program at Chicago Botanic Garden is one of the largest and most diverse in the nation.