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Plants That Mark Time
3 Plays3 minutes ago
In this episode of Hort Culture, Alexis, Brett, and Ray dive into a heartfelt and often hilarious conversation about how plants intertwine with memory, grief, celebration, and personal identity. What begins with snack talk and Brett’s possum joke evolves into a rich discussion about the power of plants to mark life’s most meaningful moments—from memorial trees and generational houseplants to the sensory triggers tied to loved ones and childhood.
The crew shares stories of plants passed down through families, the emotion of planting in memory of someone, and the surprising ways a smell, flower, or species can evoke someone’s presence. They explore the symbolism of trees and flowers associated with different people in their lives, including themselves—Alexis as a witch hazel, Ray as a serviceberry or hemlock, and Brett as an atlas blue cedar or beech.
This episode is a tribute to how deeply rooted plants are in who we are and how we remember. If you’ve ever gifted a plant, inherited one, or found comfort in tending to one, this one’s for you.
Topics covered:
- The humor and chaos of recording a podcast about plants
- Memorial and celebration plants
- Generational plants and heirloom species
- Sensory memory and plant associations
- The hosts’ personal "plant alter egos"
Quote of the Episode:
“We come from snacks and to snacks we shall return.”
Questions/Comments/Feedback/Suggestions for Topics: hortculturepodcast@gmail.com
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Transcript
Pre-Recording Chaos & Persona Changes
00:00:17
Alexis
Welcome to Horde Culture, where we have an episode before the episode where we are like, oh no, this is content!
00:00:19
Brett
Thank you.
00:00:23
Alexis
And we yell, Brett yells at Ray, this is content, this is content!
00:00:28
Brett
Yeah.
00:00:28
Alexis
Roll! Let's go!
00:00:28
Brett
i was
00:00:29
Alexis
Let's do it!
00:00:29
Plant People
but
00:00:29
Brett
I was channeling a LA content creator just flying off the handle.
00:00:29
Alexis
So...
00:00:32
Plant People
Because if we don't do that, we forget what we said before or we're like, did we say it on the show or did we say it before? Was it captured? Very confusing.
00:00:41
Brett
What happens is
00:00:43
Plant People
Very confusing.
00:00:43
Brett
Imagine my frustration working with these people where Ray and Alexis have this fully formed, extremely pleasant and well thought out, like well informed and experience based conversation about the topic that we're talking about and none of it was captured.
00:00:59
Brett
you know I turn it on. Before before this thing comes on, I am a tyrant.
00:01:01
Plant People
Wasted. Wasted.
00:01:03
Brett
but When it come when the when the the red light goes on, the podcast starts, I am um'm just the nice smooth voice guy that all you all tune in to listen to.
00:01:08
Plant People
Let's go.
00:01:11
Plant People
Let's go.
00:01:11
Alexis
honestly like hate him outside this
Monetizing Struggles & Listener Appreciation
00:01:13
Alexis
episode. So, you know, if it wasn't for that smooth voice, he wouldn't even be here.
00:01:13
Brett
Yeah.
00:01:17
Brett
Like a mom, a monster.
00:01:17
Plant People
Yeah.
00:01:17
Alexis
Wouldn't.
00:01:18
Brett
I'm a monster on set.
00:01:21
Plant People
His professional.
00:01:22
Brett
No, but Ray will be like, Oh, I said that reminded me of this extremely cool thing that I was just ah reflecting back on past, present and future.
00:01:27
Plant People
Yeah, you're like.
00:01:29
Brett
And it's really interesting for our audience.
00:01:31
Alexis
And we're all we all are like, and then he says it again and it's not as eloquent.
00:01:31
Brett
And I'm like, Ray, that's content. Be quiet.
00:01:34
Plant People
Do not waste it.
00:01:34
Brett
Don't say anything to me unless we can figure out a way to monetize it, please.
00:01:38
Plant People
Yes, we need to. We need to catch. This is this is minutes on the podcast.
00:01:40
Alexis
And by monetize it, we mean make zero money from this podcast. So.
00:01:45
Brett
What?
00:01:45
Plant People
It's minutes for us. Minutes of recording. Nobody told you, Brett, that we do not monetize.
00:01:49
Brett
They've been saying that the check's coming for like almost two, for like over two years now.
00:01:52
Plant People
Yeah, two and a half years.
00:01:55
Brett
Oh no.
00:01:55
Plant People
Yeah. We've been going for two and a half years, haven't we? Yeah, we don't want to go down that road, but yeah, almost, almost.
00:01:58
Alexis
What?
00:02:01
Alexis
I haven't even looked at how many episodes lately we've done. Um,
00:02:05
Plant People
We're on season three, like episode 20-some now. So, yeah.
00:02:09
Alexis
Wow.
00:02:10
Plant People
I know.
00:02:10
Alexis
Thank you all for being here. Those of you who've been with us since the beginning, look at us. We're going to have to do some celebration. Maybe we'll get some swag.
00:02:20
Brett
Yeah, this is this is episode 119.
00:02:20
Alexis
I'm just going to keep saying it.
00:02:20
Plant People
Yeah.
00:02:21
Alexis
I'm manifesting it, remember?
00:02:22
Plant People
As you said the last time.
00:02:22
Brett
It's pretty good.
00:02:25
Plant People
Oh, okay.
00:02:25
Alexis
oh
00:02:26
Plant People
Gotcha. Gotcha. Yeah.
00:02:28
Brett
pretty good
00:02:28
Alexis
Well, that's pretty awesome. ah And
Snacks and Lifestyle Humor
00:02:32
Alexis
i did not have a question as I usually do at the beginning of these episodes. ah But what that means is we're going to talk about some cool stuff.
00:02:40
Alexis
And we're going talk about some some of my favorite things, which weather data. Because we've got some...
00:02:46
Plant People
I thought you were going to say snacks, but I digress.
00:02:48
Alexis
Well, yeah, but I do love snacks.
00:02:49
Plant People
man
00:02:51
Alexis
ah But I'm very full of snacks right now, actually.
00:02:51
Plant People
Okay.
00:02:55
Alexis
I've been a snacking machine. But that's not what we're talking about. we're talking about
00:03:00
Plant People
I mean, some people call that lunch. You may call it snacking, whichever Alexis,
Plants as Life Markers
00:03:04
Brett
the thing The thing that's interesting about being a snacking machine is that you to you fuel it to snack with snacks.
00:03:04
Plant People
whatever suits you.
00:03:04
Alexis
Whatever.
00:03:14
Plant People
Yes. The snake eating itself, which is a snack.
00:03:17
Brett
you know that That's the interesting It's like a perpetual motion.
00:03:18
Alexis
ah
00:03:21
Brett
We've closed the loop on that.
00:03:23
Plant People
Yes. It's ah like the machine that generates his own energy.
00:03:24
Alexis
I'm here for it.
00:03:24
Brett
It's
00:03:24
Alexis
It's just sustainability is all it is.
00:03:26
Plant People
Yes.
00:03:27
Alexis
Closing the loop, making this more sustainable lifestyle.
00:03:29
Brett
Yeah. I mean, i I mean, we are sort of like snack machine. I mean, early, some of us are like snack machines, I guess. We're just, we're snacking to get to the next snack. main Mainly like, I need to give me my, give me my energy.
00:03:39
Plant People
Yes.
00:03:39
Alexis
Maybe that we're just going to have to have snack swag.
00:03:42
Plant People
I mean, under the meaning of life at the very end of the end, that's going to be on the quote.
00:03:42
Alexis
Swag with snacks.
00:03:42
Brett
oh
00:03:47
Plant People
It's like, we are all snacking machines. Yes.
00:03:50
Alexis
may i I feel like that maybe that's what I'll have put on my tombstone. Like bring snacks.
00:03:54
Plant People
Oh, man.
00:03:55
Brett
We come from snacks into snacks.
00:03:55
Plant People
Bring snacks.
00:03:55
Alexis
Just like.
00:03:57
Brett
We shall return.
00:03:57
Plant People
It'll be weird, though, to have like Cheetos at your, you know, your place of rest. It'll be strange. Like, here's your nabs.
00:04:03
Alexis
I just expect i expect people to just like leave bags of chips at my at my grave.
00:04:04
Plant People
Like, what?
00:04:08
Plant People
or then maybe they will use that as a snacking place, a snacking zone.
00:04:10
Brett
Here lies Alexis. She snacked while she could.
00:04:13
Plant People
Yes. She fell off a bridge on a snack accident and.
00:04:15
Alexis
Lean up against. I mean, I think that would be cool.
00:04:17
Brett
Well, can I, actually, I want to, I do want to start with it with a little bit of a question or a little bit of a, and this is, you know, a little bit of a dark, darker question, but um you mentioned the gravestone thing.
00:04:18
Alexis
Like someone lean in the mirror.
00:04:23
Plant People
Okay. Oh, mm-hmm.
00:04:30
Brett
um
00:04:30
Plant People
oh
00:04:32
Brett
do Do you all have, I was just thinking about my, my dad died a couple years ago and we had his funeral and We had some lovely flowers from wild roots from Alexis.
00:04:42
Brett
We had, and other people sent house plants and um other things like that. and it's just like one of those big um moment moments where like it's marked by, in this case, flowers.
00:04:53
Brett
And I'm curious if you all had, and and but other people sent house plants and little like ah dish gardens actually. and
00:04:59
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:05:01
Brett
There's the, this, that that was February of 2024 and they're still alive, still rocking, kept them alive. ah Despite it being like five different plants with like different care recommendations and water, water requirements.
00:05:13
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:05:14
Plant People
different cultural requirements. Yeah.
00:05:16
Brett
um But I'm trying to think of like non-traditional event things that are marked with those kinds of horticultural gifts.
00:05:25
Alexis
in
00:05:26
Plant People
Well, flower, I mean, the horticultural gifts, I mean, I think of weddings and like celebrations and, so and when I was at Berea college, we had a, you know, one of the things I did was manage it like a live plant route and I got tired of, you know, watering fig trees and things, ficus and all of that stuff.
00:05:40
Plant People
But, uh, I mean, just, uh, part,
00:05:42
Brett
Wait, what did you what did you just say you were doing? and Water...
00:05:46
Plant People
Berea, there was a live plant route where you had to go around and maintain like there were rental plants and different businesses there at Berea and we would make sure to take care of them.
00:05:52
Brett
Oh, I don't even know. and I don't know anything about this.
00:05:56
Plant People
Yeah, that was that was, that was a while back. It was a few years ago, but ah very interesting.
00:05:58
Alexis
It was one of his many, many lives ah that Tackett has led.
00:06:01
Brett
wow
00:06:03
Plant People
But, but I mean, it's like you said, when there was an event or something that the college was hosting primarily, but also external events. We would have ah live plants that were rented, like ferns and ficus and things like that, like base plants that we would then deliver.
00:06:16
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:06:17
Plant People
ah So it was more of a celebration in that case. That's what I think of when I think of plants, of you know, and weddings and like that.
00:06:24
Alexis
feel like when people buy buy like their first home, that's like a nice like little gift is like they're a plant. I don't know. Maybe that's just me.
00:06:33
Brett
Yeah.
00:06:34
Alexis
But as a plant person, I feel like you asking Ray and I that is like, that's our love language, right? Is giving people plants and flowers.
00:06:39
Plant People
yeah that's like Yeah, you're going to get that plan.
00:06:41
Brett
yeah
00:06:41
Alexis
So I'm like, every event is a plant event.
00:06:43
Plant People
Well, an angle on that is this. I will bounce it right back to you guys. Do you guys have generational plants in your families? Like plant material that's generational?
00:06:54
Brett
No.
00:06:54
Alexis
No, unfortunately.
00:06:56
Brett
I know that like, for instance, Christmas cactus is like a classic example that a lot of, there's a lot of, you know, passing down and you'll have this Christmas cactus that's gotten bigger and they've been, there's a cutting that somebody took from somebody, somebody.
00:06:56
Plant People
Yeah. i mean, some families do.
00:06:57
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:07:04
Plant People
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
00:07:08
Plant People
Yeah.
00:07:09
Brett
um But no, like my, my grandfather was, And to some extent, one of my uncles, both of whom have died, were kind of like the main plant people in our family.
00:07:21
Plant People
who
00:07:22
Brett
And it was actually kind of touching. So my aunts came to visit, came to visit, it's been several months ago, but came to visit and saw all of our plants and all of the places that they are inside the house, outside the house, and was like, oh, I'm so like so glad that somebody in the family continued on with some of the plant.
00:07:40
Plant People
Yeah.
00:07:41
Brett
side of things. My aunt my aunt might have some some kind of a generational houseplant, but not not that i'm not that there's any lore about.
00:07:46
Plant People
You know, don't know. think about as I'm walking in the woods and always love finding old home sites. And one of the things that marks those is like the daffodils or whatever.
00:07:54
Alexis
Daffodils.
00:07:56
Plant People
And I love seeing, like and then I start looking around very carefully for any remaining, like an old pear tree, like pear trees can withstand more abuse than any other like fruit tree in Kentucky. Like it's the one that will, that will live with without um most any care.
00:08:10
Plant People
But I'll start looking for the old pear trees. I'll look for daffodils. And sometimes you'll find that like the prickly pears. I don't know how they make it, yet but I know these old home sites in the woods.
00:08:16
Alexis
no
00:08:19
Plant People
And I think about those plantings. And your question makes me think about that scenario as well. And I love finding those those things when I'm looking around.
00:08:29
Brett
We had a, we had a hydrangea that we gave to friend of the pod, Emily Spencer and Dylan Spencer when her son, their son Cliff was born.
00:08:40
Brett
um So they were able to plant a little hydrangea and ah well, i actually planted it just to, do you want me to go ahead and plant it?
00:08:46
Alexis
yes
00:08:48
Brett
Like a psycho instead of just leaving it with them.
00:08:50
Alexis
voa While I'm here. Hmm.
00:08:52
Brett
Yeah. ah But yeah, I think, and I think that idea is cool. And my homies from the CCD squad sent us a, or got us a witch hazel, ah actually the one year anniversary of my dad, a dad dying.
00:09:07
Plant People
Oh, nice.
00:09:10
Brett
And I planted that.
00:09:10
Plant People
know
00:09:11
Brett
And so there's this like, lasting thing that exists in the space. I
Witty Jokes & Light-Heartedness
00:09:16
Brett
don't know. i think it's just a cool idea.
00:09:16
Plant People
Yes.
00:09:17
Brett
And now that we're past Mother's Day and past Valentine's Day, um past Valentine's Day, ah don't forget about the horticultural gift, the world of horticultural gifts.
00:09:18
Plant People
Yeah.
00:09:22
Plant People
Yeah. Yeah.
00:09:29
Brett
um
00:09:29
Alexis
Yeah.
00:09:30
Brett
There's like at this lull.
00:09:30
Alexis
I love plants to mark a time.
00:09:31
Brett
Hmm.
00:09:32
Alexis
Yeah. I think that's – I love that. Giving somebody a tree in their new home or their – you know, a shrub or something like that. I – big fan. Big fan of that. And I plant and that i plant stuff for like ah Memorial because I love the idea of saying like, oh, I planted that when, you know, we got our dog or, or you know, whatever.
00:09:48
Plant People
Yeah.
00:09:50
Alexis
i It's a like a timeline. You see how that –
00:09:53
Plant People
Mm-hmm.
00:09:54
Alexis
goes. And it's it's really cool now that we've been at our farm for, this will be the, you know, the fifth year and the plants I put in very small that were actually cuttings ah that a friend gave me and like grew up and rooted for me um off of some, some plants from campus that I was very attached to as a horticulture student and helped plant them.
00:10:17
Alexis
And so then she gave me cuttings of those and now they're outside and they're you know, pretty large now in their fifth season, you know, they've really started to take off and it's so cool to see how big they are ah and and knowing where they came from is just.
00:10:30
Plant People
I love going to where places I've lived and looking at plants that I've planted, like trees that I've planted or my family's planted.
00:10:35
Alexis
Mm hmm.
00:10:36
Plant People
I do it all the time. It's because I'm strange, but like I'll go past like everywhere I've lived, I've planted plants and I'll go and just check them out and see if they're still there. ah projects that I've done over time. And it's really interesting. And so I said, you know, if you use a memorial tree or something or get a plant in that kind of sad, like when the thing dies, and I had to think real quick, I was like, a No, that just shows that life is fleeting. And we all have our season.
00:11:02
Plant People
So no, it doesn't bother me.
Learning from Plant Experts
00:11:04
Brett
Yeah, I think this is a completely impromptu or you know not non sequitur, but I have a new joke that I came across. It's not related to plants, but I really I've been telling everybody it.
00:11:18
Brett
And so I'd like to tell you all the joke, if that's OK with you.
00:11:21
Plant People
You need to, Brett.
00:11:21
Alexis
Yeah.
00:11:22
Plant People
um This is an invitation. would you?
00:11:23
Brett
It's short. It's short. And i'm I'm wearing a I'm wearing a possum shirt for this podcast and it's a possum joke. um So there's this guy and he calls up animal control. He says, I found I just found three possums in a suitcase.
00:11:38
Brett
And the dispatcher says, well, what can you tell? Like, are they moving? He said, well, I don't know, but that would explain the suitcase.
00:11:45
Plant People
That was, that's good. That's really good. Yes.
00:11:49
Brett
right I don't know what it is about it that brings me so much joy.
00:11:50
Plant People
Very witty. Very witty. It's very, it slips in.
00:11:53
Brett
It's just it's fun. It's playful. It's not cringely stupid.
00:11:57
Plant People
It slips in.
00:11:57
Brett
Yes.
00:11:58
Plant People
Yeah. no that No, that's a very smart kind of British style humor.
00:12:01
Brett
yes
00:12:02
Plant People
Yeah, it is.
00:12:02
Alexis
Yeah, I like a good joke that makes me go, wait, what?
00:12:02
Brett
yes
00:12:05
Plant People
but And and half the half the room misses it and half the room is laughing hysterically.
00:12:05
Alexis
Wait, oh!
00:12:10
Plant People
It's like it divides the crowd immediately.
00:12:12
Alexis
I can never remember funny jokes.
00:12:12
Plant People
It does.
00:12:14
Alexis
Someone told me a funny joke yesterday and it was like an adorable like you know joke you would tell a kid and get a good laugh out of. No idea what it was even about at this point. like But I know I laughed pretty hard.
00:12:25
Alexis
So apparently the laughter just takes the memory away.
00:12:26
Brett
Yeah.
00:12:29
Alexis
Yeah.
00:12:30
Plant People
Yeah.
00:12:30
Brett
Yeah. kid Kids. I love when kids tell jokes that don't make any sense at all. But they find it really funny. And then I also find it really funny. Like that's one of my favorite.
00:12:40
Brett
My favorite.
00:12:40
Plant People
It's funny because it's not dead to the point to where it's not so much.
00:12:43
Alexis
usually i feel like uh if you're if it's a ah boy telling the joke usually they just say poop and then they start to laugh like they're like what they ask you a question and you're like oh i don't know what is it and they go poop and then they then they start laughing and then you're like okay
00:12:43
Plant People
So, yeah.
00:12:52
Plant People
And then that's good enough. Good enough.
00:13:00
Brett
Now, to be fair, Alexis, you are an adult girl, and I have heard you do the same thing.
00:13:00
Plant People
Yeah.
00:13:05
Brett
So I don't know about this whole boy and this whole boy boy idea.
00:13:07
Plant People
Yeah. Run away.
00:13:08
Alexis
I am just trying to pawn it off on Ray's done, basically.
00:13:12
Brett
People who aren't me, sometimes people who aren't me tell jokes and they're just like, poop.
00:13:12
Plant People
Levity is my love language.
00:13:16
Brett
It's not me. It's not me who's doing that. It's other people who.
00:13:19
Plant People
He's into the smart humor.
00:13:20
Brett
Well, i'm i'm ki you you piqued my interest, Alexis, on the the plants ah coming from cuttings. The friend was new ah new extension member Sherry Dutton.
00:13:32
Alexis
Yeah.
00:13:33
Brett
Yeah, what a queen.
00:13:34
Alexis
Yeah, she's... She...
00:13:35
Brett
Amazing. One of the the great plant whispers of our lives.
00:13:35
Alexis
she
00:13:42
Alexis
Honestly, though, I always tell people like, I mean, I went to college and I learned what the books had to say, but she actually taught me how to be a horticulturist. So taught me everything I know is what I always tell people. And she goes, oh, stop it. And I'm like, it's true, though.
00:13:57
Alexis
ah But yeah, anytime she...
00:13:57
Brett
We'll have to get her on the pod, but what are what are that what did what did she get what did she get you?
00:14:01
Alexis
Yeah. Well, anytime she pruned something back, a lot of the time, they're not always, there's always a rule of thumb, but there's a lot of the times when you would go to prune something in your landscape, and these are all landscape plants, you
Plants Marking Time & Memories
00:14:16
Alexis
can, it's a proper time of year to also use those as um cuttings and root them out. And so not all Not everything can be rooted at the same time.
00:14:27
Alexis
So, um you know, conifers or woody shrubs versus herbaceous shrubs, you know, they can't just any time of the year, you can't just go take a cutting and expect to root it because the hormones are different in there.
00:14:27
Plant People
Mm-hmm.
00:14:39
Alexis
And so, ah but a lot of that coincides when you would normally prune, she would do that. So she ah took cuttings for me. One thing I'm very excited about ah and I feel like skyrocketed.
00:14:51
Alexis
She took cuttings of a big smoke bush and when she hacked it down because it was enormous, like 25 foot tall and way too big for the area it was in at the time.
00:14:55
Brett
Mm-hmm.
00:15:02
Alexis
and And so she needed to hack it back and she took ah cuttings from that for me and rooted them. And so I have three that I planted five years ago and they were little, just like quart pots. I mean, good, you know,
00:15:16
Alexis
well-rooted plants, but nothing crazy. You know, they might've been a foot tall or something at the time. And, uh, I actually just cut them back, uh, for like, uh, cut flower production.
00:15:29
Alexis
And, um, because they were, and they were, they were about 15, they're about 15 foot tall. I just cut them back to about 10 foot tall.
00:15:36
Brett
Whoa. Mm-hmm.
00:15:37
Alexis
So in five years and they just, they took off, they like where they're at, So that was such a cool moment and I got to send her a picture and be like, look this, look what I harvested. ah But a little bit of everything.
00:15:46
Plant People
They mark time, didn't they? they They mark time.
00:15:48
Alexis
huh Yeah, they marked time.
00:15:49
Plant People
You said you watched them grow, but and I always look for those things in my life that mark time. I mean, like they say, kids and gardens. i heard that when I was very young, and it's so true that like gardens being just filled full of annual plants for the most part.
00:16:04
Plant People
But it's like you said, it's really cool when you have perennials. And then especially those that you kind of cultivated or nurtured like from the very beginning.
00:16:07
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:16:12
Alexis
Okay.
00:16:13
Plant People
So it's no surprise to me that like... ah You know, there's a tradition like at, you know, graveyards and stuff like that, that are just full of memorial plants that been purchased and put out. Like, it's no surprise to me that these things mark, and we've mentioned it before on the show, they mark cycles, they mark friendships, they mark time in general. It's just so super cool. and And, you know, we've talked about the seasonality of a lot of plants here in Kentucky's own plant.
00:16:38
Plant People
you know, 6AB, you know, we've got all the seasons here. So they, they mark the seasons too, with a lot of plants that we deal with. So I think there, it's just no surprise to me that like, they're so cool in marking, marking things for me personally.
00:16:52
Brett
do you Do you have anything that comes to mind of like a ah particular, um i'm thinking you know more in the particular plant versus the specific plant versus the the general.
00:16:52
Plant People
It's just kind of one of those things.
00:17:02
Plant People
Yeah. Okay.
00:17:03
Brett
you have ah any particular trees trees or plants or anything like that for you?
00:17:03
Plant People
Okay. Let's see. on my wife's side, I've mentioned it before. She's got, i don't know what's going on the fourth jim generation. It's an old fashioned orange Amaryllis that everybody on her side of the family has, and I have it.
00:17:18
Plant People
And ah she put it under my care when we first met and got married. When we first got married and said, if you mess this up, we're messed up. And I was like, 10-4. So I think about that plant, which is doing very well, by the way. I've spread it all over to spread the risk.
00:17:33
Plant People
ah But I think about that plant being in her family for generations. Someone in the war brought it over from a tropical region. ah But I think about that plant. And I also think about like lilacs that my mother loved, that her mother loved.
00:17:47
Plant People
So the lilacs that I have growing at the side of my house right now are going on the third generation. It's just old fashioned fragrant lilacs. And, um, And ah they're going on the third generation. So yeah, I can think of ah several examples of generational plants that, you know, that I have now currently. Because each one of those tells kind of a cool story.
00:18:10
Plant People
and And I love that.
00:18:10
Alexis
Mm-hmm. You think about that person, like even even if you even if they didn't give it to you, if it's like a representation of them, I think.
00:18:13
Plant People
Yes.
00:18:19
Alexis
um my I have a my one of my best friends.
00:18:20
Plant People
Yeah. Yeah.
00:18:23
Alexis
she ah So her mother always you ah made sweet tea. She always had sweet tea growing up and, you know, had made it in the cast iron skillet. she had it to ah Not the cast iron skillet, but she had a specific tea pan that she made it in. Yeah.
00:18:38
Alexis
And so and like that was something that she got is an heirloom when her mother passed away and she was really close to her.
00:18:42
Plant People
Yeah.
00:18:43
Alexis
But that smell of sweet tea. we found um a, there's a garden rose that to to her smells just like her mother's like ice sweet tea.
00:18:54
Alexis
and I think it's called, it's a David Austin rose called like teasing Georgia, I think is what it's called.
00:18:59
Plant People
yeah
00:18:59
Alexis
And it's just a pretty buttery gold color and it's a beautiful rose, but it does, it really does have the smell of sweet tea. And so she, she cooked, She named it after her mom.
00:19:11
Alexis
Like she, in her mind, you know, she knows that the name is teasing Georgia, but she calls it her mom's name and that's her mom's rose. And it makes her think of it. So every time it blooms and she smells that, even if she's not even looking at it, she's going go off to that.
00:19:21
Plant People
Yeah.
00:19:23
Alexis
And it takes her back to her mom making tea in her tea pan. And, um'm you know, that's just such a cool, it's a cool thing. Like, you know, when you smell those lilacs, probably takes you back to, yeah.
00:19:34
Plant People
It's a sensory thing and it's, you know, the smell and like, I love your story because I think once you bring in like the sensory things, especially, especially smell, when I catch
00:19:35
Alexis
Yeah.
Bonsai Reflections & Family Traditions
00:19:44
Plant People
that smell and they bloom, i mean, it just, it's a strong association I have just like your story.
00:19:50
Plant People
I mean, and it's pretty, pretty, pretty powerful.
00:19:51
Alexis
Sue, that's the name of the row. She goes, oh, Sue's blooming.
00:19:53
Plant People
Yeah.
00:19:54
Alexis
And that was her mom's name, but oh, Sue is what she says.
00:19:55
Plant People
Yeah.
00:19:58
Plant People
Yeah. Yeah. Brett, do you have any of those kind of sensory kind of plants?
00:20:00
Alexis
Um,
00:20:02
Plant People
I, we started talking, I know you're into bonsai and things that takes a few generations, potentially of several, maybe hundreds, whatever.
00:20:09
Alexis
yep
00:20:11
Brett
uh yeah the trees i might care remind me of the generations 400 years ago that took care of them no i don't have any so that's all very new new to my world um i was i was trying to think because there's some like so what you all a little bit of what you're talking about is like specific trees and i mean specific plants that you all have or this cultivar that for this reason reminds this person of of her mom
00:20:16
Plant People
Yeah. There you go.
00:20:17
Alexis
All right.
00:20:18
Plant People
Yeah. Yeah.
00:20:36
Plant People
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:20:37
Brett
I think there's also some, there's sometimes where like there's certain people that you associate with like a particular plant type or like, ah like, like that, like, like, you know, for instance, if this isn't true, but like my grandma ah makes me think of roses or my, and Annie's family has that way more than, I would say than my family generally does.
00:20:46
Plant People
Sure.
00:20:48
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:20:54
Plant People
oh
00:20:54
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:21:02
Brett
I'm trying to think. my My dad was an only child. My mom's one of six, So it would probably be on my mom's side that there would be a lot of that association. But if for Annie, for instance, her grandmother, um there's like this strong association with pussy willows.
00:21:10
Plant People
Yeah.
00:21:17
Brett
And I don't know why that is. like And I don't think they know why. It's just either she liked it or she would always have one or maybe there was some tradition that that came with that. And I associate lilacs with Annie's mother.
00:21:30
Brett
ah that she's really she And she calls she's from New Jersey, born and raised, and she calls them lilacs.
00:21:30
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:21:37
Brett
It's like L-I-L-O-C-K.
00:21:39
Plant People
and And it just stuck that association for whatever reason, it just got locked in at some point.
00:21:40
Brett
My lock.
00:21:42
Brett
Yeah. And we have lilacs in our backyard and ah um we haven't figured out a a good spot for a pussy willow that we wanted to put in, but but I don't necessarily, I'm um striking out here on really associating a particular plant with particular people.
00:21:59
Brett
Maybe this is why, this is me being exposed as not a true plant person like you all.
00:21:59
Plant People
I guess.
00:22:04
Plant People
I don't think that's true.
00:22:04
Alexis
My – yeah, my grandmother, um I always associate gladiolias with her, like my mother's mom, because – only because, ah you know, if you're – as a kid, they're very identifiable, glad is.
00:22:11
Plant People
Oh, oh yeah
00:22:20
Alexis
And I specifically remember that she had them – they had a brick house, and I remember – that she had all the different colors planted up, and up against the brick house. And so, you know, you have these big spikes of color.
00:22:32
Alexis
And I don't necessarily think that, I don't know if they were her favorite. They were just something to plant. Like, I don't think it was maybe necessarily anything special, but it takes me back to my childhood playing in the yard, seeing those colors.
00:22:37
Brett
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:22:43
Alexis
And so they've become one of my favorite flowers just because, you know, they remind me of her and I dug into them.
00:22:44
Plant People
Mm-hmm.
00:22:51
Brett
and from
00:22:52
Alexis
So yeah. Yeah, and that my my other grandmother loved Azaleas, and she had a big one outside New York, and she had a huge one outside ah her bedroom window so that she could look at it ah every day when it was in bloom.
00:23:05
Alexis
So she liked Azaleas.
00:23:06
Brett
There was an azalea, a big azalea at the Henry or the Lexington cemetery. And the flowers were so bright that they would legit, like and almost hurt, hurt my eyes.
00:23:20
Brett
And you would like, like, oh I got that feeling when you stare at a TV or something and then you look away and you can see like the shadow stuff. That was how it was. Annie was freaking out. She's like, just look at it and then look away from it. And was like,
00:23:31
Brett
I don't want to do that. It's, it's making me feel weird. I don't, I don't like this. It was like a crazy gi bright.
00:23:36
Plant People
The Glove.
00:23:36
Alexis
Like it almost glows in the dark.
00:23:38
Brett
Yes. Like so neon.
00:23:39
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:23:40
Brett
It's such at the peak. You, your, your story about the gladiola is reminded me of, so my, again, my dad was an only child um and his mom, he was very close to his mom.
00:23:51
Brett
And so we were, I was, my brother and I were her only grandkids. And she and I, she would like, I would go over to her house when I was a kid like young, you know, six, seven, eight years old.
00:24:02
Brett
And she and I would drive and go to a garden center in the spring. And we would pick up a couple packs of geraniums and a couple bags of mulch.
00:24:12
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:24:15
Brett
And then I would spend the next, what felt at the time, like eight to 12 hours. It probably was like maybe an hour and a half. with 15, 10 minute breaks somehow fit in there.
00:24:28
Brett
ah And I remember like she she would like make over, and i would I would plant these for her and then mulch it out in the front of her house. And and she always really liked those. But I can remember thinking like she she was very effusive with praise, like very ah giving of praise. And um I remember the way that she would talk about it like, oh, you should have seen him out there working and you should have seen him just planting all that, you know, he just he just doesn't stop, you know, and and I remember like being like a kid and being like, yeah, I don't i actually don't stop.
00:24:59
Alexis
I'm kind of the best. Thanks, grandma.
00:25:01
Brett
ah Yeah, basically, I'm ready to to take on whatever problem you have, you know, as long as I can take a snack break every
00:25:07
Alexis
so So that's where your attitude comes from.
00:25:10
Brett
That's correct. Yeah. I had this massively inflated ego and over, yeah, overblown sense of self.
00:25:11
Plant People
Let's go. Let's go.
00:25:14
Alexis
I'm a wolf.
00:25:18
Brett
Thank you, grandma. Virginia Wolf was her name. Thank
Personal Plant Associations
00:25:22
Alexis
Shut up.
00:25:22
Brett
you, Virginia Wolf.
00:25:22
Plant People
Virginia Wolf.
00:25:22
Alexis
That's amazing. Bruce.
00:25:23
Plant People
Wow.
00:25:23
Brett
And then, yeah.
00:25:24
Plant People
That's a strong name. My goodness.
00:25:25
Brett
Yeah.
00:25:27
Plant People
Virginia Wolf.
00:25:27
Brett
Yeah. And her husband's name was Irvin and my dad's name was Bruce. Bruce, Bruce Wolf. And I would, i always asked him, what did people call you when you were a kid?
00:25:38
Brett
Like, he was like, i don't know, Bruce. was like, oh God, like calling a little kid, Bruce, it seems really weird.
00:25:41
Plant People
It's like, uh,
00:25:45
Plant People
unless you're Wayne, it'd be weird.
00:25:45
Brett
ah
00:25:45
Alexis
it's exact It's a cop's name. It's a cop's name with a big old mustache, Bruce. so
00:25:49
Brett
Yeah.
00:25:49
Plant People
Bruce. There you go.
00:25:49
Brett
Like that's a name that you could use after 40, but before then.
00:25:52
Plant People
Yeah. It's like, if what's up B? a B doesn't quite get it yet.
00:25:54
Alexis
Or a shark in a cartoon movie.
00:25:58
Plant People
Bruce. Yes.
00:25:59
Brett
You could also do that. Yep.
00:26:01
Plant People
My name is Bruce.
00:26:03
Brett
So do you all have you all have particular, Ray, do you have like a, oh, this person is is lavender in my mind?
00:26:03
Plant People
I don't,
00:26:10
Brett
Or it's like a, don't know if this is a floral synesthesia or what, but.
00:26:10
Plant People
yeah yeah you mentioned like mother and father mom my mom is just easy that's creeping flocks and dad is tobacco but the smell and the days in the sun on the farm it's really easy i mean i have very strong associations for each one of those uh but my mom just loved creeping flocks uh that was one of her favorites she loved flowers overall and she every year had us plant you know her and dad that's a you're taking up farming space.
00:26:20
Brett
Man. Yeah.
00:26:27
Brett
Hmm.
00:26:37
Plant People
And she's like, there's gotta to be space for my flowers. And so, you know, they compromised and she won um every year, but she, she loved her flowers, but creeping flocks were her favorite. um And dad was, on you know, and tobacco can be very ornamental.
00:26:50
Alexis
good taste
00:26:54
Plant People
Okay. It has a very pretty bloom.
00:26:54
Brett
Oh yeah.
00:26:56
Alexis
nicotiana is a cut flower species
00:26:56
Plant People
Tabasina does.
00:26:57
Brett
Mm-hmm.
00:26:58
Plant People
Yeah. Beautiful. Yeah.
00:26:59
Alexis
he see
00:27:00
Plant People
Related. So, yeah, I do have strong associations for those things. And it's just more more than associations. It's just triggers. Once again, it's ah not necessarily in either one of those cases.
00:27:11
Plant People
It's not a smell or anything. It's just what I associate with the family. Yeah.
00:27:16
Brett
Hmm. That's awesome.
00:27:17
Plant People
Growing up and and anytime, I don't know, and I've told you guys this before, anytime we go on vacation, you know, the first thing I want to do is go out. and You know, if somebody says, oh, let's go to the beach. I'm like, let's go to Hunting Island because they have natural palm trees that just fall over on the beach and aren't allowed to touch them.
00:27:34
Plant People
I can go see things in its natural state. So I'm always that plant life guy.
00:27:37
Brett
Hmm.
00:27:39
Plant People
My my friends make fun of me that I hike with. They're like, you know, we're out there seeing what a cool rattlesnake we just found. or toad or salamander in the Smokies. And I'm over there, you know, looking at some, you know, arcane herb plant, ah some forb or something over there. And they, so you know, we, they kind of give me a hard time for it because I'm always finding things to kind of look at in the plant world.
00:28:01
Plant People
I enjoy it.
00:28:02
Brett
Oh, that would be good.
00:28:02
Plant People
Yeah.
00:28:04
Brett
Like meme real content would be going on a hike with Ray.
00:28:07
Plant People
like, dude, you almost stepped on a copperhead. And I'm like, where is right? It's really It's next to this point, whatever plant I'm looking at at the time.
00:28:15
Brett
On my way to these ephemerals.
00:28:17
Plant People
Yeah. that There you go.
00:28:18
Alexis
Well, I'm using that as an excuse to stop to ah to breathe.
00:28:18
Plant People
It's blood root or mayapple.
00:28:23
Alexis
I'm like, oh, yeah, look at this cool plant over here.
00:28:26
Plant People
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I do that as well. Yeah. Especially at higher elevation.
00:28:29
Brett
Smells really good.
00:28:31
Alexis
Sorry, I'm looking at the moss over here and I'm like quietly dying.
00:28:31
Plant People
Yeah. Oh my gosh, this moss is beautiful. Yes. Look at this. it's Reindeer moss is amazing. Yeah.
00:28:41
Brett
here's a difficult, difficult question, a sort of existential challenge to you.
00:28:43
Alexis
I think I know what it is.
00:28:47
Brett
um What if, if would you, what would you say is the plant that people would associate with you? So, you know, you're the creeping flocks as your mother, Ray,
00:28:56
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:28:59
Brett
Well, what does ray is Ray? Does Ray have a plant associated with him? And if not, if not, what is your aspirational plant that you're going to make it your mission henceforth? Like from this day, this is the the first day of the rest of your life to build an association with that plant.
00:29:12
Plant People
You know, if I was a dog, maybe a Labrador.
00:29:15
Brett
Which woman would, it what would it be?
00:29:18
Plant People
So I guess that now, you know, going over into the plant world, something that would be similar would be like a maple, maybe. Hopefully you kind of don't do anything spectacularly well. You're just a generalist by nature.
00:29:31
Plant People
I mean, I don't know.
00:29:31
Brett
it
00:29:32
Plant People
Maybe I'm Poison Ivy. Maybe I'm a survivor. I don't know.
00:29:34
Brett
well mean it could it could just be that people remember your abundant joy about the thing and maybe i don't maybe you have an undiscovered passion for maples uh that we don't know about or it could be like just what's you know what's something that you love or you know that you get really excited about
00:29:36
Plant People
and
00:29:39
Plant People
Maybe I'm a sunset maple.
00:29:43
Plant People
Yeah.
00:29:49
Alexis
you Do you want to know what I would plant for you if I didn't know any of the any any of your...
00:29:53
Brett
oh man yes i would love to hear this
00:29:53
Plant People
that's the key is to ask somebody else what we are.
00:29:56
Alexis
Yeah.
00:29:56
Plant People
Shoot.
00:29:57
Alexis
um ah The first thing that came to mind, and I usually just go with my gut on these things because if I overthink it, I'll never make a decision. But when when bret when you asked Ray that question, the plant that immediately came to my mind that I was like, if I wanted to honor Ray, I would plant a service berry.
00:30:03
Brett
Oh.
00:30:03
Plant People
Shoot.
00:30:11
Alexis
Yeah.
00:30:12
Plant People
Oh, that's one of my favorites. I grew up with those. i like that a lot. Yeah.
00:30:17
Alexis
Yeah.
00:30:17
Plant People
Serviceberry. That's a good one.
00:30:18
Brett
and
00:30:18
Alexis
I just, it was...
00:30:19
Brett
mlla emmalanncer is that the um on the emily told me that Emily told me that we need a a Latin expert.
00:30:21
Plant People
Amelanker, Amelantier.
00:30:21
Alexis
Am I lanky or is how...
00:30:23
Plant People
Depends on who you are and what botanist you're talking
00:30:29
Brett
And she happened to study Latin when she was younger. So there we go.
00:30:34
Alexis
Well...
00:30:34
Brett
latin Latin pronunciation expert.
00:30:34
Plant People
we had a person We had a person at Berea College that, oh my goodness, he I guess he traced his lineage all the way back to Linnaeus, and he told us that on the first day. But he was so particular, and if we mispronounced anything, ah not according to his own designs, we were in big trouble.
00:30:53
Plant People
Yeah.
00:30:53
Brett
Yeah.
00:30:53
Alexis
It's a dead language, so...
00:30:54
Brett
Yeah, Emily, it's a dead language.
00:30:56
Plant People
you can You can be what you want, yeah.
00:30:56
Brett
Man, you just you just triggered her so bad. i am so happy to hear the fallout.
00:30:59
Alexis
I know, I'm going to get a text message later. How dare you?
00:31:02
Brett
I'm so happy to hear the fallout from this.
00:31:02
Plant People
so
00:31:03
Alexis
I didn't say it's not important or not awesome. I just said nobody alive who spoke it fluently actually knows.
00:31:08
Brett
Damn. Oh, she's going to let you have it.
00:31:11
Plant People
It's kind of like Sanskrit.
00:31:11
Brett
She's going to let you have it.
00:31:11
Alexis
She is.
00:31:13
Plant People
It's a dead language, hardly ever spoken anymore.
00:31:13
Alexis
That's okay. That's okay. i will I will send her a kitten photo in response and cool cool her down. Okay.
00:31:19
Brett
It's going to be very fun for me.
00:31:21
Plant People
I want to know what Brett is, Alexis. I mean, this is like shaking the eight ball when you were in seventh grade and you would look for answers in the eight ball and you would shake it. So we're shaking the eight ball. What is Brett Wolf?
00:31:32
Plant People
Be Wolf.
00:31:33
Alexis
why Why do I have to come up with it? ah sir
00:31:36
Plant People
You don't have to.
00:31:36
Alexis
um
00:31:36
Brett
Because you had such a you had such a strong reaction.
00:31:37
Alexis
ah me Immediately, immediate response is a conifer.
00:31:38
Brett
Oh. Hmm.
00:31:42
Alexis
Second, i would I wanted to go, i'm kind of leaning towards like an atlas blue cedar personally, but um that's because that's I'm not as familiar with my conifers as I should be.
00:31:43
Brett
um
00:31:48
Brett
um
00:31:54
Alexis
I just have like an image of what I think and that's That one is one I enjoy and I'm very familiar with.
00:31:58
Brett
Wow. That's a nice one.
00:32:02
Alexis
So um you're welcome.
00:32:03
Plant People
Yeah. Nice.
00:32:04
Alexis
I don't know.
00:32:06
Plant People
I mean, it's, it's hard to come up with the the evergreens in Kentucky.
00:32:07
Alexis
What about you? What about you, Ray?
00:32:09
Plant People
yeah
00:32:09
Alexis
What do you think?
00:32:10
Alexis
What do you think he would be? what What plan do you think he would be?
00:32:10
Plant People
As far as what ah he would have to be, well, an evergreen, you took mine.
00:32:15
Alexis
doesn't have to be a tree.
00:32:17
Plant People
i mean, you know, ah the, the, the underrepresented would be like Eastern, Eastern red cedar, because I happen to be a huge fan of those.
00:32:19
Brett
I am blushing right now with you guys seeing conifer and evergreen. i am. Hmm.
00:32:25
Alexis
Yeah, I almost went with like Virginia Pine. yeah But i thought I love Virginia Pine.
00:32:29
Plant People
I mean, this,
00:32:31
Alexis
I think they're underappreciated.
00:32:32
Plant People
ah They are, and I grew up with the Virginias and the the black pines. But, I mean, i would say eastern red seed are another tree near and dear to my heart because it's a survivor. It's the only one, the only evergreen that I know that truly does well in Kentucky.
00:32:47
Plant People
ah But it's just under, kind of underappreciated for its genius and survivability. So, yeah, it's an early successionary species.
00:32:54
Brett
Pioneer species.
00:32:58
Plant People
That that is correct. You take advantage of a situation where there's a vacuum.
00:33:00
Alexis
Brett, what would you want to be?
00:33:03
Brett
i I would love to be an Eastern Red Cedar or ah an Atlas Blue Cedar. Those are great those are great options. um i really I really like pine trees. I feel some sort of deep affinity with them.
00:33:15
Brett
But as you mentioned, like as far as planting that, most of those planting them in our central Kentucky soils wouldn't be necessarily the vibe. You're
00:33:24
Alexis
shes
00:33:26
Plant People
Yeah.
00:33:26
Alexis
So if you live somewhere else and want to honor Brett.
00:33:27
Brett
saying, yeah.
00:33:29
Plant People
Have you ever went far south or far north and you just felt this positive vibration from all the evergreens?
00:33:34
Brett
Honestly, yes. And there's also this stretch, um,
00:33:35
Plant People
yeah Oh, we need to hear more about this, actually.
00:33:38
Brett
There's this, well, there was this stretch of Eastern white pines planted not far from my house. Emphasis on was. ah
00:33:47
Alexis
Yeah. Yeah.
00:33:48
Brett
Please, you know, I love them. Please don't put Eastern white pines in the ground. um
00:33:52
Alexis
White pine decline.
00:33:54
Brett
That doesn't end well, unfortunately. but But I remember there was this like moment I i was on out for a walk and I kind of came around the corner and I just caught this huge whiff of pine resin, you know, pine sap.
00:34:06
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:34:07
Plant People
Oh, that's the best. Absolutely the best.
00:34:08
Brett
And it was like a warm, kind of a warm day, like one of those first warm days of when the the buds are just starting to kind of push out and it's, uh, and man, it was like a very, it's probably been six years ago. I still remember that when it happened.
00:34:22
Brett
Um, but yeah, I, when, when I crossed into areas that have, um, you know, higher up in elevation or further North or South, as you say, ah do have kind of like a positive moment of like, yeah,
00:34:36
Plant People
I do love that smell though, Brett, or, or a big grove, a big stand of evergreens and getting under there.
00:34:42
Brett
Mm-hmm.
00:34:43
Plant People
And one of my favorite things in the world is like when it's snowing out and getting under evergreens and watching the the woods fill up with snow while I'm, yeah, that's in the smell.
00:34:46
Brett
Mm-hmm.
00:34:52
Plant People
And once again, it adds that kind of layer, that, that strength of smell with the association. So if you could go North or South, which way would you go as far as plants? Yeah, yeah.
00:35:04
Brett
ah north
00:35:04
Plant People
I mean, but we're talking evergreen, so you can go either direction and get a different flavor.
00:35:07
Brett
i would go north i would go north
00:35:08
Plant People
North, gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha. There is a huge diversity up north, so yeah, i can't go wrong with that.
00:35:11
Brett
yeah
00:35:15
Brett
And yeah I feel like there's more like it's a little more of an unsung regional hero in some ways. Maybe. i don't know. Maybe not. maybe and maybe i'm Maybe I'm off base on that.
00:35:27
Brett
um Yeah, for me, it's definitely like the less explored part of the the botanical area. landscape.
00:35:35
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:35:36
Brett
But what about what about what about let's see for for for Ray, you know, I haven't I still haven't really gotten over the blue side of the mountain reference.
00:35:49
Brett
And so I think I, ah you know, adelgid notwithstanding, I would think about a hemlock as a ray as a ray tribute.
00:35:56
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:35:58
Plant People
Yeah, that's a good one. I'll take that any day of the week. I'm a big fan of hemlocks. I'm a big fan of the terrain in which hemlocks grow because that's the mysterious side of the mountain where hemlocks are.
00:36:11
Plant People
Yeah, that's in the ravines and where the sun sets real early in the evenings.
00:36:16
Alexis
I love the silvery undersides, like when they're waving in the wind.
00:36:16
Plant People
That's where hemlocks. Oh, yeah. Yeah, it's good stuff. Yeah, I'll take that. I'll take that.
00:36:23
Brett
For Alexis.
00:36:24
Plant People
I was going to say now Alexis. Hmm.
00:36:27
Brett
I have a...
00:36:27
Plant People
She's worried. Look at the nervousness on her face. She's like, oh gosh.
00:36:30
Alexis
No, I've already come up with what what I think I am, but I want to hear what you all think too.
00:36:31
Plant People
Yeah.
00:36:31
Brett
I've got a... Okay.
00:36:33
Plant People
That doesn't count.
00:36:33
Brett
No, no, no. you said you but you won't You will not sway me.
00:36:34
Plant People
That doesn't.
00:36:35
Alexis
I can't.
00:36:35
Plant People
but You go first.
00:36:35
Alexis
I will.
00:36:36
Brett
you will Unlike the Hemlocks, you will not sway me with your wins.
00:36:37
Alexis
will.
00:36:40
Plant People
Nice.
00:36:41
Alexis
I think that I would want a witch hazel, Hamamalus virginiana as my plant.
00:36:49
Plant People
Yeah. Amazing. That's a good one.
00:36:51
Alexis
Yeah. I almost said nine bark, Fisocarpus, because right now I'm picking it and I just love it so much.
00:36:53
Brett
I love those.
00:36:56
Plant People
Yeah.
00:36:58
Alexis
ah Viburnum would not be a bad one, but I think Hamamalus would be.
00:36:59
Brett
Yeah.
00:37:02
Plant People
Very diverse.
00:37:04
Brett
Wow.
00:37:05
Alexis
She's my girl.
00:37:05
Plant People
Which was a good one. Yeah. That's also those in a family graveyard.
00:37:07
Brett
You're, you're, you're choosing, e guys are, you, you're choosing
00:37:07
Alexis
Thank you.
00:37:12
Brett
like smaller ah smaller stature things than I would associate with you.
00:37:19
Plant People
Hmm.
00:37:21
Plant People
Well, I would associate a smaller stature plant with, with, I guess, Alexis, uh,
00:37:21
Brett
I think of you as a as a as a Titan.
00:37:25
Brett
Oh, yeah boom, smaller stature short.
00:37:26
Plant People
I mean, no, no, no, no no so literally.
00:37:27
Alexis
What'd you say?
00:37:29
Plant People
i I mean, you know, we were talking spring ephemerals and I guess I've come to associate like bloodroot with like, or mayapple with Alexis, both of which, you know, i grew up with.
00:37:38
Alexis
o I'll take blood, Rube.
00:37:41
Plant People
I mean, and I'm not saying bloodroot because if you apply, I mean, you know, it's a, it's a good one.
00:37:43
Alexis
It's metal.
00:37:46
Plant People
And when it blooms, it's a, it's a very beautiful little plant, you know? Uh, but, uh,
00:37:51
Brett
Yeah, i I think I would go, I'm so i'm caught between two and i there's different reasons, but I'm caught between like maybe a ah Sycamore and a American Beach.
00:38:03
Plant People
o
00:38:07
Alexis
My favourite tree.
00:38:09
Brett
Yeah. Well, because both of them, like ah the um the branch structure of a mature sycamore is magically magically insane.
00:38:10
Plant People
Beach is a good one.
00:38:19
Plant People
Tree of Gondor. It's magical. and Yeah, it is. It is
Plant Symbols of Personality
00:38:24
Plant People
the Tree of Gondor.
00:38:24
Brett
And that's kind of that's kind of how I would describe, you know, brilliant, amazing, inspiring, a little wild.
00:38:24
Alexis
insane.
00:38:27
Plant People
Magically insane.
00:38:35
Brett
And you always...
00:38:35
Plant People
Mm-hmm.
00:38:35
Alexis
Little, little, I'm sure.
00:38:37
Brett
A little wild. And you can always kind of tell from the, like from a distance, the bark, you can be like, oh, okay.
00:38:46
Alexis
o
00:38:46
Brett
I know what that is. And look at the, yeah.
00:38:48
Alexis
I know what that's about.
00:38:48
Brett
Okay. Yeah. The beach on the other hand, it's, it's a, I think an underappreciated ah hardwood species in Kentucky. i really love um the leaves.
00:39:02
Brett
I love the leaves through all of its, all of their iterations and it hangs on to those leaves through the winter, which feels amazing.
00:39:07
Plant People
Yeah.
00:39:07
Alexis
The little ghosties in the woods.
00:39:09
Plant People
It's that solid brown color and you can hear him just rattling with the breeze.
00:39:09
Brett
Yeah.
00:39:14
Plant People
Yeah.
00:39:14
Brett
hmm. And so I think if I were there, I would, you know, in the, the, I like the sickened workers as John, such giant leaves, which is fun.
00:39:15
Alexis
Spooky.
00:39:17
Plant People
Spooky.
00:39:22
Brett
I think I would, I would have those two in mind and then like do in order in honor of Alexis, I would say based on site selection, which one's going to thrive here.
00:39:30
Alexis
Right tree, right place.
00:39:32
Brett
Yes, exactly. Be like, okay, where, where's my site?
00:39:33
Alexis
i I have never been so honored.
00:39:35
Plant People
i have I've called both of those trees, Brett, like fairy trees because they don't look of this world if you find a good example of either one.
00:39:35
Brett
Hmm.
00:39:43
Plant People
And maybe it's the the lot bart light color bark on those.
00:39:47
Brett
Yes.
00:39:47
Plant People
But they, yeah, very, very Lord of the Rings on both of those.
00:39:51
Alexis
I appreciate this mysticism you guys are giving me.
00:39:51
Brett
Mm-hmm.
00:39:55
Alexis
um
00:39:56
Brett
Mm-hmm.
00:39:56
Alexis
Feeling very...
00:39:57
Brett
Well, the thing is, i don't I don't think you even understand it. That's the part.
00:40:02
Alexis
like don't, apparently.
00:40:03
Brett
Like, it's it's not put on It's not.
00:40:06
Plant People
It's provocative.
00:40:06
Brett
There's just, there's something. Yeah, exactly. Nobody knows what it means.
00:40:09
Plant People
gets the people going.
00:40:11
Alexis
I make everyone a little uncomfortable when I enter a room.
00:40:15
Plant People
and mean
00:40:15
Brett
It's a, it's a, like a, like a spark or like a, and you, you have a hard time, you have a hard time defining the elements that cause it.
00:40:20
Alexis
No.
00:40:25
Brett
It's like more the, the gestalt, as we might say in the art critic world that I spend a lot of time in.
00:40:30
Alexis
to
00:40:30
Brett
and But yeah, man, a hemlock and a, an American beach, man.
00:40:35
Plant People
Yeah, I like him walks a lot.
00:40:38
Brett
And what did we say?
00:40:40
Alexis
we gotta do Jessica she's out on leave but I feel like I feel like we need to do Jessica Jessica if you're listening while you're on leave we're not forgetting about you okay
00:40:41
Brett
ah yeah. An Eastern red cedar.
00:40:48
Brett
I could see Jessica as like a walnut.
00:40:48
Plant People
better
00:40:52
Plant People
Yeah, she will drop something on your car and break things if you, yes. As you're driving along a country road, watch out. Here comes Jessica.
00:40:59
Brett
Provide, you know, there's like an and an element of provision.
00:41:01
Plant People
Yeah, provide her. Yeah.
00:41:03
Brett
There's an element of like a high value, you know, and, and again, some cool, some cool branch structure in a different way.
00:41:07
Plant People
Yeah, it's a utility trade. Mm-hmm.
00:41:13
Brett
um but i'm just a tree person.
00:41:13
Alexis
I would
00:41:14
Brett
You all are more the, maybe you, and you you all are much better than I.
00:41:16
Alexis
um I would go with a Buckeye that would be that's my instant my instant myign Jessica because it's like
00:41:24
Brett
What color flowers?
00:41:26
Plant People
Mm-hmm.
00:41:26
Alexis
ah Well, i I would say the pink because it's a little extra special. Jessica's a little, you know, she's she's a little extra special, you know?
00:41:32
Brett
She is a little extra special.
00:41:34
Alexis
So she's got a little something extra to provide and to just...
00:41:37
Brett
I would call the pink flowered dogwood, or I mean, chestnut. I mean, golly.
00:41:42
Alexis
ah
00:41:43
Plant People
You named some good ones.
00:41:43
Brett
Buckeye.
00:41:44
Plant People
You named some good ones. Yeah.
00:41:46
Alexis
Yeah, all good.
00:41:46
Brett
Britt loses his mind and then reassociates just tree names.
00:41:46
Alexis
All good.
00:41:49
Brett
um I would call both that and Jessica very extra special. Not just a little.
00:41:55
Alexis
Oh, yeah.
00:41:55
Plant People
yeah
00:41:57
Brett
Yep.
00:41:57
Alexis
i'm I'm trying. I'm trying not to give her too big of a head.
00:41:58
Brett
Let it go on record that Alexis said just a little extra special.
00:42:01
Alexis
ah
00:42:02
Plant People
Yeah. Just a little extra special.
00:42:02
Alexis
um I'm sorry. i'm I picked um a really great tree for her. I'm pretty sure she is not offended.
00:42:07
Brett
You did. What about, what about, uh, what about like a ah shrub? You know, you gave yourself sh shrub.
00:42:13
Alexis
I just give myself shrubs. Give Jessica a shrub.
00:42:15
Plant People
You're not allowed to say pyracanthic because that is off the table.
00:42:16
Brett
yeah.
00:42:19
Plant People
Yeah.
00:42:20
Alexis
o if i had to give jessica jessica if you were a shrub what shrub would you be probably a viburnum of some kind because beautiful classic just all around like throw whatever at it she's got it i mean um yeah every situation it just hangs in there and looks great that's you jessica
00:42:29
Brett
o he
00:42:36
Brett
Pluses up almost every situation.
00:42:39
Plant People
Yeah.
00:42:44
Brett
like, don't about it.
00:42:46
Alexis
She's not even going to listen to this episode.
00:42:49
Brett
so care but
00:42:50
Plant People
She's like, these people are pontificating.
00:42:50
Brett
She has been texting me about ah she's going to be trying to convert her taxes to some more like kind of a structured cloud pruning kind of vibe.
00:42:58
Alexis
e
00:43:00
Brett
And she sent me a picture and I was like, basically, you can do anything to this and it will be fine.
00:43:01
Alexis
That's awesome.
00:43:01
Plant People
Oh, nice.
00:43:06
Plant People
Just chunk right into it.
00:43:07
Brett
ah But here's what I would do and kind of send her some pictures.
00:43:09
Alexis
That's awesome.
00:43:12
Brett
So it's going to be I told her I come out and prune with her sometime. I don't. Like when I make other offers to other people, I think she did not believe that I was actually making an offer, but I was like, just let me know.
00:43:21
Alexis
be That's because we aren't used to people having like free time. So we don't – it's like – it's not that she believes you wouldn't do it.
00:43:27
Brett
um
00:43:27
Plant People
woman
00:43:29
Alexis
It's that she's like, he doesn't have free time to spare. And you're like, no, I have i have free time to share with other people.
00:43:35
Brett
I'll make that time for you, baby.
00:43:37
Plant People
A passion and free time. So win, win, win, win.
00:43:41
Alexis
Oh, I like – you know what? I'm so glad we didn't and start talking about weather data even though I really love weather data. I really love this conversation Yeah. um
00:43:49
Plant People
This is an episode that defined itself. We started in one direction with a plan and ended up totally in a different spot when we actually started talking ah through the episode. So yeah.
00:44:01
Plant People
and And there's interesting themes emerging here. And brett Brett kind of mentioned like, you know, the way we're thinking about plants, because then we're finding out that some of us are more tree people. Some of us are specifically more evergreen.
00:44:13
Plant People
Some may be spring ephemeral, some may be shrubby kind of, I don't know. It's, The themes I'm learning about you guys, yeah you know, your preferences
Horticultural Gifts & Personal Histories
00:44:21
Plant People
and things too. So yeah, pretty cool.
00:44:23
Brett
Well, so maybe we can close really briefly with what is, it doesn't have to be the best, you know, just a horticultural gift that you received.
00:44:23
Plant People
Pretty cool.
00:44:33
Brett
It could be a plant, could be a tool, could be any number of things that you received that really just sticks out.
00:44:42
Alexis
um
00:44:45
Alexis
I received a little watering can that specifically had the really long, thin nozzle on it. to more easily water my plants, like my houseplants specifically.
00:45:00
Alexis
Actually, Jessica gave that to me many years ago.
00:45:04
Brett
Such a viburnum thing to do.
00:45:04
Alexis
And it's a vibranium thing to do. And you know what? It just like was one of those things that I love a good, useful gift. It was both like super useful. I have used that for everything. I take it with me on all kinds of things um and installs and all kinds of great stuff, but it is just like such a handy little thing. It's the perfect size, has the perfect little spout on it.
00:45:28
Alexis
So I don't know. I've got a lot of cool stuff, but for some, that one I use constantly. So just simple.
00:45:33
Brett
That's a good really good one.
00:45:35
Plant People
Yeah. Sneaky. Yeah. You never know. It doesn't have to be a big thing.
00:45:39
Alexis
You don't know you need it until you use one and you're like, this is so much better than like a milk jug or whatever the heck I was using.
00:45:40
Plant People
Yeah. It doesn't have to be a plant. Yeah. Yeah. You can actually get down in the canopy and not get it wet.
00:45:48
Alexis
Yeah.
00:45:49
Plant People
It's amazing. Yeah.
00:45:49
Alexis
I'm not like putting in water all over the ah floor
00:45:52
Plant People
Yeah. Getting the, you're watering everything, but the base of the plant. Yes. So good. What about you, Brett?
00:45:59
Brett
Well, you go next. Do you not have one?
00:46:01
Plant People
Uh, let's see. I mean, it's kind of a obtuse, but I guess one of the, you know, first things I can remember ever getting and remembering, ah was from my father. And it was just the gift of like a little, there was a little, when you plowed around benches in the mountain and you planted, uh, tobacco, there was, you know, in the corners, it was hard to get, you know, anything but a mule into.
00:46:21
Plant People
to cultivate those you couldn't get a tractor into so he gave me a little swag i called it was my own little patch of tobacco uh you know cut it and he housed it separately for me and i was probably 10 years old and i brought in this crop of tobacco and and i learned very early you can make money from plants and that was you know kind of a profound thing for me and sparked my love of money no no it sparked my love of uh of uh
00:46:37
Alexis
and
00:46:46
Brett
Greed Greed good. Greed Greed
00:46:47
Plant People
yeah ah Yeah, my um understanding that you could like, instead of moving wealth from point A to point B, you could actually create wealth through the land and the plants represented that, but it was sort of a horticultural gift, I guess.
00:46:48
Brett
Greed Greed is good. Greed
00:46:56
Brett
is
00:47:01
Plant People
He let me have this little, you know, it's couldn't be used for much else. And i remember that. And that was kind of cool that, and it was just all about the plants and I was just beginning to understand, and he was giving me more responsibility,
00:47:13
Plant People
nine, 10 years old, instead of just dropping tobacco sticks and, you know, for the workers on the farm, I actually got to have my little crop. So yeah, I remember that sort of a horticultural gift, but a little different.
00:47:21
Alexis
ah
00:47:26
Plant People
Yeah.
00:47:26
Brett
Yeah. Well, I mentioned the um
00:47:32
Brett
the witch hazel that my my co-workers from the CCD gave me for my dad's ah anniversary, but I'll mention another one just to, you know, bonus content for our listeners out there.
00:47:45
Brett
um So when Annie and I moved into our house ah in 2015, sorry, no, 2014 and the back front yard and backyard were just all grass.
00:47:58
Brett
There was, you know, a couple of the trees that are still there um and just all grass. And now it is mostly not grass.
00:48:06
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:48:06
Brett
But that whole journey and one that I you know recommend to people when we talked and I talked about the garden evolution in a previous episode that I think ah a lot of people could probably relate to if they're living in suburban areas.
00:48:18
Brett
All of that started with we created one bed. All the landscaping that we did, one bed and Our friend Neil Wilson gave us ah some river oats and some milkweed and some blazing star and some other stuff that he had started and were in like tree flats.
00:48:38
Alexis
aww all good
00:48:42
Brett
So they had really deep root structure or really deep developed roots, which allowed them to take off like crazy. You know, year two, it was basically like year three or four and in normal, and normal planting.
00:48:54
Brett
And that really, it anchored that a lot of those, ah some of those plants are more vigorous than others. And so some of them have, you know, taken a step back, but that area like was the anchor point, I would say, from which all of the other landscaping and approach that we did kind of has sprung into that, that gift of those things that not only did he give them to us, but he had started them and taken care of them and then gave them to us um was a, yeah, really important horticultural gift that we got once upon a time.
00:49:23
Plant People
Kind of was the genesis genesis of a process.
00:49:23
Alexis
Oh, is it that front?
00:49:25
Plant People
Yeah.
00:49:26
Alexis
Yeah. I love that we've...
00:49:27
Brett
It's in in the back, yeah, but underneath the like by like by the dogwood, just on the near the...
00:49:29
Plant People
Mm-hmm. And that started that whole conversion sort of lawn to, you know, this, this very intricate planting.
00:49:33
Brett
Yeah.
00:49:36
Brett
Yeah, like, oh man, these things are bulletproof.
00:49:38
Plant People
Yeah.
00:49:38
Brett
Cool.
00:49:40
Alexis
It seems like so much less work and it's pretty.
00:49:40
Brett
let's Let's use some natives to really anchor things.
00:49:40
Plant People
Yeah. Yeah. And this is amazing when you have success with something like that, what a motivator that is. And I've seen it spark so much in people and it can't be underestimated that when you get a plant and the weather cooperate you know cooperates with you, or it was just the right plant at the right time, the right place, whatever the case, when they're successful, I mean, it's like ah sometimes can be a light switch.
00:50:06
Plant People
It can be a waterfall moment.
00:50:07
Brett
Definitely.
00:50:07
Plant People
So it's sort of what you're talking about. That's really cool.
00:50:10
Brett
Yeah.
00:50:10
Plant People
Yeah.
00:50:10
Brett
I'd only ever really done gardening, like edible stuff and a couple of annuals here and there, but that was like, okay, we can do this.
00:50:13
Plant People
Yeah.
00:50:16
Brett
We can put in some perennials and look at us now.
00:50:17
Plant People
Yeah. The good thing about the perennial is you don't have to, to, to can or preserve the stuff.
00:50:22
Brett
That's right.
00:50:22
Plant People
Yeah. You know, that yeah there's not this secondary work process.
00:50:23
Brett
That's exactly right. My house is nuts.
00:50:25
Plant People
Yes.
00:50:26
Brett
Got this milkweed and now my house is full of steam.
00:50:29
Plant People
Yes.
00:50:29
Brett
Nope.
00:50:29
Plant People
It's full gallons of milk.
00:50:29
Alexis
more and More about the enjoyment of the nature than the...
00:50:32
Plant People
Yeah.
00:50:33
Brett
Yeah.
00:50:34
Plant People
Different form, a different form. Yeah, absolutely.
00:50:35
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:50:36
Brett
Yeah.
00:50:37
Alexis
Oh, well, great.
00:50:39
Brett
What a cute little episode.
00:50:39
Alexis
Well, we maybe have inspired you to give some horticulture things as gifts or maybe that's just an inspiration and go, you know what? That reminds me that my ah grandfather used to have this plant. I would like to plant some of that for him. And every time you see it or smell it or eat it or whatever it is that you plant,
00:51:01
Alexis
you'll you'll think about a good moment in your life. And I think and that's such a such a cool way to have memories. We can put photos on the wall. We can do a lot of a lot of ah lovely things like that. But it's ah it's just another way to incorporate you know history and ah happy happy moments, hopefully, ah in your life
Episode Reflection & Audience Engagement
00:51:20
Alexis
or happy memories. But Anyways, we appreciate you being here, even though we changed topic and hopefully you hung on with us. You were like, I thought we were talking about weather.
00:51:30
Alexis
ah But, you know, there's there's always weather, right?
00:51:34
Brett
I don't know if they will know that. Like, I think that we only mentioned it once and, and yeah, so we had a completely different plan.
00:51:37
Plant People
You just told them Alexis again.
00:51:39
Alexis
well But I told them how excited I was. I've told them twice how excited I was. But now I'm like in my feels about it.
00:51:44
Brett
Yeah.
00:51:46
Alexis
So, okay, Sorry.
00:51:47
Brett
Don't be in your, no, but yeah. ah Well, I just think like, I don't even know if anyone but us knew that we were going to do that. We might've been mentioned it briefly. I'm trying to remember now.
00:51:55
Alexis
Just at the beginning.
00:51:56
Brett
We just look, we sound insane.
00:51:56
Alexis
I did at the beginning of the episode. I was like, we're going to talk about this.
00:51:58
Brett
Oh, just kidding.
00:51:59
Alexis
And then we were like, let's talk about blah, blah, blah, blah.
00:52:03
Plant People
change gears.
00:52:04
Alexis
Proof that we do this with what we feel, with what is seasonal and just what vibes with us. So I feel like that intuitive, honest podcasting, right?
00:52:11
Brett
Intuitive podcasting.
00:52:15
Alexis
Well, we thank you guys for being with us today. If you want to contact us, reach out to us via email in the show notes. You can also follow us on Instagram at Hort Culture Podcast. ah Leave us five stars. That would be lovely. Tell us what plant you are in the comments. Tell us what plant you are or tell us what plant you think someone else is.
00:52:33
Alexis
What do you think bread is? Do we agree with the conifers? What about Ray? What do we think in there? So feel free to to reach out if you all have any questions, but we're just really glad you were here with us today and we hope that you have a great one.
00:52:44
Alexis
See ya.