Crops We Covet Most

The center needs what it needs, however with regards to which crops we will develop, Mom Nature generally will get the ultimate say. On this episode, our skilled friends dive into the crops which have eluded them, why they’ll’t develop them, and what makes these crops so laborious to withstand.

Whether or not you’re a northern gardener who loves frost-sensitive species, a Pacific Northwesterner who longs for spiky desert crops, or a Midwesterner who bemoans the constraints of clay soil, you’ll discover this episode very relatable.

Episode Specialists:

Amanda Thomsen is a gifted horticulturist, backyard designer, writer, and the proprietor of Aster Gardens, a plant store in suburban Chicago.
Loree Bohl is the creator of the Hazard Backyard weblog and web site, and writer of Fearless Gardening: Be Daring, Break the Guidelines, and Develop What You Love. She gardens in Portland, Oregon.

Amanda’s most coveted crops

Weeping blue atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca Pendula’, Zones 6–9)
Jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys, Zones 10–12)
Kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos flavidus, Zones 10–11)
Tower of jewels (Echium wildprettii, Zones 9–11)

Weeping blue atlas cedar Picture courtesy of Loree Bohl

Strongylodon macrobotrys ctsy of Loree Bohl — Jade vine Picture courtesy of Loree Bohl

Kangaroo paw ctsy of Loree Bohl — Kangaroo paw Picture courtesy of Loree Bohl

Echium wildpretii ctsy of Loree Bohl — Tower of jewels Picture courtesy of Loree Bohl

Loree’s most coveted crops

Silver tree (Leucadendron argenteum, Zones 9–11)
Crested tongue fern (Pyrrosia longifolia ‘Cristata’, Zones 9b–12)
Ivory-spined agave (Agave utahensis var. eborispina, Zones 6–10)
Peonies (Paeonia spp. and cvs., Zones 3–8)