Episode 64: Spuds, Shade and Sedges

Are you looking for inspiration to connect with nature and improve your gardening skills? In this episode of Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley, Master Gardener Volunteers from Cornell Cooperative Extension share their expertise on potatoes, dry shade gardening, and ground covers and vines.

Looking for something different to make with potatoes? In Patch to Plate, Annie Scibienski's tips for preparing potatoes will have your mouth watering for a healthy and delicious meal. She recommends avoiding foil and microwaves when cooking and suggests adding herbs or other ingredients for added flavor.

Next up, in Made in the Shade, Barbara Bravo's recommendations for drought-tolerant plants that thrive in dry shade are a game-changer for those struggling to cultivate their gardens. Epimedium, brunnera, liriope, hellebores and carex are all options that may work for you.

And finally, in The Cover Up, Jean Thomas and Tim Kennelty discuss the benefits of sedges, bearberry and trailing arbutus as ground covers and vines that support pollinators and provide shelter for insects and birds.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn from these experts and take your gardening skills to the next level. Tune in to Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley and discover new ways to connect with the natural world around us.

Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas

Guests: Annie Scibienski, Barbara Bravo

Photo by : Tim Kennelty

Production Support : Linda Aydlett, Teresa Golden and Annie Scibienski

Resources

Patch to Plate (Annie Scibienski): Cornell Cooperative Extension (ccecolumbiagreene.org) ; Cornell Cooperative Extension | Food Gardening (ccecolumbiagreene.org) ; The Vegetable Garden (unh.edu); How to Start a Vegetable Garden | University of Maryland Extension (umd.edu) ; Selected List of Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners in New York State 2022; Michigan Harvest of the Month; Hearty Mashed Potatoes; Seasoned Roasted Potatoes; CCE Columbia and Greene Counties Recipes; Farmers' Market Nutrition Program Information for Consumers;

Made in the Shade (Barbara Bravo):

Brunnera: Missouri Botanical Garden | Brunnera macrophylla

Epimedium: Chicago Botanical Garden | An Evaluation Report on Barrenworts for the Shade Garde

Liriope muscari: Missouri Botanical Garden | Liriope muscari

Carex morrowii: Missouri Botanical Garden | Carex morrowii 'Variegata'

Helleborus xhybridus (formerly orientalis): Wisconsin Horticulture | Lenten Rose, Helleborus ×hybridus

The Cover Up (Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas):

Sedges: Sedge Lawns: A Sustainable, Low-Maintenance Alternative to Grass - Brooklyn Botanic Garden (bbg.org) ; Sedges for the Landscape: University of Illinois Extension

Bearberry/Trailing Arbutus: Adirondacks Wild Forever | Trailing Arbutus (Epigaea repens); American Meadows | Mayflower; Lewis & Clark | Bearberry; Missouri Botanical Garden | Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Massachusetts'; NC State Extension | Gaultheria procumbens

Last updated April 14, 2023