Super Cool Plants - Formerly Known as Let's Argue About Plants

In this episode of Super Cool Plants, we explore the power of plants to calm, comfort, and restore. From soft, touchable foliage to gentle fragrances and soothing color palettes, our panel of horticultural experts shares their favorite selections for creating a more sensory-friendly garden. Looking to design a peaceful retreat, engage more deeply with your outdoor space, or simply take the edge off a busy day? Well, we've got plants that deliver on those needs. Expect recommendations that appeal to all five senses—rustling grasses, velvety leaves, aromatic blooms, and more—along with practical tips for weaving them into your landscape. Tune in for a thoughtful, plant-filled conversation that just might change how your garden feels. 

GUEST BIOS: 

Mark Dwyer is the garden manager for the Edgerton Hospital Healing Garden in Edgerton, Wisconsin, and he operates Landscape Prescriptions by MD. He is also a Midwest Regional Reporter for FineGardening.com 

Jason Reeves is a horticulturist for Tennessee Department of Agriculture at the Ellington Agriculture Center in Nashville. He is also a contributing editor for Finne Gardening magazine. You can follow him on Facebook at Jason Reeves-in the garden.

North American native species have captured the imaginations of gardeners all over the world, but only a few species have broken through to become horticultural staples. On this premiere episode of Fine Gardening's newly redesigned podcast, our expert guests join us from two widely acclaimed botanical gardens specializing in native plants. Listen in as they reveal some of their favorite overlooked species that do not get enough love from the gardening world, and that more of us across the country could be growing. 

Melissa Starkey is the marketing and communications manager and an instructor at Mt. Cuba Center in Hockessin, Delaware. 

Amy Galloway Medley is lead horticulturist at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin. 
Find the full plant list from this episode on our website: https://www.finegardening.com/article/super-cool-plants-podcast-episode-1-underappreciated-native-plants

One of our favorite things to do on the podcast is to hear from you, our loyal listeners. We recently scrolled through our emails and social media messages to see what kinds of questions you all had from the past season. We love hearing about what's happening in your gardens—especially the challenges—and sharing advice drawn from our decades of horticultural experience. And when we don't have the answer, we're lucky to have a network of experts we can tap for plant recommendations or to help troubleshoot tricky garden situations.
These Q&A episodes are always a highlight for us, and your inquiries this time around did not disappoint. The topics range from disease-free hemlock options to deep thoughts on non-native plants. Tune in to see if one of your questions made the list—or to pick up solutions to a few common garden problems along the way.

Those furry freeloaders can look elsewhere for a treat!

A public service announcement prior to getting this episode started: There is no such thing as a deer-proof plant. If deer are hungry enough, they will even eat things that are supposedly toxic to them. But there are such things as deer-resistant plants. So, on this recording of Let's Argue About Plants, Danielle and Carol share some of the plants that have stood up to the herds that visit their backyards, and their colleague Diana Koehm offers some additional suggestions of plants that deer tend to ignore in her neck of the woods.  

Diana Koehm is the content editor for Fine Gardening magazine.  

See the full plant list from this episode on our website: https://www.finegardening.com/article/episode-190-deer-resistant-plants

Episode 189: Our 2026 Garden Plans 

Hear what we have in store for upgrading (or overhauling) our beds and borders this year 

What's that old adage? "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Well, call us eternal optimists, but every January we like to make a list of our goals and aspirations for our gardens in the coming year. After all, a new gardening season is the perfect time for fresh ideas and bold decisions. In this episode, we dig into our plans for 2026, sharing what we're upgrading, what we're rethinking, and where we're ready to start from scratch. There are plans for refreshing tired beds to completely overhauling borders that no longer work (or perhaps cutting down an aged stewartia tree?). We'll also talk through the practical considerations shaping the season ahead. Join us for an honest, behind-the-scenes look at how our gardens are evolving—and how you might approach changes in your own landscape. 

Expert: Susan Calhoun is the owner of Plantswoman Design in Bainbridge Island, Washington. She is also a regional reporter for FineGardening.com.  


See more from this episode on our website: https://www.finegardening.com/article/episode-189-our-2026-garden-plans