Episode 155: The Cover Up Retrospective (Part 3)

Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas join us once again for the third and final episode of The Cover Up Retrospective, where we’ve grouped some previously aired short segments together for easier access.

In the first segment, Morning Glories are a featured annual vine, but this category also extends to gourd and mini-pumpkin vines, scarlet running beans, and more. Sedums, including Hens and Chicks, are the featured ground covers (and succulents) in this episode. These herbaceous perennials, commonly known as stonecrops, are great options for rock gardens and other areas that are drought prone. Both of these vines and ground covers are low maintenance and relatively easy to grow.

The second segment discusses the benefits of sedges, bearberry, and trailing arbutus as ground covers and vines that support pollinators and provide shelter for insects and birds. Sedges are a good alternative for a ‘native’ lawn. With over 2000 species, mostly low-growing, and many ever green, they can also be used as a living mulch. Bearberry is a great option to plant under oak or pine trees as it thrives in partial to full shade environments. The name, Trailing Arbutus (a.k.a. Mayflower and Plymouth Mayflower), is derives from the fact that the flowers of this plant were the first to greet the pilgrims after their first winter. It is a native perennial subshrub that forms a creeping mat, usually four to size inches high.

The third segment focuses on flowering vines. Passionflower is a beautiful climbing vine with white and purple or blue flowers. There are now hardier varieties that can survive in zone 5. While it blooms from midsummer to early fall, each flower only lasts about one day. The Kiwi vine is another interesting option that can grow up to 33 feet long and has some varieties that are hardy to zone 4. A native of China, it has green heart shaped leaves that are spirally arranged on the stem and a flower that has a slight resemblance to the kiwi bird. Both passionflower and kiwi vine can be fragrant additions to your garden if you can provide the appropriate support for them to climb.

Host: Jean Thomas

Guests: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas

Photo by: Jean Thomas

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski

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