This week, we’re taking a deep dive into the genus Amsonia—the blue stars of the perennial world. From their soft blue spring flowers to their fine-textured foliage and standout golden fall color, these plants bring a lot more to the garden than most people realize.

We’ll break down some of the best species and cultivars, talk about where they grow best, how they perform in the landscape, what makes them such dependable garden plants, and how to use them alongside other perennials and grasses. We’ll also get into the differences between some of the more commonly grown Amsonias and share a few of our favorites.

If you’ve ever grown Amsonia—or wondered why you should—this one’s for you.

Rain gardens are more than just a pretty place to put plants that like getting their feet wet. In this episode, we're diving into the dirty details of what makes a rain garden actually work. In this episode we talk about to turn these unique areas into beautiful, functional landscapes.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Shrubby Buddies without talking plants. We’ll get into choosing the right plants for the wet, the dry, and everything in between—and why a rain garden definitely isn’t just a hole filled with water-loving plants.

So grab your shovel, embrace the moisture, and join us as we get wet, get dirty, and figure out how to make rain gardens work harder in the landscape.

https://mtcubacenter.org/trials/baptisia/

https://mtcubacenter.org/trials/echinacea-mid-atlantic-region/

Tim went north! This week, we’re recapping Tim’s trip to Michigan for the Perennial Plant Association Symposium, where he spent a few days surrounded by incredible plants, gardens, and some of the best plant people in the business. Tim shares the highlights, favorite stops, standout plants, and a few stories from his PPA adventure.

Then we’re joined by Sam the Man for a special interview! We talk plants, horticulture, and Sam’s journey through the green industry—with plenty of laughs, plant-nerd tangents, and classic Shrubby Buddies banter along the way.

From Michigan plant adventures to hanging with Sam the Man, this episode has a little bit of everything. Grab a drink, get comfortable, and come get shrubby with us!