Richard Hawke and Perennial Trials at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 86

This is a long one, but worth it in terms of information gleaned about some of the best perennials you can choose. Richard Hawke runs the famous evaluations at the Chicago Botanic Garden and in this episode he talks about the evaluations and what they mean and how they can help any gardener to know WHICH darned plant to choose. We talk about the process and then I insist that we go over the ones that I was basically forced to buy after hearing him talk at Speaking of Gardening at Asheville last summer. Forced is strong-- how about 'Unable to Resist'? Apropos of nothing other than a little vacation I took in Florida recently, the Plant of the Week is the Banyan Tree ( Ficus benghalensis ), and in The Play List I talk about seed starting and winter pruning.