repotting houseplants (plus blooming favorites), propagating coleus & more: ken druse q&a

My longtime friend and fellow garden writer Ken of Ken Druse dot com is author of many books including “The New Shade Garden,” and “Making More Plants,” and “Natural Companions.” We tackled subjects ranging from propagating coleus from cuttings, to repotting a jade plant—and repotting in general—and even why a jade might be blooming now, after many years of ownership with no blooms. Ken shared ideas about some of his favorite unusual houseplants, too (that’s one of his Thai hybrid euphorbias, above), including several that bloom in the offseason.

Read along as you listen to the Dec. 17, 2018 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).

Q. Hi Ken. How are you, Froggy?

A. Ribbit. Ribbit.

Q. I knew it, I knew it would be. I’m Froggy, too, I’m sorry.

A. Well, I had a cold, then I had bronchitis, and now I’m having another cold.

Q. Oh, I think I just am … just falling apart, but whatever, anyway. Every time I’m around small children. I blame small children.

A. I’ll say.

Q. They have large germs. Yes.

A. Yes.

Q. But they are adorable.

A. You should make a T-shirt, or embroider a pillow, or something.

Q.  So, I know my overall Urgent Garden Question of 2018 is, “What’s up with the weather,” but we won’t go there, right?

A. It’s typical.

Q. No surprise, probably since it’s been cold in a lot of areas