GH Squad Podcast

Seth conducts The EPIC Taste Challenge—with Bill and Mason testing Oreo cookie flavors and ranking them based on preference. Then The Squad discusses the garden mum season and what garden centers should be (or could be) doing in late October/Early November. Mason shares the juggling act of a family wedding, a concert outing and parenting logistics, then the hosts compare concert experiences and re...

The Squad—Bill, Mason and Seth—get into the Halloween spirit (though sadly Seth's connection drops partway through … but we still love him). Mason recaps a family trip to Disneyland during Oogie Boogie Bash. Then comes a round of rapid-fire Halloween questions and a candy debate that gets heated. (Note: Mason is WRONG.) The hosts also talk about what scares them in the horticulture industry an...

Mason Day and Bill Calkins hold down the fort this week and cover a CRAZY amount of topics—starting with life updates and quickly moving into what the horticulture industry should “double down” on. The double-down centers on three big ideas: plant health and wellness, sensory marketing beyond just visual appeal and stronger support for organizations that build the industry’s future. Bill also brin...

Katie Dubow, president of Garden Media Group, joins Bill Calkins, Seth Reed and Mason Day for a lively conversation about green industry trends, trends that will NEVER be discussed, selling plants on television (and Mars), why coffee is the only true hot drink and how to market a game named for a man’s nuts. Read the 2027 Garden Trends Report: https://gardenmediagroup.com/trends/ Follow the Squad...

This episode explores why volunteering in horticulture organizations matters, what America In Bloom is doing to beautify communities and how plants can inspire civic pride while creating value for local businesses. Bill, Seth, and Mason share perspectives spanning association work, community involvement and hands-on horticulture. The conversation covers how industry involvement builds networks and...

This episode features a special guest! And dang, he’s a good one. This is a conversation with Jerry Schmitt of Stein’s Garden & Home in Wisconsin. Jerry joined The Squad (Mason, Bill and Seth) to add some intelligence and decades of experience to the usual shenanigans. Jerry brings more than 50 years of retail and livegoods experience, offering a fascinating perspective on how independent gard...

Although Mason abandoned them this week, Bill and Seth knock it out of the park with this duo cast (after missing last week), then spend most of the show trading rapid-fire “would you rather” questions—personal, professional and just plain crazy. Along the way, they dig into where ideas come from, how to force better audience engagement when giving presentations and why some plant categories feel...

This time, The Squad debates what’s overrated in the plant world and beyond. The three fire off hot takes on everything from mulch and verbena to cherry tomatoes, marigolds, big plant tags and strawberry planters. Heck, they even drop the hammer on manicured lawns, hell strips/parkways/treelawns and sidewalks. Then the crew spins the Plant Wheel of Excitement—landing on hosta. This leads to a deep...

In this episode, The Squad (Mason, Seth and Bill) tackles the everyday annoyances, industry gripes and pet peeves that make horticulture such a love-hate business. The three of them trade stories from greenhouses, garden centers and the road while unpacking what really drives growers crazy. They also discuss the gap between how plants are marketed and how they’re actually cared for, why some indus...

Seth and Bill hold down the fort for this one. Maybe Mason did not care for the numerology of episode 33? The dynamic duo discusses some of their favorite garden centers in America and explains exactly why they’ve both been to hundreds of them over the years. Then they share some boneheaded mistakes they’ve made … and learned from. Towards the end, they spin the Plant Wheel of Excitement (Echinace...

Better late than never, the Squad finally caught up to discuss events from the past week—Bill and Seth were at Ball Seed Customer Days and Mason was at the Raker trial. They talk about some of the plant highlights, interactions with industry folks and the overall vibes of these events. Then, Mason touches on some big industry “news” from last week and how it impacts growers, retailers and vendors....

This episode, the Squad was psyched to be joined by their friend Kate Terrell (representing the Quad Cities, Wallace’s Garden Center, Boy Scouts of America and Cubs fans around the world) to recap AmericanHort’s Cultivate ’26 event in Columbus, Ohio a couple weeks ago. Kate, Mason and Bill were there—all with different goals and roles—and Seth was not. So, he asked the three of them questions and...

In this episode, Mason, Seth and Bill tried to keep it short before traveling to Cultivate but that didn’t happen … The Squad gives their garden updates following weeks of hot weather and spins the Plant Wheel of Excitement. Mason offers a fiery hot take. And the three share reasons why you should plan to attend Ball Seed Customer Days and the Michigan Garden Tour at the end of July and the first...

In this episode, the Squad discusses the harsh realities of trade shows in 2026, industry relevance and strategies for maximizing your presence at iconic events like Cultivate. They also share practical tips for networking, how NOT to carry business cards and ways to get invited to post-show receptions with mini beef Wellington apps. This week’s Plant Wheel of Excitement lands on vegetative petuni...

In this episode of the GH Squad podcast, Seth and Mason detail their trip to five different Illinois greenhouses and garden centers earlier in the week. No, Mason did NOT buy any ladybeetles on the trip, but he did order a bunch of bugs online … The Squad discusses how every store is unique and dives into the dynamics of retail greenhouses during peak season. Expect brilliant takes on industry tre...

The Squad is back after a one-week hiatus to recap last week’s Darwin Perennials Day and share what they’re obsessed with in their own gardens this year. Then the discussion turns to overrated plants and concepts before they spin the wheel of plant excitement and land on Astilbe. Listen all the way to the end for some solid hot takes. Follow the Squad on Instagram: @GHSquadPod

In episode 26, the Squad discusses how boredom can be a catalyst for creativity, the influence of childhood interests on adult careers and the importance of pursuing passions over expectations. The topic of the week is what careers Seth, Mason and Bill would have if they never decided to get into horticulture. Join the Squad for the usually array of funny stories, brilliant advice and random thoug...

In this episode, the Squad discusses unexpected truths they encountered upon entering the horticulture industry and imagine ways to outfox security if trapped in a Costco overnight. They also determine who would be most likely to survive for a week in a botanic garden by foraging and introduce a fun new segment called the "Plant Wheel of Excitement." Then they discuss Seth’s new hairstyl...

This episode is all about the rivalry between Ohio and Michigan. But instead of football, Mason and Bill represent their respective states by presenting contributions to horticulture— and sports, culture, industry, number of Amish and covered bridges. They analyze data, crunch numbers, share fun facts and debate which state truly deserves the Midwestern Horticultural Championship Belt. What do you...

Cleveland's amazing sports weekend—with the Cavaliers advancing to the Eastern Conference NBA championship AND the Guardians winning the coveted Ohio Cup. Then the four discuss the magic of the Philadelphia Flower Show and why other flower shows just don’t compare (with a few exceptions). The group then explores ways to reinvigorate flower shows and possibly put a more local and commercial spi...

In this episode, Mason, Seth and Bill share their deepest darkest horticultural infatuations—like plug trays, trains, animal pests and “pieces.” They also discuss their love of multi-generational businesses, the forgiving nature of plants and the overall “cool factor” of the industry. Plus, a heartfelt Mother's Day message packed with industry humor, Road House, muskrats and more. #hearmeoutca...

Mason, Seth, and Bill are back together once again as a trio for this episode! They chat about a few different topics this time around—from engaging high school students to get them interested in horticulture as a potential career to potentially brilliant (or crazy) ideas for weatherproofing garden centers. They also discuss King Charles visiting an urban farm while he was in the US and whether ch...

In this episode, Mason and Bill dive into their 20th milestone discussing the significance of Earth Day and proactive engagement in sustainability, overrated horticultural trends like window boxes and the practicality (or lack thereof) of some garden tools and landscape lighting, as well as garden products and plants that should be banned (metal fire pits). Then they call out industry items that s...

The Squad is all together live in one room for this one, which creates a totally different dynamic because we are social creatures and virtual meetings just don’t cut it. This time, Mason, Seth and Bill talk about spring—the season. What’s it look like for the industry, their own jobs, their yards and gardens and even their neighbors’ lawns. They find out Seth is a grass guy and decide horticultur...

In this episode, Bill debriefs on California Spring Trials 2026—which just wrapped up on March 27—and shares his unfiltered thoughts on the event, some of the big picture trends, new variety direction and a bit about the overall vibe of the event. Mason asks him some hard questions and Bill does his best to not dodge them and actually give honest opinions. Watch CA Spring Trials coverage videos (s...