Native Plants, Healthy Planet

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz.  We are getting close to Episode 100!  Get your reviews in.  There's a new round of "That's Hot" & "This or That" this episode.  Tom and Fran follow up on a few topics before jumping into Listener Shout Outs. Do Tom and Fran finally make a definitive choice on "Take it or Leaf it"?  Fran's Secret reveals plans for th...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick talk with listener Joan Brandwein ( www.comohabitat.info ) to discuss the process of converting a small property into a native plant oasis.  Topics include where to start, resources that can help, some of the discoveries you will make along your journey, and how to be inviting towards your community.  Music by Egocentric Plastic Men. Follow Joan Brandwien -  Webs...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz.  Did Tom get Lyme disease?  There's a new round of "That's Hot" & "This or That" this episode.  Tom and Fran follow up on a few topics before jumping into Listener Shout Outs.  There were a lot of five star reviews so there are a lot of shout outs. Do Tom and Fran finally make a definitive choice on "Take it or Leaf...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick talk with Brenda Sieglitz (Assistant Director Making History Campaign; Senior Manager Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership) with The Chesapeake Bay Foundation. They Discuss the state of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, why trees and why ten million of them, who is going to pay for and plant all of these trees, and the importance of investing in provenance.  Music b...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz - but does Fran have a brand new voice?  There's a new round of "That's Hot" & "This or That" this episode.  Tom and Fran follow up on a few topics before a caller gives Eastern Red Cedar some love. "Take it or Leaf it" leaves Tom and Fran split before they answer a question about Scale. Music by RJ Comer.  Read  Fran...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are joined by Kelly Gill (Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist) with The Xerces Society and together they introduce you to Tom and Fran's new Podcast, A Native Plant Every Day with Tom and Fran.  Get a sneak peak of two episodes with special guest Kelly Gill as Fran recovers from his deviated septum surgery.  Music by RJ Comer Follow A Native Plant Every Day...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz. There's a new round of "That's Hot" & "This or That" this episode.  Tom and Fran follow up on a few topics before answering a a thoughtful question that turns into their topic. "Take it or Leaf it" ties in with Tom's article this week making for a great, in-depth conversation. Music by RJ Comer.  Read  Fran's Article...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick talk with Kass Urban-Mead (Pollinator Conservation Specialist) with The Xerces Society. They discuss the importance of canopy resource and vertical habitat to wild bee populations, how wild bee populations use tree pollen, what the best native trees are for bees to use, and we find out how many questions Fran and Tom can ask in an episode.  Music by Egocentric Pl...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz. There's a new round of "That's Hot" & "This or That" this episode.  Tom and Fran follow up on a few topics before answering a barrage of wonderful questions.  "Grow Read A Book" makes a triumphant return before ending with a new "Take it or Leaf it". Music by RJ Comer.  Read  Fran's Article  / Read  Tom's Article   H...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick talk with Tanya Dapkey (Lab Manager, Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Lab at the Patrick Center for Environmental Research) of The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, PA. They discuss Genetic Barcoding and how it relates to insects,  what the genetic barcoding of insects can teach us about stream health and a multitude of other things, the advantages and disadv...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz. There's a new round of "That's Hot" this episode. We find out who won the epic battle of "This or That".  Tom talks legislation.  Fran has a complaint.  Actually, Fran has many complaints.  Tom and Fran recap their last couple episodes that are seated on different ends of the sustainable land care spectrum before end...

Welcome to Rooted Discussions, our roundtable conversations featuring top minds in the field of the topic at hand. On this episode, hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are joined by Richard McCoy (Owner, Richard A. McCoy Horticultural Services, Inc.),  Lori Jensen (Executive Director, NJNLA), Dan Mabe (Founder, American Green Zone Alliance), and Christine Symington (Program Director, Sustainable Pr...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz. There's a new round of "That's Hot" this episode. Tom and Fran reveal the Top 10 episodes of all time as well as some of their favorites from the last year.  Fran and Tom get a little philosophical before sharing their resolutions for the upcoming year. Music by RJ Comer.  Have a question or a comment?  Call (215) 34...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick talk with Owen Wormser (Author of Lawns into Meadows, Owner) of Abound Design. They discuss Owen's unique upbringing, the importance of meadows and their benefits, ecological facts about maintaining turf grass, and native plants to help turn your meadows into a reality.  Music by Egocentric Plastic Men. Follow Owen Wormser -  Websites  /  Instagram  /  Buy The Bo...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz. There's a new round of "That's Hot" and "This or That" this episode. Tom and Fran share some great last minute gift ideas for the Holidays. There is finally a name for the new segment! Music by RJ Comer.  Read  Fran's Article  / Read  Tom's Article Have a question or a comment?  Call (215) 346-6189. Follow Native Pla...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick talk with Andrea DeLong-Amaya (Director of Horticulture) and Joe Marcus (Native Plants of North America Program Coordinator) of Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. They discuss the legacy of the visionary Lady Bird Johnson, the history of the center and the work that they do, the incredible task behind creating the database of wildflower.org, the importance of e...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz. There's a new round of "That's Hot" and "This or That" this episode. Tom and Fran take a moment to reflect on the last few episodes focusing on Green Infrastructure.  Everyone gets a listener shoutout this episode!  Fran and Tom make a tough decision in a new segment. Music by RJ Comer.  Read  Fran's Article  / Read ...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick talk with Jack Szczepanski Ph. D. (Senior Aquatic Ecologist) of Princeton Hydro about floating wetland islands. They discuss the benefits of FWI's, the science behind them, native plants that are used in them, and the different applications in which they can be used.  Music by Egocentric Plastic Men. Follow Princeton Hydro -  Website /  Facebook /  Twitter /  Ins...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz. There's a new round of "That's Hot" and "This or That" this episode. Sol calls in with his winner of the Draw Sol contest and Tom and Fran give some helpful tips for after your Thanksgiving Day meals.  Fran and Tom reveal their guilty plant pleasures. Music by RJ Comer.  Read  Fran's Article  / Read  Tom's Article Ha...

Welcome to Rooted Discussions, our roundtable conversations featuring top minds in the field of the topic at hand. On this episode, hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are joined by Kate Ancaya (Co-Founder and Landscape Architect) from Living Roofs, Inc. and Shannon Currey (Marketing Director) of Hoffman Nursery to discuss the topic of green roofs. Conversations include what exactly is a green roof...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz. There's a new round of "That's Hot" and "This or That" this episode. Tom is getting quite the reputation in the avian lover actor's guild and Fran urges the listeners to become active in their favorite organizations.  Fran and Tom pick their favorite Sol entries before posting in the Facebook Group. Music by RJ Comer...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick talk with Hubert Ling (President) of The Native Plant Society of NJ about the 38 year history of the organization. They discuss the benefits of membership, the idea behind their annual seed exchange program, the programs that they offer, including their fall conference, as well as the friendships that can be made.  Music by Egocentric Plastic Men. Follow The NPSN...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new Halloween episode of The Buzz. There's a new round of "That's Hot" and "This or That" this episode. The Lewis Family helps out with the Grow Read a Book Jingle as well as the topic of native plants for Halloween. The Bird Lady offers an olive branch to Tom and there is a listener shoutout to the Great White North in this Halloween Spookt...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick talk with Gregg Tepper (Horticulturist and Author) of West Laurel Hill Cemetery and Laurel Hill Cemetery about the important practice of sustainability.  They discuss the Nature's Sanctuary, changing views on traditional perception, practices of reuse and recycling, managing for deer and invasives in a sustainable environment, and the importance of stewardship. ...

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz. There's a new round of "That's Hot" and "This or That" this episode. The guys take a moment to reflect on their latest Rooted Discussion before they introduce a new segment. Noele shares a competitive game that that has Tom and Fran turning up their noses. There can be only one! Music by RJ Comer.  Read  Fran's Artic...