Ep. 245 Growing something new: Plants we’re trying in 2026 | #GoodGrowing

About this episode

In this episode, the hosts discuss unique and unusual plants they are trying in their 2026 gardens.

Curious about trying something new in your garden this year? This week on the Good Growing Podcast, we share the unique and unusual plants we’re adding to our 2026 gardens. From teff and loofah gourds to spoon‑sized tomatoes, Armenian cucumbers, butterfly pea, and more, join us as we explore what drew us to these plants, how we plan to grow them, and the fun (and challenges!) of experimenting with unfamiliar crops. Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_lx8Jeog-p0 Skip to what you want to know: 03:09 – Teff 06:38 – Armenian cucumber/melon 08:20 – Bottle gourd 10:55 – Spoon tomato 13:19 – Luffa gourd 16:27 – Mexican sunflower 18:24 – Butterfly pea 20:40 – Sunflower ‘Soluna Bronze’ 23:18 – Anchote 25:16 – Hydrangea ‘Haas Halo’ or something similar 29:56 – Peanuts 31:36 – Wrap-up, what’s up next week, and goodbye! More information: Mt. Cuba Center - Wild Hydrangea for the Mid-Atlantic Region Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: https:// go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https:// go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast…

People in this episode

Host: Chris Enroth

Topics covered

• gardening
• unusual plants
• 2026 garden
• plant experimentation
• growing techniques

Keywords

• teff
• loofah gourds
• spoon-sized tomatoes
• Armenian cucumbers
• butterfly pea

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mt. Cuba Center

Products: teff, loofah gourds, spoon-sized tomatoes, Armenian cucumbers, butterfly pea, Mexican sunflower, sunflower ‘Soluna Bronze’, Anchote, Hydrangea ‘Haas Halo’, peanuts

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