Blooms and Beyond - Season 1, Episode 1

Episode Title:

“Planting Seeds: How One Horticulturist Found Her Way to the Plant Jungle”

Episode Description

Welcome to the very first episode of Blooms and Beyond! Join host Dr. Ping Yu, PhD student Yan Zhang, and producer Rich Braman as they introduce you to a podcast that explores plant history, culture, and management through the lens of science. In this inaugural episode, discover the personal journeys that led two people into the wonderful world of horticulture - from a childhood gardenia propagation competition in rural China to thrips research powered by passion and purpose.

Listen Time: ~29 minutes

In This Episode

Meet Your Hosts & Team

• Dr. Ping Yu - Assistant Professor and Ornamental Horticulture Extension Specialist at the University of Georgia
• Yan Zhang - First-year PhD student researching thrips and integrated pest management
• Rich Braman - Systems Administrator and Developer at UGA’s Center for Urban Agriculture

Journey Stories

Ping’s Path to Horticulture (02:20 - 06:52)

• Growing up in Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province, China - home to giant pandas, a 2,000-year-old irrigation system, and spicy food
• A childhood gardenia propagation competition at age 10 (spoiler: she won!)
• From architecture dreams to falling in love with horticulture
• Educational journey: Sichuan Normal University → Nanjing Forestry University → Texas A&M → University of Florida → UGA
• The fascinating crossover between landscape design and plant science

Yan’s Research Focus (00:54 - 01:34)

• Specializing in thrips, integrated pest management, and ornamental plants
• Previous work on bark beetles during master’s degree
• Learning to see research as exploration, not just results

What Extension Work Really Means (07:18 - 09:12)

• Supporting commercial nursery and greenhouse growers
• Tackling irrigation, nutrients, substrate management, and production issues
• Interdisciplinary collaboration with entomology, plant pathology, and weed science
• The power of extension agents serving Georgia’s green industry

Plant Spotlight: Sunflowers 🌻

The Science of Sun-Tracking (10:04 - 12:00)

• Meet Helianthus annuus (sun + flower + annual)
• How young sunflowers track the sun from east to west
• The role of auxin in creating heliotropic movement
• Uneven cell growth that bends the stem toward light

The Art of Van Gogh (12:00 - 14:09)

• Vincent van Gogh’s sunflower series (1887-1889)
• Sunflowers as symbols of gratitude, friendship, and the cycle of life
• Bold yellows exploring light, hope, and spiritual radiance
• Why sunflowers inspire courage: “Life is worth living and there’s always hope. Just keep going on.”

Birth of the Podcast

From Thrips Talks to Blooms and Beyond (14:50 - 19:24)

• How Yan’s PhD research sparked the idea
• American Floral Endowment Educational Grant support
• Originally planned as six episodes about thrips management
• Expanded to cover the broader “plant jungle” and plant power
• “Once you step in, you don’t want to step out”

The Vision (19:26 - 23:55)

• Tagline: Plant history, culture, and management through the lens of science
• Weaving enchanting stories with practical management practices
• Every plant has a story to tell
• Serving two audiences: commercial professionals seeking solutions AND plant enthusiasts wanting to brag about cool plant facts

Topics You’ll Hear About:

• Irrigation management
• Plant hunting
• Labor management and techniques
• Career preparation
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Historical and cultural plant stories
• And so much more!

Paying It Forward

Mentors Who Changed Everything (25:00 - 27:54)

• Dr. James Robbins (retired professor, University of Arkansas)
• Dr. Mengmeng Gu (now Dean of Extension at Colorado State University)
• A chance meeting in Nanjing that opened doors to the American dream
• The power of encouragement: “Why don’t you start preparing your English test and see how it goes?”
• Philosophy: “Pay it forward” to help the next generation

Key Quotes

“Every plant has a story to tell. They didn’t just magically show up today in your garden or nursery. They have been selected, hybridized, shipped long distances. Somewhere along the line, they have crazy stories to tell.” — Dr. Ping Yu

“Every time I saw sunflower, I would have the courage to carry on with whatever struggle that I may have. Life is worth living and there’s always hope. Just keep going on.” — Dr. Ping Yu

“My experience taught me how to see research as an exploration, not just about the results, but about learning from every attempt.” — Yan Zhang

“Nobody really cares about your research unless they can relate to your research.” — Dr. Ping Yu (quoting her PhD professor)

“We really do never go anywhere alone, do we?” — Rich Braman

Educational Highlights

What is IPM (Integrated Pest Management)? A comprehensive approach to pest control that combines multiple strategies:

• Cultural practices
• Biological control
• Chemical control (when necessary)
• Goal: Minimize economic and environmental risks while keeping pests at manageable levels

Scientific Name Fun Fact: Helianthus annuus breaks down to:

• Helios = sun (Greek/Latin)
• Anthos = flower
• Annuus = annual Scientific names can tell you characteristics of the plant!

Resources & Links

Visit the Show:

• Website: bandbpod.com
• Show notes and additional resources at bandbpod.com

Get Involved:

• Subscribe to the podcast
• Leave a review
• Share with fellow plant lovers
• Support the show (details at bandbpod.com)

Funding: This episode is supported by the American Floral Endowment Educational Grant, whose mission is to fund educational programs to promote more young people into the horticulture industry.

About Blooms and Beyond

Blooms and Beyond is a podcast that covers plant history, culture, and management through the lens of science. Whether you’re a commercial grower looking for management solutions, a student exploring horticulture careers, or someone who just loves plants and their stories, you’ll find something here for you. Hosted by Dr. Ping Yu from the University of Georgia, each episode features interviews with experts who bring enchanting stories, pioneering research, and practical wisdom from the world of horticulture.

Your Takeaway: When you walk away from each episode, commercial professionals should have at least one piece of advice to help with production, and plant enthusiasts should have one cool fact to share about plants. Because that’s how we spread plant power to a larger audience and make the environment a little bit better.

Credits

Host: Dr. Ping Yu
Featured Guests: Yan Zhang, Rich Braman
Producer/Technical Host: Rich Braman
Support: American Floral Endowment Educational Grant

Episode Release Date: November 17th, 2025 Episode Length: 29:53

“Till next time, stay healthy and go plants!”

🌱🌻🌿