P is for Parterre
P is for Parterre
Podcast Description
Welcome to P is for Parterre, your go-to podcast for landscaping and horticulture! Based in New England, Parterre Garden Services designs, builds, and maintains beautiful outdoor spaces. Our mission is to share our expertise with you, featuring engaging discussions among our landscape professionals and horticultural experts.
Join us every other Sunday as we explore trends, tips, and techniques in gardening and landscaping. We cover sustainable practices and innovative design ideas, catering to both novice gardeners and seasoned pros. Tune in to cultivate knowledge and inspiration together!
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers a variety of themes including sustainable gardening practices, innovative landscaping design, and ecological restoration. Specific episodes feature topics like the importance of winter wildlife habitats, managing invasive plants in New England, and the ecological benefits of meadows, aimed at both novice and experienced gardeners.
Welcome to P is for Parterre, your go-to podcast for landscaping and horticulture! Based in New England, Parterre Garden Services designs, builds, and maintains beautiful outdoor spaces. Our mission is to share our expertise with you, featuring engaging discussions among our landscape professionals and horticultural experts.
Join us every other Sunday as we explore trends, tips, and techniques in gardening and landscaping. We cover sustainable practices and innovative design ideas, catering to both novice gardeners and seasoned pros. Tune in to cultivate knowledge and inspiration together!
This episode, we're getting bogged down — in the best way. Liz sits down with Katie Hutchens, Parterre's Director of Ecological Services for Greater Boston, to unpack one of the most misunderstood habitats on Earth.
We dig into what bogs actually are (spoiler: not the Bog of Eternal Stench), how they take thousands of years to form, and why the peat beneath them is literally half carbon — making bogs a powerful, unsung weapon against climate change. We also cover carnivorous plants that dissolve insects alive, bog bodies preserved like mummies, why bogs have such a spooky reputation, and what you can do to help protect them.
Featuring a rapid-fire round of bog favorites and shoutouts to Massachusetts bogs you can visit — including Ponkapoag Bog in Canton, a hidden gem near Harold Parker State Forest in Andover, and the legendary Holly Bog out near Northampton.
Resources mentioned:
- Bogs and Fens: A Guide to the Peatlands of the Northeastern United States and Canada by Ronald B. Davis — a field guide and bog locator all in one
- Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act: https://www.mass.gov/doc/310-cmr-1000-the-wetlands-protection-act/download
Follow and rate us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music. Find us on Instagram @parterregardenservices. Reach us at [email protected].
Topics & Timestamps:0:00 — Intro0:45 — Welcome & introductions1:19 — Pop culture bogs & misconceptions3:27 — Katie's background with bogs4:02 — What is a bog?5:14 — How bogs form over thousands of years6:10 — Nutrient-poor, acidic ecosystems6:53 — Common misconceptions: smell, methane & cow farts8:04 — Peat as carbon storage9:14 — Bog destruction in the UK & Ireland9:33 — Why bogs are special habitats11:04 — Mythical connections, bog bodies & preservation12:27 — Carnivorous plants: pitcher plants14:38 — Bladderwort: the vacuum-powered carnivore15:36 — Why people should care about bogs16:51 — Protecting bogs: legislation & local action18:34 — Book recommendation: Bogs and Fens19:30 — Massachusetts bogs to visit20:59 — Rapid fire questions25:31 — ”Bogs are beautiful” — closing message25:49 — Outro & credits
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