ROOTED IN RELATIONSHIPS, PLANTSMAN ALLEN BUSH
- Jennifer Jewell
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Allen Bush is an esteemed plantsman and lifelong advocate for the joy of gardening. He joins Cultivating Place Host Abra Lee in conversation this week to share more. From his work with Jelitto Perennial Seeds, to his decades sharing rich garden stories as a Garden Rant writer, Allen’s life and work invite us to look more closely at the remarkable diversity of plants and the endless opportunities they offer for curiosity, discovery, and connection.
Through decades of sharing plants and knowledge with gardeners, he reminds us that our gardens are never truly finished; they are living places that continue to teach us, season after season, and our local garden histories matter.
Cultivating Place family, please join us in welcoming Allen Bush as we
explore the plants that capture our imagination, the value of lifelong learning, and the ways curiosity can help us cultivate richer, more resilient gardens, and stories.
Enjoy!
Follow Allen online:
and on Instagram:
All photos courtesy of Allen Bush. All rights reserved.
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JOIN US again next week when at the height of summer, we visit the mile-high city, and explore all the possibilities of gardening at elevation: natural elevation, and human-made elevations. We're in conversation with Jen Bousselot, Professor and Director of the Green Roof and Urban Agriculture Department at the University of Colorado. That's right here, next week. Listen in!
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Thinking out loud this week...
Hey, y'all, it's Abra—
Talking with Allen Bush has me reflecting on how much of what we know is passed from one gardener to another. Whether it’s a favorite plant, a garden history, or a story about where a cutting came from, gardening has always been rooted in sharing knowledge and building community.
This week, I invite you to pass a story along. Share a plant story with a neighbor, teach someone a gardening skill, or simply tell the story behind a favorite flower in your garden. You never know which small act of generosity might inspire someone else to grow or learn their local garden history.
Cultivating place isn’t just about the plants we leave behind—it’s about the knowledge, encouragement, and connections we nurture along the way.
One thing I appreciate from my conversation with Allen Bush is the reminder that every gardener has a story—and every garden does too. The plants we grow often carry memories, friendships, and the generosity of the people who first shared them with us.
So this week, I challenge you to start a conversation about a plant or a plant person. Ask a friend about their favorite flower, visit a local nursery and learn the story behind a new plant, or reconnect with someone who first inspired your love of gardening. Those simple conversations have a way of growing into lasting relationships.
Because when we share our stories and our plants, we’re cultivating more than gardens—we’re cultivating community
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Cultivating Place is a co-production of North State Public Radio, licensed to Chico State Enterprises. Cultivating Place is made possible in part listeners just like you through the support button at the top right-hand corner of every page at Cultivating Place.org
The CP team includes producer and engineer Matt Fidler, with weekly tech and web support from Angel Huracha, weekly communications support by Sheila Stern and Carley Bruckner, and regular hosting by Founder, Jennifer Jewell, as well as Abra Lee in Atlanta, Georgia, and Ben Futa in South Bend, Indiana. We’re based on the traditional and present homelands of the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of the Chico Rancheria. Original theme music is by Ma Muse..
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