gardening, the environment, green living and a lot of humor

Tim Pollak is an outdoor floriculturist for the Chicago Botanic Garden. He is also the caretaker for nine Titan Arums, one of which, named Spike, is about to bloom for this first time in its twelve year old existence. Mike talks to Pollak and to CBG public relations director Gloria Ciaccio about the science and the spectacle currently surrounding this plant, which produces a foul odor to attract pollinators. Then, Mike and Kathleen Thompson attempt to figure out why the Ginkgo biloba in their backyard suddenly died this year.