Ep. 95 - Thalassa Cruso with Jane Perrone

Off Topic

We're delighted to have Jane Perrone from On The Ledge Podcast back on the show to talk about the under-appreciated houseplant icon, Thalassa Cruso. 

Who was she, besides the host of the 1966-69 PBS program, Making Things Grow? How does the advice in her book of the same name hold up decades later? And why isn't she better known today? To our surprise, we found some currently trendy techniques and plants in her 1968 book. Did Thalassa finally teach Stephen how to care for a Rex Begonia? Oh, and Jane is writing a book, too! We demand details.

Among those details we wanted to highlight: It’s called Legends of the Leaf, by Jane Perrone, which she describes as “the story behind 25 iconic houseplants and the secrets to making them thrive.” The project is still being funded, which means that you have until the end of May 2021 to join Stephen and Matthew and houseplant lovers across the world in supporting Legends of the Leaf.

Lastly, since Thalassa Cruso is such a dynamic person, we wanted to share this heartfelt recollection of Thalassa from Michael Weisham, former host of the PBS program, The Victory Garden. As a child, he wrote to his gardening mentor and received a lovely personal reply that he shares. Years later, he was able to restore and share three episodes salvaged from the master tape archives, which we are delighted to share here and below or your viewing pleasure.