We here at PlantsbyMail.com are committed to bringing our customers the most accurate and quality plant information possible. For this reason, we often feature landscape and garden YouTube videos from HortTube with Jim Putnam on our product pages.
Jim owns Earthworks Nursery and Garden Center in Clayton, NC; and he has an impressive wealth of knowledge and experience that he shares regularly on YouTube.
We sat down for a quick Q&A with him; so spend a minute with us and get to know a little bit about Jim and HortTube. Afterwards, we highly recommend checking out his YouTube channel, in addition to watching any of his videos that you may stumble upon here on PlantsbyMail.com.
PBM: Where are you from originally?
Jim: I grew up in Raleigh, NC; about 20 minutes away from Clayton.
How long have you been in the nursery industry? How’d you get started?
I got a job at a garden center in Raleigh when I was 16. I had actually been mowing grass and raking leaves for neighbors since I was 10. I stayed at the garden center for 6 years, and then worked for a couple of landscapers before I went out on my own in 1996. I started my nursery around 1999.
How/when did you get start your landscape and garden Youtube channel?
I started putting videos up two years ago. I had no plans for it. I just saw that there was not a lot of information on ornamental plants at the time.
What’s the greatest obstacle you’ve faced being a Youtube creator and getting your channel off the ground?
It takes a long time to be found (on Youtube) and it can be very discouraging. I think most people would quit during the first year.
What’s your gardening philosophy?
My gardening philosophy is to use natural materials to create casual spaces. I also believe in growing flowering ornamentals and food in the same spaces.
What do you recommend for new gardeners?
To kill a few things, take some chances, know that nothing you do has to be permanent, and don’t take on the whole yard at once.
What’s the most common gardening question you receive?
There is so much confusion about watering. More plants are being loved to death than are killed any other way.
What’re some of the most common mistakes you see gardeners making?
Over-watering, planting things to deep, planting super fast growing plants on foundations, and over-mulching.
Your most common yard pest? How do you get rid of them?
I really don’t get a lot of pest. Most insect issues are from plants being planted in the wrong areas and over fertilizing them. I do have issues with rabbits, and I trap and relocate them.
What is your go-to mulch, and why?
Triple Shredded Hardwood. It mimics the forest floor the better than other mulches Pinestraw ain’t bad either. I can’t stand dyed mulches.
Is there a garden tool you can’t live without?
Trenching shovel. Best tool for planting.
What’s one gardening activity that you always look forward to?
I like to break out the big tools and do some tree pruning
One plant you can’t get enough of?
Camellias
One plant that if you ever saw it again, it’d be too soon?
Bradford Pears
If you could go back 15-20 years, what would be one plant that you would plant for yourself to be enjoying right now?
Southern Magnolias
One fruiting plant that you look forward to every year?
Blueberries
If you could only grow one herb, what would it be?
Basil
One gardening activity that has to be done, but that you dread doing?
Weeding
We’d like to thank Jim for taking the time to speak with us, and we look forward to hearing more of his tips, tricks, and tutorials going forward!
Check out Jim’s work at one of the links below (you’ll be glad you did):
Hi Jim,
When I watch you on your many YouTube videos, I realize how much I really don’t about gardening even though my first real job was at a garden nursery up in Dayton Ohio.
I am dealing with pesky Deer presently:( I took your lead by planting more Camellias;
Gardenias and Loropetalums . Question ?? I have a 20 foot Southern Magnolia tree that has over grown its spot planted by the builder. Can I reduce its size by half over the winter months? its just too close to the house…. Pretty yard (thanks to you) with a big Magnolia Tree 🙂
Jim,
All of your ideas I agree with wholeheartedly…..camellias, Southern magnolia,rabbits,thanks for keeping them alive,etc Thanks..Can’t wait to read more
Hi Jim,
Thank you for taking the time to show us the bungee cord method for pruning ornamental grass. We tried it on our Cortaderia Selloana pampas grass this afternoon and it worked great!
What is your most effective way of trapping rabbits?
Hey Jim, Carl here. Was wondering if I could order 2 sessions ,back to back, so you could come by. I have a silver leaf twice as big as what you said they would grow. getting covered with passion flower vine. Its huge . Need some advice .. also have a fig tree, big as a house. BRING YOUR Giness book of records..some
others questions. Been here 2 1/2 years from west coast.. Thank You
Carl,
You can get in touch with Jim on his youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/c/HortTubewithJimPutnam
We just featured him as a guest speaker here.
Live for HortTube, love you and your work Jim!
Jim doesn’t work for us, but you can watch his videos on YouTube, HortTube. – Christy
I really love his tutorials, he has a tremendous amount of knowledge about plants, and gardening and he makes it simple and really easy to understand .
I watch him all the time.
Hi. Love your you tube channel! Can you tell me the name of the purple globe flowers on your Calla Lily video from 5/24? Are they alium? Thanks!
Hi Beverly,
Jim doesn’t respond to questions on our blog, you can ask him on his channel on youtube. You can find his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/HortTubewithJimPutnam
Ask in the community section or on the video you’re referencing. Hope this helps!
Cleaning out a storage building I found some two year old coffee grounds, (not perked). Can I add them to my rhodenderons and blueberries without perking them? Also, there was a jar of decaf. Crystals. What about those? Use them or toss them?
Love your YouTubes.
HI JIM!
ADDITIONAL INFO – WE LIVE IN WYOMISSING,PA –
HI JIM!
ENJOY ALL YOUR VIDEOS – HOPE YOU CAN ADVISE –
REPLANTING OF 10 ARBOR VITAE NIGRA HAVE FAILED –
SOIL TEST REVEALED PHYTOPTHERA IN SOIL –
NEED PRIVACY SCREENING FOR THAT AREA –
ANY RESISTANT EVERGREENS TO PHYTOPTHERA???
ANY ALTERNATE SUGGESTIONS???
Hi Paul,
Jim doesn’t answer questions here, but you can try reaching out to him on his Youtube channel. Hope this helps!
Hello Jim,
My husband and I planted 6 dwarf autumn chiffon azaleas in early June, 2021 in Longview, Texas (2 hours east of Dallas) and they are not growing. They have spindle-like stems with no buds and some stems no leaves. Should we pull them up and start over next spring if we get no buds or flowers? We want dwarfs for our low windows and eastward facing house. This variety was supposed to bloom in the summer.
My husband says it is too early to give up but when we took them out of the bucket we noticed
the soil fell away without seeing any roots. Any advice?