The Tangled History of Topiary, Part One: The...

When we think of the mob today, most Americans think of New York City -- and why not? After all, films, books and TV shows often depict New York as the heart of mob country. Yet, as the guys discover in today's episode, the story of the Italian-American mafia has a surprisingly d ...  Show more

In 1969, the Zombies had a song hit No. 3 on the Billboard charts. There was just one problem: the band had broken up two years earlier, and most people in the US had no idea. In today's episode, Ben, Noel, and Max explore how a deeply sketchy promo company created multiple fake ...  Show more

For thousands of years people have been taking normal trees and forcing them into miniature. Learn all about the history and art of this strangely engrossing pastime in this classic episode.

People love to fill their homes with beautiful plants, but this is not a new phenomenon. The trade in wild plants and seeds has a complex history that stretches back into the past and across the world. Ahead of the Gardeners’ World Autumn Plant Fair at Audley End, Amy Matthews is ...  Show more

Spanning centuries of human history, the iconic bonsai tree is a widely recognized example of Japanese mastery. Each miniature tree speaks to the beauty of cultivated nature and the immutability of all things. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe dis ...  Show more

Holly and Tracy talk about Paré's work in context on the timeline, and then a very cool modern gardening project using the book we mentioned this week, "The Feate of Gardening." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener fo ...  Show more