In the NCIS episode "Viral," McGee tells Bishop to be careful because the area they are investigating (outside Washington, D.C.) is covered with poison oak. In fact, there have ...
Rain and more rain, and a garden, too
A Facebook friend reported that his Muncie, Indiana, garden received 30.1 inches of rain between April 28 and July 6, which he said was 75 percent of his annual rainfall. ...
Bee balms evaluated for mildew resistance and flower power
One of the perennials known to attract pollinators is bee balm (Monarda spp.). A member of the mint family, this aromatic plant attracts and supports at least 14 butterflies and ...
Gift of hydrangeas to adorn museum grounds
Endless Summer may be the best selling series of hydrangeas, but they frequently come with a lot of questions, with the main one being “why won’t my plants bloom?” For answers, ...
With all of this rain, plants can drown
We’ve had a lot of rain. We already know that the rain has promoted fast growth and early blooms on perennials, trees and shrubs. It’s also contributed to disease problems, ...
Indy gardener pots and prunes blog posts into book
Carol Michel has come a long way since I first interviewed her shortly after she won the 2009 Mouse and Trowel Award for MayDreamsGardens.com, voted the best blog by readers from ...
Summertime blues are here early
Three clematis and larkspur are showing their summer blues. I don’t know how many years I sowed seed for annual blue larkspur (Consolida ajacis), but I could never get it going. ...
Rain-enhanced plant growth invites insects
There seems to be a lot to be on the lookout for this spring. For instance, I noticed finches sitting on the branches of the ‘Goldflame’ honeysuckle vine, pecking at the flower ...
Dogwood anthracnose can be a killer
The other day while gazing out my front window, I noticed the leaves on one of the two flowering dogwood trees looked very small. I darted out of the house to get a ...
Campaign promotes selling, planting native plants
The Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society and The Nature Conservancy have partnered to encourage gardeners to grow native plants. One of the ways it does this is by promoting ...
