The dog days of summer are upon us and what better way to enjoy this little bit of leisure time than with a cocktail in the garden. First up, set the stage for the evening, said ...
Eye-catching new plants to try
A few weeks ago, I made my annual trek to Cultivate, the country’s largest horticulture trade show in Columbus, Ohio. It’s where about 10,000 people go to see new plants, pots, ...
Good tools make gardening easier
When I worked fulltime at a garden center, one of my jobs was watering the plants. It was kind of a mindless, peaceful, relaxing job, cursed by hauling heavy hoses that kinked and ...
Let’s take a peek at our neighbors’ midsummer gardens
Let’s pretend we’re in a drone, buzzing some Indianapolis-area, midsummer gardens to see what’s going on. Immediately observable: Plants seem bigger and more lush than ...
Sweltering summer heat? Time to think about spring bulbs
Yes, I know it’s still July, but now is a good time to be thinking about next spring’s bulbs. Why is that? Because now is the time to order bulbs from online and mail-order ...
Consider Sugar Shack buttonbush and Sun King aralia for the landscape
There are some shrubs that I’ve lusted after for several years, such as a buttonbush and witch hazel. The drawback has been that these plants are huge, 8-12 feet ...
Slow flowers: Local growers celebrate American Flowers Week
Just like slow food, there’s a slow flowers movement that promotes growers and florists who embrace and market blooms and branches grown in their area, region or country, as well ...
Give plants their summer due
Even though summer has just arrived, there are a few things we can do in the garden to help extend the season for our plants. First up, give annuals and vegetables a dose of ...
Celebrate National Pollinator Week
This coming week, June 20-26, is National Pollinator Week, an effort by the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign and others to raise awareness of the role of bees, ...
Colorado blue spruces suffer in Midwest climate
This will probably come as no surprise to property owners with Colorado blue spruce in their landscape, but the tree is in trouble. American Nurseryman, which covers the nursery ...
