A downy woodpecker munches on finch food from a feeder outside the living room window. A suet feeder and heated birdbath are nearby. (C) Photo Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp One of my ...
Blog
February garden checklist
Indoors Keep houseplants close to bright windows. Check soil for dryness before watering. Examine produce, tender flower bulbs and roots stored for the winter for rot, ...
Prime time for the blues, but don’t be sad
For as long as I’ve been gardening, I’ve heard many people say that there are no blue flowers. I am always surprised by the comment. Like a lot of gardeners, I love the color ...
Winter color is more than we think
When heading out the other day to walk my dog Autumn (it’s hard to stay indoors when the temps are in the 50s or even the 60s), I spied a plant blooming. No, it wasn’t a ...
January garden checklist
Indoors Repot house plants as they out grow current pots. Pot amaryllis bulb. Sketch garden plans, including what to grow, spacing, arrangement and number of plants ...
Celebrate NGB’s 100th anniversary with these plants
I’ve had to take a few months off from writing my weekly column, recovering from the loss of The Indianapolis Star outlet. Since then, my website has been redesigned, I post a ...
How to recycle your discarded fresh-cut Christmas tree
This column originally appeared Dec. 26, 2016. In the next few days, you’ll be hauling out your fresh-cut Christmas tree, and may wonder what to do next. You can take your ...
Clivia problem identified, solved
I’ve had a common clivia since 1992 or 1993. I got it from Cathy Peachey, who died of breast cancer in 1994. She had three coffee and pastry shops in Indianapolis and I used to go ...
Ice melts and other potential hazards in the landscape
As we head into winter, there are a few landscape safety tips to keep in mind. Start with using caution with deicers or ice melts. Many of these products are salt-based, which is ...
December garden checklist
Holidays When shopping for a fresh-cut Christmas tree, check for green, flexible, firmly held needles and a sticky trunk base -- both indicators of freshness. Make a fresh cut ...
