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 ...
Hoosier Gardener
November Plant of the Month: Chokeberry
Our native chokeberries are underused shrubs, but they are one of the best for winter interest in the garden. Red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) and black chokeberry (A. ...
November garden checklist
Indoors Houseplant growth will slow so apply less fertilizer and water. Move plants closer to windows or to sunnier exposures if plants are dropping leaves. Pot up ...
October garden checklist
Indoors Keep poinsettia in dark for 15 hours a day for eight to 10 weeks until red bracts begin to show. Houseplants may drop leaves, especially if they spent the summer ...
September Garden Checklist
Indoors Dig and repot herbs growing outdoors, or take cuttings to pot up and grow indoors. Bring houseplants that spent the summer outdoors back indoors before night ...
August plant of the month: Japanese anemone
Japanese anemone (A. huphensis) populates the garden with beautiful flowers atop wiry stems from mid- to late summer. The first one I planted was ‘September Charm’ because ...
August garden checklist
Indoors Take cuttings from plants such as impatiens, coleus, geraniums and wax begonias to winter over indoors. These are called herbaceous cuttings. Root the cuttings in media ...
July plant of the month: Smooth hydrangea
Among the gazillion hydrangeas on the market, our native smooth hydrangea (H. arborescens) remains the most reliable bloomer in our Indiana garden. This year, all hydrangeas have ...
July garden checklist
Indoors Keep an eye on houseplants that have been set outdoors to make sure they are watered properly. Hot summer breezes can quickly dry them out. Propagate houseplants ...
June Plant of the Month: Hosta
Most of us know that hostas grow best in shade. Between us, even those labeled as sun-loving, get fried by the end of summer when planted in full sun. My argument is there are ...
