Permission to treat plants badly or kill them

Asparagus fern survives winter in a dark, unheated garage. A true testament to just how tough plants can be. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp

Gwyn Rager may be a behind the scenes person on the horticulture staff at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, but she was upfront with some sage advice for beginning or experienced gardeners.

The advice comes from the lessons she’s learned in her nine years at the IMA, where she is an assistant horticulturist and the administrative assistant for the department.

Rager and seven of her colleagues presented Horticopia, a cornucopia of their favorite plants, gardens, sculpture and design elements at a recent lecture sponsored by the IMA’s Horticultural Society.

Lesson 1: You can be “pretty mean to plants and they will still grow. Of course, you should plant them green side up.” Plants are incredibly forgiving and intent on surviving, so they can take a lot of abuse, yet survive and thrive.

Lesson 2: Right plant, right place. Although she hesitated to call it a trend, this common practice at the IMA is taking hold among the public as well. Right plant right place also ensures sustainable gardening practices, she said.

Lesson 3: “You won’t know until you try,” said Rager. A self-confessed competitive person, she willing to try anything with plants and if it works that’s good and if not, it’s another lesson learned.

Lesson 4: It’s ok to kill plants. Plants die and sometimes there’s no reason, other than nature, she said. Experienced gardeners kill plants all the time, so beginners should not be discouraged if some of theirs die, she said.

Lesson 5: “What works for you may not work for me, or (said another way) if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” You may be having great success growing a plant, and then an expert suggest you should do it another way. You do and the plant dies. The message: if what your doing is working, don’t mess with success.