Rosie Lerner

rosie@purdue.edu

716 articles by this author

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Japanese Painted Fern Named Perennial of the Year for 2004

The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) has selected Japanese painted fern, cultivar ‘Pictum,’ as the 2004 Perennial Plant of the Year. Though the plant is petite in size, Japanese painted fern provides outstanding texture and color in the shade garden. Japanese painted fern also can be grown in patio containers and hanging baskets. Known botanically as Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum,’ Japanese painted fern is native to Asia, but is hardy throughout Indiana and most of the Midwest….Read more about Japanese Painted Fern Named Perennial of the Year for 2004[Read More]

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December 2003

Q. Are there any other varieties of lilies that bloom for more than just one day, besides the Stella D’Oro? Also, why is it necessary to dig up the Canna variety but not others? Is it naturally tropical? I love lilies! Thank you. — Josie Kramer, Clear Lake, Ind. A. The range of color, shape and size of daylilies is wonderful, but breeders are working hard to create more reblooming daylilies. Most daylilies bloom for…Read more about December 2003[Read More]

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All-America Winners for 2004

If you’re looking for something new to add to next year’s garden, All-America Selections (AAS) has chosen five new flowers and three vegetables for 2004. These new cultivars have been judged superior in their class based on their performance in test gardens all over the country. Two new Celosia cultivars head this year’s list of winners. ‘Fresh Look Yellow’ is a low-maintenance, colorful addition to the bedding garden, sporting large, golden-yellow plumes that reach up…Read more about All-America Winners for 2004[Read More]

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Compost is Recycling Naturally

Composting is a great way to recycle the plant debris in your garden, including both crops and weeds. It’s easy to do–nature does it on its own all the time. But with proper management, you can help nature move along a little faster, if needed.   Compost returns some nutrients back to the soil, but the main benefit is in the improved soil structure. Adding organic matter, such as compost, will increase soil aeration and…Read more about Compost is Recycling Naturally[Read More]

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November 2003

Q. I’m planning ahead for next spring and would like to attract more butterflies to my garden. What can I plant? I have a fairly sunny yard. — Vikki Stiles, Muncie, Ind. A. You need to provide food for both the adult and larval stage, water and cover. A butterfly garden should be protected from the wind and receive at least six hours of direct sun each day. Include a puddle or create a small…Read more about November 2003[Read More]

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Evergreen Needles Don’t Last Forever

Evergreens provide green color all year long but that doesn’t mean that the individual needles live forever. Evergreens shed their older needles to make room for new growth, but what makes them evergreen is that they retain some foliage all year long instead of shedding all of the leaves at once. Evergreen needles have varying life spans, depending on the species. Arborvitae and pine needles live for 2 years while spruce needles live 3-10 years….Read more about Evergreen Needles Don’t Last Forever[Read More]

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Putting the Garden To Bed

While gardeners may still have several more weeks to enjoy what’s left of the growing season, it will soon be time to put our gardens to bed for winter. Flowers and vegetables whose foliage has begun to brown and shrivel should generally be removed before winter. Removing the spent foliage is an excellent way to reduce the chance for fungi and insect pests to over winter. Herbaceous perennials should be cut back to just above…Read more about Putting the Garden To Bed[Read More]

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October 2003

Q. I have four large trees in my backyard, causing quite a bit of shade. There is a pine, an oak, ash an and a maple. The lawn is too dark for grass, and the quantity of leaves is overwhelming in the fall. I’d like to take down one tree but can’t decide which one. I don’t feel particularly attached to any, although the pine screens the neighbor’s yard somewhat. All seem to be roughly…Read more about October 2003[Read More]

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Reflowering Poinsettias

If you saved last year’s poinsettia plant, and you want it to flower in time for the holidays, now is the time for action. Poinsettias need about 8 weeks of special handling to force them to re-bloom. Poinsettias are sensitive to photoperiod — the length of the day. Actually, it’s the number of hours of darkness that is most important. Poinsettias flower during short days, with long periods of darkness each night. In the home…Read more about Reflowering Poinsettias[Read More]

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Late-Season Bloomers

Just when the colors of summer flowers are fading, late-blooming perennials are ready to take center stage. In addition to the usual fare of coneflowers, mums and ornamental grasses, many lesser-known characters are ready to perform. Agastache foeniculum, also known as Blue Giant Hyssop, packs 4-5 inch long dense spikes of bright blue flowers on 3 foot tall, upright plants. Butterflies and hummingbirds love this plant, as do bees. Japanese Anemone (Anemone x hybrida) offers…Read more about Late-Season Bloomers[Read More]

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