Rosie Lerner

rosie@purdue.edu

716 articles by this author

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You Too Can Grow Orchids

Most home gardeners shy away from raising orchids, thinking them too challenging even for their “green” thumbs. But given the diversity of plants that are found in the orchid family, there is bound to be at least one member that the average home gardener can tackle. In fact, according to the American Orchid Society (AOS): “If you can grow houseplants, you can grow orchids. Like any other plant, orchids must have the growing conditions they […]
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Holiday Gifts for the Gardener

‘Tis the season for giving, so why not give a gift that lasts all year? A plant is a special gift that brings beauty to the home and to the heart as you help a living thing grow. The poinsettia is undoubtedly the most popular gift plant, but many others are equally festive for the holiday season. Christmas cactus, begonias, cyclamen and azaleas offer attractive blossoms on compact plants and can brighten any room in […]
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Indiana State Tree is Popular Landscape Choice

If you’ve ever had to work on a tree leaf collection, you no doubt included a leaf from the Indiana state tree among your samples. Also known as tulip poplar and yellow poplar, the tuliptree is actually not a poplar at all, but a member of the magnolia family known botanically as Liriodendron tulipifera. Native to most of the eastern half of the United States, the tuliptree prefers rich, moist, well-drained, loamy soil. It is found […]
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Grow a Windowsill of Flavor This Winter

Although the outdoor garden may be getting ready for its long winter nap, you can continue to harvest the fresh flavor of herbs by growing a windowsill garden. Many herbs, including dill, parsley, thyme, chives, oregano, and mint, are adaptable to growing indoors in a sunny window. While some of these herbs may grow to be several feet tall in the garden, thankfully, they will be much smaller in the indoor garden where their root […]
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Grow a Windowsill of Flavor This Winter

(Released: 07 November 1996) By B. Rosie Lerner Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist Although the outdoor garden may be getting ready for its long winter nap, you can continue to harvest the fresh flavor of herbs by growing a windowsill garden. Many herbs, including dill, parsley, thyme, chives, oregano, and mint, are adaptable to growing indoors in a sunny window. While some of these herbs may grow to be several feet tall in the garden, thankfully, […]
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Indiana State Tree is Popular Landscape Choice

(Released: 21 November 1996) By B. Rosie Lerner Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist If you’ve ever had to work on a tree leaf collection, you no doubt included a leaf from the Indiana state tree among your samples. Also known as tulip poplar and yellow poplar, the tuliptree is actually not a poplar at all, but a member of the magnolia family known botanically as Liriodendron tulipifera. Native to most of the eastern half of the […]
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November 1996

Q. I would like to know why my garden phlox gets this white flaky substance on the stems and leaves. I’ve put different dusts and sprays on them. Nothing helps. I keep thinking every year it will go away, but it always comes back. Should I dig them up and plant new plants? They are only 3 or 4 years old, so I don’t want to do that if I don’t need to. The flowers are […]
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Some Plants Are Poisonous

Most plants in our environment offer many benefits, including beauty, privacy, food, fragrance and medicine. But there are a few plants out there that can prove harmful when inappropriately used or accidentally eaten or touched. Gardeners, particularly those with young children and pets, should familiarize themselves with these potential foes. Numerous reference books have been written on the subject of toxic plants, including some that have excellent illustrations and/or photographs. However, there may be some […]
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October 1996

Q: I hear about taking cuttings from different plants, but it has not worked for me. Please give us amateurs some pointers on when to take them and what type of soil or other medium to use. Do we keep them indoors or outdoors? – W.J. Harber, Ossian, Ind. A: This is a great time of year to take cuttings of tender plants so you can enjoy them again next growing season without having to purchase them […]
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Outstanding new plants announced for 1997

Six new garden plants have been awarded the prestigious honor of being an All America Selection (AAS) for 1997. These new cultivars have been judged as superior in their class based on their performance in test gardens all over the country. Zinnia angustifolia ‘Crystal White’ is not your ordinary everyday zinnia! Crystal White has a daintier texture, with small, pure-white, daisy-like flowers that virtually carpet the dwarf, 10-inch high plants. Zinnia angustifolia is a different species from the […]
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