Are your bulbs bursting? The recent warm spell may just stick around long enough to trick your bulbs–and perhaps a few other plants–into thinking it’s spring. This is the time of year when we normally expect temperatures to be cold enough to signal the hardening-off period to plants. And until quite recently, we were cold enough to start that process. Now, as the temperatures have been in the 50s and 60s for a while, some […]

The National Garden Bureau wants to see everyone’s home blossom with geraniums. Each year the bureau selects a flower and a vegetable to promote, and in 1998 the geranium is the flower they will spotlight. Geraniums include a diverse array of garden flowers from the highly double-flowered hybrid annual types that give season-long color, to ivy geraniums noted for their cascading growth habit, and scented geraniums grown primarily for the remarkably fragrant oils contained in […]

Amaryllis is a popular holiday gift plant but may have the lucky recipient wondering about its proper care. Amaryllis is a tender bulb that won’t survive outdoors even in the mildest of Indiana winters. But it can be grown indoors to provide a dramatic show of color during dreary winter months. The showy flowers range from crimson, scarlet, rose, lavender, white or bi-colored combinations. Although each plant may produce only one cluster of 2-4 blooms, […]

The Perennial Plant Association has named the purple coneflower cultivar ‘Magnus’ as the perennial plant of the year for 1998. Known botanically as Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus,’ this cultivar and species was selected for its outstanding performance as a sun-loving, long-flowering perennial that is easy to grow. Purple coneflower is native to the midwestern plains, though the cultivar ‘Magnus’ hails from a Swedish nursery and is named for the plant’s breeder. Purple coneflower as a species […]

One of the most exciting and challenging things about a perennial flower display is that the star of the show is always changing. Because most perennial flower species tend to have a limited season of bloom, it takes a little extra effort to be sure there is always something of interest throughout the season. Many gardeners find it useful to plan their garden on paper first, then amend the plan over time. You might start […]

Nothing rivals the beauty of a wisteria arbor in full bloom, but, unfortunately, successfully growing these lovely vines eludes many Midwestern gardeners. Two types of wisteria are most commonly planted in our area: Japanese wisteria ( Wisteria floribunda ) and Chinese wisteria ( Wisteria sinensis). Japanese wisteria is known for its fragrant violet blossoms, which are borne in 8- to 20-inch-long clusters. The individual flowers of a cluster open gradually, beginning at the base. Chinese […]

If you didn’t get your spring-flowering bulbs planted, you’re not alone. Many gardeners found that autumn rains delayed their bulb planting, only to find a cold snap as the rains let up. The reason for planting bulbs in the fall is twofold. Bulbs require a period of chilling to initiate flowers. For most spring-flowering bulbs, 10 to 13 weeks of temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit are needed. Bulbs also need to put down good root […]

The Perennial Plant Association has selected Salvia x superba ‘May Night’ (‘Mainight’) as its 1997 Perennial Plant of the Year. Members of the association, generally professional plant growers, select a perennial each year on which to educate the gardening public and to promote planting of perennial flowers. Perennial salvia, also known as sage, is available in several cultivars, grown for the summer show of violet-purple spikes of bloom on plants that reach 2 to 3 […]

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 […]