Indiana Yard and Garden – Purdue Consumer Horticulture A Purdue Extension Service for Home Gardeners

Yard and Garden News

The following news stories are written by Rosie Lerner, Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist, and are distributed to news media around the state by Agricultural Communication Service, at Purdue University.

Spice Up Your Holidays

Some of the most popular spices used this time of year are harvested from various parts of exotic tropical plants, lending a special flavor to our holiday recipes. True cinnamon comes from the bark of the semi-tropical evergreen tree Cinnamomum zeylanicum, native to Ceylon and Southwest India and hardy in the U.S. Gulf states. For the best quality cinnamon, the bark is cut in strips from two-year-old branches, just as the new foliage leafs out…Read more about Spice Up Your Holidays[Read More]

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Onions Don’t Need To Be a Crying Shame

An onion by any other name still may not smell sweet to most of us. Onions are notorious for causing malodorous breath and a trickle of tears. In both cases, sulfur-containing compounds are the culprits. According to legend, Western cowboys referred to onions as “skunk eggs,” thanks to the sulfur compound’s ability to permeate the lungs. The sulfur is contained within a volatile oil that enters the lungs and then is exhaled with the breath….Read more about Onions Don’t Need To Be a Crying Shame[Read More]

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Storing Leftover Garden Seed

If you didn’t use up all of the garden seed you bought this year, much of it can be stored for use in next year’s garden, depending on the plant species. Seeds of some plants, such as corn, parsley, onion, viola (pansies), verbena, phlox and salvia, are not very long lived, lasting only 1 or 2 years at best. Other seeds, including beans, carrots lettuce, peas, radishes, snapdragon, cosmos, sweet William and zinnia will remain…Read more about Storing Leftover Garden Seed[Read More]

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Storing Leftover Garden Seed

If you didn’t use up all of the garden seed you bought this year, much of it can be stored for use in next year’s garden, depending on the plant species. Seeds of some plants, such as corn, parsley, onion, viola (pansies), verbena, phlox and salvia, are not very long lived, lasting only 1 or 2 years at best. Other seeds, including beans, carrots lettuce, peas, radishes, snapdragon, cosmos, sweet William and zinnia will remain…Read more about Storing Leftover Garden Seed[Read More]

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All-American Selections New Flowers and Vegetables for 2010

Four exciting new flowers have been chosen as All-America Selections (AAS) 2010, based on superior performance in test gardens throughout the country. Gaillardia ‘Mesa Yellow’ is the first hybrid blanket flower bred for compact growth habit and prolific flowering. The early, 3-inch daisy-like flowers are excellent for cutting but will attract butterflies if left on the plants. The plants form a neat mound, reaching up to 2 feet in full sun, perfect for containers and…Read more about All-American Selections New Flowers and Vegetables for 2010[Read More]

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Blossom-End Rot of Tomatoes Likely This Season

Eager tomato-growers having lovingly nurtured seed to fruit have anxiously awaiting their first ripe gem. But, alas, a black leathery spot appears at the base of the fruit. Blossom-end rot is thankfully not an infectious disease but a frustrating disorder of the fruit. The black scar tissue thought to be caused by a deficiency of calcium in the developing fruit is usually brought on by extreme fluctuations in soil moisture. This year we sure had…Read more about Blossom-End Rot of Tomatoes Likely This Season[Read More]

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Rose-of-Sharon

If you live in the Midwest, you are likely familiar with the summer-blooming shrub commonly called Rose–of-Sharon, but you may not know it by its other common name – shrub althea. You may not be aware that it is a Hibiscus, that its scientific name is Hibiscus syriacus or that it belongs to the Mallow family, Malvaceae. Rose-of-Sharon is a large shrub, reaching up to 12 feet in height and nearly that in spread. The…Read more about Rose-of-Sharon[Read More]

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Gardening Can Be Hail

Many gardeners, myself included, have had their lovely flowers flattened by hail in recent weeks. Trees and shrubs have had many leaves ripped from the stem, leaving a carpet of drying foliage on the yard and in the house gutters. And it seems that we’re not out of the woods yet, as more storms are predicted in coming days. So what can you do to help plants recover from such damage? The answer depends on…Read more about Gardening Can Be Hail[Read More]

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What To Plant Now

Many gardeners have found it difficult to get their gardens tilled and planted this spring, due to what looked to be unending spring rains. Those who did get their gardens tilled, planted and fertilized earlier this spring might find themselves starting over. Seeds that have been sitting in cold, water-soaked ground may rot before they have a chance to get started. Heavy rains may have washed away seed; newly germinated seeds may also be at…Read more about What To Plant Now[Read More]

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Vegetable Gardening In A Small Space

Many folks would love to grow their own fresh vegetables, but perhaps they are short on space and/or time. If you’ve got space for a pot of flowers on the patio or balcony, then you too can grow vegetables. Here are some tips for creating and stretching a small garden space. Preferably, you want to create a garden where conditions are ideal for growing vegetables: full sun, well-drained soil, away from trees and shrubs, close…Read more about Vegetable Gardening In A Small Space[Read More]

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Page last modified: February 15, 2017

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