MADISON, OH – It’s one small step for plants, and—just maybe—a giant leap for Planet Earth. Bluestone Perennials, a top mailorder and web source for garden plants (www.bluestoneperennials.com), is the first perennial nursery to com­pletely banish the use of plastic growing pots. Think of it as a green industry leader that has gone green. …

There are few pleasures in life that can compare to picking and eating fresh berries, apples and other fruit grown in your very own backyard orchard. While fruit trees and berry bushes may take longer to mature than fast-producing annuals, they will reward the patient gardener with loads of tasty fruit every season. Many trees …

  Get kids growing in the garden by starting them off planting their own strawberries. You can let them plant and care for a whole patch, or just one or two plants, planted in a strawberry jar or garden container.  Be sure to engage your kids in the planting process and let them get their …

  Disclaimer: I received this item for free or at a discounted price in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own. The promise of spring is in the air: Warm breezes, greening leaves, bursting blooms—and the threat of a new onslaught of wasps, hornets and yellowjackets. Nothing can put a damper …

      Every year, horticulture experts around the world cultivate new and exciting plant varieties to enhance the diversity and productivity of gardens everywhere. Not just for show, most new varieties of fruits and vegetables offer improved yields and hardiness, and they thrive right alongside the tried-and-true varieties. Gardeners always love to grow the …

Chocolate…the word makes our mouth water, but where does chocolate come from? In a world where the natural resource struggles to keep up with man’s demand, let’s take a look at the fascinating tree, Theobroma Cacao. Originally chocolate was made into a spicy drink by the Aztecs somewhere between the 13th and 16th centuries. Chocolate …

Michelia is one tough cookie to germinate. I have literally tried everything to get this fragrant, must-have plant to grow from seed - and failed miserably every time. Of course, when I saw the seeds this year, I couldn't resist - and thus am trying again. This time I am using a different method and …

Kids across America are growing, and some are earning, a lot of “green” participating in the National Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program.  This year, more than 1.5 million third graders in 48 states have gotten hands-on gardening experience growing colossal cabbages with high hopes to win “best in state” and receive a $1,000 scholarship towards education …

As anyone who owns a greenhouse - or coldframe - or tunnel house - knows, there is always a desire to have just a little more growing space. Some seeds need cold stratification to germinate, some seeds need heat to germinate. Some seeds can take two to three years to germinate - and the list goes …

Those of us who grow vegetables year-round are really no different than those who grow seasonally other than we choose to grow varieties that - like us - brave the cold weather. Figuring out which varieties do well for us in our individual climates does take some experimentation. We can learn what works well for …

Ah - winter is just around the corner - my greenhouse is still in disrepair and once again plants are moving into my living room. Yip - I have hook after hook mounted in my ceiling. Plants are clustered in those large wire baskets meant to have a coconut fiber lining in them - but …

  It is a cold, dreary day here in my Indiana garden - yet, I know I must put on my coat and head outside to wander through my garden - after all, if I do not go today, I may miss a garden treasure. November is an exciting time in my garden. Although it …

    [HTML1] What a title for a post, right? It fits. People ask me all the time why I garden. It is a lot of work - especially when you garden on 2 ½ acres. There are weeds to pull, land to till, never enough mulch and it gets darn hot in the afternoon …

    We moved here in August 2004 and I brought plants with me. Some I had grown for many years and some had just been bought that summer. I also brought tubs full of seeds in anticipation of having acreage that I could garden on. Over the years I have watched the garden change …

Disclaimer: I received this product/service at a reduced price or for free. All opinions are my own and are my honest opinions based on my own experience with the product. I received a ten pack of organic vegetable seeds earlier this month which was just in time for early planting. As some of you know …

  It has been a long, snowy winter here in Indiana. The large amounts of snow and extreme cold temperatures prevented me from getting the greenhouse up and going in January as I usually do. I am glad the severe weather hit before the greenhouse was put up. I'm convinced that the amount of snow …

  Even though the sun is shining and spring is on it's way, the cold nip of the wind still hangs in the air. The garden beckons - and I obey. It is muddy - but drier today than a few days ago. The brisk breeze moves the wind chimes - sometimes ever so slightly, …

  Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book Flora Illustrata for free in exchange for my honest review. Flora Illustrata edited by Susan M. Fraser and Vanessa Bezemer Sellers throws open the doors to the LuEsther T. Mertz Library of The New York Botanical Gardens. Published in time to mark the gardens 125th anniversary, …

  Starting peas early in the year is not something most people think about - but did you know you can plant peas as early as January 6 in Indiana, USDA Hardiness Zone 5 and 6? While I didn't get out into the garden or hoop house to plant my pea seeds this year because …

    To be completely honest with you, I am not a fan of onions. I just don't like the taste of them. They are a member of the Allium family however and do have a place in every garden. So, what do I do with the onions I grow? I donate them to local …

  I really love growing my own celery and typically start the seeds of this wonderful plant on January 12. Since I am in Indiana, I do not end up with stalks of celery but I do not try for that either. I grow the plant in the ground and harvest the leaves. I dry …

When it comes to seed starting, snapdragon seeds are one that many people choose because of its light frost tolerance and ability to be direct seeded into the garden. While many people consider snapdragon to be a spring flower, it also does well in the fall garden. Snapdragon seeds are ideal for winter sowing. If …

  January is the tale-end of the seed starting season for Pansy and Viola seeds. At least it is for me since I typically start them in November. I like to give the seeds of these two varieties plenty of time to germinate, grow and flower. Ideally I want mine in bloom and hardened off …

  Statice, botanically known as Limonium, is a wonderful flower to grow for fresh or dried floral arrangements, potpourri and other floral crafts. The flower heads are made up of numerous florets - which are tiny flowers. I prefer to start my statice seeds indoors in peat pellets because they are so small and need the extra …

Sometimes my plants surprise me - especially my roses. They don't typically bloom until May here in Indiana, but when fall rolls around they just don't want to stop. It is not uncommon for me to see roses in bloom in November or even December, as was the case today. Last night we had our …

  Plant lovers know plants make the best gifts. You simply cannot have enough plants and there is always room to add "just one more" plant to the mix. This can drive the non-plant people in your life up the wall. Dodging bags of soil, large pots that don't quite fit where we want them …

  There's nothing quite like a fresh picked tomato when the weather outside is frightful - and it certainly has been here in Indiana. The catfish we put into the aquaponic system this spring didn't make it - and with everything going on, I never bought more fish to put back in the tank. I …

Here are some pretty neat videos I took of butterflies, bees and moths in the garden this year. I hope you enjoy them! It is wonderful to me to see all them flying about while I am gardening. All of these videos were taken at Exotic Gardening Farm & Wildlife Habitat in Marion, Indiana. We do have a …

  With fall and winter on our door steps you’re probably thinking you’re out of the woods when it comes to deer damage in your backyard landscapes. Wrong. Actually, fall and winter mark the beginning of the worst seasons for deer damage. Deer will eat just about anything in the winter -- their food supply …

Some people think of seed saving as a fall activity, but if you wait you will miss the opportunity to collect many seeds that your garden produces. The best way to know when the correct time to gather seeds is requires knowing when the plants you wish to save seeds from flower or fruit. Some …

Disclaimer: I did receive the steadyGROW seed starter sample kit for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. Now that the fish are settled into their new home, it is time to get a jump-start on seed starting for the aquaponic system. The plants I decided to grow in this …

It has been an interesting winter here in Indiana - much milder than normal. As usual, I had my winter lettuce bed that survived very nicely - and then there were the winter flowers - some of which bloomed on time, as expected - and some which bloomed much earlier than I had anticipated. Here …

Who would have thought getting dirt under your fingernails would ever be considered one of the hottest trends going? According to Doug Jimerson, Garden Core Director for Better Homes and Gardens, “growing your own fruits, veggies and herbs is something Americans are doing in record numbers this season”. “It’s cheaper to grow your own produce …

Gardeners who start plants from seed know the best way to do it is to pre-germinate the seeds in some type of container such as a bowl, glass dish or test tube. Sometimes finding an elegant way to display those seed starting containers, especially if you have limited space, can be tricky. Using test tubes …

It is possible to have color in the garden in November, even if you live in a cold climate like Indiana, which depending on which edition of the USDA map you look at, we are either a zone 5 (older map) or a zone 6. Due to global warming, the part of Indiana we live …

This particular lily is one of the Orienpet hybrids which is a cross between an Oriental lily and a trumpet lily. The fragrant flowers open from the bottom to the top making it easy to snip off the faded blooms and keep this plant looking fresh for weeks. In fact, this particular lily produces blooms …

  There is a wide variety of berries that will thrive in clay soil as long as you take the time to amend it. From your typical berries such as blueberries, strawberries, cherries and raspberries to berries that are less common such as honeyberry or service berry, there is sure to be a variety that …

  - Oh wait, that's a line from a Bryan Adams song. Hmmm - wonder if I could get into trouble for using it? Well, Bryan, all I can say is if you're out there reading this post,  that was exactly how I felt when I was at the GWA Symposium in Indianapolis last week and …