You come to the Perennial Premiere Plant Sale for the plants…well, duh! But this year, you’ll be staying for the wonderful, exciting festival atmosphere.
In addition to some of the most beautiful and unusual plants (perennials, annuals, tropicals, herbs and houseplants) this event also boasts a gathering of some of the most knowledgeable horticulturists in the Midwest. Nowhere else will you find such a well-informed assemblage to answer all your gardening questions…and all anxious to help you!
Right smack dab in the middle of town, I’ve found a Paradise…Up on the Roof!” – Signed, A. Bird (apologies to Carole King)
Want to create a paradise for your feathered friends? The IMA Greenhouse has an exciting new product for you…a Green Roof Birdhouse. You can actually plant a living garden in the rooftop tray of this cedar home for birds.
In order to create this home for your feathered friends, simply follow these step-by-step instructions:
First soak the wood with water, as well as the potting soil you’re going to use.
Add soil to the roof tray until it comes to within ½” of the top.
Take cuttings from a plant, hydrate the roots, and “stick” the cutting in the soil.
Add cuttings as desired.
Choose a contrasting plant, prepare a hole for the roots and plant. Continue adding plant material that pleases you. Remember to choose plants that have similar cultural requirements.
And know when to stop!
Spritz well with water to clean the soil from the leaves and water the plant roots thoroughly.
When your masterpiece is finished spritz well daily, or when the soil is dry to the touch, gently soak the plants. When planted, a Green Roof Birdhouse is so beautiful, you may want to display it indoors as a living object d’art! But if your birdhouse is really “for the birds,” it comes with two heavy-duty brass screws for fastening to a wall, fence or tree trunk. There is a side panel that swings open for easy cleaning.
When Rachel Carson wrote her iconic book Silent Spring (1962) some say she launched the entire American environmental movement. Others say it began with Henry David Thoreau’s Maine Woods published in the late 1800’s. But whenever the movement started, we can all agree…GREEN is here to stay!
I love hyperbole. In fact, I have been accused of intentionally ‘embroidering’ a story! In the interest of transparency, I have to admit… mea culpa. However, this next bit is NOT an exaggeration. This is THE TRUTH with no bark on it. Well, some of the story has bark on it. One part of the story will even come with snakebark.
I have a real love/hate relationship with water…curious for someone whose body is about 60% water! Two years ago a groundhog family (unbeknownst to me) took up residence beneath my front porch. Their digging re-routed rainwater toward my home’s foundation causing extensive damage and ultimately necessitated a new foundation, a French drain, and the re-building of my porch…$$$!
Now I’m obsessed with keeping excess water away from my home, and coupled with a heightened awareness of environmental issues, I have fast-forwarded to rain barrels. Previously the only thing I knew about rain barrels was a song I was taught as a child:
I have since learned there is WAY more to rain barrels than I had previously thought! Water is such a basic need that it’s not surprising humans have been devising methods of collecting it since ancient times. The Valens aqueduct brought water from surrounding hillsides to the medieval city of Constantinople (now Istanbul) to be stored in reservoirs and giant underground cisterns like Yerebatan Sarayi, pictured here:
In the desert, ancient Egyptians dug a network of underground cisterns that collected rainwater. Over these cisterns, Egyptian armies built fortresses that were almost impervious to enemy invasion. Clearly, collecting and recycling water is not a new concept. As scientists began to understand the need for good sanitation and indoor plumbing became more available, older methods of water collection lost their popularity. The collected water was too contaminated. Today, we are vitally aware of the need to be good stewards of this precious resource!
