One of the reasons we are giving away food is because unlike a huge majority of public gardens, we cannot give free admission today. WE ARE FREE EVERYDAY! I strongly suggest you take advantage of that fact often.

Now it is true the lettuce is only available this afternoon between noon and 4. And it is true that only today is National Public Gardens Day. However, it is also true that if life prevents you from attending today’s activities you can still participate in another program presented by the folks behind National Public Gardens Day. And this program might garner you some cash money.

I’m just going to throw the entire email I received in here right now. Read on my blogosphere partners.

Irvin,

As National Public Gardens Day approaches many visitors will flock to their local gardens with families in tow and cameras in hand.  In an effort to garner more exposure of each participating garden, we are launching a photo contest for all to participate in.

We will be awarding cash prizes, annual membership to a local garden, free subscriptions to Better Home and Gardens, and will be featuring winning images on the National Public Gardens website.

We need your help to let visitors know about this contest.  The submission deadline is May 15th, 2012.   The specific details can be found here.

Sounds pretty sweet to me. And you get to visit a public garden – like ours at the IMA. So put down that BLT and grab your camera. Well for the love of Pete! Wipe the grease off your hands first. You wanna ruin the camera? I swear, some days you make me………

Japanese sweet flag (Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’) is a great option for getting a little bit of chartreuse into the landscape without going overboard.  It is a grass-like perennial, similar to a Siberian iris, which prefers a bit of moisture, even having the ability to grow in boggy conditions. If you site this in sun to part shade and in consistently moist soil, it will be a fairly low-maintenance perennial that will spread slowly.  The flowers are pretty insignificant, so grow this one for the lovely, tufted, gold-variegated foliage that will reach about a foot tall and provide a fine-textured accent for bold-leafed perennials.  It could also be quite effective as a groundcover for a smaller area, such as next to a water feature, or used as an accent in a container.  In any garden, Acorus ‘Ogon’ is a very graceful, versatile plant.

Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’ (in front)

There are many bugelweeds to choose from; all have that great blue flower in the spring and are effective and quick-growing groundcovers.  The one that I’ve been the most impressed with for looking great even after it has finished blooming is Ajuga ’Chocolate Chip,’ and I’m going to be sure to nab a few of these for my own home garden this year!  ‘Chocolate Chip’ is shorter than other bugleweeds at only 2” tall (3-4” with the flower spike), with lovely bronze to deep green foliage that retains its healthy vigor throughout the growing season.  Some of the other Ajugas have flowers that tend to look a bit weedy after blooming, but it has been my observation that ‘Chocolate Chip’ maintains its neat appearance throughout the growing season.  Site this little guy in a sunny or fairly shaded location between stepping stones or as a border edge; it won’t let you down!

Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’, photo courtesy of Classy Groundcovers

Dwarf goat’s beard, Aruncus aethusifolius, is another lovely, compact perennial only reaching about 12” tall.  It has an overall appearance similar to that of Astilbe, but its ferny foliage will not shrivel up and turn crispy brown in the drier spells of summer, allowing the opportunity for a nice yellow-orange leaf color to develop in the fall.  It has white flower plumes in early to mid-summer, and would be a great, underused alternative in shady conditions for those who are looking for a good companion with Hosta, Epimedium or Brunnera.

Aruncus aethusifolius, photo courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Tired of cute little dwarf-sized plants?  Definitely consider tall, handsome Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Apollo.’  This Culver’s root is an exciting cultivar of a native prairie plant that can fit in well in many different styles of gardens, from formal borders to cottage gardens to rain gardens.  It does best in full sun, reaching a good 3-5’ in height when in bloom.  If the foliage starts to look a little tired in late summer, chop it back and let it flush back out with fresh basal growth.  V. ‘Apollo’ has bold, lavender flower spikes that resemble speedwell flowers (Veronica) atop whorled stems in early to mid-summer, a nice alternative to the white spikes of the straight species.  As icing on the cake, it received top ratings from the Chicago Botanical Garden Veronicastrum trials in 2004.  This would be a good plant to use as a unique accent amidst mounding plants where those great flower spikes can be appreciated, or used en masse to great effect to look like a giant candelabra.

Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Apollo’, photo courtesy of Avant Gardens

Hmmm…beginning to wonder how many of these I could squeeze into what little space I have left in my garden!

Don’t let the name fool you into thinking there will only be perennials at Perennial Premiere!  There will also be a number of great shrubs for sale, and I’m excited to share that there will be a couple of Fothergillas available.  While they may not be the most show-stopping choice for color in the garden, I am truly beginning to appreciate their quiet beauty and grace.  I love the white, bottle-brush blooms in the spring that turn the shrubs into fluffy white clouds, but their interest extends into three solid seasons of show, with heavily-textured, scalloped leaves in the summer that evolve into brilliant balls of fire in the fall.  Reaching 3-5’ and happy in sun or part shade, they are easy-care shrubs that have just about everything going for them.  Fothergilla ‘Mount Airy’ and ‘Red Licorice’ will be available for sale, both of which had solid reviews from the Longwood Gardens Fothergilla trials in 2008.  It will be difficult to choose between them, with ‘Mount Airy’ having top ratings for fall color and ‘Red Licorice’ rated as having the most outstanding summer foliage…I think it’s safe to say you can’t go wrong in either case.  Eeny-meeny-miny-moe!

Fothergilla ‘Mount Airy’

Goodness…there is so much more, but you’re just going to have to come see for yourself.  And don’t forget that there will be new things coming to the Greenhouse for the next couple of weeks, so you just might have to schedule another visit so you don’t miss anything.  Like the Geranium ‘Dragon Heart’ that will be coming in a couple weeks, a boisterous, hardy Geranium that is supposed to have magenta flowers with a black center.  Yum.  Really?  Magenta?  I can’t wait to find out!

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!

We have many previous Perennial Partners returning to help us celebrate spring:

Plus, we have many newcomers! For a complete list of vendors, schedule of events and times, and an up-to-date plant list, please click here.

The event begins Saturday, April 21^st from 9am – 11am for IMA members, and from 11am – 5pm for the general public. You may purchase a membership the day of the event and immediately receive the special 20% discount on all purchases, otherwise make sure you have have your membership card with you to take advantage of the perks. There will also be additional parking available for free at the Interchurch Center at the corner of Michigan Road and 42^nd Street…easy walking distance through IMA’s 42^nd Street gate and to Greenhouse!

Adding to the festival atmosphere will be live music provided by Nick Ivanovich on Saturday, and Rusty Musket on Sunday. Among the many activities throughout the weekend, there will be guided tours of our historic gardens, 100 Acres, and Lilly House, as well as a family art-making event on Sunday. In addition, we all look forward to the annual Indianapolis Bonsai Club’s Exhibition at Lilly House. There will be a bonsai conifer styling demonstration with Mark Fields on Saturday and a bonsai tropical styling demonstration with Scott Yelich on Sunday. On Saturday, don’t miss a book-signing by Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp and her talk, ”Spring Bulbs and Companions.” All, of course, while you enjoy delicious snacks and refreshments from Matt Kornmeyer’s Scratch Food Truck.

Taking the familiar and creating something new and exciting is what this weekend is all about. If everyone is selling a blue-flowering cultivar of ‘X’, we may have a yellow one. If everyone expects a plant to have green leaves, ours may have chartreuse, red or variegated leaves…you get the point. Even Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Flowers got “bumped up a notch” by Duke Ellington!

…and remember, the event happens rain or shine!

We would like to share an idea with you…it’s a great idea, and part of what makes it great is that, first of all, it’s part of a competition (ladies and gents, start your engines!), and second, unlike many ideas, it can easily move from proposal to tangible action with the involvement of an inspired and informed community.  That would be you! We have the knowledge, the tools and the man power, but we need your vote.

So, what’s the big idea?  Rain Bird has established a grant for The Intelligent Use of Water Awards,which gives $10,000 to fund projects that focus on water conservation and environmental sustainability for community green spaces.  An interesting twist is that the winners are 100% reliant on the number of online votes cast for a project.  It’s like the American Idol of environmental grants!  The program is particularly unique in that anyone – non-profits, homeowners, educators, retailers, industry professionals, you name it – can participate and submit a project proposal.

The horticulture staff at the IMA would like to implement the second phase of the rain garden that was built to capture run-off from the Madeline F. Elder Greenhouse parking lot in 2009.  That first rain garden has been incredibly successful, but it doesn’t account for 15,500 square feet of the parking lot where a directional shift in gradient directs water away from the rain garden. The parking lot sits at the crown of a hill where there is a ongoing need to capture the remaining portion of water to prevent erosion, filter  petroleum products and pollutants, and reduce the amount of sediment and run-off from entering directly into waterways, including the Indianapolis Central Canal which runs adjacent to the museum property.  The goal is to retrofit a section of the historic Interurban Railway below the current rain garden with a 3,450 square foot bioswale that uses native plants as a filtration system.  It is important for us to unite art and engineering in a rainwater management system that is useful, efficient and aesthetically appealing, and to be able to use this expanded project as a practical, instructive model for both the homeowner and professional.  Implementation of this project will involve a plant list of native grasses and perennials that will have lower maintenance requirements once plants are established, having thick plantings for the prevention of weed establishment and lessening the chance for exposed soil to dry out prematurely.

Greenhouse parking lot from which run-off is generated.

Original rain garden by Madeline F. Elder Greenhouse

Site for future bioswale in Interurban Railway.

It is a given that we are all motivated to action by different things, and while many of us will never reach the status of Rachel Carson or Aldo Leopold in our lifelong dedication to environmental advocacy, we should have an intrinsic responsibility for making a positive impact on our community and our quality of life with the realization of many small projects.  Whether or not you participate in it, the simple fact is that you are a part of your community and will be affected by what happens within it.  Water quality is so intricately tied to a community, and efforts made on even an individual’s practices are valuable.  In our case, we feel responsible for our rainwater run-off that adds to the stress of municipal sewer infrastructure and the risk of down-stream flooding, and the reduced water quality from eroded sediment and other pollutants.  In the longterm, we are looking at the direct ties between water and environment to improve wildlife habitat as a result of our efforts, and desire to share our success (and failures) with those who participate in our community.

Help us succeed in this; it is one more step forward, and the benefit belongs to you.

You can vote daily through March 15^th here.

Now my first reaction I admit was –Well, what the hell do you think? Was there a nuclear holocaust I missed? But then the reasonable part of my brain kicked in and I figured they were probably really wondering about the annuals and tropicals. Most of these are indeed gone, either damaged by last week’s frost or removed so winter materials could go in.

You will still find a few that were not badly damaged or we simply have not got round to. Don’t let a little frost stop you from coming out to see some “flower gardens”.

We do not do fall pansies and the like because they are too expensive for our fairly short autumnal season. But you might be surprised at how many perennials are still blooming.

Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink’ is seen here in all its October glory on Oak Island. This is one of the latest mums of the season always making me wonder if the frost is gonna get it. It doesn’t really care about the frost. It’s not pink so much as a soft peach or apricot.

Here is pinkish lavender sport that appeared a couple years back that is doing well. It could be a seedling but mums tend to mutate easily so I think that is the case here.

Tricytus ‘Sinome’ (toadlily) in the overlook garden is placed where it always should be, near a walkway so you can appreciate its intricate patterned orchid-like flowers up close.

Also at the Overlook is this large mass of Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Golden Arrows’ (mountain fleece). This workhorse of a plant easily has four to five months of bloom. I love the deep but bright burgundy flowers with the chartreuse foliage.

I also love the months of chartreuse foliage before the bloom. Some years there is a bit of Japanese beetle damage but it quickly outgrows the problem.

These Agastache that were a gift from Skagit Gardens have been in bloom since arriving in August.

They are the Nectar^tm series that comes in Apricot, Grape, Grapefruit, Orange, and Raspberry. Find them growing in full sun in the well-drained soil atop the Tunnel leading from the parking garage to the museum entrance. All Agastache tend to attract hummingbirds and bees and pollinators.

Geranium ‘Rozanne’ has been blooming since May.

You can find some Echinacea still throwing up a few flowers.

In bright shade is Anemone hybrid, fall-blooming or Japanese anemone. It comes in white and an array of pinks.

Most are 30 inches tall and up. But dwarf cultivars are coming to market soon.

Along the Bridge Garden the Cimicifuga rubifolia (Actea rubifolia?), Appalachian bugbane, is in bloom with lots more buds coming. At least this is what I thought it was named at one point.

Aster oblongifolius (now Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) can still be found in bloom as well. Known as aromatic aster, The Rain Garden has ‘Raydon’s Favorite’, a slightly deeper blue color and later blooming plant than the equally beautiful ‘October Skies’.

Don’t forget, color in the garden comes from more than flowers. Fall foliage is still brilliant and everywhere on our 152 acres. Just take some time to stroll about.

That soon the land will be covered in a deathly blanket of brown and gray. All my intense oranges, bright pinks, and glowing chartreuses will be gone. GONE! Just like that.

And then, then I’m faced with life filled with neutrals. It’s almost too much to bear. Not that I don’t appreciate the change in the seasons, but come early February……. sheesh!

I usually wait until frost before removing annuals and tropicals, getting every last drop of summer beauty from the plants. Plus some of the plants I overwinter go dormant a bit better if they are hit by frost before digging – elephant ear (Colocasia, Alocasia), Canna, dahlia, and banana (Musa, Ensete) are good examples. All of these can spend the winter in a state of suspended animation in the basement. Tropicals that cannot tolerate cold and are kept growing over the winter do, of course, need to be dug before frost.

But if my tender plants are in a garden area that gets a winter treatment, well, you do what you must. Some years you cannot wait ’til frost and you have to respect the available time for doing the change-out. Thus was the case this week with Nonie’s Garden right in front of the main museum building entrance. Over a three day period, the garden went from summer glory to winter joy.

The garden had filled in rather nicely.

The salvias were in full bloom, the tall S. splendens “Van Houttei” and its dwarfer color echo, S. splendens “Vista Burgundy.”

The Justicia fulvicoma (Mexican plume) was at its peak.

Now, not everything was at its peak, I admit. The Leonotis leonurus  (lion’s ear) was just beginning to show color. The Hedychium “Tara” (ginger) I planted to fill space (and hoped might bloom despite a late planting) did fill space. It was not that great a summer for growing, even the tropicals.

On the other hand, the Colocasia esculenta “Elena” was beautiful.

The Canna x generalis “Intrigue” was stunning in its tall upright smoldering bronze foliage and peachy-orange blooms.

Perhaps most fabulous of all was the Dahlia hortensis “Karma Choc.” Without a doubt, this is my new favorite dahlia. Dark foliage with bronze overlay and the most incredible flowers.

The color. How to describe the color. Black cherry chocolate red burgundy.

They are just too much for mere words. And they make superb cut flowers.

Anyway. It all had to go. Time for the winter show.

I had planned on blue lions hunting in the Serengeti plain. Which is to say Picea pungens “Glauca Globosa” (a dwarf globe Colorado blue spruce) among Calamagrostis x acutiflora “Karl Foerster” (feather reed grass). But…….. well, you know how sometimes the best laid plans go astray? Mine strayed. I could not get the grass with flower/seed heads still attached. Oh, they would tell me they still had the seed heads but when I got there – no seed heads. So now my blue lions are a bit exposed on the Serengeti.

The effect is still good but not so dramatic. I suppose there is enough drama in the world these days already. But I do like a lot of drama in my designs.

In spring, the planting will be enhanced with tulips and pansies for a badly needed change to some color. So don’t fret, cause you know a change, a change is coming. Just hold on.

My husband and I moved from a 750 sq. ft. apartment to a tri-level three bedroom house, so needless to say, we’ve started the search for furniture. Oddly enough however, the first items on our “to purchase” list were plants – who needs a couch, anyway? Now I must say, I have only owned one or two plants in my lifetime. I’ve always appreciated plants, especially the kind I can eat, but I’ve never really explored owning them until I purchased a home.

With the IMA’s Greenhouse Shop full of plants from which to choose, I knew where I wanted to shop, but had no idea what to buy.  No idea. One of the great things about working at the IMA is that each department is a resource, full of knowledge across a wide-range of topics, especially when it comes to horticulture. Thankfully, my green-thumbed colleague Lynne Habig agreed to some hand holding and plant teaching. When she started talking about all of the different types of greenery, she said something that really sparked my interest: clean-air plants.

And with that, my plant lesson was quickly interrupted by an impromptu guest-lecture on household pollutants. Pardon my ignorance, but this was the first I had heard of sick building syndrome. As Lynne broke it down for me, our indoor environments are full of pollutants (trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, benzene, etc.) that are espoused from common household items like electronics, adhesives, paints, cleaning products, and fabrics (yikes!). These chemicals are linked to everything from eye irritation and dizziness to liver carcinogens and even throat cancer. Sick building syndrome occurs when small spaces are tightly concealed in an effort to save energy, but in turn creates a harmful space where these pollutants can gather.

So what does all of this have to do with plants? For many years, NASA conducted a study on ways to purify the air both on earth and in space habitats which are perhaps the most contained work environments. The study found that common household plants are actually the best crime fighters for such pollutants.

I was sold. I wanted to fill my house with plants, but now I needed to fill it with clean-air plants. According to the study, the top plants found most effective in decreasing the amount of air-pollutants include:

• Bamboo Palm – Chamaedorea Seifritzii
• Chinese Evergreen – Aglaonema Modestum
• English Ivy- Hedera helix
• Gerbera Daisy- Gerbera Jamesonii
• Janet Craig – Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’
• Marginata – Dracaena Marginata
• Mass cane/Corn Plant - Dracaena Massangeana
• Mother-in-Law’s Tongue Sansevieria Laurentii
• Pot Mum – Chrysantheium morifolium
• Peace Lily - Spathiphyllum

With Lynne’s continued guidance, I picked out a selection from the Greenhouse Shop that fit the clean-air profile and my personal tastes: English Ivy, Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, Golden Pothos, Peace Lily, Spider Plant, and Dracaena, all pictured below.

And while they might not bestow “clean-air” – I couldn’t pass up a few other nice looking gems.
For those of you now wanting to purify your own air, don’t worry, it won’t break your bank. The plants purchased range from only $3.95 – $7.95. If you’re still not sold, check out the video below of our 2011 Indianapolis Island resident Katherine Ball talking about her use of clean-air plants.

Melissa is happy to be helping the environment.

Gardeners tend to be collectors with nurturing and thrifty natures.  These temperaments usually lead to garages and sheds chock full of flower pots that are “too good to throw away.”  The staff of the IMA Greenhouse and volunteers from the Horticultural Society would like to help you clear out the excess inventory with our annual pot recycling day.  We are particularly seeking those types of pots and flats we use regularly, including clay pots in any size, 4.5” plastic pots and smaller nursery pots.

In recent years, these donated pots have saved the Greenhouse thousands of dollars in new container purchases, allowing us to put our limited funds to better use.  As petrochemical costs continue to rise, plastic pot prices have skyrocketed.  Add in the cost of freight and terra cotta pots have gone up considerably, as well.  We are helping prevent limited resources and energy from going to the production of new pots.  Reusing the containers also keeps pounds of plastic out of the waste stream.  It is estimated that a 1 gallon plastic pot might take 200 years to breakdown.

We also get warm fuzzy feelings from sharing! There are times when more materials than we are able to use and store have been donated.  After past recycling events, we have shared with other not-for- profit groups including the IUPUI Greenhouse, Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Marion County Master Gardeners and Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society.  Also many items have been returned to the growers to help them keep their costs down so we can provide better prices to our shoppers!

Carole up to her elbows in reclaimed pots.

On Saturday, October 1 from 10:00 – 1:00pm your pots can be dropped in the Greenhouse parking lot.  You will be greeted by friendly volunteers from the IMA Horticultural Society.  The volunteers will sort, stack and sanitize the incoming pots to ready for reuse.  These folks literally get up to their elbows in this work.  Stop by with your donations and visit awhile. The weather forecast is for a bright sunny day and I can guarantee that the volunteers will have a sunny disposition, too.  For more information, please call 317-920-2652.

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!

Yellow and blue always look good together in the garden. Here we have Iris pallida with a beautiful columbine.

White and blue look good too, this time Brunnera and Tiarella (false forget-me-not and foamflower).

The Tiarella is lovely on its own.

One of the best groundcover type perennials, Epimedium x versicolor “Sulphureum” (barrenwort).

Though they are in nearly every shade garden I still love hostas. Look of the variety of colors, growth habits, and sizes.

Gallium odoratum (sweet woodruff) a charming woodland plant.

Hellebores (Lenten rose) and Heucheras (coralbell) are two of the toughest perennials. These are Hellebore “Red Lady” and Heuchera “Frosted Violet” but we will have lots of varieties of both these species.

One of my favorite heucheras is “Caramel.” I love the coppery buff color of the leaves. Here it is with our native columbine.

And here it is with the columbine and an orange Primula (primrose).

I wish I had time to show you some more but I gotta get back to setting up for this weekend. See you in the sales yard.