Wow. The end of another month. And quite a change from the end of last month. At long last some rain has fallen. The plants are certainly relishing this new found moisture.

My tropicals at home are probably not thrilled with the cooler temperatures, but must be beside themselves with joy at not relying on me for water. I tended to be a bit stingy with it. As you may remember, about two minutes after watering plants the soil seemed as dry as before. It got to be quite a chore. And I’ve been fearing the monthly water bill ever since the drought started in earnest. Here at the IMA it was much easier to keep things hydrated, but to this day I confess there seems to be something different when the water comes from the clouds rather than the hoses.

Fall color is starting to kick in. At first glance it kinda surprises me. Then I remember tomorrow is October. I think it was so damn hot for so damn long that it’s still a little hard to believe change is possible. These ash in the main parking lot really caught my eye this week.

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Filed under: Horticulture

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.

Filed under: Greenhouse, Horticulture

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!

Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Greenhouse, IMA Staff

Super busy week ending with preparation for out big event – Perennial Premiere!  The result? Not much blog time. So instead of shooting a bunch of verbiage at you, I’m dropping some photos of what will be available starting tomorrow. Remember, members get exclusive access to the plants for two HOURS before the general public ( 9 – 11 am Saturday morning).  The plants look absolutely super this year. In addition to the usual helpful Greenhouse staff, all the Horticulturists will be on hand to help you with your selections this weekend. After you are done shopping, take a stroll to enjoy the season’s flowering trees – magnolia, amelanchier, and redbud.

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

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Filed under: Greenhouse, Horticulture

Well, I’d planned to go out and take some new pictures for the blog but the snow just would not stop Thursday and today it is plain too damn cold. I love you all but I ain’t going out in sub-zero windchill for you. It’s called tough love. I know you can handle it. I mean, look, there’s even frost on the window.

So what to do instead? I was looking at the plants in my window and thinking that would be a good start. I brought several things in from home so I would be sure to take good care of them. It’s hard to ignore an Abutilon gasping for water when you can see it for eight-plus hours a day. And it is really paying off. The windows face…. What direction do they face? Just a second I’ll ask Chad. South. They face south. I actually figured that out before I asked him. But I did ask just to be sure. No wonder the plants are happy. That’s the Number One direction for a winter plant window in the Midwest. Hmmm, I’ll be damned. Isn’t that fortunate? Beats the hell out of a cubicle. Not that there’s anything wrong with a cubicle. But let’s go on.

Number one on my list of window plants that are making me super happy despite the crappy weather is Euphorbia fulgens.

Scarlet Plume appears to be the common name. I guess it does have a scarlet flower but it’s not a plume. Or not my idea of a plume. Anyway, it has beautiful burgundy leaves all year so it makes a great plant for containers in summer. I love the color and texture.

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Filed under: Horticulture