Since this is Super Bowl XLVI weekend, let’s take a look at some plants from 46 years ago and today that received awards for excellence.

The 1966 All-American Rose Selections were ‘American Heritage’, ‘Matterhorn’, and ‘Apricot Nectar.’

Photo of Rosa 'Apricot Nectar' at the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden, taken October 2004 by Stan Shebs (Wikipedia).

The 2012 winner is ‘Sunshine Daydream.’

Photo courtesy of White Flower Farm.

For the All-America Selections® 1966 we have considerably more plants. The All-America awards are for seed propagated plants. In vegetables there was lettuce ‘Butterking’ and winter squash ‘Gold Nugget.’

Photo courtesy of bestcoolseeds.com

Flower winners were snapdragon ‘Bright Butterflies,’ dianthus ‘Red Monarch,’ marigold ‘Spun Yellow,’ verbena ‘Amethyst,’ and pansy ‘Majestic Giants White Blotch’ and ‘Majestic Giants Mix.’

Photo courtesy of harrisseeds.com

Things have changed since then. In 2012 we have vegetables winning the 2012 Flower Award. Ornamental peppers have won before (‘Black Pearl’) and they win twice this year with ‘Black Olive’ and ‘Cayenetta.’

Photo courtesy of All-America Selections®

A third Flower Award goes to vinca ‘Jams ‘N Jellies Blackberry.’ Loving this color.

Photo courtesy of All-America Selections®

The AAS Bedding Plant award goes to salvia ‘Summer Jewel Pink.’ The vegetable award goes to watermelon ‘Faerie.’

You can find more on all these plants and how they are selected at the All-America Selections® website.

The Perennial Plant Association wasn’t around in 1966 but the 2012 Perennial Plant of the Year is Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost,’ a great selection of a great species.

Photo courtesy of Walters Gardens.

Photo courtesy of Walters Gardens

And the music? Topping the charts of Billboards Hot 100 the first week of February 1966 is none other than Miss Petula Clark.

And the women are still topping in 2012 with Adele.

How damn fabulous is that? I think it might be better than Madonna performing at half-time during the Super Bowl.

Oh hell, I know it is. (But here’s a link to her newest song anyway - no real video yet)

What is Fascination with Plants Day? Well, let’s look at a quote directly from their website.

The first international “Fascination of Plants Day” will be launched under the umbrella of the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO). The goal of this activity is to get as many people as possible around the world fascinated by plants and enthused about the importance of plant science for agriculture, in sustainably producing food, as well as for horticulture, forestry, and all of the non-food products such as paper, timber, chemicals, energy, and pharmaceuticals. The role of plants in environmental conservation will also be a key message. Everybody is welcome to join this initiative!

So it leans to the agriculture and scientific community it seems, but there in the midst of it all is Horticulture. Oh yea. Horticulture (I added the capital H to emphasize).  Horticulture is this slightly indefinable thing created where agriculture, science, and art join together. And what leads most of us to Horticulture? That’s right Smarty Pants – a fascination with plants. It’s that undeniable love of chlorophyll that joins us all together from the old neighbor with the first tomatoes of the season (every year) to the professional in the public gardens (like me!) to the newbie gardener scared they are going to kill a daylily (so sad yet sweet).

Yes, we have National Public Gardens Day through the American Public Garden Association, with support from Rain Bird and Better Homes and Gardens on the Friday before Mother’s Day (May 11^th in 2012). And yes, we will be participating in that program (more details later but some tours at the very least). But that program is about getting people to visit and appreciate public gardens which is a little different in my mind than getting people to appreciate the plants themselves. Both are good causes worthy of attention and I see no reason why a person or organization cannot participate in both.

There are some really neato pictures at the FwPD site here.

As of now, Fascination with Plants Day is a European idea and project. But it is not too late for America, as in the United States of, to get involved. Even if not on an official level, we can still celebrate Fascination with Plants Day. Maybe give a plant to a non-gardener. Maybe cook something to share with a friend or neighbor. Maybe just sit in our own space and really think about how much the plants do for us either directly or indirectly – cleaning the air we breathe, the water we drink, and even the very soil they grow in. Feeding us, clothing us, celebrating with us, comforting us, bringing us uncountable moments of joy throughout the day and a lifetime. For me, and I suspect many others, every day is Fascination with Plants Day at some level.

And in truth, it is November. Snow in November isn’t exactly a miracle or a sign of the arrival of the End of Days.

All the same, I was not amused. It had been spitting snow off and on for a few hours but I never figured it would really get to the point of covering anything. When I arrived home, the wind-gathered leaves were heavily dusted with it. Plants in the garden had it clinging to their leaves and spent flowers. My gazing globes were covered with it, though under the full moon they looked rather delightful.

Fortunately earlier in the week I had gathered the last of my tropicals from my IMA gardens. At home, I collected the last of my most crucial plants and hauled them down to the basement on Monday evening. It gets dark so damn early I barely get started before I can’t see where to dig. With only four minutes of daylight after I get home in the evening, I gotta move fast. I only got four minutes to save my plants!

I still have cannas and dahlias to dig. Still have some agaves outside in pots (and one XMangave – Manfreda X Agave). Oh shit. I just realized I left my yellow-leaved fig out. Oh, I hope it’s okay. Damn. I don’t know where I can get another and it was not cheap. Dammit. Oh well. I said I was not going to try to save everything this year. Guess I’m just keeping myself true to my word.

Here at work, we are keeping more plants in the offices since we are trying to save money by not heating the old over-wintering greenhouse we used in the past. We concentrated on the tough stuff that can handle less than ideal conditions. It’s good to have some large specimens to put out so there is a bit of maturity to a design from the get-go.

These variegated figs and gingers will tolerate less than perfect conditions inside and outside, which is one reason we love them so much.

Some Xanthosoma and Plumbago occupy a conference table.

Bromeliads sit next to Jonathon’s desk.

And in my office is a collection of stuff from home and work.

In the basement of the northeast side of our offices (we are in the “double” – one side was the night watchman’s home, the other the gardener’s home) the bananas will wait out the frozen Indiana winter. These are both Musa and Ensete.

Check out the high tech containers.

Yes, those are garbage bags. You don’t need to be fancy. But it’s okay if you are. Especially, if it is your one chance.

In the basement on the other side, things are still a work in progress.

Some of the Colocasias (elephant ears) are put away but a good many still need processing. I wanted the soil around the roots to dry a bit before dropping them into plastic bags for the winter. It is a delicate balance – enough moisture to survive but not enough to cause rot. And why do all this? Why fret about if a plant will or will not survive? Well, isn’t it obvious?

Result of dropping immature giant puffball mushrooms off the Interurban Bridge.

The mushrooms were fresh and new, with firm white flesh that is at its best for flavor and edibility.  It’s not until the puffball has turned brown, discolored and inedible, when the outer flesh has started to break apart, that they are primed and ready to be sent sailing through the air.  I wish people would wait until the mushrooms are ready, when they aren’t as visually appealing, so other people can enjoy seeing them in the garden and perhaps have the opportunity to share something unfamiliar and intriguing with their kiddos.  Please consider this before acting on perfunctory impulse.

Fresh, immature giant puffballs in Ophiopogon.

Group of mushrooms from a single mycelium at woodland edge.

Let’s explore a bit further into the fungi behind the fun, and gain a better understanding of just how incredible these giant puffballs are.  Fungi are in their own kingdom classification; they are not plants, as was once thought, because they cannot generate their own food.  By absorption via a complex branching colony of fungal cells called a mycelium, nutrients are acquired through a process which aids in the decomposition of organic matter found in the soil.  Interestingly, fungi are the only organisms that are able to naturally process lignin, the tough, woody tissue that gives shrubs and trees their strength and provides structural support.  Nothing else is able to so efficiently release nutrients back into the soil for the support of its ecosystem, and most of the process is hidden from sight.  Mycelia secrete enzymes that break down organic matter and allow fungal cells to absorb nutrients through its cell walls, which explains why mycelium is usually hidden from sight in wood or soil – that’s where the supply is found.  The best part is that fungi are not the only ones to benefit.  In fact, a symbiotic relationship between fungi and plants exists with 90% of all plants found on land, where both organisms benefit from living in close proximity to each other.  Mycelia improve soil structure so trees and other plant roots in the surrounding area are better able to access available water and minerals.  Plants photosynthesize light energy into carbohydrates, which are transported to the root zone where fungi can “feed” on the higher concentration of sugars.  All of this is happening with the structural part of fungi, the mycelium, but how do giant puffball mushrooms fit into the picture?

Mature giant puffball, ready for spore expulsion.

Giant puffball mushrooms, or Calvatia (syn. Langermannia) gigantea, are the fruiting structure of the fungus.  An easy analogy is to think of the mushroom as the “apple” portion of an apple tree, while the mycelium plays the role of the actual tree.  Mushrooms are designed for one thing: making babies.  In the case of giant puffballs, they can produce trillions of spores – up to 2500 per inch – because of their enormous size.  All the spores are produced internally, which may seem less efficient, but from the perspective of the actual scattering of spores, it’s quite effective.  When the spores have matured, the surface of the mushroom breaks down and tears open, where wind, water or physical contact can aid the spores’ escape.  Perhaps the natural desire to kick giant puffballs is really part of the mushroom’s plan to take over the world…I guess we’ll keep playing along!

Here’s an internal look at spore arrangement in giant puffballs with Director of Horticulture, Chad Franer:

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.

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.

I don’t remember them in this completely red phase in past years. That does not in any way mean they have not done it every year. I just don’t remember if they have. Yea, they’ll probably succumb to the borers eventually.

I love unexpected surprises…… duh, like a surprise should be expected. Anyway, when I was walking about I found these Liatris in the Overlook. They have superb fall color, especially for a perennial.

They were providing a color echo for nearby oak leaf hydrangeas.

And of course there are the fall blooming perennials as well.

Not that either the plants or I have given up on summer. There is still tropical splendor and color all over the gardens.

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.

I wanted to touch back on a blog I wrote in January, the first one in 2011. In that blog I talked about Hydrangea paniculata Little Lime™.

This was a new cultivar from Proven Winners^® and Spring Meadow that was supposed to be more dwarf than “Limelight.” Well, according to my plant at home, it really is. I put a two or three gallon plant in last fall. As you may remember (it has been awhile), we had a very wet spring. Hydrangea paniculata prefers wet over dry. I also had mulched my garden with rabbit manure. My soil is already pretty good. Despite all those conditions for large growth I am happy to report my Little Lime™ is in full bloom and barely 2 feet tall. But look how wide it is compared to height. Very nice.

You may notice the blooms extending with new buds, forming to create the traditional cone-shaped blooms of most H. paniculata.

I’m thinking the dry weather sort of shut down bud formation. Then, when I started watering, the plant decided to finish development. I waited as long as I could to start watering at home. It’s gonna be tough to decide whether to pay the mortgage or the water bill the next couple months.

The Mystical^® Flame I reported on in that article likewise has remained short. They were smallish plants in four inch pots, so no blooms yet. But I cannot believe they will get much more than a few feet tall.

Another group of plants I reported on in an earlier post that has done well this summer are the SunPatiens^® (impatiens).

These were a gift from Sakata Ornamentals. I thought they would get larger, but I admit I could have increased the water earlier and started some fertilizer earlier so I’m not knocking them for that. I am very pleased with them over all. They are heavy bloomers and have great foliage. I think the “Compact Orange” is my favorite, but I like dark sultry foliage with orange flowers.

You may like this pastel Spreading Salmon version, with very good leaf variegation.

All the colors and forms have not only survived but thrived in our super abnormal heat and in full screaming sun.

One more shout out for today. This time next week will be the start of the 2011 Garden Writers Association Symposium. And it is right here in Indianapolis. We’ll be visiting the IMA on Sunday morning the 28^th. Unless you want to share your favorite garden spot with 400 other people, you may want to wait and come in about 10:30 that day after we have moved on to Garfield Park.

I am also extremely happy to report I was awarded the Silver Award of Merit in the Electronic Media Writing category again this year for this very blog you are reading. I won’t know until the last night of the Symposium if I reach super fortunate status and win the Gold Award. Silver is winning already. So like I said, I’m happy. No need to be greedy.

I could always talk about the weather.

Trust me, it’s been quite the topic of conversations in my circles. It just saps you dry some days. And when you walk out and you can feel the heated air kinda pushing back at you? Like when you open the oven door? Whew! Mercy, I just want to give it all up. Or I see plants almost laying flat because they are so dry? Makes me a bit envious of those that worship the lawn. Lawn is so much simpler. My Ligularia ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’ was gasping by the time I finally turned on the water at home. Last Friday when it looked like there was at least hope for rain? I set up a sprinkler in my front garden to try to lure the rain in. I got a little. Think I’ll try that again this week.

Yes it is hot. But it was 106 in Nashville this week. Could be worse. Yes, it is dry. But at least it’s only been 6 weeks or so. And we had all that moisture in the “bank” from the wet spring. Could be worse.

We have been working hard to keep the plants hydrated so they remain beautiful and healthy. Well, at least healthy. Some plants no matter what you do eventually begin to suffer when a weather onslaught lasts this long. But I have to say things look really good so if you don’t like what you see at home come on over for a visit. You can always find a shady spot to rest.

If you have evergreens especially keep some water on them. Remember all the dead ones after last year’s heat and drought? Add a second year of that and we are going to start seeing major damage. I would never suggest you water the lawn but spend a few dollars on some water to save the trees in your yard. And if you planted anything this spring or last fall give them some extra TLC. We are fortunate to have our own wells here at the IMA. Not that we are attempting to replace all the missing rain with irrigation but we can usually save things that get in peril – usually. And, you know? That’s the best we can do sometimes. If we lose a few plants it’ll still be alright. We are gardeners. We accept some losses and then get all excited about choosing the replacements. Weather be damned, we will go on gardening.

You know. Let’s turn this ole weather negative into something positive. Everybody get up. C’mon, get up. Now get outside and turn the sprinkler on in – or near – your favorite spot in your garden. Here’s the tricky part. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t be shy. You are hot. You are sweaty. You, yes you, you are a wild and free child of nature. Get yourself into that water. And shake some booty. It’s a heatwave and you are too hot to handle!!!

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!