The weather has been somewhat brutal this past week, not that we Horticulturists at the IMA are the only ones suffering. But mercy! You can just stand still and sweat like crazy. Plus, I am always amazed at how soil can go from such a water surplus to such a water deficit in such an incredibly short time. But we have moved right along through the heat to get the Spring planting finished.

Sometimes before we can put one group of plants in we have to remove another group. This is of course most common in the annual areas. One of my major annual plantings is the Cutting Garden next to the Greenhouse. Most years I only do a summer planting there but this year we had the Garden Club of America national meeting in Indianapolis. Something had to be done for an earlier show. In these still rough economic times, buying enough pansies or other Spring ornamental to cover the whole area was out of the question. So what to do? Mix it up and make it work. I bought some pansies for a few spots so there would be instant color. For the rest of the area? Lettuce. Direct sown lettuce.

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Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Horticulture

It has been a bit rainy of late. But much of that rain has come in the evening or night or early morn. What has come during the workday has tended to be light enough to remain out and continue working. Well, except for Wednesday afternoon when the sirens went off. It didn’t seem reasonable to stay out even though the weather looked fine. It’s really not wise to play games with tornadoes. So I’ve been desperately trying to get as much planted as possible, while trying to not damage wet soil, and while keeping an eye on the sky. It’s enough to drive you mad.

In addition to devoting many hours to planting the annuals and tropicals, I have been edging the beds.

I know they should be edged every year to keep them nice and sharp, but I just don’t get to it every year – which is a mistake, or rather, two mistakes.

First of all, I lose that nice clean edge. Your garden can be full of weeds, the perennials needing deadheading, the shrubs needing pruning, but……. if you have a nice crisp edge on the bed? Nobody sees the flaws. It’s like the eyes just stop traveling past the edge cut.

The other mistake created by not edging is especially problematic if you have turf bordering your beds. That grass sneaks into the plantings. Before you know it, the damn stuff is twelve or eighteen inches into your perennials or annuals. And it is always harder to get it out of the areas you don’t want it than to get it into the areas you do want it!

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Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Horticulture

Hi, folks. Sorry to run out on you all in a way, but no time again this week for much writing. We’ve got The Garden Club of America coming to visit and I am not ready for them!  You know how it is when company’s coming (and there is over 600 of them!), you want every weed pulled and that ain’t happenin’. It’s the GCA national convention and they are visiting the IMA on Saturday afternoon for a couple hours. I hear tell the weather will be nice.

In the meantime, while I’m out weeding, here are some pretty pictures for you all to look at. To make it more interesting, here are the plant names too. You put the names with the pictures. Have fun.

Magnolia ‘Coral Lake.’ Cercis chinensis ‘Don Egolf.’ Mattheucia struthiopteris. Cercis Canadensis ‘Pauline Lily.’ Epimedium x versicolor ‘Sulfureum.’ Tulipa ‘Dorodgne.’ Cercis Canadensis ‘Appalachian Red.’ Brunnera macrophylla. Mertensia virginica. Cercis Canadensis ‘Alba.’ Fothergilla major. Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird.’ Tuilpa ‘Blumex.’ Tulipa ‘Blue Aimable.’ Tulipa ‘Ballerina.’  Viburnum carlesii ‘Cayuga.’ Malus ‘Prairie Fire.’ Cornus florida v rubra.

Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Horticulture

Well, well, well… “Hello there, Mother Nature.” Or since we have such an intimate relationship perhaps I will just call you “Muthah”. I do believe we need to have a chat. Muthah. I have a few …..issues shall we say ……with your handling of the weather of late, actually of the last year or so.

Shall we recap?

Lots and lots of rain all last Spring. Then come July you cut off the supply. You remember that? I do. The evergreens dying this year as a result do.

And this winter. What was that all about? Snow and cold starting in November, 20 degrees below normal. New Years Eve. 60 freaking degrees! And then back to below normal temps along with snow-ice-sleet, snow-ice-sleet, snow-ice-sleet, snow… I believe you get the picture, Muthah. It became a bit of a chore to even work up a tolerance of the weather.

And now the little stunt you pulled this week. Was that really necessary? Was it? Would you like me to go over that with you? Well, like it or not I am. But before we get to this week we need to take a look at the week before. Let’s get in the Way-Back Machine.

Monday, March 21^st. 78 degrees and balmy. Over 20 degrees above normal.

Tuesday, March 22^nd.  74 degrees.

Wednesday, March 23^rd. 75 degrees.

What a beautiful world in those three days. Yes, too warm, much too warm. But you knew that. And you gave it to us anyway. Let’s take a look at some of the floral delights occurring those three days.

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Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Horticulture

Spring! Oh I know it’s not officially Spring but the weather this week turned so beautiful I can’t help but be overwhelmed with joy at winter being over (maybe, probably, hopefully).

And I know we may get slapped my Mother Nature a few more times but, by crackers, I’m going to revel in the joy of the moment.

If the weather wasn’t enough to get excited about, there was the arrival of spring annuals. It’s been a few years since we put in a spring show so I am so excited about doing it again. There’s even going to be tulips! Damn! I can feel the sap rising.

Speaking of sap, did you know the National Maple Syrup Festival is in Indiana? Indiana! Not Vermont or one of those other tiny northeast states. It was the first two weekends in March so watch for it next year. It’s in Southern Indiana (almost in my opinion but not quite) in the town of Medora.

Anyway back to plants. Everything I mentioned in my blog two weeks ago is still blooming like crazy and new things are opening every day. I mentioned the Crocus siberi ssp sublimis “Tricolor.” just opening at that time. Now they are in their full glory.

The daffodils that were just showing color are now in full bloom.

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Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Horticulture