It’s a new year and if you’re like a lot of gardeners, you’re looking for new plants to try in your Indianapolis landscape. Fortunately, there are organizations that trial plants throughout the country in All-America Selections gardens. Horticulture experts evaluate the plants’ attributes and how they compare to what’s already on the market. Those deemed new and better are introduced to the gardening public as All-America Selections winners. Here are three 2024 winners in the annual category. Perfect for a long-blooming summer container Burning Embers celosia bloomed all summer. Photo courtes ..read more

One way to keep perennials and annuals blooming in summer is to cut off the dead flowers, called deadheading. Rather than snipping off the whole stem, you only remove the section with the dead flower. Many annuals and perennials have a main stem and side shoots. When you remove the spent flowers, usually from the main stem, it allows room for the side shoots to grow and bloom. Six perennials that benefit from deadheading Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.) Coneflower (Echinacea spp.) Garden phlox (P. paniculata) Lily (Lillium spp.) Salvia (S. nemerosa and others) Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum spp ..read more

We’ve all heard about a kitchen garden and know it as a plot outside the backdoor that grows some of the food we eat. Frequently called a vegetable garden and occasionally potager, it is separate from our Indiana gardens or landscapes with ornamental plants. New offerings on the market have brought the kitchen garden right to the kitchen table, counter or windowsill. Kitchen Minis provide tomatoes, sweet peppers and hot peppers ready for the picking without the work of planting and growing them. They also can be placed outdoors on a patio table, deck, porch or balcony. They are not meant to be ..read more

For those of us who can’t make it to the tropics this year, these new tropical plants for your Indianapolis landscape will create the mood. Tie-dyed Poison Dart Frog Caladium If you love caladiums and are bored with White Christmas, Cardinal or other everyday varieties, you are in for a treat. This introduction from Brian’s Botanicals in Louisville, Kentucky, has glossy leaves with splotches of red and flecks of white or pink. The colors of this caladium definitely reminds us of the poison dart frog, however, it’s not the least bit deadly. About 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide, Poison Dart Frog wo ..read more

  American Gold Rush, a native rudbeckia, is a 2020 AAS Winner and the 2023 Perennial Plant of the year. Photo courtesy AAS Gardeners love black-eyed Susans (or gloriosa daisy) because they are native plants and because of their long bloom period. These usually unfurl their bright yellow or gold flowers from midsummer to early fall. Unfortunately, a lot of black-eyed Susans, such as ‘Goldsturm’, get leaf diseases, which detract from the plant. Enter American Gold Rush (Rudbeckia hybrida). This plant’s narrow hairy leaves were bred to be resistant to Septoria leaf spot and other fungal d ..read more

Place paperwhite narcissus on pebble and add water until it is just below the bulbs. As we head into winter, gardeners take their love of plants indoors. Forcing daffodils, hyacinths and other bulbs to bloom is a rewarding way to brighten dreary winter days. Here’s a brief guide to get you started. Bulbs that bloom in spring outdoors in the Indiana landscape usually need to be chilled for several weeks to trigger the flowering process. Some online bulb merchants sell pre-chilled or pre-cooled bulbs. Exceptions to the chilling factor are paperwhite narcissus, which come ready to plant. Other ..read more

Plants Nouveau launches its Lunar Light Rex Begonia series with Sterling Moon. (C) Photo Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp Many gardeners struggle with annuals for the shade. Bedding impatiens dropped out of favor when they contracted impatiens downy mildew. Bedding begonias didn’t cut it, but the newer hybrids, such as Big and Whopper, gained ground. Beyond the common garden begonias are beautiful Rex hybrid begonias, especially some new ones on the market. These are begonias relished for their foliage, intricate veins, eye-catching colors, puckered leaves and more. Here are a few to consider: One of ..read more

  Bi-color Yellow Red Profusion Zinnia is good for landscapes or containers. Photo courtesy All-America Selections.  If it’s been a while since you’ve grown zinnias in your Indiana garden, you may be in for a surprise. Plant breeders have developed zinnias that are resistance to powdery mildew, an unattractive, leaf-deforming fungus disease. As do a lot of plants, some zinnias come as a series, such as Profusion, Magellan, Zahara and Queeny. One of the best new zinnias is Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor. This summer annual starts with bright yellow flowers and red center aging to soft ..read more

Sugar Shack Buttonbush in fall. Photo courtesy Proven Winners This is National Pollinator Week, a great time to think about what plants in your landscape nourish these important insects and birds. Plants nourish these critters with nectar or pollen. Add a water source and the beauties of nature will visit regularly. Here are three, easy-to-grow North America native plants to attract and support pollinators. Native Annual for Pollinators Orange cosmos. Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus), sometimes called garden cosmos, has daisy-like flowers in pinks and whites. Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus), called y ..read more

As we head into May, flowers fill our Indiana landscapes with fragrances that draw us in, if just for a minute. The sense of smell is linked to some of our strongest memories, some we might never recall if not for the scent. Here are a few favorites worthy of our gardens: Fragrant Viburnums Judd’s viburnum’s fragrance perfumes the air. (C) Photo Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp Spring blooming viburnum shrubs steal the show with their intoxicating spicy, sweet fragrance. Three regularly available varieties are Koreanspice (V. carlesii), ‘Burkwood’ (V. x burkwoodii) and ‘Judd’ (V. x juddii). Not only do ..read more