I'm sure everyone is just sick with worry about all those pansies and violas that I planted a few weeks ago. Let me assure all that they came through the snow storm in good shape and are doing well, considering the weather these past few days. Pansies can withstand some pretty cold temperatures.There are plant breeding programs to produce new varieties of pansies that can withstand cold temperatures. Many of these are sold in the fall with trade names like "Icicle Pansies". They claim that if … [Read more...] about Pansies and Violas, Part III

With all this snow, I got curious about weather records for Indianapolis and found out the following regarding snowfall: Average Date of First Measurable Snowfall: November 19 - that seems to make sense. Average Date of Last Measurable Snowfall: March 30 - this is later than I would have thought. I really don't remember too many snowy days in March, at least not for while. I wonder if today set a new record?Earliest Date of First Measurable Snowfall: October 18, 1989 - I remember this … [Read more...] about Weather Records

Yes, spring snow! And there isn't really anything you can do to protect early spring flowers from it. Cover them? The snow, if we get as much as predicted, will provide some cover and act as an insulator and provide as much protection as a sheet or blanket. Plus, I think the weight of heavy, wet snow on top of a blanket will crush the poor daffodils and other bulbs that are coming up. Cut them? If you have early daffodils that are starting to show the bloom color in the bud, you could cut … [Read more...] about Spring S-no-w!

Some thanks for comments and suggestions I've received...To San-Tee for suggesting I also try Crimson Giant radishes... I picked up some seeds at Walmart this morning. They will be a nice complement to Cherry Belle radishes.To Kathy for telling me how she got rid of her ivy... actually, she didn't get rid of it. The voles (meadow mice) did. They burrowed underground and cut off the roots. The first time I saw a little meadow mice running through a garden bed, I thought "how cute". Just like a … [Read more...] about Advice and Comments

A few posts ago, I wrote about how I was going to pull out all the English ivy (Hedera helix) in the landscape bed beside the garage. Today, I started working on that. This morning I thought I would "just do it", and have the whole thing finished by mid-afternoon. However, it turns out to be a bigger tangle of ivy than I thought. By lunch time, I knew I had a big job on my hands!The good news is that I didn't find any snakes or voles or other critters in the ivy. I'm not saying that something … [Read more...] about Ivy Eradication, Part II

I finally got going and sowed seeds for tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and coleus. I'm trying out a new type of seed starting flat that has a capillary mat to keep the soil more evenly moist. We'll see how it works out.Last year when I bought seeds in January at Walmart, the cashier said she thought it was too early to start seeds outside. I agreed with her. (It would have been too difficult to really explain it all.) She then asked if they really worked! I guess she didn't garden much.This … [Read more...] about Seeds Started, Finally