Three exciting new vegetables and one cool-season bedding plant were chosen as All America Selections (AAS) 2009, based on superior performance in test gardens throughout the country. Eggplant ‘Gretel’ is a follow up to the 2008 award-winning ‘Hansel.’ ‘Gretel’ is the earliest of the white eggplant, bearing clusters of glossy mini-fruit. The pure white fruit are sweet with tender skin, even if they are allowed to mature beyond the ideal fruit size of 3 to […]

Recent torrential rains have brought about flooded conditions in many gardens and landscapes. As floodwaters recede and folks get about the business of putting homes and lives back together, questions arise as to the safety of produce from flooded gardens, as well as potential damage to landscape plants. The issue of food safety from the garden should not be taken lightly. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), if the floodwater contained waste […]

Only three new garden plants were chosen for All America Selections (AAS) 2008, based on superior performance in test gardens all over the country. Osteospermum (a.k.a. cape daisy) ‘Asti White’ is this year’s bedding plant winner, selected for its outstanding bright white 2 – 2.5 inch daisy flowers with blue centers that continue blooming all summer.  The compact plants, reaching up to 20 inches tall and wide, are ideal for container gardens and will tolerate […]

You don’t have to live in the tropics to have a stunning foliage display in your shade garden. Midwest gardeners have a wonderful foliage palette that can fill in areas among other perennials, or even star as the focal point. Of course, everyone thinks of hosta for showy shade-loving foliage, and there are an awesome number of cultivars to choose from. They come in various shades of green and blue and accented with white, cream […]

Dry summers are not unusual in Indiana. In fact, I addressed dry conditions in this column just two years ago. Gardeners struggle hard enough to maintain healthy plants when extreme high temperatures are accompanied by lack of rain. What compounds the stress of this year’s dry weather is that it follows the wild weather extremes experienced earlier this year. March brought unseasonably warm temperatures to lure plants out of dormancy, and then April put the […]

Only four new garden plants were chosen for All-America Selections (AAS) 2007, based on superior performance in test gardens all over the country. Celosia ‘Fresh Look Gold’ is so named for the lasting fresh look of the compact, 4-inch golden plumes on 12-inch tall plants. Fresh Look Gold has excellent heat tolerance and requires minimal maintenance to look its best all season. Vinca ‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo’ is the first bicolor vinca to combine a burgundy […]

Many of our landscape plants are under stress from one or more factors this summer, including excessive heat and humidity, insect feeding and disease infection. Some trees are losing leaves already and may be turning color before they drop. This early defoliation is common when plants are under stress, and this season has been quite challenging for many trees, both old and young. The recent intense heat and humidity make it difficult for plants to […]