Focus on Flowers

A quote by Vita Sackville West about ground covers.

Dandelions light up our lawns each spring with bright yellow flowers.

Before the invention of photography, illustrations of uncommon plants were crucial. Women were thought to be especially well suited for drawing specimens accurately. They were seen as patient, careful, and willing to work for little pay.

During the Middle Ages in Britain, the monasteries were the places with the space and the knowledge to garden.

Most gardeners I know find it convenient to buy this easy-care annual for their pots and shade beds each spring, and delight in growing such undemanding annuals.

The Cherry tree that Houseman wrote about in his poem is commonly known as bird cherry, which alas do not grow well for us in zone 6. A white tree that is a lovely substitute, however, is the white dogwood.

At this time of the year many flower lovers buy pots of Easter lilies at the grocery store to have in their homes during the Easter season

Clay soil is heavy and hard to dig compared to sandy soil, but it is also more moisture and nutrient retentive.

No plant, it seems to those of us plagued with deer, can be called really deer proof.

Regular pruning benefits all woody plants, such as shrubs, trees, and vines. Pruning keeps them vigorous and healthy, as well as improving their shape.

Cutting back plants, even small ones, helps to stimulate growth. But don't cut off all of the leaves!

There are so many lovely varieties of clematis available today. Even a single bloom floating is a bowl looks perfect.

In late winter, after months without garden flowers, we are eager to see flowers in our homes. However, there is a wonderful feeling we get when we force branches of early spring-blooming trees and shrubs.

All of the poems I will read today are about roses and all are from times long past.

The flowers associated with St. Valentine were, in Roman times, the yellow crocus and the tricolor viola that both bloom in the early spring in our gardens today. But there are also other saints associated with February...

In 1993, Christopher Lloyd hired Fergus Garrett as his head gardener and together they turned the traditional 80-year-old rose garden into an exotic tropical area. Christo was amused by the consequent criticism from traditionalists.

Great Dixter's Christopher Lloyd created his famous term "succession planting" to describe continuous bloom month after month, beginning in March and ending in October.

One of Britain's most celebrated gardens, Great Dixter is a magnificent place where one can learn and be inspired. A trip there should be on every gardener's bucket list.

In AD 830, St. Benedict said that gardening was appropriate manual labor for monks and that all monasteries should have a psychic garden, kitchen garden, cellar garden, an orchard, and a private garden for monks of high office.

The Romans were the first to create pleasure gardens in Britain.

The winter solstice marks the day with the fewest hours of sunshine in the year, which means that it is described as the shortest day.

Bees, butterflies, moths, and other insects used to be the only creatures who transferred pollen from flower to flower. Nowadays, it is often a person with a fine brush.

The idea of private pleasure gardens during the Middle Ages in England was espoused by Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Most of us occasionally get little black flies that look a bit like fruit flies around our houseplants. They're fungus gnats and essentially harmless, mostly...

One of the most influential horticulturalists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was William Robinson, the first to promote the idea of a wild garden.

Fall is a great time to collect the seed pods from shrubs like baptisia and hardy hibiscus and store them in paper envelopes indoors until next spring.

Houseplants that bloom help us to get through winter while awaiting next year's flowers in the garden. But often houseplants suffer from problems that we must address promptly to save a plant's life.

Betty Smith is the author of the book A Tree Grows in Brooklyn about a young girl who is inspired by a tree. Unfortunately, the tree happens to be an invasive species.

You do not want this junk tree anywhere near your garden, as it self-seeds aggressively and many people are highly allergic to its pollen.

Continually cut back plants that have done their stuff to allow more room for those whose bloom period is yet to come.

If you need something in bloom all through the growing seasons in your garden, check that you have these plants.

There are many common names for the pink lilies, Amaryllis belladonna, that pop up in our gardens during the hot days of August/September: naked ladies, magic lily, autumn lily, surprise lily, and resurrection lily.

Native to the Far East, crepe myrtles can be trees or but in my zone 6 garden, they usually die back to the ground each winter.

The winter-blooming clivia plant is one of the very few house plants that will produce flowers indoors in the dead of winter.

If you are looking for deer resistant shrubs to plant in your unfenced yard, the safest evergreens are spruce, juniper, and boxwood.

Early on, I longed for all the more pretentious perennials, but now I prefer the tried and true.

Angelonia produces stalks of little flowers, similar to stock flowers, that last a long time on the plant, flowering steadily all through till late summer.

The plant has the unfortunate common name of "tickseed," derived from the Greek word "Koris," meaning bed bug.

This black-eyed Susan is a plant that we can all grow and that will be with us for as long as we garden.

Our Midwest Hibiscus moscheutos, (a.k.a. swamp mallow), is an herbaceous plant that has flowers that look so exotic that it seems tropical, but it is hardy zones 5-9.

Gayfeather (Liatris spicata) is a lovely native plant that attracts butterflies, bumble bees, and other insects.

Xeroscaping is the term for gardening while conserving water.

The original perennial coneflowers were pink, but many new cultivars have been developed.

A mix of annuals, biennials, perennials, and shrubs ensures that your cutting garden always has something in bloom.

Peter Rabbit is cute, but he can be a problem for gardeners, especially when seedlings and small plants are available, and he wants them for his dinner!

Native perennials are an essential part of our ecosystem and support wildlife. Some are more likely to thrive in our region than others.

Monarch butterflies like to eat various species of milkweed, which have a bitter juice, that makes their caterpillars unappealing to predators.

If you want to get more plants from your existing flowering plants, a good way is to take cuttings.

The degree of shade is an important factor in gardening, and usually for flowering plants, partial shade is the best.

In warm climates, the showy, brightly colored bougainvillea vines romp over walls, fences, and even buildings, brightening landscapes with their vivid colors.

Both perennial and annual candytufts make excellent rock garden and edging plants.

The Star of Bethlehem name probably dates from the Crusades. The bulbs were brought home as souvenirs when ancient people made pilgrimages to the Holy Land. So, this sweet little flower has an impressive history.

Always deadhead spring bulbs after they finish blooming or they will put their energy into setting seed, which limits their rejuvenation.

There are about 125 species in the genus Oenothera, and they are commonly called sundrops, evening primroses, or golden eggs, and they are native to North and South America.

In olden times, if one wore a sprig of alyssum, no one would be angry with you.

Allelopathic plants release chemicals through their leaves and roots that prevent the germination and/or growth of nearby plants.

It's important to remove invasive, non-native plants to make more space available for plants that nourish our own native wildlife.

If you are planting a garden this spring around a condominium or in some other small garden space, you may want to consider some of the shrubs that have been developed to grow into a compact shape and size at maturity.

There is magic associated with flowers. How can it be, I wonder, that there are so many different shapes, colors, and sizes to delight the senses?

By the 18th century, it was fashionable in the colonies of North America where a garden was essential to feed a family.

In ancient times, roses were not grown for ornamental reasons but for their medicinal and mystical properties.

After the spring bloomers' flowers faded, I used to have day lily plants that grew up in my beds to disguise the decaying and unsightly bulb foliage. All that changed once the deer in my neighborhood came by in droves and ate all of the day lily foliage.

During the 20th century, growers learned to grow flowers with taller, straighter stems, less blemishes, and, also, to force blooms out of season.

Beginning in the early 18th century in England, many quaint new cottages were built surrounded by plantings of fruit trees, honey suckle, ivy, and all kinds of flowers to create intentionally romantic gardens.

Empress Josephine Bonaparte had the first European ever-blooming roses from China, and her eclectic collection allowed French hybridizers to create many new varieties.

Way back when there were no cell phones, lovers used flowers as coded messages to keep their communications unknown to chaperones.

In North America, frangipani is often associated with Hawaii because of the lovely leis that are made from their blossoms.

Starting in February we can pick garden flowers for indoors.

These plants enjoy rich, moist soil that drains well, and if they're happy in their spot, they will form colonies under deciduous trees but will disappear once the trees leaf out.

King Louis XIV's pleasure gardens were places to entertain and impress, and to glorify himself and his achievements.

In AD 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted, and huge amounts of volcanic ash covered the city of Pompeii. The ash preserved the homes and gardens that otherwise would have decayed or been destroyed over time.

Pounding can create emotional release and satisfaction for some, and the resulting images can be quite beautiful.

“Hope is like a harebell, trembling from its birth / Love is like a rose, the joy of all the earth... / Harebells and sweet lilies show a thornless growth / But the rose with all its thorns excels them both.”

If you are looking for a sweet gift for a loved one or friend, check out antique stores and thrift shops for miniature vases or cute tiny bottles.

Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote, "As long as one has a garden, one has a future and as long as one has a future, one lives."

"Love your garden and work in it, and let it give you what it surely will and let no one feel that the benefit is all on the side of the garden, for truly you will receive more than you give."

Flowering plants are forgiving, and they usually give much more than they receive.

During the 1860s, watercolor paintings by English artists depicted rural scenes with thatched cottages surrounded by profuse cottage gardens. It was an idealized version of English country life.

Lancelot "Capability" Brown, landscaper to the rich and famous in 18th-century England, died in 1783. He advocated vistas that were "simple, uncluttered and restrained."

What gardens existed around the world in In the 6th-13th centuries?

A mixed border is usually a defined space with a mix of perennials, annuals, shrubs, bulbs, and/or grasses with a walk, or path, in front and a wall or a fence behind as a backdrop. A mix of plants of different varieties ensures an extended period of interest.

Shrubs are long-lived garden residents and help create the architecture of a garden.

Streptocarpus are pretty plants to grow once one gets used to their habits.

Caryopteris (Bluebeard) has a winning combination of foliage color and pretty flowers that provide focal points in the fall garden.

As the growing season winds down, there are some plants, known in the trade as season extenders, that bridge the gap between fall and winter in gardens.

Many different flowers have been used as food garnishes. However, there are also many toxic plants in our gardens.

We love flowers, but we should always look at them in the garden, not eat them, as many have also been exposed to chemicals before we purchase them.

It's time to move the houseplants indoors…

Perennial garden plants should bloom sequentially. Plants have bloom times that overlap, hopefully, so there can be a series of different plants in bloom across an entire season.

In the late 18th century, William Morris, a prominent advocate of the Arts and Crafts movement, wanted all of England to become a garden where nothing was wasted.

Late in the summer, Prunus persica produces hard little peaches that I have never have the chance to taste, as they are always knocked off the branches by wild animals.

All azaleas are rhododendrons but not all rhododendrons are azaleas.

Some may not consider the flower pretty, so perhaps "striking” is a better adjective.

There are over 200 species of hibiscus, and they are beloved because of their big showy flowers and green, clean-looking foliage. They fall into three different major categories: tropical, perennial and hardy.

Cottage gardens are the product of the homeowner's own work and vision, and William Robinson advised, "Let the flowers tell their story to the heart."

Later in the summer when garden flowers are less abundant, I look for foliage and other things to use as filler in my vases of cut flowers.

English Lord Holland wrote a poem about his wife who got dahlia seeds from Madrid (via the New World): “The dahlias you brought to our isle, your praises forever shall speak; mid gardens as sweet as your smile, and color as bright as your cheek."

Some types of birds prefer ground level water sources also, so even a plant pot saucer can serve during hot days. You don't need feeders during the summer, but water is crucial in times of drought.

Each of these three types of geraniums is associated with long-billed wading birds.

Canna comes from the Greek word spelled kanna, which means reed, though the canna plant does not have narrow reed-like leaves.

These flowers grow wild, creating deep velvet-red carpets in Nebraskan pastures.

Oenothera fruticosa's common name is sundrops, and its nectar attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

A suitable habitat for birds includes predictable water sources, an open area of lawn, some dense shrubs for cover, some tall trees, plants with berries, and nesting places for ground birds.

Ageratum pairs well with plants of any color.

This fungus appears white on leaves. Some plants are more susceptible than others and some varieties have more resistance to this disease than others.

Blue false indigo's flowering period is short, but the foliage always looks cool even on the hottest day of summer.

There are about 250 species of these showy herbaceous plants and nearly all are perennial and native to temperate parts of the northern hemisphere.

Native to Mexico, dahlias probably grew in Aztec gardens as they were already in cultivation when the Spaniards arrived.

So many varieties of these gorgeous flowers have travelled here from far-away lands to sweeten the air in our gardens.

Red Hot Pokers belong to the genus Kniphofia (Kniphofia uvaria) and are also known as tritoma or torch lilies.

A poem about rain in the garden by J. Redwood Anderson.

The common name "pinks” does not refer to the color but to the fringed edging of the petals that makes them look as if they had been cut with pinking shears.

When working outdoors we should tuck our pant legs into our socks, wear long sleeves, and use tick repellent often and liberally.

Many of us had grandmothers who used lavender as their signature fragrance.

Research shows that despite the commonly held idea that hummingbirds love red, that is not the case.

Spring is a time to plant perennial chrysanthemums. They'll mature during the summer and produce breathtaking fall color in your garden.

I would not be without my annual larkspur, which I have enjoyed year after year and some often self-seed and return, but in order to be sure, I always buy some seeds. I don't want to risk a year without it!

While roses take care, trial and error over time will help a gardener learn which varieties thrive best in their climate.

There is a large number of more modern hybrid cultivars now available, and some produce flowers in other shades such as white, rose, magenta, burgundy, and purple.

If you want to minimize work in the garden, you can try to plant perennials that do not like to be disturbed and so never need to be divided.

I read of a grower in lower New York who has iris in bloom continuously from February until the end of July.

A walk in the woods in early April, when the air is cool and crisp, allows us the delight of discovering sweet little flowers such as the sharp-lobed Hepatica.

“I have grown wise, after many years of gardening, and no longer order recklessly from wildly alluring descriptions, which make every annual sound easy to grow and as brilliant as a film star.” -Vita Sackville-West

Twinleaf's botanical name celebrates a U.S. president who loved gardens, Thomas Jefferson.

As winter winds down, witch hazel is the shrub to watch.

Many of our best lilacs resulted from the work of Isabella Preston, who spent her career hybridizing plants.

I have been reading a book on flower arranging by Sheila Macqueen published in 1972 in England.

I have been reading a book about women gardeners in times past and find that they have wonderful wisdom to share.

Crocus sativus' stamens are the source of saffron. Henry I of England was so fond of saffron as a spice in food that he forebade ladies in his court from using it as a hair lightener.

Many people want a low-maintenance garden, yet no garden is truly low maintenance, but one possibility is an informal garden of easy-care flowering annuals.

Celia Thaxter gardened on an island off the New England coast.

Groundhogs, whistle pigs, woodchucks--whatever you call them, they hibernate all winter and wake up in the spring feeling ravenous, ready to eat your flowers.

When Beatrix died, she left over 4000 acres to The National Trust to be preserved forever in its natural state. Many visitors come from all over the world to England’s Lake District, looking for Peter Rabbit and his creator.

“She is pleased with her Pinks."

Plants add vitality to our indoor living spaces.

Select the largest herbaceous specimens that you can afford to plant. Otherwise, you may have a large house with tiny little blobs of green lined up in front of the structure for a long time.

Cold-season bloomers are rare in the flower world.

Squirrels are such fun to watch!

James I of Scotland wrote a poem in 1413 describing his view of a densely screened pleasure garden set in a corner of the castle wall.

Dr. Nathanial Ward, a naturalist and physician living in London, discovered a way to transport and protect plants from the sea air and adverse temperatures during long sea voyages.

In the fall deer start on the woody plants and most often go after evergreens in the winter.

Quotes from Violet Stevenson and Gertrude Jekyll.

When cutting flowers from your home garden, it is important to remember that you are subjecting the plant to surgery.

It is hard to find shrubs for deep shade, as few will persist at all...but here a few ideas.

Shade gardens are usually at their best in the spring, but filtered shade gardens can provide summer color, too.

"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble." This hour on Harmonia, we’ll catch a fright listening to scary sounds for Halloween.

Conifer shrubs and trees need warmer soil to get their roots growing, so plant them as early as possible in the fall.

This hour on Harmonia, we’re listening to the sounds of frogs, snakes, and serpents, both real and mythological.

There are only a few perennials that thrive for many years without being divided and replanted.

Fall is the time to bring indoors all of those houseplants that have been spending the summer outside. I usually also dig up a few annual geraniums that I have had in my beds all summer.

By the end of the 1800s, most types of chrysanthemums had arrived in America.

The name chrysanthemum is from the Greek word for gold “chrysos” and “anthos,” which means flower.

Plants that can tolerate boggy, wet soil exist!

It is easy to get a renewed sense of enthusiasm for gardening when the hottest weather has passed.

Our native perennial coreopsis is a stalwart in many American gardens.

Amaryllis bulbs can be rebuilt so that they can bloom well the following winter indoors.

My current garden is a shadow of its former self...thanks to the urban deer population. However, a few stalwart plants persist.

Globe amaranth dries beautifully for winter bouquets.

Yarrow, “soldier’s woundwart,” “milfoil”—Achillea has many names and many uses.

During our hot Midwestern summers, it is good for pots to get some afternoon shade. Also, pots dry out more quickly, so it is best to plant annuals in the ground.

In very hot weather, remember to water your potted plants twice a day as the soil in pots dries out quickly.

Choose just a few plants that will need minimum attention, and plant something vigorous around the base of the post to soften it.

If I were to start over, and knowing what I now know, I would start with a plan and a clearer idea of the type of garden I wanted.

It was not until the 1920s that it was recognized that cattle that grazed on white snakeroot caused humans to die if they drank the cow’s milk.

The garden is full of plants that are poisonous. Most are not lethal, but a few are, so it is wise to err on the side of caution.

Purple Loosestrife clogs wetlands and waterways, choking out other plants and eliminating food sources for native wildlife. The plant is classified as a federal noxious weed.

Native plants are important to preserve native wildlife and the ecology of our landscape, but some natives will suit our particular climate and garden space better than others.

Some of the best plants in my garden were given to me by other gardeners or came from plant swaps held by garden clubs.

Dainty and durable and deer resistant—just my kind of plant!

There are bound to be some times of the year when there are no flowers in our gardens, and that is when we just have to buy some! A good reliable flower to buy is the South American native alstroemeria.

Brunfelsia is a long-blooming shrub from subtropical Australia, and it triggers lots of memories for me.

The spectacular blooms known as Angel’s Trumpets grow on plants that are vase-shaped shrubs or small trees.

Flowering Tobacco--for minimum effort, a gardener gets maximum results!

It's is a good idea to think about color before you buy a bunch of news plants in springtime.

Springtime = Transplant, delete, cut back.

All Pieris shrubs are evergreen and are related to rhododendrons and mountain laurels.

Calycanthus is a fine sweet shrub that also goes by the name of Carolina allspice.

Our native red and black chokeberry shrubs provide four seasons of interest and are drought tolerant once they are established in gardens

Lindera is a host plant for the promethean moth and the spicebush swallowtail butterfly.

Shrubs are easy-care and long-lived stalwarts in our landscapes in all seasons of the year.

How do we avoid a messy medley of too many plants creating chaos in the garden? I can tell you from personal experience that it isn’t easy!

Now, only about 20% of our cut flowers are grown in California, Washington State, and Oregon, where most used to be grown for domestic sale.

Where do our cut flowers come from? Often, South America. Workers in greenhouses cut each stem individually and immediately place each flower in a bucket of water...

Refrigerated trucks and unheated holds of planes are cold, helping cut flowers from abroad to stay fresh during their journey to the U.S.

Over one-hundred million roses are purchased in the United States for Valentine’s Day each year, and nearly all are red and long stemmed.

What we see from our windows all through the cold days of winter is our garden’s architectural structure formed by the trees and shrubs that are the long-term residents of our gardens year round.

For twenty years Henry Mitchell’s column “Earthman” was a weekly feature in The Washington Post.

African violets are quite happy growing in pots in many of our homes and are easily propagated.

Visitors are not charged to see the 55 acres of gorgeous organic plantings in the heart of this major research university.

Emily Dickinson was a renowned poet, but during her lifetime she was known more for her gardening skills.

Here are few poems written, most of them, very long ago.

There has been so much hybridizing, that the differences between a Thanksgiving and a Christmas cactus have become blurred, so it seems reasonable to refer to them all as Holiday Cactuses nowadays.

This may be the perfect year to simplify our holiday decorations. Rather than buying new items, dig around in your closets and see what you can reinvent.

If you have gardeners on your holiday gift list, you can easily accommodate them from the comfort of your own home. Gift certificates to nurseries in the hometown of your recipients, or from catalogues, are always well received.

Most clivia plants produce orange flowers, but you can impress a gardener by ordering a clivia for them as a holiday gift that produces yellow blooms, as yellow is quite rare and treasured by knowledgeable gardeners.

As we look back on the gardening season, we can assess what worked and what didn’t – our successes and challenges in the garden.

In the fall, I leave a few cone flowers and sunflowers for the birds, otherwise I cut spent flowers right to the ground and clean up the debris. I want the beds clear before the spring daffodils and other bulbs bloom.

My garden is very crowded, and so in the fall, I am always wondering where I can plant more spring bulbs without cutting into the existing ones.

It is easy and fun to save seeds from this year’s annuals.

I used to believe that some plants—like peonies, for example—were immune to deer. Not anymore. I have seen deer eat just about every plant...

Not a pretty name for such an attractive plant.

A plant that attracts butterflies to our garden is the pincushion flower. The botanical name is Scabiosa, and these plants usually have blue, white, or pink flowers. As their common name suggests, the shape of the flower resembles a pincushion as the central florets form a rounded shape.

One often sees Veronia, a.k.a. ironweed, on roadsides and in fields and ditches. The wind disperses the seeds, which explains why it is a surprise when it appears in our gardens like an uninvited guest.

We should cut back most perennials in the fall. They don’t look good once it gets cold, so it is best to cut them to the ground and they will come back well next spring.

Joe-Pye weed looks great next to a splash of sunshine yellow from goldenrod or helianthus.

As summer transitions into fall, we usually rely on mums and asters to give us color as the growing season wanes. But here are some other reliable bloomers.

Surprise lilies bloom from late summer into early September, and their cool pink flowers do indeed surprise us when their pale lily-type blooms suddenly appear on their long bare stalks.

CORRECTION (May 2022): Goldenrod is native to North America but has naturalized and become invasive in parts of Eurasia.

“Heli” means sun and “anthus” means flower.

No Deadheading

William Shakespeare included so many botanical references in his plays that there are about 175 mentions of flowers, fruits, grains, grasses, seeds, weeds, trees, spices, herbs, and vegetables in his works.

Hot & Dry

Janae Cummings speaks with Paul Shoulberg, the writer and director of The Good Catholic and Ms. White Light.

IU Assistant Professor of Photography Elizabeth Claffey speaks with artist Ana Teresa Fernández about the ideas of immigration and gender she explores in her work, and what inspires her to create.

Host Aaron Cain speaks with author and comic Laurie Kilmartin about the anatomy of a good joke, and about how the truth isn’t always funny.

Shayne Laughter speaks with musician, dancer, teacher, and cultural ambassador Kevin Locke.

Payton Knobeloch speaks with New York Times best-selling graphic novelist Nate Powell about how graphic novels and comic books have earned a place in literary culture, and in the classroom.

David Brent Johnson speaks with writer and documentarian Sam Stephenson, about what’s inspired him to create his unique, prize-winning brand of cultural research.

Join us for music by a Czech violinist and composer who was sought after by Haydn and Beethoven, in the same freemasons’ lodge as Mozart, and very much a star of the Vienna musical scene.

Host Aaron Cain speaks with Barthold Kuijken, groundbreaking baroque musician, teacher, conductor, and artistic director of the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra.

All types of marigolds last well as cut flowers, and they are excellent plants for children to grow when they begin gardening.

The chalumeau was a single-reed ancestor of the clarinet, whose brief popularity left a lasting impression. We’ll explore music for the chalumeau--plus, torchsongs on historical instruments, on our featured release Songs Without Words on this week’s edition of Harmonia.

Host Aaron Cain speaks with Vassar College President Elizabeth Bradley, about what economics, healthcare management, and art history have taught her about how to be an effective leader.

White blooms combine so well with other flowers and help make their companions pop!

Janae Cummings speaks with documentary filmmaker Gordon Quinn, about finding a way to tell stories that investigate society and inspire change.

Flowers from bulbs are easy to arrange informally in a vase.

More and more gardeners are seeking information about sustainability.

A novice gardener once told me that she was only going to plant perennials, as they did not need any care. If only that was true!

These trumpet lilies are fragrant, and the pure white blooms are lovely in flower arrangements.

Allium ‘Millennium’ can be planted in the spring and reliably bloom in the heat of summer.

Remember the danger of sudden spring frosts and wait to set out your tender annuals.

Do not take risks by setting out your annual plants too soon.

Frost dates are very important.

Many of us with clay soil complain loudly about it, and it’s true that gardens with clay soil can be hard to dig. Nonetheless, it has its virtues.

Explore the Jewish spring holiday of Purim, a commemoration of the Book of Esther. Purim celebrations are best known today for their gift-giving, wild costume parties, and delicious hamentashen. The story of Esther was also the inspiration for a number of musical works, as we will see.

The whole garden looks better if plants are deadheaded, so it is a good thing.

Musical tales from the gods of Mount Olympus

In February, it is appropriate to think about roses.

The earliest iris to bloom is the petite Iris reticulata.

Hosack realized the need for a public garden as a research facility for medical scientists and their students.

Quite a number of flowering annuals can be started by sowing their seeds directly into the garden.

Before long, some of the earliest flowers to bloom will be stirring in our gardens.

This week, the third in a series of four programs that explore canons and fugues from the earliest written music to J.S. Bach. Join us for “round three,” with catches, canzonas, and a certain infamous canon.

Here are some interesting things said by some interesting people. Plus, my personal advice to you in January.

Lindsay was the Grande Dame of gardening in a time when ladies did not have professional careers.

Thomas Church (1902-78) was a garden designer whose style was a response to California's specific type of lifestyle and climate.

Our guest this hour is harpist Cheryl Ann Fulton, one of the foremost practitioners of historical harp, who joins me for a program featuring the soundtrack to her short documentary film The Harps in the Trees, which tells the story of a musical pilgrimage to Scotland by her ensemble Angelorum.

This winter I have been reading some garden writers’ words of wisdom, which now I will share with you.

Just one rose floating in a small bowl, presented with a heartfelt message, written or verbal, will be treasured.

Tired of jingle bells yet? This week on Harmonia, join us for something a little different.

Most of us are familiar with the old-fashioned, white mop-head blossoms of the popular hydrangea variety ‘Annabelle.’

Sometimes soil can be just slightly acid or neutral with a PH of 6 or 7 and you will get a mix of both pink and blue flowers on the same plant.

Hydrangeas are some of the most beautiful as well as durable shrubs in our gardens.

Gratitude is a theme often explored in early music, and we’ll hear expressions of thanks from a variety of sources on this edition of Harmonia.

In 2019, The New York Botanical Garden mounted an exhibit honoring Brazil’s greatest landscape designer 25 years after his death: “Brazilian Modern: The Living Art of Roberto Burle Marx.”

Male hummers are extremely aggressive. They even stab each other!

David Austin was fond of saying that a rose without a fragrance is only half a rose.

I grow more iris than I used to because deer leave them alone, and I’ve discovered that there are many things I did not know about these flowers.

I have been planting more white flowers recently because I already have so many other colored flowers that bloom in my yard across the growing seasons.

If you are looking for more natives to plant in your shady spots this fall, consider our native North American foamflower.

It is important for gardeners to know their hardiness zone.

Perennials are plants that, hopefully, return in our gardens each spring after being dormant during the winter.

Nasturtiums can make pretty cut flowers.

Even just one flower stuck in a bottle makes me feel happy!

Sully reads “We Always Ate the Kraut Pierogi First” and “I Don’t Know How to Use Sundials, but I Appreciate That Shadows Have Things to Tell Us.”

Plants benefit from growing in good soil, and the addition of compost is an effective way to condition it.

Robert Parsons, Gentleman of the Chapel Royal

Common names of plants vary greatly, but officially, each plant has two Latin names.

Blue is such a calming shade and happily combines with any other color.

Thanks to many years of dedicated plant hybridizing, it is now possible to have four seasons of color in our gardens.

Water features are commonplace in formal gardens.

Sully reads “April Is National Celery Month” and “Five Ways of Looking at My Own Body.”

What we call groundcovers today, Vita Sackville West called “carpeters."

The Musical World of Johannes Ciconia

When I began gardening, my aim was to have as many flowers as possible, but the longer I garden the more I appreciate the impact of colorful foliage.

The Songs of Salamone Rossi

Experienced gardeners know that benign neglect results in an unkempt garden.

WLS reads "Funeral for Now," "On the last day there was snow," "Prayer to the Saint of Loss," and "Poem in the Form of Anger."

Some people love specific plants just because of their scent.

WLS reads "The Knackers at Work," "The Knackers in Their Apartment," and "The Knackers Visit the Reservoir."

I love plant names that rhyme!

Foliage colors are especially good for creating interesting beds and borders.

Dan Sullivan reads “House Built in the Form of Prayer” and “And I Can Find a Home There Too.”

I love coleus for their showy colorful leaves...

Dr. Sylvia Martinez of IU Bloomington's Latino Studies Program discusses cultural citizenship with Dr. Sujey Vega, author of "Latino Heartland: Of Borders and Belonging in the Midwest."

Laurence of Florence

Host Aaron Cain discusses several "pressing" matters with IU Media Studies Professor Rachel Plotnick, author of "Power Button: A History of Pleasure, Panic, and the Politics of Pushing."

Anni Liu reads "Northeast Kingdom," "Night Swim at Shadow Lake," and "And I Look Away."

Honeysuckle's common name is woodbine because its woody stems twine clockwise around anything in its path.

London 31390

It is interesting to watch sunflowers turn their heads to follow the sun.

WLS reads "Elegy for Hiding with a Line by Roethke" and "An End To All Things."

The Wacky World of Weelkes

On this episode of Profiles we feature two encore interviews with Richard Luger, former United States Senator from Indiana. He died this week at the age of 87.

Filipendula rubra produces airy rose-pink flower clusters that can be between 4-10 inches wide and rise above the plant’s deeply divided leaves presenting a regal appearance befitting its common name, Queen of the Prairie.

Digging up the root ball of an established plant completely and cutting it into sections actually benefits the plant.

IU Cinema director Jon Vickers speaks with filmmaker Avi Nesher about his approach to moviemaking, and how an upbringing in both Israel and America has influenced his work.

Starting plants from existing ones is fun as well as economical.

A perennial is a flowering plant that lives for three or more years.

Perennial beds need to be well dug initially to loosen the soil and then amended with compost or other organic material.

IU Geography Professor Elizabeth Cullen Dunn speaks with constitutional lawyer, politician, and activist Gennadiy Druzenko about his years of civil service, and what the future holds for the people of Ukraine.

There is a legend about a knight in armor who is walking along the bank of a river...

Host Aaron Cain speaks with sports journalists and filmmakers Robert Abbott and John Dahl, the director and producer of the ESPN Thirty for Thirty documentary: The Last Days of Knight.

“True taste has an eye for both weeds and garden flowers.”

Perry Metz interviews former Senator Birch Bayh in his Washington, D.C. office, where he discusses his political career, the influence of his late wife Marvella, and the allies he sought on both sides of the aisle.

Sometimes plants have minds of their own.

These are the topping tooters of the town, and have gowns, silver chains, and salaries, for playing “Lilliburlero” to my Lord Mayor’s horse through the city.

Vita Sackville-West's granddaughter Juliet Nicolson says that her grandmother's "presence still fills the garden."

Host Aaron Cain speaks with conductor Gary Thor Wedow about his own musical education, his career in opera, and his passion for helping students learn their craft.

What do the Mardi Gras parades of New Orleans, the famous Carnival of Venice, and the Jewish holiday Purim all have in common? Why, costumes, of course!

Vita Sackville-West's planting philosophy : "Cram, cram, cram, every chink and cranny.”

Begonias are beloved because of their textured, colorful foliage, as well as their pretty flowers.

WFIU's Mark Chilla speaks with Tyron Cooper, musician, composer, scholar, and director of Indiana University’s Archives of African American Music.

During the winter when I can’t actually garden outdoors, I plan many garden improvements and most of them include buying new plants.

WFIU's David Brent Johnson speaks with saxophonist, educator, and "Jazz Mayor of Indianapolis" Rob Dixon.

O’Keeffe is an art world star and her paintings of larger-than-life flowers are unique.

Azalea mollis is sometimes successful as a houseplant.

Indianapolis writer and D.J. Kyle Long speaks with WFIU's David Brent Johnson about building musical bridges across cultural divides, and about what happens when your passion becomes your day job.

Hyacinth are some of the most popular bulbs to force in bulb glasses.

Clivias have attractive thick, strap-like dark green leaves.

IU Cinema Director Jon Vickers speaks with Swiss American filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe about his documentaries, that examine the importance of popular culture and explore the influential works of master filmmakers.

Cape primrose is a wonderful houseplant because it blooms for a long period of time.

Host Aaron Cain speaks with Frank Diaz about intersections between mindfulness meditation practices, music-making, and education.

The Sprightly Companion

Gloxinia plants look lush and there are many varieties.

Buy cyclamens that have a number of unopened buds to prolong their flowering.

Jane Cummings speaks with filmmaker and musician Boots Riley, about his film, “Sorry to Bother You,” and about blurring the lines between activism and the arts.

Plants add freshness to the air in our homes during winter and help cleanse the air and remove pollutants.

Host Aaron Cain speaks with author and professor of geography Dawn Biehler about economics, social justice, racism, and other things we can learn from our household pests.

A Renaissance Christmas from Venice, Naples, Milan and Beyond

Orchids make great holiday gifts, as they keep on giving-possibly blooming for up to three months.

It is possible to keep a tropical hibiscus plant alive in a pot all through the winter...The plant will probably not look great, but it will survive.

African violets flower exuberantly but need some attention to achieve their best efforts.

Though we miss the flowers of spring, summer, and fall there are still wonders to behold in the landscape.

Conversations with Maria Whiteman and Rebecca Allan, two visual artists trying to find news ways to depict the natural world in the hopes of saving it.

I make my potpourri using the rose petals and flower heads that I cut off while deadheading all summer.

Steve Sanders speaks with teacher, writer, and historian Andrea Neal, about her new biography of U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence.

Calla lilies can put a "twist" on your existing landscape.

Janae Cummings speaks with sociologist Crystal Fleming, the author of "How to Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy, and the Racial Divide."

As we tend our indoor plants, it often seems to soothe and calm our spirits. Some health experts have even suggested that our plants may help lower blood pressure.

David Brent Johnson speaks with veteran sports writer Stan Sutton, about his career covering several of Indiana’s sports legends, and how sports have evolved over the years.

Music has played an important role for centuries in the celebration of the Feast of All Saints.

Intermingling is similar to creating a prairie planting where the plants grow together without any defined edges or structure.

Martin Luther was a great fan of music, and on Harmonia this week, in honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, we’re exploring Lutheran composers.

Plants with common names that are not so pretty should not deter us from using them in our gardens.

Gena Asher speaks with Erin Predmore, the new president and CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.

Sedums with dark-colored leaves look striking in the fall garden and contrast with the colorful autumn leaves.

Will Murphy speaks with philosopher and bioethicist Peter Singer, and with paleoanthropologist Pat Shipman, about ethical living, ecological responsibility, and the relationship between human and non-human animals.

Gerárdo Gonzalez and Charlie Nelms, who share their stories about family, mentors, their decades-long academic careers, and how education transformed their lives.

These are few of my favorite deer-resistant plants.

Elaine Monaghan speaks with author, educator, and photojournalist Steve Raymer about his life in pictures.

The Tudor period was marked by the flourishing of sacred music in the chapels and cathedrals of England.

Wind bands have been tickling our ears for centuries, in war, on the athletic field, and in the concert hall.

Host Aaron Cain speaks with musician and IU Professor of Informatics Christopher Raphael, about teaching computers to recognize, understand, and perform music.

Host Aaron Cain speaks with biogeochemist Jeffrey White about his search for climate change clues at the edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” This proverb, attributed to Saint Ambrose, encourages us to keep with the traditions of the places we visit and inhabit.

Janae Cummings speaks with WIRED editor Peter Rubin about how virtual reality is changing human connection, intimacy, and the limits of ordinary life.

There’s one plant that self-seeds all over my yard that I pull up whenever I see it, even when it is in flower.

Elaine Monaghan speaks with journalist and filmmaker Ruth O’Reilly, about the possibilities in Ireland’s future, and the personal sacrifices of its past.

Yaël Ksander speaks with photographer Richard Ross, about his Juvenile-In-Justice project, and about creating images that are catalysts for change.

Filmmaker Mira Nair and artist Bharti Kher talk about the social and cross-cultural inspirations behind their work.

David Watters reads "Make America Great Again," "My Country 'Tis of Thee," "Dear Mumia," and "My Country 'Tis of Thee (2)."

Host Aaron Cain speaks with sociologist Michael Burawoy about working in communist steel mills and saving public universities in crisis.

Patrick Kindig reads "At the Farmers' Market," "Some Say the World," "Accident," and "Poem in Which the World Does Not End, But..."

Janae Cummings speaks with lecturer and author Yascha Mounk about the battle to save liberal democracies in the U.S., and around the world.

Tony Brewer reads "¿Dónde está el baño?" "Cross," "messy blessing," and "The Things that Stick."

Everybody Hates a Prodigy

Host Aaron Cain speaks with David Weaver and Cleve Wilhoit about their decades of award-winning research into journalism in the United States.

Moya Andrews, host of WFIU’s Focus on Flowers, who brings us two conversations with some important stewards of the land in South Central Indiana: J. Terry Clapacs and Anthony Joslin

There’s something about Mary – the Virgin Mary, that is! She’s been the subject of countless sacred works throughout the history of western art music.

Fortepianist Els Biesemans and violinist Meret Lüthi play music by the neglected but commendable Classical composer, Johann Franz Xaver Sterkel.

Willy Palomo reads "A hincarse means to kneel before your Maker," "Canción de Cuna," "Forgotten Commandments," and "Speaking with My Mouth Full."

There are some seeds that I direct sow onto my garden once the soil has warmed up.

Host Aaron Cain speaks with Dr. Mary-Claire King about her pioneering work in the field of genetics.

David Watters reads "Rowing Across the Lake" and "Aubade for my Son."

The Raimondi Manuscript is an important source for 16th and 17th century lute music.

Mass can be created by a few large plants placed together, or a grouping of many similar medium-sized plants.

Mark Edwards speaks with Dr. Deborah Curtis, the newly-appointed president of Indiana State University.

Yalie Kamara reads "Resurrection" and "Mother's Rules."

I have been thinking about color-themed beds.

Host Aaron Cain speaks with Sophia McClennen and Srđa Popović about the power of humor and satire in the media, in political discourse, and in social change.

Patrick Kindig reads "Birthday Poem," "Boys are Always Trying," and "Derek Tells Me."

Despite his short life, Pergolesi left an impressive body of work behind.

Cut flowers are lovely, but there are alternative gifts for mothers who garden.

Patrick O'Meara speaks with Roberto Salinas-León, president of the Mexico Business Forum.

Emily Corwin reads "hex," "tincture," "apparition," and "tenderling."

My garden is so full of plants already that I'm wondering where I'll put all of the new plants that I'll buy this year...

Tony Brewer reads "calling the quartet" and "Hey Baby."

Pulmonaria, a.k.a., Bethlehem sage, is a perennial with especially interesting foliage.

David Watters reads "After, for Netty Mae," "Postscript," and "Self Portrait as Self Healing for the Artist as a Child."

Coral bells' foliage and texture present many benefits beyond blooms.

Host Aaron Cain speaks with experts in the fields of games and game design about the role that different kinds of games are playing in our lives.