Hello everyone! I'm in Irvington, on the east side of Indy. How fun to find others that seem as obsessed with gardening as me! :) Hoping to join everyone for a plant swap some time.

I'm from IndyÂButler area. I'm really interested in swapping plants; mostly interested in acquiring showy perennials so I can keep the hummingbirds humming. Am in process of putting in a pond in my postage-stamp sized back yard, and am looking for small hostas and pond plants for that.

hi everyone, this has been a blast! so far, i have gone to fionasol's house and experienced a prairie garden in progress. then, a visit from dhavens with a nice talk about back yard ponds. next day, ademink came over, she only lives 4 blocks away, such a small world. last week, i went to myaaagirls home and she helped me identify many plants. i hope you all have good luck with the hostas. i was thrilled to get a little piece of your gardens too. has anyone else hooked up? party at who's house?

I totally agree...this has been fun! I'm always excited to find new folks to coo with me over plants. (Thanks again for the plant swap, Momcat!)

Just FYI for any near-downtown folks, a new greenhouse/nursery just opened up at 1230 S Meridian (just south of Morris) called "Cit E Scapes". They really did *just* open, so they are still organizing a bit...but they all seemed very nice (at my lunchtime visit today).

Fiona

hey everyone, the irvington garden tour is this sunday, june 29th from 1-5. i will be working at 5235 e walnut (just west of ellenburger park) from 3 to 5, so stop by and say hi! i like this tour because all the gardens (well most of them) are really do-able. i had to back out of this year's tour because my kitchen is being remodeled and i couldn't pass off the refridgerator sitting on the deck as a yard ornament. they got me for next year though, so i'm trying to get my neighbors to do it too so i won't chicken out. peace, love, dove......momcat

Thanks, momcat, for the variegated hostas, groundcover, mint, and the rest of the trade plants. Most of them are doing great! The pretty blue flower...I don't recall what it was... may not have made it. I'll find out next year. Our pond looks good, we found someone who gave us water lilies, iris, water celery, water mint, and some other miscellaneous plants. The Health Dept. came by and stocked our pond with mosquito fish, so life just looks good. Hope you have a great summer!
DHavens

can anyone harvest some cleome seed for me? i'm also looking for love lies bleeding and cockscomb seed, mine didn't make it this year. i can swap love in a mist, purple cone flower and hollyhock seed....thanks,momcat

Momcat,
I think I have some cleome seeds in packets I haven't used yet...I'd probably be willing to share some.

Btw, I had talked about sharing some spiderwort with you ages ago...are you still interested? I'm moving dividing my big one next week.

Fiona

Here is a link that might be useful: Spiderwort

Hello,

I just found this thread - better late than never!! I live in Indy, I call it the 'near-northwest' area, very near Butler (but not in the Butler neighborhood). I never realized how many people on these forums are from Indy before. Hello to all!!

Laura

momcat,

i have cockscomb that will be going to seed, as well as love lies bleeding! also will be digging up some iris for you soon. :) i'll drop them all by the house as soon as i get my butt out in the yard! hehe

andrea

Ok folks, these things have GOT TO GO. hehe I have someone coming to take a truckload soon but there are plenty to share if anyone wants some! Email me to arrange a pickup time. Also have quart sized and smaller containers free to anyone who wants to pick them up (already promised the gallon and bigger to someone)!

ok ladies, i wholesale ordered 1000 tulip bulbs and 1000 narcissi bulbs. i usually plant half and sell half. so, i have for sale giant darwin hybrid tulip bulbs called BIG CHIEF. it's a iridescent rosy-salmon color with a silver sheen and a soft yellow base and will grow to 24". bulb size is 12cm/up. i also have narcissi called FEBUARY GOLD. early bloomer has a slightly reflexed, sulpher-yellow perianth with a darker, vivid yellow, cylindrical cup and a slightly paler base. these will grow 10-12" in height. i have priced these same bulbs at Habigs garden shop, and they are priced 90cents each. i am selling them 30cents each because it is the wholesale price delivered and if i order 1000, i get the lowest price. i'm not making any profit, i simply want to keep my price per bulb down. these are beatiful bulbs, some as big as small onions, and fresh! so, let me know if you are interested. available for delivery (if you are close) or pick up(if you are not close) thanks, margie b

Just found this forum. Was glad to get into where someone is close to me. I recently moved to Brazil from southern indiana(Winslow). We have a new modular home here. And I was moving plants this spring from our other house. still have not got all I want to from there. I have cleomes to share that is all, right here. but I see Fiona has them too ( I was a little late ). Hope I can converse with you all sometime soon. Momcat the tulips sound great. do you know about how much it would cost me, in postage, to get some from you? If you have time let me know. Feel free to email me.

andrea, how is that pool project (or shall i say removal) going in your back yard?

Wow! I can't believe all these Indy and near-Indy people! I live on the east side, right off the 70/post rd exit.

Hello Ladies, just found this, noting like being way behind! I'm not in Indy, but 45-50 miles east on the good old national road! Anyone over this way? I did lots of trading on the the plant exchange for 3 yrs and then we built a new house, lost most of my 80+ varieties of perenials, now this spring I will be starting from scratch all over again. But am sooo excited about it I can't wait until spring. I'm sure I will be back here visiting again soon.

How great, to find so many neighbors here! I live in Westfield, which is by Carmel.

I am heavily into vegetable gardening, but need to spruce up our new home with flowers (perennials and annuals). If anyone wants to trade seeds, let me know! I'd be really interested in hearing about flowers that do well here.

Also, does anyone have a local source for really good, organic compost and/or mulch?

Anyone in Indy have luck with finding someone to soil test? I guess our local extension (Purdue) does not test anymore. I have 3 raised beds that I built last summer and want to see if they need amendments this spring.

It looks like the Farm Bureau Co-ops are your best bet. From the extension website, here's a clip:

You can get your soil tested by contacting one of the following three private businesses in this area. Plan on submitting enough soil to fill a plastic sandwich bag. 1\) A&L Great Lakes Laboratories, Inc. 3505 Conestoga Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46808\-4413 Phone: (219) 483\-4759 Fax: (219) 483\-5274 Lawn & Garden Soil Analysis, $15.00 (price as of 4/99) Includes Soil pH, Buffer pH, Available Phosphorus, Exchangeable Potassium, Organic Matter, Magnesium, Calcium, Cation Exchange Capacity, and Percent Base Saturation of Cation Elements. Provides graphic display of results and suggested fertilizer materials for lawn, garden and landscape. Once received, the turnaround time for processing samples is 3 working days. 2\) Farm Bureau Co\-Op Assn. Inc. of Marion County Cumberland Division 229 S. Muessing Road, Indianapolis (317) 894\-3311 Soil Analysis, $15.00 (price as of 4/99) Tests are similar to the previous lab except no organic matter. Analysis does not include written recommendations for fertilizer application. Allow 2 weeks for processing the samples. 3\) Farm Bureau Co\-Op Assn. Inc. of Marion County Traders Point Division 7618 Lafayette Road, Indianapolis (317) 291\-9055 Soil Analysis, $10.00 plus tax (price as of 4/99) This basic test includes soil pH, lime index, available phosphorus and exchangeable potassium. Analysis does not include written recommendations for fertilizer application. Allow 2 weeks for processing the samples.

Here is a link that might be useful: soil tesing in Marion County

Thanks for the info, Fionsol. I talked to the Traders Point co-op and they said testing is now $11 and includes recommendations. Since I just built my beds last spring and they've never been tested, it's time!

Not from Indy, but a bit north. Fort Wayne, to be exact. Spent some time in Indy, lovely and lively place!

I'm from Anderson, Indiana. I lived there for 20 years until moving to Virginia. The best thing I remember about my garden back in Indiana is our strawberry patch. I had a patch 8'x30' and photos of my daughter and friends with big basketfuls of strawberries.

Hi -- I'm up on the Northwest side, in the St. Vincent's hospital area. I vegetable garden in the one sunny spot in the yard, but we've got a lot of shade trees around, so I'm also grow some and am interested in shade/part-shade perennials.

I do a lot of container gardening in Earthboxes: heirloom tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and cucumbers. Also am big into pole beans. Am considering possibly putting in some raspberries -- anyone here in Indy growing any?

dollar general has seed packs for 25c FYI

I'm from Indy, too. I live near downtown on the West Side. I'm starting a garden this year, too. Plan to plant veggies, herbs, and flowers of different kinds. I've been laid off, but a few nice gardeners have sent me seeds. What a blessing!

I'd like to start going to garden shows and plant swaps. Let me know if you hear of any. I live a couple minutes from the ZOO and White River Gardens...going to check out their sales and stuff, too. Hey, does anyone know if they sell any compost or manure from their animals? Maybe put some elephant dung in the garden,hehehe.

Take care,
Sandra

Drsuz, I'm also thinking about growing raspberries - let me know if you find a good source! I'm definitely starting strawberries - ordering them from Johnny's.

Lefthand, I'm starting to accumulate alot of seeds, so if you are looking for something in particular, e-mail me!

As far as compost goes, a few months ago, before it got real cold here, I actually went to a horse farm (here in Westfield) where they let me bucket up the dung! Oh yea, it was fun, my girls were prancing in the muck and I was heaving this hairy stuff in a tupperware bin... well you get the picture. Definitely got some earth mother points on that day.

Hi,

Wow - how cool that so many garden-webbers are from Indy!

Lefthandartist, I am practically your neighbor - I live near 48th and Kessler. I am also starting to accumulate seeds and I would be happy to send some your way - but I don't have an electronic list of them yet. Still working on that. Email me with your wish list and I will see what I can come up with!

drsuz, I am also considering raspberries or thornless blackberries if they taste OK...but don't have any yet. What kind were you going to try?

Elwood Indiana here - about an hour northeast of Indy - but I work in Indy. Wow - I just knew there were more of us Garden Webbers around than we all knew! :)

I USED to live in Indy - still work there, when necessary (I'm a realtor with a Greenfield office). But I've moved to New Castle - 50 miles east of Indy; the commute's only about 50 minutes.

Hi everyone!
I live on the northside, right between borntogarden and jepper. This will be my second spring in our first house. This year I plan to plant a veggie garden, a shrub border, and lots more perennials - if the budget allows of course!

I live on the northwest side of town near the Art Museum. I live in the Knoll Condominiums and have several adopted gardens that I enjoy. I am a Member of the Indianapolis Horticulture Society. This is a great group the has wonderfull speakers and events. Anyone wanting to see some incredible gardens go to the Art Museum and take a walk around the grounds for free! You can also check out the progress of all the major additions being built now. They have a great greenhouse with alot of hard to find plants and wonderfully unique garden gifts for sale. If you join the Art Museum or the Horticulture Society you recieve a 10% discount at the Greenhouse and at the Gift shop!

Does anyone have a contact for someone who does small tilling jobs? Tilling a veggie patch about 15x15ft at the most, probably. It's for a friend up on the north side of town (71st & N Meridian area). I'm a no-till gardener myself, so I have no handy references to give her--and I haven't sold her on the thrills of lasagna gardening yet. :)

Fionasol, I don't know of anyone off-hand, but I'm a member of a local referral service and can pull up some recommended names for you. E-mail me! (and thanks for your help on the mulch issue)

Hello, I`m on the North side of Indy. I just found this forum and am excited to hear from fellow Hoosiers. Lunar

Wow! This thread has been going a long time. :Just wanted to say Howdy to all the Hoosiers.
Hey don't forget about the plant swap we hold every spring usually about mid to late may. Keep your eyes open on the get together forum. I also work at Marsh Supermarkets on West 38th street. If anyone is in the area stop in and say howdy.Just ask for the Produce Manager(that's me) I love to talk about gardening.
Have a great day.
Scott

Add another hello from one who lives in Indy. I live on the northwest side; near 86th and Township Line Road. I usually lurk in the winter sowing site, but I'm on vacation this week and thought I'd check out some of the other forums. We've only been in our house two years and I'm struggling to learn all I can of gardening.

Taternater,

At Marsh, do you allow customers to take your "dead" produce for composting? I've tried to do this at the Carmel/Westfield store, but I'm getting conflicting info about whether this is even doable. The produce manager there said sure, he can do this, but I first have to contact the corporate office and fill out waiver forms. However, the office had not a clue about this when I called. I was then told I will be sent a "donate" form, but never have received it (it's been a few weeks)

Oh well, sorta disappointing since Marsh is big on supporting community efforts.

How exciting to find this very long running thread and all of you! I just moved to Indianapolis in September and am experiencing my first Indiana spring. I would love some tips on where to get good plants and which nurseries have a big selection of annuals and vegetables. I live near 82nd and Hague. Hope to hear from you guys soon....

Hello my fellow Central Indiana gardeners! I'm not in Indy anymore, but I do sell veggies and flowers at the Carmel Farmers' Market every summer. Does that count? : ) I live 50 miles west of Indy now near Crawfordsville. I garden for a living these days... I grow flowers, veggie plants, heirloom tomatoes, peppers, and all kinds of other veggies for the market.
I love to garden and I keep adding more and more every year. I'm now gardening over four acres as well as trying to make a big portion of my yard into a garden. I just don't seem to know when to quit!
Glad to see so many Indy area gardeners have found Gardenweb... this site has been a Godsend in my learning over the last couple of years. If anyone has veggie gardening questions specific to Indiana, I'd be glad to help... just email me.
DD

I just joined the gardenweb, I live in Indy on the near NW side (52nd and Laffayette). My wife and I are looking forward to coming to the plant swap, although we don't have anything to swap this year :(

I live in Indianapolis too, on the south side!! Wow, a lot of people from Indiana here! I'm just starting to learn to garden this year...are there any great garden clubs around? This may be late notice, but there's a perennial sale at the zoo today, and some kind of flower sale/trade at the Conservatory at Garfield Park...

Southsider here, near Southport. Just moved into my own house last summer, so it's been an interesting spring discovering what the "mystery bulbs" became, and watching my irises bloom (or not, as the case may be). Found this forum and thread while doing a search on Rose of Sharon (or, as it's referred to here, that blasted thing that keeps putting seedlings into everything!).

Shari

Hello, fellow Hoosiers!!!! I'm from Carmel, Indiana just north of Indianapolis. I'm into landscaping and just started growing a tomato plant in a container. It's a Patio tomato. I am hoping to buy a Better Boy plant, but don't know if it's too late. I love tomatoes!! I also have lots of tropical and house plants, too! Garden Web is such a neat website. I have benefited so much from being a member here.

Anyway, it's nice to see so many fellow Hoosiers here on the forums.:-)

Kris

wow!!.....i had no idea there is so much going on locally
Im on westside in indianapolis near the airport and i am really glad to hear there are some local people on here!
Anyone else nutso over flowers and your friends and family tired of hearing about it? hahaha
I just started my gardening "project" last year and i have learned a ton on here
I would love to share anything i have or trade??
drop me a email and maybe i have something you dont?
Well i just wanted to say hello!
Take care

Hey all, I've been on for about a month (I'm in Noblesville, north of Indy) and really have been enjoying GW's forums, so many folks from our area to share experiences and info with. Are there other far-northside veggie, herb and fruit growing enthusiasts on this side of town? other mainly organic gardeners?

Drsuz, did you ever get your raspberries this spring? I've had Fallgold (a really yum yellow raspberry) and an unknown everbearing red donated from folks at church, for a few years now - this spring they did great, but then the Japanese beetles really made a mess of them. I'm expanding my berry collections to currants and gooseberries this coming spring, so if anyone's got experience with either, *please* email me, on varieties to look for, good sources (I'm considering Indiana Berry, they look inexpensive), and best growing conditions.

And, jeppers, did you find out about the Marsh policies for collecting spent produce? I've had pretty good success asking for corn husks from some of my local stores here, sometimes it takes getting to know the guys in the back and just asking, but I know at times corporate rules have to be abided by. Anyone else a "certified whacko" for composting? (the Soil Forum is one of my favorites).

Hope everyone's still got things growing despite the October-in-August temperatures - I just planted for a fall crop of salad veggies, snow peas, bush beans and one more try at yellow squash, now that the borer moth has stopped flitting around. Anyone else trying for one last round before frost hits? the warmth of sunny days and the smell of rain-washed growing things seems to run away from us faster than we want it to. Praying for more summer and a mild fall, to balance out this chilly stuff!

Sherry

the cool weather is great for working outside, i'm loving it..........

I'm loving this weather, too. It might hit 71 on Saturday and I'll be planting. I've gotten *so* much garden work done this summer, it's ridiculous!

Oh, and I'm up near 86th and Michigan.

Purr

Hi, there! I'm in Indy!! :)

The Indiana Soapers and Chandlers Alliance is hosting a free seed swap on Saturday, September 25th at 11 am. The swap will be held at the Pleasing Odors Creations soap studio at 10th & Capitol. (Please contact me for more information.)

This will be very casual, totally fun event, but we have thrown some suggestions together so there's at least a little bit of order. These are merely suggestions:

- Please do not bring commercially purchased seeds or plants to swap. The focus of this swap is on seeds and plants grown by swap participants.
- Seeds should be packaged in zippy bags; plants should please be planted in small containers. (Clean butter tubs, egg carton pieces, tin cans, etc. can be used for planting. Please don't spend any money on containers.)
- If possible, each trading item should be clearly labeled with the type of seed or plant it contains, information about how the plant or seed should be planted and what conditions it should be grown in, and whether or not the item was organically grown or came from an organically grown plant. If you have additional information about how the plant/herb/vegetable can be used and what its benefits are, please include that.

Thanks so much! We look forward to having fun and meeting new friends at the swap!!!

Please contact Pamela at pamela@pleasingodors.com for more information and to RSVP.

Pamela Reilly
Pleasing Odors Creations
www.pleasingodors.com

Just a reminder to Indy folks about some upcoming Plant Sales & Swaps in (or near) Indianapolis!

INPAWS Native Plant Sale and Auction, May 7, 2005 at 10 am
at St. Pius X School 7200 Sarto Drive, Indianapolis, IN

Avon Outdoor Learning Center 3rd Annual Native
Plant and TREE Sale (Use the plant sale links). Plant pick up on May 14, 2005, orders need to be in by April 29

GardenWeb Central Indiana Plant Swap at Holliday Park May 15, 2005 @ 2:00 P.M.

Here is a link that might be useful: Indy GardenWeb Plant Swap

Hi I live in Indpls. on westside near the airport. I am so pleased to see so many gardeners in Indpls. Look forward to going to all the swap shows I didnt know existed.