Grow self-seeding annual flowers that return from seed year after year. Learn which flowers to plant, how to winter sow in milk jugs, collect viable seeds and manage volunteers.
Lobster Claw Heliconia: Growing, Propagation and Seed Starting
Lobster claw heliconia stopped me in my tracks when I saw it blooming at the Garden Writers Association symposium in Indianapolis. I have always loved tropical plants, but those dramatic, brightly colored bracts looked almost too perfect to be real. There I was, surrounded by gardeners and garden writers, completely captivated by a plant that […]
How to Grow Mums: Planting, Care and Winter Survival Tips
Growing mums is one of my favorite ways to keep color in the garden as summer winds down. Chrysanthemums can fill a bed with yellow, burgundy, orange, pink or cream blooms just when many other flowers are fading. I have grown them in garden beds and containers, and I love how different flower shapes and […]
Hydroponic Vegetable Gardening: Starting Seeds and Growing Healthy Plants
What if you could grow fresh vegetables without ever planting them in soil? That question fascinated me enough to start experimenting with hydroponics, and I quickly discovered there was a lot more to it than putting plants in water and waiting for them to grow! Even with years of seed starting and gardening behind me, […]
Sustainable Hydroponics: How to Reduce Waste, Water Use and Energy Costs
One of the things I love about hydroponics is watching plants thrive without a traditional garden bed. But a healthy crop is only part of the story. Can we really call a system sustainable if it saves water while wasting electricity, nutrients or equipment? That is a question worth asking before setting up a hydroponic […]
Plunging Into Aquaponics: A Journey to Sustainable Gardening
Imagine picking fresh basil while fish swim in a tank below, helping provide the nutrients those plants need to grow. That is what drew me to aquaponics. I have loved keeping fish since I was five or six years old, when I had several ten-gallon aquariums filled with guppies in my bedroom. Over the years, […]
29-Gallon Aquaponics Tank Update: Fish, Herbs and Giant Tomato Plants
What happens when you combine a 29-gallon fish tank, a handful of salvaged hydroponic supplies and a gardener who can't resist trying something different? In our case, you end up with an aquaponics experiment in the living room, some surprisingly ambitious plants and more lessons about moving water than I ever expected! I had wanted […]
How to Grow Black Spanish Winter Radish: Planting, Harvesting and Seed Saving
Learn how to grow Black Spanish winter radish with practical Indiana gardening experience, fall planting advice, harvest and storage tips, kitchen uses and step-by-step seed saving.
Starting Seeds for Aquaponics: My Beans, Tomatoes and Cucumbers Experiment
Follow my firsthand experiment starting pole beans, tomatoes and cucumbers for an indoor aquaponics system, including soil-free seed starting, transplanting and monitoring fish-safe water chemistry.
Growing Theobroma cacao in Hydroponics: A Practical Guide to Soilless Chocolate Trees
My firsthand experiment growing Theobroma cacao in hydroponics: a four-pot drip system, transplant shock, leaf loss, recovery and faster growth than soil-grown cacao seedlings.
How to Grow Celosia: Seeds, Tall Greenhouse Plants, Cut Flowers and Edible Greens
Learn how to grow celosia from seed, produce tall greenhouse plants, harvest and condition cut flowers, dry blooms, save viable seed and grow edible celosia greens.
Albuca humilis Care: Growing, Seed Starting, Propagation and Seed Saving
There is something especially rewarding about growing unusual plants from seed, particularly when they come from places halfway around the world. Albuca humilis is one of those little botanical treasures that reminds me why I have spent so many years experimenting with exotic plants here in Indiana. Its delicate white flowers, marked with green, might […]
Albuca shawii: Growing, Seed Starting, Propagation and Seed Saving
There is something almost magical about growing a plant from seed, especially when it is something unusual that you are unlikely to find at your local garden center. That is exactly what drew me to Albuca shawii. With its cheerful yellow flowers and delicate, slightly unusual appearance, this South African bulb is the kind of […]
Theobroma Cacao Videos: Growing Chocolate Trees in Indiana
Explore my cacao-growing videos with practical guidance on fresh seeds, seedling care, winter protection, flowers, pollination and the journey from cacao pod to chocolate.
My Theobroma cacao Story
A plant trade started my Theobroma cacao adventure in Indiana. Follow the story through living-room blooms, fresh seedlings, homemade chocolate and a Key West presentation.
How to Germinate Cacao Seeds: Growing Your Own Chocolate Tree
Learn how I germinate fresh cacao seeds in damp paper towels, recognize the first root and begin growing a chocolate tree, with my original video demonstration.
Understanding Why Your Hardiness Zone Matters
Your USDA hardiness zone is one of the most useful numbers to know about your garden - but it is also one of the easiest to misunderstand. It helps you compare winter cold with the cold tolerance of perennial plants, trees and shrubs. It does not tell you everything that will grow where you live, […]
Growing Amaryllis From Seed: My Pecotee x Blossom Peacock Cross
Follow my Pecotee x Blossom Peacock Amaryllis cross from pollination and seed collection through water germination, planting, seedling care and the long wait for a first bloom.
How To Grow Amaryllis
Learn how to grow Amaryllis from bulb to rebloom with practical advice for planting, watering, after-flowering care, dormancy, propagation and common problems.
7 Sure Fire, Proven Steps For Successful Orchid Care
Successful Orchid care is not hard if you understand the basic needs of this plant and provide them with what they need to thrive. My grandma always killed her orchids. I think she killed them with kindness, although after all these years, who knows? That memory is one reason I want to make orchid care […]
Arisaema Seed Germination: Faster Blooms From Seed Grown Plants
Arisaema seed germination can feel like a bit of a waiting game, but trust me - it’s worth it. If you’ve ever fallen in love with the exotic look of cobra lilies (that’s the common name for Arisaema), you’ll understand why gardeners like me are willing to put in the time. These aren’t your average […]
How to Grow Brugmansia: Angel's Trumpet Care in Containers
Brugmansia is my favorite tropical flowering tree. I grow mine in a container, and there is nothing quite like walking near it in the evening when those enormous hanging trumpets begin releasing their fragrance. During the day, the flowers often look wilted or shriveled, especially after they have been open overnight. For me the real […]
How to Grow Rockin' Playin' the Blues® II Salvia: The Complete Guide to This Long-Blooming Pollinator Favorite
Rockin' Playin' the Blues® II Salvia has turned out to be one of those plants I find myself stopping to look at every time I visit the Butterfly Garden of Gas City - not just because of the flowers, but because there is almost always something visiting them. When I chose this Proven Winners® salvia for […]
How to Grow Teddy Bear Sunflowers: The Complete Guide to These Fluffy Golden Blooms
Learning how to grow Teddy Bear sunflowers wasn't originally on my gardening bucket list, but after spending a season with these cheerful little plants, I can honestly say they're one of my favorite new flowers. Sometimes the best additions to a garden are the ones you weren't planning to grow at all. I first discovered […]
How I Fixed a Loose Pea Gravel Garden Path Without Pouring Concrete
Disclosure: This was a paid partnership with PetraMax. I received compensation and product for this project. All opinions are entirely my own based on my personal experience using the product in my garden. Learning how to fix a loose pea gravel garden path became a bigger project than I originally intended, mostly because this pathway […]
Summer Bouquets: Simple, Fresh Arrangements Anyone Can Make (That Actually Last)
I’ll be honest - there was a time I thought bouquets had to look… perfect. You know the kind. Tightly packed, same filler every time, everything arranged just so. And then one summer, I walked in from the garden with an armful of whatever looked good at the moment - half-open peonies, a few roses […]
Indoor Seed Starting Setup (Indiana-Friendly System)
An effective indoor seed starting setup is essential if you garden in Indiana. Our growing season is generous - but not long enough. We get cold snaps in May, sudden heat in June, long cloudy stretches, and dry winter air that can stress young seedlings before they ever make it outdoors. Waiting to direct sow […]
Growing Paeonia officinalis ‘Monte Baldo’ From Seed: A Journey of Patience and Reward
There’s something truly magical about growing Paeonia officinalis Monte Baldo from seed. Most gardeners are content to pick up a potted peony or a bare root plant, knowing they’ll see blooms within a year or two. But starting one from seed? That’s an entirely different kind of gardening adventure - one that calls for patience, […]
Tomato Seed Starting Tips for Beginner Gardeners
These tomato seed starting tips can help take the guesswork out of starting tomatoes from seed, which is ideal if you’re new to gardening or have just never grown tomatoes from seed before. Growing tomatoes from seed is a great option for gardeners who want to grow organic, heirloom varieties and have more control over […]
Colorful Vegetables Worth Growing (And Why They’re Not Just Pretty)
Colorful vegetables worth growing are the ones that stop you in your tracks the moment you step into the garden. There is something magical about walking into a space that doesn’t look like everyone else’s. Deep plum leaves shimmer beside lime-green chard. Striped tomatoes hang like ornaments in streaks of gold and crimson. Indigo beans […]
Early Spring Gardening: Best Non-GMO Strawberries & Heirloom Lettuces for Cool Weather Success
Like most gardeners, I can’t wait for spring. Early spring gardening is that sweet spot between winter’s quiet rest and summer’s wild abundance - a time when the soil begins to wake up, the scent of compost fills the air, and green shoots start reaching toward the light. There’s nothing quite like sinking your hands […]
Fix Overgrown Garden Beds Without a Tiller (CobraHead Broadfork Review)
Disclosure: CobraHead provided me with a Broadfork to test. This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links or use my code, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Save 10%: Use code EXOTICGARDENING on CobraHead-branded tools at CobraHead.com If you’ve ever battled compacted soil or tired garden beds, […]
Growing Edible Crops In Pots
Growing edible crops in pots is all the rage these days - and honestly, it’s one of my favorite ways to make gardening more accessible and creative. Whether you live in an apartment with just a sunny balcony, or on a sprawling homestead where every inch is planted, container gardening gives you flexibility, control, and a […]
My Twixwood Nursery Haul: A Plant Nerd’s Dream Come True
Disclaimer: I received a free flat of Echinacea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ from Twixwood Nursery as a prize through the GardenComm 2025 Virtual Event Plant-Nerd Trivia Night. Twixwood Nursery also invited me to visit their facility for a private tour. I was not paid to write this post, and all opinions and experiences shared here are entirely […]
From Y2K to Today: How to Garden Through Winter Like It’s the End of the World (Again)
If you’re searching for winter gardening survival tips, you might be surprised to learn that my journey with this topic started all the way back in 1999 - right before the world thought computers would crash and civilization might crumble. I was working in retail back then, watching people frantically buy bottled water, canned food, […]
Vegetable Garden Planting in January: Crops That Self-Seed for an Early Harvest
Vegetable garden planting doesn’t have to wait until spring. One of my favorite tricks for getting a head start on the growing season is to plant in January. Yes, you read that right. While most gardeners are curled up inside dreaming over seed catalogs, I’m outside in the snow, tucking seeds into the ground. Now, […]
Plant Life Cycles: Understanding Plant Life Cycles Leads to Botanical Success
Plant life cycles are the hidden rhythms that guide every seed, sprout, and bloom in our gardens. When we understand these cycles, we start to see why some plants thrive while others struggle. Every gardener - beginner or seasoned - has faced the frustration of seeds that don’t sprout or flowers that never set fruit. […]
Best Advice On How To Grow and Harvest Organic Cotton At Home
Have you ever thought about growing your own cotton - not just as a garden experiment, but as a sustainable, hands-on way to connect with natural fibers? Learning how to grow organic cotton at home might sound a little unconventional, but I promise you, it’s easier and more rewarding than you think. When I planted […]
Attracting Beneficial Insects To Your Garden
Attracting beneficial insects to your garden isn’t just “nice to have," it’s one of the smartest things you can do for a thriving, balanced ecosystem right outside your back door. While it’s easy to think only about the pretty pollinators like butterflies and honeybees, there’s a whole army of good bugs quietly working to keep […]
Rare Plant Cultivation: Why Growing Endangered Plants Might Be the Key to Saving Them
Rare plant cultivation isn’t just a hobby—it’s a responsibility, a question of ethics, and in many ways, a hopeful act of preservation. I’ve thought a lot about this over the years, especially as someone who’s tried to grow everything from Indiana’s native orchids to the elusive Worsleya rayneri, often called the “Blue Amaryllis.” If you’ve […]
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