Ready to exercise your green thumb? National Garden Week is here!
From June 6 to 12, National Garden Week honors and appreciates all of the wonders that a garden can provide. From growing fresh fruits and vegetables to beautifying our community and neighborhoods, gardens are vital to keeping our city fresh and green.
In honor of National Garden Week, we interviewed two passionate gardeners, Theresa Downham and Denise Miller. Read along to learn about their own gardens, and get some tips and tricks for getting your garden to thrive!
Denise Miller
Neighborhood: Southeast
Gardening Clubs: Hamilton County Master Gardeners Association
Favorite Part of Her Garden: Bearded irises and Daylilies
“Must-Haves” in Her Garden: A lot of rich color and texture in her plants
Favorite Local Garden Center/Nursery: Wasson Nursery on 126th Street
Description of Her Garden in One Sentence: “Eclectic, with a little of everything.”
Gardening Tips:
- Plant what makes you happy!
- Share your plants with family, friends, and neighbors.
- Grow plants from seeds to make money.
Theresa Downham
Neighborhood: Windermere
Gardening Clubs: Hamilton County Master Gardeners, Indianapolis Rose Society, American Rose Society
Favorite Part of Her Garden: Spring: Crabapple, Weeping Cherry Tree, Sand Cherry Tree, Strawberries & Summer: Roses, Hydrangeas, Hostas
“Must-Haves” in Her Garden: Roses are always a must. For this year specifically, a few of her must-haves are a cherry tomato plant, a few jalapenos, and rhubarb.
Favorite Local Garden Center/Nursery: All of them!
Description of Her Garden in One Sentence: “My little oasis in the chaos of life.”
Gardening Tips:
- If you are unsure of how to care for a plant, ask for help. There are a lot of online resources, such as the Hamilton County Master Gardeners.
2. Before buying a bunch of plants or creating a new flower or vegetable bed, decide how much time you want to put into maintaining it. Then, do your research on what plants fit into your plan. Also, make sure you are buying plants that do well in your zone. Fishers falls between zone 5b and 6a.
3. Get on top of problems early. All plants can have disease and pest problems if they’re left unchecked. The sooner you identify the cause of the problem, the sooner you can eradicate it.
Addy Miller is a former college intern for the City of Fisher’s Public Relations department. She is originally from Claypool, Indiana. As a senior at Purdue University, Addy is majoring in PR & Strategic Communications and minoring in English and Art & Design. Outside of her internship, you can find Addy serving drinks at SunKing Brewery, going to the gym, getting coffee, or hanging out with her friends and family. She loves the communal feeling of Fishers and is excited to learn more about the city. Follow her on Instagram.