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Here is a picture of a Blue Indigo plant at our local school eco-garden. It is breathtaking; the blues in the flower are almost iridescent.

The other names for this plant are Blue False Indigo, and Blue Wild Indigo. The scientific name is Baptisia australis. It grows to between 3 and 4 feet tall, and flowers in late May or June, depending on location. The plant can spread up to 4 feet, so give it plenty of leg room.

The flowers are striking in bouquets. The flowers give way to a seed pod, which produces a blue dye. The seed pods can make a great addition to dried floral arrangements.

You can find Blue Wild Indigo in most of the Eastern half of the United States, from Vermont, to Texas. They make a great addition to any native plant garden, or cottage garden in this part of the US. It is a perennial in zones 3-9, which means it will return year after year. New plants can be started from seed, but I have heard it can be a difficult process.

Blue Indigo is supposed to repel flies, but is a natural butterfly attraction, so a great addition to the butterfly garden.

These plants are also found in Native American medicine. They are supposed to remedy vomiting, toothaches, and coughing, as just a partial list of the many things this plant is listed as a help for.

This beautiful plant is definitely on my favorites list.

I love Bearded Irises for their beautiful flowers, and their lovely scent. If you don’t know much about this beautiful plant you should.

Bearded Irises grow to about 2-3′ and can have a spread of up to 2′. If they spread more than you like, not to worry just share a couple clumps of this beautiful flower with friends. That’s what I do with my extras, I never have a problem finding them a home. Most varieties bloom in late May or early June, depending on your location.

I have photos of the beautiful white irises I got from my mom. They are my favorite because they bloom twice a year! They are blooming now (late May) and they have a few blooms again in late August or September. The blooms are breathtaking, especially in a bouquet on my kitchen table.

Irises love full sun, but they can also tolerate partial shade, and once you have them started they are very easy to maintain. They definately don’t require a lot of fuss, but they do povide a beautiful show of wonderful smelling blooms.

Bearded Irises are great for borders, and they are strong enough to crowd out weeds. This makes them an excellent choice for a natural garden.

I get several people here every day who are searching for the term “Virtual Garden.” Sooo…. I thought I would do a little background work for those who are looking for software, or information on creating their own virtual gardens. Here are a few great picks if you are looking for software to create, and plan your own virtual garden, before you start the actual digging.

1. Better Homes and Gardens Landscaping and Deck Designer 7.0- Landscape and Deck Designer makes it easy to plan your own outside space. It has an easy point and click design. You can design in 3D, and go on virtual tours of your designs.
2. Better Homes and Gardens Home Designer Pro 7.0- The Pro Version! The cadillac of virtual garden (and home) designing software. If you are a landscaper, a builder, interior designer, or just want the best gardens on the whole planet this is the package for you! Generate accurate models, and 3D plans in minutes. 1500 sample plans, including great plans for your outdoor spaces.
3. Burpees 3D Garden Design From the manufacturer- Burpee 3D Garden Design works with the very latest in garden plans and themes, from beautiful moonlight gardens, fragrant paths, and lovely hummingbird gardens to perennials and seaside borders
Those are the software packages with the best ratings I found, so if you want to create a virtual garden check em out!

I love this time of year. It is the busiest time of year for gardening. In our area (Southwest Ohio) May is the time of year when most of the planting is done.

My garden is almost planted, I have moved all of the perennials I wanted to relocate. I have been weeding, and mulching like crazy, (mostly weeding). Doing a little watering, since it hasn’t rained on a regular basis.

I love container gardening, so I’ve been setting up my containers. I bought a new bench planter, and I am working on filling it with geraniums. We have had beautiful weather lately to just get out and enjoy the sunshine.

Troy Built is recalling a children’s gardening set called, The Budding Gardener Complete Gardening Set. The stamped logo on the back side of the gardening gloves included in the set contains a high level of lead. Check out the recall at Media-Newswire.

Every year I plant a small garden right outside my kitchen door. I try to plant a few of the herbs, vegetables, and flowers I use the most in this garden. I love to step outside the door and clip a few herbs, grab a tomato, or cut some flowers to throw them in a vase.

What do I include?
Flowers that work well in an arrangement, snapdragons, mums, irises, you get the idea.
Herbs I like to cook with, thyme, chives, oregano, Mint (Chocolate mint is my favorite), tarragon, basil, and rosemary
Vegetables I like to grab for a quick summer meal, such as tomatoes, peppers, or onions.

This way I am more likely to run out and grab something quick while I am cooking

Here are some great books to help you get started with your compost pile. These are my favorites. If you have a great source of info on composting please let me know.

Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web This guide will explain how important having plenty of microbes in your soil is to your plants health.

Let it Rot!: The Gardener’s Guide to Composting (Third Edition) (Storey’s Down-to-Earth Guides) A great how to guide for composting.

Basic Composting: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started (Basic How-to Guides) Another great explainer for anyone who wants to try their hand at composting.

Easy Composters You Can Build Build your own composter? Sure you can, this book gives you step by step instructions.

The compost tea brewing manual Your plants will love compost tea!

Compost is one of the best things you can add to any type of soil. It makes hard clay soil looser, and less likely to clump. It makes sandy soil retain more moisture. Most important of all compost contains valuable nutrients, and micro organisms to help keep your plants healthy.

You can set up 5×6 bins to make your compost in, or use a barrel composter like the one shown below.

Making your own compost just got easier with this barrel composter. Add your favorite compost materials, and tumble it each day to make some black gold for your garden.

The tumbler also comes with compost activator to help turbo charge the composting process, and a composting guide so you can have perfect compost every time.

What can you add to the compost pile:
eggshells
grass clippings
horse or cow manure
rabbit droppings
vegetable peels
straw
leaves
rotting fruits of vegetables
shredded newspaper
weeds(but watch for seeds)
used coffee grounds
seaweed

What not to put in compost:
dog or cat droppings
any type of meat

While composting is not an exact science you should add approximately one part green material (vegetable peels, rotting fruit, grass clippings) to 25 parts brown material (leaves, newspaper, straw).

If your compost pile is out of balance it will not break down as quickly, or it may get a foul odor. If either one of these occur, just adjust your balance of brown to green material. If you have a foul odor, add more brown material. Compost not breaking down quickly? Add more green. Experiment until you get the right combination to heat your compost into nutrient rich soil.

MANTIS® ComposT-Twin - for a continuous supply of compost! Free Activator and Guide to Composting. One-year money-back guarantee.

Spring is a time for renewal. It’s a time when everything comes back to life. Spring is an excellent time to get back in touch with nature, and appreciate the beauty around you.

It’s easy to get caught up in all the things you need to get done in the springtime. I challenge you to slow down, at least for a few moments, and enjoy the world around you.

I have a bench in the middle of my perennial garden that I love to go to when I want to reflect on life, nature, and the world around me. I started nature journaling last summer. I discovered a wonderful book, Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You, by Clare Walker Leslie, and Charles E. Roth. The authors do an excellent job of explaining the process. They also have step by step instructions to help with illustrations.

I am trying to get back into my nature journaling routine, since I didn’t keep it up over the winter. I have also been encouraging my son to do a little nature journaling. He loves to draw, but is not always crazy about the writing part.

Nature journaling is a great way to discover, and reflect on the world around you. Find a spot in the quiet part of your yard, or garden. Take a good look around you, and record what you see.

I use an artist sketch pad to record my sketches, and reflections. I write about what is going on in the world around me. What flowers are blooming? Are there any birds in the bird feeder? What kind are they? Have they been there before? Maybe there is a rabbit hopping across the yard? I try to use this time to understand the world around me.

If you don’t take time to stop and reflect on the beauty around you, before you know it summer will be over. Enjoy the renewal of life happening around you. Stop and smell the roses.

Homemom3 at I’m not just a mom…I’m a Stay-At-Home Mom is hosting a blog carnival with posts on the subject of Mother’s Day: What Does It Mean To Me?, check out what other bloggers are saying in their tribute to mom. What does Mother’s Day mean to you?

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