Focus on Flowers

Focus on Flowers Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Focus on Flowers, Nonprofit Organization, 1229 E 7th Street Radio and TV Building, Bloomington, IN.

Focus on Flowers is a weekly podcast from WFIU Public Radio about flower gardening, created by the late Moya Andrews, a master gardener from Bloomington, Indiana.

Red hot pokers are interesting perennials that have become popular on both sides of the Atlantic. While they do not comb...
06/04/2026

Red hot pokers are interesting perennials that have become popular on both sides of the Atlantic. While they do not combine well with cottage garden plants, they do create a modern looking presence and are perfect near a mid-century modern home.

Beware: They spread by rhizomes and are categorized as invasive in parts of California and the Pacific Northwest.

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

Dianthus flowers make sweet little arrangements, and even just a few in a small bottle look pretty. I would not be witho...
05/29/2026

Dianthus flowers make sweet little arrangements, and even just a few in a small bottle look pretty. I would not be without these plants in my Midwestern garden. Most varieties are not especially long lived, but that's okay, as then one can always be tempted to try new varieties that come on the market.

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.

In the lower Midwest, May is the month when we see lots of white flowers. For example, Spirea ‘Bridal Wreath' shrubs com...
05/22/2026

In the lower Midwest, May is the month when we see lots of white flowers. For example, Spirea ‘Bridal Wreath' shrubs completely cover themselves with lacy white blossoms so that they do, in fact, resemble brides in traditional wedding gowns.

In the lower Midwest, May is the month when we see lots of white flowers.

The common European marigold, (like the Mexican variety), is justly popular because it is easy to grow, and pests don't ...
05/14/2026

The common European marigold, (like the Mexican variety), is justly popular because it is easy to grow, and pests don't like it. It was first mentioned by the old-time herbalists in 1578, quote, "It has pleasant and bright shining yellow and orange single-petal flowers."

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

In the first couple growing seasons, native gardens require careful management, including w**d control and irrigation.
05/09/2026

In the first couple growing seasons, native gardens require careful management, including w**d control and irrigation.

With tulips blooming and peonies emerging, plant sales and garden events are also in full swing across the Midwest. As more gardeners incorporate native perennials into their landscapes, it is important to set realistic expectations and understand how management differs during the first few years. N

Larkspur is a member of the Delphinium family and though native to Europe, it grows well in North America. The plant is ...
05/07/2026

Larkspur is a member of the Delphinium family and though native to Europe, it grows well in North America. The plant is poisonous if eaten by cattle but fortunately only mildly toxic to domestic pets and people.

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!

The most commonly grown deciduous magnolia in the Lower Midwest is Magnolia x soulangiana, usually referred to as the sa...
04/30/2026

The most commonly grown deciduous magnolia in the Lower Midwest is Magnolia x soulangiana, usually referred to as the saucer magnolia.

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.

One trend: modern gardeners want plants that do not require much water or fertilizer and resist insects and disease. In ...
04/23/2026

One trend: modern gardeners want plants that do not require much water or fertilizer and resist insects and disease. In short, plants that are good for the environment and not hard to maintain.

More and more gardeners are seeking information about sustainability.

Perennials might seem preferable to annuals because they live from year to year, but their habits vary greatly and they ...
04/17/2026

Perennials might seem preferable to annuals because they live from year to year, but their habits vary greatly and they are more unpredictable. Many are easy and stay where you put them. Others hop around the garden, some quite aggressively, and some die out after a year or two...

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!

"While this may not be the typical “how-to” article for home landscapes, I hope it helps you appreciate an interesting a...
04/13/2026

"While this may not be the typical “how-to” article for home landscapes, I hope it helps you appreciate an interesting aspect of nature that home gardeners may have seen many times but failed to recognize."

It sounds like the start of a bad joke, but what do a pine cone, a sunflower head, and a pineapple have in common? Your first thought may be an emphatic, “Nothing.” However, they all have a secret code in common – the Fibonacci sequence. While this may not be the typical “how-to” article f...

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