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.

Blue false indigo, with the botanical name Baptisia australis, is a lovely shrub that blooms in the late spring in zones...
06/18/2026

Blue false indigo, with the botanical name Baptisia australis, is a lovely shrub that blooms in the late spring in zones 3-9 in full sun or part shade. It grows about 4 feet tall and as wide and is drought tolerant and deer resistant and has blue/green foliage and blue flowers that resemble lupins.

Blue false indigo's flowering period is short, but the foliage always looks cool even on the hottest day of summer.

Francisco Hernandez, a botanist and physician to King Phillip of Spain, described dahlias in a book published in 1651. B...
06/11/2026

Francisco Hernandez, a botanist and physician to King Phillip of Spain, described dahlias in a book published in 1651. But they were not introduced to Europe until 1789 when seeds were sent from Mexico to the Royal Gardens in Madrid.

Native to Mexico, dahlias probably grew in Aztec gardens as they were already in cultivation when the Spaniards arrived.

Indiana summers are often hot and dry. Fortunately, some flowers are naturally suited to these conditions. Here are some...
06/08/2026

Indiana summers are often hot and dry. Fortunately, some flowers are naturally suited to these conditions. Here are some flowers that continue to grow and bloom with little supplemental irrigation, making them excellent choices for low-maintenance landscapes.

Indiana summers are often hot and dry, creating challenging conditions for many landscape plants. Fortunately, some flowers are naturally suited to these conditions. Once established, the following flowers continue to grow and bloom with little supplemental irrigation, making them excellent choices

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.

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