Hancock County Master Gardener Association Indiana

08/22/2026

Learn what it takes to build a sustainable garden in your community with Purdue Extension's Grass To Garden Virtual Course!
Wednesdays, October 7, 14, 21, and 28 from 6-8 pm ET.
The $50 course fee includes:
- Four live virtual sessions
- Asynchronous education & activities
- Participant manual & online resource library
- Support from experienced educators

Register at https://cvent.me/DAMMMg

08/21/2026

🐝 Keep the Pollinator Buffet Open! 🦋

As summer begins to wind down, many familiar garden flowers are finishing their bloom—but our pollinators are still hard at work!

Late-blooming flowers provide valuable nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, moths, and other beneficial insects preparing for fall and winter.

Consider adding some late-summer and fall bloomers to your landscape:

🌼 Goldenrod
💜 Native asters
🌸 Joe-Pye w**d
🌻 Black-eyed Susan
💜 Blazing star (Liatris)
🌺 Purple coneflower
💙 Great blue lobelia

A garden that includes plants blooming from spring through fall provides a more consistent food source throughout the growing season. Native plants are especially valuable because they have long-standing relationships with our local insects and wildlife.

And before you reach for the pruners—consider leaving some spent flowers and seed heads standing. They can provide food and habitat long after the blooms are gone.

🌿 What’s blooming in your Hancock County garden right now? Take a look and see who is visiting!

08/19/2026

This summer ☀️ has definitely been one for the books 📕

It’s been cool, blazing hot, and recently record rains. The drastic weather changes have a strong impact on home vegetable gardens.

Read below to understand what is happing to your garden and plants.

https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/yardandgarden/waterlogged-vegetable-gardens/

08/19/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D1f3eAeRK/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Have you spotted one of these beautiful butterflies fluttering through your garden this summer?

The Painted Lady is one of the most widespread butterflies in the world, and Indiana is lucky to have them visiting our landscapes.

Several native sunflowers serve as the host plant for their caterpillars and can help support Painted Ladies, including:

Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus)
Downy Sunflower (Helianthus mollis)
Western Sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis)
Showy Sunflower (Helianthus rigidus)

But before adding a plant to your landscape, it's always a good idea to check whether it's actually native to your county! The USDA PLANTS Database is a great resource for checking the distribution of native plants in your area. You can visit the database here: https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/

Native plants do more than make our landscapes beautiful. They provide the food, shelter, and habitat that butterflies and other wildlife need to complete their life cycles.

Unfortunately, invasive plants can take over natural areas and crowd out the native plants that wildlife depend on.

Plant natives. Support pollinators. Protect Indiana’s natural areas.

Have you seen a Painted Lady in your yard or garden? Tell us in the comments! 👇

08/17/2026

It’s time! ⏰

Overseeding your lawn in late summer to early fall can get a jump start on a strong growing season for 2027!

Check out the link from Purdue University below for tips on overseeding. 👇

https://extension.purdue.edu/news/county/whitley/2023/08/now-is-the-time-to-improve-your-home-lawn.html

08/16/2026

If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit the Demonstration Gardens at the Purdue Extension, it’s a great opportunity to see pollinators in action!

And, even better, they are open to the public for visiting!

🐝

08/15/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DFfu8Cf1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Ever spotted a plant that looks a little like bamboo but definitely isn’t? That’s Japanese knotw**d, and it’s one of the most destructive invaders we deal with in Indiana.

What it looks like
Hollow stems, heart shaped leaves, and that zigzag growth pattern make it stand out once you know what to look for.

Why it spreads so fast
Even tiny fragments can start new plants, allowing it to take over streambanks, roadsides, and backyards.

Why it matters
Knotw**d crowds out native plants, reduces habitat for wildlife, and can even damage foundations and pavement.

What you can do
If you think you’ve found knotw**d, avoid cutting or mowing it, and report it on EddMapS.

Let’s keep our landscapes healthy by stopping this invader before it spreads further.

For more information on invasive species visit sicim.info

08/14/2026

The cutoff date for planning your fall garden is fast approaching!

Check out the Purdue’s fall planting calendar below 👇 for more information about planning your fall garden to include things like beets, kohlrabi, bush beans, Swiss chard and turnips, plus broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Chinese-cabbage transplants!

https://ag.purdue.edu/department/hla/extension/extension-publications-library/ext-pubs/ho-66-w.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

08/14/2026

08/14/2026

Vegetable Gardener Pro Tip 👩‍🌾: Take pictures of where everything is planted in your garden now, documenting what worked and what didn’t. This helps to remember where everything was planted next spring and aids in crop rotation!