“A balcony or small patio garden can be your cozy retreat for morning coffees, starlit dinners, or simply a serene spot to unwind in after a long day.

As a canvas for personal expression, a balcony garden can merge beauty with functionality. It may offer a practical touch — fresh herbs within arm’s reach for a culinary treat — or simply a burst of color to brighten your day.

Make your balcony your mini sanctuary — however you define it.” – Elizabeth Howe, Design and Trends Expert for White’s Ace Hardware

“Buzzing bees, fluttering butterflies and zipping hummingbirds are a joy to watch as they flit from flower to flower, but they do more than entertain. They actually help fuel life on this planet.

The tomatoes in your salad, the herbs in your soup, the apples in your pie — none of these would exist without the work of pollinators. These vital creatures will make your yard their home when you roll out the welcome mat with a pollinator garden.” – Elizabeth Howe, Design, trends, and lifestyles expert for White’s Ace Hardware

In planning a garden, successful gardeners aim for a long-blooming season. They want to see a variety of flowers in continuous bloom — one starting when another is fading —to enjoy an all-season multi-hued flower show! And in pollinator gardens, a primary goal is to provide food(pollen and nectar) to nourish pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, from early spring to late fall.

How do gardeners — and you — do that? Start with a Seasonal Flowering Times Planning Tool!

In her blog, A Wild Garden, Alicia Houk presented this spreadsheet, or compilation, of Midwest seasonal blooming times for several species of plants. You can use this tool to create a continuous color pollinator garden.

Select the flowers you wish to plant according to their peak blooming periods, as listed in the spreadsheet, taking care to choose flowers that bloom at different times from spring to fall. The blooming periods listed are specific to the Midwest region of the US, so they are appropriate forIndiana gardeners.

[NOTE: With a little additional research you can also select plants that fall into Indiana’s USDA hardiness zones, 5b to6a. Your local garden center can be of great assistance in your planning.]

Use the tool to make a list of your desired plants, and then organize them by bloom time. Now you can create a picture of how you want your garden to look over time, which plants will peak when, and as Alicia notes, understand “how biodiverse the flowers are at any given moment, from spring through fall.” This is especially helpful in keeping pollinators continuously nourished and happy to assist in your plants’ healthy growth.

For more tips in attracting pollinators, check out our Pollinator Garden flip book above. And happy planting! 🌻

Click on photo above to download spreadsheet.

Click on photo above to learn more about planting a long-blooming pollinator garden.

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” – Alfred Austin

The joy of a garden is that you can watch it grow over many months. Here are the things to consider when you’re starting off.

Meet Phil and Jessie, your hosts of Making Our Roots, a garden to table series. In this episode you will hear how their trip to Alaska taught them the lessons they needed to learn to live off the land. If they can garden in Alaska, you can garden at home! Learn their secrets and cuisines you can make right from your backyard!

Our 10,000 square foot Garden Center is filled with everything you will need to cultivate your garden from flowers, plants, grasses and shrubs, not too mention the free expert advice! We also have a great selection of yard accents from windmills, to gorgeous pots, lawn ornaments and MORE!

Come over to your Hometown Garden Center! We’re here to help you with all the advice and materials that you need.
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“Starting to plan a garden from scratch can be a daunting task. Good design is about mastering the dimensions in any garden: space, scale, texture, harmony, color, structure, light, dark, charm, features, romance, sense of place, history, and so on. But once you get going, it’s not about strict rules, but developing instincts to guide you over time.

The joy of a garden is that you can watch it grow over many years. Here are the things to consider when you’re starting off.” – Elizabeth Howe, Design and Trends Expert for White’s Ace Hardware

Phil and Jessie are back with tips on growing herbs. Hear how their experience in Alaska provides the tips and advice for gardening in any size space. Get inspired on how herbs can make a tasty impact on your meals as Jessie shows you an easy recipe packed with flavor right form the garden.

Learn more about White’s Ace Garden Centers https://whitesacehardware.com/…/garden_centers

Phil and Jessie are back with tips on seed starting. Hear how their experience in Alaska provides the tips and advice for gardening in any size space. Learn how to start seeds outside or in to create a plentiful source for your meals. Then, watch as Jessie shows you a meal using food right from the garden.

Learn more about White’s Ace Garden Centers https://whitesacehardware.com/…/garden_centers

Products Featured:

Raised Garden Bed: https://www.acehardware.com/…/raised_garden

Peat Pots: https://www.acehardware.com/…/potting

Meet Phil and Jessie, your hosts of Making Our Roots, a garden to table series. In this episode you will hear how their trip to Alaska taught them the lessons they needed to learn to live off the land. If they can garden in Alaska, you can garden at home! Learn their secrets and cuisines you can make right from your backyard!

Learn more about White’s Ace Garden Centers https://whitesacehardware.com/…/garden_centers