It is minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit as I write this. I have made the executive decision that if spring doesn’t come soon, I shall begin growing grass in a Dixie cup. Not the grass that is so prevalent in the state of Colorado these days — but the Kentucky bluegrass, rye and fescue turf grass variety.
Researchers have found that a chemical released by freshly mowed grass can help people relax and make them cheerful, so I figure I’ll just water and cut my Dixie-cup of grass once a week with a pair of scissors and inhale the aroma.
In case you can’t afford to fly to the tropics this time of year, don’t forget that we have a great tropical conservatory only 8 miles north of the Greenwood Park Mall. For a mere $2 you can inhale 10,000 square feet of plants from the world’s tropics in the Garfield Park Conservatory, and it’s in bloom even when there’s snow on the ground. Let’s not all zip up our parkas and drive there at the same time, but it’s open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Of course, this also is the perfect time of year to create a planter for a patio feature. On March 14 you can join Carol Dale at the Indianapolis Museum of Art Madeline Elder Greenhouse for a hypertufa class. For $55 you can complete a hypertufa planter to take home. Register by March 9 at 955-2339 for this 10 to 11:30 a.m. class.
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Next door in Morgan County on March 20 and 21, the Morgan County Master Gardeners Association hosts its Gardenfest and Annual Pansy Sale. There is free admission to more than 30 vendors, garden products and services located at Hoosier Harvest Church, located 3 miles east of Martinsville on State Road 252.
And don’t forget to mark your calendar now for our own popular May 2 Johnson County Garden Celebration at Scott Hall at the Johnson County fairgrounds. A gardener’s delight with more than 50 vendors, great garden speakers and the ever-popular free DNR trees while supplies last. I get giddy just thinking about the offering of eclectic yard art, rustic furniture and plants. Come on spring.
But in case you need a whiff of cut grass, it only takes seven days for annual rye and creeping red fescue seed to emerge, while Kentucky bluegrass takes 14 days. Plant your seed in a Dixie cup with potting soil today and place in your kitchen window — you’ll be smelling fresh grass before daylight saving time March 8.
