It’s the end of our Indiana growing season and our landscaping beds around the Brewpub and surrounding three buildings are starting to relax into a winter’s nap. And to be honest, we are too! This is the time of year when I’m tired of gardening and especially appreciate all the Indiana native plants that we use. By nature, they’re almost carefree. They love our Indiana soil and climate. After all, they grow in the wild with no watering, weeding, deadheading, or other pampering. Now is the perfect time to add plants, including natives, to your garden. A spring planting has to move house and immediately put on a show. Fall transplants get to settle into their new digs and go dormant, saving up energy for a great spring or summer display. You can add or move plants in your garden as long as you can work the soil…even into December.
Baptisia australis, or blue false indigo is one of our favorite natives, a real workhorse in a sunny spot where it grows to a shrub-like size of 4 feet-wide and tall. It blooms in early summer and for a late summer display, there is Swamp Hibiscus, this variety in a bright red.
Other natives we love and have planted around the Brewpub are:
For more information on Indiana natives and using them in your own garden, go to Indiana Native Plant & Wildflower Society at inpaws.org.
Nancy Hill is co-owner, with her husband John, of the Broad Ripple Brewpub. She is a Master Gardener and past president of the Indiana Native Plant & Wildflower Society. She fell in love with wildflowers in Owen County, Indiana, 25 years ago and has since incorporated native plants in all of her gardens.