John Chapin of Tree Frog Gardens is the final speaker in the Crawfordsville Seed Library’s March Learning Series. His topic is “Growing Great Hydrangea!” The program is at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the CDPL Donnelley Room A.
Chapin will discuss picking the right hydrangea for your landscaping, the best pruning practices to ensure the best blooms, how and when to fertilize your plant, and tackling tricky plant problems. He will also introduce new varieties that are just coming to market. After the program, plants from his own cultivation will be available for purchase at a special price.
An elementary school teacher, Chapin started his landscaping company 38 years ago to share his love of gardening in the summers. Though now mostly retired, he still does speaking engagements, landscape consultations, and design work.
As part of his retirement, he started Tree Frog Gardens in rural Danville, Indiana. Tree Frog Gardens grows and sells unusual, hard-to-find plants, including native perennials, shrubs, and trees. In addition, he writes a well-known bi-weekly gardening column for the Hendricks County ICON. His treasured advice and details about upcoming sales can be found on his Facebook page and at www.treefroggardens.co.
Master Gardener Sean Grady said he is looking forward to attending the lecture.
“We have six diverse types of hydrangeas in our yard,” he said. “I need to learn when the best time is to trim each one and why some are not growing well.”
The March Learning Series has been popular with record attendance. More than 1,500 seed packets have already been distributed from the seed library. Summer will bring a flower show and a sunflower contest. A new learning series will be available in September, with lectures on flower arranging, hydroponics, disease and pest control and native plantings. Check the library website for details as released.
