Spring Gardening Tips from IU Bloomington Experts

BLOOMINGTON — Inside IU Bloomington's green house is where 55,000 flowers and plants are grown annually. "These are just about ready to go on campus," said Tristan Johnson pointing to the summer mix about to go out on campus.

Johnson is the director of landscape services at IU. He and his crew make sure all those plants make it out on campus and are maintained.

"We've got a crew of 75 to 80 folks that does everything from mow the grass to plant the flowers to plant the trees," said Johnson. "We've got an in-house arborist crew that takes care of our mature trees on campus. We're Tree Campus USA, and we take a lot of pride in that."

Besides knowing how to keep IU Bloomington looking beautiful, Johnson also knows how to help people with their gardens at home.

"Stay away from the onesie, twosie approach," said Johnson. That means planting in big numbers in small spaces. It will not only look good but save you money later.

"I know people like to see a lot of open mulch area, but mulch is expensive to maintain and so are weeds," said Johnson. "The more plants you can put in up front, it may cost you upfront, but it's going to help you out later."

Johnson says watering and feeding with fertilizer helps keep those flowers alive. If you need suggestions on what to plant, consider pansies.

"They're always a go-to in the industry," said Johnson. "They're one of the few things that pops up and has a petal and bloom. They can get snowed on and handle it, being in freezing temperatures and handle it."

Johnson also recommends begonias.

"They come in every color under the rainbow and as long as you keep them watered, they're deer resistant generally and they're going to look really good," said Johnson.