BY MOYA ANDREWS
Gardeners do the majority of their shopping in the spring when plants are available in profusion. But for gardeners whose passion for planting doesn’t end with the arrival of summer, there are several interesting
places to shop over the summer months. Prominent local nurseries like Mays Greenhouse and Bloomington Valley Nursery are regular ports of call, but there are also local vendors whose gardens are not known to many people. Those who are in the know depend on these specialty growers for their summer plants.
Most serious daylily devotees are familiar with the gardens of David Sherlock, which include many plants he has hybridized himself. To see the gardens you must call (812-332-3852) to make an appointment. You select from the plants that are in bloom, and when they have finished blooming, Sherlock will divide them for subsequent pickup. If you make more than one visit over the course of a summer, you can select early-, mid-, and late-blooming varieties to ensure a succession of blooms in your own garden the following year.
Another daylily expert who sells plants from her own local gardens is Theresa Campbell (812-876-6412). She grows more than 700 varieties of registered daylilies and also has registered hostas available. Frank Nyikos (812-360-6242) grows copious numbers of daylilies, hostas, and daffodils in Unionville. Check out his offerings at walnutgrovenursery.net.
If irises are your passion, then Dan Knudsen (812-334-2931) is a man you need to meet. Knudsen is especially knowledgeable about heirloom irises, but there is no type of iris that this man doesn’t know. He grows some plants in his residential garden and others in his garden outside of town. Remember that irises bloom in early summer but are available for purchase only after they have bloomed.
All of these daylilies, hostas, and irises will transplant well because they are locally grown. Daylilies are especially versatile and will grow just about anywhere. Remember that when planting summer purchases, you must be vigilant about regular watering, as summer heat is especially stressful for transplants.
Sherlock, Campbell, and Knudsen are all members of the Southern Indiana Daylily, Hosta, Daffodil, and Iris Society. If you join that group and attend a meeting, you could talk to them all in one evening.
