INDIANAPOLIS — Katherine Barger spent much of her childhood working outside.
“Helping mom and dad plant in the garden,” Barger said. “Plant things in the yard, trees, and all that sort of a thing.”
So it should come as no surprise that when Barger decided to open Alice’s Garden last year, she wanted to pay homage to the women who helped her grow.
“I named it after my mother, Alice,” Barger said. “She was my inspiration and [she] was into gardening and plants and was my start into the plant world. So, it just seemed fitting that this would be named after her.”
The shop on W. 71st Street is open year round and sells everything from house plants to seeds, bulbs and pottery.
“We always have house plants,” Barger said. “As the temperatures warm up, we'll push back into the greenhouse and cactus and succulents will live out there. Starting next week, perennials, shrubs, and trees will start coming in.”
Alice’s Garden is a one stop shop that will suit any green thumb. But if your thumb isn’t as green as you’d like, the folks at Alice’s can help with that too.
“We do classes pretty much every weekend,” Barger said. “Terrarium classes are really popular. We do a houseplants for beginners [class] and then we'll go into some more specialized types of things like moss poles.
While a lot of classes are geared towards adults, Alice’s Garden also has kid friendly courses.
“On April 6, we have an all ages type of class that's going to be painting your own little pots,” Barger said. “You get a little plant to take home with that.”
For those interested in growing food, Barger says listen to your gut.
“Plant what you eat,” Barger said, “Sometimes it's easy to get carried away with all these different seeds and plants.”
If you’re not sure where to start, Alice’s Garden also sends out a weekly newsletter with trips and tricks for gardening in Indiana.
“We send out a newsletter every Thursday, and with that we always highlight what's going on right now,” Barger said. “We always highlight a house plant [and] how to take care of that, as well as upcoming events.”
Alice’s Garden prides itself on having a knowledgeable staff who can help you grow into the green thumb of your dreams.
“We're always here to answer any questions that you may have,” Barger said.
Alice’s Garden is located at 3205 W. 71st Street in Indianapolis.
