Author: Paul

Author Paul R. Wonning considers himself an "Indiana Hound," because he likes to "sniff" out the interesting places and history of Indiana and then use his books to reveal them to his readers. He also enjoys gardening, American history and dabbles in writing fantasy and humorous fiction.
Abe's Beer Garden

03-31 Greenhouse Complete

03-31 Greenhouse Complete
The winter’s project of building a greenhouse to grow early and late vegetable crops is finally complete with the covering of the structure with plastic. I used construction grade plastic, so I hope it lasts two or three seasons. The man at the hardware store told me they had covered a greenhouse for his father four or five years ago and it was still in use, so I used it. Covering the structure is quite a project, especially as I did it myself. An extra set of hands would have been nice, but it is what it is. At the bottom I installed some removable panels which I can take off for watering, maintenance and ventilation.
I don’t plan on heating this structure, I just want to use it to grow early and late crops like lettuce, cabbage, kale and other members of the cabbage family. After cultivating the soil with a Ryobi cultivator I covered the bed with a mulch of shredded leaves, grass clippings and shredded paper which I composted last summer. The bed is ready to plant. Continue reading 03-31 Greenhouse Complete

Abe's Beer Garden

Transplanting the First Seedlings

Two weeks after planting the seeds in seed flats, the first batch of seedlings were ready for transplant. Not all of them were, as some seeds germinate slower that others and some grow slowly. The lettuce, mescaline, brassica (cabbage, kohlrabi, etc.), spinach and snow peas were. Many of the perennials were ready, as well. The strawberries, peppers and chamomile had germinated, but were still too small. Continue reading Transplanting the First Seedlings

Gardener's Guide to Annual Flowers, Sample Chapter

Sample Chapter – Gardener’s Guide to Marigolds – Propagatio

Plant marigold seed about six to eight weeks before the last spring frost. Use a soilless potting mix, available at garden, hardware or farm stores, to plant he seeds. Fill bedding packs, pots or other suitable container with the soil, place the seeds about 1 inch apart on the soil surface and cover with Continue reading Sample Chapter – Gardener’s Guide to Marigolds – Propagatio

Podcast - Indiana Places and History, Road Trip Indiana Series

Podcast – Southeast Indiana Interesting Places

Greetings, today I want to talk about some of the interesting historical places of Southeastern Indiana. I will use the historical markers located around the region as a reference point. My book, Southeast Indiana Day Trips from my Road Trip Indiana Series includes every historical marker installed by the Indiana Historical Bureau in the region. In the book, I include the text of the marker as well as some background information to give the marker more context. Historical markers, ignored by many, can give some interesting insights into the events, people and places of a city, town or village. Many of the topics of the markers are not well known. Continue reading Podcast – Southeast Indiana Interesting Places

Podcast - Indiana Places and History, Road Trip Indiana Series

Podcast – Historical People of Southeast Indiana

Greetings, today I want to talk about some of the historically notable people of Southeastern Indiana. I will use some of the historical markers located around the region as a reference point. My book, Southeast Indiana Day Trips from my Road Trip Indiana Series includes every historical marker installed by the Indiana Historical Bureau in the region. In the book, I include the text of the marker as well as some background information to give the marker more context. Historical markers, ignored by many, can give some interesting insights into the events, people and places of a city, town or village. Many of the topics of the markers are not well known. Continue reading Podcast – Historical People of Southeast Indiana

Podcast - Indiana Places and History, Road Trip Indiana Series

Podcast – Southeast Indiana Parks

In this episode the author visits several of the parks in Southeastern Indiana. The selection includes state parks, state forests, nature preserves, local parks and National Wildlife Refuges. The parks discussed include:
Deam Lake
Clark State Forest
Brookville Lake
Whitewater Memorial State Park
Clifty Falls State Park
Lamplighter Riverfront Park
Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge
Muscatatuck Park
Calli Nature Preserve
Versailles State Park
Hardy Lake and Campgrounds Continue reading Podcast – Southeast Indiana Parks

Podcast - Indiana Places and History, Road Trip Indiana Series

Podcast – A Road Trip to Metamora Indiana

This episode of the Indiana Places and History podcast relates the history of Metamora, Indiana, the history of the Whitewater Canal as well as the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act Of 1836. Listeners will also learn about the Whitewater State Historic Site and find information about the train ride on the Whitewater Valley Railroad.
Whitewater Canal History
The Whitewater Canal connected Hagerstown, Indiana with Cincinatti Ohio and during its brief existence provided an economical route for farmers to ship their products to the city.
Mammoth Internal Improvement Act Of 1836
Touted as a major economic boon, the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act Of 1836 provided the mechanism for funding a number of vital transportation venues for the developing state of Indiana. Unfortunatly the Panic of 1837 squashed the economy and the Act quickly proved to be a financial disaster for Indiana.
Whitewater Canal State Historic Site
Metamora Train Ride
The Whitewater Valley Railroad provides riders with a beautiful train ride from Connersville to Metamora, allowing visitors to visit the state historic site as well as browse the many quaint shops and restaurants in Metamora. Continue reading Podcast – A Road Trip to Metamora Indiana

Podcast - Indiana Places and History, Road Trip Indiana Series

Podcast – Road Trip Indiana – Aurora, Indiana

Aurora, Indiana Attractions

This episode takes you on a tour of the attractions of Aurora Indiana, which is near the site of a minor, but fateful, Revolutionary War conflict. Lochry’s Massacre, sometimes called Lochry’s Defeat, resulted in the death of Colonel Archibald Lochry and about 37 of his men. Listeners will also learn about Hillforest House Museum, a wonderful mansion overlooking downtown Aurora, Indiana. During your visit to Aurora you can relax at Lesko Park overlooking the Ohio River. Lesko Park also serves as the western trailhead for Dearborn Trail. Join me for another exciting road trip in southeastern Indiana as we travel around the state using great Southeast Indiana tourism guides. Continue reading Podcast – Road Trip Indiana – Aurora, Indiana