Spring fever has come with the arrival of some warmer days and longer hours of daylight. This is the time people start to dream about rejuvenating the outdoor garden and picturing beautiful landscapes. Mulch, weeds and other things can get in the way of the dream garden. Learn more about how to choose the right plants to boost the appeal of a home garden that everyone can enjoy.

Plant a Spring Garden in Indian Lake

Dirt Matters

A soil test is the best way to see what is going on underneath the dirt in the yard. The local agricultural extension office can provide helpful information such as what will grow and how to improve the soil quality. Some of the follow are tips to help get started:

• Add organic matter to the soil
• Start a compost pile or add bags of composted manure
• If soil is drained, plants that tolerate wetness are recommended or a dry creek bed can be installed to prevent standing water

Tree Challenges

The trees planted in a person's yard can make a huge difference to the health of a garden. Some trees drop seeds all over and others can dwarf a person's house over time. It is important to select a shrub or tree for the garden with the following considerations in mind:

• Size
• Form
• Habit
• Avoid planting trees with weak limbs or susceptible to pests

Know the Garden

There is more to a garden than 'full sun' and 'partial shade.' Too much sunlight can burn foliage and compromise plant health. Too little sun can make plants weak. Selecting plants that thrive for a person's specific conditions is key to making the whole thing work properly.

• Eight or more hours of direct sun is a perfect spot for vegetables, fruit trees and most flowers
• Partial to full shade is most ideal for growing perennials, ferns and small trees typically found in the understory of a forest

Have Confidence

Look for healthy plants. Inspect foliage at the place of purchase and check the plant for firmness along with healthy roots. The best place to buy is a local garden center or online from reputable nurseries.

Four Seasons

Choose a variety of plants to start that offer interest at different times of the year. Summer-blooming plants like canna, coneflowers and guara keep showing until fall while others can take over as fall foliage. Winter plants like trees can add architectural beauty through the colder months.

Divide and Conquer

Some of the best plants are perennials or ornamental grasses that can be divided up to grow across a garden over the years. Digging up and dividing plants help keep them actively growing. A healthy amount of water helps keep the plants establish in the ground and grow healthy. This is best done every two years to support a cohesive look to a person's garden.

Spring gardening has endless possibilities. Be sure to try the above tips to find the best ways to help grow a sustainable, interesting garden for years to come.

Taking an outdoor space from drab to fab does not have to cost a fortune. Any space can be made over with some simple tips for creating the look and feel of a brand new space which is easy on the wallet and freshens things up a bit.

Shape Matters

Tables and chairs can make a space wonderful for hosting friends and family outside. Consider a circular or oval-shaped table rather than square or rectilinear. Rounded tables make for easy access around the space and accommodate additional guests without a fuss without putting anyone into a corner.

Garden Walls

Most people focus energy on improving the ground space in a garden. Fences and walls can offer a wonderful design opportunity for the right space. Repurposing what already exists into planters, for example, can spruce up a patio and add a different look and feel. Small patios especially benefit from creating the perception of more space.

Top to Bottom

The top of a garden wall can be just as important as the ground space or erected walls. Planters can create a new look while providing a screen for any less-than-desirable views or privacy curtain from neighbors. The idea also works for someone who wants to plant more than available ground space provides. Utilizing more space can create flow and balance in the garden while putting some carpentry skills to use in the process.

Noise

Depending on where a person lives, the sounds in one's backyard may incorporate elements of nature such as chirping birds and buzzing bees. If this is not the case, including sounds from nature can help nurture the mind and soul. Including a fountain with running water which provides relaxation, masks traffic and other unwanted noise from the outside world. A free-standing fountain can provide just the right atmosphere with do-it-yourself kits available at many nurseries.

Draperies

Curtains or draperies can add softness and sun protection while also providing privacy. Cozy up a space with outdoor fabric for areas exposed to the elements. Panels with weighted bottoms don't blow around in a breeze and sheers provide nice protection from sun and rain while keeping bugs at bay.

Lights

A string of lights is an inexpensive way to transform an outdoor space. Design options are many from small to large, round to decorative. Paper lanterns are also an option in a covered area with less exposure to the elements for a fun, decorative patio.

Personalize

Take creative license to express personal taste with vintage finds or spruce it up with some artwork such as a mural. Friends and family will cherish the personal touch and style.

Reuse

The attic, basement and garage may hold underused pieces to make the outdoor patio shine. Hanging baskets can be made from old colanders or old crates can be made into a planter. The sky really is the limit on making a patio shine with just a few personal touches.

Get more advice on simple and inexpensive ways to give life to your patio!

Contact one of our agents today.

Indian Lake is a wonderful place to spend time in the summer, getting out on the water and doing some boating with friends and family. When venturing out into the open water, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure everyone has a safe, and fun, time this boating on Indian Lake.

Boating

Indian Lake boating is some of the best in the area. Keep the following in mind when going out on the water.

Ramps: all public ramps have ample parking for trailers and vehicles without unhooking. Moundwood and Lakeview are generally busiest but also the largest docking areas. All boat ramp areas have restroom facilities. Chippewa on the north side, Blackhawk on the west, Lakeview Harbor south of the lake and Moundwood is on the east side.

Water Depths: varying depths exist across the lake from 3' to 12.' The lake bottom is mud and sand. A boat will need a hook anchor. Wake areas and speed zones are marked on maps available upon arrival or online. No wake areas are strictly enforced by the State Park Water Patrol.

Skiing: one ski zone exists for skiing and pulling tubes on the west side of the lake. No limit requirements on speed in this particular area but at least three people must be in the boat including the skier while boating on Indian Lake.

Speed Zone: a second speed zone is for boats not pulling skiers or tubers. This area is located on the east side of Indian Lake. No limit requirements on speed exist in this area. Take care and caution while in the game preserve area for weeds. Indian Lake now has a weed harvester to work the weeds through lily pads in the area.

Boat Swim: areas exist on the north side of Red Oak Island, along Snow Island and Little Walnut Island on the north side of Indian Lake. Boats may also anchor on the south end of Old Field Beach at Fox Island Beach.

Boat Safety: safety tips, boat operating ages and PWC rules are available at this page. No alcohol is permitted on the lake. Patrol boats navigate to help boaters, monitor speed and search for safety violations. The Indian Lake Auxiliary Coast Guard is also available to assist boaters on weekends.

Restaurant Docks

The following is a list of restaurants which have docks available for boats.

• Tilton Hilton

• Achesons

• McDonalds

• Kevin's Pizza

• The Moose Club

Registration

Some of the following tips are helpful to know before boating on Indian Lake.

• Any craft used in Ohio waters with a serial number requires registration (including rafts with oars). Owners of homemade vessels must apply for a serial number before registering the craft.

• Untitled vessels require a Statement of Origin, Dealer Invoice or Notarized Bill of Sale. Titled vessels require the title. All vessels must be registered before use on Ohio waters. Ohio now requires a 45-day temporary registration until title is obtained.

Get more advice on getting your boat ready for the summer!

Contact one of our agents today.

Indian Lake in Ohio features a 5,800 acre lake, optimal for boating, inland sailing, skiing and other water activities. There is lots to experience at this hidden gem of the Midwest. Here are some of the 10 best reasons to visit Indian Lake in Ohio.

1. Indian Lake - water skiing is popular as is fishing, hiking, camping and visiting the beaches. Several islands dot the lake for nature enthusiasts and those seeking a more quiet experience. Resort homes, vacation rentals and permanent residences surround the lake which provides entertainment for the whole family.

2. Waterfront dining - several restaurants offer boat docking for easy access to food such as burgers, fries, sandwiches, pizza and fine dining for a beautiful evening on the water. Live entertainment is a staple at several places in Russells Point and surrounding areas. Locals and visitors love to spend time enjoying all these restaurants, big and small, have to offer.

3. Indian Lake islands - includes the "Indian Isles" chain which arcs through the center of the lake. Wildlife areas are accessible through various channels, inlets and bays with approximately 30 miles of shoreline. Oldfield Beach adjoins the lake which is the end point of a several mile lakefront biking and walking trail.

4. Festivals - Every year, the Jimmy Buffett weekend kicks off the first week of February along with the annual Boat Show first weekend in March. A fireworks display for Fourth of July celebration observances brings in the crowds to enjoy good food, neighbors and fun. Hundreds of boats line the water and crowds gather on the shores. The "Ring of Fire" on the Sunday evening of Labor Day weekend, extends an Indian tradition in celebration of harvest.

5. Indian Lake State Park - naturalist programs, playgrounds, basketball, volleyball, bicycle and boat rentals are just some activities available for campers. Some sites include electrical hookups. Hiking, bike trails and winter activities including snowmobiling and ice fishing make this a perfect spot to enjoy year round.

6. Beaches - some of the public beaches for visitors include Old Field Beach with 1,200 feet of beautiful sand and shelter houses with water fountains and toilets. Fox Island Beach is near Russells Point and three areas on Indian Lake exist for boats to anchor and enjoy swimming.

7. Bellefontaine - Home to Mad River Mountain Ski Resort, Marmom Valley Farm and Cherokee Hills Golf Course, shopping and entertainment, there is something for everyone here.

8. Ohio Caverns - enjoy 35 acres of natural caves formed thousands of years ago. Perfect for families to explore together.

9. Serenity and peace - the beauty of Indian Lake in Ohio is the ability to enjoy crowds, fun and excitement but also find quiet places to get away from it all.

Midwestern charm - friendly locals make this an oasis from city life and everyone is having a good time, young and old, so it is the perfect place to go for an enjoyable time and to meet friendly people. Add Indian Lake as a reason to visit Ohio!

Get more advice about these 10 reasons you need to visit Indian Lake!

Contact one of our agents today.

Enjoy Indian Lake Camping with Your Family

Indian Lake State Park has a recreational area with activities for the whole family. Enjoy camping, boating, fishing, swimming and more. Indian Lake camping provides opportunities for fun, rest and relaxation with a little something for everyone.

Facilities

Many amazing amenities are available at Indian Lake camping to make the stay enjoyable. On offer are:

• Over 400 electric sites plus 35 premium sites

• 12 full hook-up sites

• Heated shower houses, flush toilets, laundry building and camp commissary

• Beach access, boat ramp and docks are provided exclusively for camper use

• Pet friendly camp sites

• Seasonal facilities for basketball, volleyball, biking and boat rental including a kids playground

• Group camping area for up to 60 people (with advanced registration)

• Boat camping spaces (not available for tents)

Activities

Camping near a lake is a great way to spend time outdoors. Finding something to do is never a problem at Indian Lakes. In fact, it may be harder to choose which ones to do with so many to choose from.

Hiking - Several trails exist for people who enjoy hiking. The Cherokee Trail is a three mile walk with an easy pace. Some of the trail highlights include wildlife spotting of white tail deer, muskrat, fox squirrel, salamanders and numerous wildflowers along the trail for enthusiasts.

Sailing - Camping near a lake has many benefits here at Indian Lake including sailing. Launching a sailboat is easy in the large open areas and visitors are welcome to watch the Sunday morning regatta from the shore or boats.

Ring of Fire - Participate in a tradition dating back to 1961. Indian Lake camping hosts this event where flares are lit around the lake's perimeter at 9:00 PM on the Sunday before Labor Day. Those who own waterfront property are invited to participate. Park areas are lit by volunteers from Indian Lake High School. A Ring of Fire ceremony marks the end of summer season and start of Autumn.  Indian Lake Amusement Park. The Seneca Indians from New York State lit bonfires around the shore of Indian Lake to celebrate a bountiful harvest.

Picknicking - Camping by a lake is not complete without a picnic to share with family and friends. Indian Lake camping includes many shaded areas equipped with tables and grills along with game and sporting equipment available to registered campers at the camp office.

Fishing - For the fishing enthusiast, large mouth bass, saugeye, white bass, crappie, bluegill, walleye, yellow perch and catfish are all plentiful with Indian Lake.

Rental

Enjoy a lakefront view from a camper cabins. A step above a tent, a camper cabin is a hard-sided structure which sits atop a wooden platform with a locking front door. Each cabin sleeps four adults on two futon beds with one set of twin-size bunk beds. Outlets, air conditioning, a microwave, small refrigerator, table with two chairs and more are available. There are no water facilities in the camper cabins. Restrooms, shower and laundry facilities are located nearby. Pets are not allowed inside camper cabins.

Get more advice on some of the best camping spots around Indian Lake.

Contact one of our agents today.

Getting back to nature is a wonderful thing. However, looking out your front window to see the local wildlife destroying your landscaping and foraging off your heirloom varietals isn't. 

You can do something extreme—like put up a ten foot fence to keep them out. This might work, maybe . . . but you'd be surprised how resourceful and agile animals can be. You could go to your local outdoor store and procure bottles of assorted wild animal urine to spray around as a deterrent. Again, it works for a short time, but is not a long-term solution (and who really wants to mess around with feral urine?). Another, more viable, option is to revisit your landscaping choices. Use nature to outwit natural animal tendencies.

Ground covers are practical, versatile, and affordable. While there are hundreds of ground cover options, only a handful can stand up to deer. Most deer-resistant covers are highly invasive, so you want to plant responsibly; i.e., if you don't have a lot of deer or other foragers, you may want to forgo these or risk having your property overrun.  These plants can help keep deer out of your garden this season.

1. Eastern Teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens)

• Also known as wintergreen

• Native to cold-weather climates of the eastern U.S.

• Has small urn-shaped flowers in the Spring, followed by red berries; in the Fall, its evergreen foliage is bronze-tinged

• Needs rich, acidic soil and is a good choice for growing around azaleas, hydrangeas and rhododendrons.

2. Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)

• Also known as bearberry

• Sun-loving option as majority of deer-resistant, non invasive groundcovers prefer shade

• A type of wild manzanita that grows as a low, spreading mat on the West Coast. East Coasters: look for cultivars taken from the eastern subspecies, such as 'Massachusetts'

• Has the same evergreen foliage and smooth reddish bark manzanitas are known for

3. Dwarf Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides)

• Also known as leadwort

• Sun tolerant

• Tough, well-behaved, easy-to-grow ground cover from China

• Foliage with sky-blue flowers which appear sporadically from midsummer through fall.

• With the first frost of fall, the foliage becomes tinged with a burgundy color

• Can aggressively spread with rich soil and lots of moisture

WARNING: Wear gloves when pruning or handling the plant as contact may cause dermatitis.

4. Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.)

• Also known as horny goat weed

• Tough ground cover which thrives in shady areas under large trees

• Spreads at a moderate rate but not considered aggressive or invasive

• Has heart-shaped leaves and hat-like flowers

• For resisiting deer, look for varieties such as 'Sulphureum' or red barrenwort

5. Pachysandra  (Pachysandra spp.)

• Most common form used is also known as Japanese spurge

• High degree of shade tolerance

• One of the cold-hardiest evergreen ground covers

• Can be aggressive with growth under ideal conditions

WARNING: Pachysandra is poisonous and should not be used where there is a concern that children, pets, or livestock may consume it.

6. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)

• Also known as wild baby's breath

• Native to Europe but used in the Northeast US as deer avoid eating it despite the sweet fragrance it emits.  

Get more advice on keeping deer and other citters out of your garden.

Contact one of our agents today.

There's nothing quite like a beautiful country home and good old-fashioned American hospitality to create an amazing vacation experience. Whether you're a local to the area and need a break from the norms of home or a visitor passing through Indian Lake, these bed and breakfast inns in Logan County represent all the rural beauty our community has to offer.

The Whitmore House

A unique, Victorian style country home nestled just west of Bellefontaine, the Whitmore House is renowned for its lavish delicacies andbreezy country atmosphere. They specialize in weddings and catered events that are looking for that romantic touch and even offer corporate event catering on the property. For couples looking to sample some of the homegrown hospitality of the Midwest, and see one of the most beautiful homes in Logan County, a stay at the Whitmore House for lodging and breakfast is ideal.

Escape Route 508

Another quaint country family 

home offering genuine hospitality for Logan County visitors is the 

Escape Route 508. A peaceful country bed & breakfast located in rural West Liberty, Ohio, this little gem is close enough to all the local attractions from Mad River Mountain to Indian Lake State Park. Get a sample of a family business that welcomes all with open arms.

Myeerah's Inn

Located in quaint Zanesfield Ohio, Myeerah's Inn Bed and Breakfast offers private guest rooms decorated with antique curios and vintage furnishings.  Breakfasts are hearty country offerings and are served by candlelight or outdoors during the summer.  The Inn caters to business luncheons and private events as well. Just another example of the homegrown country character of Logan County and the surrounding area.

If you fall in love with Logan County and decide to stay, as many have before you, there are some beautiful homes for sale in Logan County that we can help you find. Contact one of our award winning real estate agents for a tour.

There's something fascinating and transporting about the ancient history of the county we call home. Logan County has been home to tribes of Native Americans for thousands of years and their artifacts are still being dug up from the nutrient-rich soil of Logan County. Mastodon teeth and arrowheads as old as 10,000 BC have been unearthed in the area, a reminder that all of Logan County was once covered in thick glacial ice, which later melted and flowed south to help form the Hocking Hills and much of the Appalachian basin.

The history of Logan County is full of fascinating stories of native indians, the underground railroad, and aggricultural development. During the last few centuries when European settlers were immigrating to the area, the lands were home to tribes such as the Miami, Wyandot, Delaware, Ottawa, Mingo, Seneca, and Cherokee Indians as well as the very prominent Shawnee Nation.  When white settlers made their homes in the 1760s and 1770s, these natives were forced south into neighboring counties.

The natives clashed with early Americans in several famous battles before the territory was eventually fully settled as the State of Ohio in 1822. A large number of geographical names in the area come from these Indian tribes including their Chiefs, villages, and names for rivers and lakes.

Despite the mournful history of the clash between Native Americans and European settlers, today the Shawnee Nation has amassed a considerable wealth that has allowed them to consider investing several million dollars in land in Logan County.

A favorite pastime of locals in Logan County is to dig for arrowheads and other fossil remnants of this bygone era. There are great caves and even burial mounds throughout Ohio that still stand as a testament to a time long before our community and current residents but the history is a rich part of living in Logan County.

It's almost here!   So many of us are anxiously awaiting the onset of warmer weather and the energy of spring.  While you get yourself geared up for spring cleaning and swimsuits, we suggest planning an area of the yard for a garden.  Having a garden of your own is a wonderful way to connect with the natural landscape around your home and grow fresh flowers, veggies, and herbs for your home. 

Flowers

It's always a boon to have fresh flowers in a vase on the table.  Growing your own flowers around the house gives you a steady supply of luscious color and life to bring into your home each week.   Flowers are a wonderful way to brighten and liven up any room in your home and add extra value when showing the space to potential buyers.   

Vegetables

There's nothing quite like eating and sharing food with your family that you've grown and harvested yourself.  Although few of us are farmers these days, we can still enjoy a nice salad from our own gardens if we plant a few heads of lettuce, cucumber, and every Ohioan's favorite: tomatoes.  A vegetable garden brings a connection to the earth that we're all sometimes missing in the modern industrialized world.  Be careful to fence your garden or you'll be feeding the neighborhood rabbits and deer!

Herbs

Not everyone is totally invested in the medicinal nature of wild herbs but there are certainly other usesfor standard herb gardens. Sage, Basil, and Chives are common herbs used in the kitchen and are quite simple to grow in anoutdoor garden or even an indoor window box.  Herbs can also be burned as an aromatic, similar to potpourri. 

Studies show that working with plants and getting your hands in the dirt of the Earth can actually reduce stress and anxiety so what have you got to lose?   Send us pictures of your gardens this year and we'll post them to our Instagram!