Fruit Tree Guide – Growing Peaches
There is almost nothing as wonderful as the taste of fresh, tree-ripened peaches on a warm afternoon. With the sweet juice running down your chin and the buzz of insects around, if you have not experienced this, then you need to plant some peach trees. Here in the Central Great Plains, peaches can be difficult […]
What Should the Kansas State Fruit be?
Kansas is well-known for a number of representative symbols, but we have no state fruit. Other states have a state fruit, but not us. Why is that? Well, for one thing, state symbols are not pressing business within the branches of our government. Just like the Kansas state insect, the honeybee, it is up to […]
A Story of Blue
There is nothing that compares to fresh, warm blueberries picked early in the morning while the dew is still shimmering. These berries are a favorite among many who have made the trek to Grimm’s Garden’s blueberry patch in early July. We have been picking blueberries for many years now and usually there are clusters of […]
Growing Grapes in Your Backyard
I have long been fascinated by the beauty and production of a grapevine. Tendrils clinging to each other, supports, wires, and even trees assure that the vines will reach new heights to find sunlight and air circulation. My grandparents kept the old fashioned but wonderful ‘Concord’ growing on two rows of vines in their garden. […]
Peach Season
August is peach season! As a kid, I always thought the peaches should be ripe much earlier than they actually are. I was always so impatient for those small green balls to grow big and turn bright yellow and red. We have made it again to peach season and all the delights that come with […]
What Will Grow Near a Black Walnut Tree?
Black Walnut trees are wonderful if you are a cabinet maker, eat the walnuts, or leave them as forage for wildlife, or use the husks to make a colorfast dye. But if you are a gardener, they provide a challenge, to say the least. A toxic chemical, juglone, diffuses from the roots into the soil, […]
Edible Plantings: Spice up your edible containers!
In the last few years, edibles have taken center stage in many gardens as people try to grow chemical free, organic food for their families. Edible landscaping has resurged as a major design addition in many home landscapes. The use of edibles in borders, adding fruit trees and shrubs, and potting up herbs has become […]
Pruning Blueberries
Gather your tools and safety equipment and head to your blueberry patch! Blueberries are best pruned in early winter, usually January in NE Kansas and SE Nebraska. We start pruning our blueberries at Grimm’s Gardens after the first of the year, before we get into peaches, apples, raspberries, apricots, and cherries. Our patch is large; […]
Outdoor Living Ideas: Bringing Children Outside
Children need to “Go outside and play!”, as our mothers often told us when we were youngsters. The importance for kids to exercise and play outside has been proven time and time again. Research collected by the National Wildlife Federation points to the outdoors for decreasing obesity and ADHD disorders as well as for […]
