Native Bees

Native Bees

As the winter turns into February, I begin to really long for spring. And the native bees are the first pollinators to arrive. On dandelions, toothwort, dicentra, and other early spring wildflowers, I see native bees. There are around 4,000 native bees in the United States and about 400 in Kansas. And it may be […]

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Butterscotch Blue Star – #1 Container

Butterscotch Blue Star – #1 Container
Butterscotch Blue Star General Information Butterscotch Blue Star is a perennial plant. It is a taller perennial, at up to 3 feet tall. This plant will form as a nice mound of foliage, with a largely upright form and great ornamental appeal. Butterscotch Blue Star will work well in a variety of landscaping areas. The [...]

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Rain Garden Plants

Rain Garden Plants

What is a rain garden? A rain garden is an area within the landscape that gets the majority of its moisture from rain. It may also get wet from a hose runoff or hillside springs. The rain garden can be a functional and beautiful part of the landscape. I have heard some people call their […]

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100 Sunny Cottage Garden Perennials

100 Sunny Cottage Garden Perennials

How many perennials do you need for the cottage garden? Well, that really depends on your layout, design, and the size of land you are working with. I have a small backyard garden area, roughly 15 feet by 30 feet, in which I have around 70 species of perennials, shrubs, and grasses. And this is […]

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Native Perennials for New Gardeners

Native Perennials for New Gardeners

I have already gone over many of the plants which are best for new gardeners, but what about native perennials? Some of the plants listed in my other blog were natives, but this list is only natives. These native perennials are easy to grow, usually bloom in the first year or plantings, are host plants […]

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Native Plants – Early Spring Bloomers

Native Plants – Early Spring Bloomers

Knowing which native plants are blooming when can help you choose the right ones for your garden. I love natives for a lot of reasons. Every since I was a child I have sought out the wild places for walking and hiking, seeking native plants and their associations with animals and insects. And I found […]

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Pollinator Pockets

Pollinator Pockets

What are pollinator pockets? Well, there is no official term for it, but pollinator pockets are small pieces of garden just for pollinators. It could be any size, but by my definition, it would be no larger than a 10 foot by 10 foot bed. However, the possibilities of a pollinator pocket are not small, […]

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Underused Plants

Underused Plants

As you spend your time planning for next year, look for underused plants. They come in all shapes and sizes, and many of them can be stars of the garden. I spend a lot of time with such plants, trying them in various places in my gardens. Some are ongoing trials, while others are stars […]

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