Guide To Growing Oaks: Benefits of Oak Trees
I have been wanting t write on this topic for awhile; the benefits of oak trees. Oak trees have so many benefits, and it can be difficult to go into them all in a single post. That is why I have broken the topic of oak trees into different posts, so you can learn how […]
A Guide to Growing Oaks: Pests & Diseases
Last week we talked about the various kinds of oaks that can be grown here in the central Great Plains. Now we are going to go over the various pests and disease that may effect those trees. There are many problems that are more aesthetic than need to be worried about. But I will discuss […]
A Guide To Growing Oaks: Picking a Tree
Oaks are part of nearly every landscape in North America. There are 91 species of oaks in the United States, and another 100 or so crosses between species. Choosing an oak for your landscape can be challenging with this many options. The good thing is, most nurseries only carry a few species and some cultivars. […]
Tidy Gardening
Recently, a colleague asked me about plants for tidy gardening. But what is tidy gardening, and how does one achieve it? I have discussed many times my gardening ideals, which include diversity, and lots of plant materials. But I realize there are many homeowners, and some gardeners who prefer to have a tidy look, with […]
October Colors in the Garden
When fall finally arrives, it seems as if all the colors in the garden are playing me for a fool. I love the way the garden looks during spring and summer, with the many bright splashes of flower colors and all the greens! But October, wow. It seems as if an entire palette of mixed […]
Attracting Wildlife to the Garden
If you live in an urban setting, then attracting wildlife may not be the thing for you. But what does wildlife mean? To me, attracting wildlife mean providing homes for birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, arthropods, and other creatures to the garden. For some of you, it may only mean birds. For others, it might be […]
Building Soil
Do you know what your soil is? It is one the most fundamental building blocks to a healthy landscape. Or ecosystem. And we have a problem. Most gardeners, farmers, and landscapers know it is important, but they rarely know where to begin when it comes to building soil. Where do we begin? Since the beginning […]
Summer Pruning
Now is the time to do some summer pruning. What, you prune trees and plants in the hottest part of the year? Well, yes, for certain plants. Pruning in the summer helps some plant rejuvenate, removing legginess and promoting fall flower production. Also, this is the best time to remove watersprouts from fruit trees, and […]
The Author’s 5 Favorite Trees for Leps
What are leps? Leps refers to Lepidoptera, aka moths and butterflies. I love moths, and butterflies too. So I am always looking to add trees, shrubs, and perennials to my landscape which are great for them. With trees, it is hard to find very many that are great for butterflies. Moths yes, some trees are […]
