The Kansas Gardener

Profile
Andrew Mitchell, also known professionally as the Kansas Gardener, is a Horticulturalist, Nursery Crops Specialist, and Landscape Maintenance Supervisor for Grimm's. He has a B.S. Degree in Horticulture from Kansas State University and a A.S. Degree in Agronomy from Cloud County Community College. Andrew is a Lifetime Member of the National Home Gardening Club and a member of the American Horticultural Society. He is a regular writer and on the Board of Directors of the Kansas Native Plant Society and the Eternal Hope Worship Center. Andrew lives on an oak-hickory remnant forest edge with his wife and 3 children. He is an avid collector of plant species, and has an interest in heirloom vegetables. Andrew spends his free time in photography, hiking, spending time with his family and church, and working in the garden.

Posts by The Kansas Gardener:

  • Lenten Rose – March Plant of the Month

    The Lenten rose is not a rose at all, but rather a member of the buttercup family. This family also includes such plants as anemones, clematis, and delphiniums. Native to southern and central Europe, Lenten roses have long been a part of traditions around the Lenten period. Lent is the period of 40 days from [...]

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  • Hydrangeas – What You Need to Know for Success

    Hydrangeas are perhaps the most popular shrub in the United States. Nearly everyone has a hydrangea in their landscape. But what do we need to know about growing these shrubs? How do new gardeners become successful when growing hydrangeas? To all you new gardeners out there, do not worry, hydrangeas are easy to take care [...]

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  • Cottage Style – Reimagining America’s First Gardens

    Cottage style gardens were the first American gardens, before it was America. When we were still part of the original British Empire, our gardens (not those of the wealthy) were a mixture of edibles, medicinals, and flowers. Most of what early Americans ate came from this garden, and their medicines as well. Annual and perennial [...]

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  • Vegetable Pests of the Central Great Plains

    Vegetable pests range from caterpillars to beetles to slugs and snails. How can we gardeners combat the barrage of insect and animal pests that fight for control of our gardens each year? What is the best way of managing these issues? Well, I am here to tell you that we can only do this together. [...]

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  • 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 [...]

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  • Definitions of Common Gardening Terms

    There are many words used in gardening posts and blogs that people may not know the meaning of. Well, this post is the place to be if you really want to know what something mean. I will be defining to the best of my knowledge (and a dictionary) the following terms. Enjoy and I hope [...]

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  • 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. [...]

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  • Shade Gardening: Creation and Maintenance

    Shade gardening is more than just an idea, it is a way of life for those living among the trees. When I first moved east from central Kansas, I had no idea that shade gardening would become such a big part of my everyday life. But after moving from town to town, my wife and [...]

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  • Houseplants Easy to Grow – Top 10

    If there is one thing that refuses to grow in my own house, it is houseplants. Because I live in a wooded landscape, with large roof eaves (4 foot), houseplants do not like me. And I will not change out the lighting in my home to grow them. But I have cared for them at [...]

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