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:

  • Plant of the Week: Columbine

    Columbines are early spring flowers, sending up their ruffled leaves at the same time as the daffodils. Columbines come in a wide range of sizes, colors, and bloom times. They are a member of the buttercup family and are a great plant for pollinators. About Columbine Our native Red columbine is Aquilegia canadensis. It can [...]

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  • Attracting Birds – Part 1

    I was recently discussing attracting birds with a church member. She was disappointed by the lack of diversity in bird species that visited her yard on a yearly basis. She lives in the country, away from large populations of people, surrounded mostly by crop ground, with a few narrowly wooded ravines and ponds. Even though [...]

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  • Plant of the Week: Blue Zinger Sedge

    Blue Zinger sedge is our Plant of the Week for the first week of April. This groundcover perennial is a great addition to the garden, for its texture and style. Sedges are one of the most common grass-like plants in North America. In any given, un-managed landscape or lawn, I could find at least 12 [...]

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  • In the Garden: Tips for April

    Welcome to another spring in the garden! April is right around the corner and I have some tips for you. April is when the world around us erupts in colors of pinks, whites, lavenders, and light greens as flowers bloom and leaves push forth. Use these tips to get ahead of the game. Annuals Prepare [...]

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  • Caring for Roses

    Caring for roses can be tricky, but worth the effort. Roses are the gardener’s flower, and have been since ancient times. They entice us with their fragrance, their aroma, their beauty, and their ability to grow in nearly every corner of the world. Even in the cold regions of Canada you can find wild roses [...]

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  • Plant of the Week: Emerald Blue Creeping Phlox

    Emerald Blue creeping phlox is this week’s Plant of the Week. Creeping phlox is a low-growing, perennial groundcover, that is semi-evergreen in mild winters. Surprisingly, it grows only 6 inches tall, including the blooms. The leaves of this tiny groundcover are narrow and dark green. It can be rather pointy when you are planting or [...]

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  • Growing Onions in the Central Region

    When I start talking about regions, things can get a bit gray. Since I have been a gardener, landscape designer, and horticulturalist for 2 decades in Kansas; I generally mean Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and all of Zone 5 when I say the Central Region. Growing onions can be rewarding for those who love the taste [...]

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  • Plant of the Week: Pink Flowering Dogwood

    Pink flowering dogwood is this week’s Plant of the Week. This small tree for shade gardens is one of our arborist’s favorite trees. Doug Grimm is also a big fan of this tree. While pink flowering may relate to either Cornus florida or Cornus kousa, they both have excellent cultivars for our area. Either way, [...]

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  • Flowers for the Kitchen Garden

    Kitchen gardens are usually referred to as vegetable gardens. I prefer to call mine the potager garden. Potager is the French word for kitchen garden. This is where you would grow vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers for use in cooking. Why add flowers? But why should I add flowers to my vegetable garden? Because, adding [...]

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