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:

  • Easy to Grow Plants for New Gardeners

    In the past few years, a lot of new gardeners have come on the scene. Some of it has happened through boredom during the years of the pandemic, while other have come into gardening through a desire to feed their families healthy food. Many new gardeners are finding that gardening is more fun than they [...]

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  • True Bugs – Exploring the Garden

    Next up in our Exploring the Garden Series, is true bugs. True bugs are in the Order Hemiptera, and are identified by having piercing-sucking mouthparts. Unlike other insects, true bugs have their abdomen and thorax joined together. With more than 38,000 species worldwide, there are many which are pests in the home and garden. But, [...]

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  • Pasque Flower – March Plant of the Month

    Pasque flower is our first Plant of the Month for 2023. A new year and a new set of plant of the month species. It can be very difficult to find suitable plants for our early months, especially for March. There just is not much blooming, anywhere. However, I can always count on my pasque [...]

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  • Slugs and Snails in the Garden

    One of my biggest nemeses in the garden are slugs and snails. These land roving mollusks are distant cousins to octopi and squids. But unlike them, slugs and snails are a problem in our gardens, instead of being beautiful sea creatures. But, just like the rest of God’s creatures, they play a role in the [...]

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  • Defining Garden Beds with Edging

    Edging for the garden may not sound like an important issue, but it should be thought of. One of the lesser parts of the landscape, edging is the part which defines it the best. And it plays an important role it separating the spaces of the garden. Over the years I have seen many things [...]

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  • Beetles – Exploring the Garden

    Did you know that there are 30,000 known beetles in the United States? And there are many more yet to be described and found. Worldwide, there are over 400,000 known types of beetles, more than any other insect. If you spend enough time exploring the garden, as I do, you will come across a staggering [...]

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  • Rabbits – Keeping Them from the Garden

    Rabbits in the garden? Oh no! Yes, rabbits can be a very detrimental pest in any garden, whether growing vegetables, cut flowers, or fruit. I deal with the problems associated with rabbits every season, and spring and winter the most. Keeping them out of the garden is not easy, and many of the things most [...]

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  • Tough Trees for the Urban Canopy

    Why do we need tough trees? What challenges do we face in the urban canopy toady that requires specific planning for canopy diversity? Trees are our best choice for the fight against air pollution, poor air quality, heat islands, and climate manipulation. When we have trees in our landscapes, parks, and streetways, our overall health, [...]

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  • The Importance of Bark

    Bark is of one of my favorite attributes of trees. Yes, leaves and flowers are more important to landscapers and homeowners, and even insects. But bark is not only important for overwintering insects, it is also important as a means of identification, as well as protective cover for the tree. And bark changes so much [...]

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