The Kansas Gardener

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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:

  • Growing Dogwoods

    Dogwoods have become a very important part of our landscapes, even as they have always been important to the natural landscapes around us. Did you know there are at least sixteen species of dogwood native to the United States? Only three of them are tree form. We use one of them quite regularly in our [...]

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  • The Honeybee – A Case Against It

    The honeybee is one of the most well-known and iconic insects on earth. Especially here in the United States and among gardeners of all types. The honeybee is recognized for its importance as a pollinator, a producer of honey, and for its colony lifestyle. Most schoolchildren know something about it and most adults have formed [...]

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  • What is Chitalpa?

    Last summer Doug asked me up to the arboretum to look over some new trees he had planted from J. Frank Schmidt. It was a Chitalpa. But what in the world is a Chitalpa? He was excited because his was blooming and it had survived the winter. I was immediately impressed by the flowers, which [...]

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  • Using Native Grasses in the Landscape

    Native grasses have always fascinated me. Living in the Great Plains, and growing up in the Smoky Hills Region of Kansas, I got to find grasses from two separate ecoregions. The tall grasses of the east and short grasses of the west seemed to collide in my backyard. Now, I use native grasses and sedges [...]

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  • What Organic Mulch is Best for Your Garden?

    What kind of organic mulch should I use? Wintertime for the gardener is planning time. When snow comes and the frigid winter winds keep us from tinkering in the garden shed, we curl up on the couch with seed catalogs, garden magazines, and design ideas. It is usually in the spring we start thinking about [...]

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  • New Plants in the Nursery – 2026 Edition

    Each year, as I become more and more accustomed to ordering for the nursery and landscapers, I try to add new plants that I think might excite customers. Adding new plants not only gets people more excited about gardening in spring, but it also helps the diversity of our landscapes. One of my personal pet [...]

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  • My Garden in 2025

    Every year, I give you all a virtual tour of my garden. And 2025 is not different. I think it is nice to end the season with photos of your favorite spaces, and my garden is tops on my list, though I love to see every one else’s gardens too! Things in my own gardens [...]

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  • 2025 Year in Review

    It has been awhile since I have posted anything, life has been so busy! But the ed of 2025 is nearing and it is time for my annual review of the year. I have a lot to tell you about, so bear with me. Before I delve into more specific happenings, let me tell you [...]

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  • Plant Now for Next Year

    Why do so many people ask if fall is a good time to plant? If you plant now, in the fall, then you will have much better gardens than planting in the spring. At least, that is how it works for most plants in the Central Great Plains Region of Kansas and Nebraska. Fall is [...]

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