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:

  • Perennial Salvia – May Plant of the Month

    Perennial salvia is our May Plant of the Month. I have to admit, this was not one of my favorite perennials for a long time. Mainly because of overuse of 1 cultivar in the landscape. I do not like plants that get too much attention; we need more diversity in our gardens. But now, after [...]

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  • Star Annuals for the Central Great Plains

    What are star annuals? Many years ago, Kansas State University developed their Prairie Star List, a list of Annuals for the state of Kansas. However, this list is no longer being presented, as the main testing location for annual flowers has been shut down due to lack of funding. Several years ago, I started evaluating [...]

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  • Fruit Tree Guide – Growing Peaches

    There is almost nothing as wonderful as the taste of fresh, tree-ripened peaches on a warm afternoon. With the sweet juice running down your chin and the buzz of insects around, if you have not experienced this, then you need to plant some peach trees. Here in the Central Great Plains, peaches can be difficult [...]

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  • Planting for Pollinators – April and May

    For several years now, the trend has been on what to plant for pollinators. This is a two-sided question. What do you think of when planting for pollinators? Do you think about what plants pollinators are attracted to for nectar and pollen, or attracted to as a host plant? We need to think about both [...]

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  • Redbud – April Plant of the Month

    The redbud is our April plant of the month for 2022. I have a long love for redbud trees, they have been everywhere I have been. Growing up in North Central Kansas, they were one of the first trees I learned, because they were growing wild in my backyard. I have spent the better part [...]

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  • Garden Maintenance – Spring Cleanups

    Spring cleanups are starting. Even though spring is my favorite time of the year, cleanups are not my favorite thing to do. Especially as I get older, cutting back grasses, perennials, and shrubs, and leaf pick ups just do not sound as inviting as they once did. I still love working here, but more and [...]

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  • Spring Ephemerals of the Central Great Plains

    This is the time of year when spring ephemerals start emerging in the woodlands. These mostly little beauties are not only heralds of spring, but the only pollen and nectar source for early bees, butterflies, and moths. I would go so far as to say that they are rockstars of the plant world, in early [...]

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  • Brambles – Growing Blackberries and Raspberries

    Brambles are berries with long canes, and usually thorns. They are generally reserved for plants in the genus Rubus. These may include blackberries, raspberries, dewberries, and boysenberries. I have a great fondness for black raspberries, because my grandparents grew them in their backyard, and I spent hours among the canes. My grandma made jam and [...]

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  • Magnolia – March Plant of the Month

    Magnolia is our first Plant of the Month for 2022. These early blooming trees and large shrubs come in a variety of flower colors, sizes, and hardiness. The flowers on magnolias are well known for their fragrance, and in Northeast Kansas, for being caught by late spring freezes. Even with the hardiness of the flower [...]

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