Andrew Mitchell Fothergilla Fothergilla is our 2026 April Plant of the Month. Also known as bottlebrush or witch-alder, Fothergilla is a wet-loving shrub native to the Southeastern US. There are 2 species. Fothergilla major is n... April flowering fall color flowering shrubs fothergilla legend of the fall legend of the small mt airy plant of the month proven winners Mar 26, 2026 Blog
Andrew Mitchell Cloud Dancer I am totally surprised by the 2026 Pantone Color of the Year - Cloud Dancer. With America's 250th birthday happening in July, I was expecting maybe a bright blue or sharp red. But white ? Cloud Dancer... cloud dancer color of the year 2026 monet garden pantone color of the year pastel garden pastels pastels garden Mar 19, 2026 Blog
Andrew Mitchell 9 Perennial Must-Haves for Pollinators If you are looking to add flowers to your garden for pollinators, I have 9 must-haves for you. These perennials attract more than just honeybees, they provide for many different kinds of pollinators. ... blunt mountain mint butterfly milkweed common boneset insects liatris mountain mint native insects ornamental onion perennials perennials for pollinators pollination pollinator gardening pollinator plants pollinators prairie blazingstar purple coneflower rattlesnake master salvia sedum Mar 12, 2026 Blog
Andrew Mitchell Spring Cleanup! Now is the time for spring cleanup. Winter is staring to fade away and I know you all want to get out in the garden. By the end of February, I am just itching to get the crews out the door and into th... Gardening Native Grasses Ornamental Grass cleanups flowering shrubs landscaping pollinators spring cleanup yard maintenance Mar 5, 2026 Blog
Andrew Mitchell Monarch Waystations Although it has been more than a decade since I first wrote about Monarch Waystations, they are just as important as before. Even as gardening trends more and more towards natives, pollinator protecti... butterflies monarch butterflies monarch waystations monarchs native insects native plants pollination pollinator gardening pollinators Feb 26, 2026 Blog
Andrew Mitchell Unseen Pollinators Let's face it, if it is not big, bold, or beautiful, then it is an unseen pollinator. What I mean is that there is a class of pollinators which mostly go unnoticed by gardeners. These are unseen polli... ants beetles flies pollination pollinators unseen pollinators Feb 19, 2026 Blog
Andrew Mitchell Orchard Planning Here in the Central Great Plains region, we have a long tradition of orchard plantings. Even though Kansas is no longer known for its fruit, it once was a hub for apples and other fruits. In the late ... apple cherries fruit fruit bushes fruit trees orchard planning pawpaw peaches persimmons plums serviceberry Feb 12, 2026 Blog
Andrew Mitchell 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 na... Sgt Pepper dogwood arctic fire dogwood trees dogwoods flowering shrubs native plants pollinators trees Feb 5, 2026 Blog
Andrew Mitchell 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 b... Garden Answer Pink Dawn chitalpa catalpa chitalpa desert willow el nino chitalpa flowering shrubs hybrids Jan 30, 2026 Blog
Andrew Mitchell The Honeybee 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 pollin... Kansas state insect Kansas state symbols bees butterflies endangered species honeybee pollination regal fritillary state symbols threatened species Jan 29, 2026 Blog
Andrew Mitchell Blackhawks Big Bluestem Surprise! I was totally surprised to discover that the Perennial Plant Association named a grass (Blackhawks big bluestem) as the perennial plant of the year for 2026. Has this happened before? Well, ... 2026 Perennial Plant of the Year Big Bluestem Blackhawks Big Bluestem Grasses Native Grasses Ornamental Grass Perennial Plant of the Year Jan 15, 2026 Blog
Andrew Mitchell Native Grasses for Your 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 ea... Big Bluestem Gardening Little Bluestem Native Grasses Ornamental Grass Switchgrass Jan 8, 2026 Blog