Wordpress Author Common Butterflies of the Central Great Plains June is the time of year when a lot of our common butterflies start visiting the garden. We do have a plethora of butterflies, and some of them are quite spectacular. But many species are less likely ... Jun 19, 2025
Wordpress Author Edge Plantings What is the edge? Well, it is the literal edge of the property. In most urban cases, planting along the edge of the property is considered bad form to the neighbor. However, in the rural world having ... Jun 12, 2025
Wordpress Author Wild Plants for Butterflies Do I mean weeds? Well, yes. There are a variety of wild plants or weeds , which some of our most beautiful butterflies feed on. And if we are growing only tidy gardens, then we may lose out on seeing ... Jun 5, 2025
Wordpress Author Rattlesnake Master - June Plant of the Month Rattlesnake master is our 2025 June Plant of the Month. This is one of my favorite native perennials, and for many reasons. The first time I came across this species was in the native plant garden at ... May 29, 2025
Wordpress Author Managing Japanese Beetles Japanese beetles have been with us here in the Central Great Plains now for almost 10 years. However, they have become more of a problem in the last 6, with western expansion from the Missouri River a... May 22, 2025
Wordpress Author Attracting Bluebirds My kids just called me to share interesting facts about bluebirds they just learned. Since we started homeschooling in 2018, my kids have the ability to learn at their own rate, on things in the world... May 15, 2025
Wordpress Author Moonlight Garden Creation Humans have a long relationship with the heavens above us. In the evening an through the night, the moon and the stars shine over us like watchful beacons. Many gardeners are obsessed with using them ... May 8, 2025
Wordpress Author Missouri Evening Primrose - May Plant of the Month Missouri evening primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa) is our May Plant of the Month for 2025. This native groundcover type plant is one of the best for tough, rocky or dry soils. Native to Kansas, Nebraska... May 1, 2025
Wordpress Author Big Perennials for Sun Sometimes, you need something big in the garden. Usually, gardeners fill large spaces with trees or shrubs. But sometimes that does not work. Say you have a large island bed in the middle of a big ope... Apr 24, 2025
Wordpress Author Best Annuals for Pollinators When we think about pollinators, most gardeners see swaths of perennial flowers in bloom, covered in bees and butterflies. But what are the best annuals for pollinators? Here in the Central Great Plai... Apr 17, 2025
Wordpress Author Bee-Mimic Insects The insect world is a fascinating place. Within it, there are are many which mimic other insects, for a variety of reasons. The Viceroy butterfly for instance, mimics the Monarch in order to trick bir... Apr 10, 2025
Wordpress Author As the Ash Tree Goes - What Are We Losing? With the introduction of emerald ash borer into the United States in 2002, hundreds of millions of ash trees have been lost. But what else are we losing with the invasion of this pest? Why are ash tre... Apr 3, 2025