Grimm's Gardens Blogs | Grimms Gardens

7 Articles

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Aster Lady in Black

Andrew Mitchell

Aster Lady in Black

Aster Lady in Black is Grimm's Gardens 2026 October Plant of the Month. I first came across this aster in 2018 after the Kansas Native Plant Society's Annual Wildflower Weekend in Cloud County, KS. I ...

Aster Aster Lady in Black Lady in Black Lady in Black Aster October Plant of the Month Plant of the Month fall gardening native plants natives perennials

Oct 1, 2026

Hoary Skullcap

Andrew Mitchell

Hoary Skullcap

Hoary skullcap ( Scutellaria incana ) is our Plant of the Month for September 2026. This native perennial comes from the Upper Midwest Region, along the slopes of the Appalachian Mountains and west to...

Mint Family September hoary skullcap native gardening native plants natives perennials perennials for pollinators plant of the month scutellaria skullcap

Aug 27, 2026

Curved Pebble Bee

Andrew Mitchell

Curved Pebble Bee

The curved pebble bee is our pollinator of the month for August 2026. When I first learned about this curious bee, I was amazed by how it builds its nests. I observed pebble bees on my cup plant ( Sil...

bees native bees native plants natives pebble bees pollination pollinator gardening pollinator of the month pollinators

Aug 20, 2026

In Defense of Native Plants

Andrew Mitchell

In Defense of Native Plants

Typically, a week in June or the entire month of June is set aside as a month for natives. Native plants that is. The Kansas Native Plant Society has for years petitioned the Kansas Governor to make J...

Garden Planning Gardening Native Grasses butterfly hosts host plants meadow gardening native gardening native plants natives natural gardening pollinator gardening

Jun 4, 2026

Monarch Waystations

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

Dogwoods

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

Baptisia australis

Andrew Mitchell

Baptisia australis

The 2010 Perennial Plant of the Year was Baptisia australis, Blue Wild Indigo. It was also picked to be the 2020 Kansas Native Plant of the Year. It is a great, native perennial for the garden and lan...

Kansas Native Plant Society baptisia false indigo legumes native plants natives

May 7, 2020