Caladiums!
The heat is almost over but there is so much of the year left. And caladiums are the top pick for the heat of summer. Ideally, many of you have already put caladiums into your containers, flower beds, or patio pots, but some of you may not know anything about them. What are caladiums? And […]
Quilled Flowers – Quirky Flaws of Nature
What are quilled flowers? Flower petals which are rolled or “quilled”. These petals can be found in many plants of the Aster Family, and they are one of my favorite things to collect in the garden. Already, I have several perennials with quilled flowers, and I am looking to add more soon. Nature helps the […]
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 […]
Top 4 Annual Flowers for Pollinators
The top 4 annual flowers for pollinators list actually took awhile to compile. Each spring, summer, and autumn, I spend countless hours observing and photographing insects. These photos are transferred to external drives where I can spend time identifying and separating them into categories. Once I have everything identified and categorized, then I can go […]
Definitions of Common Gardening Terms
There are many words used in gardening posts and blogs that people may not know the meaning of. Well, this post is the place to be if you really want to know what something mean. I will be defining to the best of my knowledge (and a dictionary) the following terms. Enjoy and I hope […]
2020 Year in Review – Annual Color
Each year I love doing annual color plantings more and more. In the past, I used to hate annuals, but I have learned how much of an impact and statement they can make. With our ever-changing weather patterns, it can be difficult to choose annuals that will withstand heat, drought, flooding, and cool spells. However, […]
Plant of the Week: Helenium Dakota Gold
Helenium Dakota Gold is our Plant of the Week for the last week of August. This annual is a powerhouse bloomer, going from June until frost. It is a cultivar of our native Helenium amarum, bitter sneezeweed. It can be found native in the Lower Great Plains and Lower Midwest. https://www.kswildflower.org/flower_details.php?flowerID=161 I do not use […]
In the Garden: Tips for June
June is the start of summer vacation, when America’s kids come to the garden to play, to romp, to enjoy life! June can be a very rewarding month for all of us, with strawberries ripening and cherries red, ripe, and plump. It can also stress us gardeners out, as it is the “last” good month […]
In the Garden: Tips for May
May is coming and most of your cleanup work should now be done! Congratulations on making it through the spring work, but there is always more to do, yes? YES I have a bundle of things to do in the potager and I am sure you do as well. I am so ready to plant […]
