The Shrub Border
The shrub border has been a part of many landscapes. In the old world (Europe) tall hedges of box and yew outline the garden and landscapes. Even now, gardeners are trying to recreate shrub borders around their landscape to mimic what their ancestors had. But maybe we should be looking at a mixed shrub border, […]
The Lazy Gardener
Have you wanted more from your garden with less work? If yes, then you are a lazy gardener. But do not feel bad, most of us are that way. We want our gardens to be beautiful, productive, and provide us with joy, all without us laying our hands upon it. Because we are lazy gardeners. […]
Planting for Pollinators – June and July
What to plant, what to plant? If you are preparing for a succession crop of flowers for pollinators, then June and July might be your biggest months. There are a plethora of plants to pick from. As we have discussed before, pollinators can include bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, bugs, ant, wasps. hummingbirds, and even […]
Penstemon – June Plant of the Month
Penstemon is the June Plant of the Month. Also known as beardtongue, penstemon is one of the most diverse genus of plants in North America. With 240 species alone in North America, there is a lot of potential for hybridization as well as nativar selection. Here in the Central Great Plains region, we have only […]
Fountains – Adding Serenity to the Garden
Fountains in the garden can bring peace and serenity. The sound and movement of water in the garden is like a symphony in full glory. Water is music, and fountains are the easiest way of adding that music to the garden. They do not have to be huge; they can be as small as a […]
Emerald Ash Borer Found in Brown County Kansas
As many of you know, Brown County Kansas is the homeplace of Grimm’s Gardens. And because of that, anything important starts here first. Last week, a group of Kansas foresters, entomologists, and Doug Grimm met south of Hiawatha to look over some ash trees. And what did they find? Yes, they found emerald ash borer. […]
Favorite Natives (And Nativars) of the Author’s Garden
How many favorite natives can you have? I have been gardening for more than 30 years, and adding natives into my gardens from the very beginning. At my parent’s home in North Central Kansas, I recognized several natives which made their way into my container gardens, and eventually into the landscaping I did for my […]
Aphids in the Garden and Landscape
Aphids can be a real tricky problem to manage. These tiny little pests are one of the most annoying insects in the garden, if you let them be anyways. Most of the time, you will not even see them, because it is only when populations explode that we see pests at all. And aphids can […]
Herbs in the Garden
Did you you know that many of our flowers are both medicinal and culinary herbs? What comes to mind when you hear the word herb? Sage? Lavender? The study and growing of herbs has been going on for centuries, back to the Garden of Eden. Plants were given for man to eat and grow, and […]