Year in Review – Annual Color Program
What a year this has been! We have had a lot of ups and downs with the weather, and a long dry spell through the summer. The annuals we put in have had to be tough and most of them looked awesome through summer and late fall. I did not get very many photos of […]
Renewal Pruning
What is renewal pruning? Renewal pruning is referred to as rejuvenation pruning; the severe cutback of deciduous shrubs for a response of new, succulent growth. This is done to a number of shrubs to promote better health, prolonged life, and better fruiting and flowering of the plant. Rejuvenation is usually done in later winter or […]
Benefits of Using Coffee and Tea in the Garden and Compost
Americans consume nearly 400 million cups of coffee a day and about 150 million cups of tea per day. That comes to a lot of leftover tea bags and coffee grounds, most of which gets thrown into the trash. While Americans in large cities get most of their tea and coffee from coffee shops, many […]
Mums the Word
Autumn is here! After spring, this is my favorite time of year. Hayrack rides, fall potlucks, the bounty of gardens spilling across the table, jelly making, and my family’s annual pumpkin carve party brings in the bounty of the autumnal season. And of course, chrysanthemums blooming! Chrysanthemums, or mums for short, are a favorite part […]
Blooms For Butterflies
It is late summer and butterflies are beginning their descent to more suitable wintering sites. Many butterflies move northward in the spring from overwintering sites and then the following generations return southward in the fall. Some of these species include Monarchs, Painted Lady’s, Sulphurs, Question Marks, Buckeyes, and Skippers. As these butterflies migrate southward, it […]
What is With All the Butterflies?!
Recently, here in Northeast Kansas we were seemingly swarmed by millions of butterflies. Along nearly every road and blacktop surface, butterflies swooped and landed and were struck down by passing cars. No matter how many died, more took their place. I have been asked multiple times what kind of butterfly they are and where did […]
Birds are for the Bugs!
That first sweet bite of peach in the hot July sun, off of your own tree in your own yard, makes you wonder about the truly good things in life. For my family and I it was about a move 3 years ago to where we are now, bringing a plethora of landscape plants and […]
Catalpas Blooming In Kansas
All across the state of Kansas, catalpa trees are in full bloom. These trees are a marvel of color in the wooded areas, along railroads, and in towns. When the railroads were first being laid across the state, they would plant groves of catalpa, which grow quickly, along the way to provide fuel when coal […]
Xeri-Pot Containers
The Xeri-Pot was a creation of mine during the summer of 2012 when the weather proved to be extremely dry and hot. It was so hot that the nights did not cool down, and often roasted plantings overnight. Annual plantings wilted and dried up quickly, providing for the opportunity to create something that could live […]
