Plant of the Week: Purple Coneflower
Purple coneflowers are the bloomiest plants in summer, attracting many pollinators. Their tall stems are great for cutting and add height to the garden. Nearing the end of the gardening year, coneflowers are not in bloom, but their seedheads offer a plethora of uses in the garden and home. Echinacea, or coneflower, is native to […]
Plant of the Week: Western Ironweed
Western ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii) is our Plant of the Week for the second week of November. Even though bloom time is past, this perennial native has great fall and winter interest. There are many ironweeds native to North America, but Vernonia baldwinii is most widespread. This pollinator-friendly plant attracts many bees and butterflies to its […]
Plant of the Week: Aromatic Aster
Aromatic aster is our Plant of the Week for the 3rd week of October. This native perennial grows throughout the Great Plains and Midwest. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=syob This is number 3 on my list of Top Ten Perennials for Pollinators. I cannot think of a better plant for gardens for late in the season. When October rolls […]
Plants for the Autumn Garden
With the year finally beginning to wane, we are looking forward to the changing of the leaves and prepping for winter. However, before we put our tools away for good, we need to assess and evaluate our current gardens. Then we can decided which perennials and grasses would be beneficial for autumn color. Pollinator Plants […]
Plant of the Week: Walker’s Low Catmint
Walker’s Low catmint is our Plant of the Week for this week. Catmint (Nepeta) is a low-growing, perennial that has great qualities in the landscape. I started working with Walker’s Low in 2006 as a landscape designer in Manhattan, KS. We used a lot of low maintenance plants that were very hardy and drought tolerant. […]
Garden Tips for August
Now that we are in the dog days of summer and August, what is there to do in the garden? Yes it is hot, but there are still things that need done before we head to vacations. What needs done the most in August? In the vegetable garden, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and more (especially zucchini) […]
Plant of the Week: False Sunflower
This week’s plant of the week is a long blooming, summer flower: false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides). This native, perennial wildflower has been cultivated by many nurseries. We have a selection of cultivars to choose from. What more can I say about this perennial? It is a very long-blooming flower, opening in late may and June […]
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 […]
Plant of the Week: Dianthus Firewitch
Dianthus Firewitch is our first Plant of the Week for May. This low-growing, perennial groundcover is perfect for borders and rock gardens. It spreads slowly across the ground, filling in cracks and spaces between other plants and rocks. It has blue-green, glaucous, needle-like leaves that add a fine texture to any garden. The whole plant […]
