Finding Your Secret Garden
One of my all-time favorite books (after the Bible), is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This story enlivens my spirit in the winter, awakening my soul to the gloriousness of the coming spring. While it may be possible for one to create a garden hidden away from others behind walls of brick, wood, […]
Using Stone in the Landscape (and not as mulch!)
Stone has become an increasing factor in American landscapes, being used primarily alongside weed fabric in place of mulch. As great as this looks, it is increasing knowledge that this is hard on plants and soil micro-organisms. Do not get me wrong, I love the look of a landscape fabricked and laid in with Iowa […]
Garden Bones
Just the other day I remarked to a colleague about his garden and how we designed gardens with the “bones” in mind. Garden bones of course, are not the bones of any animal, but the strong plants that hold the garden together through all seasons, when perennials have faded and annuals are put to rest […]
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 […]
Hawthorns
I have been working as a landscape maintenance professional now for more than 10 years and each year get more exciting. One thing that never changes is how my customers feel about their hawthorn trees. They love them! And I am not surprised at all. Hawthorns in Kansas seem to embody the spirit of strength, […]
Winter Blooms
I asked my teenage daughter what she would want to read about if she were a gardener and her first response was: “What blooms in winter?” What does bloom in winter? In Kansas and areas north, very little to nothing at all. Winter is defined as a period of time between solstices, from December 20 […]
Leave those Leaves!
It is that time of year again, when leaves are falling from the trees and making a mess of your beautiful yard and gardens. They are littering up your sidewalks and drives, and piling up in your window-wells. While they are beautiful in colors, providing a fun place to play for kids and adults alike, […]
Diversifying for Pollinators
It is very interesting how insects, birds, and plants can coexist naturally and amazingly, without killing each other off the planet entirely. Insects are around us, literally everywhere. While I can generally identify some 50 species of insects or more, there are another 200 lurking in my backyard I have no idea about, and another […]
What Organic Mulch is Best for Your Garden?
What kind of mulch should I use? Wintertime for the gardener is planning time. When snow comes and the frigid winter winds keep us from tinkering in the garden shed, we curl up on the couch with seed catalogs, garden magazines, and design ideas. It is usually in the spring we start thinking about mulches […]
