What are Nativars and are They Better?
I have had very heated discussions over the use of nativars with my purest friends in the native plant community. They prefer to use only true from seed native plants in their gardens, but I think selected varieties can be combined with true natives. It is worth digging into. So, what are nativars? Nativar is […]
Plant Sucking Insects
This is quite a literal statement; there are a number of small insects that suck plant juices. This damage to the plant stresses them, often causing mottling or stippling, and is difficult to treat without insecticides. Let us delve in to the world of plant sucking insects. Insect Mouthparts – Piercing/Sucking There are a number […]
14 Common Butterflies of Northeast Kansas
Butterflies are one of the most looked for insects in the landscape, Their colors and flight patterns are observed by amateurs, professionals, and children alike. Everyone loves butterflies. I have a number of field guides for butterflies and for caterpillars, but none that show both caterpillars and butterflies together. There is a decided lack of […]
Bluestar for the Garden
Selecting perennials for the garden can be a difficult task given the number of species and the amazing number of cultivars per species. It would be easy to be a collector of certain species, there are over 1200 daylily varieties alone! In several species: echinacea, hosta, iris, peony, dahlia, and others; there may be over […]
15 Host Plants for Butterflies
Butterflies are the flying flowers of the garden. Everyone notices them and everyone loves them. To attract a wider range of butterflies to your garden, you need to have a variety of host plants and nectar plants, and even a variety of ecosystems would be helpful. The best butterfly populations are going to be common […]
Top Plants for Bees/Butterflies: June-July Part II
Welcome back! The glorious Independence Day is over and summer is bearing down upon us. I am always so busy getting things done for the holidays, that I hardly have time to put posts together. The second half of the season has started and we need some flower power to steer us through. The second […]
Fritillary Butterflies
Frititllary butterflies are one the most common butterflies in spring in Kansas. These showy fliers can be seen flitting among the early summer wildflowers on the prairie and in home landscapes. They are fond of milkweeds and thistles as nectar sources, along with many other native and introduced flowers. Here are the types seen in […]
Garden Photography
How many of you really enjoy going out into the garden and snapping photos of your favorite combination, planter, or flower? I do, and I am sure there are many other like me. Now, while I do own a professional grade SLR camera, I rarely have it on me when in my home garden, I […]
Create a Nature Garden for Children
Every day I think about where my kids are going to play this summer when school gets out. When I was growing up I had acres of land to roam on, with no fear of traffic, or some neighbor spying on me, or all the dangers associated with today’s lifestyle. I had the garden, where […]
