Summer Pruning
Now is the time to do some summer pruning. What, you prune trees and plants in the hottest part of the year? Well, yes, for certain plants. Pruning in the summer helps some plant rejuvenate, removing legginess and promoting fall flower production. Also, this is the best time to remove watersprouts from fruit trees, and […]
Late Summer Gardening Chores
Gardening chores for late summer include division, cutback, deadheading, fertilizing, and harvesting. We do not typically think of August as a time to be working in the garden. It is hot outside right? Now is the time when we gardeners want to be lazy or go on summer vacations before school starts again for our […]
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, […]
Best Shade Loving Shrubs for the Garden
My work as a landscape consultant often puts me in a place where I have to answer questions on which plant to put where. And shade loving shrubs are high on that list. Many home gardeners can easily come up with half a dozen full sun shrubs, but shade loving? No. Here in Northeast Kansas, […]
Plant This! Not That – Replacing Invasives
Invasives are in our gardens. For some of us, this might be a favorite plant or a stylish plant. And many gardeners never see those plants becoming invasive. But if you hike local woodlands, parks, and prairies, you will see a variety of invasives growing and pushing out native plants. When invasive plants take over […]
Shade Gardening: Creation and Maintenance
Shade gardening is more than just an idea, it is a way of life for those living among the trees. When I first moved east from central Kansas, I had no idea that shade gardening would become such a big part of my everyday life. But after moving from town to town, my wife and […]
Kansas Gardener’s Garden April-May
This year, my garden did so well that I had to break my tour of it into 4 separate posts. Up first is April through May. I cannot remember a wetter May than what we had this year – 26 inches of rain! Most of the plants handled it by putting on tons of lush, […]
