Garden Tour- 2023 at the Kansas Gardener’s

Garden Tour- 2023 at the Kansas Gardener’s

It is that time of year again! I really do enjoy sharing my love of gardening each season with all of you. And I love sharing my garden. So much so that this year I offered live garden tours. Of course, the first day I had to settle for a live video tour instead of […]

Read More…

Tidy Gardening

Tidy Gardening

Recently, a colleague asked me about plants for tidy gardening. But what is tidy gardening, and how does one achieve it? I have discussed many times my gardening ideals, which include diversity, and lots of plant materials. But I realize there are many homeowners, and some gardeners who prefer to have a tidy look, with […]

Read More…

Native Perennials for New Gardeners

Native Perennials for New Gardeners

I have already gone over many of the plants which are best for new gardeners, but what about native perennials? Some of the plants listed in my other blog were natives, but this list is only natives. These native perennials are easy to grow, usually bloom in the first year or plantings, are host plants […]

Read More…

Easy to Grow Plants for New Gardeners

Easy to Grow Plants for New Gardeners

In the past few years, a lot of new gardeners have come on the scene. Some of it has happened through boredom during the years of the pandemic, while other have come into gardening through a desire to feed their families healthy food. Many new gardeners are finding that gardening is more fun than they […]

Read More…

Planting for Pollinators – August and September

Planting for Pollinators – August and September

We gardeners do not typically think as much about flowers for pollinators in late summer. Once August hits, its time to be a lazy gardener, resting in the hammock or taking the family on vacation. But the insects never get to take a break. They are always working. Therefore, we need to remember to plant […]

Read More…

Quilled Flowers – Quirky Flaws of Nature

Quilled Flowers – Quirky Flaws of Nature

What are quilled flowers? Flower petals which are rolled or “quilled”. These petals can be found in many plants of the Aster Family, and they are one of my favorite things to collect in the garden. Already, I have several perennials with quilled flowers, and I am looking to add more soon. Nature helps the […]

Read More…

Dry Streams – Adding Functionality to the Garden

Dry Streams – Adding Functionality to the Garden

Dry streams are a way to hide or transform water using locations within the garden. These areas are not rain gardens, but low and sloped spots that water runs through quickly after a rain. It might be the location of the downspout outflow, a sloped spot in a level lawn, or a drainage swale used […]

Read More…

Coneflowers for the Garden

Coneflowers for the Garden

Coneflowers have long been one of the most widely planted flowers in our gardens. I have seen an explosion of cultivars in the last 15 years, making it very difficult to choose which to grow. It seems as if you get a favorite, then its pulled for a new color and size. But, with so […]

Read More…