Garden Planning: Monarch Waystations
Last spring I went to a conference in Lawrence, KS and was inspired by Dr. Chip Taylor of KU’s biology department. In 2005, Dr. Taylor created a program to develop “Monarch Waystations” across the United States. The goal of the program is to educate the public on the importance of butterflies and their habitats, to […]
Seven Son – September Plant of the Month
The seven son tree is our September Plant of the Month for 2023. This is one of my all-time favorite trees. Ever since coming to Grimm’s Gardens in 2011, I have loved using and selling this tree. It is a great plant for a variety of locations, is drought tolerant and durable, and has 3 […]
100 Sunny Cottage Garden Perennials
How many perennials do you need for the cottage garden? Well, that really depends on your layout, design, and the size of land you are working with. I have a small backyard garden area, roughly 15 feet by 30 feet, in which I have around 70 species of perennials, shrubs, and grasses. And this is […]
The Author’s 5 Favorite Trees for Leps
What are leps? Leps refers to Lepidoptera, aka moths and butterflies. I love moths, and butterflies too. So I am always looking to add trees, shrubs, and perennials to my landscape which are great for them. With trees, it is hard to find very many that are great for butterflies. Moths yes, some trees are […]
Pollinator Pockets
What are pollinator pockets? Well, there is no official term for it, but pollinator pockets are small pieces of garden just for pollinators. It could be any size, but by my definition, it would be no larger than a 10 foot by 10 foot bed. However, the possibilities of a pollinator pocket are not small, […]
Hardworking Natives
Natives are becoming more and more popular. And with the uncertainty of fluctuating weather patterns, using natives has become more important for all gardeners. Nonnative plants can be great in the landscape, as long as they are not proven to become invasive, which a lot of them are. But using regionally selected native plants for […]
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 […]
Tough Trees for the Urban Canopy
Why do we need tough trees? What challenges do we face in the urban canopy toady that requires specific planning for canopy diversity? Trees are our best choice for the fight against air pollution, poor air quality, heat islands, and climate manipulation. When we have trees in our landscapes, parks, and streetways, our overall health, […]
Guide To Growing Oaks: Benefits of Oak Trees
I have been wanting t write on this topic for awhile; the benefits of oak trees. Oak trees have so many benefits, and it can be difficult to go into them all in a single post. That is why I have broken the topic of oak trees into different posts, so you can learn how […]
