Peach Fuzz – The Color of the Year
Peach fuzz is the 2024 color of the year, according to Pantone. Each year, Pantone picks a color as a snapshot in time, trying to connect with our emotions and deep-seated feelings. Peach fuzz is a hue not really pink and not quite orange. It captures our desires to nurture kindness, compassion, and connection, all […]
Showy Sedum – October Plant of the Month
Showy sedum is our September Plant of the Month for 2023. Also known as live forever, orpine, tall sedum, and butterfly stonecrop; it is one of the best late summer and fall perennials for pollinators. If you have not planted this perennial then you cannot imagine the amount of insects it attracts. Easy to grow […]
Rain Garden Plants
What is a rain garden? A rain garden is an area within the landscape that gets the majority of its moisture from rain. It may also get wet from a hose runoff or hillside springs. The rain garden can be a functional and beautiful part of the landscape. I have heard some people call their […]
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 […]
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 […]
Dark Leaves – Adding Depth to the Garden
Putting dark leaves in the garden not only adds depth, but also intrigue, and if done right, mystery. Plants with dark leaves are rare in nature, but abound in the nursery trade, after being bred and selected for generations. I love using dark leaves in the garden, more so than chartreuse or variegated leaves. But […]
Garden Tour with the Kansas Gardener
It is that time of year again, time for a tour through my gardens! 2022 was one of the most difficult years for me at our house. Besides gardening through a drought and hot summer, my mower never did work right, the front yard is still torn up, and I only got 2 raised beds […]
Long-Lived Perennials for the Garden
Long-lived perennials should be a staple in the garden, right? Well, with so many options these days for perennials and plants, finding the truly long-lived ones is not as easy. Some of our Grandmother’s favorite flowers are the long-lived plants we desire now, but cannot find. Sometimes we need to go back to our roots […]
Garden Phlox – August Plant of the Month
Garden phlox is our August Plant of the Month for 2022. When I was younger and just getting into gardening (around age 6), I remember my grandma showing my the beautiful garden phlox she had in her cottage garden. As I grew, I originally saw it as a weedy plant that would not stay where […]
