Star Annuals for the Central Great Plains
What are star annuals? Many years ago, Kansas State University developed their Prairie Star List, a list of Annuals for the state of Kansas. However, this list is no longer being presented, as the main testing location for annual flowers has been shut down due to lack of funding. Several years ago, I started evaluating […]
Planting for Pollinators – April and May
For several years now, the trend has been on what to plant for pollinators. This is a two-sided question. What do you think of when planting for pollinators? Do you think about what plants pollinators are attracted to for nectar and pollen, or attracted to as a host plant? We need to think about both […]
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 […]
A Look Through My Garden in 2021
My garden. Each year, I open up my garden to all of you, via the internet. 2021 was an interesting year, both in the garden and elsewhere. In my garden, the heat of summer played a big part in the amount (or lack thereof) of maintenance which I did. I am already changing some of […]
DIY Wreath Making for the Holidays
After Thanksgiving is over and only a few weeks until Christmas, I like to finish my outdoor decorations off with a few DIY wreaths. After weeks of cleaning out landscapes and gardens, wreathmaking is a welcome break and a time to rekindle my imagination. Even though making a DIY wreath is easy, every wreath comes […]
Creating A Meadow Garden in Your Landscape
I have mentioned the meadow garden many times now. Why do you think that is? I love the native prairie and the application of prairie into the landscape is not an easy one for most homeowners. But you can create a meadow garden in almost any landscape. The meadow is similar to a glade, in […]
Sunflowers or Silphiums – Plant Look-A-Likes
One of the things that comes hard to me is when I am with folk who do not now their sunflowers from their silphiums. Or any plant look-a-likes that may happen. I often get to help lead native plant walks, as well as tour home gardens where look-a-likes occur frequently. But what are silphiums? Because […]
Aster – October Plant of the Month
Aster is our October Plant of the Month. When it comes to fall flowers, asters and goldenrods really outshine everything else. But because asters come in shades of purple, white, blue, and even pink, they are more memorable than the plain yellow goldenrods. Both are great for pollinators in late summer and into autumn, but […]
Best Native Plants (not cultivars) for the Landscape
Deciding what native plants to add to your landscape can be a daunting challenge. From landscape designers to botanists, homeowners are pressured into adding natives into their landscapes, often without knowing how those plants will do in a traditional garden or landscape setting. If your are designing a meadow garden or native plant garden, you […]
