2020 Year in Review – Insects
The year is winding down and it has been a doozy! We have seen an exponential growth in the green industry, thanks in part to people staying home for the pandemic. More people tried gardening this year than I can recall ever before. At the season’s end, I like to take the time to go […]
10 Best Trees for Autumn Color
Autumn is officially here and as I look around, I see tress beginning to put off their greens for gold and scarlet. The turning of the leaves is one of my favorite times of the year, despite the fact that winter follows it. Even growing up in the Central Great Plains, away from any native […]
14 Common Butterflies of Northeast Kansas
Butterflies are one of the most looked for insects in the landscape, Their colors and flight patterns are observed by amateurs, professionals, and children alike. Everyone loves butterflies. I have a number of field guides for butterflies and for caterpillars, but none that show both caterpillars and butterflies together. There is a decided lack of […]
Flowers for the Kitchen Garden
Kitchen gardens are usually referred to as vegetable gardens. I prefer to call mine the potager garden. Potager is the French word for kitchen garden. This is where you would grow vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers for use in cooking. Why add flowers? But why should I add flowers to my vegetable garden? Because, adding […]
Top Plants for Bees/Butterflies: June-July Part II
Welcome back! The glorious Independence Day is over and summer is bearing down upon us. I am always so busy getting things done for the holidays, that I hardly have time to put posts together. The second half of the season has started and we need some flower power to steer us through. The second […]
Perennial Vines for the Garden
Autumn has arrived! As the colors of fall come gently cascading to the ground, it is a great time to evaluate and select perennial vines for your garden and landscape. Many of our great vines have excellent fall color and winter interest. Gardeners with limited space can use perennial vines to grow vertically up trellises […]
Design Formation Part 1: Finding the Function
A good landscape design melds form with function. What this means, is that a good plan is not only pretty, it also serves a purpose. Nor does it simply serve a purpose, it is also beautiful. If you are looking to create a master plan for your backyard, you are in the right place to […]
Nebraska Native Plants
Growing up in North Central Kansas, I was always aware that Nebraska was only a short drive, but we never went there. I was made to believe from my peers and classmates that to like Nebraska was to go against Kansas. It didn’t help that when a kid I met from Nebraska, a big time […]
