Grimm's Garden Talk

  • False Sunflower – August Plant of the Month

    False sunflower is our August Plant of the Month for 2024. Also known as ox-eye sunflower, this native perennial has become quite popular in the garden. With recent breeding work in favor of more colorful cultivars, there is a plant for everyone. False sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) is native east of the Rocky Mountains and is [...]

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  • Shade Plants You Did Not Know You Needed

    Recently while perusing several gardening magazines, I came across some interesting shade plants. And it made me think more about my own shade gardens. When I first started at Kansas State University, I did not even know about shade gardening. Back home, everything was prairie and savannah. But now that I live among trees, I [...]

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  • Flies in the Garden – Friend or Foe

    Flies can be one of the more annoying pests in the house. But there a lot of flies who have beneficial roles in the garden. Some are great pollinators, rivalling bees and beetles, while others are predators of a host of garden pests. The common bottle flies, house flies, stable flies, and smaller fruit flies [...]

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  • Fall Blooming Flowers

    When we think of fall, flowers are not the typical idea. Leaves turning colors are what most of thinks about. But there are a number of fall blooming flowers which can certainly add depth and color to the garden. Why talk about it in July though? Because if we are to have fall blooming flowers, [...]

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  • Growing Blueberries

    Blueberries are one of the most delicious of the fresh fruits. I love it when July rolls around, and our blueberry patch opens up. And July 8th is National Blueberry Day! In early July, usually around or near the 4th, we open our patch of blueberries to the public. Its a crazy time. And for [...]

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  • Agastache – July Plant of the Month

    Agastache is our July Plant of the Month for 2024. Also known as hummingbird mint, anise hyssop, and hyssop, agastache is a great native perennial for many areas of the garden. It is native to North America with around 17 species. A member of the Mint Family, there are 2 species commonly found in the [...]

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  • Heat Loving Perennials

    When it comes to summer, you want to have as many heat loving perennials as possible. At least, here in the Central Great Plains, where daytime temps can reach 110 degrees F and nighttime temps may stay in the 80, we do. Of all the 25 heat loving perennials mentioned below, I have 23 in [...]

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  • Summer Treats

    Summer is approaching and we welcoming the anticipated heat with treats! For Father’s Day Weekend 2024, we are doing our first ever Ice-Cream for Dad Day on Saturday. Doug Grimm will be mixing up vanilla ice cream in a 5 gallon, tractor-powered ice cream maker. But besides the ice cream, what are some other outdoor [...]

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  • Strange Insects in the Garden

    I am sure you have seen some of them, strange insects in the garden, right? Sometimes the most easily explanations come from the weirdest things. And God created some very strange insects. I spend a lot of time outdoors; in the woods, along the lakes and streams, and especially in the garden. And I have [...]

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