Native Bees

Native Bees

As the winter turns into February, I begin to really long for spring. And the native bees are the first pollinators to arrive. On dandelions, toothwort, dicentra, and other early spring wildflowers, I see native bees. There are around 4,000 native bees in the United States and about 400 in Kansas. And it may be […]

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Flowers for Honeybees

Flowers for Honeybees

Honeybees are often considered the important bee on this earth. While that is strictly not true, honeybees are an important food producer for us and do a great job pollinating our flowers. And I do not know a beekeeper who does not love his or her bees. So what kind of flowers can we grow […]

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Plants that do not Attract Bees

Plants that do not Attract Bees

Why would we want to plant more plants that do not attract bees? Are bees not in danger of extinction? Well, there are many people, including clients of mine, who are allergic to bee stings, and yet want a beautiful landscape to enjoy. We can plan their landscapes to include flowers that are less attractive […]

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What are Nativars and are They Better?

What are Nativars and are They Better?

I have had very heated discussions over the use of nativars with my purest friends in the native plant community. They prefer to use only true from seed native plants in their gardens, but I think selected varieties can be combined with true natives. It is worth digging into. So, what are nativars? Nativar is […]

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2019 Perennial Plant of the Year: Stachys ‘Hummelo’

2019 Perennial Plant of the Year: Stachys ‘Hummelo’

Every year, the Perennial Plant Association promotes a perennial of the year. In the past it has been butterfly milkweed, allium ‘Millenium’, switchgrass ‘Northwind’ and others, since starting the list in 1990. This year, the PPA has selected stachys ‘Hummelo’ as the perennial plant of the year.  That is good news for us here in […]

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Top 5 Plants for Pollinators – September

Top 5 Plants for Pollinators – September

September is here and right around the bend is autumn. September is a month after my own heart, with my birthday and my siblings’ birthdays. We always had a huge party for the three of us, usually on Labor Day weekend. Summer was waning, but their was still a feel of excitement in the air […]

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Top Plants for Bees/Butterflies: June-July Part II

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 […]

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The Ohio Buckeye

The Ohio Buckeye

The Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra) is not what most people think about when they think of spring in Kansas, or maybe anywhere. Most think of the bulbs of Holland, planted here or there in a landscape bed, or the redbuds of the oak-hickory woodlands of eastern Kansas. However, here in the northeast corner of the […]

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