Soft Landings – Protecting Pollinators With Plants
What are soft landings? When I first came across this term at a native plant conference in winter of 2024, I had no idea what it was. And now, I see that I have been using soft landings most of my career, without even planning for it. Soft landings are plant filled places under key […]
How to Create a Pollinator Paradise
How exactly does one create a pollinator paradise? The answer may surprise you. When my wife and I moved into our 5 acre property 10 years ago, it was not my intention to create a pollinator paradise. I just wanted gardens, native plantings, and a place to raise my kids. At the time, we did […]
Something Red
Red is one of the more looked for colors in the garden, and yet it can be difficult to find. Sure, in the tropics, there are lots of red flowers. When my wife and I went to Hawaii, there were red flowering plants all over the place. But back home, it can be a difficult […]
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 […]
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 […]
Gardening for Bumblebees
Bumblebees may not be the most favorite bee of gardeners, but they are important. They are one of the first bees I see each spring (along with honeybees) and they are the largest. My kids like to ask if they can go and pet the bumblebees. And of course, I say no, because I want […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
