Edge Plantings
What is the edge? Well, it is the literal edge of the property. In most urban cases, planting along the edge of the property is considered bad form to the neighbor. However, in the rural world having edge plantings means having a separation between you and the neighbors, or a field. My mom’s house sits […]
Wild Plants for Butterflies
Do I mean weeds? Well, yes. There are a variety of wild plants or weeds, which some of our most beautiful butterflies feed on. And if we are growing only tidy gardens, then we may lose out on seeing those butterflies. I am sure there are some new gardeners here, but many of you have […]
Rattlesnake Master – June Plant of the Month
Rattlesnake master is our 2025 June Plant of the Month. This is one of my favorite native perennials, and for many reasons. The first time I came across this species was in the native plant garden at Kansas State University, while I was going to college there. I spent many hours in that garden, watching […]
Attracting Bluebirds
My kids just called me to share interesting facts about bluebirds they just learned. Since we started homeschooling in 2018, my kids have the ability to learn at their own rate, on things in the world around them, not useless facts and figures. And learning about attracting bluebirds is one of those things. There are […]
Moonlight Garden Creation
Humans have a long relationship with the heavens above us. In the evening an through the night, the moon and the stars shine over us like watchful beacons. Many gardeners are obsessed with using them as the light in the garden, thus the creation of moon or moonlight gardens. Experience teaches us that the moon […]
Missouri Evening Primrose – May Plant of the Month
Missouri evening primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa) is our May Plant of the Month for 2025. This native groundcover type plant is one of the best for tough, rocky or dry soils. Native to Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, it grows in a variety of landscape types, but is predominant in the Flint Hills and the […]
Big Perennials for Sun
Sometimes, you need something big in the garden. Usually, gardeners fill large spaces with trees or shrubs. But sometimes that does not work. Say you have a large island bed in the middle of a big open space, and you want color most of the season, but you want it to have the potential to […]
Best Annuals for Pollinators
When we think about pollinators, most gardeners see swaths of perennial flowers in bloom, covered in bees and butterflies. But what are the best annuals for pollinators? Here in the Central Great Plains, I continue to expand my list of best annuals for pollinators. As each season progresses, I track insects coming into my garden, […]
Blue Wood Phlox – April Plant of the Month
I have chosen one of my favorite early spring bloomers as our April Plant of the Month for 2025. Blue wood phlox is a low growing groundcover which prefers shady areas from around the Kansas River eastward. Its one of my favorites because of its long bloom time and durability in the landscape. As a […]
