Best Native Plants (not cultivars) for the Landscape
Deciding what native plants to add to your landscape can be a daunting challenge. From landscape designers to botanists, homeowners are pressured into adding natives into their landscapes, often without knowing how those plants will do in a traditional garden or landscape setting. If your are designing a meadow garden or native plant garden, you […]
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 […]
2020 Kansas Native Plant of the Year – Baptisia australis
The 2010 Perennial Plant of the Year was Baptisia australis, Blue Wild Indigo. It was also picked to be the 2020 Kansas Native Plant of the Year. It is a great, native perennial for the garden and landscape. Add it into a spot and let it be, it will outlive many other perennials. About Baptisia […]
Small Trees for Small Gardens
There are many small trees that may fit into any sized garden, but are they better in small gardens? Small gardens may be defined as those that are on a small lot in town, or have a small amount of useable space. Or even a garden room that needs a small tree. Small trees fit […]
Using Native Plants to Make Holiday Containers
Creating holiday decorations is one of my favorite tasks, once Halloween is over. For several years now I have been using the native plants in my backyard to create holiday arrangements for my church, my home, and as a selling item to my landscape customers. Creating these native arrangements is a labor of love for […]
Where do Native Plants Come From?
Grimm’s Gardens believes that knowing where your natives come from is important. We are grateful for all the work that Elliot and Applied Ecological Services, Inc. have put into tracking and labeling their native plant sources. This is why we chose this company to supply most of our native plants. Name: Elliot Duemler Company: Applied Ecological […]
Native Bees for Pollination
After joining the Northeast Kansas Beekeeper’s Association last spring and taking their quick course on beekeeping, I was rewarded with new knowledge and interest in both honeybees and pollination. I have since joined Bee Chat in Hiawatha, KS, a group dedicated to studying honeybees and their care. However, I do not yet have my own […]
Planting Natives for Pollinators
Each year I become more and more aware of the need to plant host plants for our native butterflies, moths, and pollinators. As a maintenance supervisor, I am one of the lucky few in our area that get to see landscapes transform through the year, as well as being able to evaluate landscapes. Each year […]
Get out and enjoy the spring!
Spring is always a busy time of year. For me, it is filled with many houses waiting to be cleaned up with plants trimmed back, leaves blown out and ponds cleaned. Even with all the pressures of landscape cleanups, I still find time in the evenings and weekends to spend time enjoying the spring. This […]
