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 Yards
One of the most common questions we get in the spring is do you have small trees? They do not mean trees that will get big, but rather trees that stay small. These kinds of trees can be difficult to find and even locate in a landscape. Small trees are often just shrubs that have […]
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 […]
Diversified Prairie Plantings
I have been thinking a lot about prairie landscapes and using natives in our landscapes. For Father’s Day, I went hiking at the National Tallgrass Prairie Preserve by Strong City, KS. This prairie is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and there is always something blooming, from March to November. However, in […]
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 […]
Growing Gardens for Bees
Recently I was asked by different folks to provide some info on plants for both honeybees and pollinators. Yes, both have different needs for housing and their larval stages and both are treated differently by the general public. However, they all have very similar requirements for nectar and pollen. Thus said, the plants that I […]
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 […]
