Late Summer Maintenance Tips
It’s getting to be that time of year again. Everyone thinks that the heat of July and August immediately stops weeds and plants from growing, meaning they need no maintenance. Unfortunately, this is the time when we cut back plants to produce new blooms and buds and keep plants thriving. While September is considered as […]
Last Days for Pruning!
When pruning to increase blooming, it is vital to know what time of year the plant blooms. Generally, if it flowers in the spring, it is blooming on growth from last year. If it blooms in late summer or fall, it flowers on new growth in the current year. These two categories of bloomers are […]
Landscape Maintenance: The Who, Why, What, and When
When friends and neighbors ask me what I do for Grimm’s Gardens, I have a difficult time explaining my job. As the landscape maintenance foreman, I have a job that entails much attention to detail, a vast knowledge of plant life and growth stages, electrical and plumbing maintenance, and a willingness to work in all […]
Garden Planning Guide February, March & April
Winter time is the best time to plan and prepare for next year’s gardens. We at Grimm’s Gardens are busy with ideas and preparations for the upcoming spring season. From now until March 1st, we will receive many calls and emails from customers wanting to know if they can plant something, when to plant, do […]
What Will Grow Near a Black Walnut Tree?
Black Walnut trees are wonderful if you are a cabinet maker, eat the walnuts, or leave them as forage for wildlife, or use the husks to make a colorfast dye. But if you are a gardener, they provide a challenge, to say the least. A toxic chemical, juglone, diffuses from the roots into the soil, […]
Garden Planning: Monarch Waystations
Last spring I went to a conference in Lawrence, KS and was inspired by Dr. Chip Taylor of KU’s biology department. In 2005, Dr. Taylor created a program to develop “Monarch Waystations” across the United States. The goal of the program is to educate the public on the importance of butterflies and their habitats, to […]
What can I do with my herbs?
This is a beginners guide to cooking with fresh herbs. Use the following chart as a guideline to begin experimenting with new flavors in your recipes. This is an excellent way to ‘spice up’ your favorite dishes so that they seem like new! Basil Magical Michael Annual Ornamental; use to flavor Italian dishes Basil Purple […]
Prairie Plantings: Improving your Quality of Life
There something so simple and calming about the prairie. Growing up in north central Kansas, I knew too well the heat and drought of the plains states. Even in the shade of the wooded creek bottoms near our house, it was sultry and hot. Later, when I lived in Manhattan, KS, a quiet walk on […]
Common Landscape Plants with Unusual Edible Qualities: Not Your Typical Fruit or Vegetable!
We all want a landscape that is easy to maintain, provides beauty all year round, and provides benefits for our families, right? What if we create landscapes that are even more beneficial to our families and to wildlife, where we could, in season, simply pick fruit right off the tree in our backyard? And what […]
