Thistles – The Good and Bad

Thistles – The Good and Bad

Thistles often get the worst reputation, because many are invasive in pastures and lawns. But did you know there are several native thistles which are important parts of the native ecosystem? We will go over the various thistles, both natives and nonnatives. It is always important to distinguish between the two, since there are insects […]

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Powerful Perennials – Top 10

Powerful Perennials – Top 10

What are powerful perennials? These are perennial flowers that rock the garden each season. They are long blooming, long lasting, long lived, and good for pollinators. Picking a top 10 is the hardest part, because there are a lot of powerful perennials to choose from. What is it that gardeners want in their gardens? Hopefully, […]

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Native Bees

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 […]

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Showy Sedum – October Plant of the Month

Showy Sedum – October Plant of the Month

Showy sedum is our September Plant of the Month for 2023. Also known as live forever, orpine, tall sedum, and butterfly stonecrop; it is one of the best late summer and fall perennials for pollinators. If you have not planted this perennial then you cannot imagine the amount of insects it attracts. Easy to grow […]

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Bonesets – September Plant of the Month

Bonesets – September Plant of the Month

Bonesets are the September plants of the month. Members of the Aster Family, and closely related to blazingstars, bonesets are found primarily from the Rocky Mountains eastward. The name boneset comes from break-bone fever, an influenza-like fever, which causes severe bone pain. Native Americans used Eupatorium perfoliatum (Common boneset) to treat the fever. Native to […]

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Planting for Pollinators – June and July

Planting for Pollinators – June and July

What to plant, what to plant? If you are preparing for a succession crop of flowers for pollinators, then June and July might be your biggest months. There are a plethora of plants to pick from. As we have discussed before, pollinators can include bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, bugs, ant, wasps. hummingbirds, and even […]

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Penstemon – June Plant of the Month

Penstemon – June Plant of the Month

Penstemon is the June Plant of the Month. Also known as beardtongue, penstemon is one of the most diverse genus of plants in North America. With 240 species alone in North America, there is a lot of potential for hybridization as well as nativar selection. Here in the Central Great Plains region, we have only […]

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Favorite Natives (And Nativars) of the Author’s Garden

Favorite Natives (And Nativars) of the Author’s Garden

How many favorite natives can you have? I have been gardening for more than 30 years, and adding natives into my gardens from the very beginning. At my parent’s home in North Central Kansas, I recognized several natives which made their way into my container gardens, and eventually into the landscaping I did for my […]

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Perennial Salvia – May Plant of the Month

Perennial Salvia – May Plant of the Month

Perennial salvia is our May Plant of the Month. I have to admit, this was not one of my favorite perennials for a long time. Mainly because of overuse of 1 cultivar in the landscape. I do not like plants that get too much attention; we need more diversity in our gardens. But now, after […]

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