Rain Garden Plants
What is a rain garden? A rain garden is an area within the landscape that gets the majority of its moisture from rain. It may also get wet from a hose runoff or hillside springs. The rain garden can be a functional and beautiful part of the landscape. I have heard some people call their […]
The Author’s 5 Favorite Trees for Leps
What are leps? Leps refers to Lepidoptera, aka moths and butterflies. I love moths, and butterflies too. So I am always looking to add trees, shrubs, and perennials to my landscape which are great for them. With trees, it is hard to find very many that are great for butterflies. Moths yes, some trees are […]
Tough Trees for the Urban Canopy
Why do we need tough trees? What challenges do we face in the urban canopy toady that requires specific planning for canopy diversity? Trees are our best choice for the fight against air pollution, poor air quality, heat islands, and climate manipulation. When we have trees in our landscapes, parks, and streetways, our overall health, […]
New Plants : What is Coming in 2023
Well, it is a new year, and new plants are coming to the nursery. Now, that does not entirely mean that these are all brand new plants that have never been grown before. Some, I have been growing in my gardens for a awhile, and are just new to the nursery. And others are new […]
Mast Years and Their Effect on Trees
What is a mast year? I get this question a lot from gardeners, but not in this form. Many gardeners ask it in a different way. For example, why are the trees producing such large and so many acorns this year? Or, why did my apples produce so well last year, but not this year. […]
Trees for Birds – The Top 6 for Landscapes
Trees for birds? Are trees not for birds? It really makes a difference what kind of trees you plant. With September and fall tree planting right around the corner, we need to plan ahead for the kinds of trees to plant. Too often, we plant trees for ourselves, and what we want, not thinking about […]
Emerald Ash Borer Found in Brown County Kansas
As many of you know, Brown County Kansas is the homeplace of Grimm’s Gardens. And because of that, anything important starts here first. Last week, a group of Kansas foresters, entomologists, and Doug Grimm met south of Hiawatha to look over some ash trees. And what did they find? Yes, they found emerald ash borer. […]
Fruit Tree Guide – Growing Peaches
There is almost nothing as wonderful as the taste of fresh, tree-ripened peaches on a warm afternoon. With the sweet juice running down your chin and the buzz of insects around, if you have not experienced this, then you need to plant some peach trees. Here in the Central Great Plains, peaches can be difficult […]
Planting for Pollinators – April and May
For several years now, the trend has been on what to plant for pollinators. This is a two-sided question. What do you think of when planting for pollinators? Do you think about what plants pollinators are attracted to for nectar and pollen, or attracted to as a host plant? We need to think about both […]
