Six Lessons I Learned from the Farm

Posted on August 5, 2015 by Scott Vogt

Over the past several months, I have been reflecting on my time growing up on our farm and how those experiences prepared me for the work at the arboretum. It is a privilege not everyone has the opportunity to experience and was a time in my life that I have taken for granted. There was always something to learn, always something to do, whether for work or play. Inherent danger lurked around every corner or piece of equipment. There was planting, growing, and harvesting. Experiencing those things were the best childhood times. They were so simple – at least that’s how I perceived them.

Here are some lessons I learned from the farm:

Work hard at whatever you do. Then enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Always beware of danger.
The product is a result of planning, timing and a little luck.
The land is a finite resource and should be cared for properly.
Never give up, but persevere through challenges.
Problems can be solved with a little creativity, a little ingenuity, a little time, a little common sense and/or maybe even a little bailing wire.

Certainly, there are more lessons than these six that I took from my time on the farm. I was always exposed to something new. A new way to plant, a new way to grow, a new way to harvest. Sometimes there was pain that resulted in growth. I don’t farm anymore – at least not on that level – but those experiences shape how I work and play today. They even shaped how I think about the land and maybe even helped develop my “land ethic”. I think each of us has formative moments in our lives that change us. What are those moments for you? Do those highlights impact who you are today? It’s something to think about.

Three Native Sedges Made for the Shade

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Scott Vogt

One of the toughest areas to grow plants is in dry shade. There is a smaller plant palette that grows in these harsh conditions compared to more sunny locations in your yard. Root competition really limits what will do well under the trees. While most home landscapes have at least one area that is either partially or fully shaded throughout the day, it can be difficult finding native alternatives to the standard plants like hostas chosen for these shady niches.

There are a few native plants that will thrive in this tough environment. Here are three native sedges that are worth considering.

Appalachian Sedge – Carex appalachica

An exciting native sedge that works well in mass plantings (one to two foot spacing), along shady slopes and “no mow” lawns. It is gaining in popularity because it is so easy to grow. We have carried it the last few years at our plant sales and customers who have tried it come back wanting more. It forms a true clump with narrow leaves only getting 6-8 inches tall. Each clump spirals upward as each blade intermingles with the others. It is a shade to part sun-loving sedge that is quite appealing.

Carex appalachica Photo Courtesy Hoffman Nursery, Inc.

Bristle-leaf Sedge – Carex eburnea

This fine-leaved sedge makes an excellent ground cover or lawn alternative for that shady spot. The fountain-like clumps of dark green foliage are soft to the touch. It stays short only reaching 6-12 inches. Over time, the individual tufts will grow together forming a thick sod. In the fall, the clusters turn a nice tan. It appreciates sharp drainage, but not too much sun. Plant them in mass for dramatic effect.

Carex eburnea Photo Courtesy Hoffman Nursery, Inc.

Pennsylvania Sedge – Carex pensylvanica

This sedge is tough. It spreads by runners forming a dense mat after several years. This quality is why many use it as a great lawn substitute for the shade. The fine textured leaves are soft under your feet, too. It is most effective when planted in mass. You will appreciate its drought tolerance and resilient nature once it is fully established.

Carex pensylvanica Photo Courtesy Hoffman Nursery, Inc.

See, there are some plants that flourish in the shade of trees. They even mix well with many other types of woodland wildflowers such as woodland phlox, columbine, wild geranium, and golden ragwort, and Short’s Aster. You can find these companion plants along with the aforementioned sedges at our FloraKansas Fall Plant Sale. Each of these low-growing sedges are delicate with arching leaves that are very appealing as ground covers. In my opinion, they are definitely worth trying.

Which Trees Should I Plant in Kansas?

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Scott Vogt

The best time to plant trees and shrubs is in the late fall and early winter before the ground freezes. With proper watering and maintenance, newly established plants will get settled and acclimated to their new environment. By developing roots this fall, these plants will increase their chance of survival through the first growing season next year.

The Hesston City Tree Board did a street tree inventory several years ago for the entire city and found that there are too many Silver Maples, Siberian Elms, and Pin Oaks. These three species represent 31% of the town’s total tree population. The recommended percentage of any one tree would be less than 5% of the total population. Insect and disease problems can decimate a single species (such as Dutch elm disease in American elms or pine wilt in Scotch Pine). Tree planting diversity by the citizens of Hesston can help improve the overall make up of the population and bring it back into balance.

At the time of this survey, the City of Hesston and the Tree Board developed a five year planting strategy to promote diversity for future planting. This strategy was intended for Hesston, but will work for nearly every community in the state. Some of their recommendations and mine are contained in the following list. These trees are native to eastern or central Kansas and adaptable to most of the state.

Which trees should I plant in Kansas? Try a few of these:

Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) – A very large broad spreading tree (70’ x 70’) with long smoothly lobed leaves. Mature trees come alive in the fall with squirrel activity as the acorns mature. Excellent as a shade tree, but give it space.

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) A large tree (60’ x 60’) with a rounded growth habit in youth and maturity. The seven to eleven lobed lustrous dark green leaves turn a russet-red in fall.

Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria) – Pyramidal in youth and eventually becoming broad and rounded at maturity (50’ x 50’). The leaves are unlobed and lustrous dark green, turning yellow brown to russet-red in fall. Leaves are persistent though winter.

Shingle oak

Post Oak (Quercus stellata) – A dense-rounded tree (40’ x 40’) with shiny green leaves that are roundly lobed. Hard to find in the nursery trade, but worth the effort.

American Linden, Basswood (Tilia americana) – A very large (60’ x 60’) upright pyramidal to broadly open tree. The gray smooth bark, fragrant creamy-yellow flowers in late spring, and dark green leaves make American Linden a nice choice as a shade tree.

Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata) – A hackberry with smooth gray bark and large (40’ x 40’) rounded growth habit. Fruits have a sweet date-like taste and are loved by birds.

Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) – Widely adapted to many areas throughout the state, hackberrys can withstand all Kansas can throw at them. Upright to pyramidal in habit (40’ x 40’) with rough deeply furrowed plate-like bark. It is a larval food source for the question mark, comma, hackberry, tawny emperor, snout, and morning cloak butterflies.

Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) – Very adaptable to a wide range of soils from wet to dry. It has an open irregular crown (50’ x 40’) with large heart-shaped leaves. The flowers, which appear in May and June, are quite showy. Worth growing, even though it is thought of as a messy tree that drops its leaves and seed pods. Don’t all trees do that?

Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) – Tough oval rounded tree (40’ x 35’) with fragrant white blueberry-shaped flowers in May and June. The real treat comes in the fall when the edible fruit ripens and the foliage takes on colors of yellow to reddish-purple.

American Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) – Rare in the nursery trade, this tree deserves to be used more because it makes a great street tree. Pyramidal in youth becoming rounded with age (25’ x 30’), it has deep green, sharply serrated leaves that turn yellow-brown in fall.

American Hophornbeam

These trees are examples that will increase the tree diversity in your neighborhoods and landscapes. For more information on these or other trees for your area, contact your local tree board, local horticulture extension agent, or visit the arboretum. We have examples of many of these trees growing at the arboretum. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Remember – diversity is the key to success!

Where Have All the Conifers Gone?

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Scott Vogt

The Kansas landscape can be stark and lifeless at certain times during the year. In the winter, the hues of brown are seen everywhere from the leafless deciduous trees to the native grasses in the prairies and ditches. This harsh landscape is only broken up or punctuated by evergreens.

During the growing season, they melt into their surroundings, but are exposed as the landscape changes in the fall and winter. Early settlers noticed their green forms and incorporated them into shelter belts and home landscapes to breathe warmth and life into a drab and dreary panorama.

Sadly, these conifers (cone-bearing seed plants) are under siege. They are being decimated by a variety of diseases that really have no reliable cure. Whole shelter belts have been lost to this onslaught. Trees that are 50-100 years old are gone in just a few years.

Even here at the arboretum we have felt the pain of losing evergreen trees. 35 years ago, when the arboretum was originally planted, these diseases were not known and certain conifer varieties were readily available and a more diverse plant selection was not installed. But those species have not proven resistant to disease, so we now have holes in our landscape where mature trees have died.

Taylor Juniper (foreground)
Canaertii Juniper (background)

So what is the solution? I think that the final solution is diversity in the landscape. Just like you diversify your stock portfolio to spread out risk, we need to diversify the evergreens and conifers we include on our land and around our homes. Whole shelter belts have been lost because they included only a few species. Once infected, the diseases spread through the whole line of trees and result in large holes that are filled with other non-desirable species.

The extension service suggests that diseased and dead trees be removed immediately and destroyed either by fire or chipping. The stumps also need to be removed to a depth of at least 6 inches below the surface. Pathogens that spread the diseases overwinter in the dead trees and emerge or are released by April to infect other hosts.

Southwestern White Pine

The arboretum has been experimenting with a few conifer species that seem to be hardy and less susceptible to disease. They are Upright Chinese Juniper (Juniperis chinensis), Easter Red Cedar (Juniperis virginiana), which is the only evergreen native to the state of Kansas with cultivars ‘Canaertii, and ‘Taylor’, Black Hill Spruce (Picea glauca var. densata), Southwestern White Pine (Pinus strobiformis), Pinyon Pine (Pinus edulis), Lacebark pine (Pinus bungeana), and Arizona Cypress (Cupressus arizonica). This list is not extensive.

Pines like Ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa), Austrian (Pinus nigra) and Scotch (Pinus sylvestris) have been taken off the recommended tree list because they are so prone to disease. I would highly encourage you to visit the Kansas Forestry Service website at www.kansasforests.org . Once there choose your region to view a full list of recommended trees for your area along with other informative publications.

Arizona Cypress

Full descriptions of these trees can be researched on the internet or you can come to the arboretum and view them in person. For certain species the time will come when they are completely eliminated from the landscape barring a cure. Healthy trees need to be properly pruned and given plenty of air circulation.

You can do everything right and still lose a tree. Replant with a diverse variety of species so your whole landscape will not be open to widespread devastation again. There will be other diseases that come, but diversity will give you the edge.

Native Plant Alternatives for Three Common Non-Natives

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Scott Vogt

One of the great things about native plants is that there is so much diversity found in the prairie. From wet to dry, sun to shade, clay to sand, there is a plant for every place in the landscape. The diversity of plants give us so many options and provides alternatives to what is typically planted in gardens and displays in our area. The non-native plants listed below are coupled with native plant alternatives that make excellent substitutes.

Alternatives for Bugle Weed-Ajuga Cultivars

Ater divaricatus ‘Eastern Star’ (White Woodland Aster): This native aster has small white flowers with pink centers that cover the plant in fall. The attractive foliage is dark green with burgundy highlights. It slowly creeps to fill in an area, but it is not aggressive. This is a nice plant for full to part shade.
Asarum canadense (Wild Ginger): This native of the woods is quite adaptable, but prefers rich organic soils. Wild ginger spreads slowly to form colonies. Plant these about a foot apart and they will form a solid ground cover in two or three years. These will not grow in sun. The kidney shaped leaves are a soft-green and often cover the flowers, which are brownish and bell shaped.
Senecio obovatus (Squaw-weed): I love this woodland native because it looks good all year long. The rounded dark green foliage is semi-evergreen. It is a weaver as it spreads to fill voids in a shaded or part shade situation. The yellow flowers brighten the shade garden in the spring.

Squaw Weed

Alternatives for Barberry – Berberis spp.

Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Little Devil’ or ‘Tiny Wine’ (Ninebark): We have been growing Ninebark here at the arboretum for many years with great success. It is quite adaptable and many of the new cultivated varieties have beautiful reddish purple foliage and whitish-pink blooms in the spring. These two new forms (Little Devil and Tiny Wine) just come in a smaller size. They ultimately get only three to four feet tall. They have the same ornamental characteristics and tough demeanor as the larger varieties. They grow best in average soil with full to part sun. Good things do come in small packages.

Physocarpus ‘Little Devil’

Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey Tea): If this native shrub can flourish in the prairie, imagine what it will do in your landscape. This compact native shrub has glossy green leaves. The showy white clusters are held at the end of the branches in May and June. It develops a rounded habit (3-4 feet tall) if given room to spread its branches. The small dark fruit clusters are attractive later in the season.
Panicum virgatum ‘Cheyenne Sky’ (Switchgrass): This native grass forms a dense upright bundle, finally maturing to three feet tall. Red leaves form early in the season and hold fast through the fall. The entire plant turns shades of yellow and orange in the fall. I love grasses in the fall and winter because they provide movement in the garden as the gentlest breeze sets the whole plant in motion. It thrives in full sun and adapts to a wide range of soils, including clay.

Panicum virgatum ‘Cheyenne Sky’

Alternatives to Maiden Grass – Miscanthus spp.

Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern Gama Grass): We have many clumps of this native grass in the arboretum. The arching stalks arise from a large base of narrow, gray-green leaves. The interesting flower spikes add another focal point atop the stems from May through September.
Panicum virgatum (Switch Grass): This clump-forming native grass can range in size from three feet on up to 8 feet tall. The medium green leaves ultimately change to yellows, oranges and eventually fading to tan through the winter. The finely-textured seed heads are open and airy. They make great screens and produce a nice backdrop for other perennials. ‘Northwind’ and ‘Dallas Blues’ are exceptional cultivars for the home landscape.

Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’

Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass): Indian grass matures into a vase shape that is up to six feet tall and three feet wide. The tannish plumes atop the sturdy stems appear in late summer. It prefers a medium to dry soil with full sun for best growth.

Indiangrass

We will follow up these alternatives with some other choices for non-natives in the coming weeks. It is good to know that there are substitutes for many traditional landscape plants. Keep in mind that whatever is planted has consequences, both negative and positive. By choosing natives, the positives far outweigh the negatives.

“You must choose, so choose wisely”. (From Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)

Plant Profiles: Butterfly Milkweed

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Scott Vogt

As I drove through the Flint Hills this week in late June, there were orange dots among the prairie grasses that caught my eye. Few plants found on the prairies of Kansas are as readily recognizable as butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa). This classic prairie plant found throughout the eastern two-thirds of Kansas blooms from late May into August.

Butterfly milkweed is a stout one to two foot tall perennial with a deep, coarse, fibrous root system. Flowers range from deep orange-red in the eastern part of its range to lighter orange and finally yellow farther west and south in Kansas. Unlike the numerous other milkweeds found in Kansas, butterfly milkweed does not exude a white milky sap when the stem is cut or a leaf is removed.

Butterfly weed

Generally available in garden centers and nurseries as well as our FloraKansas Plant Sale, butterfly milkweed can easily be used in a perennial border or in wilder, more naturalistic plantings. Somewhat slow to establish because of the coarse roots, butterfly milkweed is a long lived plant and an excellent competitor in the garden when challenged by more vigorous plants.

While it prefers full sun and good drainage, it will tolerate light shade. It is also very drought tolerant once established. Several cultivated varieties of butterfly milkweed have been developed. These include ‘Gay Butterflies’, a mix of red, orange, and yellow flowered plants, and ‘Hello Yellow’, an exclusively yellow flowered selection.

Hello Yellow Butterfly Milkweed

The common name is derived from the blossom’s ability to attract butterflies and a host of pollinating insects. The complex flowers actually have pollen sacs attached to a y-shaped structure or stirrup. These structures attach to visiting insects and are consequently carried off to the other flowers in the vicinity, allowing cross pollination to occur. Fruits are long, skinny pods, typically three to six inches long. These contain many seeds, each having a tuft of white, silky hairs. As the pod dries and splits in the fall, the seeds are carried away by the breeze, each equipped with a tiny parachute-like structure.

Do your garden a favor and include some butterfly milkweed. Its many ornamental and functional assets, plus its rugged character will make it a focal point in the summer garden for years to come. Plus, you will be rewarded as pollinators such as Monarchs seek out this beautiful native wildflower.

Six Ways You Can Help the Pollinators

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Scott Vogt

Did you know that this week is National Pollinator Week (June 15 – June 21)? Whether it is with bees, butterflies, birds or beetles, pollinators are extremely important and provide valuable services.

Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants depend on pollinators to reproduce. Think of all the food crop production that would not be possible without the help of pollinators. We rely on these small, seemingly insignificant pollinators for the food we eat. If they are so valuable, then they are certainly worth recognizing and saving.

Here are six ways you can help increase declining populations of pollinators, including bees and monarchs:

1. Plant Pollinator-Friendly Plants

Certainly, milkweeds are the best wildflowers for attracting monarchs to your yard. We saw it this morning as we walked the arboretum – we found three caterpillars munching on the milkweed leaves. Not only that, but every blooming wildflower was covered with a host of insects. The wildflowers are the buffet. (Peruse our native plant list and sample landscape designs for some inspiration.)

Monarch butterfly on Asclepias incarnata, or swamp milkweed – photo by Brad Guhr

2. Plant for a Succession of Bloom

I recommend planting wildflowers that bloom at different times of the year. A mixture of wildflowers coming into bloom and going out of bloom throughout the year provides a ready food source. This approach mimics the natural prairie and the changing seasons.

Cloudless sulphur on Lobelia cardinalis, or cardinal flower – photo by Brad Guhr

3. Provide Habitat

Layer trees and shrubs along with wildflowers and grasses. These plants provide shelter from the wind along with nesting sites and food for birds, butterflies and bees. Even a small garden can have a tremendous impact.

Bumblebee on Echinacea purpurea - photo by Janelle Flory Schrock

Bumblebee on Echinacea purpurea, or purple coneflower – photo by Janelle Flory Schrock

4. Provide Water

We all need water for survival. Pollinators need it too. A clean source of water such as a birdbath, basin, or hollow stone is enough water for pollinators. These features also provide landing spots so that pollinators have a perch. Here are some great plants to complement your water feature.

5. Reduce Chemicals

There is growing research on the detrimental effects chemicals have on pollinators. Any time we can reduce or eliminate the use of chemicals in the landscape, we are impacting wildlife in a positive way. Allow insects to control unwanted pests. Be willing to accept a few damaged plants, knowing that by not spraying you are saving much more in the long run.

Hummingbird moth on Liatris pycnostachya, or Kansas gayfeather – photo by Janelle Flory Schrock

6. Learn About the Plight of Endangered Pollinators

There is so much to learn about each type of pollinator. What do they need? When are they out in the garden? What do they need to complete their lifecycle? Where do they migrate or how do they overwinter? We have so much to learn about these important insects. (One good resource for this is this book, by Heather Holm, which we often carry in our gift shop. And, of course, MonarchWatch.org is a great resource.)

When it comes to supporting the life cycle of pollinators, you can be part of the solution. Native wildflowers are the best option to help them prosper. You will be amazed when you introduce just a handful of wildflowers to your landscape. If you plant them, pollinators will come.

Buffalograss: Five Keys to a Successful Planting

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Scott Vogt

Believe it or not, now is the time to plant buffalograss. It is one of the few native prairie grasses that can be used for low-maintenance lawns and other turf areas. It thrives in our clay soils and stays relatively low.

The arboretum has benefitted from the established stands of buffalograss we maintain. The fine leaves stay a nice blue-green during the growing season, and it requires less mowing, watering, and fertilizing compared to our fescue or bluegrass lawns.

Newer varieties of buffalograss (Bowie, Cody, and Sundancer) green up faster in the spring, stay green longer in the fall, spread quickly by stolons to cover a planting area and remain shorter. They therefore require less mowing.

Once established, we have found it to be a tough, durable alternative to many cool-season grasses. It thrives in dry, sunny conditions and even survived the extreme drought of 2012. We will be planting some additional areas to buffalograss in the coming weeks.

Here are some ways to ensure a favorable outcome when planting a buffalograss lawn:

Give it sunshine.

Buffalograss needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day and a well-draining soil to grow best. It will not grow well in low areas with periodic standing water or areas of shade. Typically, if it is unhappy, you also will be unhappy with its overall appearance.

Weed control prior to planting.

Just like establishing a flower bed, your seeding area needs to be as weed free as possible. I have found that several applications of Round-Up in the spring prior to planting is the best way to control weeds, especially Bermuda grass and bindweed. I also lightly till (1/4-1/2 inch deep) the area before planting so that I have some loose soil to just cover the seed. Keep in mind that every time the soil is tilled new weed seeds will germinate, which will need to be eradicated before spreading the seed.

Proper seed selection.

There are new forms being discovered and introduced every year, but the forms we have used at the arboretum have been Cody, Bowie, and Bison. We seeded them in June or July at a rate of 2-3 lbs. of seed per 1000 square feet.

Proper establishment.

Buffalograss needs soil temperatures that are above 60⁰ F for germination to start. I normally spread half the seed in one direction and then spread the other half perpendicular to the first half of seed. I lightly rake the area and then pack it in (drive over entire planting with a mower or tractor) to get good seed-to-soil contact.

I water the whole area deeply the first watering to completely saturate the soil (just to the point water is running off) and then follow with frequent light watering until the seeds germinate in 14-21 days. Once germination is complete, infrequent deep soakings will keep the new seedlings spreading. Full establishment of an area from seed can be completed in the first year.

Weed control after planting.

These new forms of Buffalograss perform well in our area. In ideal conditions, they form a thick, dense lawn that can out compete weeds. In marginal situations, weeds can become problematic, requiring weed control through herbicides or manual eradication. We apply a broadleaf weed control in the fall to eliminate henbit, dandelions, bindweed and other broadleaf weeds. Management of weeds in your buffalograss both before planting and the first few years after establishment will, over time, reduce future weed control, watering, mowing and overall maintenance.

I have found buffalograss to be a valuable turf for open, sunny spaces, but keep in mind that it is not a miracle grass that can solve all your lawn problems. The natural look of this native grass should be appreciated because it is adapted to our area. It should also be planted with the expectation that it will require less financial input and minimal work to maintain a dense, attractive turf. For these reasons, I have found buffalograss to be a low-maintenance lawn alternative that is worth growing.

Three Lessons I Have Learned About Native Plants

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Scott Vogt

When I started at the arboretum 18 years ago, I thought I knew so much. I had book knowledge about horticulture, but I had not learned much about native plants. In fact, information about native plants was almost non-existent. My learning curve was very steep those first few years. Even now I continue to learn how to garden with native plants – the lessons just keep coming. Here are the three lessons I think are essential for a successful prairie garden.

Be Patient

I know this goes counter to our “instant everything” culture, but prairie plants don’t work that way. A prairie garden does not magically appear overnight. It takes time for those transplants or seedlings to develop root systems that will sustain them during the dry periods of the year. I remember visiting a prairie reconstruction in Wisconsin several years ago. It had been established from seed 20 years earlier and they said it was just then really maturing into a true prairie. I have found that if you are patient, you will be rewarded by beautiful, strong and adapted native plants.

Start Small

Planting too much too soon – I have made this mistake many times. My eyes get bigger than I can manage. I like too many of these native plants and rather than working at a project in stages, I plant the whole area. I then spend the rest of the summer maintaining a planting that is too big for the time I can give it. It has a tendency to get out of hand in a hurry if I don’t keep up with it on at least a weekly basis. Plant an area that you can handle with your schedule.

Plan your garden for all seasons of the year

This lesson took the longest to learn, because it meant becoming familiar with the native plants. I needed to learn all about them – their bloom times, soil conditions they need to thrive, mature height and what they look like when not blooming, including seedheads and forms. Most of these characteristics had to be experienced over several years. That information is vital to planning and developing a prairie garden.

There are no Wave Petunias in the prairie, so you need to plan your garden with a succession of bloom. Combine wildflowers in such a way that there is always a new set coming into bloom and going out of bloom throughout the year. Grasses can be strategically incorporated as a backdrop or to highlight interesting seed heads and to add texture and movement during the winter.

With each new season comes new revelations about native plants. They are so intriguing and diverse. There really is a plant for just about any area if you match the plants with your site. The key to understanding the prairie landscape is to keep learning. I know that I still have much to learn and experience. Each day is a new opportunity.

Five Surprises from our Prairie Garden

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Scott Vogt

I know it is cliché to say I have been busy, but I have been busy. We are all busy these days. It seems that is just a fact of life. You are not living if you are not busy doing something or going somewhere. We are moving so fast that we are too distracted to notice the little things. However, something happened to me the other day that I can’t stop thinking about.

I had been working around the greenhouse and stopped for a few minutes to rest. If I had not stopped, I would have missed it. A ruby-throated hummingbird sipping nectar from the hummingbird mint. I was mesmerized as I watched him flit from flower to flower only three feet away. It was amazing how something so small could capture my attention. But the key to seeing it was stopping what I was doing and observing what was happening around me.

That hummingbird was my first surprise, but more have followed over the past few days. I noticed a large black and yellow bumble bee that was climbing completely inside the Penstemon cobaea. He would almost disappear as he searched for the nectar deep in the flower. He would climb out and go to the next flower as he tirelessly worked each bloom for food.

The stately beauty of Indigos has taken me by surprise. They rise early in the season to put on a show and then persevere through the summer, ultimately turning black as the weather cools. The vibrant blue and yellow flower spikes stand out in the sea of green prairie grasses.

The birds feeding their young is another surprise. Where do they find the food for all those hungry mouths? They are constantly searching for food. Whether robins or cardinals, they do what needs to be done to keep their brood happy and healthy.

A nest of robins in a hawthorn tree. Photo by Cheri Kaufman.

The intricate beauty of a Pawpaw tree blooming caught my attention. The reddish-brown flowers held upside down drew me to the tree like a magnet. I had seen these trees bloom before, but there was something different this year that made me stop. It was something special. It was interesting and beautiful – worth the time to witness.

These are just a few things that caught my attention. I know there are many more surprises out there to discover. Should these types of things surprise us? They would surprise us less if we took time to observe more, but we are distracted too much. Stop and take in what is happening around you in your garden.

Hopefully you, like I, will be rewarded by observing the landscape, by taking the time for quiet reflection in your prairie garden – leaving you with a mental note that will bring a smile to your face during your busy day.

I can still see that hummingbird around those flowers. What is your hummingbird moment?