Five Reasons We are Giving Thanks at the Arboretum

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Scott Vogt

November is a great time to reflect on the many blessings of the past year here at the arboretum. We are grateful for so many things. We enjoy serving you and serving with you to fulfill the mission of this organization, to promote through education and stewardship the conservation and use of plants native and adaptable to Kansas.

Though words cannot adequately express our appreciation and thankfulness, here are five reasons we are giving thanks this holiday season:

Generous Supporters – When I became director, I had no idea how many people there are who underwrite the work we do throughout the year. I have been amazed at the generosity of our supporters. Your financial gifts are not taken for granted. Each membership and each donation is accepted with much appreciation. I view your support as a partnership. Thank You!

Dedicated Volunteers – When people come along side us and give us their time and talent, it makes a difference. Volunteers are special people. Last year, volunteers contributed over 2,000 hours of valuable service to help us accomplish the work of the arboretum. We encourage volunteers to use their skills and interests to help in our valuable work. Volunteering is a great way to support our mission, as you share your experiences about this prairie garden with others, learn about plants, meet new people and serve our visitors. Thank You!

An Important Mission – Since its inception, the arboretum’s mission has been about the prairie. We are a prairie education facility that promotes stewardship and conservation. Advocating for plants that use less water, teaching children about the prairie and its many benefits, and hosting events that bring visitors to the arboretum are at the heart of our calling as an organization. Our core values have never been more important in the world.

Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) – This signature arboretum program has impacted over 21,000 students, 173 teachers from 58 schools over the past eight years. Thanks to the dedicated work of teachers, who were guided by our EPS staff, students are able to detach themselves from the daily distractions of technology, slow down and observe the beauty of the prairie. This program perfectly fits our mission and is having a positive impact on students in Kansas.

A Successful Year – All the reasons above and many more have helped the arboretum continue to grow this year. Our goal is to increase our influence, educate more people, and enhance the arboretum gardens and programs we offer throughout the year. We had one of our most successful years because of your efforts and support. THANK YOU!

Bonus Reason! Dedicated Staff – I am fortunate to lead a team who love the arboretum. These individuals strive daily to champion the mission of the arboretum and provide you with excellent programs and events. I wish you could see their diligence, hard work and passion. I am blessed to serve with them. Thanks Brad, Janelle, and Brett!

Take time to count your blessings. Be grateful for the good things you enjoy.

Seven Reasons to Attend This Years’ Luminary Walk

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Scott Vogt

Over the years, the Winter Luminary Walk at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains has become a tradition for many people. Here are my top seven reasons to be part of this unique event:

The south bridge is one of our favorite spots along the path during the luminary walk, especially on a magically snowy night. Photo by Ken Raney.

Enjoy the natural beauty of the gardens in winter. Thousands of lights bring the arboretum to life, highlighting the pure, organic forms of the trees, shrubs and prairie plants.
Relax and stroll the pathways with more than 900 jars and candles lighting the way. No commercial glitz – just the simple, soft light of candles.

Roast s’mores. Warm yourself by the fires and roast a marshmallow. Sticky fingers, but oh so good.
Drink hot almond tea with Christmas cookies in the Visitor Center. This drink is perfect on a cold winter night along with cookies from the Hesston Women’s Civic Club and other volunteers.

Walkers gather around the fire to roast marshmallows.

Make memories at the Arboretum. It is great to be with family and friends spending an evening together. Forget about the hustle and bustle of the season, slow down and enjoy together everything this time of the year has to offer.
Be creative. Each night children will make crafts that relate to a different culture’s holiday traditions.
Learn about other cultures. With the theme “Joy to the World: A Multicultural Celebration”, this year’s luminary walk will include performers, crafts, stories and an outdoor nativity representing a variety of cultural perspectives.

Stop in to the buildings to warm up and be creative during craft time.

We at the arboretum enjoy hosting this special event. It is unique because it invokes fond memories of Christmas’ past while making new memories with the special people in your lives. Come, relax, and enjoy this one-of-a-kind Christmas celebration.

For this year’s Luminary Walk schedule and line-up of performers, click here.

Is Your Yard Pollinator-Friendly?

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Scott Vogt

It is true that pollinators are important for many reasons, including food production. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council in a report from March of 2011, “more than $15 billion a year in U.S. crops are pollinated by bees, including apples, berries, cantaloupes, cucumbers, alfalfa, and almonds. U.S. honey bees also produce about $150 million in honey annually.” It is also true that populations of pollinators are declining throughout the world.

There are many reasons for these declining populations, but what can we do to help them? A few simple steps can be taken in our own gardens, landscapes, and neighborhoods to create healthy ecosystems for pollinators to thrive. Our own backyard can provide the safe habitat they need to rebound from these startling declines.

Tiger swallowtail and bumble bee on Liatris pychnostachya

5 Key Elements of a Pollinator-Friendly Landscape

1. Plant a variety of flowering plants:

The importance of flowering plants, especially native plants, to pollinators is well documented. Pollinators seek these plants out in the landscape. A recent butterfly survey for Harvey County found 17 of the 22 recorded species at the arboretum. We attribute this to the many native plants we have growing here. They don’t have to search to find food. They can find food throughout the year because the prairie is continuously in bloom with overlapping wildflowers blooming from early spring to late fall. Other low maintenance perennials add to the diversity of nectar-rich plants utilized by pollinators.

2. Water, Water, Water:

A water source gives life to pollinators. It can be a bird bath, pool, water feature or small stream. The type of source is not as important as its location. Place your water source in a semi-shaded area protected from wind along with a place to land and sip up the water. Any water in close proximity to the food they need will reduce stress on pollinators.

3. No Pesticide Zone:

This seems obvious, but it is important to note. When our plants are being eaten by insects or foliar diseases appear, we often grab the spray can to immediately solve the problem. Here at the arboretum, we spray as a last resort. By spraying sparingly and infrequently, we minimize the risk of harming pollinators in the garden. Think carefully about when, why and how you spray.

4. Provide shelter:

Pollinators need easy access to protecting habitat. Evergreen trees and shrubs with layered vegetation within easy flying distance from flowering plants is an ideal habitat. The layered plants provide protection from the wind and predators. This protecting habitat is a great place for pollinators to make their homes.

5. The more, the merrier:

If you are the only garden in your neighborhood that is pollinator-friendly, it is a start. But just imagine your landscape connected with your neighbors’ gardens, which are connected with hundreds of others within the community – a giant ecosystem that can be freely navigated by pollinators. Pollinator-friendly gardens can have a tremendous impact on reversing the decline of pollinators. Educate your friends, neighbors and children about what can be done to positively impact pollinators. It has to start somewhere, why not with you?

Monarch butterfly on Asclepias incarnata

Five Oaks for the Kansas Landscape

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Scott Vogt

The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It’s the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun. – Napoleon Hill

If you live in Kansas long enough, you really begin to appreciate trees. They endure heat and extreme cold along with persistent wind. Months without rain are common, but so is the occasional soaking rain that saturates the soil. Trees in this part of the world need to be resilient.

Folks in areas of the country that have an abundance of trees often take trees for granted. Trees grow easily, but not here. A good shade tree in Kansas is a luxury. They need to withstand the rigors of the climate. To sit under a mature tree on a warm afternoon, enjoy the blue skies and sip your favorite cool drink is a special experience.

Here are five oaks trees that are “plains tough”. (This is my list, but there are over 10 species of oaks native to Kansas and several other non-native varieties that are equally tenacious.)

OAK TREES FOR KANSAS

1. Bur oak

When I go fishing along the Cottonwood River, I can’t help but notice the huge Bur oaks (Quercus macrocarpa) stretching out their limbs over the river. West of Hesston, there is one that has a span of over 150 feet. It is quite a specimen. This native oak of the eastern two-thirds of Kansas is one of the most adaptable hardwood trees in Kansas. Generally, it is slow growing, but in the right conditions it can grow two to three feet a year. Mature height is 50 to 80 feet tall and with a spread from 40 to 60 feet. The Bur oaks don’t typically have great fall color, but it is very sturdy and problem-free.

Bur oak

2. White oak

As part of my horticulture classes at Kansas State University, I had to learn the names of many different plants on campus. One of the trees I remember the most is a white oak (Quercus alba) on the east side of campus. It is a beautiful tree with great fall color. This stately tree stood about 60-70 feet tall with a spread of at least 60 feet. I would love to have that white oak in my back yard, because I know that it would be there for generations.

White oak

3. English oak

The Kansas state champion English oak (Quercus robur) is in Kinsley. If it can grow in Kinsley, it can grow anywhere in the state. It is native to Europe, but a versatile tree in Kansas. Typical growth is 30 to 50 feet in height and 30 to 40 feet in spread. Leaves are dark green throughout the year. They eventually turn brown, but stay on the tree much of the winter. This tree adapts to most soil types, including heavy clay. Ours at the arboretum puts on good growth each year – one to two feet. Give it room to grow and you will be rewarded with an excellent shade tree.

4. Shumard (red) oak

The fastest growing member of the red oak family is Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii) making it a great choice for the home landscape. Its native range is eastern Kansas along moist streams and upland rocky hillsides. It is quite adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions. The fall color can be incredible. It is recommended that you choose your tree in the fall when they are coloring because the species can be variable in fall color intensity. Shumard oaks are more tolerant than other red oaks of urban areas and challenging sites.

5. Shingle oak

Our shingle oaks (Quercus imbricaria) this fall have been spectacular. The red fall color was more brilliant than in previous years. The color fades, but the leaves will persist through most of the winter. Speaking of the leaves, they are unusual among oaks. They don’t have lobes, but are smooth along the margins. It is a great form that can thrive in drier conditions. They grow 40 to 60 feet tall and spread 30 to 50 feet.

Shingle oak

Planting an oak today is like leaving an inheritance to future generations. Choose wisely!

What to Do with Those Leaves, Leaves, Leaves.

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Scott Vogt

The other day I was driving through town and really noticed the changing leaves for the first time this fall. They are looking particularly colorful this year. The Maple tree varieties like ‘John Pair’, ‘Autumn Splendor’, ‘Table Rock’ and Oaks like Red Oak and Shingle Oak put on quite a show. My favorite tree at the arboretum is the Sugar Maple called ‘Table Rock’. It has consistent orange-red fall color.

Table Rock Maple

These leaves, no matter how beautiful, will eventually fall. Then we need to decide what to do with them. Here at the arboretum we compost them. Leaf compost makes excellent plant food and humus that can be incorporated into your garden or flower bed. Leaf compost is high in valuable minerals such as nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and other trace elements. Analysis shows that leaves from most trees can contain up to twice as many minerals as aged manure.

Gingko biloba, ‘Autumn Gold’

Why wouldn’t you want to make your own compost from leaves? Good compost developed from leaves also adds organic matter to the soil. This organic matter is great for aerating heavy clay soils or increasing water holding in sandy soils. Take advantage of these free gifts.

Steps for composting leaves:

Collect leaves. Shred them into small pieces to speed decomposition. Place leaves on the ground, which will make it easier to turn them and allow beneficial organisms such as worms to infiltrate the pile.
To start your compost pile, your first layer should be several inches of leaves on the bare ground. This helps aerate the entire pile.
Layer with alternating green (nitrogen rich) and brown (carbon rich) material. Green material can be grass clippings, food scraps, algae, tea bags or any nitrogen source. These green ingredients speed the decomposition of the brown material. Brown material can be leaves, newspaper, cardboard, sawdust, or straw. These ingredients are generally slow to decompose and clump together. They need time and moisture for optimum breakdown. As a general rule, try to have one-third green and two-thirds brown. The secret to a healthy compost pile is to maintain a working balance between these two elements. Too much green makes a smelly, anaerobic mess. More brown is better than too much green.
Keep pile moist by either manually watering or allowing rain to infiltrate compost, but don’t go overboard.
Turn the pile every few weeks. This incorporates and mixes all the elements together while aerating the pile. If the pile is never turned, oxygen, which is an essential component in the process of decomposition, will be excluded. Allow the compost pile to reach an internal temperature of 140-160 degrees to kill weed seeds. If your compost pile is not reaching these temperatures, add more green material.
In 4-6 months (next spring) the composting process will be complete.

Leaf house at the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains

If you don’t have need of fresh compost, the arboretum is willing to take your bagged leaves. We are again filling our leaf house with our leaves, but we can take more. Just drop your bags of leaves in the bus parking area at the arboretum. We will take them back to the leaf house. The leaf house is a great example of decomposition in action.

Three Iconic Prairie Grasses to Add to Your Landscape

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Scott Vogt

Native grasses are at their best right now. They are in full plumage. They are changing color from green to bold reds, yellows, and oranges. They have reached their full height. They are spectacular.

I can’t imagine the view atop a rise looking over the expanse of the Great Plains in its unbroken state – a “sea of grass” as far as you could see. It must have been awe inspiring. Within these waves of gold and green, three grasses stood out from the rest.

Within these waves of gold and green, three grasses stood out from the rest.

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

This is the king of the prairie grasses, reaching to the skies and sending its roots deep. It perseveres in tallgrass prairies. The vertical stems stand firmly and sway with only a slight breeze and change vibrantly in the fall to shades of red and orange. The three-pronged seed heads resemble a turkey’s foot, hence its other name “Turkey Foot Grass”. Plant it in full sun in a medium to moist soil.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

The airy seed heads and upright habit make this a great landscape grass. These forms make quite a statement in the fall and winter landscape. They add structure, texture and movement. For best results, plant them in a sunny spot in a medium to moist soil. It is very drought tolerant. Discover these varieties: ‘Northwind’-consistent upright form to four feet tall and golden yellow fall color, ‘Cheyenne Sky’-red leaves develop early in the summer and grows to three feet, and ‘Dallas Blues’-tall (to 8 feet), with blue foliage and purple seed heads.

Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

The yellow/tan plumes and vase-shaped habit make this grass easy to recognize in prairies. I use them in naturalistic plantings or formal plantings. Give them space, because mature plants can be five feet across the top. It grows best in a medium to dry soil and all-day sun. Heavy clay soils make it robust, but it thrives in many different soil types.

These native grasses are the backbone of the tallgrass prairie. They are resilient because their roots go deep making them drought tolerant and tough. They are garden-worthy and deserve a place in the landscape. Give them a try. You will be rewarded for many years to come.

Check out this article in Fine Gardening that I wrote several years ago for more information on other native grasses.

Five Things You Should Do Now to Prepare for Winter

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Scott Vogt

This is my favorite time of the year. I love autumn. You can see and feel the changes of the seasons. Prairies turn from green to brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow. Trees light up the landscape with vibrant fall color. Asters dot the landscape as pollinators search for the last remaining nectar in the garden. There is so much to enjoy this time of the year. We don’t want to think about the real big change coming when winter arrives, but that change is coming all too soon.

I like to spend some time in the fall preparing our landscapes for winter. By dedicating some time now to your landscape, you will be rewarded with healthier, more beautiful plants next spring.

Here are some things on my checklist for the fall:

#1 Mulch

Fall is a great time to mulch all your plants. Mulching now will help protect roots from extreme temperatures while also helping the soils to retain moisture in a typically cold, dry winter. We apply 2-3 inches of new mulch around perennials, trees and shrubs. Be careful! Don’t allow mulch to contact the stem or trunk. We leave a halo around the plants to aid in air exchange and drying. Too much mulch can cause more harm than good.

Table Rock Maple

#2 Lawn Care

This is the best time of the year to plant a new fescue lawn or overseed an existing fescue lawn. I overseeded my back yard last week. It is just starting to germinate. I used clean, weed free seed and watered it daily. I applied 3-5 lbs. per 1000 square feet. If you are planting a new lawn, apply 5-10 lbs. per 1000 square feet. You have until October 15 to get your seeding finished. It is usually too late to seed after October 31. The cool nights, warm days, beneficial rains and less weed competition make this time of year ideal for seeding grass.

It is also the best time to fertilize your fescue lawn. We apply one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet. Fall fertilization promotes root growth. The roots of the fescue absorb and store the nutrients for the winter. This stored energy will make for a thicker, healthier lawn next spring.

Remove leaves from lawn and place in compost pile. Falling leaves block sunlight to the grass inhibiting growth. Leaves can be shredded and composted into the lawn, but often this causes more problems. It is usually best to completely remove them.

#3 Fall Clean-up

Remove Annuals and Cut Perennials: After the first frost, annuals can be removed from the landscape. Prior to the first hard freeze, tender annuals need to be dug up and stored for the winter (i.e. cannas and elephant ears).

In certain gardens, we deadhead spent blooms on plants such as gray-headed coneflower and coneflowers to prevent seeding. Other seedheads are left through the winter as food sources for birds. We leave ornamental grasses through the winter. They provide texture and movement in the winter landscape. These beds will be cleaned up in the spring.

Keep in mind that fall is NOT the best time to prune trees and shrubs. It encourages new growth that will not get hardened off before winter, making it susceptible to damage. Prune trees in the winter after they have gone dormant. Shrubs can be pruned in the winter as well but only if they bloom on new growth. Pruning spring blooming shrubs in the winter will remove next year’s blooms. Prune these after they have finished blooming in the spring.

#4 Water

It is vital that perennials, trees and shrubs are adequately watered throughout the fall. Newly installed plants don’t have a fully established root system and would benefit from periodic watering. If the top 1-2 inches of soil is dry, the plants need water. Evergreen trees continue to need moisture in winter, so irrigate thoroughly before the ground freezes.

Arizona Cypress

#5 Take inventory and Think Spring

In the fall, I analyze the landscape. This is the best time to determine what your needs will be next spring. What plants did well in the landscape? What plants need help or need to be moved next spring? Are there any plants that would benefit from dividing such as grasses? What areas need to be filled next spring? Does the canopy of the trees need to be thinned to allow more light into the landscape? Install spring blooming bulbs before the ground freezes.

This is a great season of the year. Take some time to appreciate the beauty of fall. There is so much to enjoy, but set aside some time to prepare for the winter. A little work now on your landscape will pay big dividends in the spring.

Kansas is the Sunflower State

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Scott Vogt

Excerpt from Kansas legislation:

Whereas, This flower has to all Kansans a historic symbolism which speaks of frontier days, winding trails, pathless prairies, and is full of the life and glory of the past, the pride of the present, and richly emblematic of the majesty of a golden future, and is a flower which has given Kansas the world-wide name, “the sunflower state”…

Be it enacted … that the helianthus or wild native sunflower is … designated … the state flower and floral emblem of the state of Kansas.

This past weekend, I traveled to Marion to watch my daughter’s volleyball game. On the way, I could not help but notice sunflowers blooming. It was amazing to see the many different varieties and forms scattered throughout the prairies and ravines. I tried my best at 65 miles per hour to identify them. They were everywhere and in their full glory. The yellow flowers stood out amongst the changing prairie grasses. They brighten up the prairie landscape and signal the changing seasons. If you are out and about in the coming weeks, here are some of the gorgeous sunflowers you will see.

Willow-leaf Sunflower (Helianthus salicifolius) – This is one of the most common sunflowers and is easily identified because it has many long, narrow, drooping leaves swirled around the stem. The leaves are not more than a quarter inch wide and make a soft umbrella at the top of the stem as they grow. The bright yellow clusters of blooms are attractive, but the foliage is equally interesting.

Maximillian Sunflower (Helianthus maximilianii) – This is a very showy sunflower with tall stems that rise above surrounding grasses. The blooms are vibrant and large. It is a beautiful sunflower, but beware. It is rhizomatous and spreads vigorously. I would not plant this sunflower in a formal landscape. I would plant it in a prairie or area of the yard that allows it to go wild. It will quickly take over any garden when it is happy. We have some along the pond where we can manage its spread with a mower.

Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) – You can find these sunflowers along woodlands and in moist prairies. It has larger leaves that are thick and rough. Stems are topped with large golden-yellow flower heads. I have never tasted the tuberous roots but those who have considered them a delicacy. The roots can be eaten raw or boiled like a potato.

Other sunflowers worth noting: Sawtooth Sunflower (Helianthus grosseserratus) – Similar to Maximillian Sunflower; Ashy Sunflower (Helianthus mollis) – Shorter with gray foliage; and Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) – Tall with flowers at the ends of the branched stems.

Oh sunflower! The queen of all flowers,

No other with you can compare,

The roadside and fields are made golden

Because of your bright presence there.

“An Ode to the Kansas Sunflower,” Ed Blair, 1901

Four Reasons You Should Plant in the Fall

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Scott Vogt

We just finished our fall plant sale last weekend and I had many people ask if this is a good time to plant. My answer was “No. It is a GREAT time to plant!” In fact, it’s a perfect time to plant just about anything (other than annuals).

I don’t know why this fall planting message is not resonating with all gardeners. We may be worn out from managing the plants we installed in the spring or we are busy with other things and not focused on what our gardens will need next spring. Whatever the justifications, here are my reasons why you will be rewarded for working on your native landscape this fall:

A wildflower display at our front entrance, the first spring after a fall planting.

#1 Warm Soils

Because the soil is still warm from the summer, the roots will continue to develop until the first frost. In our area, this occurs around mid-October. However, trees and shrubs will root until the grounds freezes. In the spring, these plants will have developed root systems that are actively growing and ready to produce flowers and survive the hot summer months. Last fall, we planted twenty-five butterfly milkweed and twenty-three survived the winter. Most of these plants bloomed this summer.

#2 Reduced stress

Transplanting causes stress on plants as they are introduced to a new environment. This shock is reduced by planting in the fall because the plant is entering dormancy. The growth is moving from above ground to below ground and root systems are storing energy reserves for next year. Fall transplants have this vital time for root development before winter. Transplanting in the spring, on the other hand, causes additional stress and plants may hardly recover from transplant shock before the demands of summer are realized. The overall plant health is improved for next year by starting with transplanting this fall.

#3 Less weed competition

We have found that when planting in September there are fewer problems with weeds such as crabgrass and foxtail. This allows plants to get a head start for next season without competing with problematic weeds. Remember to mulch around the plants after the first freeze to help moderate soil temperatures, control winter annual weeds such as henbit, and hold soil moisture through the winter. Keep mulch away from the base of plants to allow proper air exchange.

#4 Beneficial Rains

Warm days and cool nights provide an ideal environment for transplanting and growth. Typically, fall brings several cool, cloudy days with frequent precipitation. Warm sunny days can cause stress on new transplants. Cooler nights and morning dew allow plants to recover each night. Beneficial autumn rains eliminate some daily watering.

The arboretum parking lot median was planted in September.

Here at the arboretum, we prefer to plant in the fall because we have more time and have seen the benefits first hand. We are usually very busy in the spring readying the gardens. It is nice to see plants that were started in the fall jumping to life and even blooming.

Whenever you plant, whether spring or fall, the ultimate goal is to create a landscape you can enjoy. Take time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Five Elegant Perennials for the Summer Landscape

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Scott Vogt

Lately, I have been watching old Western films. John Wayne always looks so calm and collected. He never sweats, even though he is wearing five layers of clothing. Have you ever wondered why they wear so much when it is so hot?

Right now, I wish I had a sprinkler to run through or a bucket of ice water to dump on myself. Those movie characters who ride through the desert unscathed remind me of some tough plants blooming right now in the arboretum. It is a true testament to the toughness of some perennials that thrive in adverse conditions.

Try these sun-loving perennials – you will be rewarded year after year by these resilient plants:

Letterman’s Ironplant-Vernonia lettermanii ‘Iron Butterfly’

While walking through the gardens this morning, I noticed the vibrant purple blooms of this iron-clad wildflower. We should be tooting the horn for more natives like these. The plants were alive with activity-like a pollinator magnet! Each stem has slender leaves radiating outward, similar to Amsonia hubrichtii. This is a more refined ironweed, but just as tenacious as the pasture type. I use them in groupings with switch grass and goldenrods but they would be a nice addition to any landscape.

Photo taken at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains

Russian Sage-Perovskia atriplicifolia

On my recent trip to Denver, Russian Sage was ubiquitous. That’s a fancy word for everywhere. It was in the street medians, parks, store fronts, and in front of most homes, but for good reason. The soft lavender blooms are eye-catching. The cloud of colorful flowers above the finely textured aromatic foliage is a wonderful combination. Did I mention that Russian Sage is tough? It shines in any full to part sun location. It can survive drought conditions, but appreciates weekly watering. They are best displayed in mass plantings or with native grasses.

Photo courtesy of Walters Gardens

Button Blazing Star-Liatris aspera

Blazing stars have put on quite a show this year and button blazing star is no exception. It is in full bloom right now in 100 degree heat and loving it. The entire plant matures to 3′ in height, but the real show is the purple button flowers that develop along the stem. It is happiest in medium to dry soil conditions and will become unhappy with too much moisture. Pollinators flock to it, including butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. Plant them in mass, 8-12 inches apart for the ultimate display. I like to integrate several grasses like Little Bluestem or switch grass to give interest later in the season.

Photo taken at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains

Hummingbird Mint- Agastache ‘Blue Boa’

This plant has been one of my biggest surprises over the last several years. It is almost always in bloom. It loves the heat and humidity. The deep violet-blue blooms lure many different pollinators and ‘Blue boa’ requires very little care once established in a medium to dry location. If you want to help the pollinators, try a few in your landscape. You will be surprised by them, too.

Photo courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries

Aromatic Aster-Aster oblongifolius ‘October Skies’

We have been growing this great form of our native aromatic aster for several years. It is not rambunctious in the landscape. In fact, it develops into a nice bush that is covered with glowing lavender flowers. When the whole plant is in bloom it looks like a mum on steroids. Flowers begin to open in late September and last into October. During the warm days of autumn, pollinators congregate on these beauties, seeking to collect the last pollen of the season. We have used them in borders and native groupings with ornamental grasses.

Photo taken at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains

Notice the theme? They all have lavender blooms. These are a few plants that are doing well in the arboretum. What plants have you had success with this year?