Hikers passing through high elevation mountain meadows often catch glimpses of a number of familiar flowers. In fact, many of the mountain meadow natives are closely related to our Kansas native plants. With nearly daily rain showers, the subalpine grassland meadows of the southern Rocky Mountains are bursting with wildflowers this summer. Rocky Mountain subalpine […]
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When you mention wildflowers, people tend to visualize broad swaths of colorful flowers growing in meadows. This effect is often very difficult to achieve because of problems with soil preparation, plant establishment, weed control, and long term maintenance. Finding a solution to these problems usually requires more time and effort than most people want to invest. […]
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Help conserve the fireflies of summer in your landscape by increasing habitat, ending pesticide use, and curbing the use of artificial light.
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This spring we have several trees showing signs of stress that are not particularly attractive. Since last fall, something has happened to them. They leafed out late and/or they have some dead branches throughout the tree. More than likely, it is a result of the historic cold temperatures this winter. But it made me wonder […]
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Many of our readers and webinar participants have asked for an update on my native front yard project, and I am happy to oblige! As with every native garden, it had it’s ‘ugly duckling’ phase wherein it was more mulch than garden. This is normal, and patience is key to getting past this phase. Given […]
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Last November, I set out to establish buffalograss a different way than I have traditionally done. Normally, I have areas prepared this time of year for buffalograss seeding. May and June are considered the best time to plant buffalograss because it is a native warm season grass. It needs to be planted when soil temperatures are above […]
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During our recent Spring FloraKansas event – when we moved over16,000 plants in four days – we learned that native plants are in high demand.
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As stewards of our landscapes, we need to be constantly vigilant as we monitor for problematic weeds and invasive species. We have some usual culprits such as bindweed, bermuda grass, Johnson grass and Bradford pear trees. However, I have noticed another subtle spreader that is quite attractive but quite pushy – Dame’s rocket. For years, […]
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“ . . . most of us rarely give any thought to the fact that the ground beneath our feet is a complicated, ever-moving tangle of rocks and animals and plants and water and chemical compounds that rivals the ocean as a wild, dark mysterious, and inscrutable realm.” Farming with Soil Life. https://www.xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/19-051.pdf Many of […]
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There is no “one way” to landscape with native plants. One person’s dream landscape design might be someone else’s nightmare. Native gardens can be wild and wistful, or organized and formal. As long as the plant species being used are beneficial to wildlife and water conscious, you are on the right track! But it can […]
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