2020 Year in Review

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Brad Guhr

2020 was a trying year, but thanks to our dedicated members and volunteers, Dyck Arboretum was able to persevere. Enjoy this year in photos!

Defining Sun Requirements for Native Plants

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Scott Vogt

Knowing how much light a plant needs to thrive should be a simple question, but it is often easily misunderstood. There are so many different descriptions for sun requirements or exposure found on plant labels, but they don’t provide all the information you may need to make the right selection for your yard. Are these descriptions […]

Silver and Gold

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Katie Schmidt

Even when the mercury drops and the snow flies, I am still thinking about gardening! Winter is the best time to sketch and plan; to dream up additions to your landscape so you are ready to install when spring arrives. Of course, at Christmas time my mind is always drawn to plants with silver and […]

Bagworms: Pest Spotlight

Posted on December 9, 2020 by Scott Vogt

Bagworms have done tremendous damage this year. Here at the Arboretum, we made multiple applications to our junipers and spruce to get them under control. Thankfully, we have not had to manage bagworms the past five years too much. However, across the countryside this year, juniper shelter belts are covered with thousands of brown bags dangling […]

A Grand Old Burr Oak

Posted on December 2, 2020 by Brad Guhr

The Stucky Oak is a grand old burr oak (Quercus macrocarpa) in McPherson County, Kansas along the Middle Emma Creek.

In Gratitude for the Prairie

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Scott Vogt

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from Dyck Arboretum of the Plains The Dyck Arboretum of the Plains staff and board of trustees send warm wishes this Thanksgiving holiday. The following is a list of things we are grateful for this year. 1. The opportunity to help others. That simple truth powers all of us when things get tough. […]

Will Work for Lights: How We Prepare for Luminary Walk

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Katie Schmidt

It is that time of year again! Volunteers and staff are preparing for our annual Winter Luminary Walk event. This means stringing hundreds of extension cords and thousands of Christmas lights throughout the Arboretum. It may seem ridiculously early, but we often start this process the day after Halloween. (Do you think a Monster Mash/White […]

Buffalograss Seeding Experiment

Posted on November 11, 2020 by Scott Vogt

Buffalograss gets its name from the “buffalo” that once roamed the Great Plains and foraged on this dense native turf. As a component of the shortgrass prairie, early settlers used sod, held together by buffalograss, to construct their sod houses. Prairies were woven together with buffalograss and that’s why it makes such a nice lawn […]

Predator Profile: Praying Mantis

Posted on November 4, 2020 by Brad Guhr

Praying mantids are fascinating predators in our gardens and natural areas for their species variation, reproductive strategies , and feeding habits.

Plant Profile: American Beautyberry

Posted on October 28, 2020 by Scott Vogt

This time of year, I look for those little surprises in the landscape that extend the season of beauty in the garden. Asters in September and October and the native grasses in the late fall and winter punctuate the landscape with form, texture and color. One shrub that is a thrill for me to discover in […]