In the past few weeks I have had the good fortune to visit several different prairies, each under different circumstances, all of them delightful in their own way. Here’s a tale of 3 prairies for you, in hopes you become inspired to visit these places as well! Willa Cather Memorial Prairie Webster Co., Nebraska I […]
Read More
Several years ago as I was preparing for our fall plant sale, I noted that I had a flat of 32 golden alexanders (Zizia aurea) ready for the sale. I went back three days later and could not find the plants anywhere. I thought somebody had moved them, but later discovered the flat of plants […]
Read More
It is Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) summer institute time again at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains. For the 10th year in a row, we are hosting teachers from around South Central Kansas for a week to learn about, plan, practice, and celebrate the environmental education process of teaching students about natural and cultural history […]
Read More
“Reversing deforestation is complicated; planting a tree is simple.” – Martin O’ Malley, Former Governor of Maryland and Mayor of Baltimore. When I first read this saying, I automatically changed it in my mind. I changed it to “reversing prairie degradation and loss is complicated; planting a wildflower is simple“. Granted, we appreciate trees in […]
Read More
Spring is a beautiful time to visit the Arboretum, the flowers are blooming and everything is lush and green. Unfortunately, our pond has turned green as well! The warming temperatures make perfect growing conditions for the unsightly algae and aquatic plants. Pond maintenance has become a regular part of our work week. We have been […]
Read More
Well, it happened again! I spent another beautiful day in the Flint Hills. After several weeks of busyness, I needed some quiet and solitude – time away from the office to refocus my thoughts and recharge my batteries. I knew just the place to go. Deep in the heart of the Flint Hills there is […]
Read More
I have big brown bats in my house. Hooray! Well, that is what I said a couple of years ago in July of 2014 when I first discovered that bats had taken up residence in the bat house that had hung on the south side of my house for nearly a decade. For many of […]
Read More
There are some experiences we will always remember and others we need to be reminded of from time to time. One of those experiences happened for me with the Texas Buckeye near the Arboretum parking lot. Each spring when it blooms, I am reminded of the time I about killed that tree. It was one of the […]
Read More
I am an enthusiastic advocate for landscaping with native plants. I preach this message at our spring and fall plant sales, talk about it in presentations, plan and promote lectures and symposia around this and other related topics, and run an Earth Partnership for Schools Program that has planted prairie pocket gardens at more than […]
Read More
Many people who visit our FloraKansas Plant Sale are very interested in converting their gardens to using native plants, but they often are unsure of which plants to put together and in what configurations. Here are a few tried and true combinations that I have enjoyed, both in our plantings at the Arboretum, and at […]
Read More
