Working in the Arboretum greenhouse is a terrible temptation. I love my perennial garden at home and I never stop adding new specimens, so our selection of natives and adaptables this year is a treasure trove for me. I must truly exercise some self control to prevent my entire paycheck from turning into wildflowers. Until […]
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For me, there’s something fun, exciting, and even entertaining about gardening. It is an adventure every year. I love the journey of taking a plant, any plant, and making it grow. To see a plant transformed into something that produces a crop for me to use or a flower for me to enjoy is extremely […]
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This weekend, I did some reflecting on the past 19 years I have spent at the arboretum. I thought I knew so much when I was hired as the horticulturist. After all, I had just graduated from Kansas State University with a horticulture degree. There wasn’t anything I didn’t know. But after the first week, […]
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At Dyck Arboretum of the Plains, we invest considerable effort in helping interpret Kansas prairie plants and ecosystems. Our educational programming, winter lectures, plant sales, and outreach celebrate the many benefits that come from Kansas native plants and the ecosystems they support. With our next spring education symposium entitled Prairie and Plains Indians Bonds, we’d […]
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Sneezing, coughing, watery eyes – everyone is complaining about allergies this time of year, the Arboretum staff included. Many people point the blame at any pretty flower they see in early spring, such as Bradford Pear blossoms (Pyrus sp.), redbuds (Cercis sp.) or daffodils (Narcissus sp.). But it is likely to be less obvious blooms […]
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Through our work in promoting the use of native plants in landscaping, we have observed that homeowners and gardeners are becoming increasingly aware of the positive impacts they can have on the natural world. At the same time, they are looking for ways they can sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor. In a weekly article […]
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Our greenhouse is finally filling up, and what a sight! Little green sprouts are popping up in their pots, eager for more warm weather. By the time our plant sale rolls around the greenhouse will be a gallery of purple, pink and orange blooms! Unfortunately, all that gorgeous color will surely steal the spotlight away […]
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What is normal? A definition I like is “the usual, average, or typical state or condition.” So, what would most mid-Westerners think of as a “normal” landscape? How about a landscape dominated by lawn, a few foundation plantings with uninspiring, “tidy” perennials and shrubs that serve no real purpose other than to take up space? In […]
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I love changes in the seasons. The dawn of spring, however – giving forth increased warmth, a variety of distinctive earthy to sweet smells, green and colorful sights, and sounds from many species of waking wildlife — is a favored time of the year. Spring-blooming prairie and woodland plants are among the first to take […]
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Over the years, I have come to realize how little I knew about gardening the right way. So much of what I knew as a budding horticulturist was gleaned from school. It wasn’t until I had killed a few plants and tortured many others that I began to learn some basic principles that guide how […]
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