“If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos.” ― Edward O. Wilson Take a moment during your next foray outdoors and observe the level of insect diversity around you. […]
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One of the great things about native plants is that there is so much diversity found in the prairie. From wet to dry, sun to shade, clay to sand, there is a plant for every place in the landscape. The diversity of plants give us so many options and provides alternatives to what is typically […]
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As I drove through the Flint Hills this week in late June, there were orange dots among the prairie grasses that caught my eye. Few plants found on the prairies of Kansas are as readily recognizable as butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa). This classic prairie plant found throughout the eastern two-thirds of Kansas blooms from late […]
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Did you know that this week is National Pollinator Week (June 15 – June 21)? Whether it is with bees, butterflies, birds or beetles, pollinators are extremely important and provide valuable services. Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants depend on pollinators to reproduce. Think of all the food crop production that would not be possible without […]
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“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” ~ Helen Keller Consider the power of one vs. the power of many. The power of one may at first seem insignificant. However, with persistence, consensus-building, and sometimes even a little luck, that power can grow to many and build to a formidable presence. […]
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Believe it or not, now is the time to plant buffalograss. It is one of the few native prairie grasses that can be used for low-maintenance lawns and other turf areas. It thrives in our clay soils and stays relatively low. The arboretum has benefitted from the established stands of buffalograss we maintain. The fine […]
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When I started at the arboretum 18 years ago, I thought I knew so much. I had book knowledge about horticulture, but I had not learned much about native plants. In fact, information about native plants was almost non-existent. My learning curve was very steep those first few years. Even now I continue to learn […]
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I know it is cliché to say I have been busy, but I have been busy. We are all busy these days. It seems that is just a fact of life. You are not living if you are not busy doing something or going somewhere. We are moving so fast that we are too distracted […]
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Penstemons are beautiful spring blooming wildflowers that provide incredible color and attractive forms. I have been convinced through trial and error that some plants are more garden worthy than others. If matched with the proper sunlight and soil, penstemons fit that category. Whether planted in the spring or fall, all of the penstemons will bloom […]
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For 35 years, Janét E. Bare’s popular book Wildflowers and Weeds of Kansas has been one of the standards for plant identification in Kansas. When I moved back to Kansas in 1998 with a fresh botany/ecology degree, a new job in environmental consulting that required plant identification, and a desire to know the name of […]
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