Tube flowers occupy a special niche in the ecosystem. They cater to pollinators with especially long tongues, saving their nectar for the lucky few who can reach it. There are lots of tubular blooms at the Arboretum right now, so I thought we ought to take a tube tour and examine a few of my […]
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I read an interesting article about Echinacea (coneflowers) the other day. It highlighted the highs and lows of the newfangled coneflower cultivars over the last decade or so. You know – the ones in oranges, reds, yellows and every shade in between. It seems that many coneflower breeders are doing some soul searching and they are […]
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Originally published in the Winter 2022 issue of the newsletter of the Kansas Native Plant Society. It started with seed collection. Throughout this past spring, summer and fall, I’ve been collecting seed for propagation of native seeds, seeds to be shared with the Dyck Arboretum, and seeds for our prairie restoration. So when I gazed […]
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It’s obvious to me that interest in landscaping with native plants continues to expand. More and more people are reconnecting with the natural world through their native landscapes. Besides creating habitat for wildlife, including pollinators and insects, these newly developed gardens conserve water, reduce chemical and pesticide use and beautify the landscape. As you think […]
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I have accidentally been spreading some plant slander, and now it is time to apologize. Sometimes even we plant people get it very, very wrong! And so today’s post is all about Campsis radicans, aka the trumpet vine. For years I have been railing against this plant. “Ridiculously aggressive!” “Impossible to get rid of!” “It’s […]
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When we think about spring, bearded irises often come to our minds. These resilient harbingers of spring often carry personal meaning for gardeners. Many have been shared and passed down from family and friends through the years. For my family, we have nice yellow and white bearded irises from my wife’s mother. They are beautiful reminders of […]
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Last Monday’s spring equinox marks an interesting time in our calendar. We’re nearly three months into 2023, but following the seasonal calendar, a new year is just about to begin. The spring equinox is a time of paradox – spring is both here and not yet here. Each day, as the Earth turns in its […]
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I have been reminded over the past few weeks about about the importance of keystone natives. There is a growing body of research that touts the benefits of keystone species of trees, shrubs, wildflowers and grasses to the food web. According to Doug Tallamy, landscapes without keystone plants will support 70–75% fewer caterpillar species than a […]
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When a new plant is introduced into the market, it is more than just a fancy name. Plant breeders work for years, sometimes decades, to perfect and patent a distinct new plant variety. Sometimes this is the work of hybridization, complicated gene editing or human-aided crosspollination. But other times it starts by finding an interesting […]
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While March can still be cold in Kansas and we can get some significant snow and ice, there are still opportunities to spend time in your garden. Here is a March gardening checklist that will prepare your garden to thrive in the coming year. Prune trees and shrubs This is a perfect time to be […]
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