Summer Garden Checklist

Posted on July 27, 2023 by Scott Vogt

Kansas summers can discourage even the hardiest gardeners. However, taking time to manage your garden now will help your garden later. Here’s my Summer Garden Checklist for the Kansas gardener.

Control Warm Season Weeds

Summer brings with it a new set of weeds to control. Hot weather germinates summer annuals like crabgrass, foxtail. Nutsedge and other weeds invade your lawn and landscape as well. Manage weeds using nonchemical methods such as cultivation, hand weeding, or mowing; use toxic chemicals as a last resort.

Mowing regularly and occasionally edging along sidewalks and walkways is needed to ensure your lawn is not overrun with weeds. In a landscaped bed, hand pull any of these weeds, especially if they have seed heads. It is so important to not let these weeds go to seed. Stay vigilant even though the summer heat tries to squash your enthusiasm. A little extra effort now will make your garden better this fall and into next year.

*Crabgrass in tree mulch ring controlled with roundup: one treatment should clean up the mulched area and keep it weed free the rest of the season.*

Be Water Wise

To reduce evaporation, water when temperatures are cooler and air is still, usually in the early morning. Water deeply to moisten the root zone, but infrequently. About an inch of water each week is a good rule of thumb! If you have invested in container plants, they will need daily watering, as soil in pots can dry out quickly and damage plant roots on hot summer days. Each of our gardens have indicator plants that show stress first, let these plants be your guide as when to water. For new planting started this spring, water when the top one to two inches of soil is dry. Remember it takes three to five years for sustaining roots systems to develop for most native plants. Supplemental watering is necessary to encourage growth and root development in these young plants.

*We use pressure compensating 1/2 inch soaker hoses to efficiently water trees, shrubs and a few flower beds. Each emitter puts out 1 gallon of water per hour.*

Prepare for seeding

If you are wanting to establish native prairie plants from seed, now is a great time to prepare your area. Mow your area short (1-2 inches). Control perennial weeds such as bindweed or Bermuda grass by carefully spraying the area with Roundup. It will take several applications to get these problematic weeds under control. If you can see soil, tillage is not necessary. If you can’t see soil, till lightly to expose some bare soil. Remember, each time you till, you bring up more weed seeds, so tread lightly.

Measure your area and order a seed mixture that matches your site. A good seed mix ratio of wildflower to grass is 70% wildflowers to 30% grasses. Grasses tend to dominate over time, so this ratio will give the wildflowers a good start. We typically spread seed in November and December after the soil temperature has dropped enough to discourage germination. The natural freeze/thaw of the ground will work the seeds down into the soil to the proper depth for germination next spring.

*This is the seed mix we established along our newly renovated path.*

Sidewalk edge planting: We mixed some sand with the seed mix to make it easier to distribute. We then let the natural freeze/thaw of the soil plant the seed for us through the winter. Germination occurred the following spring when soil temperatures rose above 60 degrees.

Trim

Now is a great time to trim back perennials that have become unruly. Perennial and grasses that are encroaching sidewalks, paths, and structures can be sheared back to size. If this is a problem every year, you may consider moving the taller plants to another spot. Plants can be divided next February or March before they start to actively grow.

Low hanging branches from trees can also be pruned. It is getting late in the season to do much pruning on shrubs. New growth may not have enough time to get hardened off before cooler/colder weather. If a branch or shoot is in the way, then prune it, but prune sooner rather than later. If you can wait until the shrub goes dormant this fall, then wait.

As a general rule, early spring flowering shrubs such as forsythia, lilac and spirea should be pruned right after they are done blooming since they bloom on the previous year’s growth. Pruning right after blooming will allow the shrub to grow and develop a new set of buds for the next spring.

*A large compass plant that needs to be trimmed away from the path.*

Finally, remember “WHY” you are gardening; creating habitat, conserving water, aesthetics, attracting pollinators, attracting birds and other wildlife or curb appeal. Let your “WHY” reinvigorate you to take care of a few extra tasks that will give your landscape a boost. Don’t sweat the small stuff and don’t forget to step back to enjoy what you are trying to create. If it is all work and no enjoyment, then what is the point.

*Pale purple coneflower with a common buckeye butterfly. Fun to watch!*

All About Bindweed

Posted on June 7, 2023 by Katie Schmidt

It’s a plant all gardeners know well: the infamous bindweed. Thought to have been accidentally introduced from Europe by crop seed contamination in the 1700s, it has established itself all over the North American continent. But I recently found a native relative to this terrible pest, and upon further research, learned some fascinating facts about this plant family! The more we know, the more effective we can be at eradicating the invasive ones and properly identifying our look-a-like native species.

*Common field bindweed is often pink, white, or even striped. Photo from wikimedia*

Common Bindweed, Uncommon Problem

Convolvulus arvensis is the bindweed we all know and hate. It is a member of the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae). Its funnel shaped flowers hint at its lineage, and they are often visited by sweat bees and other small pollinators. Blooms may be white, pink, or even striped. Even farther up it’s family tree we find it is related to nightshades (think: tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, horsenettle) all a part of the order Solanales. Bindweed has spread all around the world and is listed as one of the United States most problematic agricultural weeds. It causes millions of dollars in crop losses every year.

Good Bindweed and Bad Bindweed

I didn’t know there was such a thing, but good bindweed exists. There are native species, often called false bindweeds, that look very similar but do not grow as aggressively. I was walking along the pond edge here at the Arboretum when I spotted what I thought was a bindweed. Odd, since bindweed rarely colonizes densely planted areas, especially in the shade. When I came closer I saw just how big the flower was. It was easily double the size of a regular bindweed flower, and a much brighter white.

This plant was actually a Calystegia species, likely low false bindweed (C. spithamaea). To my knowledge, this is the first occurrence of this species on our grounds. It could have come in with some flood waters, or sprouted after the disturbance of our island renovation efforts. We may never know, but we can surely enjoy its blooms and try to preserve it.

*C. spithamaea* isn’t usually found in our state, but it isn’t impossible. The native range is much farther east and north, but it could have found its way here in a seed mix ordered from out of state. There are other Calystegia’s that are more commonly found in our area, but they don’t match it’s growth habit as well. Oh the fun of solving plant ID mysteries!

**Calystegia spithamaea** has a pure white flower and is much less vigorous and vining than field bindweed.

*The flowers are much larger than those of common field bindweed.*

Best Management Practices

If you have the non-native kind of bindweed, you are probably in a daily struggle to keep it under control. Common bindweed is a perennial, meaning its roots survive the winter. Simply mowing it or cutting off the flowers will not successfully eradicate it from your lawn and garden. Also, those roots are incredibly tough and can be 20 feet deep! Pulling it is an exercise in patience, as it seems to regrow before your eyes. Most bindweed can easily resprout from small pieces of root left behind in the soil. If you have a small patch and you weed often, you may be able to get ahead of it and eventually weaken the root system. For folks who have A LOT of bindweed, here are some of the most effective controls:

Solarization (clear plastic placed over the area for a full growing season)
Smothering (cardboard with a thick layer of mulch on top for at least a full year but more likely 2 to 3)
Chemical control (glyphosate, 2-4D, paraquat, etc.)

And remember, avoid tilling the soil! Freshly disturbed soil is easily colonized by bindweed, and often there are seeds in the soil that get churned up to the surface, ready to germinate. Leave the soil undisturbed and only dig/loosen it in the specific holes where you will be planting.

Stumped: Reimagining a garden after tree loss

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Janelle Flory Schrock

Ten years ago, my spouse and I purchased our first home in Central Kansas. The backyard was dominated by a large American Elm tree that had miraculously, and with a lot of help from a local arborist, survived the bout of Dutch Elm Disease that had taken nearly all of the American Elms in town in the 1990s.

*In June of 2013, an aged American Elm tree beautifully shaded our backyard.*

What this meant was that, like many Kansas homeowners, we had a large area of dry shade to contend with. Informed by my spouse’s childhood experiences growing up in the bush of South Sudan, we were not inclined to water our lawn just to maintain the status quo. So, the challenge was, how do we increase biodiversity in this backyard without using supplemental watering? We were stumped.

We tried a few things in the deep shade of the tree – transplanted spiderwort, river oats and columbine from a friend. And although these species hung in there pretty well, they certainly did not thrive. Ideally, they would have liked a little more sun and a lot more rain.

Here at the Arboretum, in our list of frequently asked questions at FloraKansas Native Plant Days events, “Which Kansas native plants will grow well in dry shade?” rises to the top. Unfortunately, the answer is “Hardly any.”

In a prairie ecosystem, trees will only flourish along creekbanks or near another water source. The garden condition “dry shade” is a human-created environment that simply does not exist in nature. For humans, and particularly for those of us who are relatively new to gardening with native plants, this is often a difficult reality to process and to accept.

*Over the years, several major ice storms and wind events have weakened the structure of the tree. The final blow came in August of 2021.* *It was time to have the tree removed.*

Another reality that was difficult for us to accept was that the elm tree was in an irreversible decline. The health of the tree had been compromised by an ice storm in 2007. Slowly over time, the rotting that had begun after that first injury made the elm more susceptible to being damaged again. As it became clear to us that this tree was in a death process, we focused our efforts on developing the front yard and enjoyed the shade while we could.

*After the tree had been removed, we needed to reimagine what our backyard was going to be.*

In the fall of 2021, we finally admitted to ourselves that the tree needed to be removed. We allowed ourselves a year to sit with the new reality of a full sun back yard. We left the stump and planted it with yarrow, little bluestem and soapwort. We have also contemplated growing mushrooms in the stump. Over time, we will watch the stump disintegrate and return to the earth. For now, it provides a lovely focal point.

In the raised rock garden beds surrounding the stump and along the south fence, we have filled in with plants that prefer well-drained soil, including butterfly milkweed, Missouri evening primrose, blue flax, soapwort, and several adaptable creeping groundcovers. Also, I couldn’t help but try my guilty pleasure plant that would prefer to be at higher elevations, pineleaf penstemon.

Missouri evening primrose (*Oenathera macrocarpa)*

In a test area that was formerly in deep shade, we have seeded buffalograss and encouraged it to spread. In retrospect, I wish we had done this to the whole lawn area right away, because this spring, much of the former fescue lawn has mostly been populated by dandelions, wild lettuce, henbit, clover and spurge. Nevertheless, we are motivated to continue to populate the back yard with sun loving prairie plants.

The lawn is currently a polyculture of warm season grasses and annual weeds (please don’t judge!), but we are on our way to establishing buffalograss and determining where we would like to plant native perennials.

I know there are likely many things we could have done so much better. Do I have regrets? Definitely. Could we have saved that elm tree by trimming it every year? Probably. In stewarding this small piece of the land, we are far from perfect. But honestly, in this process, I’ve learned that the land is more forgiving than humans are, as long as you don’t try to bend it to your own will. If you listen and observe your garden, over time, it will tell you how it wants to be. It will allow you to make mistakes, and then correct them. It will teach you to view the cycle of life in new ways. And if you can hold back from trying to control it too much, you will be rewarded by new and unexpected discoveries on a daily basis.

Tree loss at the Arboretum

Posted on May 18, 2023 by Scott Vogt

One of the hardships of being a gardener is the loss of a long established tree. It is no different here at the Arboretum. We have lost a few trees that were planted at the founding of the Arboretum. The loss of these large specimen trees leave a huge hole in the landscape that will take another few decades to fill.

Austrian Pines

We continue to lose a few pine trees each year. All of our Scotch pines are gone due to pine wilt. We are now losing larger ponderosa and Austrian pines. We have a tree that is over 40 years old that was green last fall but is now totally brown, dead in less than six months. This could be due to a number of factors such as drought (although we watered it last summer into the fall), or some sort of tip blight. We believe this browning is blight. We are removing these trees as they die, which is heartbreaking.

*Austrian Pine turning brown from the bottom to the top*

Southwestern White Pine

This was one of the evergreen trees I recommended to plant a few years ago. It is no longer a viable alternative to some of the other two and three needle pines that have been lost to disease. We have lost a row of these due to pine wilt. Pine wilt causes a rapid decline of a pine tree in just a few months. The infected trees must be removed and burned to stop the spread.

River birch

In our parking lot median, we have slowly been losing an original row of river birch. Admittedly, this was not the ideal location for river birch. We were watering these trees almost weekly in the summer since they are not very drought tolerant and have shallow roots, which leaves them stressed in the heat sink of the parking lot. I see this same river birch scenario in other landscapes with river birch planted front yards and drier areas. Often times, these trees are struggling just as ours were unless they are receiving frequent irrigation through the summer. As their name implies, they grow best in wetter areas along streams, swales and ponds. We are replacing our river birch with a variety of deeper rooted trees such as oaks.

Autumn Purple Ash

What a big surprise this spring when this large white ash didn’t leaf out. One side has leaves, but the other side is completely bare. It has been infested with borers with have damaged the trunk, branches and stems. It showed no signs of disease last year. Even if I had seen and diagnosed the problem last fall, the treatment would not have been very effective. The result would have been the same. We are holding out hope that it will miraculously leaf out yet this spring. If not, it will need to be removed.

Pin Oak

It is well known that pin oaks suffer from iron chlorosis, which causes a yellowing of the leaves. Chlorosis in pin oaks is usually due to a deficiency of iron in the leaves. Iron is important for chlorophyll synthesis in plants, so when it is deficient, leaves cannot make chlorophyll, resulting in a yellow appearance. Chlorosis of pin oaks is typically associated with alkaline soil pH – pH greater than 7, which is common in our area. This iron deficiency eventually weakens the tree and stunts its growth. Trees can be treated by injecting iron into the trees or trying to change the pH of the soil. However, it is better to not plant these trees in our area. We are removing these trees and replacing them with varieties that don’t suffer from iron chlorosis.

Bottom Line

Having trees in Kansas is a luxury, especially large long-lived trees that provide wonderful shade. Kansas weather – with its extremes-wet, dry, hot, cold, and wind – are all challenges for trees. The other thing to keep in mind is that our area was originally prairie. Prairie is what grew best here, with trees relegated to creek bottoms and wetter areas. So growing trees here will always be demanding and ambitious. Even if we do everything right regarding trees in the landscape, there is no guarantee that a tree will grow and thrive.

We will continue replacing and planting trees here at the Arboretum. I believe a diverse selection of trees – different from the trees we have lost – is the answer. We will continue to lose trees, because they are living organisms susceptible to all sorts of diseases and problems. But keep planting, folks!

Plant Apologies: Campsis radicans

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Katie Schmidt

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.

*Illustration by Mary Vaux Walcott, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons*

For years I have been railing against this plant.

“Ridiculously aggressive!”

“Impossible to get rid of!”

“It’s sold at these big box stores because they don’t care about the environment!”

While those things might be true in their own way, they leave out an important fact: It is NATIVE. Yes, Campsis radicans is a native vine that is found from Maine to Florida and west to Kansas. I have said many times that is was invasive, imported from far flung lands, and is a plague upon our forests. And boy was I misinformed. Remember, the word ‘invasive’ really should be reserved for non-native plants that have reproduced in and disturbed the local ecosystem. Aggressive is a better, more accurate way to describe a plant’s behavior if it spreads readily, but is native to our area. Invasive, as a horticultural term, means something about its origins and introduction into a new place.

Many Good Traits

This plant blooms July through August, attracting a whole host of long-tongued pollinators. Blooms can be red to orange, and its slightly sweet scent is great for trellises near the patio. It grows quickly, so can create fast shade over a pergola. The foliage is attractive and lush, and serves as a host plant for several species of moth.

*The showy flowers attract bees and hummingbirds. Photo by Rob Hille, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons*

Some Not So Good Traits

My information about its origins was bad, but my warnings about its behavior were spot on. It is fast growing to a fault, and can be seen toppling fences and commandeering telephone poles. To keep this thing in control means relentless pruning. Growing right before your eyes, trumpet vine can easily climb 10 feet or more in a summer. It does not play well with others, and will send runner roots out into nearby garden areas. And don’t forget its seeds! A single pod can have 600+ seeds.

So, Campsis, I am sorry. You are a native vine with your own beautiful and ecosystem-sustaining qualities! Though I will still keep it out of my own garden, I can see it has a rightful place in a forest edge or hedgerow, and I will never call it invasive again!

Native Grasses FAQ

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Scott Vogt

After my Native Plant School class last week, there were several good questions about native grasses that are worth addressing again.

Question 1: How do you clean up native grasses in the late winter (Feb-March)?

Grasses tend to remain attractive well into winter, providing texture, movement and continuity to the garden. However, they eventually need to be cut back in preparation for spring. We use a gas powered hedge trimmer because we have so many grasses to cut back. The stems are tough but the trimmer easily cuts through them especially compared to hand pruners or loppers.

Starting at the top of the grass, we just cut through the grasses back and forth at 2-3 inch intervals until the grass is cut down to 2-4 inches off the ground. We then scatter the cuttings around the base of the grass so that it is not too thick. The trimmer makes quick work of a five foot grass. If the pile at the base of the grass is too thick, we scatter the clippings someplace else in the garden. This way you are keeping all those overwintering insects in your yard.

In our recent Winter Lecture Series, guest speaker Heather Holm suggested an even more insect-centric approach to spring garden clean up. Gain access to her presentation HERE.

*Northwind Switchgrass cut back and ready for spring*

FUN FACTS!

There are more than 400 different native bee species in Kansas.
An estimated 30% of native pollinators nest in pithy stems of plants such as native grasses and wildflowers.
Dead branches or logs decaying provide excellent habitat. Create a small bush pile for birds and pollinators. Overwintering butterflies and ground nesting bees can be found in brush piles and the decomposing wood gives fireflies a place to lay their eggs.
Nearly 70% of native pollinators are ground-nesting, burying into the soil to reproduce. Open soil without landscape fabric or two to three inches of mulch allow these burrowing insects to easily access the soil.

Question 2: When is the best time to plant buffalograss?

Buffalograss is a native warm-season sod forming grass. It needs at least six hours of direct sunlight for it to germinate and grow healthy. It spreads by stolens and has fine blue-green leaves. New seeded forms of buffalograss have been developed over the years such as Cody, Bison, Bowie, Plains, Topgun and Sundancer. Most of these seed forms are available online and some are available at regional Farmers Cooperatives. Seeding can be done anytime from May through August 15 as long as the soil temperatures at a two inch depth are above 60 degrees. Check out Buffalograss: Five Keys to a Successful Plantin g on our website.

Question 3: Can you list out the heights and mature sizes of the grasses?

One of the key components of a successful native landscape design is situating grasses. Repeating taller grasses at regular intervals looks formal while these same taller grasses at irregular intervals is relaxing and less formal. Grasses unify and blend your landscape together and they are wonderful companion plants with other wildflowers and shrubs.

Short= 4-24 inches, Examples: prairie dropseed, blue grama, pink muhly, sideoats grama, june grass, “Blonde Ambition” blue grama, purple love grass, and Nassella tenuissima,
Medium= 2-4 feet, Examples: Little bluestem, Little bluestem cultivars, Sideoats grama, Blonde Ambition blue grama, Northern sea oats, Pink Muhly grasses, “Cheyenne Sky” switchgrass, “Shenandoah” switchgrass, and sand love grass (Eragrostis trichoides).
Tall= 4-7 feet, Examples: Big bluestem and cultivars, Indian grass and cultivars, Eastern gamma grass, prairie cordgrass, switchgrass and switchgrass cultivars.

*Indiangrass against the Kansas sky*. *Photo by Brad Guhr.*

Winter Green

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Katie Schmidt

This time of year, I am especially thankful for my prairie garden. While the rest of the non-native and plants are looking limp and frozen, many of my prairie plants are standing tall and providing excellent color, texture and shape. Lots of native species even stay green through the coldest days of winter!

Stay Cool

For most garden plants, freezing temps are the abrupt end to the growing season. Their stems and leaves freeze, and with freezing comes the expansion of water in their cells, rupturing their delicate tissues and leaving them limp and mushy. But most popular annuals like peppers, tomatoes, petunias and marigolds, are all tropical plants not accustomed to the cold. Perennial native prairie species have a few *tricks up their leaves* when it comes to surviving the cold. To stay green and prevent cell destruction, some plants loose their leaves all together (deciduous trees and shrubs), but others change the chemical composition of their tissues in order to stay green. They load their leaves with sugar, creating a sort of anti-freeze. A leaf full of sugary solutes has a much lower freezing temp than one with regular water inside. Genius!

Care of Winter Plants

Plants that retain a bit of green all winter are a real benefit to anyone who loves to spend time in their garden regardless of the temp. But, if it’s green, its growing (albeit very slowly!). Which means those plants might need a drink of water during the long dry spells of our Kansas winter. Don’t forget to water your landscape in droughty winters, especially if they are newly planted. Check the soil with your finger by pushing it in to the second knuckle — if it’s dry, add some water. If its moist, leave it alone. Too much water in winter causes rot and death to most dryland loving natives. Manage your winter water carefully and you will be rewarded with vigorous green growth in spring!

*This dried **Vernonia fasciculata**, with its seeds dispersed from the flowers already, has little star shaped sepals left behind that look great in dried arrangments.*

If the grey, cold weather is getting you down, remember to get out in your prairie garden or visit the Arboretum to observe all the wonderful shapes, textures, and colors our native plants have to offer. Before you know it, spring will be here and we will be reminiscing about the slow, peaceful days of winter!

Shiny New Plants for 2023

Posted on January 18, 2023 by Scott Vogt

In one of the horticulture magazines I received this week, I was drawn to an article about some shiny new plants for 2023. I don’t know what it is about new plants, but I like to see the unique, unusual and up and coming each year. It is one of the great things about gardening – there are always new plants on the horizon. Like some people wait for the new models of cars, gardeners wait with anticipation for the newest varieties and forms of vegetables, flowers, grasses, trees and shrubs. I can’t afford a new car, but I can afford a few new plants.

As I look at some of these new plants, I have to temper my enthusiasm. New isn’t always better. I have been burned by some of these shiny new plants in the past. There are some plants that are interesting, but will they grow here? Will they hold up to the rigors of the Kansas climate like true native plants do?

Natives – Always a good place to start

For obvious reasons, we promote the use of natives in the landscape – the same plants you would see growing out in the prairie are well-adapted to grow in Kansas. If properly matched to your site, a community of native plants will thrive with little input once established. This mixture of plants is a perfect habitat for wildlife (including pollinators) and requires less water and no pesticides over time.

*Butterfly weed and Pale Purple Coneflower*

With that said, is there a place for some of these new varieties in the landscape? In my opinion, yes. Certainly, there are some new plants that are NOT worth trying. These are usually discernible. They will wilt and/or struggle to grow in the Kansas climate. Think of a summer day with 30 mph south winds. That will make or break many of these new plants. However, a handful of new forms each year, if tested and tried, will survive the hardships of our climate.

Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’, Schizachryrium scoparium ‘Twilight Zone’ and Aster oblongifolius ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ are a few examples of garden worthy ‘nativars’ for Kansas. These sure forms have so much to offer in the garden. Their form, texture, color, habit, or blooms along with resilient qualities make them good choices in sunny locations. My approach to landscape design has always been to mix and match natives and varieties of natives. I like the predictability of some of these selected plants that can be combined with true natives to still create a layered, attractive and interesting combination of plants that creates habitat for wildlife.

*Twilight Zone Little Bluestem. I love that purple cast to the foliage. Photo courtesy Walters Gardens.*

Yes, natives and selections

Again, not every new plants is appropriate for our garden situation, especially in Kansas. It is up to you how to determine how purely native you want your landscape to be. I take the “yes, native and ‘some others’” approach to my garden design. Sure there have been some duds regarding new plants that didn’t pan out, but others have been a success.

To me there is value in having as diverse a landscape as possible, both native and ‘nativars’. Only by testing and trying these new plants will we be able to determine if they have the staying power in the garden. Do your research and choose wisely. I have become very selective/skeptical when it comes to new plants, but I can always find a place for a few new plants each year worth taking a chance on. Diversity attracts diversity.

P.S. Vegetables/edibles are in a whole other ball game when it comes to new plants and varieties. Heirloom varieties are important because they hold the original genetic code and generally taste better. However, newer varieties and selections are disease resistant, vigorous, and typically yield better. Another trend with vegetables is growing edibles in containers on your patio or deck. Who doesn’t like to walk onto your deck and pick a fresh tomato?

A Few Favorite Plants

Posted on December 14, 2022 by Scott Vogt

It looks like winter is settling in as the forecast seems to be turning colder in the coming days. It is a perfect time to reflect on the past year in the garden.

It has been a tough year to grow just about everything, due to the monsoon rains in spring followed by the desert dry months of summer and fall. In spite of the high and lows, wet and dry, there are a handful of plants that stood out in the landscape – plants that flourished rather than floundered.

Amsonia hubrichtii ‘Butterscotch’

A favorite plant of mine has been Amsonia. I like just about all of them including, ‘Sting Theory’, ‘Storm Cloud’, ‘Blue Ice’, Amsonia illustris and Amsonia hubrichtii. However, I have really enjoyed the cultivar, Amsonia hubrichtii ‘Butterscotch’. It has narrow leaves that don’t turn brown on the ends. The pale blue flower clusters in the spring are a perfect topper to these sturdy plants. The real show is in fall when the entire plants turns a golden orangish-brown. The plants will get fuller over time with more and more wands of clean attractive foliage.

Aster oblongifolius ‘Raydon’s Favorite’

We have carried Aster oblongifolius ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ for many years at our plant sales. It continues to be a “favorite” of many customers and I can see why. In the late fall, the entire plant is covered with dark lavender blooms that pollinators love. It extends the bloom time in the garden into late October. The plants are tidy and don’t become leggy like some of the New England asters with their dry leaves on the bottom of the stems. It does slowly spread but can be divided, shared with your neighbor or planted somewhere else in the garden. Drought tolerant and tough, it is a plant I have come to admire.

Scutellaria resinosa ‘Smoky Hills’

One of Katie’s top performers in her home garden has been Scutellaria resinosa. Resinous skullcap is a compact little beauty of the short grass prairie. The bright blue/purple flowers in summer stand out in the front of a dry sunny border. It is drought tolerant, durable, and unique. The neat little mounds with mouse ear grey-green leaves are charming. It needs well-drained soil. Plant them with Perky Sue, evening primrose or prairie zinnia.

*Scutellaria resinosa* Photo courtesy of Craig Freeman

Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Twilight Zone’

I have really come to appreciate grasses in the garden. The movement and texture in the garden is nice especially through the winter. There is so much diversity and heights of grasses to mix and match in your landscape. A beautiful little bluestem that has performed well for us has been Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Twilight Zone’. This is not your typical little bluestem. It displays beautiful steely-blue foliage with flower spikes of varying purple shades. It seems to be constantly changing through the seasons, slowly shifting to bright purple during autumn. It is a taller grass that will grow 4 to 5 feet in height and reach a spread of about 2 to 3 feet. The beautiful foliage will transition to reddish-orange in the fall. As you know, little bluestems are favorite overwintering homes for insects and pollinators. The seeds are winter foods for a many types of birds.

*Little Bluestem Twilight Zone Photo courtesy Walters Gardens.*

Diervilla lonicera x ‘Kodiak Orange’

This spring I needed some shrubs to go around the deck in my backyard. I planted a Viburnum ‘Blue Muffin’ along with a cross-pollinators Viburnum ‘Little Joe’ to make sure they produced fruit. There was a silky dogwood called ‘Red Rover’ along with a native bush honeysuckle Diervilla lonicera ‘Kodiak Orange’. I have been impressed with the honeysuckle. It never wilted compared to the viburnum and dogwood. It developed tiny yellow honeysuckle-like flowers throughout the summer that attracted butterflies and other pollinators. The orange-green leaves have turned yellow-orange this fall which is a bonus. It is quite adaptable to dry soil once established. My yard is quite shady except mid-afternoon and they thrived. There are many non-native and invasive honeysuckles including Morrow’s honeysuckle, Tatarian honeysuckle, Amur honeysuckle, and Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.). Although somewhat similar in appearance Diervilla are native and not invasive. One thing I have learned about invasive honeysuckles is that they have hollow stems. Native honeysuckles have solid stems.

I hope you have been able to think back through this year and reminisce about your garden successes. We often put so much time and effort into our gardens that we don’t step back and take in the scenery. Also, remember that a beautiful landscape that we enjoy has ties to ecology, creating habitat and helping wildlife too.

Valley Center Public Library Pollinator Garden

Posted on November 9, 2022 by Scott Vogt

Earlier this year, I created a native plant design for the Valley Center Public Library. After a group of volunteers helped get it planted, they have diligently weeded and watered it through the summer. Thankfully, they have an automatic sprinkler system. But they established the plants by hand watering, which was no small task.

*Sumac next to small foot bridge over the drainage swale*

Focal Points

Last week I took a field trip to check out the progress of their garden. It survived the summer and really filled in nicely. Some of the highlights were the Raydon’s Favorite aster, Twilight Zone little bluestem, American beautyberry, and switchgrass. The solar powered bubbling fountain and large butterfly bench donated by a local resident add a nice spot to sit and enjoy the garden.

Opportunities for Education

The garden is just north of the new library. It has walking paths and a small bridge over a wet area. It has a diverse selection of plants to create habitat for pollinators. We included several types of milkweed scattered throughout the garden, which will attract monarch butterflies. The adult monarchs laid eggs on the milkweed, which hatched into caterpillars, which then turned into adults. The garden stewards were able to share this lifecycle with the children and adults who visited the library.

*Bubbling fountain perfect for supplying water to pollinators*

It was a warm sunny day when I visited. There were dozens of pollinators working on the asters, which were in full bloom. The garden has been a tremendous success. The ladies who manage the site have done a wonderful job. They are connecting people of all ages, but particularly children, to the outside world and showing them different pollinators that can be attracted to a garden using native plants.

As the garden matures, the educational opportunities will become more numerous. These connections with nature are important formative experiences that will impact people for years to come. Keep up the good work!