Is Your Yard Pollinator-Friendly?

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Scott Vogt

It is true that pollinators are important for many reasons, including food production. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council in a report from March of 2011, “more than $15 billion a year in U.S. crops are pollinated by bees, including apples, berries, cantaloupes, cucumbers, alfalfa, and almonds. U.S. honey bees also produce about $150 million in honey annually.” It is also true that populations of pollinators are declining throughout the world.

There are many reasons for these declining populations, but what can we do to help them? A few simple steps can be taken in our own gardens, landscapes, and neighborhoods to create healthy ecosystems for pollinators to thrive. Our own backyard can provide the safe habitat they need to rebound from these startling declines.

Tiger swallowtail and bumble bee on Liatris pychnostachya

5 Key Elements of a Pollinator-Friendly Landscape

1. Plant a variety of flowering plants:

The importance of flowering plants, especially native plants, to pollinators is well documented. Pollinators seek these plants out in the landscape. A recent butterfly survey for Harvey County found 17 of the 22 recorded species at the arboretum. We attribute this to the many native plants we have growing here. They don’t have to search to find food. They can find food throughout the year because the prairie is continuously in bloom with overlapping wildflowers blooming from early spring to late fall. Other low maintenance perennials add to the diversity of nectar-rich plants utilized by pollinators.

2. Water, Water, Water:

A water source gives life to pollinators. It can be a bird bath, pool, water feature or small stream. The type of source is not as important as its location. Place your water source in a semi-shaded area protected from wind along with a place to land and sip up the water. Any water in close proximity to the food they need will reduce stress on pollinators.

3. No Pesticide Zone:

This seems obvious, but it is important to note. When our plants are being eaten by insects or foliar diseases appear, we often grab the spray can to immediately solve the problem. Here at the arboretum, we spray as a last resort. By spraying sparingly and infrequently, we minimize the risk of harming pollinators in the garden. Think carefully about when, why and how you spray.

4. Provide shelter:

Pollinators need easy access to protecting habitat. Evergreen trees and shrubs with layered vegetation within easy flying distance from flowering plants is an ideal habitat. The layered plants provide protection from the wind and predators. This protecting habitat is a great place for pollinators to make their homes.

5. The more, the merrier:

If you are the only garden in your neighborhood that is pollinator-friendly, it is a start. But just imagine your landscape connected with your neighbors’ gardens, which are connected with hundreds of others within the community – a giant ecosystem that can be freely navigated by pollinators. Pollinator-friendly gardens can have a tremendous impact on reversing the decline of pollinators. Educate your friends, neighbors and children about what can be done to positively impact pollinators. It has to start somewhere, why not with you?

Monarch butterfly on Asclepias incarnata

Three Iconic Prairie Grasses to Add to Your Landscape

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Scott Vogt

Native grasses are at their best right now. They are in full plumage. They are changing color from green to bold reds, yellows, and oranges. They have reached their full height. They are spectacular.

I can’t imagine the view atop a rise looking over the expanse of the Great Plains in its unbroken state – a “sea of grass” as far as you could see. It must have been awe inspiring. Within these waves of gold and green, three grasses stood out from the rest.

Within these waves of gold and green, three grasses stood out from the rest.

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

This is the king of the prairie grasses, reaching to the skies and sending its roots deep. It perseveres in tallgrass prairies. The vertical stems stand firmly and sway with only a slight breeze and change vibrantly in the fall to shades of red and orange. The three-pronged seed heads resemble a turkey’s foot, hence its other name “Turkey Foot Grass”. Plant it in full sun in a medium to moist soil.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

The airy seed heads and upright habit make this a great landscape grass. These forms make quite a statement in the fall and winter landscape. They add structure, texture and movement. For best results, plant them in a sunny spot in a medium to moist soil. It is very drought tolerant. Discover these varieties: ‘Northwind’-consistent upright form to four feet tall and golden yellow fall color, ‘Cheyenne Sky’-red leaves develop early in the summer and grows to three feet, and ‘Dallas Blues’-tall (to 8 feet), with blue foliage and purple seed heads.

Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

The yellow/tan plumes and vase-shaped habit make this grass easy to recognize in prairies. I use them in naturalistic plantings or formal plantings. Give them space, because mature plants can be five feet across the top. It grows best in a medium to dry soil and all-day sun. Heavy clay soils make it robust, but it thrives in many different soil types.

These native grasses are the backbone of the tallgrass prairie. They are resilient because their roots go deep making them drought tolerant and tough. They are garden-worthy and deserve a place in the landscape. Give them a try. You will be rewarded for many years to come.

Check out this article in Fine Gardening that I wrote several years ago for more information on other native grasses.

Five Elegant Perennials for the Summer Landscape

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Scott Vogt

Lately, I have been watching old Western films. John Wayne always looks so calm and collected. He never sweats, even though he is wearing five layers of clothing. Have you ever wondered why they wear so much when it is so hot?

Right now, I wish I had a sprinkler to run through or a bucket of ice water to dump on myself. Those movie characters who ride through the desert unscathed remind me of some tough plants blooming right now in the arboretum. It is a true testament to the toughness of some perennials that thrive in adverse conditions.

Try these sun-loving perennials – you will be rewarded year after year by these resilient plants:

Letterman’s Ironplant-Vernonia lettermanii ‘Iron Butterfly’

While walking through the gardens this morning, I noticed the vibrant purple blooms of this iron-clad wildflower. We should be tooting the horn for more natives like these. The plants were alive with activity-like a pollinator magnet! Each stem has slender leaves radiating outward, similar to Amsonia hubrichtii. This is a more refined ironweed, but just as tenacious as the pasture type. I use them in groupings with switch grass and goldenrods but they would be a nice addition to any landscape.

Photo taken at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains

Russian Sage-Perovskia atriplicifolia

On my recent trip to Denver, Russian Sage was ubiquitous. That’s a fancy word for everywhere. It was in the street medians, parks, store fronts, and in front of most homes, but for good reason. The soft lavender blooms are eye-catching. The cloud of colorful flowers above the finely textured aromatic foliage is a wonderful combination. Did I mention that Russian Sage is tough? It shines in any full to part sun location. It can survive drought conditions, but appreciates weekly watering. They are best displayed in mass plantings or with native grasses.

Photo courtesy of Walters Gardens

Button Blazing Star-Liatris aspera

Blazing stars have put on quite a show this year and button blazing star is no exception. It is in full bloom right now in 100 degree heat and loving it. The entire plant matures to 3′ in height, but the real show is the purple button flowers that develop along the stem. It is happiest in medium to dry soil conditions and will become unhappy with too much moisture. Pollinators flock to it, including butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. Plant them in mass, 8-12 inches apart for the ultimate display. I like to integrate several grasses like Little Bluestem or switch grass to give interest later in the season.

Photo taken at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains

Hummingbird Mint- Agastache ‘Blue Boa’

This plant has been one of my biggest surprises over the last several years. It is almost always in bloom. It loves the heat and humidity. The deep violet-blue blooms lure many different pollinators and ‘Blue boa’ requires very little care once established in a medium to dry location. If you want to help the pollinators, try a few in your landscape. You will be surprised by them, too.

Photo courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries

Aromatic Aster-Aster oblongifolius ‘October Skies’

We have been growing this great form of our native aromatic aster for several years. It is not rambunctious in the landscape. In fact, it develops into a nice bush that is covered with glowing lavender flowers. When the whole plant is in bloom it looks like a mum on steroids. Flowers begin to open in late September and last into October. During the warm days of autumn, pollinators congregate on these beauties, seeking to collect the last pollen of the season. We have used them in borders and native groupings with ornamental grasses.

Photo taken at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains

Notice the theme? They all have lavender blooms. These are a few plants that are doing well in the arboretum. What plants have you had success with this year?

Denver Botanical Gardens Trip

Posted on August 4, 2014 by fhd-admin

On a recent trip to the Rocky Mountains, I visited the Denver Botanical Gardens. My family rolls their eyes because we always visit some garden while on vacation. They usually have a good time once they are there but their short attention span makes me hustle through the gardens. Anyway, I noticed some interesting native plant displays that I want to try at the arboretum.

Under some cottonwood trees were strategically placed shorter native plants. Essentially, they were mimicking a savanna landscape which is the transition zone between open prairie and forest.

The plantings were diverse with grasses and perennials. One of the many things that caught my eyes was how the plants were grouped. It made such a visual impact. Blooming perennials popped while the grasses offered texture and soft forms that blended the planting together. A small trail weaved its way through the entire landscape allowing visitors to get up close to the plants.

The grasses they used were blue grama, little bluestem, side oats, and prairie dropseed. The wildflowers included purple poppy mallow, four o’ clocks, columnar coneflower, penstemons, coneflowers, indigos, asters, blazing stars and goldenrods.
This display is totally scalable. By grouping at least five plants of a particular species together, they stood out in the garden. The grasses were used to line the path and edges but also were used as a backdrop to highlight the blooms and seed heads of the wildflowers. Grouping these individual species together makes it easier to weed, water and maintain.

We have been experimenting with this group approach at the arboretum with great success. A limited palette of wildflowers that bloom at different times of the year combined with grasses in artistic ways can have a tremendous visual impact.

Try spring bloomers next to those summer or fall blooming perennials. A little forethought before planting, matching the plants with your site, grouping species together, properly planting and establishing will go a long way to creating the effect you want in your landscape. I have found with natives that “less is more”.

What plants or landscapes have you seen in summer travels that you would like to try?