Mushrooms and fungi are becoming one of the biggest trends in recent years. I have been to numerous talks and shows where fungi was the main event. There are different types of mushrooms (the fruiting body of the fungus) and different types of fungi. Seeking and finding mushrooms can be one of the most rewarding things to do in the garden and woods. You can find mushrooms year round. Yes, even in winter. Truffles for example, are eaten by a variety of animals besides humans, and if you search out animal dig holes in the winter, you may be able to find some unique fungi. In the warmer weather o ..read more

What are columnar trees? In short, these are trees that have narrow, upright canopies. They are usually dense in foliage too. Columnar trees have many purposes, even though the average homeowner cannot see it when they visit the nursery. I do not get a lot of requests for these trees, but we always keep some on hand. And let me tell you why. There are a lot of reasons to plant columnar trees in the landscape. They work great up against a building or house, where space is limited, but you need something to soften the edge. Or they can be planted in groupings as a screen to block a view or lesse ..read more

What garden trends are we going to see in 2024? Well, it is National Gardening Month (April) and there is a lot of things to look at. National Gardening Month was founded in 2018 by Cool Spring Press, and announced as a national holiday at the same time. Because we have such a holiday, we have garden trends that come from it. But before we can get into the garden trends for 2024, we need to look at some of the statistics around gardening. Garden trends include things such as new and renewed types of gardening, plant trends, and more. But statistics around gardening can be mind boggling. Americ ..read more

April 4th is National Dandelion Day. What? A day for dandelions? Most gardeners are trying to get rid of dandelions from their yards, and especially their lawns. But there are many who not only see the benefit in them, but also celebrate them. It is true, I do enjoy seeing the bright discs of yellow popping in early spring when nothing else is blooming (or very few other things). While I do no go out of my way to encourage them in the lawn, I also do not poison them or rip them out. Sure, I will dig them out of the flower bed, but not the lawn. For those of you who want to control dandelions i ..read more

Crabapple is our 2024 April plant of the month. When I think of small trees for spring color, I think of the crabapple. Once a native tree widely spread across the North American landscape, the crabapple now exists as a series of cultivated hybrids that are found mostly in gardens, landscapes, and along roadways. Here in Northeast Kansas, we had 2 species of native crabapples before the invasion of early American settlers. The prairie crab (Malus ioensis) and the sweet crab (Malus coronaria) were both found in our region. But now, because of pests, diseases, and man, we have to grow and use cu ..read more

What are legumes? And why do we want them in the landscape? Legumes are plants which produce bean-like pods of seeds and produce their own nitrogen, with the aid of a nitrogen-fixing bacteria. By putting more legumes in the landscape, we can help our gardens flourish and reduce the need for extra, synthetic fertilizers. Nitrogen is one of the more important nutrients garden plants need. What does nitrogen do? Nitrogen is important because it is as essential component of chlorophyll, which plants use to make sugar from sunlight, which in turn are used to help plants grow. Also, nitrogen is a pa ..read more

Butterfly lovers should plant a variety of plants, from trees and shrubs, to grasses and perennials for butterflies. But what are some of the best plants to attract butterflies, and other pollinators to the garden? How can butterfly lovers plant such a buffet of perennials, grasses, and other plants to attract the widest variety of butterflies? After years of following moths and butterflies through the woods, fields, and gardens; I have come across a number of tried and true perennials, shrubs, vines, grasses, and annuals which are not only attractive to the butterflies as a nectar source, but ..read more

Weed fabric has long been a nemesis of mine. I detest the stuff. As a more than 15 year veteran of landscape maintenance, I have positively confirmed my suspicions that weed fabric has no place in the landscape. However, I do know why landscapers and gardeners use the stuff. But for a regenerate gardener and farmer, it has no place. Rock is not a mulch, and fabric does not do what it appears to do. Why was weed fabric first used in the landscape? Is there an application for it under gravel or rock pathways? What is the results of using rock in the landscape versus mulch? And is there an altern ..read more

While boxwood may not be one of my favorite plants, they are extremely useful in the landscape. And you can cut them for winter greenery. The reason they are the plant of the month is because of their winter durability. They provide quite a bit of green coming out of winter, and they look good in the snow too. Boxwoods come in many different varieties, which get varying sizes. Besides being tough in the landscape, boxwood can take pruning quite well. This is actually one of the reasons I dislike them. While they can be pruned nicely into boxes, spheres, and other shapes, the smell of the cut l ..read more

Peach fuzz is the 2024 color of the year, according to Pantone. Each year, Pantone picks a color as a snapshot in time, trying to connect with our emotions and deep-seated feelings. Peach fuzz is a hue not really pink and not quite orange. It captures our desires to nurture kindness, compassion, and connection, all while trying to reach a peaceful and more meaningful future. There are gardeners across the United States, as well as in other countries, who use the color of the year as their basis for a yearly plant palette. Choosing to pick flower colors which are and which compliment the color ..read more