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Pest Profile: Oak Leaf Itch Mites
If you have oak trees, particularly pin oak trees, in your landscape, it is not safe to go outside. Invisible mites fall out of these oak trees and land on anything and anyone under the branches....
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Finding Common Ground with Native Landscaping
In the gardening off season now, you have a chance to think about the big picture of what you want for your landscape. Consider a plan that resonates with the general public by finding common ground...
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Christmas Lights – Tips and Tricks
Christmas lights make this time of year festive and bright… but oh so frustrating! Here at the Arboretum we put up thousands of lights every year in preparation for our annual Luminary Walk. We put...
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Needy Seeds: How to Germinate Prairie Species
January and February can be dull months for a gardener. When the north wind whips and the drizzle freezes, spring seems a lifetime away. But here at the Arboretum these cold months are a busy time for...
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Spring Native Planting Guide
As winter fades and the warm moist winds of spring begin to blow, or have been blowing, those of us who love gardening are eager to get our hands dirty planting something in the ground. We long to see...
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A Land Ethic is Alive and Well in Kansas
On Saturday, March 18, we held our 11th annual spring education symposium entitled Living the Land Ethic in Kansas, and learned how much we have to celebrate in Kansas. This symposium was many months...
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Water Smart: Steps to Establishing Your Native Plants
Originally published on April 29, 2015, here are some helpful hints from our Executive Director Scott Vogt on getting your native plants established using “waterwise” methods. Also, due to the rainy...
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Get the Most Bloom From Your Bulbs
This is the time of year when our favorite daffodils, tulips and alliums are looking sad and spent. The flowers have dried up and the foliage is floppy. Here are a few Dos and Don’ts to follow,...
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End-of-the-Season Garden Checklist
It seems that fall has finally arrived. Cooler north winds are blowing and the leaves are beginning to change on the trees. Things are winding down in the garden too, except the asters. ‘Raydon’s...
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Old Wood, New Buds: A Pruning Guide
Though true winter approaches, there are still a few warm, sunny days ahead to be filled with raking leaves and garden clean-up. Here at the Arboretum we leave our perennial gardens uncut through the...
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Make Your Garden Welcoming to Winter Birds
Something that amazes me every year is how birds survive the winter. Somehow they are able to find the food, water and shelter they need each day. Just the other day, I watched a pair of cardinals...
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Buffalograss: Looking Ahead to Summer
This week, I will be leading a Native Plant School class on “How to Establish a Buffalograss Lawn“. Though the time to plant buffalograss is still months away, winter is the time to start thinking...
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Inspiring Landscapers
This Saturday, February 24 at our Native Plant Landscaping Symposium, 10 inspiring landscapers will share their native plant gardening stories. A common thread of these landscapers/gardeners (I use...
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A New Way to Think About Spring Garden Clean Up
This time of year, we get excited about heading outside for some spring garden clean up. The warmer weather signals that spring in just around the corner. All of last year’s plants, including grasses,...
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Coneflowers: Native vs Hybrid
Echinacea, or coneflower, is possibly one of the most well known prairie flowers. Endemic to North American prairies, it is known around the world for its medicinal properties and its versatility as a...
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Five Water Saving Practices for your Landscape
Last week the Arboretum staff visited a flower farm near Lawrence. It was interesting to see how they were growing their flowers to be used in arrangements and displays for special occasions. They...
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Let’s Talk about Mulch
It is no secret that mulch is great for the landscape. There are so many benefits when you add mulch around your plants. Mulch is a great insulator, because it modifies the soil temperature. It...
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10 Lessons for Urban Native Plant Meadows
Katie Kingery-Page I heard a great presentation this last Saturday entitled “10 Lessons for Urban Native Plant Meadows” by Katie Kingery-Page, Kansas State University (KSU) faculty member in the...
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An Outing for the Birds
When considering attracting wildlife to a landscape, native plants matter. More diversity of native plant species and greater area of that native vegetation coverage both translate to a higher...
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Katie’s Weeding Guide
Spring is finally here and what a great feeling it is to be out in the gardens again, seeing supple green buds and new growth. But that is not all I am seeing these days — weeds, weeds, everywhere!...
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