plant Archives

Jan92022 by Paul LinusNo Comments

Blooms or tropical looking foliage on big plants

Home & Garden

The small spaced garden is seemingly all the rage in growing flowers. But there are still some sweeping flower gardens that need big plants to complement the scale. The very tall plants that have long leaves or dramatic displays of flowers can be grown as a specimen plant or in a grouping in a large landscape. Sometimes forgotten in all the practical need or media publicity over short garden flowers, there are the little known perennials perfectly suited for big gardens. For gardeners with acres of garden to fill, here are a few ideas. Late Summer Blooming Lespedeza Thumbergii This late summer blooming plant has long weeping branches that appear as sprays covered with white pea-shaped flowers. The plant grows to 6’ tall with a span of 12’ wide and thrives best in full to part ...

Jun222018 by Paul LinusNo Comments

Kansas Plants – Wetlands

Home & Garden

The Kansas wetlands are rich in biodiversity and wildlife vegetation. Many types of wetland plants can be found in that area. Wetlands are areas in which there is a highly developed ecosystem, and external disturbances like pollution and invasive species can cause a great deal of damage. Wetlands are considered to be among the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the world. Knowing what plants exist in Kansas’ wetlands can help preserve them. Working to preserve wetlands helps to keep the environment functioning and healthy. Wetland Trees in Kansas Wetlands are areas in which there is a large amount of water in the soil throughout the year, or on a seasonal basis. Wildlife vegetation that grows in wetlands must be able to withstand a greater amount of soil moisture and still g...

Jun162018 by Paul LinusNo Comments

Guide to Healthier Gardening

Home & Garden

In 2001, the EPA removed the broad-spectrum pesticide, Dursban,(which contained Chlorpyrifos, which is related to nerve gas,) from the residential and professional market. In 2004, they phased out Diaznon from the residential market because they found it was more toxic to infants, children and women, than previously understood. Wean your Garden off the Sauce (Pesticides)! When you spray your garden with a broad-spectrum pesticide, you're also killing off sensitive beneficial insects like bees and lady beetles. Once you eliminate the beneficial bugs, surviving pests take hold and freely multiply. Also, historically most pests build up a resistance to the pesticides that used to kill them, so new pesticides have to be created, further contaminating the soil, water and air. Integ...

Mar172018 by Paul LinusNo Comments

Tips to Choose Mulch for Garden Ground Cover

Home & Garden

Landscapers and master gardeners universally recommend a plentiful layer of mulch for almost every garden situation. But with so many garden mulch choices the options can be overwhelming. Here are some of the benefits and potential drawbacks of popular garden mulches. Wood Based Mulch Options Wood is a popular and relatively inexpensive mulch option for many gardeners. Whether specifically made mulch, or recycled branches from clean-up efforts, there are some things to keep in mind regarding bark or wood mulch use in the garden. Shredded Bark Mulch – Bark shreds are an inexpensive, natural mulch choice for the garden but can sometimes harbor slime mold spores which will look unattractive in the garden. When bark mulch breaks down it will consume nitrogen in the garden so garde...