Skip to main content

Blog
Sustainability

What's in Bloom Today?

The native Missouri wildflower commonly called Black-eyed Susan is in full bloom right now.     Known for their bursts of bright, yellow to yellow-orange blooms, black-eyed Susans, or Rudbeckia hirta, are  favorites of butterflies but avoided by deer and rabbits because of their hairy foliage. They are biennials or short-lived perennials and will easily …

What's In Bloom Today?

Allium “Millenium” is currently a show stopper in the August garden.       Just when other blooms in the garden are beginning to look summer worn, this allium variety begins to shine. Unlike its spring blooming cousins, this hybrid ornamental allium stands only 12 to 18 inches tall and blooms beginning in July and …

What's In Bloom Today?

Liatris spicata, commonly known as blazing star, is at the height of its bloom right now in Kansas City.     A native wet prairie perennial, blazing star is easily grown in average to medium soil that is well-drained. An excellent choice for rain gardens, blazing star tolerates moist soil during the summer, but will succumb …

Fall Migration Is Around the Corner -- and Monarchs Need Our Help

Yesterday my Monarch Waystation certification and sign came in the mail; I now officially manage the 25,045th registered stopping point for Monarchs. When we get it mounted, it will be the fourth waystation sign in our larger neighborhood and the first one on our street. I’m hoping that some of my neighbors, especially the synthetic …

Patience Is the Key To A Successful Butterfly Garden

One of my favorite things to do this summer is to quietly sit on my deck, watching dozens of butterflies floating through the yard enjoying the nectar buffet I’ve planted. This is the first year that I’ve had a steady stream of visitors and it feels like the time, effort and money I’ve put into …

Nightlife

I have a new favorite time of day. For years, the early morning hours, just as the sun was beginning to rise, was my magic hour. Everyone else was tucked in bed fast asleep; I could wander the yard at my own pace without feeling guilty that someone needed something from me RIGHT NOW.  Those …

What's in Bloom Today?

  The unusual native perennial, Indian Pinks, or Spigelia marilandica are at their peak bloom right now.     Glossy green leaves and brilliant scarlet blooms with bright yellow interiors and star shaped petals on the top grace this late spring/ early summer blooming native perennial. Indian Pinks prefer shade and grow in clumps in …

What’s In Bloom Today?

The pink Missouri Primrose is in bloom here in Kansas City.       This tough little native perennial, also known as pink ladies, eagerly rambles over tough terrain and rewards you with masses of fragrant flowers that begin as white blooms and gradually change to pink, blossoming profusely from early to mid-summer. This primrose loves the …