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Turf & Groundcovers

What's In Bloom Today?

Ornamental grasses are at their best in the fall and Dwarf Fountain Grass is no exception.     At it’s best in the full sun, dwarf fountain grass is easy to grow in average, moist soil. It will tolerate part shade, but may not flower well. The 2 1/2 foot to 3 foot clumps have …

Establish A Community --    Part 3: Design Principles -  The Layered Look

  The technique of planting in layers is neither new or revolutionary. For years, designers have considered the front, middle and back as layers in residential bed design, making sure that the three layers work together harmoniously. Rainer and West, co-authors of the book Planting in a Post Wild World, add an additional dimension to …

Design Your Perfect Pathway

My granddaughter and I were playing in the backyard the other day. One minute she was chasing me and laughing and the next she was frozen in one spot with huge tears streaming down her cheeks. I figured her brother had something to do with it (not unusual),  but it turned out that I was …

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 …

"Bee-Friending" Insect Populations

  Insect populations around the world are rapidly declining. Within the next 20 years, 40% of the earth’s insect species may be extinct and within 100 years insects could disappear completely.   Insects are the foundation of the planet’s ecosystems. When just one type of insect disappears, dozens of other species, including humans, are directly …

Plant A Patch: Celandine Poppy -- (Stylophorum diphyllum)

  The celandine poppy, or wood poppy,  is a lessor known native perennial perfect for humus-rich shady rain gardens.  This low growing spring bloomer features generous clusters of bright yellow blooms standing above its blue-green foliage. It naturalizes well by self-seeding, but will go dormant in overly dry weather.    

Plant A Patch: Wild Ginger -- Asarum canadense

    Looking for a ground cover for that consistently moist, totally shady spot where nothing else seems to grow? Wild ginger may be what you are looking for! This moisture loving native perennial is grown primarily for its stemless,heart-shaped, dark green leaves, but also features attractive ground hugging purplish -brown flowers in the spring. …