Native Evergreen Trees for Kansas and Beyond

Which evergreen trees are native to Kansas and Missouri? Read about which trees you can grow and factors to consider.

Step by Step Gardening Club

Do you want to plant a new garden this year, pick out some flowers to attract butterflies or birds, grow vegetables with your kids for the first time, or change to more organic management?
Maybe you want to do something in the garden, but you’re just not sure where to start. Gardening might be a new [...]

The Grackles’ Loss is My Gain

Most years, in spring, grackles come along and nest in a group of eastern red cedars on the fence-line of my property. I feel mean saying this, but over the Thanksgiving break I’ll be outside helping to fell those eastern red cedar trees. You might well be wondering why.
Eastern Red Cedars
Eastern red cedars, Juniperus virginiana, [...]

Native Ferns, Moss and Grasses

Native Ferns, Moss & Grasses is a beautiful hardbound book written by William Cullina of the New England Wildflower Society. Here is my review of Native Ferns, Moss and Grasses – From Emerald Carpet to Amber Wave: serene and sensuous plants for the garden.
I recently checked this book out of my local library. The photos [...]

Bringing Nature Home

The Conservation Gardener told me to read Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W Tallamy. I wondered just what could be so great about it; I have read plenty nature books. I’ve even read books about nature gardening. But Carole is a friend of mine and she offered to send me a copy. I jumped at [...]