All the Dirt on Gardening

Going native is so important to our sustainable environment. Every native plant you add to your slice of Planet Earth makes a difference, even if you only have window boxes. You can start from seed or purchase plants. I've listed reliable plant sources below with links By the purest and purist’s definition, native plants grew here before European settlers arrived. In contrast, plants brought into our area from other places and hybrid plants are non-natives. Naturalized plants are those that were brought into the region as non-natives but escaped the cultivated area and thrive as weeds. Wherever they originated, natives are low-maintenance plants that grow well without much assistance after they become established. The benefits to wildlife and to your appreciation of your gardening experience cannot be measured!  Do as much native planting in the fall as you possibly can.  Wild Things Nursery ( www.wildthingsnursery.com ) in Seminole grows and sells OK nativ...

Ken Brunson The Kansas Native Plant Society is sponsoring a talk on Jan 31st at 6:30 , The l ocation is Dyck Arborteum, 177 W Hickory Street, Hesston KS, just north of Wichita. The speaker is Ken Brunson and his topic is Fire Recovery in the Hills. Ecologist and field manager Ken Brunson of the Nature Conservancy knows a lot about the Anderson Creek Wildfire of March 2016 that consumed about 390,000 acres of land in Oklahoma and Kansas.  By some estimates, this was the biggest private lands fire in the U.S. since records have been kept. Several hundred head of livestock were killed, thousands of miles of fence, and at least a dozen houses were destroyed. Positive and negative impacts to land and wildlife varies, and Ken will show photos as part of his presentation about this fascinating story. Come for supper at 6:00 p.m. or just the lecture at 6:30 p.m. ($2 for lecture, $7 for supper and lecture). Call 620-327-8127 by 4 p.m. on Friday before the Tuesday lecture for supp...

Dyck Arboretum of the Plains   177 West Hickory ST, Hesston KS  $2 admission FloraKansas Native Plant sale April 25 to 28 call for hours or check the website. Native wildflowers & grasses Arboretum hours – daily from sunrise to sunset www.dyckarboretum.org , arboretum@hesston.edu , (620) 327-8127 There is no doubt that a prairie garden is the ultimate low maintenance, low water usage and environment friendly choice for gardeners. But, many homeowners assume that it would mean a messy yard and landscape to look at. “The more examples of native plant gardens people see, the more they realize the beauty of native plants,” said Scott Vogt, Executive Director of the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains. The Arboretum was established in 1981 as a gift to Hesston College from Harold and Elva Mae Dyck when they bought 13-acres and donated it to Hesston College to be used prairie restoration garden. Today the Arboretum is one of the largest native plan...