Plant A Grove: Wahoo ( Euonymus atropurpureus )
Adaptable to sun or shade, rich or poor soil, this native shrub is a standout in the fall. Featuring beautiful red foliage and scarlet red berries hanging from green stems, wahoo is a favorite of winter birds. Wahoo is an excellent understory plant, having an interestingly shaped, irregular crown and spreading growth habit. It …
Plant A Grove -- Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
If you’ve taken a drive in the countryside lately, you’ve probably seen a striking shrub flaunting yellow, orange and red foliage all on the same bush. Staghorn sumac, named for the velvety appearance of its stunning young branchlets, has a strong, open, spreading growth habit, reaching 15 to 25 feet. It naturalizes …
Plant This Not That -- Part 2: Bare Root, Container or B & B?
As I hit publish last week, it occurred to me that I had missed an entire topic related to trees — an explanation of bare root trees, container grown trees and balled in burlap or b&b trees. Since fall is a popular tree planting season, this seems like a good time to look at the …
Plant A Patch -- American Bittersweet ( Celastrus scandens)
American bittersweet can be counted on to give spring, summer, fall and winter beauty. This native vine, which grows well in poor to average soil, prefers full sun for maximum flower and fruit production, but it will also tolerate part shade. The greenish-white to yellow blooms appear in May and June. In late …
Plant This Not That
We’ve decided to add on to our deck this fall. At our house, that means countless trips to the big box hardware store to pick up a different tool, another bracket or more wood. Since I can only look at 2 x 12s so long, I usually find myself wandering off to the garden center …
A Dry Fall Threatens the Landscape
Kansas City and the surrounding areas are currently experiencing what the state climatologist is calling “abnormally dry conditions.” Entering into the month of December, the area has consistently seen warmer than usual temperatures combined with rainfall amounts averaging 4.5 inches below normal. These near-drought conditions can cause stress to turf, trees and broadleaf evergreens. In …
It's Time For A"Long Winter's Nap"-- For Your Yard
With the temperatures staying so warm this fall — 70 degrees on December 2nd here — I’ve postponed some of my usual end of season yard tasks.With the weather so consistently warm, I was afraid that I would do more harm than good by following my usual routine. To be on the safe side, I’ve checked …
Anchor of the Landscape -- Evergreens
Have you ever seen the hilarious Abbott and Costello sketch Who’s on First?” Over the Thanksgiving weekend I happened to overhear (Ok, I was eavesdropping; it was too funny to miss) a conversation that immediately reminded me of the sketch. A relatively harassed sounding salesperson was trying to explain to a very confused woman the …
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