By Dennis Patton, Johnson County Extension horticulture agent Spring explodes with color, making this season one of the best times of the year here in Kansas City. Bright, colorful blooms fill our senses and remind us of the renewal that spring brings. Unfortunately, this colorful display does not last long. The end of a shrub’s flowering cycle triggers the time
Read moreEasy and Tasty Basil Basil likes the warmth of full sun to grow best. Lift transplants carefully by the leaves instead of the stem. Set outdoors only after soil and air temperatures are warm. One chilly night can set plants back. Sweet green basil can be dried, frozen in ice cubes, or used fresh. Blended with pine nuts, oil and cheese, this
Read moreWhile carrots are one of the top 10 most economically important vegetable crops in the world, they also are one of the most popular vegetables to grow in home gardens – and for good reason. Carrots are delicious, nutritious, versatile, and with just a little bit of know-how, this root crop is easy to grow. It is “root” to tell
Read morePlanning this year’s garden: Time to start seeding cool-season crops indoors K-State horticulturalists recommend using a planting calendar. MANHATTAN, Kan. – A few abnormally warm winter days might have gardeners thinking ahead for next spring’s planting. Planning now isn’t premature, however, because most cool-season crops should be started from seed in early February. Don’t be alarmed, it’s not too late.
Read more2016 Year of the Delphinium Delphinium is a perennial favorite as the tall spikes of blue flowers in the background of a stately English or cottage garden. The modern delphinium flower may be a single or double rosette in popular blue or red, pink, white, violet and yellow. Many of the flowers have white or black centers known as “bees.”
Read more‘Leading Lady Plum’ Bee Balm typically bloom in midsummer, but ‘Leading Lady Plum’ leads the way in early summer, flowering earlier and forming a more petite clump than other Bee Balm (like ‘Pardon My Purple’). She typically blooms from early summer into midsummer and grows just a foot tall. Her densely branched, dark green, somewhat glossy foliage is topped
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