Shaded areas in the landscape may be difficult areas to grow turfgrass and vegetables, but offer an opportunity for a shade garden. Success in shade gardening is heavily influenced by plant selection and site preparation.
Category: Landscaping
Container Gardens – Regular and Unique
There’s the traditional “garden variety” container garden and then there are unusual, unique or out of the ordinary, edgy ones. Traditional patio planters or front porch pots tend to be round or rectangular and flat, facilitating the display of flowers on a horizonal and perhaps cascading plane. Other types of planters expand the viewing of the plant material in vertical, rounded and hanging arrangements, often in combination of other hardscape elements of the landscape.
2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
The USDA updated their Hardiness Zone map publicized in November 2023, reflecting changes in average extreme minimum temperatures, moving several Nebraska and Iowa counties to zone 6a. The author reminds gardeners to consider factors not covered by the map, such as anomalies and soil conditions, before purchasing new plants.
Fall and Winter Watering
It is at this time of the year that I get questions asking if people should still be watering their plants or hear people say they just don’t need to water plants again until spring. However, it is very important to keep watering plants to ensure they go into the winter with a full reservoir…
Fall Bulbs in Minor
Fall has finally arrived in Nebraska and now is the time we can start thinking about fall planted bulbs for next spring. There is an endless parade of options to choose from – so which one do you pick? Let’s talk about some of the lesser-known options that you can choose to plant in your…
Rethinking Sweet Autumn Clematis
When we first think about invasive plants, we often conjure images of plants that are not pretty. I often think of the brambles that Maleficent casts around the castle in Sleeping Beauty. Sharp thorns, jagged edges, overall, a barren landscape. Invasive plants are not new. We know that some thistles, leafy spurge, and palmer amaranth…