2 | Friday, February 10, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal
Garden show reflects longtime family tradition Three-day event attracts thousands to Expocentre By Jan Biles
jan.biles@cjonline.com
Topekan Leland Heifner is carrying on a family tradition that started more than 40 years ago with his late father, Bob. The elder Heifner, who operated Heifner Nursery and Garden Center, was attending a Kansas HorKANSAS ticulture Society meeting GARDEN SHOW in the mid-1970s when he What: A three-day expo feasuggested the organizaturing the latest in horticulture, tion take on a garden show gardening and outdoor living as one of its projects. He products and equipment; educaoffered to coordinate the tional and commercial vendors; event — which became and seminars. known as the Kansas GarWhen: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. den Show — during its Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. first year in 1976 and then to 5 p.m. Sunday hand off the responsibility Where: Kansas Expocentre, 1 to another member. Expocentre Drive “We know how that Admission: $8; free for turned out,” Leland Heifer children 12 and under. No said laughingly. charge for parking. Senior day is Heifner helped his faFriday, when those 55 years and ther with the garden show older can buy one ticket and get over the years and has coanother one free. ordinated and promoted the three-day event with the help of volunteers since his father’s death in July 2005. “The first show was in the old Municipal Auditorium, before it was renovated into TPAC,” he said, referring to the Topeka Performing Arts Center. “It was a small
JAN BILES/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL
Leland Heifner, coordinator of the Kansas Garden Show, says from 125 to 130 educational and commercial vendors are expected to participate in this year’s show, which will be Friday through Sunday in the Kansas Expocentre.
show then, and it kept growing and we moved to the Expocentre. … It was one of the first shows in the Expocentre.” The 2017 Kansas Garden Show will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Kansas Expocentre, 1 Expocentre Drive. This year’s theme is “Storybook Gardens.” Admission is $8, with children 12 and under entering at no cost. Senior day is Friday, which means those 55 years and older can buy one ticket and get another one free. There is no charge for parking. A highlight of the garden show will be a large walkthrough storybook garden in the middle of Landon Arena that will be created by Shawnee County Parks and Recreation and several other groups, Heifner said. Show attendees also can learn about the newest horticulture, gardening and outdoor living products and equipment. Experts will be on hand to answer questions about plants, chemical use and other subjects. From 125 to 130 educational and commercial vendors are expected to participate in the show, he said. Seminars on a variety of topics — from raising tomatoes to avoiding oak itch mites to landscaping for birds — will be offered on the second level of the facility. See a listing of the vendors and seminars on pages 4 and 5. Members of the Topeka Area Water Garden Society, Ward-Meade Garden Club and Shawnee County Master Gardeners, Shawnee County Extension horticulturist Jamie Kidd and other volunteers help plan and set up the show, man informational booths and organize the seminars, he said. “I couldn’t do it without them,” Heifner said. “It’s no one person that does it all.” Over the weekend, the garden show is expected to draw from 10,000 to 20,000 visitors, who mostly hail from northeast Kansas. “It’s a community event to get ideas, talk to others and see people you haven’t seen in a while,” he said. Contact niche editor Jan Biles at (785) 295-1292.
Master Gardeners to share tips with community Subjects of presentations range from trees to bees The Capital-Journal The Shawnee County Extension Master Gardeners are planning several presentations this year at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 S.W. 10th Ave. Here are some of the classes scheduled: n Feb. 16: “Recycled Materials,” 7 p.m., by Elsie Gibeson, Shawnee County Master Gardener. n March 2: “Trees,” 7 p.m. Presenter to be announced. n March 30: “Spring Lawn Care,” 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., by Steve Paige, Shawnee County Master Gardener. n April 6: “Grandma’s Tomatoes,” 7 p.m., by Terry
Cobb, Shawnee County Master Gardener. n April 13: “Planting for Curb Appeal,” 7 p.m., by Diane Green, Shawnee County Master Gardener. n April 27: “Herbs — Growing and Using,” 7 p.m., by Carol Bragdon, Shawnee County Master Gardener. n May 4: “Vegetable Gardens,” 7 p.m., by Cobb. n May 18: “Gardens of the Master Gardeners,” 7 p.m., by Kathy Wade, Shawnee County Master Gardener. n June 1: “Exciting New Plants, Roses and Shrubs for 2017,” 7 p.m. Presenter to be announced. n June 15: “Master Gardeners History/K-State History/Your Biggest Garden Problems,” 7 p.m., by Jamie
Kidd, horticulturist with K-State Research and Extension in Shawnee County. n July 13: “Bees and Butterflies,” 7 p.m., by Gibeson. n Aug. 17: “Monarchs, Milkweeds and Waystations,” 7 p.m., by Gibeson. n Aug. 24: “Fall Lawn Care,” 7 p.m., by Paige. n Sept. 7: “Composting,” 7 p.m., by Cliff Graves, Shawnee County Master Gardener. n Sept. 14: “Bulb Planting for Spring,” 7 p.m., by Gibeson. n Oct. 5: “Perennials and Evergreens,” 7 p.m., by Green. n Nov. 9: “Winter Interest: Landscape for the Holidays,” 7 p.m., by Wade. For more information, contact the Shawnee County Extension Office at (785) 232-0062 or visit shawnee.k-state. edu.
The Topeka Capital-Journal | Friday, February 10, 2017 | 3
How to pick the perfect wildflowers for your garden By Maureen Gilmer Tribune News Service
Whenever you disturb a lot of ground, there’s an opportunity to sow wildflowers — not just for a spring flower show, but also to help stabilize the soil against erosion by rain and runoff. When you’re working with larger sites or sowing a former lawn, the smaller wildflower packets at the garden center aren’t enough to make a difference. You’ll need to order by the pound to ensure the distribution rate is enough to create a really big, diverse stand that remains in flower from early spring to the end of summer. Some wildflowers may be perennial or biennial and become naturalized, while others that are more ephemeral won’t appear the second year unless conditions are suitable for reproduction. The goal is to obtain a blend of wildflowers suited to your immediate climate for the best chance of having them survive and naturalize after the first big season. This requires an accomplished seed house focusing on wildflowers, particularly when seeking natives for the best local fit. A number of excellent American seed houses sell wildflower seed online, such as Applewood Seed Co., applewoodseed.com, (303) 431-7333; American Meadows, americanmeadows.com, (877) 309-7333; and Western Native Seed, www.westernnativeseed.com,
TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
Selecting mixtures of locally adapted wildflowers yields exceptional results when sown early enough to catch the early moisture. (719) 942-3935. Seed stock is divided into individual species or seed mixes that are blended for different climates and out-
comes. The great benefit of a mix for first-time users is the ability to discover which wildflowers do best in your yard. Once you know which germinate readily and reach maturity to bloom well, more of these seeds can be sown in the future with confidence they will thrive. Here are how seed mixes differ and why: n Seed mixes: These mixes include the most widely adapted species found in most states. There is no regional specificity, so if your area lacks summer rainfall, they may not thrive. n Native mixes: These wildflowers are selected by their local nativity and feature many species unique or endemic to certain areas. Western gardeners should lean toward these collections of top native species for desert or mountain or valley, so choose those that match your microclimate best. n Regional mixes: Regional mixes suit a wide climatic range with natives, exotic species and some new varieties to offer the widest range of plant forms and flower colors. In these, you’ll find shasta daisy, a nonnative hybrid that Luther Burbank bred for the same adaptability as wildflowers. n Climatic mixes: A climate area such as the Pacific Coast can have its own tailored seed mixes that are perfectly adapted to high rainfall, cloudy conditions and cooler temperatures. This is equally important in the desert where heat and extreme drought preclude most species from outside the ecosystem.
4 | Friday, February 10, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal
The Topeka Capital-Journal | Friday, February 10, 2017 | 5
6 | Friday, February 10, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal
New book explores medicinal qualities of echinacea Plant has its roots in western Kansas KU News Service In February 1805, during their Corps of Discovery Expedition, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark encountered a purplish daisy prized by Indian tribes across the Great Plains as a “cure-all.” Learning the plant was used to treat bites from “mad dogs (and) snakes,” the explorers sent a specimen off to Thomas Jefferson, U.S. president and part-time botanist. Today, we know that same plant as echinacea, one of the most popular medicinal plants in the United States and Europe because of its ability to fight colds and flu and boost the human immune system. “Echinacea — Herbal Medicine with a Wild History,” a book co-authored and edited by Kelly Kindscher, senior scientist at the Kansas Biological Survey and professor of environmental studies at the University of Kansas, explores the botanical’s natural history and how it’s been grown, conserved and used. The book is available at www.springer.com/us. According to the KU researcher, echinacea is still underappreciated in the United States. Kindscher says the immune-boosting plant was shown in a recent European clinical trial to be as effective and safer than the prescription medicine Tamiflu. “Most of the good research on echinacea comes from researchers in Europe, even though this is native to North America,” he said. “In the U.S., we don’t have an
interest in integrative medicine. We just use pharmaceuticals. In Germany, you’d find echinacea behind the counter at the pharmacy. Here in the U.S., you’ll find it up front with Coke and Pampers, not behind the counter.” The KU researcher lamented that U.S. medical professionals are unlikely to recommend echinacea or other time-tested botanical health products to patients, instead opting for pharmaceuticals that often can cost more and hold a higher risk of side effects. “Here’s the problem with herbal products — you can talk about them, but doctors can’t prescribe them as medicine,” Kindscher said. “One can go online and elsewhere and find a lot of good herbal products, (and some bad ones, too). Echinacea is a good one and best as a tincture — an alcohol and water extract — available in health food stores and pharmacies up front. “Another clinical trial that came out a few years ago showed people who consume these extracts before, during and after long-distance flights were statistically less likely to get upper respiratory tract infections, or what we call a cold. Clinical trials — we consider them the gold standard that doctors and medical professionals consider proof.” Beyond advocating for echinacea in human health, Kindscher’s new book on the purple coneflower reflects a career spent studying a genus that is native to Kansas. “Echinacea has been that group of species that I’ve focused on most of my adult life, including my first published paper as an academic in 1986,” he said. “I’ve been able to pull together everything that’s known about that group of plants in a nice overview. I feel fortunate that
“In Germany, you’d find echinacea behind the counter at the pharmacy. Here in the U.S., you’ll find it up front with Coke and Pampers, not behind the counter.” Kelly Kindscher,
senior scientist at the Kansas Biological Survey and professor of environmental studies at the University of Kansas
I’ve been able to work on this over a period of time and see what are the most important things to know about this interesting medicinal plant that has its roots in Kansas, literally.” Kindscher said most wild-harvested echinacea root used for medicine historically grows in western Kansas, especially in “post-rock country” north of Hays. He believes there is cause for worry about the health of echinacea populations in the state and across the Great Plains. “Millions of dollars of echinacea roots have been harvested from native prairies and pastures,” he said. “I’ve documented there’ve been millions of plants dug out by ‘diggers’ — wild harvesters who want to make some money on the side. If you go on the Internet, you can find brokers selling echinacea roots. “We found out from harvesters themselves that about 50 percent of those plants actually re-sprouted and grew back. We know the plant produces a lot of seeds, so we found out that moderate harvesting isn’t decimating the populations. The bigger threats are conversions of range lands to agricultural use, herbicide and development.”
FOTOLIA
Echinacea is one of the most popular medicinal plants in the United States and Europe. “Echinacea — Herbal Medicine with a Wild History,” a book co-authored by Kelly Kindscher, senior scientist at the Kansas Biological Survey, explores the botanical’s natural history and how it’s been grown, conserved and used.
The Topeka Capital-Journal | Friday, February 10, 2017 | 7
Composting questions? Best when homemade By Lee Reich The Associated Press
Here’s a riddle: What will weed, feed and water your garden, and take care of your garbage? “Ideal teenager” is not the answer. It’s compost. Compost is hard to define. In some sense, the apple core I tossed on the ground a month ago is on its way to becoming a compost of some sort. But compost is usually taken to mean a pile of organic material — stuff that is or was living — deliberately assembled for relatively fast decomposition. The finished product is a witches’ brew of partially decomposed vegetable and animal matter, teeming with living bacteria, fungi and animals. A key ingredient to a good garden.
Weed your garden
Compost will “weed” your garden when applied as a mulch. Weeds have a hard time fighting their way to the light through a 1- or 2-inch blanket of compost laid over the soil. A well-made compost pile will get hotter than 140 degrees, which is hot enough to kill most weed seeds (and most disease organisms) that might find their way into the pile as old plants, pulled weeds and other organic materials are added. Of course, a weed is just a plant in the wrong place,
and one welcome weed that the compost mulch brings to my garden is tomato. Tomato seeds resist the temperature of composting. Tomato plants are easy to weed out; some gardeners leave some to grow on and fruit.
Feed your garden
Compost is rich in nutrients that will fertilize your garden. The 10-10-10 on a bag of commercial fertilizer means the bag contains 10 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphate and 10 percent potash. These three nutrients are what plants need in greatest quantities, but they’re not the only nutrients needed. What about more than a dozen other elements essential for plant nutrition? Corn stalks from last year’s garden, thistles that once poked their spiny heads up in meadows, and rinds from oranges eaten last winter rot together to form compost that provides a smorgasbord of essential nutrients.
Water your garden
Compost won’t literally water your garden, but it will help your garden become more water-efficient. Water falling on the surface of a compost-enriched clay soil will be absorbed like a sponge, rather than gouging out rivulets as it runs across the soil surface. Roots need to “breathe,” so they can’t do their job in
sodden clay soils. Under those conditions, they can’t even take up water, so they wilt, just as they do from drought. Add some compost to such a soil, and the soil becomes better aerated so roots can function. At the other end of the spectrum are sandy soils, into which water percolates easily but then just keeps going and runs out of reach of plants. Compost will act like a sponge to hold water in a sandy soil.
‘Garbage’ management
Compost won’t take out your garbage, but it will take care of it. Watermelon rinds, corn cobs, old broccoli, old pizza — they all make smelly garbage but great compost. Bagged in plastic, garbage becomes a vile-smelling slime. Ground into your garbage disposal, it taxes septic systems and sewage plants. Instead, why not turn garbage into compost? Compost, like bread, is best homemade. Making it entails science and art — if you want it to get hot and finish “cooking” quickly. Not to worry, though: Any pile of organic material will eventually turn to compost. The one thing you can do to improve your composting, and it’s easy, is to make your compost in a bin. A bin might be homemade — from lumber or cinder blocks, for instance — or bought. It fends off scavengers, holds in heat and moisture, and makes the pile look like a compost pile rather than a garbage pile.
8 | Friday, February 10, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal