KCG Jun23

The Kansas City

Independently owned and operated since 1996

PUBLISHER

Michael Cavanaugh

EDITOR

Elizabeth Cavanaugh

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Lauren English

Lenora Larson

Matt Olson

Dennis Patton

Tamra Reall

Denise Sullivan

Ann Tanner

Scott Woodbury

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Live in the garden now

Spring was generous to gardeners this year, and we didn’t miss a single opportunity to be among its radiance. Whether the sun was brilliant or clouds were thick overhead, you could find this gardener standing amidst a garden renewal. It was a daily vigil, watching every leaf and every bloom at every stage of development. I was curious and anxious. I was hopeful and impatient. And with every stage came my notice to all within earshot that the garden was alive. My kids used to call it an obsession; I call it gardening.

You see, I live in the garden no matter the season. Hot or cold, muddy or dry, it’s important to experience every aspect. Yes, it helps when it’s warm outside and the hellebores have bloomed beyond belief. It’s impossible to stay away. And yes, I get weak in the knees when I see the salvia beaming with blue hue. How can I stay away from my favorite color? And when the peonies delivered blooms larger than the palm of my hand, well ... I can only say, “somebody get me a glass of water cause I think I’m going to faint.”

These are the heady days of spring. We become captivated, even infatuated by what’s growing on in the garden. We are driven to

spend every possible moment in the garden to observe and salute the amazing blessings that surround us. It can take your breath away. The lush new growth on trees, blossoms gleaming with color, combined with the fragrance of spring, it is heady, indeed.

Yet the garden can be such a tranquil place. It is the place to unload daily stress. It’s the sanctuary of peace, a soothing connection with the Earth. No expectations, no talking, no traffic, just peace. It’s the place where I can be ... just be!

Do you know that peace? Have you experienced the tranquility offered in the garden? Do you stand in your garden and simply observe? No tools, no trash bags, just you and the life of the garden.

Or are you overwhelmed by the chores? Are you reluctant to wander out into the garden for fear there might be something to do? And when you figure that out, how to begin? Then when to stop? Do you avoid the garden because you don’t like what you see?

Well, my gardening friend, it’s time to regroup. Forget about the list and start where you want. Discard the false images of what you think your garden should look like. Live in the garden now. Savor and have gratitude for the garden beau-

ty as it is. Admire the present, and plan for the future. Create for yourself the garden that provides a resting place, a place to rejuvenate and restore your spirit. Plant a sprig of hope; it will grow to a tree of happiness.

“Live now, believe me, wait not till tomorrow; gather the roses of life today.” ~Pierre de Ronsard

I’ll see you in the garden!

for a magnificent effect. See more hydrangea suitable for your garden starting on page 14.

PURPLE PILLAR ® Rose of Sharon TRIALED & TESTED FOR YOUR SUCCESS

Purple Pillar rose of Sharon naturally grows as a narrow column instead of a wide, spreading plant. You’ll love its space-saving habit - perfect for screens, tall hedges, and patio containers. Pollinators will love the bright purple blooms packed along the entire length of their stems.

Look for Purple Pillar rose of Sharon in the distinctive white Proven Winners container at your local garden center, or learn more at ProvenWinnersColorChoice.com

Your butterfly garden consists of a diverse community of plants, animals, and microorganisms that create an interactive, symbiotic ecosystem that is damaged or destroyed if you “clean” your garden at any time. This slaughter includes butterflies, bees and fireflies. Last fall you heeded the call to “Leave the Leaves” because butterfly gardeners understand that most butterflies remain in their gardens through the winter as an adult, egg, caterpillar or a chrysalis. Some are snuggled under leaves while others cling to twigs and stems. A specific spring temperature will trigger each species’ awakening. Butterflies that overwinter as adults like Commas and Red Admirals often awaken and fly on warm days in March and April, but even they still need nighttime and cold snap protection. The concerned butterfly gardener naturally asks, “When can I clean my spring garden?”

Spring’s Arrival

Spring slowly staggers in with a roller-coaster of temperatures. Our average frost-free day is April 15,

Spring Butterfly Garden Cleanup

but early May often brings freezes and snow. Experts never agree, so you or your HOA will decide the tolerance for “messy.” There is no one correct answer but the short answer is NEVER cleanup. Your garden is not dirty. For tolerant gardeners who have only a few trees, the garden should not require your cleanup in fall or spring. Another view: start cleaning when the daytime temperatures are in the mid to upper 50s for seven sequential days. However, many butterflies and native bees do not emerge until mid-May, so if you can wait until after May 15, then you avoid the risk of disturbing the late emerging pollinators. No matter when, be gentle. Retire that leaf blower and avoid the aggressive removal of any debris.

Gardening with Mother Nature

Caveat: if you have a lawn, you had to perform that necessary cleanup last fall. But unless you have huge-leaved trees like Sycamores, Mother Nature performs most of the cleanup herself. You don’t need to rake or collect and drag debris to a compost pile, then drag it back

the next year. Leave the debris for Mother Nature to compost in place!

The weight of rain and snow collapses stems. Leave fallen twigs and small branches as mulch, although you may need to further break them up. Bigger branches should go onto your woodpile. Butterflies would never use a butterfly house, but a woodpile is a year-round butterfly haven.

Mulch should be 3” deep in your beds. If necessary, apply new mulch on top of fallen leaves and old mulch. During the year, chop and throw all pruning and deadheading under the plants. By next fall, that thick mulch will have almost disappeared because microbes eat it and your plants feast on their poop. When you remove dead leaves and other debris, you are removing nutrients from the system. In the natural world, we see that plants are self-mulching and selffertilizing. Allow Mother Nature to be your garden’s best employee.

Tidy-up, Not Clean-up

Some butterflies and other pollinators do not emerge until midMay. YIKES! I can’t wait that long

to assert my aesthetic. Fortunately, many naturalists suggest that some careful early spring tidying can be accomplished without harm, such as the ongoing task of transferring fallen leaves from paths and lawns into the beds. Excess leaves over perennial crowns can be brushed aside or hand-crumpled to reduce volume. In March you should cut down your ornamental grasses and shred them to be used as mulch. You may also cut stems, leaving an 8” stub. Tie these stems in bundles and prop or tie vertically to ensure that native bees can survive and emerge at their proper time. Let weeds and stems stand until you can’t stand it!

Summary

What works for you? Never?

Seven days in the 50s? Mid-May? In the meantime, how do you control your spring fever? You can see the bones of your garden so use your energy to create or renew hardscaping. Newly emerging weeds are always fair game in my garden. Maybe make host plant signs? And plan your celebration for when spring is finally here!

Photos by Lenora Larson.

A Marais des Cygnes Master Gardener, Lenora is a member of the Idalia Butterfly Society and Kansas Native Plant Society. She gardens in the clay soil and cruel winds of Paola, KS. She may be contacted at lenora.longlips@gmail.com.

Question Marks spend the winter as adults and on warm days look for sap dripping on trees or moist feces.

Hackberry Caterpillars share a rolled leaf sleeping bag in the leaf litter.

Pipevine Swallowtail chrysalid. Our 6 species of swallowtails spend the winter as chrysalids suspended from twigs and stems.

CONFUSION ABOUT MILKWEED

Question: I saw information earlier this year that milkweed was banned from many local cities. Why would a host plant for the monarch be prohibited?

Answer: This is a very complex question to answer in a few words. Here is my condensed take. Many of these rules were written long ago and mostly forgotten until a situation arises. In my opinion, the use of the plant was the problem. I use the phrase; there is a difference between “no” maintenance and “know” maintenance.

The milkweed at issue is common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca. Tall, rangy, and spread rapidly by rhizomes while it forms colonies. Left uncontrolled, with “no” maintenance, it can take over an area, become unsightly, a weed, and will violate ordinances. If properly managed, “know” maintenance suckers can be controlled, and the plant can be kept as a clump and will look more like a maintained perennial plant.

Whether a garden is full of native or non-native plants, maintenance is required to keep the garden “orderly.” A garden, even a prairie, needs tender loving care. This, I believe, created the issue. By the way, I have common milkweed in my garden, but it is kept to a clump and not in the front yard.

NATIVE LAWN POSSIBILITY

Question: I want to decrease the inputs into my lawn and keep hearing about native lawns. How do I go about switching to a native lawn?

Answer: Let’s take a step back. A lawn is a ground cover. The purpose of the ground cover is many. The principal value is preventing soil erosion while providing a place to play. The best lawn ground cover is one that provides these benefits. We have tall fescue, bluegrass, or Zoysia to provide this function. None are native.

Finding a low-growing native to

Ask the Experts

provide these functions is difficult. The closest native grass to deliver these tasks is buffalo grass. It is native west of Salina, Kansas. It is not native to the KC area. It requires full sun. All other natives that can provide these functions are much taller, challenging for a play surface, and less aesthetically pleasing.

Clover is often mentioned as an alternative. It is not native. It struggles to provide enough cover to hold the soil as it goes dormant in the summer. Outside of that, few options remain.

The best approach is to assess

The rapid change damaged the cambium layer and resulted in random dieback.

What to do? Prune out the deadwood. The good news is that Japanese maples are resilient, often send out secondary growth, and, given a year or two with some corrective pruning, can make an almost complete recovery. Some did die and will need to be replaced.

EGGSHELLS WON’T DETER SQUASH BUGS

Question: Squash bugs are making it challenging to grow

vide little immediate benefit. While I have your attention, you can add Epsom salt, Dawn, and vinegar to this list of internet salvations that provide little benefit to plants.

COMPARE PRODUCT LABELS

Question: Name-brand products, fertilizers, and chemicals are more expensive than stores or offbrands. Is there a difference?

Answer: Shopping at the grocery store, we all know the store brand is cheaper than the national brand. Often there is no difference between generic and name-brand

your input and expectations. Traditional grasses mixed with clover or violets might be the best option. Sorry, but a completely native lawn will not be possible in our climate.

REVIVING JAPANESE MAPLE

Question: My Japanese maple tree had a lot of dieback this spring. What happened?

Answer: Japanese maples suffered from our ever-changing wacky weather patterns. Many of the Japanese maples suffered from the hot and dry summer. That started the problem. The next whammy was a hard freeze in late September, bringing the season to a halt. Before the hard freeze, the maples were not fully dormant; they were in full leaf and actively growing.

squash. A friend said to use crushed eggshells. Will they help?

Answer: The internet is full of all the uses of eggshells in the garden. Most of the uses have no scientific research to back their use. The hypothesis is that spreading the crushed shells around the plants will keep the squash bugs away or kill them as they crawl over the shells. The problem is that squash bugs fly. They fly right over the ring of shells, land on the plant, lay eggs, and start the trouble.

Eggshells are high in calcium which is needed for plant growth. The problem is that the shells must break down to release the nutrients. Adding the shells to the compost pile or spreading crushed shells in the garden is fine, but they will pro-

products. The same holds for lawn and garden products. The only way to know for sure is to read the label. The listing of ingredients of both fertilizers and chemicals is the law. Compare the labels; if the active elements match up, they should perform similarly in the garden.

What are the differences? Store brands usually are not advertised, which reduces cost. Sometimes other materials are added to the mixture that can help improve its effectiveness and increase the price. The bottom line is that both should work as intended. The only way to know for sure is to try. Remember, there is more than selecting the product. It must be applied at the correct time and rates. As we say, always read the label.

DENNIS PATTON Horticulture Agent

Dennis Patton is the horticulture agent for Johnson County K-State Research and Extension. For free information fact sheets, visit www.johnson.ksu.edu, or call the Extension office at 913-715-7000.

Japanese Maple dieback can be easily pruned away.. Squash bugs make growing squash a challenge.

Summer’s Here!

Missouri Wildflowers Nursery

573-496-3492, fax: 573-496-3003

www.mowildflowers.net

mowldflrs@socket.net

9814 Pleasant Hill Rd Jefferson City MO 65109

We’ll be in the KC area in the fall. Watch for our ads here in August & September.

Shopping at our Brazito (Jeffeson City) store: Visit our home location any of the times listed below. You can also place an order and pick it up at the nursery.

Hours:

Weekdays: Year-Round: 9 AM - 5 PM

Weekends: March 18 - July 2 & August 26 - October 15

Saturdays: 9 AM - 5 PM, Sundays: Noon - 5 PM

#NeedMoreFlowers

www.arnoldsgreenhouse.com info@arnoldsgreenhouse.com

(620) 964-2463 • 1430 Hwy 58, LeRoy, KS 66857 Open 9a-5p Monday-Saturday, Closed Sunday

We can ship your order! We ship plants on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays all year. UPS usually delivers the next day to Missouri and the surrounding states. Shipping charges apply.

Tufted Titmouse

Bringing glorious living color to your garden since 1977.

Kids Ask Dr. Bug about the curious things found in the garden

The winner of the title, “World’s Smallest Bug” depends on how you define “bug.” As an entomologist, I define “bug” as an insect in a special group called the Order Hemiptera. There are some tiny “true bugs” that are ½ a millimeter long which are smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. These tiny insects belong to a group with a name that is much longer than the actual bug: Dipsocoromorpha!

If you define bug as any insect, then the answer might be a fairyfly or a feather-winged beetle. The fairyfly is not a fly, rather it is a teeny-tiny wasp that lays its eggs in other insects, and it is about 0.2 millimeters. A kind of featherwing beetle is only 0.35 millimeters and lives in the spore tubes of fungi. These insects, with compound eyes, brains, bodies, legs, and wings, yet they are about the size of tiny single-celled organisms called paramecium.

How do bugs move around without getting lost?

When Alice was lost in Wonderland and she asked the Cheshire cat which way to go, he told her “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.” Some insects do not have a nest to return to, so they do not have to worry about finding their way back to something. They only need to think about where they want to go to find food, shelter, or a mate.

Many insects use landmarks to find their way. They may be seeking out something tall, like the trunk of a tree, or something the gives off the right vibes (color, texture, smell) for what they are seeking, like a carpenter bee seeks out wood to burrow in to lay her eggs.

Other insects, such as honey bees and ants, live in a colony so they need to be able to travel to

find food, and then find their way home afterward. Insects use a variety of strategies to keep from getting lost. Ants and termites leave a pheromone (scent) trail when they travel. This also helps their nestmates to follow them to find great food sources. Some ants also measure the length of each step and keep a running tally of how many

vironmental cues to know when to travel, as well as light-sensitive magnetic sensors in their antennae to use both the sun and their internal compass to guide them from Mexico, through the United States, to Canada, and back to Mexico. It can take 4-5 generations of Monarchs to make this journey, and we still do not know all the details

flashing them in the sunlight to attract a mate.

The sparkly wings are made by special ridges, grooves, small hairs, or special scales on insects that can reflect or refract light which creates that shiny appearance.

Can bugs be friends with each other?

Insects do not have friends like humans do. Most insects do not even interact with other insects of their same species other than to mate or eat together, like when Japanese Beetles release an aggregation pheromone to let other beetles know they found a tasty food source. Insects can form relationships with each other, though, called symbiotic relationships. These relationships can be beneficial for both insects (called a mutualism), or only one partner benefits but the other partner is not harmed (called commensalism), or one partner is harmed while the other benefits (called parasitism).

steps they have taken to determine the distance they have traveled. A foraging honey bee can sense the position of the sun in relation to her hive when she leaves. She can also sense how far she flew and can adjust for the movement of the sun so she can return home and do the waggle dance to tell the other girls in the hive where to get the best food. Dung beetles use the polarized light of the moon and stars to guide them from their dung patty to the place they want to bury their tasty treat and raise their family.

Some insects use a combination of techniques to navigate, such as monarch butterflies. They use en-

of how this happens. We have so much to learn from insects!

Why do some insects have shiny wings?

Who doesn’t love some bling?! Shiny wings can be beneficial, and the reasons will be different for different insects. Some insects have shimmering wings to make them difficult to see so predators cannot focus on them. Other insects use their gleaming wings to help regulate their body temperature by reflecting sunlight away from them which helps them keep cool. Some butterflies and moths use their glistening wings in courtship displays,

An example of a mutualist relationship is aphids and ants. The aphids suck plant juices and excrete a sweet liquid called honeydew. Ants like the honeydew, so they protect the aphids from predators and “milk” the aphids. An example of commensalism is a tiny beetle that catches a ride on a bee like an Uber to get from one place to another. An example of parasitism is a tiny braconid wasp that lays its eggs inside a tomato hornworm. The hornworm dies, but the baby wasps grow up to take down more garden pests.

Do you have questions for Dr. Bug? Send them to ReallT@Missouri. edu or https://bit.ly/KidsAskDrBug. Please include your name and age. To help me learn what you learn from this column, consider filling out this survey: https://bit.ly/ KidsAskDrBugSurvey.

TAMRA REALL Horticulture Specialist

Dr. Tamra Reall (@MUExtBugN Garden) is the horticulture specialist for MU Extension in Jackson County. For free, research-based gardening tips, call 816-833-TREE (8733), email mggkc.hotline@gmail.com, or visit www.extension2.missouri.edu.

When is a fairy not a fairy? When it is a fairyfly! These tiny creatures are actually a kind of wasp and are the smallest insects.

What is the smallest bug in the world?

For

Euston

Talavera

Garden Thyme Marketplace Trade Show

Garden Show — FREE and open to the public Garden & Nature-Inspired Creations by Local & Regional Artists,

PLANTS ON YOUR PLATE Radishes

tacos, or anything that you want to add a bit of crunch. They can also be pickled in either a quick or fermented process. A quick and tasty method is to combine 1 cup thinly sliced radishes with 2 cups thinly sliced cucumbers and add a simple marinade of ½ cup cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 3 tablespoons chopped dill

weed. Mix well and marinate for 2-3 hours.

For a totally different take on radishes, you might try roasting them. The typical spicy flavor mellows and becomes almost sweet, and the texture is similar to a roasted potato. The simple recipe below was even a hit with my daughter, who is not a fan of radishes!

Garlic Herb Roasted Radishes

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. fresh radishes, washed and trimmed of roots and greens

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried parsley or chives

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

Radishes are one of the cool season vegetables that I looked forward to as a child. I wasn’t always excited to eat them, but I did like to ‘help’ pick them in the garden-maybe it was the opportunity to get dirty without getting into trouble. I did enjoy eating the bright red globes from a relish tray, especially early season pickings, as they were not as ‘spicy’ as those that grew in the warmer temperatures. Because radishes are a cool season plant, they are one of the first things to harvest, along with spring onions and greens like lettuce and spinach, providing everything you need for a delicious spring salad. Radishes mature quickly and can continue to be grown after first harvest, but be aware, warmer temperatures tend to intensify their peppery flavor. You may have already noticed that! To plan for a fall crop, mark your calendar to plant four to six weeks before first frost, typically in late October in the Kansas City area.

Radishes are a root vegetable in the Brassicaceae family, which also includes cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and leafy greens like kale. While we are most familiar with the red globe variety, radishes come in many other varieties and include a rainbow of colors including yellow, green, and purple. The entire plant, from root to leaves can be enjoyed cooked or raw.

For their small size and low calorie count, radishes are a good source of Vitamin C, as well as the minerals potassium and folate. Depending on their color, radishes also contain a variety of phytonutrients that can be beneficial in fighting several common chronic health conditions. Radishes also have unique anti-fungal properties that is shown to be beneficial against strains of Candida, a common yeast that can cause the oral condition known as thrush.

In addition to salads and veggie trays, you can add chopped radishes to sandwiches, tuna salad,

DENISE SULLIVAN Nutrition Ninja

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

• Wash hands and work surfaces with soap and water.

• Wash and trim radishes and cut in half.

• Cover 12x15 baking sheet with aluminum foil to help with clean-up.

• Spread radishes on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and choice of herb (parsley is the most neutral.) Toss radishes to coat evenly with oil and seasoning.

• Roast for 10 minutes, remove from oven, sprinkle with garlic, and stir. Return to oven for 10 minutes. Remove and check for doneness if easily pierced by fork. Return to oven for 5 minutes if needed, being careful not to burn the garlic.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Calories: 51, Total Fat: 3.5, Saturated Fat: .5g, Sodium: 192mg, Carbohydrates: 4.4g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: .9g

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com, analyzed by verywellfit.com.

Denise Sullivan (@MUExtJacksonCo) is a Nutrition and Health Education Specialist for MU Extension in the Urban West Region, serving Jackson and Platte Counties. For research based nutrition and food safety information and programs, call 816-482-5850 or visit https://extension2.missouri.edu/.

June in the Kansas City area is officially the first month of roses in glorious full bloom. It is a busy month to care for your roses, but the work is well worthwhile!

June Rose Care

Now is the time to start deadheading or removing spent blossoms (and bringing in a rose or two to enjoy indoors) to promote healthy growth.

The cut should be made at a 45-degree angle, about 1/4 inch above the nearest five or three leaf cluster where there is a bud eye, indicating new growth. Sometimes it is difficult to see the tiny bud eye which is hidden at the base of the leaf where it attaches to the stem. The cut should be where the new growth will grow away from the bush, not toward the center of the bush.

Fertilize

Most rose growers in the Kansas City area fertilize three to four times per season, starting in April or May and continuing in June and August. Those who grow roses for rose shows usually fertilize monthly during the season. Make sure you water in your liquid or granular fertilizer very well after applying.

Water

Purchase a rain gauge to keep track of rain measurement. It is typical to receive inadequate rain in June here, so keep watering at least 1 inch each week by hand with a watering wand (3-5 gallons per plant in a watering can) or by drip system. Water in the morning so that any moisture on the leaves will dry quickly. The humidity, heat and moisture are a breeding ground for fungus and disease on roses.

Spray if needed

Continue spraying for black spot control every 7-14 days unless you have disease resistant roses or an organic rose garden. Only use an insecticide if you see harmful insects on your roses. Try using a

June Rose Report

strong setting on a spray wand to get rid of aphids.

Compost

Have you added organic compost to your beds? It is always good to gently blend organic matter with your soil with a light rake to add some air pockets.

Help is available

Remember our American Rose Society Consulting Rosarians are always available to answer your rose gardening questions at kcrosehelp@gmail.com.

Free Rose Day and Rose Show!

The Kansas City Rose Society, celebrating 92 years of supporting the internationally acclaimed Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden, invites all to attend the annual free Rose Day and Rose Show from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 4th in the Loose Park Rose Garden and Garden Center. In the Rose Garden, The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s youth performers, known as Team Shakespeare, will perform bits of the Bard’s best scenes starting at 2:30 p.m. and The Bach Aria

LAUREN ENGLISH Consulting Rosarian

Soloists will perform rose-inspired pieces from classical and contemporary composers starting at 3 p.m. View award-winning roses and photography in the Garden Center Rose Show and cast your vote for the Most Fragrant Rose Contest. Enjoy free family activities (1:30 to 4:00) in the Rose Garden, including food, a children’s art exhibition, balloon art, face painting, and 3,000 roses in the Laura Conyers

Smith Municipal Rose Garden!

If you are a backyard rose grower or amateur photographer

of roses, please consider showing your roses and photos! You do not need to be a member of the KCRS to enter, but you must be a member to win a trophy. Entries are accepted for judging on Saturday, June 3, from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Garden Center. The schedule and rules for the show are posted at www. kansascityrosesociety.org.

I look forward to seeing many of you in the Rose Garden this month. The Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden remains the Crown Jewel of our city!

Lauren English is the Kansas City Rose Society Garden Chair at the Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden in Loose Park and an American Rose Society Consulting Rosarian. She can be reached at laurenenglish.kcrs@gmail.com or at the Ask a Rosarian hotline, kcrosehelp@gmail.com.

Come walk the Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden this month.

Pets and Plants:

Yews are small relatively slow growing coniferous trees or shrubs in the family Taxaceae.

Taxus cuspidata (Japanese yew, spreading yew, western yew) is native to Japan, Korea and China, and Taxus baccata (yew, English yew, European yew) is native to Europe – both are widely grown in North America as ornamental plants.

Yews are extremely toxic to all animals including horses, ruminants, dogs and cats. These plants have great potential for toxicity because they are so widely planted an ornamental shrubs or trees, and plant material is readily available to be consumed by animals. The toxic principles are alkaloids named taxine and various volatile oils. The entire plant is toxic but animals usually ingest leaves or berries. Both fresh and dried yew plant material is poisonous. For dogs, twofifths of an ounce of plant material per 10 pounds of body weight is lethal.

Clinical signs include trembling, weakness, heart or breath-

ing problems, vomiting, seizures (dogs) and frequently, sudden death with no other signs. Death is due to sudden heart failure and/ or respiratory collapse. Treatment includes oral decontamination and supportive care.

Of related interest is use of compounds from yew for medical purposes. Paclitaxel (Taxol) is a compound used for cancer chemotherapy (ovarian, breast, lung cancer) and isolated in 1967 from the bark of the Pacific yew tree (Taxus brevifolia). Later it was discovered that endophytic fungi in the tree bark synthesize paclitaxel. From 1967 to 1993, almost all paclitaxel was derived from Pacific yew bark – the harvesting process killed the tree. Currently, all paclitaxel production uses plant cell fermentation technology and does not require harvest of trees.

Yews are widespread ornamental trees and shrubs. Yew plant material is very toxic to all animals and care should be taken to prevent animal exposure to these materials.

Phil Roudebush is a retired veterinarian and specialist in small animal internal medicine. He is now an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in Buncombe County, NC. He can be reached at philroudebush@gmail.com.

PHIL ROUDEBUSH Veterinarian

Hydrangea H

ydrangeas are the beacons of a summer landscape and one of the mostloved shrubs in the world. And for good reason! They bring colorful flowers from spring through fall with the wide range of species and varieties. By knowing what type of hydrangea you have, or what you’re looking for, you can set yourself up to maximize blooms year after year.

Let’s take a journey through the season, looking at the types of hydrangeas that thrive in Kansas City and the surrounding area. And, of course, we have to talk about some of the best of the best new varieties available for your landscape! Let’s dig in.

Typically, the earliest hydrangea to bloom is the oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia). The oak-shaped leaves emerge in spring followed by white flowers in May or June that age to parchment or pink. The red fall foliage makes it a real gem. In the winter, the exfoliating bark of the stems adds great texture to the garden.

My favorite underutilized oakleaf hydrangea is Jetstream™ Oakleaf Hydrangea. It’s denser and compact, so it doesn’t overtake the landscape and has strong stems to support the blooms. Jetstream™ has some of the most intense fall color of any oakleaf hydrangea, which makes it a must-have in my book!

Follow these steps to help your oakleaf hydrangeas thrive in the landscape:

• Sun Exposure: Morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal but can tolerate a bit more shade.

• Soil: Moist and well-drained soil is preferred.

• Pruning: Deadhead spent blooms in summer or wait until late winter. Never hard prune in fall; only prune for size or shape after flowering.

In early summer, you will start to see the blooms of smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea ar-

step by step

borescens) emerge. You’ll recognize the big white or pink snowball-like flowers and may recognize a classic smooth hydrangea like Annabelle. Because many varieties don’t form as woody of stems as other hydrangea, a cage can hold up the blooms later in the season or after a heavy rain.

Follow these steps to help your smooth hydrangeas thrive in the landscape:

• Sun Exposure: Full sun in cooler climates and dappled shade in warmer climates.

• Soil: Moist, acidic, and well-drained soil.

• Pruning: Cut back to the ground in fall or early spring before new growth emerges.

Summer hydrangea season continues with the most popular species: bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). You’ll recognize these ball-shaped blooms that provide wonderful summer colors that range from Nantucket blue and soft pink to newer selections with electric blue, dark purple, and more. Classic varieties like Nikko Blue bloom on the previous season’s growth while newer selections like Endless Summer® have the ability to rebloom, giving you colorful blooms until a freeze.

My favorite new variety is Pop Star® Bigleaf Hydrangea. It is the strongest bloomer on last season’s growth I’ve seen and reblooms like crazy. The flowers are bright pink or electric blue lacecap flowers that attract a variety of pollinators. At 18” to 36” tall and wide, Pop Star® is perfect in garden borders or in deco pots. I also love Summer Crush® Bigleaf Hydrangea, another compact selection with raspberry red or deep purple blooms.

Follow these steps to help your bigleaf hydrangeas thrive in the landscape:

• Sun Exposure: Morning sun and dappled afternoon shade.

• Soil: Moist, well-drained soil. Avoid dry or

wet locations.

• Fertilizing: Use a bloom-boosting fertilizer in spring as the new growth emerges and again in midsummer to promote rebloom.

• Pruning: Never prune in the fall. Only remove dead stems in spring and deadhead throughout the summer.

Rounding out the season are the much-loved panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) with their gorgeous cone-shaped blooms. The white summer flowers age to pink, red, or lime, depending on the variety. Late-season color is best in where daytime temperatures stay warm and nights cool down.

My favorite panicle hydrangea varieties are Little Hottie®, White Diamonds® and Berry White®. Little Hottie® stays compact at only 3-5’ tall and wide. The blooms are crisp white and cover the plant from top to bottom. For heat and drought tolerance, White Diamonds® is an exceptional midsize hydrangea with glistening open white panicles. If you’re looking for amazing fall color, you need Berry White®. It’s a bit larger at about 6’ tall, so if you’re looking for a beautiful back-of-border or hydrangea hedge, this is your go-to. The summer’s white blooms age to a deep red by September and October.

Follow these steps to help your panicle hydrangeas thrive in the landscape:

• Sun Exposure: Does best in full sun, but also grows well in part shade.

• Soil: Moist, well-drained soil. Avoid sites that stay wet or dry.

• Pruning: Pruning by one third – or up to one half – size in late winter or early spring before leaves emerge.

And there you have it! Hydrangeas are oneof-a-kind plants that provide remarkable color, structure, and form. Now is the time to plan your next adventure with growing hydrangeas!

MATT OLSON Garden Writer

Matt Olson is the Trade Communications Specialist for Bailey Nurseries where he creates content for the horticultural trade and writes for gardening publications across North America. He can be reached at matt.olson@baileynurseries.com.

White Diamonds

Jetstream

Pop Star

Berry White

Jetstream

Above: White Diamonds; Below: Berry White

Above: Summer Crush; Below: Little Hottie

Photos courtesy of Bailey Nurseries.

Invitation to Wonders of Discovery Celebration of National Pollinator Week

Friday,

If you are interested in learning more about native plants and pollinators, please join us for “Wonders of Discovery”, the National Pollinator Week Celebration in Johnson County. This event will be held at the Pollinator Prairie at 320 S. Blake Street in Olathe. Visitors will be greeted with beautiful gardens of blooming native plants loaded with busy pollinators.

Wonders of Discovery is a free event for all ages hosted annually by the Johnson County Extension Master Naturalists. Fun planned activities and exhibits include “Caterpillar Wonders” and “What’s the Buzz about Native Bees?” displays as well as demonstrations from Operation Wildlife, Monarch Watch, Junior Master Naturalists, and much more. Games and activities are planned for children, so this will be a fun and educational event for the whole family.

National Pollinator Week is cel-

June 23, 2023

ebrated because of the importance of pollinators to our food chain. A pollinator is any type of insect or bird that transfers pollen from one flower to another, enabling those plants to produce seeds, young plants, and fruit. While some plants are self-pollinated by pollen being carried by wind or water, other plants are pollinated by insects and wildlife. These can include bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, flies, birds, and small mammals, including bats. Without pollinators, we would not have many of our favorite foods such as fruits and vegetables. Despite their ecological and economic importance, pollinators worldwide are at serious risk of population decline. Threats to pollinators are largely human-induced and include climate change, widespread pesticide use, and habitat destruction.

Since the Pollinator Prairie opened in 2012, this native habitat

has provided food and safe shelter for a variety of pollinators by providing pollinator-friendly plant species. The Pollinator Prairie is free and open to the public from sunrise to sunset every day of the year. An accessible trail winds around four gardens including the Bee Garden, the Bird Garden, the Butterfly Garden, and the Monarch Garden. Each garden is filled with native plants particularly attractive to each species. For example, the Bee Garden includes Kansas wildflowers that attract native bees. The Bird Garden has seed and berry-producing plants that provide food for songbirds through the summer and in winter when insects are scarce. Various butterflies seen feeding on nectar in the Butterfly Garden include Common Buckeyes, swallowtails, and the beautiful Red Admiral Butterfly. The Monarch Garden is loaded with several varieties of

milkweed and other nectar producing wildflowers to attract Monarch butterflies.

The seasonal gardens at Pollinator Prairie provide a wonderful showcase of native plants to meet the unique needs of different species of insects and wildlife from season to season. It is important to include native plants in your garden because native plant species produce the right pollen and nectar at the right time of year to attract the pollinators that feed on them. The more diversity you have in terms of shapes, colors and bloom time of native plants, the better your chances for attracting beneficial pollinators to your garden.

For more information on the Wonders of Discovery Event or the Pollinator Prairie, visit Facebook. com/PollinatorPrairie or call the Johnson County K-State Research and Extension office at 913-7157000.

Ann Tanner is a pharmacist by training and a naturalist at heart. She is originally from Mississippi, but she has lived in Kansas for more than 30 years. Ann’s passions are conservation, birding, and native prairie protection and restoration. Ann enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with the community.

Native Bee on Purple Coneflower

Photo by Mariruth Gruis.

Photo by Ann Tanner.

Photo by Ann Tanner.

Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly

Black Swallowtail on Monarda

Surprising Facts about the Inner World of Bees, the Insect You Thought You Knew

In What a Bee Knows: Exploring the Thoughts, Memories, and Personalities of Bees (Island Press, March 7, 2023), pollination ecologist Stephen Buchmann brings readers into the mysterious, fascinating minds of bees and introduces the scientists and researchers uncovering their alien ways of seeing the world.

Although bee brains are incredibly small—just one million neurons compared to humans’ 100 billion—they have remarkable abilities to navigate, learn, solve problems, communicate, and remember.

Here are some surprising facts about the inner world of bees, the insect you thought you knew!

Global bee diversity is about the same as the number of fish species. There are 21,000 species in the world, with roughly 3,500 species from the continental US alone.

Most in the world are actually ground-nesting and solitary, with no queen or workers. Only about 10% of the world’s bees are social, including honeybees and bumblebees.

Bees are sentient, self-aware, can likely feel pain, and may have a simple form of consciousness.

Despite being the size of a poppy seed, a honeybee’s brain is quite complex. It has almost one million neurons and up to a billion synaptic connections.

Learn more at:

Beneficial Wasps and You, https://ngb.org/beneficial-wasps/

Bee-Friendly Plants Create a Perfect Pollinator Garden, https://ngb.org/bee-friendly-plants/

Flower Power in the Pollinator Victory Garden, https://ngb.org/flower-power-pollinator-garden/

Used with permission from National Garden Bureau, ngb.org.

June 3, 2023

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 E Gregory Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64132 FREE

Get out and enjoy Nature with guided hikes focusing on Oaks and Geology. Also learn about how to Plant Native.

Encounters / Presentations:

11 a.m. – Hike – emphasis on oaks Noon – How to Plant Native

1 p.m. – Hike – emphasis on geology

816-513-8960

Opposites Attract: Two Stunning Shrubs that Work Wonders in the Garden

Ican’t think of two more different shrubs than leadplant (Amorpha canescens) and Indigo bush (Amorpha fruticosa), yet they are practically siblings. Like my 6-foot, 6-inch tall brother and me, we appear to be cut from different cloth yet we are related.

In Missouri, leadplant grows in dry or rocky soils, often associated with dry prairies, open woodlands, and rocky glades. It is a 3-foot tall, finicky slow-poke. It may take five years for it to grow two to three feet. Though it performs best in full sun, it can tolerate partial shade. It has the ability to grow in acidic soils (pH 4-6), as well as neutral soils (pH 6-8).

If you have acidic soil, you may also have success with goat’s rue (Tephrosia virginiana), Sampson’s snakeroot (Orbexilum pedunculatum), and fire pink (Silene virgi-

nica). My favorite companion plant for leadplant is prairie groundsel (Packera plattensis), a low-growing evergreen groundcover (5-7 inches), that fills in around the stems of this tiny, open-growing shrub. When the groundsel is fully mature, it makes the perfect green (living) mulch. But be sure to not smother it in winter with fallen tree leaves. Yes, I like keeping fallen tree leaves in the garden where they lie, but here is the exception to the rule. Like all groundsels, this evergreen will thin out or disappear if covered with leaves in the winter. Remember, it’s an evergreen plant.

On the other hand, indigo bush grows in wetlands and along creeks and rivers. It is an 8-foot (tall and

SCOTT WOODBURY Horticulturist

wide) carefree rocket ship, traveling at the speed of sound. When it sees leadplant in the Garden, it says “See you later, alligator”!

In Missouri gardens, indigo bush matures quickly in any soil type, even clay. It prefers full sun, but will grow in partial shade. It is more upright and leggy in shady places (allowing other plants to grow beneath it), and fuller and broader in full sun (shading out most other plants). In the Pacific Northwest, it has become invasive in wet areas. Today’s lesson, my friends, grow plants that are native in your region; invasive species are no joke.

Now the best part: Both of these shrubs have the most stunning

flowers. Lead plant has purplish lavender flower spikes with gold pollen. The flowers contrast nicely with the plant’s fine-textured, gray foliage, and it blooms with butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) ‚the orange and purple flowers create a spicy combination!

Indigo bush has similar, but dusky plum, flower spikes that also have gold pollen. The flowers are like tiny jewels. I like planting these close to a patio, walkway, or windows, because the flowers are so dark and are overlooked (by humans!) in the landscape. The bees won’t mind though; both species are massive pollinator magnets.

I hope you come to enjoy these two tried-and-true winners as much as I do. Both plants have staying power and will turn heads in your neighborhood. Happy gardening, y’all!

Scott Woodbury was the horticulturist at Shaw Nature Reserve for 30 years and stepped down from that position in June 2022. He continues to work on contract for Shaw Nature Reserve to carry out native landscaping education and has launched his own business called Cacalia: Native Garden Design and Wilding. Find suppliers of native plants, seeds, and services at the Grow Native! Resource Guide: www.moprairie.org.

Photo courtesy of Missouri Botanical Garden.

Photo by Bruce Schuettee.

Leadplant and Butterfly Milkweed

Indigo Bush

Planters Seed Co.

•

513 Walnut, KCMO • 816-842-3651

Grow Naturally For Healthier Soil & Plants

EARTH RIGHT products help you beat the heat. Our conditioner is in all of the plant products. This helps wick water, keeping plants cooler. For bigger roots & lots of blooms use Mushroom Stuff™ & Sure Bloom™ on turf or in gardens. Keeps roots from burning & soil conditioned. Great in containers!

Natural products that work!

www.superlawnstuff.com (913) 492-2992 Made in the Heartland

Winners for Your Garden plants that are tested and proven

Leucanthemum Carpet Angel®

2023

AAS Perennial Winner

The first-ever groundcover Shasta Daisy as well as the first-ever AAS Winner from this breeder! Green Fuse Botanicals’ First Light Perennials is a program of first-year flowering perennials that are daylength neutral meaning earlier blooms that continue all season long. Large 3-inch flowers boast a second inner frilly bloom adding to the unique look of Carpet Angel. Growing only to a height of 6 inches, this unique Leucanthemum can act as a groundcover spreading up to 20 inches wide. Fantastic branching on this new AAS winner means more flower stems sporting beautiful pure white blooms that look like angels dancing over a carpet of dark green foliage. A little deadheading of spent flowers will reward you with even more blooms. Hardy in zones 4a-10b.

About All-America Selections

Coleus Premium Sun Coral Candy

2023 Ornamental Seed Winner

The first seed coleus to ever win the coveted AAS Winner designation! Coral Candy features unique, multicolored foliage on a uniformly compact plant. This new plant form has narrow, serrated leaves that gracefully drape down the mounded plants. AAS Judges noted that this variety holds its color well, even when grown in full sun. This variety was entered into and trialed in the container trial meaning it’s perfect for small space gardens. Late in the season, it was observed that Coral Candy held up nicely in the fall and had almost no flowers even late in the season. Just 3 seeds will produce enough substance to fill a 14-16” container!

Colocasia ROYAL HAWAIIAN® Waikiki

2023 AAS Ornamental Winner

All-America Selections has another first: A colocasia winner! Trialed in the non-seed container trial, this beauty wowed the judges with its sturdy, large glossy leaves that unfurled with a bold leaf coloration featuring pink veins and creamy white centers. Waikiki is part of the Royal Hawaiian series and produces these striking colors earlier than other variegated leaf colocasia. The deep burgundy stems produce a lush, compact plant that holds up well even in wind and rain. What a way to bring a touch of the tropics to your garden, no matter where you are located!

All-America Selections National and Regional Winners have been tested for garden performance by a panel of expert judges. Varieties that perform best over all of North America become AAS National Winners. Entries that performed particularly well in certain regions are named AAS Regional Winners. The AAS Winners offer gardeners reliable new varieties that have proven their superior garden performance in Trial Grounds across North America, thus, our tagline of “Tested Nationally and Proven Locally®”. When you purchase an AAS Winner, you know that it has been put through its paces by an independent, neutral trialing organization and has been judged by experts in their field. The AAS Winner label is like a stamp of approval. AAS Winners are bred and produced without using genetic engineering, commonly referred to as genetic modification or GMO.

To learn more about AAS and all the current and previous winners, go to all-americaselections.org. Please note that these plants are new to the market and likely are not readily available. Start asking for them next season at your favorite garden center.

Photos courtesy of All-America Selections.

Garden Thyme Marketplace Trade Show

Garden Show — FREE and open to the public

Garden & Nature-Inspired Creations by Local & Regional Artists, Crafters & Businesses

Monday, June 19, Noon - 7 PM

Tuesday, June 20, 10 AM - 7 PM

Wednesday, June 21, 10 AM - 7 PM

Held at the Overland Park Convention Center 6000 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66211

In conjunction with The International Master Gardener Conference

Hosted by the Johnson County Extension Master Gardeners June 18-22, 2023

IMGC2023.com

Upcoming Garden Events

Cooking from the Garden

Thurs, Jun 1, 11:30a; at Wyandotte County Extension Office, Sunflower Room, 1208 N 79th St, Kansas City, KS. Lori Wuellner, Wyandotte County Extension FACS Agent, will be discussing techniques and recipes that will make our home-grown vegetables the stars of the dinner table. Free and pre-registration not required. 913299-9300

Native Plants: Native Landscape

Chat

Fri, Jun 2, 1-2pm; at Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64110. Walk-in (all ages) June is one of the “prairie birthday” months, as it seems there is a new native plant starting to bloom every week. Join our native landscape specialists on a walk around the grounds to see these blooms in action. This is a cooperative program with Deep Roots. Registration is not required. If accommodations are needed, please e-mail the instructor at least one week prior to the program.

Discover Nature: Composting

101—Virtual

Sat, Jun 3, 9-10a; at MDC Virtual Nature Center. Composting is the process of transforming organic scraps into nutrient rich garden fertilizer and it can start in your own kitchen! This talk will discuss the science of decomposition, common household methods and provide tips for getting started. Registrants will receive an invite to WebEx prior to the event. To register: go to https://mdc.mo.gov/discovernature/places/burr-oak-woods-conservation-area, in the Links section, click on Burr Oak Woods Events.

Train Garden Tour

Sat, Jun 3, 10a-4p and Sun, Jun 4, Noon-4p. Adults and kids are invited to tour the unique train gardens at homes in the greater Kansas City area. They are like a miniature

world with model trains running through garden landscaping, with small houses and buildings, trees, plants, water features, bridges and tunnels. Hosted by the MO-KAN Garden Railroaders, the admission cost for this self-guided tour to all gardens is $10 per car. Fifty percent of the proceeds go to Harvesters Food Network. For tickets and tour guide, go to www.mokangardenrailroaders.org.

Kansas City Rose Show

Sat, Jun 3; at Loose Park Garden Center, 51st and Wornall, Kansas City, MO. Free and open to all rose gardeners with assistance provided for first-time exhibitors. Classes for live blooms and rose photographs. Entries accepted from 8-11a. Visit kansascityrosesociety.org for the show handbook with class lists and show rules. Also find links to tips on how to grow and show prizewinning roses.

Heartland Hosta & Shade Plant Society Annual Spring Plant Sale

Sat, Jun 3, 9a-2p; at Woods Chapel Community of Christ Church, 500 NE Woods Chapel Rd, Lee’s Summit, MO 64064. The sale features over 1200 plants including 68 varieties of Hosta and plenty of shade/part shade perennials! Prices start at $10 and we have all sizes of Hosta from mini to giant to suit all size gardens. This sale is open to the public. Sale list with pictures and descriptions will be available on the club website prior to the sale. For more information please visit www.HeartlandHosta.club or the Facebook page www.Facebook. com/HeartlandHostaandShadePlantSociety/.

MoKan Daylily Club

Sat, Jun 3, 10:30a; at Asbury United Methodist Church, 5400 W 75th St, Prairie Village. The meeting starts at 10:30a with a meet and greet, followed by a pot luck lunch and presentation. The guest speaker is Alleen VanBebber, a Master

Gardener from Overland Park, KS. Alleen’s presentation will cover Victory Gardens and garden adaptations for different abilities. Guests are welcome!

Kansas City Rose Day

Sun, Jun 4, 1-5p; at Laura Conyers Smith Rose Garden in Loose Park. View the results of the Rose Show in the Garden Center with hundreds of blue-ribbon winners and gleaming trophies. In the garden, enjoy family activities, live entertainment, and an afternoon of beauty in this world-renowned rose garden. Free to everyone. Visit https:// www.kansascityrosesociety.org for further information.

Union Hill Annual Garden Tour

Sun, Jun 4, 10a-3p. Located downtown between 31st St and Union Cemetery, and bordered by Main St and Gillham, Union Hill is a walkable, charming historic Victorian neighborhood filled with avid gardeners. The tour starts at 31st and Grand then follows a walking path through the neighborhood. Attendees will receive a map and guide to the gardens on the tour. There will also be live music, food trucks, activity map for kids. Tickets for the tour can be purchased on the day of the tour for $15, with funds going to help with restoration of Union Hill Cemetery and to beautify the public spaces in the neighborhood. Advance purchase tickets are just $10 through the Union Hill Garden Tour Facebook page: @UnionHillGardenTour or by visiting unionhillkc.com.

Raytown Garden Club

Tues, Jun 6, 10a; at Connection Point Church, 10500 E 350 Hwy, Raytown, MO 64138. Program will be “Tree Care Basics and Planting Specimens for Smaller Spaces,” given by a representative of Heartland Tree Alliance speakers bureau. Guests are always welcome. For more information please check out our Facebook page: https://

www.facebook.com/RaytownGardenClub.

Garden Sampler Tour and Raffle

Sat, Jun 10, sponsored by the Garden Club of Shawnee. Our Club sponsors a biennial tour of the private gardens of Shawnee and surrounding cities. Proceeds from the tour and raffle are used to fund a Grant Program for local schools, churches, and not-for-profit organizations to beautify and educate about gardening. Tour tickets will be available to purchase in advance via Eventbrite at www. thegardenclubofshawnee.org and at area business starting mid-April. Also plan to purchase raffle tickets (cash only) for chances to win great prizes donated by community merchants and generous citizens. COME JOIN US! Enjoy a day filled with the beauty our featured gardens offer on Jun 10, 9 am to 5 pm (rain or shine).

Kansas City Cactus and Succulent Society

Sat, Jun 10. We will sell plants at Powell Gardens Pavilion, 1609 NW US Hwy 50, Kingsville, MO 9a-2p, featuring both cold hardy plants suitable for outdoor planting and succulents for the home. Our Jun 11 meeting will include a talk on the “Botany and Water Preserving Adaptations of the Cacti and Succulents.” Members will also share specimens in our Plant of the Month display. We meet at 1:30p, at Trailside Center, 9901 Holmes Rd, Kansas City MO. And, mark your calendar for a FULL DAY plant and pottery sale at Trailside Center on Aug 5. Details will be printed in July.

Succulents in Driftwood Workshop

Sat, Jun 10, 10-11:30a; at EEVC Classroom, Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, 8909 W 179th St, Overland Park, KS (continued on page 24)

Upcoming Garden Events

66013. Fun and interactive, nature inspired, 100% natural preserved moss, and real succulents. All supplies provided, take your creation home. Fee: $70. To register, go to opkansas.org/events; 913-6853604.

Vegetable Gardening

Presentation

Sat, Jun 10, 10a; at The Gardens at Unity Village, 150 B Colbern Rd, Lee’s Summit, MO 64086. Join us at the Unity Village Farmer’s Market at the historic white barn for a special presentation to learn about the challenges of vegetable gardening, both for warm and cool seasons! You will receive tips and resources to support your vegetable gardening success from presenter Michele Livergood, of the Kansas City Master Gardeners Speakers Bureau. This presentation is free and open to the public. For more information please check out our FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/wediggardening

Leavenworth County Master Gardeners

Wed, Jun 14, 11a; at Riverfront Community Center, 123 Esplanade St, Leavenworth KS 66048. Lauren Cain, founder of Elm Dirt, a local KC worm farm and organic fertilizer manufacturer, will give a presentation on Vermicomposting. Find out how to easily worm compost in any setting and the benefits that come from worm castings. The meeting is free and visitors are welcome. For more information contact the Leavenworth County Extension office at 913-364-5700.

Insects: Fascinating Fireflies

Sat, Jun 17, 10a-2p; at Anita B Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64110. Walk-in (all ages) Celebrate Missouri’s only flying bioluminescent insect! The return of lightning bugs, or fireflies, each

June makes for magical sights on summer nights. Let’s explore the secret lives of fireflies, how they communicate and what we can do to help keep these important insects around for years to come. Instead of keeping fireflies in a jar this summer, come make your very own firefly-inspired lantern to enjoy during every season! Registration is not required. If accommodations are needed, please e-mail the instructor at least one week prior to the program.

Bonner Springs Garden Club

Tues, Jun 20, 10a. Anyone interested in gardening is invited to join in our fun at our next meeting. We’ll be touring our member’s six-acre farm and garden. On their property, they stress natural and Earth-friendly gardening. Following our tour we’ll be going to a local restaurant for lunch and business meeting. For further information about our club or our upcoming programs, please contact bonnerspringsgardenclub@ gmail.com.

Composting....Easy Peasy?

Absolutely!

Thurs, Jun 22, 6:30p; at Tonganoxie Public Library, 217 E 4th St, Tonganoxie, KS 66086. Jackie Lee, a Leavenworth County Master Gardener, will lead an informal discussion on the chemistry of compost and how it works; how to get started; choosing slow or quick composting; using compost; the many benefits of composting and more. The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information contact the Leavenworth County Extension office at 913-364-5700.

Native Plants: Ethnobotany of the Midwest

Sat, Jun 24, 10a-2p; at Anita B Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64110. Walk-in (all ages) Humans have been using native plants for everything from food to

medicine to shelter for thousands of years. Join us for this program to see some of the many ways that people in the past and present have and still are using native plants that are growing right here at the Discovery Center. Registration is not required. If accommodations are needed, please e-mail the instructor at least one week prior to the program.

Leawood Garden Club

Tues, Jun 27, 12-1p; at Cure of Ars Catholic Church, 9401 Mission Rd, Leawood, KS 66203. “GMOs in the Garden” by Sidney Platz, A Douglas County Master Gardener, Sidney became a Master Gardener and Hobby Beekeeper in 2016, after her retirement from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Both hobbies have enabled her to continue to utilize her degree and career experience in genetics, specifically molecular population genetics. Her primary interest is the genetic research being performed in the development of Varroa destructor mite resistance in bee colonies, as well as the genetic techniques used in the development of genetic modified organisms. Her presentation will cover topics on GMOs, What does it mean, what are they, how are they made GMO-Good Bad and Ugly GMO Examples and Uses.

Daylily Garden Open House

Jul 1-3. Open 9a-1p; at Hart’s Daylilies, 7460 W 255th, Louisburg, KS. Over 700 varieties on display. Call 913-837-5209 for additional information.

SAVE THE DATE for Mo-Kan Daylily Society Plant Sale

Sat, Aug 26, 8:30a-3:30p or until sold out; at Loose Park Garden Center, 51st and Wornall, Kansas City, MO. There will be hundreds of different bare root daylilies, including a variety of colors, shapes, patterns, heights, and bloom sizes. Pictures and descriptions will be

displayed to help in your selection. If you want to learn how to plant and care for your daylilies, there will be a Planting Corner with demonstrations, tips, and educational handouts. All plants have been grown locally in members’ gardens. Payment by cash and credit cards. Mo-Kan members available to answer questions.

Save the Date!

Marais de Cygnes Extension Master Gardeners will host its “September to Remember” garden tour Sep 8 and 9. Five unique private gardens will be feature in the Louisburg and Paola area along with the Miami County Courthouse garden and Monarch Way station. Watch this space for more information.

Promote plant sales, club meetings, classes, and other gardening events for FREE! Send details to: elizabeth@kcgmag.com. Deadline for publishing in the July issue is June 5.

Apply now for Johnson County K-State Extension Master Gardener program

If you enjoy gardening, working with others, and having fun while sharing your passion, then the Extension Master Gardener (EMG) program may be just the opportunity for you. Applications are now being accepted for the Johnson County K-State Research and Extension Master Gardener Class of 2024 training program. The application deadline is June 30, 2023.

Training sessions are held every Thursday from September 7 to December 14, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. All classes will be conducted in-person and or online. In-person classes will be conducted at the Johnson County Extension office, 11811 S. Sunset Drive, Suite 1500, in Olathe. There is a $125 administration fee for those accepted into the class. Class members must be Johnson County residents.

Only 30 applicants are accepted into this prestigious program. Applicants are selected based on gardening and volunteering experience, ability to attend training sessions and volunteer activities, and, most importantly, willingness to commit long-term to the annual volunteer service requirement. Gardeners who join the program bring many different experience levels and interests to the program. If you are a novice gardener, do not let the title of Extension Master Gardener intimidate you. Your love of gardening and passion for sharing your garden experience is the basis for success.

An orientation session to learn more about the program will be held on Monday, May 15th, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Extension Office. Preregistration is

required for the orientation. Please contact Heather Cwach, Horticulture Office Professional, at Heather.Cwach@jocogov.org.

The EMG program, sponsored by K-State Research and Extension, is designed to teach area gardeners about horticulture and allow them to share their knowledge through various gardening-related volunteer projects. Applicants who

are selected will receive intensive horticulture-related training from university experts. In return, newly trained recruits must volunteer a minimum of time each year.

EMG volunteers get involved in various projects, including maintaining demonstration gardens, staffing a gardening hotline, and giving presentations through the speakers’ bureau. Youth programs are also another avenue for volunteer participation.

If you are interested in applying for the program or want more information, please contact Johnson County Extension at (913) 7157000 or visit www.johnson.k-state. edu and click on the Extension Master Gardener link for details.

GARDEN CALENDAR

June list of what to do in the garden.

VEGETABLES AND FRUITS

• Plant squash, cucumbers, sweet corn, green beans, and other summer vegetables.

• Conserve moisture and control weeds with mulch.

• Harvest spring vegetables until the end of the season, then remove them.

• Pinch herbs to keep bushy and fresh with new growth.

• Watch for the development of squash bugs as they multiply rapidly—control as needed.

• Treat tomato leaf disease with a fungicide if needed.

• Apply one inch of water per week if there is no rain.

• Continue a regular fruit disease and insect control program.

• Fertilize strawberries regularly to promote new growth.

• Renovate June bearing strawberry beds.

• Treat peach trees for borers.

• Remove sucker growth from the base of trees and along branches.

• Turn the compost pile and keep it moist to hasten breakdown.

FLOWERS

• Pinch chrysanthemum tips for the development of bushier plants.

• Remove spent flower blossoms to keep the plant flowering.

• Remove flower stalks from peonies and irises.

• Fertilize roses and trim spent blossoms.

• Check plants for insects.

• Remove dead foliage from spring bulbs.

• Water and fertilize container plantings regularly to encourage growth and flowering.

• Maintain a 2 to 3-inch mulch layer to reduce moisture loss, control weeds, and preserve excellent soil.

• Apply one inch of water per week if there is no rain.

LAWNS

• Mow bluegrass and tall fescue 3 to 3½-inches high to improve drought stress.

• Avoid fertilizing tall fescue and bluegrass during summer.

• Mow Zoysia to a height of 1 to 2 inches all season.

• Fertilize Zoysia with high nitrogen fertilizer such as 27-3-3 one to two more times this summer.

• Repair dead spots and bare areas in Zoysia by sodding or plugging.

• Core aerate Zoysia to control thatch and improve water and nutrient uptake.

• Spot treat for summer broadleaf weeds.

• Fertilize naturally by letting grass clippings fall.

• Water the turf sparingly to increase drought

MY GARDEN (Use this space to list additional tasks to accomplish in your garden.)

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tolerance during the heat of summer.

• Begin grub treatments with preventive-type insecticides.

• Keep the mower blade sharp for a clean cut.

TREES AND SHRUBS

• Check for bagworms and control.

• Prune elongated “candles” of new growth on pines and spruces to shape/control size.

• Prune spring flowering shrubs.

• Water newly planted trees and shrubs.

• Check for spider mite damage by shaking branches over white paper. Mites look like tiny dots.

• Clip hedges to maintain shape.

• Maintain a mulch ring around young trees and shrubs.

• Prune dead or damaged limbs to correct structure and maintain health.

HOUSEPLANTS

• Water and fertilize regularly to promote summer growth.

• Repot overgrown plants, shifting up to a one-inch larger pot.

• Rotate pots to provide sunlight on all sides, producing a balanced plant.

• Prune and shape plants.

Johnson County K-State Research and Extension recommends environmentally-friendly gardening practices. This starts by identifying and monitoring problems. Cultural practices and controls are the best approach for a healthy garden. If needed, use physical, biological or chemical controls. Always consider the least toxic approach first. Dennis Patton is the horticulture agent for Johnson County K-State Research and Extension. For free information fact sheets, visit www.johnson.ksu.edu, or call the Extension office at 913-715-7000.

Don’t Miss Your Only Chance to Visit Kansas City’s Best Gardens

June 17-18

Don’t miss this opportunity to see six of the top private gardens in the KC metropolitan area. Spanning both sides of the state line, the tour showcases the talents of creative garden owners who have dedicated much of their lives to honing their skills. The gardens range from small city lots to acreage in the suburbs, from formal to casual.

The Tour of Private Gardens is held in conjunction with the International Master Gardener Conference, hosted by the Johnson County Extension Master Gardeners.

Learn more about the featured gardens, where you are guaranteed to find inspiration.

Garden Sanctuary: You’ll recognize something special is happening behind the walls screening

this midtown Kansas City Garden. The small size of the lot belies an abundance of treasures: architectural salvage, priceless antiques, and fountains, as well as climbing hydrangea and a Clivia.

Hidden Garden: At the back of a Prairie Village Mid-Century Modern home, whose hardscape blends seamlessly with its architecture, you’ll disappear into a shade garden with an endless variety of hydrangeas and hostas. A raised bed vegetable garden completes this not to be missed garden.

Historic Charm: You’ll experience local history as you walk down brick paths created by two well-known gardening sisters who started the garden in the 1940s. The owners have filled the garden with color and texture. This midtown

Hotlines for Gardeners

Extension Master Gardeners are ready to answer your gardening questions.

CASS COUNTY

816-380-8494; Wed, 9am-noon

DOUGLAS COUNTY

785-843-7058; dgcogardenhotline@gmail.com; Mon, Wed, Fri, 1-4pm

GREATER KANSAS CITY MISSOURI AREA

816-833-8733 (TREE); Mon-Fri, 9am-noon; mggkc.hotline@gmail.com

JOHNSON COUNTY, KS

913-715-7050; Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm; garden.help@jocogov.org

JOHNSON COUNTY, MO

660-747-3193; Wed, 9am-noon

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY

913-364-5700; Leave a message. A Master Gardener will contact you.

MIAMI COUNTY & LINN COUNTY

913-294-4306; Thurs, 8am-noon

WYANDOTTE COUNTY

913-299-9300; Mon, Wed, Fri, 9am-4pm

QUESTIONS ABOUT ROSES?

Ask a Rosarian; kcrosehelp@gmail.com; www.kansascityrosesociety.org

Kansas City Garden preserves its history.

English Country Charm: These extensive Leawood gardens include a greenhouse, orchard, and potager that will delight. You’ll find it hard to leave the brick patio with its impressive collection of pots and ornamentation. Venture back to the orchard, large vegetable and cutting garden, and greenhouse with a garden boutique for the whole experience.

European Elegance: Step into the back garden of this south Overland Park home. You’ll feel you’ve entered the grounds of a villa surrounded by a berm lushly planted with formally pruned junipers and boxwood, accented with giant urns of stunning plants of begonias and Mandeville. You will not think you

For convenient mail delivery, complete the form below and send with your check for $35.00. You will receive a oneyear subscription.

are in Kansas anymore.

Kansas Roots: With a retaining wall built of limestone from the foundation of her great-grandparents’ barn and an antique bed frame repurposed as a raised “garden bed,” this garden shows you how a gardener can incorporate personal history into their garden. This Lenexa Garden is charming, creative, and full of clever ideas to add a touch of flare and whimsy.

The Tour of Private Gardens will be held June 17 and 18, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Ticket sales are limited, and $45 helps ensure a pleasant experience. For more information, visit https://www. johnson.k-state.edu/.

Fresh Herbs,

Fresh Perspective

Growing herbs is a small way to make a big impact on all the wonderful food coming from the farmer’s market or your own garden. It doesn’t require a lot of space, making it easy to care for. We have a wide variety of herbs at all locations 2” pot, $2.99.

Why not try:

• Infused cucumber mint water

• Basil in a BLT (or favorite sandwich)

• Chopped parsley in your salad

• Mint on your watermelon

• Rosemary infused maple syrup

Mother Nature’s

Soft Spot

Don’t stop at smelling the roses. Include Dusty Miller, Licorice Plant, Lamb’s Ear, or Wormwood (pictured) in your landscape. Every time you see them, you’ll want to reach out to feel how soft they are.

Five Senses Appeal to all

We have a great selection of fountains to help bring the relaxing sound of flowing water to your happy place.

Fountain $988.99

Watercolor Rose Pillow: $39.99, Giving Hands Statuary: $116.99 Wormwood, 1gal pot $8.99