This first month of winter has been true to Kansas City: a manic-depressive wild ride! We have had two days with highs in the 60s, inch rains twice, plus sleet and 2 inches of snow. The predicted “coldest Arctic blast in a decade” did not materialize. Yes, it was cold but not even close to … Read More
Few evergreens remain grass-green in winter but one is just that: a grass!This is a (now) massive stand of Yellow-groove Bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata) growing as a screen behind the Rock & Waterfall Garden. This woody grass can grow up to 25 feet tall (these are a mere 15 feet). It is a running bamboo so … Read More
Yes, there is a horticultural term for deciduous plants that hold their leaves into winter: tardily deciduous. As the temperatures get colder these plants will gradually lose more and more leaves until they are nearly bare by mid-winter.No, these Northern Sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana var. virginiana) magnolias in front of the Visitor Center are not sick! … Read More
Anne Wildeboor (Horticulturist – Seasonal Displays and Events) ties on the final “star” to our trio of whimsical Christmas trees installed in the Visitor Center’s Grand Hall. The trees are a trio of living ‘Van Den Aker‘ Alaska-Cedars (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) and will be planted outside in the gardens next spring. They are a perfect example … Read More
Hickory Nuts are one of the tastiest of the season’s wild bounty. Native Americans crushed and boiled them to extract their nutritious fat and oils for use as cooking oil or to add to other foods. Here I placed some Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) nuts on the planting plan for the Living off the Land … Read More