My first memory of gardening was when I was about 5 or 6. My parents had a "Victory Garden.” I don't think they actually referred to it by this name, but it was during World War II. The garden was a small plot in the middle of many other plots several blocks from our home. My job was to carry the buckets for watering, and to weed the vegetables which my mom cooked and gave to others who did not have garden space. I remember being really upset when someone ran through the garden plots tearing up the plantings simply as a random act of vandalism. The gossipers said it was "anti-war" people, but I doubted that, especially since nearly all of the watermelons had been pinpointed by the attack.
John's potting shed, which has been featured in national publicationsCurrently I like the challenge of growing perennials and annuals from seed. I have an area in my basement with shelving and lights to start plants from seed and cuttings. I have a terrible time during the "pricking out" process throwing away any of the seedlings, so I give away many flats and pots to friends and fellow gardeners. I have successfully started plants from seeds that I have collected on trips to other parts of the U.S., including mountain laurel, blue ice poppies and saguaro cactus.
My gardens are user-friendly with plants most gardeners could grow and find rewarding with little effort. As noted above, we use mostly perennials and homegrown annuals. We have lots of pots and containers on and around our deck, and even plant annuals in the guttering on our Puttering Shed (which was featured in the KC Star two years ago.)
My favorite flower in the garden is lisianthus (which I start from seed in early October for bloom from July to frost.) My favorite foliage plants are the many varieties of coleus and hosta. And I am, each season, becoming more and more a lover of ornamental grasses. I like vining plants such as snail vine, cardinal flower and clematis. We try to plant butterfly-friendly plants such as lantana, cone flowers and buddleia, as well as butterfly host plants such as parsley, fennel and milkweed. We totally avoid roses and shy away from plants such as peonies, daylily and iris since they flower only once during a season. We have also stopped growing any petunias or geraniums due to our inability to control bud worms.
My Kansas gardening style is: “See it. Start it. Plant it. If it grows, plant more of it. If it doesn't grow, forget it!”
My wife, Jody, and I find great pleasure and relaxation working in the gardens God has given us, and we enjoy sharing them with others. I continually learn about plants and horticulture while researching information for the public during my time on the Extension Master Gardener Hotline. And find myself going home each week with more ideas on what to try next in my own gardens.