Dig This!

Monday morning started with glorious Kansas weather  and lots of wildflowers along the walking path.  Great waves of Black-eyed Susan rudbeckia in the field, clouds of white  fleabane along  the path and a fringe-leaf ruellia (wild petunia)  named for its hairy stem and leaves. Erect dayflower. A relative of spiderwort, it blooms after the spiderwort is gone.  This one is a soft blue but I have seen many clusters in brilliant blue. Black-eyed Susan rudbeckia (and a bug.) Unidentified purple flowers (must be a new variety never before seen in Kansas.) Dandelion . Of course. Bright purple flowers – I think this is wild alfalfa . White fleabane grows in big clumps along the path along with mounds  of white morning glory . Hairy gayfeather. This prairie clover's purple flowers have faded but the seed heads  are still beautiful.

     Raised garden beds are great for growing small plots of veggies and flowers. They keep pathway weeds from your garden soil, prevent soil compaction, provide good drainage, and serve as a barrier to pests such as slugs and snails. The sides of the beds keep your valuable garden soil from eroding or washing away during heavy rains.       In Kansas, gardeners are able to plant earlier in the season because the soil is warmer and better drained when it is above ground level.       Elevated garden beds are planter boxes on legs. By raising the soil level, elevated beds reduce back strain when bending over to tend the bed. This is especially helpful for older gardeners, people with bad backs or wheelchair users.      Master Gardener Carl has produced two videos with instructions on building garden beds.  The first is a simple raised bed .  The second is a growing bed made from pallets which Carl has elevated on legs. He includes tips on materials, tools and soil. Tips for building you