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Annie Calovich

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Garden show expanding this year

Wichita’s latest version of a garden show debuted last year and will expand just a bit this year when it is staged next weekend in Century II’s Expo Hall.

On the hunt for winter green

Last week, standing alongside the rock garden in Botanica, at the base of the curved wooden bridge, I gazed around me and was astounded at the number and variety of plants I saw.

Signs of early spring start to appear

I had a sense of deja vu as master gardener Janie Chisholm made one of my favorite observations of all time on Facebook: “Love, love, love waking up to the birds singing!”

Gardeners may need to adjust to drier conditions

As I wrote a story for last Sunday’s paper about the drought and the possibility of water restrictions in Wichita, it seemed that a different attitude was being brought to the use of water.

Tulip stems, onion seeds are among the bridges to spring

One of the benefits of a walk through Botanica on a warm, sunny afternoon in January: two sightings of red foxes – one in the children’s garden, the other from the heights of the pavilion.

Concolor fir keeps growing, even after Christmas

A few days after Christmas, Susan Cooper was standing at the large window in her living room that looks east over a bend in the Little Arkansas River, getting ready to take down her Christmas tree – a concolor fir that she’d bought at Johnson’s Garden Center.

Shopping for seeds in winter

Like Lucy from Peanuts joyously shaking a can into which Charlie Brown has deposited a nickel, I’ve been shaking my first packet of seeds of Garden Season 2013.

The mind reaches out to winter, looking for connection

As much as I love Christmas, the clean freshness of the new year and a return to post-holiday routine are always refreshing and consoling.

We’ve survived the shortest day, first snowfall

On the verge of Christmas, I always have miscellaneous snippets of holiday information lying about, like pretty pieces of ribbon left over after wrapping a gift, threatening to become unceremoniously outdated by next Saturday. (I’d be happy to keep celebrating the 12 days of Christmas anywhere and everywhere, but society won’t play along.)

Some Christmases are more Charlie Brown than others

Some Christmases turn out to be more Charlie-Brown-style than we might imagine, even when we’re adults.

Playing with Christmas greenery an extension of gardening

More than any Christmas before, I’ve been thinking of which causes I want to help and which businesses I want to see stay in business while doing my Christmas shopping.

Take steps to give Christmas tree longevity

For people wondering last week, with our early Thanksgiving, whether a live Christmas tree can survive the long haul through Christmas, the answer is yes.

Holiday potpourri: trees, Illuminations, feeding the birds

It’s a little early for the Christmas tree for me, but even if you aren’t getting your tree this weekend, you probably are planning where you will buy it.

Nature gives us colors to be thankful for

Thanksgiving is as early as it can be this year. Yet somehow Christmas has arrived even earlier.

Rain garden a solution for drainage, dog problems

When the rain pools in a low spot or the dogs dig where they’re least wanted, the yard can become a hole where our hope drains out.

Get close to orchids this weekend

How about a flower show this weekend to chase away those standard-time blues? I will love the extra hour of sleep Saturday but will be looking for that lost hour of light every day until we get it back.

Fall and spring both hang in the balance

The spooky scene in the garden comes the morning when we wake to find that tender new mum buds, white tomato flowers and succulent green leaves on the purple sweet-potato vine were snatched away during the night by the cold, leaving summer only a warm memory.

Landscape Solutions: Growing on north side of house is a problem

Most of us have areas of our yards that are more of a challenge than others. When I asked people to send in their landscape problems, several of them spoke of areas where nothing would grow. Such is the case for the Kirkharts of Andover. In this installment of Landscape Solutions, landscape architect Kurt Huiras of GLMV Architecture addresses their case of the dreaded clay soil on the north side of the house.

Weekend’s locavore events highlight food growers, crafters and neighborhood improvement

Back in May, I went on a tour of some of Wichita’s community gardens, now spread all across town.

Start trees off with proper planting

If you’ve lost trees to the drought or one of our other weather spectaculars or disease, or you just want to help rebuild the canopy we’re collectively losing, fall is a great time to replant many types of trees.

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