Jennifer Oldridge, a Kansas University graduate, is an avid gardener who previously operated a landscaping business.
Recent Stories
Sculpted land
Dream home showcases art, gardening in serene and secretive style
Monday, June 2, 2008
Cruising down the long, winding driveway as I approached Jan and Jack Gaumnitz’s home, it feels like I am entering an exclusive and secluded sculpture garden. It is not every day that you get to tour a garden with hardscapes that are 15 to 20 feet high and are not the typical trellises or fireplaces.
When color is king
Use complements or contrasts for vivid garden scene
Monday, April 21, 2008
Color in the garden — seems simple enough. When we paint our homes or dress ourselves, we use colors that are attractive to us, that lure us and intrigue us. Yellows are bright; blues are cool. What more is there to know?
Perennial allure
Hostas classic, varied garden shade plant
Monday, April 14, 2008
I think just about everyone has planted a plantain lily, more commonly known as a hosta. They are a quintessential classic garden shade plant.
Ground covers good alternative to lawn
Friday, March 21, 2008
The more I write about gardening and learn about our environment, the more I am converting my lawn from grass to beds of perennials or annual flower beds, patios and ground covers.
Nothing to sneeze at
Herbal remedies help alleviate troublesome allergies
Friday, Feb. 29, 2008
Can you feel it coming? There’s that tickle in your nose, tears running from your eyes, a perpetual crimson hue that takes up residence in those baby blues and the episodes of sneezing attacks where you cannot put a sentence together.
Decode that Valentine bouquet
Friday, Feb. 15, 2008
I cannot help but chuckle over Valentine’s Day. There can be so many mixed sentiments intertwined with this particular holiday. Does he love me? Are we meant to be? Is this relationship doomed? Our poor little flower friends certainly have a lot to live up to.
Peat moss poor choice for eco-conscious
Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008
A bit ago, I received an interesting article about how peat moss is actually suspect for gardeners to use liberally or even sparingly in their gardens. How can that be? Peat moss has been layered onto garden soil since our great-grandparents began toiling away in their vegetable plots and flower beds. Why in the world would the use of peat moss suddenly be an issue for gardeners worldwide?
Plan for spring by the book
Friday, Jan. 25, 2008
What better way to daydream through these late winter months than with a good book? And what better topic to whittle away a sunny, brisk Sunday than a book about gardening? Let’s discover some of the most provocative reading material for gardeners to get inspired.
Rocks can add harmony to garden
Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008
Oftentimes when we start a landscaping project, one of our first inclinations is to rid the earth of all the rock that impedes our way to fertile flower beds and plentiful patios. But in doing so, avid gardeners miss an opportunity to build a gorgeous textural landscape in the dormant days of winter.
Turning a new leaf
Use dormant season to grow unusual plants
Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008
With all of the variety in the world, we are a species that still gravitates to what we know best: the familiar. Well, maybe we should shake off the bowlines this winter and dive headfirst into the odd and peculiar by growing some plants that are way off the beaten path.