Bright berries can provide a beautiful splash of color to your garden during the long, cold Midwestern winter while providing an important winter food source for birds and other wildlife.

Many native and naturalized shrubs produce berries that linger until midwinter or even early spring.

The classic winter shrub American Holly (Ilex opaca) is a native broadleaf evergreen with bright red berries that are popular with birds. It is hardy from zones 5-9, but can sometimes be coaxed to survive in colder climates against a wall with warm southern exposure and …

In the Midwest, when cold weather lasts for 6 or more months a year, it’s very important to design your garden so it is beautiful in winter as well as summer.

One way to add winter interest to your garden is to choose deciduous trees and shrubs with beautiful bark. There are almost as many bark textures as there are trees and shrubs in the world. Smooth bark, ridged bark, bark that looks like puzzle pieces, peeling bark, shaggy bark… And though most people think of bark as brown, bark is …

With autumn in full swing throughout the Midwest, it is time to start thinking about making leaf mold. Leaf mold, also known as leaf mould, is simply fallen leaves that have been composted into a dark, crumbly soil amendment.

Many homeowners discard their autumn leaves, unaware that leaf mold is one of the best soil amendments available to gardeners. Unlike ordinary compost, leaf mold does not add many nutrients to the soil, but it is an outstanding soil conditioner that improves soil structure and provides food and habitat for earthworms …

The native tallgrass prairie was once the dominant ecosystem of much of the Midwest region and gardeners can recreate some of the beauty of this lost “sea of grass” by planting native grasses. Not only are they beautiful, they are also hardy and drought tolerant, and many provide food or shelter for birds and other wildlife. Many native grasses make excellent forage for deer, cattle, and other large mammals as well.

The following species are well suited to ornamental use in gardens, as well as large scale habitat restorations:

Tallgrass Species

Big Bluestem …

Many gardeners consider rabbit manure to be the best choice for gardens.

Rabbit manure is dry and almost odorless, so it is pleasant to store and handle.

It has one of the highest levels of nitrogen of any animal manure (typical N-P-K ratio: 2.4 – 1.4 – .60), yet it can be applied directly to plants without the need for aging or composting to prevent it from burning the roots.

Rabbit manure, like all animal manures, is also high in organic matter, which improves soil structure and drainage and provides food for earthworms …