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| Listen to recent Growing on the High Plains episodes: |
 Rosehips- Roses can bring good things to our lives, even after the bloom has faded.
(aired
02/09/12) |
 Roses- We'll start off a study of roses with a brief history of everybody's favorite Valentine Flower.
(aired
02/02/12)
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 Peace Lily- One of the most popular houseplants does double duty as it asks you to take a good look at its beauty, and then take a deep breath of freshly scrubbed air.
(aired
01/26/12)
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 Good Ideas- Today we'll review some new offerings from some old plants that will bring about some improvements that most gardeners should welcome.
(aired
01/19/12)
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 Beautiful Blizzard- Skip looks on the bright side of a recent snow storm and finds lots to be glad about.
(aired
01/12/12)
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 New Gardens for a New Year- A look at the past weather and future forecasts gives a warning that old gardening methods may need a bit of a change to succeed on the high plains.
(aired
01/05/12)
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 Kochia Christmas Tree- What better holiday tree than one made from
rosemary, an herb just made for keeping memories.
(aired
12/29/11)
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 A Rosemary Tree- What better holiday tree than one made from rosemary, an herb just made for keeping memories.
(aired
12/22/11) |
 Bristlecone Pine- Skip discovers a rare and special holiday tree whose relatives are actually older than Methuselah.
(aired
12/15/11) |
 Fir Trees- A look at the classic holiday tree that's hard to find on the High Plains.
(aired
12/08/11) |
 Live Christmas Trees- Care and feeding of a holiday tree that will be around long past the holidays.
(aired
12/01/11)
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 Thanksgiving- Skip Mancini's annual look at the gardening year is filled with drought and soaring temperatures, but there are some bright spots in the midst of the hard times.
(aired
11/24/11) |
 Garden Clubs- Originating in an earlier day when gardening was often a social activity, and facing near extinction at one point, today's garden clubs are finding a resurgent popularity via the internet.
(aired
11/17/11)
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 Time Pieces- Colorful fall foliage on the treeless high plains is a rare and welcome sight. Today we'll take a closer look at what causes leaves to turn and eventually fall.
(aired
11/10/11) |
 Choppers and Loppers- In a world of new-fangled gadgets, sometimes the tried and true products from old ideas sold in fast-fading classic places prove to be the most trustworthy.
(aired
11/03/11) |
 Smoke Bush-
A look at a shrub that works well on many levels for High Plains gardeners, providing mass, texture, colorful foliage, and wispy blooms (if you're willing to wait a few years.)
(aired
10/27/11) |
 Harvest Time-
Skip looks at the rewards that can result from hard work, and how to store them for the year ahead.
(aired
10/20/11)
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 Bromeliads-
These popular houseplants can pay you back with babies galore!
(aired
10/13/11)
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 Rose of Sharon-
A flowering shrub that was most at home in a grandmother's prairie garden of yesteryear, this is a tough cookie that can take the heat and bring you blooms when many others have fallen by the wayside.
(aired
10/06/11)
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 Flower Power-
We'll finish our special series on weeds with a look at plants that could sometimes be mistaken for regular residents of a flower bed or border.
(aired
9/29/11) |
 Prickles and Stickles-
Though a far cry from cactus, today's weed entires definitely bring up some thorny issues.
(aired
9/22/11)
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 Evil Edibles-
Let's set the table and see what's on the menu- weedwise. Today, we'll discuss weeds that can function as spring tonics, green and leafy vitamin pills, or the makings of a soup or salad.
(aired
9/15/11) |
 Grasses as Grinches-
Broadleaf weeds are sometimes a walk in the park compared to controlling unwanted grasses.
(aired
9/8//11)
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 Creepy Crawlies-
A look at perennial and annual weeds that vine, twine, and torment gardeners throughout the HPPR region.
(aired
9/1//11) |
 Bad Boys (part one)-
Today, we'll embark on a series about weeds- those pesky, prankish guests who come to the garden party without an invitation and can wind up taking over the entire homestead.
(aired
8/25//11)
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 Pears-
Here's a look at a pear tree that has been around for a long time, but is still an "oldie but goodie" for growing pears on the High Plains.
(aired
8/18//11) |
 Hornworms-
If a movie were made about this insect, it would have to be called, "Beauty and the Beast," for it could easily play both title roles. Today, let's stand up on our hind legs and observe the life cycle of the tomato hornworm.
(aired
8/11//11)
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 Okra- Our subject for today concerns a vegetable that seems to be either loved or hated, depending on where you live and how you serve it.
(aired 8/4//11) |
Drought-Tolerant Perennials- When you're short on rainfall, these flowers, shrubs, and grasses will make your life easier and your water bills smaller- plus they all seem to succeed in our growing zones.
(aired 7/28/11) |
 Ice Plant- Today, we'll take a look at a succulent perennial that stores water, blooms throughout the summer, and is being recommended as a fire retardant ground cover in wildfire areas.
(aired 7/21/11) |
Gardening on the Dry Side- Tips for surviving a bone dry season in the garden.
(aired 7/14/11)
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 Weather Woes- A record-breaking drought has created extra difficulties for gardening on the High Plains. Today, we'll look at some historic and sometimes hysterical methods of dealing with drought and we'll outline a month's worth of upcoming visits designed to offer alternatives when your garden is, "high and dry."
(aired 7/07/11) |
 Jerusalem Artichokes- An easy-to-grow vegtable that's related to the globe artichoke in name only. It looks like a sunflower in the garden, and cooks up like a potato in the kitchen.
(aired 6/30/11) |
 Yucca- This spiky plant works really well on the High Plains, especially in a garden that's sporting a southwestern flair.
(aired 6/23/11) |
 Out of the Mouths of Dads- To commemorate Father's Day, Skip looks back at some wit and wisdom handed down from some daddies she has known.
(aired 6/16/11) |
 Planting the Skips- A look at how growing up with a garden can teach lessons in life planting.
(aired 6/9/11) |
 Miller Moths- Today, Skip sizes up an enemy that makes an annual invasion this time of year. In case you're wondering what time of year it is... it's miller time!
(aired 6/2/11) |
 Iris- Part Two- Growing iris is fairly simple on the High Plains. Today, we'll cover the basics of bringing this old fashioned favorite to your garden.
(aired 5/26/11) |
 Iris- Part One- From mythological beginning in ancient Greece through the Dark Ages, and into the Age of Enlightenment, a flower and its rhisome have deep roots in the history of mankind. Today, we'll look at the political, medical, and economic power of the iris.
(aired 5/19/11) |
 The High Line- How are you gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen The High Line? This week, a visit to the big city brings about some surprises, as garden and green spaces abound.
(aired 5/12/11) |
 Big Apple Gardens- A visit to the big city brings about some surprises, as garden and green spaces abound.
(aired 5/4/11) |
 Arbor Day- This national day of tree planting started with a great idea that was hatched on... where else? The High Plains! Today, we'll trace the history of Arbor Day, and watch its development from a dream on the Nebraska prairie to a world wide annual event that makes trees available to anyone who wants to plant them.
(aired 4/28/11) |
 It's in the Bag- If you find yourself wanting a vegetable garden, but with no place to put it, then consider taking on some extra baggage. Today, we'll look at planting by the sackful, so that you can turn your patio, porch, or deck into a place for produce.
(aired 4/21/11) |
 Hostas- Some plants are made to bring green to the landscape, and none does it better than hostas. Although, they do produce flower stalks, the foliage of thse big, beautiful, bundles is often what really catches the eye.
(aired 4/14/11) |
 Celosia- A look at this colorful annual shows why it's so popular in provate and public planting spaces. In addition to a variety of colors and textures in summmertime, some forms of celosia can do double duty in a dried flower arrangement during winter.
(aired 4/7/11) |
Pine Wilt Part Two- Join us for a field trip to look for Pine Wilt, and to learn from an expert how to combat the disease.
(aired 3/31/11) |
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Pine Wilt Part One- A deadly disease is sweeping across ourl and, and destroying a variety of pine trees. Today, we'll identify the culprit who is responsible for creating and carrying pine wilt disease.
(aired 3/24/11) |
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 Potatoes- The "eyes" have it this week as Skip discusses the history and planting of potatoes.
(aired 3/17/11) |
 Lettuce Part Two- Skip investigates and highly praises a new fangled idea for producing and marketing lettuce.
(aired 3/10/11) |
 Lettuce Part One- Today, you'll get tips on growing and using fresh lettuce, a main ingredient in many spring gardens.
(aired 3/3/11)
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 Springtime Events- Get your calendar out. Today, we'll tell you about gardening events across the High Plains Region. Here are a few of your options:
2011 Master Gardening Training Series
Open to Texas Panhandle Residents
Classes begin April 30
Contact your local County Extension Office for details.
Wichita Garden Show
March 2-6
Century II Exhibition Hall
Wichita, Kansas
316-946-0883
Gardening for Success in Southwest Kansas
March 3
Finney County Public Library
Garden City, Kansas
Contact Linda Beach at the Finney County Extention Office for more information.
Explore the Plants of the Conservatory
March 3 or March 5
Amarillo Botanical Gardens
Amarillo, Texas
806-352-6513
Hays Home and Garden Show
March 12 and 13
Hay, Kansas
785-628-9430
Pruning Simplified
March 24
Amarillo Botanical Gardens
Amarillo, Texas
806-352-6513
Colby Better Home and Living Show
March 25-27
Colby Community Building
Colby, Kansas
785-460-4582
Canadian Gardens Gardening 101
April 16, 10:00 am
302 S 2nd Street
Canadian, Texas
Spring Plant Sale
April 23 from 8 am to noon
Dyck Arboretum of the Plains
Hesston, Kansas
316-327-8127
(aired 2/24/11) |
 Butterfly Gardens Part Two- Get your pencil ready, because today we'll make a list of plants that will attract butterflies and their equally showy caterpillars to your garden.
(aired 2/17/11) |
 Butterfly Gardens Part One- Today we'll examine butterfly behavior, and elements needed for a successful haven for these, "garden jewels."
(aired 2/10/11) |
 Stevia- A search for a sugar substitute takes us to the garden and a look at the stevia plant. Used for centuries, its sweet tasting leaves are legal to grow and consume in the United States, but there are some strings attached.
(aired 2/03/11) |
 Wind Chimes- Our High Plains weather systems make outdoor survival a challenge, not only for garden plants, but also for garden "pretties." Finding a wind chime that withstands a 60 mile an hour breeze sometimes means you have to make your own.
(aired 1/27/11) |
 Chimineas- Patio fireplaces are especially nice for taking the chill off mild winter months, and allowing housebound gardeners some time in the great outdoors.
(aired 1/20/11) |
 Hyacinths - These early spring blooms are always a welcome sight in the flower bed. But, while the snow flies, they can provide color and fragrance indoors... if you give them a sunny window and a watery home for putting down roots.
(aired 1/13/11) |
 Remembrance Plants - As gardens get established, they sometimes become home to "remembrance plants" that offer a walk down memory lane. Today, Skip views her garden as a photo album of the past.
(aired 1/6/11) |
Growing on the High Plains
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