A Labor of Love

If you have driven down Kasold Street in Lawrence, you have no doubt noticed a beautiful landscape. Years ago, when Kasold was a two lane gravel road, the home-
owners moved in. Over the years, with more develop-
ment in Lawrence, the road was paved, widened and is now a divided road. The expansion of the street brought it and the utilities closer to the residence.

The need to block the view of the road and the sound of traffic has been met with several berms and plantings. The homeowners' son has been working on this project for many years. This labor of love has required truckloads of topsoil and equipment for shaping the berms. Large moss boulders were added. And, the plants started arriving.

There are many layers to this landscape. The overhead power lines necessitate smaller maturing trees such Pink Princess Crabapple, Bonfire Patio Peach, Vernal Witchhazel, Golden Spirit Smoketree and Tiger Eyes Sumac. Columnar oaks and beech are also included.

For color and structure year round, low growing junipers and arborvitae have been included in the landscape. Ornamental grasses are planted throughout. A grouping of Gold Bar Miscanthus is the most recent addition.

Flowering plants include the ornamental trees, Caryopteris, Spirea, Autumn Joy Sedum, Tomato Soup, Rocky Top and Harvest Moon Echinaceas, Russian Sage, Walker's Low Catmint, Lavender and Rozanne Geraniums.

Closer to the residence is a grouping of multi-stem Quaking Aspens. Japanese Painted Fern and Caramel Coral Bells are planted around the base of the trunks.

The gardens are lovely year round.

Nebraska Field Day

The East Campus of the University of Nebraska was the site of the field day last Friday. We toured the Maxwell Arboretum with Tim McDonnell and Jeff Culbertson. Over fifty years ago, Earl G. Maxwell began planting many of the trees we learned about during our tour of the five acre arboretum. As we came around a corner, the view opened up to a majestic cottonwood. Its shadows stretched across the lawn.

Catalpa is just
one of the many flowering trees on the campus. Paw paw, magnolias, fringetrees, crabapples, dogwoods and
horsechestnuts are also included.

During the afternoon
break, I hurried from
the air conditioned
meeting room and went
for a quick walk.

On the walk I came across a large mass of sculpted steel. Around the base is Blue Gramma Grass. I love the contrast of the modern art sculpture with a native grass.

The highlight of the field day for me was Tim McDonnell's presentation on the Regreening of Greensburg. Tim McDonnell is the Community Forestry Coordinator for the Kansas Forest Service. I'll have a posting on it in the near future.