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Carol Boncella

Vision quest: Property transformed into rolling garden
Sunday, July 20, 2003
Starting with the humble beginnings of a hayfield with two trees and a small lake, Ronda and Ed Schulte have transformed their two-acre property into a gentle rolling garden with many trees and flower beds, a healthy vegetable garden and a mini-orchard.

Gardener's refuge
Sunday, July 13, 2003
Transplants from the northwestern part of the country have taken up the challenge of gardening in northeastern Kansas, complete with its heavy clay soil, limited rainfall and problematic areas on their property. Nonetheless, Ross and Angie Friesen have transformed an ordinary neighborhood yard into a lovely garden spot.

Colorful comfort
Sunday, July 6, 2003
When Donna Masoner and Charles Jones moved their family from an established urban neighborhood with mature trees in Kansas City to 20 acres in the rural countryside east of Lawrence, they quickly became surprised.

Happy anniversary: Countryside Garden Club celebrates 50 years
Sunday, June 29, 2003
Fifty years ago, a group of women with an interest in gardening and an appreciation of nature formed the Countryside Garden Club. Inspired by the vision of its leaders, Muffie Brune and Mary Hanna, the group has been meeting monthly ever since and recently celebrated 50 years of gardening and friendships with a luncheon at the Smith Center at Brandon Woods Retirement Community.

Tucked into a backyard corner, Lawrence couple's water garden is a surprise retreat
Sunday, June 22, 2003
A country garden sits in the middle of a brome field in nearby Lawrence. Fences enclose the garden, and the surrounding countryside provides the perfect backdrop for this wonderful retreat.

Cornfield of dreams
Sunday, June 15, 2003
Ever since a trip through fertile Iowa cornfields in the 1950s, Paul Heitzman has been hooked.

Stop and smell the roses
Sunday, June 8, 2003
If you live long enough, you get to rub shoulders with some important figures like Queen Elizabeth and Lady Baltimore. At 98, Lena Davis easily makes that claim.

Pride and joy
Sunday, June 1, 2003
When it comes to handling a thorny subject, Master Gardener Karen McGrath is one of the best.

Poppy culture
Sunday, May 18, 2003
The National Garden Bureau celebrates 2003 as the Year of the Poppy. The plant is special because it comes in an annual and perennial form, can be grown from seed, does as well in containers as in the garden and grows in almost any kind of soil.

Image is everything
Sunday, May 11, 2003
When thinking of images representing love, people often rank mothers and roses high on the list. Mothers, after all, are known for the unconditional love and untiring care they give their families. And roses, well, the rose has long been the symbol of love -- whether it be romantic love or a simple "thank you" kind of grateful love.

Pretty perennials
Sunday, May 4, 2003
One of the most loved flowers of all time is the rose. Whether the bloom is a delicate single or semi-double flower, rounded, rosette-shaped or high-centered, gardeners always seem to make space somewhere in their gardens for this favorite perennial.

Specialty gardens popular
Sunday, April 13, 2003
One of the nicest things about gardens is the diversity. No matter your passion, a garden can be built around it. Known as specialty gardens, these gardens are designed to capture and showcase the particular fondness of the gardener.

Plan, motivation sets tone for garden season
Sunday, April 6, 2003
Planning is one of the best tips for creating a great garden. For some gardeners, this involves studying the angle of the sun to maximize the sun's effect.

Pests need to be eliminated early
Sunday, March 30, 2003
Children's stories often relate the adventures of furry rabbits or frolicsome mice with human-like qualities. They "speak" to each other, get "married" and raise their babies. Their lives are much like ours. And their homes are our homes.

Makeshift greenhouses satisfy cravings
Sunday, March 23, 2003
Winter has been long, cold and dry this season. Coupled with the uncertainties in our world, I crave for things familiar, serene and safe. I long for my shady, green garden, soon to be alive with my favorite plants. I look forward to the excitement of newly discovered plants.

Squeaky doors, creaky floors easy to repair
Sunday, March 16, 2003
Squeaky doors and creaky floors make wonderful sound effects for scary movies. They heighten our suspense and add to the drama of the scene.

Bathroom makeovers refreshing
Sunday, March 9, 2003
Certainly, bathrooms have come a long way through the centuries and bear little resemblance to the outhouses of our American past. For one, the location has changed.

Start your search engines
Sunday, February 23, 2003
I sometimes get teased writing about home improvement since I am much handier in the garden than in the home repair department.

Detailed plan helps decorating scheme
Sunday, February 16, 2003

More moisture in air provides comfort
Sunday, February 9, 2003
Just the other day, I opened an e-mail from someone complaining, "I hate winter. My lips are chapped; my skin is dry; I'm light deprived; and my houseplants look like an extension of my pain!"

Garage door openers perfect for chill
Sunday, February 2, 2003
Punxsutawney Phil, the mythical groundhog, makes an annual appearance today to predict whether winter will continue for another six weeks or end sooner.

Garden glamour
Sunday, January 26, 2003
Each year the National Garden Bureau provides information about what's hot for the upcoming growing season. A final look at the new flower and vegetable varieties for 2003 will tempt even the most hesitant gardener.

Plant yourself
Sunday, January 19, 2003
The National Garden Bureau always provides information about new varieties of flowers, bedding plants and vegetables for the upcoming year. Take a look at what's new for 2003. You might find some of them intriguing enough to plant in your garden.

Veggie tales
Sunday, January 12, 2003
Unless you are relaxing in the Australian summer right now, you will have to be content to imagine warmth vicariously through pictures that remind us of our gardening season, still months away. Let's look at the new flower and vegetable varieties for 2003 from the National Garden Bureau.

Flower power
Sunday, January 5, 2003
Once the calendar rolls over to a new year, gardeners across the country begin to seek out new flower and vegetable varieties for their gardens. Bedding plants are always in demand. This year, four of them have been distinguished as All-America Selections (AAS) winners. The National Garden Bureau has provided information on what's new in 2003.

Do-it-yourselfers should consider these resolutions
Sunday, December 29, 2002
I'm one of those people who make New Year's resolutions. Dutifully, I count off the improvements I want to make in -- my lifestyle, my home and my garden. I am not very good at remembering in December what I had resolved to do at the beginning of the year.

Cabin fever
Sunday, December 22, 2002
Getting there is half the fun. After the city pavement ends, the gravel country roads begin, rolling past meadows, stone fences and tangled brush. Farm animals peacefully graze against a backdrop of trees made barren by winter.

Keep the home fires burning safely
Sunday, December 15, 2002
'Tis the season for roasting chestnuts on an open fire and burning the yule log. That cozy blaze in the fireplace will warm little hands and feet that have been nipped by Jack Frost and dry out wet mittens left on the hearth.

Gardening gift guide
Sunday, December 8, 2002
The flurry of activity during the holiday season keeps us plenty busy. Time seems to melt away while we bake goodies, gather with our friends and, in general, uphold all the festive holiday traditions. The one tradition that sometimes causes the most quandaries is the gift exchange.

Let there be light
Sunday, December 1, 2002
Around our house, Thanksgiving marks the traditional start of holiday decorating. After the time-consuming chore of untangling and deciding which strings of lights goes where, my adventuresome daughter and “should know better” husband all too eagerly climb a ladder.

Winter house rules
Sunday, November 24, 2002
We have been blessed with a beautiful autumn. However, the signs of winter are impossible to ignore.

Cleaning down under
Sunday, November 17, 2002
While some say a basement is a critical refuge during a tornado, I have discovered that the true value of our basement is its natural ability to accumulate stuff.

Helping clean the air
Sunday, November 10, 2002
The one thing we rely on to keep us comfortable during the winter is the furnace in our homes. With a simple twist of the dial, we can adjust the indoor temperature dozens of degrees warmer than the outdoor readings to keep us toasty.

Out from the gutter
Sunday, November 3, 2002
The thing that makes fall so beautiful is the very thing that can create a nuisance for homeowners. Leaves � the lovely red, orange and yellow foliage that entices us to take a leisurely drive to the country just to marvel in their beauty � can wreak havoc with our home's guttering system.

Wild about wildlife
Sunday, October 27, 2002
While winter dormancy for many gardens is a hiatus from beauty and function, Thelma Chapman's garden loses nothing but a few blooms. In fact, it remains a habitat to wildlife, offering a safe and secure home to many creatures during the cold months.

Courtyard care
Sunday, October 20, 2002
Much has been said of heroes in the past year. Americans across the county have embraced their spirit and praised their work. Undoubtedly, the efforts of some people remain unsung. Elaine Fellenstein is one such person. Single-handedly, she has beautified the gardens at the United Way of Douglas County, 2518 Ridge Court.

Make compost bin easy on yourself
Sunday, October 13, 2002
Cleaning the garden at this time of year reaps untold treasures since the fading garden provides abundant material for composting. Leaves, grass clippings and perennials past their prime are plentiful. Shortly, the annuals, bitten by frost, will be as unsightly in these dying days of autumn as they were lovely during the summer.

Time to tidy up
Sunday, October 6, 2002
Whew! This past gardening season might well be one for the record books.
Nonetheless, we have endured and so did our gardens, more or less. But, by now our gardens are well on their way to dormancy, save for the fall bloomers.

Totally toadlily
Sunday, September 29, 2002
Overshadowed by more popular autumn blooming plants like mums and asters and passed over because of its name, the toadlily plant (Tricyrtis hirta) sometimes gets lost in the fall shuffle. However, this hardy perennial deserves a place in the fall garden.

Family trees
Sunday, September 22, 2002
A beautiful garden, green and healthy, grows behind the split rail fence that surrounds the front yard on Lawrence's west side. A welcoming picket fence adds a quaint touch to this property. Beyond the gate, a thick mat of groundcover clusters at the feet of a river birch tree.

Bloom boom
Sunday, September 15, 2002
By the time late summer rolls around, most gardens have paid dearly. Unrelenting heat, way too little rainfall and winds that seem oven dried have stressed our plants to the max. Yet the garden of Julie Matchette is going strong.

Late bloomer
Sunday, September 8, 2002
Every once in a while, a truly remarkable person crosses your path � someone who lingers in your brain long after your encounter. Henry Remple is like that. Soft-spoken and with a fluff of curly white hair, the 93-year-old Remple fascinated me with talk of his life and his garden.

Fruitful harvest
Sunday, September 1, 2002
One of the nicest things about September is Labor Day, the tribute to workers. The other nice thing is the cool weather of September, the change we so welcome. Gone are the sultry days of August, sapping energy from gardens and gardeners alike.

Defending your turf
Sunday, August 25, 2002
Our lawns have taken a beating this summer, receiving only meager amounts of rain and enduring days of triple-digit temperatures. To make matters worse, no doubt pets, children and other summer fun traffic have trampled to near death a few patches.

Mailbox gardening
Sunday, August 18, 2002
Like the postman's creed, the well-planned mailbox garden endures rain, snow, sleet, hail and dark of night. Season after season, it delivers its cheerful message through flowering perennials, flowing vines and colorful annuals.

Leaves of green
Sunday, August 11, 2002
By Carol Boncella

Move over, Popeye. The word is out about spinach. The true "muscle" of spinach is in the nourishment it provides, so much so that it is being touted by some as one of the top 10 foods.

The great divide
Sunday, August 4, 2002
By Carol Boncella

These dog days of summer are no excuse to let the garden fend for itself. Despite August heat, our flowers, vegetables, trees, shrubs and lawn require our attention. Dedicated gardeners know that planning, planting and fertilizing are needed. Fortunately, we can pace ourselves and take it slowly.

Setting the stage
Sunday, July 28, 2002
By Carol Boncella

Like actors on a stage, the plants are directed into position with thoughtfulness and care. You need more sun, move over here. You need more shade, move over there. Too dry, too wet, move, move. A few final touches are added � a colorful potted plant, an attractive trellis or a whimsical piece of yard art.

Invincible vinca
Sunday, July 21, 2002
By Carol Boncella

The simple vinca plant is being celebrated this year. The National Garden Bureau has designated 2002 as the "Year of the Vinca" because the plant provides so much garden color with so little care.

Hosta heaven
Sunday, July 14, 2002
By Carol Boncella

An inviting garden bench sits at the far edge of the garden. The Dames Rocket shimmers in the sunlight behind it. The scene, viewed from a high vantage point at the entrance to Barbara Watkins' back yard, reminds me of a Monet painting � beautiful and serene.

With a snip and a spray
Sunday, July 7, 2002
By Carol Boncella

The combination of sun and heat takes a toll on gardens during the summer. The duo, especially when accompanied by dry winds or a vacation absence, strikes a deadly blow to plants.

Petal power
Sunday, June 30, 2002
By Carol Boncella

Despite their prickly stems and finicky reputation, roses have won the hearts of American gardeners for generations. Many gardeners find a place somewhere in the garden for a rose plant.

In the planning stage
Sunday, June 16, 2002
By Carol Boncella

I have seen city gardens and county gardens, formal ones and wildflower ones. I've seen gardens spread across hillsides and those tucked into small apartment patios. I have seen water gardens and rock gardens, woodland gardens and sunny border gardens.

Passion for perennials
Sunday, June 9, 2002
By Carol Boncella

Let's hear it for perennials! The mainstay of many flower gardens, perennials return year after year to bloom gloriously for a few weeks. They are chosen for their wonderful flowers, such as peonies and roses; their lovely foliage, such as hostas and ivies; and their ease in care, such as daylilies and irises.

Mixing varieties adds to beauty
Sunday, June 9, 2002
By Carol Boncella

For spectacular flowering performance during the sultry summer season, the Perennial Plant Assn. recommends these outstanding selections.

Easing into a routine
Sunday, June 2, 2002
By Carol Boncella

Thank goodness for June. The hectic hustle and bustle of spring cleanup, weeding, planning, planting and fertilizing of May now give way to a more leisurely gardening pace.

Appealing to the senses
Sunday, May 26, 2002
By Carol Boncella

For every garden confined by length and width and the amount of resources, time and energy available to tend it, another garden exists. This is the garden, often unseen, that captures our imagination and spirit as we stroll along the garden path.

Global trends
Sunday, May 12, 2002
By Carol Boncella

Since the days when "hanging" was the height of garden style in Babylon, aficionados of outdoor decor have followed fashion trends. Today, alfresco fashion has an international flavor. Ideas and outlooks are exchanged by garden lovers around the globe.

Seasonal Blooms
Sunday, March 31, 2002
By Carol Boncella

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted."

From full house to empty nest
Sunday, February 24, 2002
By Carol Boncella

We watch them go from tentative toddlers to brave explorers. As years pass, parents witness their children defiantly wandering about town with their friends and eventually confidently seeking their life's path in the world.

Different strokes
Sunday, February 17, 2002
By Carol Boncella

Decorative painting is a fun and creative way to bring unique design elements into a room. Decorative painting produces surprising results that add depth, character, whimsy or drama.

Domestic dreamin'
Sunday, February 3, 2002
By Carol Boncella

The trouble with winter is that we start to notice things around the house that need fixing up. Little things, like all those fingerprints pressed into the wall going up the stairs on the opposite side of the handrail, the kitchen linoleum with lots of cuts and curling edges, or the tattered wallpaper hanging on as if by sheer will.

Make a case for a productive weekend
Sunday, January 20, 2002
By Carol Boncella

When we outgrow the notion that a board plunked atop a couple cinder blocks is "furniture," we're ready for a bookcase with permanence and style.

Starting anew
Sunday, December 30, 2001
By Carol Boncella

Very soon, we will make our New Year's resolutions in earnest. The common themes of losing weight, exercising more, quitting smoking and controlling stress are laudable. Yet they are so doggone difficult, and easier said than done.

'A home of glimpses'
Sunday, December 23, 2001
By Carol Boncella

When you've lived in as many places as Mike and Cathy have, from ordinary houses to New York City apartments, you begin to have a pretty good idea about what you want in a home.

Thoughtful acts
Sunday, December 16, 2001
By Carol Boncella

"You're not too excited about Christmas this year, are you mom?" my daughter asked a few nights ago. Her question gave me reason to pause. What's different, I wondered?

Safe at home
Sunday, December 9, 2001
By Carol Boncella

Several years ago, I split one of my classes into two groups. One group, dubbed the "homeowners," was asked to think of clever outdoor places where a house key might be hidden for use if they were locked out.

Keep the chill out
Sunday, November 4, 2001
By Carol Boncella

Years ago a lost girl whispered her wish to return home as she clicked her sparkling ruby slippers. For her and legions of others, home is the place we long for and in which feel safe.

Take time for tools
Sunday, October 21, 2001
By Carol Boncella

They have been our constant companions throughout the gardening season. They've been ever-ready to help us cultivate and cut, water and weed, mix and mow. We have depended on them for digging, raking, snipping, scraping, sweeping, planting and pruning.

Peony planting time
Sunday, September 16, 2001
By Carol Boncella

A perennial that has been cherished by gardeners throughout the nation for generations creates a spectacular floral display in the flower bed. Large blooms, many of them fragrant, and attractive deeply lobed foliage make a bold and beautiful garden statement.

Evaluating, evolving
Sunday, August 26, 2001
By Carol Boncella

Like the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who spoke of not being able to step twice into the same stream, visitors to the garden of Joe Rawley and Wendy Stephens do not experience the same garden from one visit to the next.
"This has changed three times already," Rawley said.

Give garden some relief
Sunday, July 1, 2001
By Carol Boncella

The heat is on. Then again, what else could we expect with the arrival of summer? Gardeners � themselves wilting under hot temperatures and long days � know that they must tend to the special summer care of the garden before seeking relief with an iced tea.

Taken to task
Sunday, May 6, 2001
By Carol Boncella

Without a doubt, May is one of the busiest times for gardeners in the Midwest. The winds and rains of April have left the soil refreshed and started to slowly stir perennials from their winter slumber.

Daffodils herald spring
Sunday, April 15, 2001
By Carol Boncella

Naming the flower of this month is a tough call. Some would opt for the daffodil, while others, no doubt, would cast their votes for the Easter lily. I suppose one of the most recognized plants of the season is the Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum).

Time to spring into action
Sunday, April 1, 2001
By Carol Boncella

No fooling: April is a month bustling with activities for gardeners. Spring has sprouted in spite of its finicky fashion of teasing us with a few warm days, followed by several cold ones, then more on the cool side, before giving us long stretches of warm days once again.

A longtime tree-dition
Sunday, March 25, 2001
By Carol Boncella

Only a few days into spring and the trees in the garden are slowly awakening from their winter slumber. The dormant leaf buds, expectant with the promise of magnificent green canopies, are enlarging right before our eyes.

Kansas favorites
Sunday, March 4, 2001
By Carol Boncella

Kansas gardeners and garden lovers alike take some things for granted. In Lawrence, for example, we have come to expect the pink blooms of redbud trees and the white blossoms of the Bradford pear trees throughout the town in spring.

Pinks and greens
Sunday, February 25, 2001
By Carol Boncella

What would a sunny garden be without those cheery little flowers that we call petunias? With more than 40 species of petunias to choose from and with growth habits that range from erect to spreading, gardeners generally have no trouble finding a spot for these carefree annuals in their garden.

Patiently waiting
Sunday, February 18, 2001
By Carol Boncella

With spring inching closer by the day, gardeners turn their thoughts to starting seeds. Many seeds can be started indoors as early as February. They need up to 12 weeks to establish themselves under tender-loving care in a controlled environment before being subjected to nature.

Steamed or raw veggies can add fiber to child's diet
Wednesday, February 14, 2001
By Carol Boncella

My 4-year-old does not eat many vegetables, and I am worried that he is not getting enough fiber. Should I give him a high-fiber cereal for breakfast to make sure he gets enough fiber?

New to the garden
Sunday, January 28, 2001
By Carol Boncella

Every year we gardeners seek out new plants for the garden. Thankfully, breeders oblige our never-ending quest.

Festive florals
Sunday, December 17, 2000
By Carol Boncella


Without a doubt the definitive flower of the winter holiday season is the poinsettia. The familiar, yet always striking, bloom of the poinsettia brightens any holiday decor. "Freedom Red" reigns as the traditional favorite, though colors such as yellow, white and pink are beginning to share the spotlight. Novelty colors such as orange and burgundy are being produced.

Chores change with the season
Sunday, November 5, 2000
Nurtured by Mother Nature and a gardener's hands, a garden thrives throughout the growing season. Gardener's chores change with the season. Planting, weeding, feeding, watering, mulching and pruning are done at the most opportune times. The hectic activity of spring sowing shifts to summer mowing.

A long winter's nap
Sunday, October 22, 2000
By Carol Boncella

Not all bulbs are hardy through Kansas winters. These so-called tender bulbs (or corms and rhizomes) must be dug up and stored away, safe from the freezing temperatures of winter, in order for them to flower next year. Caladiums, gladioli, canna lilies, calla lilies, dahlias, begonias and hyacinths are among the bulbs or roots that need protection.

Bulbalicious
Sunday, October 15, 2000
By Carol Boncella

Now is the time to get those spring flowering bulbs into the ground. When planted in late fall, they have time to develop a root system before the ground freezes. Then, months later, they use the food stored within them to produce vividly colored flowers we associate with spring.

Color continuum
Sunday, September 24, 2000
By Carol Boncella

Just when summer flowers have exhausted the last of their beauty, along come the fall bloomers. They renew the garden with color and fragrance giving weary gardeners one last burst of energy before our gardens are delivered into the hands of the approaching winter.

Disaster relief
Sunday, September 17, 2000
By Carol Boncella

Gardeners are not likely to forget any time soon the heat and drought-like conditions that have plagued our gardens over the past several weeks. Day after hot day, temperatures soared into the high 90s, often pushing past 100 degrees. Though humans could escape into air-conditioned homes, plants were at the mercy of the weather conditions and our gardening practices.

A shared experience
Sunday, September 10, 2000
By Carol Boncella

Like many gardens in Lawrence, the one just south of Ninth and Mississippi is filled with a variety of annuals and vegetables. A white picket fence marks the garden's boundaries and an arch covered with morning glories greets visitors at its entrance.

Climb the wall
Sunday, August 27, 2000
By Carol Boncella
Garden Spot

Gardeners have known for a long time that plants, such as shrubs, ornamental grasses and tall flowers, soften the hard look at the corners of a house. The sharp appearance of squared house edges blur into an inviting angle with a touch of greenery.

All aflutter
Sunday, August 20, 2000
By Carol Boncella
Garden spot

Secluded by a thick stand of trees and nestled in a sunny clearing, a new butterfly garden grows. Its home is in the expansive green space, commonly known as Hidden Valley Girl Scout Camp, just northwest of the intersection of Kasold Drive and 15th Street.

100 percent perennials
Sunday, August 13, 2000
By Carol Boncella

Practical horticulture advice and thoughtful plant recommendations is the strength of a glossy new gardening book, "100 Easy Perennials," by Natalia K. Hamill of rural Lawrence.

Being koi
Sunday, August 6, 2000
By Carol Boncella
Journal-World Garden Writer

Gary and Roberta Malburg wanted to build a water garden to enjoy. But not just any old pool. The couple wanted a water garden that would be big enough to keep the koi fish they hoped to breed. What they built was enormous. It encompassed a significant portion of the sunny area outside the front of their rural home.