By Kaaren Grimminger, Nebraska Extension Master Gardener
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Earth laughs in flowers.” Most of us want beauty around us that’s why we have plants in our homes and around our homes. We also want shrubs flowers trees for our birds, butterflies, and for our wildlife. The Nebraska Panhandle is “short grass prairie.” This swath extends from Texas up to Canada. This means we’re the type of prairie that might have one or two months of drought in the summers and our area can have tornadoes, hailstorms, and blizzards all in the same year. East of the Panhandle, there is more rain and, therefore, taller grass.