Building a Beautiful, Low Maintenance Garden in the Sun
Recently, a friend and I journeyed to two gardens influenced by the work of Roy Diblik, a Midwestern grower and Piet Oudolf, a Dutch landscape designer.
Butterflies: Jewels on the Wing
It's been a bad year for butterflies. We just haven't seen nearly as many.
Japanese Beetles: Get Over It
I don't think I do this often, but on this topic, I'm going to drag my soap box out and dust it off.
People - get over the Japanese beetles!
Summer Sparkler: Bottlebrush Buckeye
Although Independence Day has passed, I still have fireworks in the garden. July is peak season for a number of perennials like monarda, hollyhocks, and daylilies, but one also one of my favorite shrubs.
After the Affair: Storm Damage
When tornadoes blow through my town, many many trees come down.
A Lilac Like No Other
June is the season of tree lilacs. Japanese lilac (Syringa reticulata) and Pekin lilac (Syringa pekinensis) are perfuming the air and delighting the eye with their large fluffy creamy white flowers.
The Iris Obsession
I will confess, my favorite flower is iris. I'm not the type of iris collector that has plants in neat rows or clumps and labeled, but I will admit to being a collector.
Into the Woods with Wild Hyacinth
Walks in the woods are one of my most favorite things. You just never know what you find.
Scentimental Plants
I think we all have that one plant that brings back memories or celebrates the past. I'm slowly making my yard a small forest in testament to many years of hiking through the woods and the Morton Arboretum.
Mmmmmmmm….Magnolias!
This had been an outstanding year for magnolias. We have managed to elude a late frost so the star magnolias (Magnolia stellata) have held much longer than normal.