The Cruelty of Climate Change
Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, IL is one my favorite places. I try to get there once a year and revel in the calm, controlled delight that is Japanese gardening. If you haven't been, add it to your garden list!
Hydrangeas 101
Man, oh, man do we love hydrangeas. We swoon over their big blowsy flowers, plant them in the dozens, and cuss them out when they don't do what we think they should.
A New Flowering for Farnsworth House
This past week I had the pleasure of walking the grounds of Farnsworth House in Plano, IL with its executive director and old friend, Scott Mehaffey.
Rain Garden Revisited
In February, it seems that winter will never end. I was organizing photos and came across a bunch of the yard.
Ice Storm Interlude
This week's ice storm gave the yard a platinum finish of crystal. Already a slippery, stormy, memory, the ice does create some garden magic.
Meticulous Mummifying of Trees
Things that make a horticulturist go 'hmmmmm' are many and varied. This, however, was a new one for me.
Amaryllis for Sanity or Flower Power in Winter
This week, Chicagoland is taking a page from the tundra and dipping into perhaps historic lows in the negatives. So of course...my first amaryllis bloomed!
A Forgiveness of Snow
January seems to have finally arrived with a nice bit of snow and a wintry mix of ice, sleet, rain, and whatever else Mother Nature contrives to throw at us. I love the snow.
Seasons of Schizachyrium
Schizachyrium scoparium or little bluestem is my favorite grass. This tough prairie native thrives in full sun and puts up with part shade.
Suddenly Snowdrops!
See those charming little green tips poking out from under the leaves? Snowdrops! One day in the 50s and pop! They appear.