Rewilding Chicago
Or at least bringing a bit of prairie to the urban landscape. I had a chance to visit Horner Park in the Irving Park neighborhood with a colleague. The new naturalistic planting along the Chicago River is thriving!
Trees, Rocks, and Water
Trees, rocks, and water. This is how we escape from the hectic every day. We recently took a week to explore southeast Missouri in and around the Mark Twain National Forest. It was a beautiful time of exploring, hiking, and getting away from it all (including Internet service).
Wonderful Wasps
I am embracing wasps this summer. I’ve never been fussed about them, but after doing some more reading, I’ve learned how key they can be to garden health and pollination. Plus, it reinforced the lesson that sooner or later, everybody gets eaten by somebody else.
A Rose Romance
Ah, June! Roses are at their height and bees are buzzing. I confess a romance with roses, especially the heirlooms. However, in my garden where it’s survival of the fittest, only the tough make the cut.
Tiptoe Through the Tulips
It’s tulip time! Last year I tried a small order from Old House Gardens which specializes in heirloom bulbs. I opted for some unusual tulips that harken back to the Ottoman Empire and its fascination with stiletto petals.
Spring Eternal
Flowers have returned. In January when our bodies are convinced winter will last forever, we wrap ourselves in blankets and pour over seed catalogs, watch garden TV, and suspect spring will never arrive.
February Is For Amaryllis
In our house, we need all the blowsy tropical glory of amaryllis we can get in February. December has it’s own charms. January should be cold and snowy. But by February, we are starting to fray around our winter edges.
Sprouts for Beating Winter Blues
I can’t decide if January or February is the longest month. Then again, it might be August. Do you want to be grey and cold or hot and sweaty? Since I am in the midst of winter and days of diamond-hard sun are few, I seek out ways to brighten the clouds with wee green things. Like sprouts.
I Will Never Not Stop for Snow
Snow has finally arrived! Winter has crept in on soft white kitten feet. Have you stopped for snow yet? I cannot help but take a moment each time it snows to watch it. From the hard pebble ice to the fluffiest of flakes, I cannot stop my hand from reaching out and studying it as each piece of white melts into a water drop.
Waiting on Winter
As we approach mid-December, I am waiting for winter to arrive. It’s been a tempestuous few weeks of health challenges and minor surgery. November has scuttled past in its usual shades of grey and brown as dormancy settles comfortably across the garden beds.