For years I admired my neighbor's fountain. I didn't know them. They lived on the next block but I passed their house often and loved their cement fountain. It sat beneath their front windows, near the entryway. I often imagined how lovely it must sound and wondered what birds sipped from it. If I had the money, I knew just where I'd put it in my garden. When I discovered the same fountain for sale at a local garden center and saw the price tag, a whopping $550, I knew it was going to be a while before I could justify the splurge. Or would it? A "For Sale" sign went up on their front lawn. Days later, a "Garage Sale" sign followed and plastic flag bunting was strewn above the driveway. Among the menagerie of household goods sat the fountain and I slammed on the brakes. Thank God no one ...
I Finally Transplanted My Peony
Nothing like waiting until the eleventh hour. But in the case of my Scarlet O'Hara peony, that's exactly what I did. I received a bare root peony tuber as a door prize at a garden event about ten years ago. The planting spot I chose was visible from the house and rather close to a redbud tree that, at the time, didn't cast much shade. With plenty of morning and early afternoon sun, the peony thrived. Fast forward to a much bigger redbud and a peony that surprisingly still flowers despite receiving less than two hours of direct sun. Four to six hours is recommended. It's hard to imagine that a three-foot stick of a tree will, if all goes well, eventually create a beautiful green umbrella over the plants below. But that's exactly what the redbud's done and I'm tasked with finding a new ...
Shorten Winter With Spring Blooming Bulbs
It's early fall and my thoughts have turned to next year's garden. I love the change of seasons; winter just overstays her welcome. By late January, I find myself staring longingly out my windows, imploring it to end. I often wonder if my neighbors think I'm watching them as I'm in my windows frequently pondering possibilities and plant combinations. Admittedly, I've come to learn their comings and goings during these moments that grow more frequent as winter drags on. Am I that creepy plant lady? Nah. I throw up a wave should they get suspicious. I suppose if I whipped out binoculars there definitely would be cause for concern. But I've found that a bit of bulb planting in autumn helps to assuage the winter chill. My fall ritual is really just hope spelled out in horticultural terms. A ...
Think Spring…NOW!!!
Every year I've added a few more spring bulbs to my garden. Approximately 700 went in last year. It's a little bit more than a few, I know. My hands ached despite the fact that I planted them over a period of several weeks. I suppose that's the price one pays for beauty. But the pay off was sooooo worth it, especially when you see those first verdant tips peek through the frozen earth. Spring is coming! But to reap the benefits you have to think ahead. Like right now. Fall is prime time for getting those bulbs tucked in tight. Before I get into the how, when and where, here's a little inspiration from a garden I produced for Country Gardens magazine... I discovered this suburban Chicago garden several years ago. Now don't get discouraged. Like most truly exceptional gardens, this one ...
Add A Bit of Whimsy to the Garden with Alliums
Fall is prime bulb planting time. And in that spirit, I encourage you to consider adding some onion to the flower garden. Ornamental onion, aka allium, that is. I'm nuts for alliums. Have been since I discovered them on a garden walk many years ago. Maybe it's because of the Dr. Seuss appeal they add. Like an orange on a toothpick (forgive the So I Married An Axe Murderer reference but it's a fitting description of their growth habit). All kidding aside, alliums have some serious chutzpah. Deer despise them, rabbits won't go near them and they return bigger and better every year without fail. What's not to like? With autumn on our doorsteps, it's a perfect time to think about what varieties you'll be adding to your garden. Hardy to zone 4, alliums come in an assortment of heights and ...
Help! My Cherry Tree Is Oozing!
I was warned by people a heck of a lot smarter, and far more experienced, than me to choose anything other than a purple leaf sand cherry. But the temptation was too great. Tall, dark and cheap. Sold! Ten years ago, my gardening brain was more like that of a teenage girl hell-bent on the bad boy. No one could dissuade me. I thought I could change him, mold him in such a way that would extend his notoriously short lifespan. Pests? What pests? His care would be so suffocatingly complete that he'd thrive and do exactly what I wanted. After all, isn't that what gardeners do? Force plants that would never cohabitate in the real world to mingle and look good doing it. In the cherry's case, I wanted nothing more than for him to add some dark foliage interest to the east entrance of my garden. For ...
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