In 2012, I was scouting magazine locations and came across a garden along Chicago's North Shore unlike any I had ever seen. What stood out was the tree positioned in a narrow planting bed on a north-facing wall and I was instantly intrigued. So much so that I knew I had to figure out how to put something like that in my small garden. The homeowner, Kim Visokey (a self-proclaimed Garden Freak), had planted an espaliered Kieffer pear tree that produced plenty of edible fruit. Espalier is a pruning technique developed by a French monk, Father Legendre, in the mid 1600s, who stumbled upon the idea purely by happenstance. Food production can be a challenge, especially when you're faced with the task of feeding a monastery. As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. Fruit buds ...
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An Urban Backyard Reimagined
One of the perks of my job is receiving permission from homeowners, many of whom I've never met, to poke around in their gardens. I imagine it's a lot like getting a backstage pass to a concert. The thrill is real because I have absolutely no idea what I'll find. I get a little giddy actually and, when a stunning landscape reveals itself, a little choked-up by the beauty of it all. When I walk into a magical place, a space that transports me into another world, well that's pretty cool. And the thing about it is, it doesn't have to be an enormous landscape to elicit an emotional response. I've found that the most memorable spaces are the small intimate ones that make you feel like Mother Nature has enveloped you in her protective embrace. Like the one you're about to experience. I was ...
About Heather
For 20 years, I've applied my passions for health, gardening and family to stories for regional and national publications including the Chicago Tribune, Elite magazine, Chicagoland Gardening, Make It Better and the Old Farmer's Almanac. Since 2011, I've been a garden field editor for Better Homes and Gardens magazine and their special interest publications including Country Gardens and Outdoor Spaces. It's a dream job that allows me the flexibility to be the mom I want to be while maintaining my place in the working world. I'm always learning and forever curious. I'm a tomboy at heart and my dog Stella gets excited when I sport my two signature pieces, a baseball cap and my work jeans. She knows I'll be in her territory for the day and we'll garden together. From the ...
