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Espalier DIY: A Small Space Garden Solution

November 30, 2017 By Heather Blackmore 2 Comments

Espalier Kefir Pear

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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Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: espalier, fruit trees, gardening, small space gardening

A Grateful Gardener Gives Thanks

November 21, 2017 By Heather Blackmore Leave a Comment

Grateful Gardener Cat on Fence

  Sometimes I wonder what I would be doing if I didn't have a garden. It's work, man is it work. But when you love something so much, it doesn't feel like it. Ok, sometimes it does. Like when the English ivy is sucking the life out of your serviceberry and you have to remove every. last. bit. of. it. Ugh. But it's done and the robins and cedar waxwings will be thrilled to have their favorite tree restored. I've learned to NEVER plant ivy, no matter how lovely a ground cover, again. In retrospect, I'm thankful for the lesson. Plants with attributes like "will tolerate sun and shade" or "fast spreading" and "tough as nails" are glaring red flags. Too much of anything is often not good. Unless it's chocolate. Every year brings new challenges, new realizations and plenty of new ...

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Filed Under: About, Gardening Tagged With: gardener, gratitude, soil, Thanksgiving

Slow Food With Strangers for Thanksgiving

November 2, 2017 By Heather Blackmore Leave a Comment

Slow Food Candelight Dinner

If thoughts of gathering round the table with family for Thanksgiving send your blood pressure through the roof, consider dining with strangers, seriously. They can't sling dirt, they don't know you. And even if they did, you'll likely never have to see them again. It's a win, win. Agritainment, a national trend that gives people a taste of the rural life, might be the solution for the holidays. This was my first experience and it got me thinking that this type of venue may be perfect for people who don't exactly enjoy family dinners. My husband and I were invited to experience one of Locavore Farm's Dine On The Land events. What a treat! This was business and pleasure for me as I was scouting the location for a potential magazine story. The invitation came from Rachael Jones, AKA ...

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: dinner, farm-to-table, food, organic, slow food, Thanksgiving

Amaryllis: Forcing For the Holidays

October 25, 2017 By Heather Blackmore Leave a Comment

Aphrodite amaryllis

For as long as I can remember, an amaryllis has graced my kitchen windowsill at Christmas time. They're elegant, incredibly easy and, as I learned this summer, full of surprises. Typically I'll buy a bulb in October and plant it in potting mix, or sometimes leave the soil out entirely and allow only the root plate to touch the water in a clear glass vase. Long, strappy leaves emerge like green tongues from the bulb and grow incredibly fast, giving way to a thick stalk that houses the bloom. The south-facing window offers up plenty of light and I get something to look at as I conquer the nightly dishes. Aphrodite bloomed last Christmas. In the past, I've gotten amaryllis bulbs from big box stores for $5. At $15, Aphrodite was a splurge, but so worth it with her pink edged, frilly white ...

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Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: bulb forcing, flowers, Indoor gardening

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Hi there!

I'm Heather and I love to grow stuff. LOTS of stuff. Most importantly, a healthy family. I'm a stay-at-home mom with a passion for playing in the dirt. Read More…

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The Autumn Brilliance serviceberry is in flower wh The Autumn Brilliance serviceberry is in flower which means the fruit isn’t too far behind which means neither are my favorite birds. Cedar waxwings can’t resist the tiny apples on this gorgeous tree and it’s a far better alternative to the Callery pear that’s swallowing up everything east of the Mississippi! Couldn’t resist driving that point home one more time. 😉 #amelanchier #serviceberrytree #multiseasoninterest #floweringtreesofinstagram #springgardendays #inmygardentoday #backyardgardeners #chicagogardening #smallspacegardens #mylittlegardenhome #zone5gardening #zone5bgardening #hereshegrows #heatherblackmore
Every morning I hear him tapping away at the peanu Every morning I hear him tapping away at the peanut feeder. Do woodpeckers get headaches? #downywoodpeckers #backyardbirds #backyardbirding #birdwatchersofinstagram #birdsofillinois #woodpeckers #birdloversofig #gardenbirds #peanutlovers #birdfeedingstation #peanutwreath @wildbirdsunlimited #inmygardentoday #hereshegrows #heatherblackmore
Together is the only way you make it through when Together is the only way you make it through when life gets hard. Never has it been truer than this past year. Through pandemic, civil unrest, a police officer husband working the worst streets of Chicago, a daughter leaving the nest for college, another leaving in August and all I can do is breathe and thank God for the health and well-being of everyone I love and for the little garden that centers me through it all. I hope your garden brings you the kind of peace that calms your mind, feeds your soul and fills you with wonder. That’s what it does for me and I’m grateful. #gardeningismedicine #gardenthoughts #myshadowself #shadowselfies #hereshegrows #gardenbloggers #heatherblackmore
Good morning! #summersnowflake #leucojumaestivum # Good morning! #summersnowflake #leucojumaestivum #mygardentoday #inmylittlegarden #springflowershow #springbulbsablooming #mygardenhome #gardenfountains #easyplantstogrow #zone5gardening #zone5bgardening #chicagogardening #chicagogarden #lowmaintenanceplants #hereshegrows #heatherblackmore
And so it begins. The sun hat is a permanent fixtu And so it begins. The sun hat is a permanent fixture on my head for most of the summer. Call it vanity or whatever but I prefer nice skin to saddle leather. #hatloversonly #sunhatselfie #wearyourhat #sunprotectionclothing #goodskinforlife #hereshegrows #heatherblackmore
A few of the silver sage returned and through it p A few of the silver sage returned and through it popped up summer snowflake. Perfect combo for an otherwise dreary, grey day. #leucojumaestivum #gravetyegiant #summersnowflake #springgardendays #backyardgardens #inmygardentoday #mylittlegardenhouse #springflowershow #springtimegarden #springbulbs #foliageplants #silversage #easyplantstogrow #chicagogardening #zone5bgardening #hereshegrows #heatherblackmore
This just makes me want to come in through the fro This just makes me want to come in through the front door instead of through the garage. #entrygarden #mygardentoday #springgardens #prunusincisa #daffodilsinbloom #smallgardendesign #smallspacegardening #zone5bgardening #hereshegrows #heatherblackmore
The seed heads from last year’s Millenium allium The seed heads from last year’s Millenium alliums make this stand of Ice Follies daffs in my front yard even better. This wasn’t intentional, but I like it. #daffodilseason #daffodils #icefollies #myfrontyardgarden #springgardens #earlyspringgarden #springflowershow #rabbitresistantflowers #lowmaintenancegarden #zone5bgardening #inmygardennow #happyflowers #pollinatorgardening #hereshegrows #heatherblackmore
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