I discovered perennial hibiscus almost two decades ago when I spotted Lady Baltimore's enormous pink blooms from across the parking lot of a local home improvement store. I wasn't looking for her, she just found me as most plants do. That happens a lot. At the time, I knew nothing about perennial hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) other than I had to have this tropical looking beauty in my garden. She met her end that next spring when I assumed she was dead and dug her out, only to discover hibiscus is late to rise and often doesn't show signs of life until well into May here in my zone 5 garden. Oops. Perennial hibiscus resumes growth in the spring when soil temperatures reach 70 degrees F and is hardy in zones 4-9. For gardeners in colder climates, this might mean that your plant doesn't ...
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Vegetables Have Beautiful Flowers, Too
I'm not sure why this hasn't occurred to me until now, perhaps it's because I'm spending so much more time in the vegetable garden. Truth is, and I'm embarrassed to admit it, I've never really paid much attention to flowers in the vegetable garden. At least not until this year. I've been so focused on the end result - juicy tomatoes, hot jalapenos and crisp cucumbers - that the flowers just seemed more like a means to an end more than something to admire like one would a zinnia or dahlia. I'm in love with this space, made new by the raised beds we built to replace the old ones. Connected by a hog panel arched between the two beds that's now covered in bean blossoms and twisting vines, it feels like a gateway into another world where I get the pleasure of observing the changes that ...
Save Precious Topsoil When Removing Grass
So here's the thing about winter. It creates plenty of time to think up ways to add more plants to the garden. But the only way to do that is to dig out more grass. SSHHH...don't tell my husband. Guys and their grass. I find it's better for marital harmony if I dig a new bed while he's at work rather than discuss it with him first and hear a litany of reasons why he needs that area. Especially since he's prone to complaining about having to cut it in the first place! The way I see it, I'm doing him a giant favor while at the same time, assuaging my addiction. It's a win-win. You have three options for grass removal: Cover the area with cardboard and allow the grass and weeds to die, which takes far longer than I care to wait. Spray the heck out of it with turf killer. That's ...
How to Restore Dull, Rusted Pruners
I have an admission to make. I'm not the best tool caretaker and tend to beat them into the ground and put them away filthy until they're in such dire straits that I'm forced to finally take action. That was the situation a few weeks ago when I found my pruners buried under a bunch of stuff on my work bench rusted, dull and unwilling to bounce back after I squeezed the grip. Matter of fact, my entire work bench looks like a bomb went off. It's an inherited trait and one that drives my husband crazy. Of all my garden tools, my Felco No. 2 pruners are one of my most expensive tools as well as the most used and hardest working. Which hardly makes them deserving of such indelicate treatment. Fortunately, the damage wasn't irreparable, and nothing a little vinegar, yes vinegar, and a few ...
Hyacinth Bean Vine: A Budget Friendly Problem Solver
What's the first thing you see when you look at this picture? Yeah, me too. When the air conditioner pooped out a few years ago, we had this beast installed. The HVAC guy talked about the efficiency of the unit and how much money we'd be saving. And all I could think about was that I was going to have to dig up the entire area to make room for this monstrosity. I knew it was going to be big, just not THAT big. I couldn't stand the sight of the thing until I figured out how to camouflage it, on a budget of course. Hyacinth bean vine saved my garden. That sounds so dramatic but it's effectiveness for hiding ugly things was equally as dramatic. And I did it with a handful of beans! Same garden, different time of year and you can't see the air conditioner. See the white sticker ...
Portfolio
It’s been my pleasure to linger in all of these gardens, get to know their gardeners, and tell the story of how these lovely spaces evolved. I’ve worn many hats – writer, photographer, stylist, producer – to bring these gardens to life in regional and national publications. From rebuilding a flooded garden the night before a shoot to coordinating 20 dogs and their humans for a garden party, it fulfills my insatiable desire to experience beauty and the unique ways gardeners express it in their spaces. Country Gardens Early Spring 2018 Article: The Early Show - Written and Produced Synopsis: Drifts of spring-blooming bulbs and perennials are the key to creating a garden seemingly designed by Mother Nature herself. Chicagoland Gardening Jul-Aug 2018 Article: When Great Garden Minds ...
