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I love all the textures and shapes going on in thi

I love all the textures and shapes going on in this little corner of my garden. From the Lavender Lady Mangave to the Royal Hawaiian Waikiki colocasia to the Montrose White Calamintha to the Pink Chiffon rose of Sharon, it’s all knitting together in that wild way that I love. I’m seeing one adjustment for next year though and I think it’s most evident in that final image. Another Waikiki colocasia would perfectly fill that gap. I planted some coleus there, a variety called Velveteen, but I think it may be too dark. We’ll see once the Little Lime hydrangea blooms and the coleus fills in a little more. 🤔 @waltersgardens @provenwinners @pwcolorchoice #colocasia #mixedborder #mangave #colocasia #hereshegrows

Because every sweet potato vine looks the same aft

Because every sweet potato vine looks the same after a few weeks. #sweetpotatoes #raisedbedgarden #suburbangardening #chicagogarden #hereshegrows

I’ve never had much luck with phlox. Powdery milde

I’ve never had much luck with phlox. Powdery mildew was always a thing. But despite the rain and humidity, and we’ve had a lot of it, these two varieties are standouts. Pictured are Phlox paniculata Ka-Pow Soft Pink from @darwinperennials in pix one and three. I have it planted in two different locations and am impressed with how well it’s done in some pretty dry soil near a maple tree in my front yard. The second photo is Luminary Ultraviolet from @provenwinners and I’ve combined it with Stand By Me clematis and Lemon Squeeze pennisetum. #perennialgarden #suburbangarden #phloxpaniculata #zone6a #hereshegrows

The only way mulching in 90 degree heat and mascar

The only way mulching in 90 degree heat and mascara melting humidity becomes bearable is when @theestallion drops a beat that makes you forget how flippin’ hot you are. 🥵 #gluttonforpunishment #mulchday #gardenchores #julygardening #hereshegrows

Free flagstone? Yes please! I scored a bunch from

Free flagstone? Yes please! I scored a bunch from my neighbor last summer and finally got around to building a low stacked edge in the back corner where it’s getting a total facelift after the removal of the pussy willows last fall. I’ve done a little at a time, planted some new things right in the grass and then sheet mulched it all this morning. I love sharing the process because much is lost in the afters. They don’t show the becoming, and I really love that part. #gardenmakeover #sheetmulching #mulching #newgarden #hereshegrows

I searched for a few years for Peter Cottontail ya

I searched for a few years for Peter Cottontail yarrow. Sure I could have bought some dinky mail order ones but I wanted to “discover” it when I wasn’t actually looking for it. It’s more exciting that way. And since Beatrix Potter was always in the story book rotation for my girls, I needed it in my garden to mark the most beautiful chapter of my life. And then while reading the most recent issue of @finegardening I read an excellent piece by @rghawke (I refer often to his Chicago Botanic Garden plant evaluation data for his thoughts on plants I might like for my Chicago area garden) in which he spotlights fabulous “new”ish perennials. “Ish” because Peter Cottontail’s been around for a few years, but it’s new to my garden and I love it. At the end of his comments about Peter Cottontail (the yarrow), Hawke warns against moist heavy clay soil and I’ll be the first to admit I have heavy clay. Perhaps the fact that it doesn’t stay wet is its saving grace. Peter Cottontail yarrow likes my garden. And I love it for the memory of the little girls who listened intently every evening as they enjoyed Peter’s naughty exploits in Mr. McGregor’s garden. It’s hardy in zones 3-8, grows 2.5’-3’ tall and about 5’ wide. #yarrow #petercottontail #sentimentalgardener #hereshegrows

I’ve been waiting for the monarchs to find my Mona

I’ve been waiting for the monarchs to find my Monarch Magic ageratum from @ball.floraplant . It didn’t take long. As soon as the flowers appeared, so too did the butterflies and lots of other pollinators. This is one of my must-have annuals every year. It’s so good! #monarchbutterfly #ageratum #flossflower #pollinatorgardening #lowmaintenancegarden

Veronica is having a moment and the pollinators (a

Veronica is having a moment and the pollinators (and me) are here for it. The first pic: Very Van Gogh and Wizard of Ahs. The second pic: Very Van Gogh. The third pic: Magic Show White Wands from @provenwinners . #speedwell #veronica #perennialgardens #pollinatorgarden #hereshegrows

A garden is all about layers! The loss of the crab

A garden is all about layers! The loss of the crabapple tree in the front foundation garden gave me an opportunity to create with layers of sun loving plants this time. (It was a shade garden for 15 years.) I used a Crimson Spire oak to anchor the bed. I wanted a different shape, something very upright and narrow and Crimson Spire scratched that itch. Around it are three @pwcolorchoice Glow Girl birch leaf spireas. Excellent chartreuse foliage and clusters of dainty white flowers in spring followed by fall colors in oranges, reds and purples. The outer edge is trimmed with seven @starrosesandplants Apricot Drift roses that flower up to frost and the spaces in between are planted with Monarch Magic ageratum. The two different colored alliums were planted to coincide with the bloom of the Drift roses. For an upright effect that also adds movement, I planted Mystic Spires salvia that will take this border through fall. It should be a beacon for pollinators! As the shrubs and roses fill in over the years, there’ll be less room for annuals but I love them for filling spaces beautifully until that happens. #layeredgarden #gardendesign #curbappeal #chicagogarden #hereshegrows

Garlic scape pesto is a favorite in my house and t

Garlic scape pesto is a favorite in my house and the window to harvest those scapes on hardneck varieties is small if you want smooth, creamy, flavorful pesto. In my experience, garlic is ready to harvest 4-6 weeks after I remove the scapes and when about 50% of the foliage is yellow. #garlicscapes #garlicscapeseason #raisedbedgarden #foodgarden #hereshegrows

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