Why I Oughta...

The past few seasons, I've planted (at least) one container with an annual flower pattern that we first saw in the beds at Luxembourg Gardens in Paris a few years back.  Here's one example - showing a combination of red, orange/yellow and blue/purple with Blue Salvia (Salvia farinacea), a yellow Zinnia and in front a red Wave petunia.  I've used marigolds in lieu of Zinnias in other years like the corner box last year .   I've drawn other inspiration from this very same garden - from chairs to edging to using cocoa bean mulch to the use of London Planetrees to falling in love with  the orangerie box to espalier of various forms .  One of the things that I was surprised by (not sure why) was that they have updated their annuals and the patterns they were using in their beds around Luxembourg Gardens in Paris this Summer (June 2022).   In the more sunny section of the garden - around the big fountain - they're now showing a series of beds tha...

I planted a trio of Cat's Pajamas Nepeta (along with some Blue Fescue) out front in the bed IB2DWs this Spring and it was the FIRST Nepeta that I've planted.  One of the features of Nepeta is that it can take a haircut after the first bloom - to both push a second flush of flowers but also to keep the plant neat and tidy.   In the online gardening world, you'll hear people talk about the ' Chelsea Chop ' - where you prune things back in late May to get that second flush.  More here on the Chelsea Chop .   I went ahead and pruned back these three Nepeta.  You can see that in the photo below showing the three pruned and cleaned up along with the pile of plant material that I pruned out laying in the middle of the photo - to show how much I took off these perennials.   From a purely technical perspective, you might be wondering:  Is this a " Chelsea Chop "?  The answer?  Maybe?  But, probably...Not really.  I think the ...

This is a one-month-later checkin post.  I planted three new Ivory Prince Hellebores in our backyard in a colony right next to the one existing Sally's Shell sport that was underneath a large Catalpa tree.  How have they done?  Pretty well.  They seem to have not struggled once planted and are (currently) still in bloom.  You can see these four (in total) Hellebores in the photo below.  The existing Sally's Shell Hellebore is in the middle with the Ivory Prince cultivars spread out around them in a triangle.  This area calls for ten of these plants , so I'm now 40% of the way there.  This might be something I look to add in 2023.  Too early for that, right?

This Spring, I planted a pair of Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangeas in our backyard in the north bed, behind the Weeping Nootka Cypress and right in a colony with a dwarf Alice Oakleaf Hydrangea that I moved over there a couple of seasons ago.  These two small Oakleaf Hydrangeas were from the Morton Arboretum Plant Sale this year .  As soon as I planted them , the dang rabbits started attacking them, so I kept a little ring of chicken wire around each of them.  That seemed to keep the foliage going and now we're seeing the first blooms.  See below for a photo of the two Ruby Slippers (in the back) showing their first, tall white blooms.  Each of these get four-to-five feet wide, so they have quite a bit of spread yet to come.  But, I'm excited to see these first flowers.  I'm pretty sure that these are far earlier than they'll be in the coming years - and maybe that's due to the flush of growth ahead of the Morton Aboretum Sale has quickened their cycle...

One of the projects in the backyard that I've been eying since we arrived home from vacation is to clean up and shape the boxwoods that we have close to our patio in back.  They're pretty shaggy right now and have grown together a bit after being in the ground for four growing seasons.  You can see their current state as shaggy boxwoods below: A little history - these were planted in 2018.  And I pruned them for the first time in Spring of 2019 .  I haven't touched them since.   Why?  Because I found some inspiration both on the Web and in person.  First... these Jacques Wirtz cloud hedges that have grown together and are shaped in one big mass.  And then this mass of boxwoods that are in Memphis at the FedEx Worldwide Headquarters .   The Fall of 2019, they started to put on some size .   And a year later - Fall 2020 - they had grown even closer together .   It seems that the time has come to shape these, but (...

Tracking for the [ garden diary ] as well as the 2022 to-do list a couple of applications in the garden.  First up is iron. Fast-acting iron. Chelated Iron . I applied this to the rhododendrons by the back stoop and the Little Henry Sweetspire out front.  Below is a photo of one of the rhododendrons where I peeled back the mulch and sprinkled the pelletized iron.  I applied this iron to both. This is the product that I've used the past two seasons . (below)  Next up are the Disneyland Roses.  This is the second application of rose food to my three Floribunda roses.  This is the second application of the season.  The first was in mid-May .  In the photo below, you have to look closely, but if you do, you'll see the granular fertilizer. 

Last year, I planted four Japanese Ghost Lady Ferns that I brought home from the Morton Arboretum Plant Sale around the base on the Weeping Nootka tree .  These have done remarkably well in this spot and are putting on quite a show right now.  Below is a peek at them: These are some of the various Pictum Japanese ferns that we have - but these are characterized as Lady Ferns.

Early Sumer is peak Sweetspire season.  We have a trio of Little Henry Sweetspire (Itea virginica 'Sprich') planted in a little border by our front walk.  I posted a VERY SIMILAR photo almost exactly one-year-ago when these were in bloom in June 2021 .   Below, you can see the peak bloom season for these flowering shrubs.  And, you'll also see the Saratoga Ginko that we planted last month peeking out in the middle . Last year, I applied some fast-acting iron to help darken these up and if I have that bag on hand, I'll do the same this week.  These were planted in 2017 as part of our pre-move-in landscape planting.  That means they've had five growing season with 2022 being the sixth.

What a difference on month makes.  Especially when that month is in late Spring/early Summer.  Below, you'll see what the current state of the pair of Greenspire Linden trees that are pruned into a horizontal cordon espalier form in our backyard.  They've put on a TON of growth in the past four weeks and are in need of a cleanup.  It appears that the lowest tier of the espalier has (now) reached the end of the frame, so I'm thinking that I can take the framework down. However....as you can tell from the photo....the tree is SO thick and lush that you can't *really* see the frame. Here is what they looked like four weeks ago .  Below is a photo from mid-May of this year where you can see ALL FOUR levels of the horizontal cordon espalier:

Earlier this Spring, I was concerned about our lone Totem Pole Switch Grass because it didn't seem to show any growth.  Turns out, it is a slow-starter.  Here's a post from mid-May when it had just started to emerge for the first time about three or four weeks behind other ornamental grasses .  One month later, the grass is above my knees and is putting out some serious blades.  No seed tips (just yet), but plenty of greenish-blue ornamental grass blades.  See below for the current state: This is planted behind the troubled Norway Maple and seems to have figured out how to co-exist with some hard-to-grow conditions: a dense root mat from the Norway Maple tree + clay soil + hydrophobic mulch + quite a bit of sun + mostly drought(ish) conditions.   Last Summer this put out seeds head by August, but has YET to reach the claimed heights of six feet . 

Yesterday, I posted some photos showing the series of Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grasses around the garden .  I also acknowledged that some folks consider them VERY basic.  But, I guess they're a guilty pleasure for this gardener.  In that post, I mentioned that I was planning on doing a follow-up on the IB2DWs bed that featured some of these same ornamental grasses.  Here, below, is a view of the IB2DWs bed.  Consider this the early Summer "State of the IB2DWs Bed". And, here below, is an annotated version of that photo.  Orange = five Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grasses White = Bald Cypress tree Red = two Serendipity Alliums  Blue = Prairie Dropseed Green = Peony Purple = two of the three Green Velvet Boxwoods that I planted a few weeks back Yellow = the trio of Blue Fescue grasses and Cat's Pajamas Nepeta from this season The bed is starting to fill-in this season, but it still needs some work to add some layers.  I'd like to try to plant some a...

I know that Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grasses are very (as they say) basic.  You'll find them in plenty of landscapes around Northern Illinois.  But that's for good reason:  they are really strong performers.  Across multiple seasons.  They stay upright and proud to provide winter interest, but they also put on a show as they grow in early Summer.  In fact...I'd say that right now (mid-June) really *is* PEAK Karl Foerster grass season.  They've grown up for the season and have put out their flowers on the tips that are light green.  But, the blades of the grass - in particular their color - are the real stars of the show.   Here's a few looks at various Karl Foerster grasses around the yard right now below.  First, some of the grasses planted right off our patio.  These were planted last Fall and were divisions. Next up are the three that are in the mulch island between our front walk and our driveway.  These, too, were d...

During the flurry of posts about the Morton Arboretum Plant Sale, I seem to have missed posting the details of this small, unique hosta that we bought and planted in our backyard.  Above, you can see the listing for the Hacksaw Pocket Hosta.  It is described as: "Vigorous, small green hosta with thin rippled leaves that have a serrated edge".  It stays small - just 6-9" tall, but when mature will get up to 2' across.   Below is the plant tag for the Hacksaw Hosta.  You can tell that this one was pretty small in the container.  We planted it in the backyard, near the Everillo sedges and Crested Surf ferns .  One month in, this hosta has put on some new growth.  I'll keep babying it for the season and then hope it will just go on autopilot like the rest of our more-mature hostas.  

The blooming of our floribunda roses (Disneyland Roses) has begun for the season with their first flush of pinkish-orangish blooms on all three plants that are in our sideyard.  These are in full sun, but have mostly been watered naturally (not irrigated) and have thrived in their current location. The last time I posted about these was when I applied a granular fertilizer in mid-May .  (note to self: it is time to apply again.) Below is a photo of the rear-most two Disneyland Roses with a pair of pre-espalier Sugar Tyme Crabapple trees planted between them.   And, here's the other one - located closer to the front porch - below.  I'm also including one of the divided Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grasses that I put over here last Fall in the photo (on the right).  This one is the largest one side-to-side.  Here's what they looked like last June .   If history is any guide, these will have multiple flushes of blooms all the way through the grow...

I've had a few versions of allium around our garden in both of our houses. All the way back in 2011 (eek!  That's 11 years ago), we had a few Allium bulbs that I stuck in the ground in Elmhurst .  When we moved to Downers, one of the first things I did (in our first Fall) was to put down some Purple Sensation bulbs .  During our second Fall bulb planting season, I added even more .  Then, in 2020, I added a different kind of Allium - Summer Beauty Ornamental Onion Allium that grow in clumps .  These were called for in our plan in a couple of sections, but they were new to me.  Then...that same Summer (2020), I quickly added eight more to our backyard .   Last Summer, I added a different variety - Serendipity - to our front yard IB2DWs .  Three of them were planted, but just two have come back this year.   And, last Fall, things got a little nuts with Allium bulb planting.  I put in some Pinball Wizard bulbs .  I put in so...

Earlier this Spring, I received a few comments on a post from last year where I talked about after some hemming-and-hawing, I brought home and planted a special tree: a Japanese White Pine - Pinus Parviflora 'Glauca Nana' .  Below are a couple of them - that are similar:   "I saw this tree and I'm intrigued.  How is your's doing?" I replied back in the comments with my thoughts (more on that below), but I thought this might deserve a full post.  First....about the tree.  It has a siren call.  You can't NOT notice it amongst the pallets upon pallets of Arborvitae and Boxwoods.  And, I have to admit...I saw the exact same thing that the two commentors had - at the Big Box Orange nursery this Spring.  Here's the beauty that was calling me to bring it home from back in May: So, I won't waste time.  My tree didn't make it.  My Japanese White Pine - Glauca Nana - went brown in Winter and got worse as time went on.  When Spring came, ...

#6 on my 2022 to-do list included the need for providing a more robust structure or trellis system for our one-year-old Cascade Hops vine that was planted last year.  Last year, I used a small, metal ornamental trellis that allowed the vine to get up about three or four feet off the ground .  This year, I was planning on providing a true, stand-alone trellis.  But...the growth of this vine thought otherwise.   Why?  Because it grew like crazy and by the time I was getting around to thinking about which trellis to buy, it was too late.   But, my 2022 to-do list still stood.  What could I do?  I decided to take the same route I took with the Belgian Fence frame:  attach some deck screws to the fence and wire up a grid on the fence to provide for the vine to grow up.   I put in a dozen or so screws and wrapped green, outdoor wire around them in a box-shape and some cross-wires to make various ways for the vine to grow. ...

Last month, I ran through the success rate of some Bressingham Blue bare root hostas from Longfield Gardens.  I planted 18 and now have ten that have come back for year two.  55% success rate .  In addition to those blue hostas, I also planted nine Frances Williams bare root hostas at the same time.  These were planted in late April 2021 and were clustered around the Northern Red Oak tree (tree swing tree) in our backyard.   Last Fall, these Frances Williams hostas had emerged and were small, but mighty .  We recently had our mulch done and it seems that what started as nine hostas is now six plants.  You can see them below: I'm going to leave these as-is for this growing season, but if they bulk up by Fall, I think I need to dig up and transplant a few of them - as they're planted too close together.  The one that "looks" the best is the three-leaved one tucked in right by the trunk of the tree (in the shade).  It has the nicest colori...

I planted a tiny, native Pagoda Dogwood tree back by the fire pit area last Fall (October of 2021) .  I decided to protect this with a ring of chicken wire because I feared the dang rabbits would destroy it all Winter.  This was the first Spring and it leaf'd out really early.  See the photo below for the very interesting lined foliage that is adorned on all the tips of this tiny tree.  NOTE: This is the tree that leaf'd out the fastest of any tree in our garden.   I took this photo in mid-May, but posting in June of 2022. So, call it mid-May for this tree reaching full leaf-out.  Some of our other trees have broken buds, but none are full.  (London Planetrees, Ginkos, Walnuts, Catalpas, Kentucky Coffee trees haven't broken bud just yet.) I'll water this in during the heat of the Summer with hopes that it grows up and out to provide a little bit of layering and screening back by the firepit.  

I've planted bare root hostas the past few years and this season is no different.  In addition to the Aaron Caladium tubers that I recently planted, Nat also brought home this bag of six Longfield Gardens Sum and Substance bare root Hostas from Costco this Spring.  You can see the package showing the Sum & Substance variety below as well as a peek at the size of these Longfield Gardens bare root hosta: What are Sum & Substance Hostas? Monrovia calls them 'fast-growing' and 'Perhaps the largest and most popular of the hostas' as well as being Hosta of the Year, 2004 . What's that again?!?  These might be the 'largest' hosta out there?  I've been thinking a lot about giant or large-format hostas the past few seasons and added a set of three Abiqua Drinking Gourd Hostas last Fall back by the firepit that are billed as being a 'true giant' hosta.  Those seem to be back for the first full growing season, so they're NOT quite at matu...