Why I Oughta...

Last month (November 2023), I discovered and then started (my own) stumpery in our backyard using a couple of various stumps and logs that I've collected over the years .  They included a few Norway Maple crotches/stumps and (I think) some hollowed-out Buckthorn limbs that have little areas that I can plant ferns and what-not.  The Stumpery is (currently) unplanted and will continue to evolve over time (hopefully), but it is the first real attempt at adding just a little bit of personality via what they call a " Garden Vignette ".     I was out there and decided to try to make a little (short) wattle fence around the front of the Stumpery using some of the limbs that fell off this season.  Below is a photo showing the small section of wattle that I quickly put together - it is about 3-feet-long and less than six-inches-tall: I've long thought about wattle fences - using whips of willow trees - but haven't pulled one off.  Each season, I prune up my espaliers and h

Back in Elmhurst, we planted a Pussy Willow (Salix Caprea) in our backyard next to our outdoor fireplace. I first came across it at Menards in 2011 .  Bought and planted in 2011.  One year later, it was going crazy.  Here's how it looked in Summer 2012 .  I liked the coverage the plant gave us, but we haven't planted one in our new yard despite seeing them at the garden centers the past few years.  But, this post about gardening New Year's Resolutions from the University of Minnesota Extension includes (as one of their recommended resolutions): " Plant pussy willows, a pollinator-friendly, eco-friendly and energy-producing shrub ". From the U of M post : Pussy willows (Salix discolor), a large 15-20 foot shrub native to Minnesota and much of northern U.S. is one of the first plants to bloom in the spring. Pussy willows provide some of the earliest flowers and pollen for honey and other native bees. The foliage also supports native butterfly caterpil