Why I Oughta...

I came across this garden inspiration photo of a wattle fence on Instagram and I immediately bookmarked it.  They don't call it a wattle fence, but rather a "River of Sticks" and the commenters call it a 'dead hedge'.  Whatever you call it, you surely find it interesting and appealing.  And, full of personality .    The original idea (not this post below) comes from A.Zen.Gardener.    View this post on Instagram A post shared by Emily Chua (@optimisticgardener) I've tried a tiny pilot wattle fence in the stumpery a few Winters ago , but it never took off.  Mostly...because I never followed-through.  But, there are some lessons to learn from observing these photos that I can apply to a 2026 wattle fence: 1.  Layers of wattle vs one layer.  See the pegs in the ground creating that "thick" portion?   2.  Curves and shapes.  The curves follow the border and some of them are 'triangle' shaped at...

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 caterp...