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| I’m really pleased with how this is turning out! The only thing I’m disappointed with is that the Yarrow in the back isn’t keeping up like I hoped. |
Category Archives: Illinois
Sunday Driving
This Sunday our drive took us north for a visit with a good friend.
The day was bright and beautiful.
Sunny blue sky dotted with lazy summer clouds.
Not too hot and not too cool.
Just a perfect day.
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Central Illinios is typically a flat place, full of corn and soybeans
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With a few rolling hills here and there, just to keep it interesting.
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We drove most of the way on 251, a nice stretch of highway that used to be a main north and south route before interstate 39 was built.
Anyway, besides the endless sea of corn and beans,
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There is also the wind farms
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dotting the landscape here and there
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We didn’t stop and stand under any this time. It was enough to just look at them today
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Fun with Bricks, Plants & Mulch…. and a Photo Shoot?
For about four years running now, I’ve designed and built plant displays for the Garden Center I work at.
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| 2010’s design |
Today, as I was leaving for the day, a nicely dressed gentleman came in to the garden center and asked if he could take a couple of pictures of my display. He said he was trying to get ideas for his own garden.
I didn’t see any harm in it so I said “Sure”…
Next thing I know, he whips out this big camera from it’s case~ one with all the lenses etc. and proceeds to shoot pictures.
Hmmm. Wasn’t expecting that.
Made me wonder if he really did just want ideas or if he had an ulterior motive
Made me wonder if he really did just want ideas or if he had an ulterior motive
and this was the only excuse he came up with…. who knows.
It’s not at all uncommon for us to see other companies walking around with little clipboards, jotting down our prices, but this was the first photo request I’ve ever had!
Should I be flattered?
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Anyway, here are some photos of last years and this years designs.
I design them on the fly, not knowing what they are going to look like until I’m halfway done.
It’s a lot of fun, and even more fun filling them with lot’s of beautiful plants from my favorite greenhouse!
~Enjoy~
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| Before~ In front of the Sales Hut ~ 2010’s design |
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| After |
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| I love working with perennials more than anything~ so many interesting leaf colors and textures |
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| Before ~ Main Display ~ 2010 Design |
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| After ~ the theme was angels and woodland creatures last year! |
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| Before ~ patio display ~ 2010 design |
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| After ~ My fellow co-worker and friend planted this one ~ very nice! |
This last set is this years designs but I didn’t have the plants available yet when I took these photos….
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| Main display is a little bigger and shorter then last year |
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| The structure on this one tends to stay the same from year to year. |
In the 2007 season, my first year, I had the opportunity to work with a Merchandiser who was also a landscaper. It is his designs that inspired mine~ though I could never come close to his expertise!
Here is some of his designs of that year!
Thanks Jeff!
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"Gimmie More Flowers!"
Here’s the latest round of summer blooms
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| Tall Phlox ~ can’t remember the name right now… of course! |
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| close up of Phlox flowers |
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| Penstemon ‘Lilac Frost’ ~ Did you know there was an American Penstemon Society? I didn’t. Here’s a link to that too ~> http://www.apsdev.org/ |
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| close up of Annabell Hydrangea |
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| lots of blooms this year~ they really love this rainy weather! |
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| Yellow Sunset climbing rose is still going |
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| The hosta I can’t remember the name of is now blooming |
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| such clear white flowers on short stalks~ I wish I could remember how big it’s supposed to get! |
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| As much as they are over done, you still can’t beat a sunny orange marigold! |
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| My favorite Salvia- the annual ‘Victoria’ |
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| Okay, no blooms here and only a weed, but I’m still fond of this little guy~ though mistakenly called a clover by many, this is actually a yellow woodsorrel ( Oxalis stricta ). It’s completely eatable~ One of my neighbors (now passed) told me he used to eat them as a kid to settle a sick stomach. I just loved the exploding seedpods when I was a kid! Here’s a link ~> http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/weeds/plants/yl_sorrel.htm |
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| Vinca Major close up |
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| I have these in a window basket on my deck railing |
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Bee Tree in Bloom
My Little Leaf Linden tree (aka Bee Tree, Basswood or otherwise known as Tilia cordata)
is in full bloom today and smells just like honeysuckle! My Husband and I just love this tree!
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| It was a Wal-Mart rescue about ten years ago, and I had brought it home in the back of my van. |
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| It is now over twenty five feet tall! |
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| One of my favorite trees! |
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Summer Flowers, Grapes & Labrador Proofing
The first day of summer is almost upon us
and the flowers continue to bloom in my garden…
……as I spend all my time in the Garden Center! (sigh…)
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| I don’t care what anybody says about spirea! I love my little spirea! It blooms with abandon in almost dense shade and does very well in the dry sandy soil against my house… |
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| A closeup |
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| and a little sunlight |
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| Another itsy bitsy spider… Very hard to get the auto focus on the camera to fix on this. I think it took about ten minutes to get this shot! |
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| Dappled light on the Pachysandra |
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| A perennial Geranium called “Splish Splash” |
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| Also a mail order plant of several years ago…. |
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| More Blooms on my dark pink clematis |
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| The House Bunn’s veggie barrel ~ celery, Kale, oakleaf lettuce & seedlings, Cos lettuce, tiny thumbelina carrot sprouts on the left (very tiny right now) and red and white Swiss Chard sprouts on the right (also very tiny). Our Bunns are very spoiled rabbits…. |
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| Butterfly weed or asclepias tuberosa ~ also started from seed a long time ago. It’s almost ready to bloom. |
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| A Heliopsis or False Sunflower I planted from seed several years ago,,, from this one planting in my front yard, is has reseeded itself all over my backyard…. But I love it and so do the yellow finches! |
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| A metal butterfly I painted and attached to my arbor…. |
And in the vegetable garden….
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| GRAPES! I have grapes! Yay! This is one of two grape vines on my back fence. This one here is a seedless Red Reliance |
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| And this one is a green seedless~ I will have to go out and look at the tag on it because I can’t remember the variety at this moment… Both of these came from Dan & Jerry’s Green house five years ago… Last year was the first year it had grapes and I’m glad to see them producing again. |
….and finally, the Labrador proofing!
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| I got my garden in ‘very’ late this year (I’m so embarrassed!) because every day off I had, it was pouring down rain! So last week it was finally nice enough to get out and till, compost and plant! The chicken wire is to keep my black Lab, Annie out because she ate the entire garden last year! Yes, everything! Even the strawberry plants! This dog’s number one hobby is eating! |
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| Sure… She’s all sweet and innocent now~ but as soon as your back is turned…. |
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Wild Penstemon & Spiderwort
Today on our usual drive through Starved Rock
(to see the flooding~ again),
(to see the flooding~ again),
we see these white and purple flowers along the roadside…
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| Upon closer inspection, I’m surprised to see this familiar Spiderwort! |
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| And this is Penstemon~ botanical name for the wild species unknown to me as of yet…. |
Cool….
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Container Gardening
As promised, here are some pics of my latest project.
I have been growing Herbs, Veggies and a few Perennials in a container for a few years now, and love it.
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| You’ll have to excuse the weeds. I’ve been very busy this year and have neglected my “home” garden |
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| Left is Four Banana Peppers & Right is one Martino’s Roma Tomato (I love using galvanized buckets) |
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| My Hens and Chicks Container with a little “Blue Spruce” Sedum tucked in the center…. |
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| Did you know Hens & Chicks flower? I’ve had a few flower on me before. |
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| Here’s an update on the “White & Fuzzy” washtub in an earlier post. |
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Tigers & Lilacs
A rare visitor came to my Lilac tree this afternoon.
I don’t usually see these butterflies in my garden.
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| Tiger Swallowtail butterfly sipping Nectar from my Japanese Lilac Tree |
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Hot Weather and Yellow Roses!
Today summer came back and with a vengeance!
It was somewhere in the 90’s today with lots of humidity.
So, you would think after a long day of working out in this, the last thing I would want to do is be outside!
Nope, not me!
When I got home today, and after unloading my new bounty from the Garden Center (yes, it’s an addiction!)
I did a quick tour of my garden and saw my yellow climbing rose was blooming!
Yay!
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| Her name is Golden Sunset and she has a glorious honeysuckle like scent! |
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| This is my favorite rose of all time~ and yes, she’s a mail order girl! Jung’s Seeds about six or seven years ago. She’s hardy to Zone 4 and disease resistant. |
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| She gets around 12 feet tall but right now she’s a little sprawled out. |
A few other things were blooming as well!
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| My Gift Peony |
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| These were given to me by my neighbor who’s friend dug out a Peony hedge from her yard about ten years ago. Nobody knew the variety but oh do they have the sweetest scent! |
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| My Huskers Red Penstemon finally boomed. |
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| Pretty little flowers remind me of foxglove….. |
and my little fern…
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| My Japanese painted fern has seen better days. It’s not as full this year. I might have to move it. |
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and my new D&J’s Fuchsia
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I’m going to start him in a ceramic pot on the deck
and work my way up to a hanging basket |
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Lil's Garden Tour 