Gardening & Garden Blogging

Well pardon this Gardener for falling off the radar!  It has been a very busy Summer and it looks like it is going to be an early Fall.

This Summer was one for the record books.  Seemingly endless rain during Spring and the early part of Summer had every insect & plant disease I have ever seen and a few new ones too, out in gardens in force!  Then it got hot as hell and because we had so much rain early,a lot of people didn't water enough during the heat and as a result,at least in my area, is that a lot of the trees are going straight to brown and crunchy with no Fall color.   Needless to say these conditions made for a very busy Summer for yours truly.  When I get that busy something has to give and in this case it was my blogging.  Edie-my daughter-is just more important than giving garden advice and blogging.  I will try to keep up with the blog as we enter the Fall. 

Now is the time to divide and move your perennials to make room for more Spring bulbs in your garden.  That's right, it's time for bulbs!!!!!!!!!  Get out your catalogs!

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!!!!

Rock & Roll

Well Pardon this Gardener I have been slacking on my Blog posts!!!  I have started posting perennials with Rock & Roll song titles as their cultivar names on My Gardener's Facebook page and I have neglected to do so here...ooops!  So let me catch ya up.  The first picture at left is of Polemonium reptans 'Stairway to Heaven'  plant it in morning sun or shade and get ready to get the Led out!

The next picture is of  Hosta x. 'Dark Star'.  Deadheads will go with the Grateful Dead's song by that name.  CSN fans will go with CSN's version I am sure.

The third picture is of Geranium pratense 'Midnight Reiter' an Allman Brother's favorite.

Check at your local garden center for availability.  Good Luck and Happy Gardening!

lush!

Holy lushness Batman! And no I am not referring to my 4th of July weekend drinking.....

A warm April followed by two months of  rain have gardens all over Chicago looking like we live in Seatle!  Perennials are well ahead of their normal bloom times here.  Bee Balm( Monarda didyma spp.) is already bloomed out!  Bee Balm doesn't typically start blooming here UNTIL the4th of July!  I also have some hardy mums that are getting ready to bloom.  I did not stutter, you read that correctly...I have mums getting ready to bloom in my garden in July!!!!

A growing season like this is a true rarity here in Chicago, so enjoy it!  Sharpen up your pruners and keep cutting back your perennials after they bloom and before they set seed and you will enjoy another round of flowers this Summer courtesy of Mother Nature. 

Remember to keep an eye on your containers and your bedding plants in this heat!  Things dry out faster than most people realize when it's this hot.  Keep an eye out for Powdery Mildew & Leaf Mold as well as the Japanese Beetles that have recently emerged in force!  Here's a page from my playbook.  Buy a pump sprayer at your local hardware store and put in a mix of Ortho systemic insect killer and Ortho Rose Pride.  It will help protect your plants from both the insect infestations and the powdery mildew and black spot!!!!!

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

I'm baaaack!

Good Morning!  I took a small hiatus from blogging.  As you can see from the picture I posted, I almost pruned my finger right off!  I took seven stitches!!!  Thankfully I didn't get my fingernail!

And thankfully,the rain seems to be behind us.  Here in Chicago it was the wettest June in 113 years!!!  Damn Skippy it was!  Now that the rain has stopped, it is a good time to get into your garden and cut back hard on your perennials that have grown to bionic proportions with all the rain.  Cut them back to the ground and let them flush back out. You will get what amounts to a second season out of your perennials.  My Celadine Poppies( Sylophorum diphyllum) have bloomed twice already!  My Spiderwort( Traadescantai spp.) are ready to do the same.

Remember my friends, that despite a months worth of record setting rain, you need to monitor your garden for when to water. People with more sun and Southern & Western exposures will need to water this weekend when it heats up.  I have been in more than a few gardens this week that are already bone dry believe it or not!  Shade gardens will be slower to dry out in general, UNLESS there are large trees.  The trees take a lot of the water and you may find your shade garden to be drier than it should be.  So keep your eyes open for watering needs. 

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!!!!!

Slugs

Good Morning!  Are your Hosta's & other perennials starting to look like the Hosta pictured to the left?  Then you have slugs and snails.  All the rain & cooler temperatures has the slugs & snails out in force eating everything!

There are several different ways to try and combat these slimy little pests.  I start by checking the soil under the leaves around the base of the plant.  Any slugs I find there I kill on the spot.  Diatomaceous Earth can be applied to the soil at the base of  your plants.  The snails & slugs can't crawl on it.   You can also try Ortho Slug Bait.  For the Earth chemically adverse gardener, crushed egg shells applied around the plant and shall bowls of beer can be put out in the garden. The slugs & snails are attracted to it, go in for a drink & drown.  "Attack pattern Delta, go now!"  Sorry, couldn't resist a good Star Wars quote!

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

Dear Mother Nature....

Dear Mother Nature,  please ease up on the rain in Chicago for a little bit.  Generally speaking I love rain, but we've had so much this Spring that my garden is floating, heck some of my friend's entire yards are floating.  So a little respite from the rain would really be appreciated.  Say maybe a two week gap between the rain on schedule for this week and the next rain would be super duper!

Seriously, my garden is floating!  I know I have blogged about this already, but with all this rain and the diseases & insects that have come with it is all I can talk about because I can't even get into the gardens in my care to work, my own included!  The worst is that there is really nothing you or I can do about it but watch our gardens slowly decline.  Unless you have planted plants that can handle standing water, as in a Rain Garden, all you can do is watch as your plants start to die from root rot & crown rot brought on by over saturated soil.  When the rain does finally stop for a bit, dig out your perennials that are really showing signs of root or crown rot( check some of my earlier blogs for pictures of plants with these diseases), cut back the leaves and let the roots dry out some on a hard surface. You can pitch fork the soil and try and air it out as well.

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

Rain, rain,rain

Good Morning!  It is raining again here in Chicago.  Hopefully it will be a nice slow & steady rain and not another deluge.  The ground is so saturated here it can't hold anymore water and parts of my yard are still wet from the last deluge!

Be vigilant for signs of plants struggling with root rot from too much water,in your garden & in your containers.  Containers dump out any standing water and use a small hand trowel to turnover the soil as much as you can to help dry it out without disturbing your plants.  Perennials in the beds that are struggling will have leaves that are starting to yellow and show signs of black spot.  Try and move away the mulch and turnover soil around the plants to help dry it out or if the plant is really fading dig it out ,cut it back and let the roots dry out before you replant it!

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

The Japanese Beetles are coming!!!!!!!!

Good Morning!  Pest Armageddon 2010 continues....it's June that means the Japanese Beetles are coming.  


The Japanese beetle originated in Japan,hence the name... They came to North America in the early 1900s. The first  Japanese iris bulbs arrived in the United States in 1912. Japanese beetles were noticed in 1916 on iris bulbs.   These beetles, which live in woods, gardens and open meadows, are found throughout most of  the United States except for the extreme southeastern region.

Japanese Beetle larvae overwinter in the soil and move upward in the soil as the ground warms in May & June.  They begin emerging as adults in June & July. 

Chemical insecticides such as sprays or granules can effectively control Japanese beetle larvae that live in soil.  Insecticidal spays work on adult beetles. There also Pheromone Traps that lure adults.  There is some debate over whether this method helps control the problem or exacerbates it by attracting adults into your garden/yard to the trap.  If you use the Pheromone Traps hang them AWAY from your garden. Another control method is to spread a sheet under infested plants and then shake the plant so beetles fall on the sheet to be dumped into a container of soapy water.

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

Everyday I find a new pest or disease in the gardens

Good Morning!   Wow, did we get some rain here in Chicago.  I STILL have standing water in my back yard!

I really can't stress enough to be alert for signs of trouble in your garden beds.  All the rain has our soils waterlogged.  This leaves plants open to root rot & crown rot.  Plants that are already stressed are more susceptible to disease & pests.

I have posted some more pictures of some pests that I am seeing popping up in garden beds.  The top picture is the Striped Cucumber Beetle, the lower is Red Aphids.   If you find red aphids cut the infected stems off and seal them in a plastic bag to kill the aphids.  The Cucumber Beetle treat with safer soap.

Look for signs of root & crown rot.  Yellowing leaves that are turning slimy.  I am pulling the waterlogged mulch away from my perennials to expose the soil and let it start to dry out.  Perennials that are in dire shape I am digging out and letting dry out before I replant.

Be on alert! Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

Water Logged

Good Morning!  I woke up this morning and my garden, pictured to the left, was floating.  It's hard to tell from the picture I took but there is two inches of standing water in the garden bed & the mulch is floating.  I think I am going to build an Arc for my perennials.... 

This surely will not help with all the powdery mildew, black spot,root rot, crown rot, etc. that I have been seeing everywhere.  It probably won't help with the mosquitoes either. 

Be sure to spill out any standing water in pots in your yard, that will help with the burgeoning mosquito population.  Unfortunately, there isn't anything you can do to get rid of the standing water in your garden.  You can however, try and help it dry out..  as the water goes down I will be moving the mulch away from the base of my plants  to expose the dirt and try and let them dry out near their crowns.  The mulch will only hold the moisture and exacerbate the conditions that can lead to root rot, crown rot, black spot etc.  So for the moment, I will move the mulch away and try and help my garden dry out...if that doesn't work I will have my Arc ready!

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

Foggy & Humid

Good Morning!  I hope that everyone had wonderful Memorial Day Weekend.

Herein Chicago our weather has been hot & humid.  We got more rain over the weekend and have an ethereal fog floating around this morning.  I can not stress enough how on the alert you need to be in your gardens for plant diseases and insect infestations in this weather.  To date I have seen powdery mildew, scale, black spot, phytophora rot, leaf miners, caterpillars, spittle bugs...the list goes on and on and it is only June!

There are systemic sprays that you can use to help control powdery mildew & black spot a swell as insects.  You can also take a chemical free approach and start thinning out and spacing your perennials to allow better air flow.  Make sure to water your perennials at the base, not overhead and that will help with the powdery mildew & black spot.  Good garden hygiene will help as well.  Keep it clean.  Pick up any diseased leaves from the garden bed.  As for the insect explosion...the only non chemical solution is to try safer soaps.It is my experience that they can help, but if you have a major pest infestation only a systemic chemical will really help.

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

Pests

Good Morning! The warmer it gets here in Chicago after our cool wet Spring,  the more pests I see.  There hasn't been a garden I have been in yet this year that doesn't have some pest eating something.  There are simply too many to list.  Be on the alert in your garden and look for signs of trouble.  When you find a pest the first step is to identify it so you know how to treat it.  When I was a youngster the best source of garden pest information was an absolutely HUGE Othro Problem Solver.  Our local Hardware store had a copy that got a lot of use. Sometimes there would be a line to look at it!  Ortho still has these books and you can buy one on line if you are so inclined.  It's still my favorite source for information. There is also the internet for the more tech savvy gardener. These days answers are only a mouse click away.  The internet is a great source of information for gardeners.  There are multiple garden forums where you can chat amongst other gardeners and get useful tips and information.   That said, it's good to have a reliable source of identification available to you so look fora good book.  I still think the Ortho Problem Solver is the best, but I'm old school like that.
Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

Plant Doctor

Good Morning!  I have been blogging lately ad nauseum about pant diseases, and pests in gardens this year.  So today I thought I would post some pictures of some of the diseases I am seeing everyday out in gardens in the Chicago area.

The boxwood hedge pictured to the left is showing signs of phtophyora root & crown rot.  This Springs weather is perfect for these diseases.  Phytophthora cinnamomi and P. parasitica are water mold, fungus-like microorganisms favored by waterlogged conditions and warm weather.  Irrigation scheduling that promotes prolonged soil saturation can encourage disease development. fair warning, the disease can be can be carried in recycled irrigation water.  Sypmtoms include, foliage wilting and turning gray-green to bronze to a dry brown color. Whole sections of the plant may dry and brown as the disease progresses. Roots become brown and water soaked. The cortex is rotted and falls off all but the larger roots. A chocolate-brown to black color develops from roots into the root crown and may extend a few centimeters above the soil. Infected plants generally die.   There is no chemical solution.  Fungicides can help prevent the disease.  The best thing you can do to help prevent this disease is to control your irrigation.    Should you lose boxwood to this disease DO NOT replant boxwood in that area as the fungus will remain in the soil.

The daylilly pictured next has classic crown rot.   Crown rot in generally caused by a fungus.  When plants are stressed by the combination of the stress of blooming and high heat and humidity the can be susceptible to crown rot.  Our weather in Chicago has been perfect for this disease.  Be on the look out for perennials that are yellowing and flopping over.  They may also be soft/slimy and they will smell like they are rotting.  Try sprays that have an anti-bacterial and/or fungicide.

Powdery mildew is another common plant disease that favors hot humid conditions and is exacerbated by planting plants in tight clusters.  Spacing plants and keeping plants properly pruned can help keep the disease under control.  As can good garden hygiene. Clean up any fallen diseased leaves in the garden to help keep it from spreading. Fungicides are helpful in managing the disease.  Fair warning, not all fungicides will work universally.  Read the label to make sure you are buying the right fungicide for the right plant.

The next picture is of Black spot, a disease commonly found on roses.  To help prevent and control black spot water your roses from below and in the early morning hours.  Cleanup any fallen leaves from under your roses.  Remove already diseased leaves to prevent it from spreading.  Use Ortho rose spray to help control it during the growing season.  Sulfur powder will also help keep it from spreading.  A dormant oil applied in Winter will also help.

The rose pictured next has Bortrytis.  These

infections are favored by cool, rainy spring and summer weather usually around 60 degrees.  Gray mold can be particularly damaging when rainy, drizzly weather continues over several days.   Again keeping the garden clean is your best form of prevention.  Should you see this disease dispose of any infected petals or leaves and treat with a fungicide.

Yep, 2010 the year of the garden plagues....

Good Luck my friend and Happy Gardening!

Biennials

Good Morning!  A lot of people ask me why they can't seem to grow Hollyhocks.  " They never come back in my yard!"  is a lament I often hear.  Well, the reason they don't come back every year is that they are not perennials but biennials.  That means that they have a two year life cycle.  The first year they put on vegetative growth only.  Meaning they only grow leaves and don't flower the first year.  The second year they will flower and put out seed.  So here's your tip of the day.  To grow biennials successfully purchase a plant in flower and a plant not in flowers.  Here in Chicago,  most nursery's will grow one gallon pots that are second year plants and four inch potted containers that are first year plants.  Buy a couple of each as well as a packet of seeds.  Plant them all in the same area and it will give the appearance of your Hollyhocks being perennials.   This is true of course of other biennials such as Sweet William and Dame's Rocket. 
Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

poison ivy & posion oak

Good Morning!  I think perhaps 2010 may be the year of garden plagues.  I have previously blogged about this being a bad year for diseases and insects.  Well, it seems like it's also going to be the year of poison ivy & poison oak. 

It seems like everyday I am finding poison ivy & poison oak in suburban back yards.  Both are native plants commonly found in our woodlands.  Both can grow as vines,groundcovers and even form shrub like clumps.  Those of you that live near wooded areas need to be extra vigilant.  Take some time to go on line and look at pictures to help you identify the plants. They tend to grow in or underneath existing shrubs or up large trees as a vine. Poison ivy vines tend to look hairy where as grape vine looks shaggy like a shag bark hickory.In the event that you find some I would recommend Ortho Brush Be Gone or try a combination of Roundup and vinegar. 

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

Be on the look out!

Good Morning!  Well, herein Chicago we have launched right into Summer with some serious heat & humidity.  That means that you need to be extra vigilant for signs of plant diseases, leaf mold and insect infestations! As soon as you see it try and treat it.  The best products to use are systemic and treat the whole plant from the inside.  So hit your local Garden Center or Hardware Store.  I mentioned earlier that this was going to be one of those years for plant diseases and pests...sometimes I hate when I am right!  Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

Sharing Perennials

Good Morning! I am going gardening at a friend's house today and I am bringing her perennial divisions from My Gardener's garden.  It made me think I should give some fair warning to some less experienced gardeners about what freebies you should accept for your perennial gardens and which ones you should avoid like the plagues that they are.  I've posted pictures of two notoriously invasive perennials, Aegepodium podagrarium 'Variegatum' a.k.a,  'Snow in the Mountain' and Lysimachia clethroides a.k.a 'Goose Neck Loosestrife' .  Before you accept any freebies, ask some questions and do some research.  Ask the common name and Google it or ask My Gardener or you could wind up with a perennial that will overrun your gardens!

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

Garden Dog

Good Morning!  I am frequently asked how I keep my garden looking good when I have a dog that is  very active in the garden.   Earl, pictured at left, is a garden dog.  He goes into the garden to get to the fence to visit with neighbors. He will give chase to the bunnies that come to feed and go crashing through the beds and yet my garden never looks like he's been in it.   How do I do it? 
The answer is plant selection and placement.  When my husband and I bought are house ten years ago there was no garden.  Out back yard was a big green square.  We had two dogs at the time. Banjo has since passed, but when she was alive she was very much a garden dog herself.  So as we started developing our garden I consciously choose plants that I knew could take some abuse.  I have Lamb's Ear( Stachys byzantia 'Helen Von Stein'), Golden Creeping Money Wort( Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'), Bloody Cranesbill(Geranium sanguinuem 'Max Frei') and Lady's Mantle( Alchemilla mollis), just to name a few, at the garden border.  They all handle the dog traffic.  I have Siberian Iris( Iris siberica 'Caesar'sBrother), Maiden Hair Grass( Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus'), Spiderwort( Tradescantia x. 'Concorde Grape') deeper in the beds.  The other thing I did was to watch where my dogs liked to enter and exit the garden.  They both had their own little paths they liked to take into the garden, through the garden and back out.  They both made little doggie wallows in the garden in the shady areas where they could lie in the cool black dirt when it was hot.  So I left spaces for them  along their paths and where they each liked to lie.  Because their paths and preferred resting spots were open, they kept to them so we all won.  The dogs got to go into the garden and make their rounds and I managed to create a perennial border that always looks full and lush despite my garden dogs running through it. 
Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

Let it Grow!

Good Morning!  This May has been a cool and rainy one here in Chicago.  One of the benefits of this cool May is that Spring perennials have really thrived and grown.   During the last two weeks my own garden has exploded!  So much so that I need to get out in my own garden and thin out my Buttercup( Ranunculus repens 'Flora Pleno') and my Golden Creeping Money Wort( Lysimachia numularia 'Aurea') as they have started to take over in this cool weather.  A lot of people can  get a little overwhelmed or nervous about thinning out plants.  I promise it's not difficult.  Here's some tips for taking control of your wayward perennials. When you go out into your garden, identify the plants that are running a muck.  Any perennials that are growing into or on top of other perennials should be taken out.  For example, in my garden pictured to the left, the yellow flower is my Creeping  Buttercup.  You can see in the picture that it running a muck through my Hosta x. 'Dark Star' and my Iris siberica 'Caesar's Brother', My Tradescntia x. 'Concorde Grape'( Spiderwort is the common name) and my Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'.  I will start by pulling the Buttercup that is growing into and on top of these perennials. I will leave any that is in it's own space.  By thinning out the Buttercup I will create some more space and depth in that area of my garden so that it doesn't appear flat from a distance.   Don't let unruly perennials intimidate you into letting them take over your garden.  Get out there and thin them out!   Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

Thurday is the best day to shop

Good Morning gardeners of the world!  Today is Thursday and that means that garden centers everywhere are getting in fresh shipments of Summer annuals & perennials for the weekend.  Here in Chicago today is suppose to be nice and then we will get rain overnight into tomorrow.  Saturday & Sunday were are suppose to finally heat up into the 80's!  My advice to you is to get your chores done this morning and head out to your garden center of choice and get some Summer annuals,perennials, herbs & veggies.
 Remember, if you can't find any helpful sales staff, the tag on the plant will tell you all you need to know.   Keep in mind that when a tags says Sun/part shade, it really means morning Sun.   And if a tag says part shade/shade it means it can handle some morning light which means you shouldn't put in dense shade.  Only plants labeled shade can handle full shade.
Good Luck & Happy Gardening!!!

Where to shop

Good Morning!  I am often asked where I shop for perennials, annuals etc.  The answer  is it largely depends on what I am looking for.  For perennials & ornamental grasses out here in the South Western suburbs, my favorite place to shop is The Planter's Palette in Winfield IL.  I love this place!!!  I have bought plants from there professionally as a plant buyer and I use to work there.  So I can tell you the have the best and biggest selection of perennials in Chicago, over 2000 varieties of perennials!   I also love that they grow all their own plants.  A lot of retail garden centers are just re-sellers of plants. 

For those of you in the Chicago area that live up on the North Shore-Home Sweet Home-  the best place to go is Pasquesi's Home & Garden. Full disclosure, I also use to work at Pasquesi's many years ago.  And I went to high school with the Pasquesi's, a good family with a great business.  

My friends in the city should check out Gethsemane Garden Center, Sprout Home, City Escape Garden Center & Fertile Gardens.

These are the places that I go for plants. 

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

Rainy Days & Mondays

It's a rainy Monday morning here in Chicago.  This May has been rather rain filled and cool.  April was nicer weather wise this year!    Hopefully all the rain will give us a good Peony show this Spring.  The buds on Peonies have been swelling and waiting for enough warmth to pop!  Peonies are a great,classic garden plant.  One word of advice,plant them away from your house as the sweet smell of the nectar attracts ants.  Good Luck  & Happy Gardening!

Poppies, Alliums and Daisies Oh My!

Good Morning!  I am often asked about Poppies.  Everyone loves them but here in the Midwest they can be difficult to get established.  Poppies need REALLY good drainage.  Our native soils are a heavy black dirt and if you live in a recent development, you have that lovey clay fill that the builders stick you with because it's free, after they've scraped your lot and sold the nice dirt.  Because they do that ya know.  So the best thing you can do to ensure success with your Poppies is to amend the soil.  When you plant your Poppies dig your hole a little larger and add some play sand to the mix.  This will help improve the drainage and make your Poppy flourish.  My favotitearestill the Orange cutivars like 'Prince of Orange' , 'Beauty of Livermore' or ' Allegro'.  There are other colors available as well including white, pink,red & purple for those of you with an aversion to orange.

I am often asked about the 'Purple Flowering Balls' at this time of year as well.  They are Alliums, essentially Ornamental Onions.   They are sold as bulbs in the Fall.  There are many different varieties with different sized flower heads and colors ranging from purple to violet to blue.   My favorite is 'Purple Sensation'.

Try pairing  a purple Alliumwith an orange Poppy for an extra Spring pop.  There is also an early Season daisy I like to add to the mix called 'May Queen'

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!!!

Shopping for Summer Annuals

Good Morning!  It's a beautiful day here in Chicago and it's finally time to go get the Summer Annuals you've been dreaming about all Spring. 

My advice to you is to take a little time before you run out and go shopping.  Pick up the early edition of your Sunday Paper and look at the fliers for the big box stores.  Home Depot, Lowes, Meijer, K-Mart, Walmart etc.   They have slashed their perennial, annual, veggies, herbs, trees & shrub prices trying to get people to come in and buy some of their inventory.  I have worked as a plant buyer and I can tell you that the big box stores are selling their plants at just a fraction over wholesale prices.  You just need to take your time when picking out plants and these stores.   The big box stores get nice plant material in but they are really awful about taking care of them once they've been delivered.  I have NEVER seen any of the big box store garden centers look how they are presented in their commercials.  I have also NEVER met a friendly, knowledgeable sales associates they claim to have.  Which is fine for me because I obviously know what I am doing, but can be frustrating for people looking for guidance.   When I shop at these places I look for overall plant health, not just what's blooming now.  I look for plants that are full and a lush green. you don't want a plant that's already getting leggy.  I also will pop the plant out of the pot and check to see that it is well rooted but not pot bound. So here's another tip.  Read the tags.  Seriously. The informational tag on a plant will tell you more than any of their sales associates ever will.   Keep this is mind when a plant tag says Sun/part shade.  It means it can take the morning Sun.  Only plants labeled as full Sun can handle the hot afternoon Sun.    

So consider yourselves armed and dangerous with shopping knowledge and go get yourselves some plants!

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

I gotta guy for ya

Well Pardon this Gardener as I take a moment to talk about custom playhouses, decks,etc.   My dear friend Mike is an excellent craftsman and does incredible work.  So if you are looking at putting in a playhouse/fort a deck or enclosed porch and happen to be in the West Suburban Chicago area , in Chicago parlance, I gotta guy for ya. 

And now for something completely different.  We had a lot of rain pass through the area yesterday.  Established perennials, trees and shrubs can cope with some heavy rain and standing water so they should be fine. However, if you planted any annuals in pots or in the ground, chances are your annuals have been swamped with more water than there new root systems can handle.  If you have annuals in pots and the water hasn't drained through, tilt the pots and drain them as well as you can.  If you have some play sand or vermiculite handy try mixing some in the top 2" inches of the soil to help pull some of the excessive moisture from the roots.  You can do the same for any bedding annuals you may have planted.  Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

That's not a Purple Phlox,, it's a Dame's Rocket

Good Morning!  It's that time of year where a lot of my friend's and client's ask me " What is that purple phlox I see blooming everywhere and where can I get some???"  Well, it's not phlox.  It's a Dame's Rocket( Hesperis matronalis)  a biennial flower( biennial means it blooms every other year).  Dame's Rocket spreads by seeding, so it is not a plant that will stay where you put it.  Keep that in mind before you plant it.  Check at  your local garden center for Dame's Rocket.  Happy Gardening! 

Your Plants Need Health Care Too

My Gardener has Health Care on the brain this morning.  Mostly because my daughter  woke up with an ear ache, but your garden needs Health Care too.  Plant disease and pests have always existed but  with Global Trade and the way that the Nursery & Landscape Industries have changed we are seeing more new pests and diseases than ever before.  The Japanese Beetle & it's larvae a.k.a Grubs in your lawn have caused millions of dollars in damage since they came to America in the 80's from Japan.  Then there's the Asian Longhorn Beetle that cost many cities their mature hardwood trees that lined the streets.  The Emerald Ash Borer which has led to states destroying acres and acres of trees just to try and contain the infestation.   And that's just the pests....

Plant disease has begun to travel as well.  It use to be that Landscape Architects  would use locally grown plant material.  As the Landscape Industry expanded rapidly throughout the late '80's and '90's local supply couldn't keep up with demand as the housing boom sucked up material to landscape all the new developments.  This led to more plant material being grown out of state and shipped.  And you know what shipped with them????  That's right plant diseases and pests!   Voutella Blight on Boxwood and Pachysandra are a good example.

Be vigilant in your yard and garden.  Look for signs of trouble. Leaf discoloration, plants dropping excessive needles or leaves.  Leaves that are being eaten, damage to the bark on your trees and shrubs.  Homeowners with a lot of trees and shrubs should seek out a local Arborist and get a consultation and health assessment of their trees & shrubs.  Get your trees & shrubs on a good maintenance program. It is worth the expense my friends. You can't replace mature trees! 


Call your local gardener or seek advice at your local retail garden center and of course online for problems in your perennial & veggie gardens.  The Ortho Books on plant diseases and pests are still the best in this gardeners opinion. Don't wait to act when you see problems emerge!  Take care of your gardens my friends!

Good Luck & Happy Gardening.

Structure

Good Morning!  Everyone wants their gardens to have flowers.  Big, bright, colorful blooms, My Gardener included.  But  every good garden needs some structure and not just from garden art, trellis' etc.  Perennials can give add a lot color and structure to your garden with just their growing habits and leaf color.  Some of my favorite perennialstoadd forstructure and leaf color include: Variegated Japanese Solomon's Seal( Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum'), Heuchera micrantha ' Molly Bush', Heuchera x. ' Lime Rickey',  Cimicifuga racemosa 'Atropurpurea'( Snakeroot), Stachys byzantia ( Lamb's Ears), Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'. 
I use these plants to break up the green of leaves and add some dramatic punctuation to my gardens.  Check at your local garden center.  Happy Gardening!

Happy Mother's Day

Well Pardon this Gardener for taking a break from Garden posts to celebrate her Mom.  Pictured at left is My Gardener's Mom, a.k.a GobieWan Kenobie.  Yes, my Mom is so awesome she is a Jedi.  Her power is that awesome.

Here are the great and powerful Gobie Wan Kenobie's stats if you will.  41 years of marriage to my Father-no small task in and of itself as my Father is an ex-Marine Corp Sergeant-  Five children over the course of 11 years.  All five sent to college.  All five graduated in four years. All of us are blessed enough to have jobs.  Four out the five are married and have given her five grandchildren and counting-there are two more on the way!!!   She has so much love for children that while still raising the five of us she taught pre-school and has recenty retired after 25 years of dedication to young children.  She has touched all of the children she has taught and so deeply imprinted  their 3 yr old brains that she gets stopped all over town by her former students all of whom STILL remember her and how much they love her!!!!

So today I celebrate my Mom, the seeds she has sown have impressively grown if I do say so myself!  You're the best Mom! 

Happy Mother's Day everyone!!!!!!!!

Plant Disease and Insect Infestations

Well Pardon this Gardener,but I have been noticing a lot plant disease and insect infestations early this year.  Boxwood with psyllids infestation( pictured at left), Ninebarks with leaves emerging with Powdery Mildew, Roses with black spot.  Be vigilant my fellow gardeners for signs of trouble early in your gardens.  I think it's going to be one of those years....Keep an eye on your plants.  Good luck & Happy Gardening!

Catmint

Good Morning!  I have Catmint( Nepeta mussinii) on the brain this morning. Catmints in the Chicago area are starting to bloom.  I love Catmint.  It flowers it heart out all season if you cut it back throughout the Summer. It's gray foliage breaks up all the green in the garden and Deer & Bunnies don't like it because it has a strong mint scent. 

This week I have seen a lot of Catmint that are falling apart at the center.  This means you need to divide your Catmint.  When you divide a perennial, the best way to get a successful division is to first cutback all the existing foliage.  Then take your spade-make sure it's sharp, and split it.  The reason you want to cut the plant back is that you don't want the divided perennial to try and maintain the existing foliage, which is what it will try to do if you don't cut it back.  Cutting it back lets the perennial put it's energy into growing new roots to get established after division.  So if your Catmint is falling apart from the center get out there and divide it!   And don't forget to water it everyday!  Remember it has no roots set because you just split it!
Good Luck and Happy Gardening

Spring Gardens

I love a Spring Garden.  As the perennials emerge and start to fill out...it's just filled with so much promise.  There's still some space between the plants as the Spring perennials fill out & the Summer perennials are just starting to grow.  It's like a reunion and you're just waiting to see who's going to show up and how they look this year.   Get out and enjoy your reunion!  Happy Gardening!

Lilacs!

Good Morning!  I'm back from a great trip to Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains.  I went on a great hike that was this plant geeks dream!  I will upload pictures later.  This morning I have Lilacs on the brain!  They are blooming their hearts out here in Chicago and it smells like Heaven!!!  Cut some and bring them inside and enjoy!

On the Road!

Well Pardon this Gardener I'm hitting the road and going to the Smoky Mountains for a long weekend with the family....see ya!

Brrrrr!

Well Pardon My Gardener...my blog layout has been changed and I have NO idea how to post pictures anymore.  I will have to check with my Technical Adviser, when he gets home tonight.

Anyway...brrrrr!  31 degrees this morning, a little frosty.  I know all the retail garden centers are putting out annuals for Mother's Day, but DON'T  DO IT!!!!  Mother's Day is a week early this year and we ALWAYS get 3 frosts in May.  I would hold off on planting annuals until Memorial Day myself.  But if you can't wait keep your eyes upon the frost reports and be prepared to either bring in your containers or cover bedding plants with a sheet!   Good Luck and Happy Gardening!

Spring Wildflowers

I woke up this morning with Woodland Wildflowers on my mind.  My parent's live on a Woodland Ravine that drains to the Lake. Every Spring the Ravine fills with Wildflowers.  Great White Trillium,Wake Robins, Mayapples and Virginia Bluebells.  There are woodlands out here in Dupage County of course, but it's not the same.  There is something magical & amazing about being in a woodand surrounded by Wildflowers and being able to hear the waves of the Lake crash on the beach.  
They say Home is where the Heart is.  This morning mine is sitting in a patch of Wildflowers listening to the waves break on the beach.....

Fertilze your Perennial Beds

Here in Chicago we are getting some much needed rain.  It's a great time to fertilize your perennial beds.  Look for a granular fertilizer with equal parts N-P-K.  A good 10-10-10 or 14-14-14.  Avoid fertilizers that are too high in Nitrogen as this will result in leggy vegetative growth and may reduce the  number of blooms your plants put out.  I like to put it this way.  Fertilizers contain Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium.  Each preforms a different job. They make a plant grow up,down & all around. Nitrogen makes plants grow up, Phosphorus makes a plant grow down, that is it promotes root development and growth and Potassium is good all around as it is an important carrier molecule in plant physiology.  So if you're hitting your local Garden Center or Hardware Store today look for a good granular fertilizer.  Try Osmocote...and leave the Miracle Grow on the shelf this year.  Your perennials and annuals will thank you.  Good Luck & Happy Gardening!!!!!!!!!!

Here comes the rain...

Good Morning!  We are due to get rain all weekend here in Chicago.  We need it.  Every garden I have been in has been very dry.  The rain is suppose to hit our area later today.  So get out in your Gardens if  you can this morning! 

For my Garden friends that are not opposed to some chemical use in their perennial beds, if you haven't put down the Preen yet, do it before the rain hits!  All the trees flowered and have seeded very heavily and are just waiting in your garden with all the other weed seeds to explode into a riot of weeds in your perennial beds.

I NEVER use chemicals in Gardens where I am growing any kind of edibles.  I break out the hoe and clear out the weeds around veggies, herbs, or berries. 

Happy Gardening!!!!

Early Spring Perennials

Over the years I have noticed that many people have early Spring flowering bulbs and ornamental trees and shrubs to start the year with amazing displays of color to welcome the Spring but that there is a gap in their gardens for flowers between when the bulbs and ornamentals are done and perennials start.

Here are some of my favorite early Spring perennials to give your border a boost:  Pictured at left is my favorite perennial,  Geranium macrorhizum 'Bevan's Variety'.  The leaves are scented and every time you brush against them you smell citrus. I like to pair it with Convallaria majalis( Lilly of the Valley).
I also love to pair Brunnera macrophylla ( Heartleaf Brunnera aka perennial forget me not) and Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'.  Other April bloomers you might enjoy are: Stylophorum diphyllum ( Celadine Poppy), Pulsatilla vulgaris( Pasque Flower), Lamium maculatum cultivars( Spotted Dead Nettle) and Myosotis sylvatica ( Forget-me-nots).   Look for them at a local Garden Center.  Here's a shopping tip. Look for quality perennials at your locally owned garden Center.  You can get many plants at the Home Depot & Lowes etc,  the problem with them is you never know what they are going to have. Their buyers don't buy specific plants so much as they get sent random crops of perennials that fill the need for the store to have 40% shade perennials and 60% sun perennials.  Your local retailer if they don't have it in stock can call their local supplier and get it for you.  Trust me I know...I use to be an herbaceous plant buyer.  Good Luck & Happy Gardening!

Simple Soaker

Pardon this gardener, but where are the April showers????  We haven't had any significant rain in over two weeks and this makes me think of irrigation.  Several Summers ago my wonderful and very practical husband came across this product by Nelson called The Simple Soaker.  It is a do it yourself irrigation kit that hooks up to your garden hose.  Each kit contains 50' of black plastic tubing and 5 sprinkle heads.  You run the tubing through your garden beds and you decide where the sprinkle heads go.  You have two heights to choose from.   You should be able to see from the picture at the left, it shows a sprinkler head on an 8" stem and then one at the lower setting.  It is a fabulous system.  You can hook it up to timers so that it will water for you while you are out of town.  The best part is that each kit costs less than $30.  Check it out on line at Nelson by Googling or Binging Simple Soaker.

Good Luck and Happy Gardening!!!