My Garden Online Blog

I just completed my Master Gardener certification and am focusing on wild flowers.  There are so many wonderful websites that promote the protection of these beautiful natural plants.  I recommend checking them out because they offer classes; plant identification links.  For starters, take a look at:

• Chiwaukee Prairie organization (http://chiwaukee.org/)
• California Native Garden Foundation (http://www.cngf.org/index.htm

Stop by the Chicago Botanic garden next weekend for the annual plant festival (May 14-16). There will be vendors; gardening tips and presentations; live music and of course, excellent plants for sale. Visit the garden website for a catalog: www.chicagobotanic.org for a plant list.

The sign says it all: Welcome

Last weekend I had the greatest experience working at Justin Trails resort in Sparta, Wi.  I learned about creating Shitake mushroom spores; how to search for Morel mushrooms (under elm trees); that honeysuckles dry up the nutrients in the ground making it really tough to grow other plants.  If you live in the midwest and want to experience a wonderful outdoor weekend, I think Justin Trails is the place to go.  It’s pet friendly and I promise your dogs will love it! http://www.justintrails.com/

I contacted them today to order flowers for my daughter’s birthday.  It was so nice to speak to someone who was pleasant, helpful and knew florals!  If you are shopping for an arrangement, please contact Edens Florist (508-748-0225):

http://www.edensflorist.net/

This perennial stands above the rest – no pun intended!  The long stems have large flowers that range in color from blue, purple, pink or white.  I bought mine from Northwind Farm in Wisconsin; they were so beautiful and stately.  Unfortunately, they didn’t come back.  Reading through some gardening tips, I was pleased to read that Delphinium’s aren’t easy.  You’ll need to prepare the soil before planting and cover them with 1-2 inches of organic matter in the spring.

Height = 4 to 6 feet; Blooms in early spring/summer

Spider Flower

Half hardy annual that grow tall and sturdy.  Planted in the back of a border, these will certainly catch your eye and attract the butterflies!  I saw a large grouping of them in front of a hotel in Wisconsin and was floored by their height and color.  The stem is topped by globe shaped flowers in colors of white; pink and rose.

Easy to start from seed in the spring.  Remove the plants after flowering but be careful of the thorny stems and the scent (wear gloves!)

Height = 2 to 3 feet; Blooms in summer

Living in Chicago, we spent a lot of time indoors during the winter months.  This morning I picked up an old copy of Garden Design magazine (April 2009 – www.gardendesign.com), and read the article on Sansevierias.  The Sansevieria was named one of the best plants for cleaning indoor air toxins by NASA and it’s low maintenance!  Mid-February indoor air – could it use a boost?  I thought I’d give it a try.

So I went shopping this afternoon to my local nursery and they had quite a variety of Sansevieria’s including those with gold edging or speckled foliage.  I settled for the trifasciata which is the most common but I liked the height and price!  They are also incredibly easy to grow – indirect light and little water (good drainage is critical) will keep them happy for a long time.

I am thrilled that Woodward School and Alberta Rider have joined me on Twitter; I think their teaching method is so exciting and offers so much for the students in the area.  The Alberta Rider school will be restoring an acre of property to native plants and hopefully creating a wildlife habitat!  A website promoting an Oregon Better Living Expo provides details on both schools; please read up on these wonderful projects that can’t help but provide a healthy education for the kids!

http://www.betterlivingshow.org/Albertariderelementaryschool.htm

Since I live in Chicago, composting isn’t on the top of my “to-do” list but I found this interesting website dedicated to composting (http://www.compostguide.com/).  Question for those who know-what can you do with kitchen scraps during the winter months other than throw them away?

Woodward Gardens in Oregon is a student garden located at the Mary Woodward Elementary School.  The school has captured the beauty of the garden in a lovely collection of postcards shown on this site:

http://www.betterlivingshow.org/garden-themed-cards.htm

Please help support this wonderful project by ordering some cards ($1.00 each!!).