When I purchased my house in McHenry, IL a couple of years ago, it came with a pondless waterfall in the front yard. Most people, especially passers by walking their dogs, seemed to like it. But to me it looked like water spewing volcano! Time for a Pondless Waterfall Renovation. It looked less like a natural feature and more like a glorified fountain. You see water in nature flow in the valleys, not from the high points. Here is what is looked liked all decked out with red geranium pots … [Read more...]
Keeping Deer Ticks out of your Landscape
Why would I want to make a post about Keeping Deer Ticks out of your Landscape? Besides the near epidemic of Lyme disease in parts of the country spread exclusively by deer ticks, there are also other really nasty diseases that can be spread by ticks like Powassan virus that are even scarier. Plus this year is expected to be a really bad year for ticks. … [Read more...]
Planting Plugs is a Cheap and Easy Way to Plant a Landscape
Why is planting plugs instead of larger plants in a landscape often a better idea? Let's start planting the landscape design for my backyard and I'll show you. Since I am a gardener and not a landscaper, we will be installing this design over time. Why have all the fun at once when it can be spread over the years. If I was a landscaper, I would want you to buy the largest (most expensive) plant possible, certainly not plugs! … [Read more...]
Garden Revolution Book Review, one of my favorite new books
Here is a book review for Amazon I wrote for a fabulous new book I recently read, Garden Revolution. This is another in a line of several garden books that have been being published recently for the ecologically inclined gardener or landscape professional. This book won't give you a landscape plan, but it may start you on a new way to garden - Jim … [Read more...]
Gardener gift ideas
Given the Christmas shopping season has officially began, lets look at some gardener gift ideas. A few years ago I gave four gift ideas for the hard to buy for gardener in your life, today lets double it and do eight. … [Read more...]
The plants I hate to leave behind
You may have noticed, I have been a little sporadic in publishing new posts lately. Sure, I did say I was going to reduce my new articles to once every couple of weeks or so, after starting my new position. But it's been three weeks since I published anything! OK, but at least I have a few excuses. I did just get back from camping with my daughters in the Wisconsin North woods for a week. And yes, despite the rainy weather and 42 degree low's we had to endure, we did have a good … [Read more...]
How close should I plant a tree to my house?
"How close should I plant a tree to my house?" is a question I have been getting a lot lately. It makes sense as it is Spring tree planting season. Today I will try to answer this question. Why would I want to plant a tree close to my house? There are at least two reasons you would want to plant a tree close to your house. They are aesthetic and energy savings. Aesthetic reasons to plant a tree close The main aesthetic reasons to plant a tree close to your house is it just looks better … [Read more...]
Simple Spring clean up
Fall is the time for the annual ritual of raking up fallen leaves. If you are especially prudent, you may even cut down your perennials then. This "debris" may then be put in bags to be hauled away. Perhaps it is raked to the curb and sucked up by large noisy machines. Maybe if you're a die hard gardener you add it to a compost pile. If you are in an area that still allows it you may even get to indulge your inner pyromaniac by burning your leaves. Or maybe you said "ah to hell with it, … [Read more...]
The Living Landscape Book review
Since it is the weekend between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I thought I would give a gift idea for a gardener in your life. There are several great garden related books I have read this year. Among them, one of my favorites is The Living Landscape* by Doug Tallamy and Richard Darke. … [Read more...]
Replace your lawn with?
Maybe you have decided that you are tired of burning dead dinosaurs to run a lawn mower every week. Maybe your concerned whether it is safe to have little Timmy or Muffin running through a quarter of an acre of Scott's weed and feed. Or maybe you are starting to question why the hell am spending so much time and money to make my front yard look like the outfield of Wrigley field? Whatever the reason, you have become open to the possibility that there may be a different way for you to cover … [Read more...]