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...]
About Jim
A (mostly) Native Perennial Plug Planting Twelve Months Later
Last year, I posted about a new perennial plug planting I did in June of 2016. In that post, Planting Plugs is a Cheap and Easy Way to Plant a Landscape, I showed how a 300 sq ft perennial bed could be prepared and planted using less work and money. … [Read more...]
North Star Cherry is a great smaller fruit tree
Today, I am going to write about one of my favorite flowering trees. This plant has bright white Spring flowers, stays a nice compact size that fits almost any landscape. It also has an interesting bark color. It is hardy in zones 4-8 so you can grow it almost everywhere in the US. Sorry Northern Minnesota and southern Florida, your left out of this one. No, it's not a crabapple. It's not a redbud. It's also not even any of the dogwoods. Give up? It's a North Star sour … [Read more...]
Native Groundcovers beat the alternatives by not $#@ing up your environment
Like it or not non native groundcovers are a staple in traditional landscaping. They are the area rug of the landscape designer. That thing you throw on the ground that ties everything together. Why when native groundcovers can do the job just as well? Instead of arguing that you don't need them (you don't), let's look at some native groundcovers as alternatives to the commonly used Vinca, Pachysandra, Junipers, and English Ivy that seem to dominate so many of our landscapes. I do … [Read more...]
Trees for an Ecological Backyard
Happy New Year. Let's all have a great 2017 and say good riddance to 2016! But before I can do that, I am going to explain the trees I selected for the Ecological Backyard Design I showed in November. If you remember, I left off explaining the evergreens I used in the design. … [Read more...]
Native Plants of the Midwest Book Review
I am going to take a break from explaining the design that we started looking at last time and do a review of a new book I just finished. This is a book I was eagerly anticipating the last few months. While I have plenty of outstanding plant reference books, I don't have a lot that are specific to garden worthy natives of the Midwest that include this many plants (500). … [Read more...]
Ecological Backyard Landscape Design
In today's post, we will look at a backyard landscape designed to do two things. First and foremost, it will look great in each of the four seasons. Secondly, it will benefit the environment instead of being a burden on it that most landscape designs end up being. … [Read more...]
Naturalistic Front Yard landscape design
Let's use some of the big ideas I have talked about in other posts to make a Naturalistic Front Yard landscape design. I have done front yard designs before, including one last year for my old little neglected ranch house. While I did mix it up a bit with some more interesting plant choices than the typical landscaper might use (no spireas in that design thank goodness), I admit it is still pretty shall we say "landscapy". … [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...]
12 Perennials for Attracting Butterflies in the Midwest
Nothing brings life to a garden like well, life. You know the birds and the bees and the like. Let's get some of that life in your yard by planting some of the very best perennials for attracting Butterflies in the Midwest. … [Read more...]