Our Little Acre

Mean Green Mullein Machine

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 03:14:00 +0000

Two winters ago, Romie and I took a walk down the old railroad bed in my hometown. Being winter, not much was looking green, but we noticed a fuzzy plant that seemed to be laughing at the frigid temps and the snow. It fascinated me and when spring came, we returned to dig it up for relocating in our garden.

Soon I learned that our little plant was Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsis) and that it wasn't going to stay little for long. I planted it in a mostly shaded spot in the heart of Max's Garden and that first summer (2008), it shot out a flower spike that grew to maybe four feet tall, but I'd expected taller.

The way each leaf comes off the main stem reminds me of a ruffled pinafore.

This year, we moved the Mullein to the Orphan Garden, where we grow a variety of things. If a plant isn't performing well, I put it in the Orphan Garden to give it one more chance to straighten up and grow right. If it doesn't, into the compost it goes. That's a short trip, because the compost bins are right beside the Orphan Garden. I didn't move it because it wasn't growing well, I just didn't like where it was and didn't quite know where to put it just yet.

It became clear pretty early on this spring that the Mullein was going to grow taller than four feet in this new location. You could almost watch it grow taller from one day to the next.

This photo was taken on July 9th and at this point it was just over seven feet tall (Romie is 6' 1"). Today, just ten days later, it stands more than eight feet tall, is sprouting auxiliary stems, and shows no signs of slowing down.

How high can it go?

Great Mullein or Common Mullein
Verbascum thapsus
Zone 4-10
Biennial

From the Ohio State University website:

Common mullein blooms from June through September. Plants must reach a critical size before flowering is initiated, which normally occurs during the second year but may be delayed until the fourth year of growth.

An individual plant produces 100,000 to 180,000 seeds. Seeds have no special mechanisms for dispersal and usually fall close to the parent plant. Once buried in soil, they can become dormant and survive for years. In a study begun in 1879, common mullein seeds buried in soil remained viable for 35 years.

'Mullein' is from the Latin 'mollis' meaning soft.

Leaves of common mullein have been used as lamp wicks and Romans used plants dipped in fat as torches.

Leaves of common mullein were placed inside shoes for warmth.

Quaker women, forbidden to use makeup, rubbed the leaves on their cheeks to give the appearance of wearing rouge. The hairs on the leaf caused an allergic reaction to the skin, thus turning the skin red.

A yellow dye made from common mullein flowers was used by Roman women to color hair.

Blooms in July

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:46:00 +0000

I wasn't going to participate in Garden Bloggers Bloom Day this month, then I took a walk through my gardens with my camera hanging around my neck and there were some things just begging to be photographed. July always promises great color in the garden and this year's version is no exception.

Daylilies are the stars of the garden right now, but I'll save those for a separate post. Here's the best of the rest:

The only thing wrong with these sunflowers is that they always face east and they're on the east edge of the garden. Facing the wheat field. I have to jump the fence to look at them!

Origanum rotundifolium 'Kent Beauty'

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Sun Showers' with Hemerocallis 'Leprechaun Eyes' in the background.

My mom gave me a jar full of seed that was labeled "Larkspur." I planted it and this is what I got. Feathery foliage and a mixture of colors of blue, pink and darker pink. Consolida regalis, maybe? Lovely!

Gaillardia 'Tizzy'
I've seen hardiness for this one listed at both zone 5 and zone 6. Of course, I'm hoping for 5.

Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro)

Just to the left of these, out of the picture, grows Sea Holly (Eryngium planum). It's blooming now, too, and its purply-blue stems and blooms are a nice echo.

The camera generally has a hard time with reds, especially when the sun is shining on them, but this Echinacea 'Tomato Soup' is pretty true to color.

Eschscholzia californica 'Dairy Maid'
California poppies, like poppies in general, are normally not the easiest things for me to grow, but this year I've gotten more blooms than the single one I got last year.

Curry Plant (Helichrysum stoechys)
Highly fragrant. I go out of my way to catch a whiff of this when I'm in the garden. Yummy!

Bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis)
I'm thrilled to pieces that I've got two good plants of this from the many seeds I sowed. This is one plant that I find very difficult to grow, but I absolutely love those bells!

Begonia x tuberhybrida

This was one of those pre-packaged deals at one of the big box stores.

Can't get enough of those sunflowers!

Visit May Dreams Gardens to see more great July blooms!

Herbarium Amoris - A Book Review

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Herbarium Amoris by Edvard Koinberg
$39.95 ($29.19 and free shipping at Amazon)
Taschen America LLC

I've been fascinated by herbariums ever since I first found out what they were. Towards the end of the 19th century, it became popular to collect specimens of plants, including foliage and flowers, press them and preserve them. Properly done, each was labeled with their Latin name, common name, where collected, and when. I have actually started one of my own, with plants grown in my garden.

Edvard Koinberg, a Swedish photographer and gardener, has done an herbarium using plants he's grown in his garden, too. Except his herbarium consists of photographs of those plants, not the actual plants themselves.

The remarkable thing about his photos are not necessarily the plants, but the intimate way in which he has photographed them. Inspired by fellow Swede Carl Linnaeus, considered to be the father of binomial nomenclature and taxonomy, Koinberg focuses on the sexual parts of plants. By human comparison, this collection is surely X-rated, but worthy of a venerated spot in every library.

Rarely has a book had such an effect on me as this one. Within five minutes of browsing through its pages of breathtaking images, I was nearly moved to tears. I don't need to tell a gardener about the unbelievable beauty and intricacies that each flower holds and perhaps seeing them up close and personal in this way won't elicit such a strong response from everyone, but as I felt my throat tightening, my reaction surprised even myself. I don't normally do this in response to pictures of flowers.

Each image has been created under perfect conditions - perfect lighting, black background, perfect angles. The flowers themselves aren't always perfect though, in fact, some of the most beautiful photos are of spent flowers and dusky seedheads. The photos are arranged according to the calendar year, with the first photos showing a flower's beginnings and the last ones as the flower gives way to dying petals, just as they do in the garden.

The book is coffee table material, being of typical size for such tomes, and that's the best place for it, so it can be enjoyed by those who happen to sit within arm's reach of it. There are 280 pages and at a list price of $39.99 (Amazon price $29.19 and free shipping), there's really no excuse not to own it or give it as a gift. It's worth far more than its cost.

Edvard Koinberg was born in 1964 in Stockholm, Sweden. He has worked as a freelance photographer and graphic designer since 1989, commissioned by press, businesses and organizations. The last few years he has focused on personal projects, where plants and gardens are recurring themes, which has resulted in a number of exhibitions. He has sought to depict plants following the artistic tradition of the Swedish Age of Enlightenment. Dutch painters from the 17th and 18th centuries have also been important inspirations. You may learn more about Koinberg and his work by visiting his website.

_________________
The product or merchandise being reviewed in this blog post was the sole compensation for testing and reviewing the product. All opinions expressed here are mine, with no suggestions whatsoever by the manufacturer or distributor. If I like it, I'll say so. If I don't, I'll say that, too.

Schedel Revisited

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:40:00 +0000

It was a nice day on Sunday. Perfect for taking a stroll through a garden. So we picked up Adam and Kara and headed north to Schedel Arboretum and Gardens. It was my second visit there this summer, but it was the first time for both Kara and Adam and Romie, too.

When the growing season is basically five months long, a month or two can make a big difference in how things look and Schedel was perfect proof of it.

May 22, 2009

The annuals that were just being planted when I was there in May had matured into full and lush beauties, though the cannas are yet to bloom.

July 12, 2009

This was my third visit ever, and each time I've been here was at a different time of year - fall, spring, and now summer - so I tried to focus on things I'd not noticed as much in previous visits. For example, I'd never taken the footbridge over to the other side of the lake. The view from over there is a different kind of pretty.

The swans were showing off for us.

I didn't know there was a bamboo "forest" on the other side, complete with a path for walking through it.

There was some poison ivy on the path, which Kara and I didn't notice until it was too late, and we had worn flip-flops, so we were sure to wash our feet as soon as we got home. Kara announced that she wasn't allergic to it, although both her dad and I are, so time will tell if she inherited our allergy or not. Actually, I hope we both were able to wash our feet soon enough before that question can be answered!

There are many containers with tropicals and unusual annuals grouped in various areas around the property.

And it's lily season!

Orienpet Lily 'American Heritage'

More scenes from the day...

The Forget-Me-Nots were in full bloom down by the water.

The stairway descending from the house area.

If you look to your right once you reach the bottom of the stairs, this is what you see.

I'm coveting this gorgeous Tricolor Beech tree.

Several tropical Hibiscuses were in bloom.

Art and sculpture are an integral part of the Schedel experience and there was an exhibition being held while we were there.

"St. Francis"
by Barry Woods Johnston
$13,500

Here's a unique way of doing things - watercolor on pleated paper - that gives you two art pieces in one. I absolutely loved these works by Lucy Jane Webster. There were several on display and for sale at $350-400 each.

View from the left

View from the right

Yes, it's the same picture!

Schedel shares the excess plants from their gardens with the public by offering them for sale at prices too good to resist. The last time I was here I bought one Japanese Anemone plant for $2.00. There were more available this time and I bought two more to add to those I already have in my garden, since I now seem to have inadvertently stumbled upon The Secret to growing them.

We couldn't leave Elmore without stopping at Bench's Greenhouse, just a few miles away, which was still selling their entire plant inventory at 40% off. This time, I showed remarkable restraint, only purchasing two small Delphinium nudicaule 'Laurin' to replace one I'd had a few years ago.

At that time, I didn't realize it was a perennial and planted a different plant in its place in the fall. The following spring, a small sprig of it came up, but transplanting it proved to be the fatal blow. This is a charming plant that I'm glad to have once again.

Garden Tour Preview

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 03:55:00 +0000

Our Little Acre had a visitor today. Janice, a Master Gardener from Van Wert, drove out to see the gardens. She's part of the group sponsoring the garden tour on August 9th, in which we have been asked to participate. Though she will be seeing our gardens at that time, I always welcome anyone who wants to walk through my gardens with me, any time of the year.

Actually, the gardens probably look better right now than they will in August. By that time, much of what provides colorful beauty to the gardens will be past their prime. Some will even show signs of dying back, especially if we continue having this dry, dry summer. But no matter what time of the year, there's always something pretty and worthwhile seeing.

Janice will be participating in the garden tour this year as well. I remember seeing her gardens a couple of years ago when she was on that year's tour. She lives in town in a beautifully restored Victorian home with gorgeous gardens to go with it. We talked about how the garden changes over time due to loss of trees or growth of them. Certainly more or less sun or shade can make a difference and we as gardeners have to adjust our gardens to accommodate the changes.

Finally, after several weeks of no rain, we got .7 of an inch this morning, with lightning and thunder and everything! It was badly needed and a couple more rains like that in the next few days would be wonderful, but not likely to happen, so we'll continue to drag the hoses around with us. It's going to take a lot more rain than that to close up the cracks in the yard and the gardens.

There's lots of color in the garden right now. Most of it comes from the established perennials, as most of the annuals grown from seed are not yet blooming. If you visited my gardens right now, this is some of what you'd see:

Endless Summer Hydrangeas - 'Bailmer' and 'Blushing Bride' (L-R)

Max's Garden

Willow Chair beside the garden pond

Max's Garden

Flower boxes on front porch railing

Veronica 'Icicles'

First Sunflower bloom (Helianthus 'Apricot Twist')

EDIT: Though the seed packet says 'Apricot Twist', I don't believe that's what they are. They look more like 'Strawberry Blonde' to me!

Let Sleeping Bees Hang

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:54:00 +0000

These bees with the long antennae can be seen "hanging out" on the Miscanthis sinensis in the evenings. They're cute little fuzzy things and are quite lethargic when disturbed, but not aggressive in the least. If they fall off, they just fly back up and hang on.

So what are they?

The folks over at The Great Sunflower Project say they're likely of the large genus Melissodes, commonly called Long-Horned Bees due to the males having long antennae. These are solitary bees that make their nests in the ground, lining them with a waxy substance that they secrete.

They favor flowers in the Aster family, including sunflowers, daisies, and asters. We have all three in our gardens. Sunflowers, in particular, are highly dependent on Melissodes for cross-pollination.

Solitary bees are not likely to sting, because they don't have a hive to defend. Usually, they will only sting if they get caught in your clothing or feel directly threatened by your behavior, such as swatting at them. "Bee" respectful of them, and they'll return the favor!

I first noticed them clustering last evening and at first I thought they were all dead. Not dead, just sleeping! They did it last year, too, but I'd forgotten about it until I saw them again. They hang onto the blades of grass with their jaws. Now how that is restful, I have no idea, but I'm not a bee.

Garden Crossings & Walters Gardens

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:26:00 +0000

After a quick breakfast at our hotel, we headed northwest to just outside Zeeland, where Garden Crossings garden center is located. I'd long admired their plants online though I'd not yet ordered from them. They send out a great newsletter and from the moment I started planning a trip to Frederik Meijer Gardens, I knew I wanted to visit nearby Garden Crossings.

We were greeted by Marilyn as we walked in the door and a short time later, she introduced us to her son, Rod, who along with his wife Heidi, owns Garden Crossings. Their business is in the Garden Watchdog Top 30 and out of hundreds of garden centers nationwide, this is no small honor. Seeing their plants, both in the retail section as well as where they were being packaged for mailing, it's apparent that their excellent rating is well-deserved.

I had walked in there not intending to buy much, if anything, since I'd pretty much already filled my garden for the year, but left there with two trays of things and a large herbaceous peony. Mom was in the same position I was, yet she too purchased her fair share of plants.

Rod took quite a bit of time with us as we asked about various plants as to their performance, hardiness, etc., and it was nice to be asked ourselves about our experience with different plants, even some that they don't carry. There's nothing more enjoyable than to talk plants with someone who knows plants and it's apparent that Rod knows his stuff.

I waffled over buying a Lobelia ('Monet Moment') and after having put it back, Rod and I were walking through the plants and he mentioned that it was his favorite Lobelia. After some discussion, I decided to go ahead and purchase it. I picked one up and as we were checking out, he said, "We have a fuller plant than that. Let me get it for you." Now that is how I want to be treated when I go to a garden center.

Display Gardens in front of Garden Crossings

My purchases at Garden Crossings:

Paeonia lactiflora 'Soft Salmon Joy'
Echinacea 'After Midnight'
Gaillardia 'Tizzy'
Coreopsis 'Sienna Sunset'
Lobelia 'Monet Moment'
Digitalis purpurea 'Candy Mountain'
Digitalis 'Goldcrest' 'Waldigone'
Heuchera villosa 'Christa'
Papaver orientale 'Harlem'
Delosperma dyeri 'Red Mountain'
Tiarella 'Mystic Mist'

There were others that tempted me, such as Salvia 'Wild Thing,' but they were marginal for our growing zone, and at this point in my gardening, with such large gardens to take care of, I'm not willing to baby too much of anything.

Before we left, Rod told us to make sure and visit Walters Gardens, just a few miles south, in Zeeland. Though they are wholesale only (some of your plants may have come from Walters Gardens by way of your local garden center), they have beautiful display gardens and we were glad Rod had mentioned them to us.

Delphinium elatum 'Morning Lights'
I don't know when I've seen Delphiniums so tall!

I've drooled my way through their website for a couple of years now and someday I'd love to drive up for the one time during the year when they allow the public to tour their facility. I just know their acres of greenhouses hold treasures untold.

After a quick lunch, we drove a short way to Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park on the northeast side of Grand Rapids - our main focus of this two-day trip. We saved the best for last. I took nearly 300 photos while there and will show some of them in a separate post.

Mid-Summer's Musings

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:08:00 +0000

My grandma, who will be 95 on her next birthday, is staying with us for two days. Something she always likes to do is take a walk through our gardens. The profusion of blooms always amazes her. She talks about how much things have grown and changed since the last time she saw them, even if it was just last week. Gardens are like that.

As we walked by the small corn patch, she exclaimed, "Look at that sweet corn! How tall it is!" Our son-in-law said the same thing over the weekend. They noticed it was taller than usual, and they would both know, having grown up on the farm and in the case of my grandma, making a living by farming.

While the old adage "knee high by the 4th of July" doesn't ring true for corn anymore, due to hybridization, our corn is still taller than normal this summer. It began tasseling out last week and just this morning, the bumblebees were doing their job of pollinating.

"If the corn is knee-high by the fourth of July,
It'll make corn, wet or dry."

I always feel like summer is half over by the time July 4th rolls around. Planting is done, growing is well under way, and maintenance is the order of the day. Somewhere along the line, we have switched from wishing this or that would hurry up and bloom to wishing things would slow down.

The wheat in the fields around us has turned that beautiful shade of golden yellow and it's being harvested as I type. The first of the trifecta is gone, and before we know it, the soybeans and corn will have gone the way of the wheat.

In reality, there's a lot of summer left. Hot summer. Just like the last two summers, I feel as if I've grown a tail as I drag the water hose around with me. Each year I vow to just let the plants duke it out with the dry weather, but then I see some of them looking wilty and I just have to quench their thirst. We really could use some rain.

This year, we've been asked by the Van Wert Master Gardeners to open our gardens to the public for their yearly garden tour in August. We aren't really doing anything differently because of it, although it did provide leverage as I "encouraged" Romie to build fencing around the pool equipment at the back of the pool house.

Until then, we will enjoy these salad days of summer, relishing in each new bloom as it appears and joins the rest of those that make up the color palette of the garden.

Echinacea 'Sunrise'

Unnamed hybrid daylily by Lana Wolfe

Leucanthemum x superbum 'Wirral Pride'

Lilium 'Tiger Rose'

Michigan State University Gardens

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:18:00 +0000

Up the road from Hidden Lake Gardens, is Michigan State University in East Lansing. In my next life, I'm going to attend MSU and major in Horticulture. It's clear just by walking through the campus that growing things is a Very Big Deal there.

Michigan State was chosen as an All-America Selections flower trial garden in 1978. The grounds surrounding the horticulture education buildings are covered with bed after bed of nearly 1000 different annuals, all labeled with their names, date introduced, and the grower. There were some familiar to us, and some not yet introduced to the public, still in trial.

In addition to the AAS demonstration gardens, the walkways and buildings are beautifully landscaped. The rose gardens were in full bloom and fully fragrant as we tried to see it all before we got rained on. You could easily spend most of a day just perusing the gardens of MSU.

Slide Show of MSU Demonstration Gardens

The jewel of the gardens is the 4H Children's Garden, much of which provided inspiration to my mom when she proposed creating a children's garden in Van Wert to her Master Gardener group.

Entrance

This building faces a mini amphitheater where educational programs are conducted.

Green roof over service building

Just across from the entrance to the children's garden is a large peacock topiary. The flowers planted in it aren't fully grown to fill the spaces yet, but it's still an impressive structure.

Just across the railroad tracks that run through campus is the Clarence Lewis Landscape Arboretum. Contained within the arboretum are individual landscape gardens, where students can practice their skills and get ideas.

Slide Show of MSU Demonstration Gardens

Obviously, our initial plan of seeing these gardens plus the next stop on our Michigan Garden Tour (Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park) was just a little bit ambitious as the result of our being unaware of the size scope of the beauty both Hidden Lakes and MSU held. We arrived at our hotel in Grandville, near Grand Rapids, shortly before 8:00 and after a late supper at Panera's, we called it a night. The next day was going to be just as fun and flower-filled as this one.

Next: Garden Crossings Garden Center, Walters Gardens, and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

Hidden Lake Gardens

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:11:00 +0000

Mom and I took to the road again. Mom's friend Sue joined us on this expedition to Michigan, where we spent two days touring several gardens that I'd not seen before, as well as a garden center I'd wanted to visit for quite some time.

Our first stop was at Hidden Lakes Gardens, near Tipton, Michigan, and part of Michigan State University, although it's located 40 miles from the school. The Gardens are in a very rural setting, which is key to their beauty. As the name suggests, there is a lake and a small pond and some of those rolling hills that we flatlanders find so appealing.

The Pond

Originally purchased in 1926 by Adrian businessman, Harry Fee, it was Mr. Fee's dream to own property with a lake. Some time after the acquisition of the property, he constructed a road around the lake and landscaped the property to enhance the beautiful views. He later opened it to the public so they could enjoy it too, and donated it to Michigan State University in 1945, wanting the property to also be used also for educational purposes.

Swans on Hidden Lake

The original 200 acres has grown to over 750, which now includes a 250-acre arboretum. Located within the arboretum is a collection of over 300 dwarf and rare conifers, donated to the gardens by Justin Harper, from his personal collection in E. Moline, Illinois, in 1981.

Abies koreana 'Blue Cones'

Native Plants Garden

A conservatory was built in 1961 and houses a collection of houseplants and other non-native exotic plants. There are three rooms in the conservatory: Temperate, Arid and Tropical.

Clivia miniata

Bougainvillea behind sculpture

Scuttellaria costaricana

Blooms on Cocoa Tree (Theobroma cacao)

The bonsai collection is just outside the conservatory and was acquired through a series of donations.

The perennial gardens are official All-America Selections Display Gardens near the visitor's center and are located on a hill overlooking the pond.

Lysimachia punctata 'Alexander'

Yarrow (Achillea)

Hosta Hillside was originally Mr. Fee's rock garden, which overlooks Hidden Lake and contains over 800 hosta varieties. It was designated an Official American Hosta Society Display Garden in 1995, only the second garden in the nation to receive the distinction.

Mom and Sue stroll through the hostas on Hosta Hillside

Hosta Hillside overlooks Hidden Lake

Mom and Sue enjoy some wild raspberries, growing in the woods across from Hosta Hillside

As we were driving through the grounds on our way out, these Great Spangled Fritillaries caught our eye and I stopped the van to take their picture. I don't know if the butterflies enhanced the beauty of the flowers or the other way around.

Great Spangled Fritillary on Asclepias tuberosa

Next: Michigan State University in East Lansing.

Pass the Peas, Please

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:53:00 +0000

I've been picking peas for about a week. This year is the first we've grown peas in quite some time. In fact, I remember very distinctly the last time we grew peas.

We were sitting on the deck out back, and I was shelling peas and talking about what my next car would be. I had always wanted a Volkswagen Beetle but they stopped selling them in the US in 1977. Then for the 1998 model year, they redesigned it and started selling them in the US again. I liked the New Beetle as well as the old classic style.

I was shelling away - it takes an insanely large amount of pea pods to produce an insanely small number of peas - and I jokingly said to Romie, "Hey! I know what you can get me for our anniversary next year! A New Beetle!" He didn't roll his eyes or make some sarcastic remark, he just said, "What color would you want?" We would be celebrating our 25th and I was hoping for a silver Beetle.

At that time, you had to put your name on a waiting list along with a $250 deposit (to show you were serious, I guess) and your car requirements (silver, automatic transmission, leather seats, sun roof, CD player). With silver being the second most requested color (yellow was number one), we were told it could be a year or more before they were able to get one with my specifications. Back then, they were a hot item.

Waiting that long was fine, because I didn't have to have a car right away. But it was just a few short months and my car was here. We picked it up on 9-9-99 and it was an early anniversary present, since our 25th wasn't until August 1, 2000.

And that leads us back to the peas...

When I planted them this spring, it made me remember that last time we grew them and how I got my car - ten years ago. That's a long time to not grow peas and the longest we've ever had any one car. The Beetle is doing fine and I plan to drive it for many more years.

We plan to grow peas for many more years, too. I'd forgotten just how good fresh peas from the garden really are.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Interesting fact about peas: Peas are one of those cool plants that returns nitrogen to the soil (called nitrogen fixation). They have nodules on their roots that contain bacteria that converts the nitrogen in the air into organic nitrogen in the soil. Beans do this, too.

Saturday Smiles

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:46:00 +0000

It doesn't take much to make me smile, and I think that's what gives me such a positive outlook on life in general. I like to imagine God in his heaven, orchestrating such minute details that don't serve any other purpose than to give us joy, even if just for a moment.

Don't we do these things, too? How fun it is to surprise someone with a card in the mail for no other reason than to let them know you're thinking about them. So while it's easy to imagine that God must be too busy to bother with "the little things," that's just our human brain being unable to comprehend the magnitude of just what God can and does do.

So what caused me to wax philosophical on this Saturday?

"Gee thanks, Dad! Cool rope swing!

Bet none of the other birds in town have one of these!"

Romie said he would have loved to have seen the bird flying back to the nest with that in its mouth.

Garfield Park Conservatory - Chicago

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:48:00 +0000

Who loves a garden, loves a green-house too
Unconscious of a less propitious clime
There blooms exotic beauty, warm and snug
While the winds whistle and the snows descend.

~William Cowper
The Task
1785

It occurred to me the other night that I'd not yet finished my account of this year's Spring Fling in Chicago. Sunday, May 31st - the last day - was another beautiful day in the Windy City and we had more beautiful gardens to see!

We met several other Flingers in the lobby of our hotel at 9:15, then walked several blocks to catch the El to the Garfield Park Conservatory. I'd overheard the comment earlier - "If you've seen one conservatory, you've seen them all." - and I couldn't disagree more. Though we'd just seen Lincoln Park's the day before, Garfield Park's was just amazing and probably the best I've visited anywhere up to this point in my life.

The conservatory recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, having been constructed in 1906-07 under the direction of Jens Jensen, the architect famed for his garden design. He intended it to be "the largest publicly owned conservatory under one roof in the world." Taking up 4.5 acres, Garfield Park Conservatory is the crown jewel of Chicago's West Side and has been recognized as an internationally significant horticultural facility.

The conservatory wasn't busy at all, which made it nice for the dozen or so of us that were visiting. Photo ops presented themselves at every turn and it was nice to not have to wait much (if at all), to get a clear shot of things.

In the first room, the Scheelea Palm (Attalea phalerata) was the star of the show. Grown from a seed planted in 1926, it is the largest and oldest palm in the conservatory.

I got a chance to chat a bit more with Pam during this time, which was nice, though she and Diana had to leave a little early. We talked about how many of the plants we saw here were houseplants for those of us that try to grow them in the north, but they're garden staples in Texas, where the two of them live.

For example, Pam grows wonderful agaves such as the ones we saw here and she knows how envious I am of hers. They're impressive plants!

The Fern Room was just unbelievable. The minute you stepped into the room, you could smell the green.

They'd used layers of rock from Ohio (yeah!) to form the base for growing the ferns and there were corridors you could walk through that were entirely covered by various ferns.

The size and scope of this room has to be experienced to be believed. The photos here just don't convey it adequately. That could be said of the entire conservatory though.

There's a permanent Chihuly glass display:

And just as I made the comment to someone that I didn't really care for cacti and other dry desert plants, I came upon these that tried to change my mind...

The bromeliads were impressive...

Flaming Sword Bromeliad (Vriesea splendens)

The outside grounds of the conservatory were pretty impressive, too. We exited the rear of the building, shown here, with its espaliered tree and boxwood balls...

...and found ourselves in the "City Garden."

Back into the conservatory and out again, on a different side, was the Monet Garden. Loosely adapted from Monet's Garden in Giverney, France, this smaller version uses plants and color much as Monet did.

And out yet another direction was the labyrinth, leading to the children's garden.

When it came time to head back downtown so we could get our car and head for home, MrBrownThumb walked Mom and me back to the train station, to make sure we got back okay. This was just another way he and other Chicago gardeners that were part of the planning team for Spring Fling helped make our weekend that much more pleasant and enjoyable.

Mom and I talked for a long time on the way home about all our experiences of the weekend spent in one of my favorite cities with so many nice people. It was apparent that a huge amount of planning and thought went into every aspect of it and everyone involved should feel pretty pleased with the results. We simply had a great time, and I'm planning to attend next year's Spring Fling, which is to be in Buffalo, New York.

Most of the Spring Flingers, as captured by MrBrownThumb in Lincoln Park

As posted on the Chicago Bloggers' website, here is a list of other posts by other attendees on the Spring Fling experience:

Garden Girl:

Spring Fling Friday

Spring Fling Saturday

Spring Fling Saturday-Rick Bayless Garden

Spring Fling Saturday-Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool

Spring Fling Saturday-A busy Day

Spring Fling Sunday-Winding Down

MrBrownThumb:

Chicago Spring Fling in Words

Chicago Spring Fling in Pictures

Rick Bayless' Urban Edible Garden

My Skinny Garden:

Ginkgo Organic Community Garden

5 Things I Loved About the Rick Bayless Garden

On the Shores of Lake Chicago:

Spring Fling, Days 2 & 3

Spring Fling, Day 1

Garden Faerie's Musings:

Chicago Spring Fling

Flatbush Gardener:

Native Plant Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden

Edible Plant Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden

Model Train Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden

Rick Bayless Garden

Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool

Chicago Spring Fling 2009

Ramble on Rose:
Spring Fling '09 Wrap Up
Muse Day Final Fling Thoughts

Art of Gardening:
Garden Bloggers Spring Fling

Garden Blogging Influencing

Digging:
Caldwell Lily Pool, an oasis in Chicago
Visit to Garfield Park Conservatory
Intimate Gardens of Spring Fling
Art Institute Garden in Chicago
On Cloud Nine in Lurie Garden
The People Behind The Blogs
Chicago Botanic Garden wows Spring Flingers

Dig Grow Compost Blog:
Loving It-Chicago Botanic Garden
Rick Bayless Garden
Thank You Chicago Garden Bloggers

Fairegarden:

People of Spring Fling Chicago

Experiencing Chicago

faire Lurie garden Someday

Prairie Rose's Garden:

Spring Fling Finale

Garden Muse Day: Chicago

May Dreams Gardens:

Unpacking some misc Ideas Brought Home

Reforming one of my ways Again

Chicago Beans

Step back and see Gardens

The Garden of live Flowers:

Spring Fling Chicago photos

Chicago Spring Fling: The rest of the story

Time to get Cereus

Sharing Nature's Garden:

Chicago ala Mexicana

Lurie lures us In

Fling has Flung

Each Little World:

Chicago Spring Fling Sampler

Spring Fling Recap-Images and Impressions

Outside Clyde:

Garfield Park Conservatory

More Fling

Around Millennium Park

Chicago Botanic Garden

Eye on Chicago

Growing a Garden in Davis:

Spring Fling Chicago

Garden Punks:

Chicago Spring Fling 2009

Chicago Botanic Garden:

Spring Fling

Our Litte Acre:

Spring Fling Garden Party Giveaway

The Lurie Garden in Millennium Park - Chicago

Spring Fling Chicago 2009

There's a Sweet Home & Garden in Chicago

Who Is Rick Bayless Anyway?

Ohhh...the Lily Pool

Chicago's Lincoln Park Conservatory

Garden Rant:
Return of the natives—and a Prairie School landmark—in Chicago
Next year in Buffalo

Mr.McGregor's Daughter:
A Grand Day Out At the Chicago Botanic Garden
But Wait, There's More.

Searching for the Unique Angle

A Place in the Shade

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:07:00 +0000

With temperatures in the 90s this week, Boo has the right idea:

He always finds the cool spots in the garden, such as this one in the dappled shade of the willow tree and other plants.

I wonder if cats have a natural mosquito repellent, because all the rain we had earlier has produced bumper broods of the biters. The cats don't seem to be bothered by them, but maybe it's because they've been getting their nourishment from me. It doesn't matter what time of the day I go out - the mosquitoes are always biting.

Of course, with the heat and humidity being what it is right now, the mosquitoes are going to have to find someone else to chew on, because I'm staying inside with the air conditioning!

Plan Bee: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Hardest Working Creatures on the Planet - A Review

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:10:00 +0000

I love honeybees and am fascinated by them. Too bad they don't like me. Well, I guess it isn't really their fault that I'm allergic to their stings. In spite of the pain and other bad reactions they cause me, they are one of my favorite insects. They rank right up there with the butterflies and lightning bugs.

Honeybees have been a part of my life since I was quite young. I grew up just a few miles from two honey producing and packing businesses. In fact, the son of one of the owners of one of them was in my class at school and was my boyfriend in the fifth grade. My parents used to call him "Honeyboy."

He eventually went on to become the president and CEO of that business, which merged with another honey business in Kansas to form Golden Heritage Foods LLC, the second largest honey packing facility in the nation. He and his wife, who was also in my class, still live just a few miles away.

Anyway, it was nothing to drive down one of our country roads and see bee hives sitting in the middle of a clover field. About a month ago, Romie and I were trekking through a nearby woods and there were some hive boxes a-buzzin' there. I kept my distance, of course, but it was fascinating to stand and watch the flurry of activity surrounding those boxes.

Recently, I was asked to read and review a copy of Plan‌ Bee: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Hardest Working Creatures on the Planet. It's no secret that I love to read, so when I got the chance to learn more about honeybees in the process, I enthusiastically said, "Absolutely!" Even so, I kind of thought to myself that the book was going to be rather dry and boring after awhile. I mean, really. How much can you say about bees before it begins to sound like an entomology textbook?

Susan Brackney is a beekeeper. She's also an engaging writer who just made me love honeybees even more than I already did. I never once got bored or felt like putting the book down without finishing it. This is good stuff!

Every time I spoon out a bit of honey for my coffee or oatmeal, I'm reminded that anything of real value requires hard work and a lot of it. On average, it takes about a dozen bees to gather enough nectar to make just one gloriously golden teaspoon of honey, and each of those bees must visit more than 2,600 flowers in the process. Crazier still, all those flights from the hive to the flowers and back again add up to 850 miles or so - just over the distance from New York to Chicago.

There's R-rated stuff in the book, too. I don't tell you that to get you to read the book, but how a queen bee attracts her mates and what they do after she's lured them her way is pretty bizarre stuff. In fact, this little book (192 pages and about 5" x 8") is chock-full of amazing facts, history, and anecdotes about honeybees. There's also information about beekeeping, just in case you'd like to try your hand at it, and recipes for making not only food items, but soap, candles, and lip balm.

I think Plan‌ Bee is the bee's knees. In case you don't know what that means, read the book. It tells you that, too.

Plan‌ Bee: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Hardest Working Creatures on the Planet by Susan Brackney
Perigee Books
List Price: $21.95
Amazon Price: $12.56 (qualifies for Free Shipping on orders over $25)

Susan Brackney is a beekeeper in Bloomington, Indiana. A nature writer whose articles have appeared in the New York Times, Plenty, Organic Gardening, and elsewhere, she is also an avid gardener, an expert on sustainablility, and the author of The Insatiable Gardener's Guide, The Lost Soul Companion, and The Not-So-Lost Soul Companion. Visit her website at www.planbeebook.com.

Check out the live BeeCam!

_________________
The product or merchandise being reviewed in this blog post was the sole compensation for testing and reviewing the product. All opinions expressed here are mine, with no suggestions whatsoever by the manufacturer or distributor. If I like it, I'll say so. If I don't, I'll say that, too.

Is There a Doctor in the House?

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:41:00 +0000

I had my yearly doctor's appointment today. That's always fun. No, really, it isn't too bad, because I really like the Nurse Practitioner that I see there. She's like your best girlfriend, but a lot smarter. I know this, because when she looked at my routine blood work results, she knew that I'm a junk food junkie. (If she only really knew...)

She also knew why my left ear has been plugged for the last two weeks. Ear wax. UGH. I kind of thought that might be the case, but she produced tangible evidence. Now I have to put drops in my ear and go back in two weeks to have it flushed out. No problem. Anything so I don't have to walk around like my head's underwater anymore.

My plants need to see a doctor, too. Several weeks ago I noticed spots on the leaves of several plants. Teeny tiny round brown dots.

They look like they got hit with buckshot.

I looked around to see if I could find out what's literally bugging them, but the only thing I could see was a striped beetle that reminds me a bit of a lightning bug, but not quite. By the way, we saw our first lightning bug the evening of June 19, which is right on schedule. Usually they appear for the first time right around the first day of summer, which this year was June 21st.

So... about those spots. I found them on the Rudbeckia, Gaillardia, Veronica, and Oregano, just to name a few.

Does anyone have a clue as to what's going on here? Insect, fungus, bacteria?

And while we're at it, what would make my Rosa 'Senior Prom' have leaves like this?

Don't Bug Me! (This Year, Either)

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:57:00 +0000

I was getting ready to write a blog post about the scarab beetle I found in one of the roses yesterday, which I was certain was an immature Japanese Beetle. I did some searching online for scarab beetles and came upon a blog post I'd made two years ago, nearly to the day. (Yes, I'd forgotten about it.) So instead of writing a completely different post about the Hairy Flower Scarab, I'm simply going to rerun my post from June 19, 2007. I could have written it word for word today.

I thought the Japanese Beetles had made their appearance. I found two today, both on roses. But while they were of the same size and general shape of a Japanese Beetle, they didn't look like the ones we had last year. This is a photo I took of the second one I found today:

Trichiotinus assimilis

It's a Hairy Flower Scarab or Bee Mimic Beetle. They behave much like bees. They hide in roses much like Japanese Beetles, too, and I'm treating them as such.

I usually pick them off and take them in the house to put them down the garbage disposal. If I smash them in the garden, the resulting smell they give off will attract more. I could take a jar of soapy water with me to the gardens when I'm on Japanese Beetle Watch and put them in there to drown, too.

We only had a total of thirteen of the little buggers last summer, but something tells me we're going to have a lot more than that this year. I've only ever found them on my roses, but Wikipedia says they like these:

Strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, roses, plums, pears, peaches, raspberries, blackberries and these genera:

Abelmoschus
Acer
Aesculus
Alcea
Asparagus
Aster
Betula (Birch trees)
Buddleia
Calluna
Caladium
Canna
Chaenomoles
Cirsium
Cosmos
Dahlia
Daucus
Dendranthema
Digitalis
Dolichos
Echinacea
Hemerocallis
Heuchera
Hibiscus
Hydrangea
Ilex
Iris
Lagerstroemia
Liatris
Ligustrum
Malus
Malva
Myrica
Oenothera
Parthenocissus
Phaeseolus
Phlox
Physocarpus
Platanus
Polygonum
Prunus
Quercus
Rheum
Rhododendron
Rosa
Rubus
Salix
Sambucus
Sassafras
Solanum
Syringa
Tilia (Linden, lime, or basswood trees)
Toxicodendron
Ulmus
Vaccinium
Viburnum
Vitis
Weigelia
Wisteria
Zea
Zinnia

Oh brother. The whole freakin' garden.

Green Thumb Sunday - Echinacea 'Tiki Torch'

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:55:00 +0000

It's been awhile since I've done a Green Thumb Sunday post, but this week, Echinacea 'Tiki Torch' burst into bloom and I just had to share. Orange just isn't my very favorite color in a flower, but 'Tiki Torch' clearly demonstrates that it depends on the flower. I really like this.

A closer look...

Besides its scrummy color, I'm tickled by the whimsical little petalettes, curling at random around the plastic spiked centers and the crowns of gold.

Join

I Heart Dirt and You Can Too!

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:49:00 +0000

It always makes me proud, somehow, when I find out that a great business is located in my home state of Ohio. I'm a born and raised Ohioan, otherwise known as a Buckeye, and I'm proud of it. Ohio has produced some wonderful people, some of them famous.

You know those Wright brothers - Orville and Wilbur - who are credited with flying the first airplane. Ohio has produced eight of our presidents: Garfield, McKinley, Harding, Taft, Cleveland, Hayes, Grant, and Benjamin Harrison.

There's Neil Armstrong, who's the first man to step foot on the moon, and Paul Newman, who only got better looking as he got older.

We're home to not only people, but businesses that are notable. The first matchbook was manufactured in Barberton by the Diamond Match Company (1896). Smucker's started making jams and jellies in Orrville in 1897. Etch A Sketch was first manufactured in 1960 in Bryan by the Ohio Art Company. Bob Evans Restaurants got their start in Rio Grande in 1962.

And then there's Troy-Bilt, based in Cleveland. As gardeners, we're familiar with the company's products and many of us use them on a regular basis. They have a reputation for producing high quality equipment, to which I can attest, and they've also got a great sense of humor.

Take these t-shirts shown below, for instance:

No really. Take them.

One is size medium and one is size large, and I'm giving them away, courtesy of Troy-Bilt. They're made of super soft organic cotton and have Troy-Bilt's logo on the upper back (it's small). To win one of these shirts, just leave a comment here, telling me which Troy-Bilt product you'd most like to have and which size t-shirt you'd prefer. You can see their line of products on their website.

Then at midnight EDT on Saturday, June 27th, I'll randomly choose two winners from those who have left comments. The first one chosen will get a shirt in the size they prefer and the second winner will get the other one. Enter now and good luck!

Oh, and here's another bit of Ohio trivia, with which you can astound your friends and neighbors: The first automobile accident occurred in Ohio City, Ohio in 1891. I've been by the crash site many times, since Ohio City is half an hour from here.

Two Ohio Gardeners

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 03:39:00 +0000

For some time now, I have enjoyed reading one of the most beautiful garden blogs on the internet. BG Garden Blog, authored by Brenda, not only is located in the same zone as Our Little Acre, but is also just a short hour and a half drive away. Yesterday, upon the invitation of Brenda, I visited her gorgeous gardens.

As I neared Brenda's house, I passed a wind farm, much like the one that is being planned for our area. I'd forgotten that Bowling Green had this and I was happy to get to see the gigantic wind turbines in action.

A short time later, I turned into the drive at Brenda's house and I was taken back to the time I visited Hiddenhaven, the gardens of Tracy DiSabato-Aust. The rural setting was very similar to Tracy's, complete with pond and woods.

Brenda met me as I stepped out of my car and from that moment on, we were two friends and gardeners immediately off on a day of talking plants and flowers and design, with the latter being a mostly one-sided conversation, as garden design isn't my strong suit. It clearly is something that comes naturally for Brenda. She has a knack for putting things together in a perfect blend of color and texture.

We casually walked around her house and Brenda explained some of how things got where they were and what were her favorites. She shared her plans for planting various landscaped areas, flower beds, and the vegetable garden.

The Portage River runs through their property, back through the wooded part. Oh yes, lots of woods and we walked some of the trails. There were remnants of the spring wildflowers, such as bloodroot. Black-winged damselflies (Calopteryx maculata) flitted here and there, and graciously allowed me to get close enough for a decent photo.

There are several beautiful cats roaming BG Gardens, because like us, they like their kitties. I got to meet Jack, Oppie, Kink, Boo, and Gracie.

Jack

Oppie

After we did our walk-through, we took off for Genoa, where I introduced Brenda to one of her fine local dining places - Muggz's Tea Nook - where I'd been at the end of May, during the Cleveland trip. Funny how that is, that something can be right in your back yard almost, but for some reason, you're not aware of it. I tried to finagle the recipe for the Tomato Basil soup out of the chef, but alas, it's the only thing she won't give out, of all the things she cooks. (She did tell me she uses honey in it, though.)

With our tummies full (Thank you, Bren!), we traveled a short distance to Elmore, home of Bench's Greenhouse & Nursery (as well as Schedel Arboretum and Gardens). As we turned into the parking lot, we saw a sign out front that said, "40% off all plants." A flurry of words were exchanged between us, as we pondered if that meant what we thought it meant.

When we got inside, we saw another sign:

And then another:

Finally, Brenda went to the counter and asked just what really was 40% off. The answer? Anything with a root system.

Well, let me tell you, we were beside ourselves and like two kids in a candy store. In some places, a sale such as this might not be all that exciting, but this was Bench's. Brenda had told me they had a huge variety of plants, trees, and shrubs to offer and that they were healthy too, and she was right.

We probably spent two hours or more, looking through their things, picking and choosing and having the best time. The only thing stopping me from getting more than I did is that I'm running out of space to plant things, unless we make the gardens larger. They're already at the upper limit of what Romie and I can manage, so I left the 'Coppertina' ninebark and the 'Diane' witch hazel there. It was really hard passing up the witch hazel, at $60 for a large one, but the sale meant there was no guarantee on anything and I wasn't sure I wanted to risk that much.

Brenda used to work at a greenhouse, so she shared some tips with me as we chose plants and talked about where they might be planted and how to take care of them. We took our purchases to the checkout, and Brenda was concerned that we might not be able to fit everything into my van, but I assured her that over the course of all the gardening trips Mom and I had made in the past, we both knew how to pack a van to the maximum. No worries!

Do we look like we just won the lottery, or what?

We felt good about our choices and the great deals we got on some fabulous plants. Brenda got a couple of Snowberry (Symphoricarpos) shrubs and a 'Sutherland Gold' Sambucus, as well as other perennials. I found my hanging Boston ferns for under the pergola and the gazebo, and a few other plants that I've never seen in any garden center before, such as a tricolor St. John's Wort (Hypericum × moserianum 'Tricolor').

I also picked up a Japanese Beautyberry, a Sunset Hyssop (Agastache rupestris), two Siberian Irises ('Pink Haze' and 'Strawberry Fair'), and an orange German Bearded Iris ('Savannah Sunset'). A Gloxinia, at $2.99, just jumped right into my cart, too. Those perennials, in quart containers? $2.00 each.

By now, it was after 6:00, and I needed to think about heading for home, so after taking Brenda back to her house and saying goodbye to her lovely family, she and I said our goodbyes too. It was amazing how quickly the time had passed, but that's how it is between friends, isn't it?

Lollipop Lollipop

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:49:00 +0000

That song is almost older than I am (I was one year old when it was released in 1958), yet when I see these Asiatic lilies blooming in my garden, its tune runs through my mind every time.

I promised to post photos when these were in full bloom, but I couldn't wait that long. There are several more set to open up soon, but already they're thrilling me. I just may love this Asiatic lily best of all.

'Lollipop'

There are other Asiatic lilies that have opened, too.

These three blooms are all 'Elodie', a double Asiatic. Usually, they all look like the softer shade of pink, but I like the darker one better, I think.

This orange was sent as a replacement for 'Italia' when Breck's ran out of it before filling my order. I wasn't happy, because in my opinion, 'Italia' is much prettier. I later reordered 'Italia' when it was promised to be back in stock and it will bloom later.

'Matrix' is just plain gaudy. It's an amazing lily though. When I walk by it, I can't stop looking at it, in awe of its gaudiness.

There will be other Asiatic lilies blooming later, and they're quite lovely, but I'm not sure any of them will capture my attention quite like 'Lollipop.'

Ginkgo Organic Gardens - Chicago

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:59:00 +0000

I can faintly remember a community garden of sorts in my hometown (population 180) when I was growing up. It was an area just north of the ball diamond on the edge of town where people who lived in town could grow things. Practically everyone who lived in that little town had enough space where their houses were; I'm not sure why they wouldn't garden there. But someone gardened in this designated spot. I remember seeing them do it.

In Chicago, real estate can be scarce, and if you live in an apartment, you don't have any at all. So in various locations throughout the city, there are places that are set aside as community gardens, where residents can "grow their own." Spring Fling attendees got to visit one of these gardens - the Ginkgo Organic Gardens in Wrigleyville.

What makes the Ginkgo Organic Gardens special is that they use the produce grown there to feed the hungry by donating it to various organizations that distribute it to those in need.

Ben Helphand (in the blue shirt), from NeighborSpace, which oversees the operation of the gardens, speaks to the Spring Flingers.

Each year, they grow about 1500 pounds of fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs.

The labor is all volunteer and work days are scheduled for every Saturday, April through November.

For more information, visit the Ginkgo Organic Gardens website, or their blog, Ginkgo Gardens Journal.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - June 2009

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:54:00 +0000

Another month has passed and it's time for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Carol, of May Dreams Gardens, is the mastermind behind the parade of blooms from all over the world. You can visit her post to see a list of participating garden bloggers.

As is usually the case in June, Our Little Acre is blooming all over the place! It would take me more time than I have, to post a photo of every flower blooming here right now, so I'll just post some of the better photos that popped out of my camera.

English Rose 'Abraham Darby'

Floribunda (indeed!) 'Topsy Turvy'

The roses are doing exceptionally well this year and I wonder if it's because I fertilized them when they first started growing again this spring. I've never fertilized my roses before. Yes, I think maybe that's the key. ;-)

Gaillardia 'Lemons and Oranges'
I lost this one from last year, but I loved it so much I bought it again.

Giant Yellow Foxglove (Digitalis grandiflora)

Heucherella 'Stoplight'
Who need flowers, with foliage like this?

Penstemon digitalis 'Husker's Red'
This is a plant so easy to grow, it doesn't even matter where you plant it - full shade or full sun - it does equally well in both places.

Red Hot Poker Plant (Kniphofia uvaria)

Asiatic Lily 'Matrix'

Japanese Honeysuckle

This was here when we moved here and has never been a problem for us as far as being invasive is concerned. The smell around our patio area, where this is, just can't be described. It's especially wonderful in the evening.

Delphinium elatum 'Magic Fountain'
I finally found a Delphinium that I can grow and that comes back every year! It even reseeds for me if I allow it.

Campanula persicifolia 'Kelly's Gold', with a couple of nearby daisies peeking in.

Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles'

Variegated Sedum kamtschaticum

Astilbe 'Peach Blossom'
This Astilbe is near and dear to my heart, because it's the first one I've ever gotten to bloom. I had several others before I got this one, but those would never bloom. They do now and I swear it's because they didn't know how until 'Peach Blossom' showed them the way to do it.

Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum) - always a conversation piece!

Astrantia major 'Roma'
Astrantias are among my very favorite perennials.

Argeranthemum 'Madeira'

Allium schubertii
Romie asked me if I planted these on purpose this way - small, medium, large. The bulbs were all the same size, but they did come out like this. They opened in order too, with the one on the far right being first and the far left one being last.

The first daylily of the year is also blooming - 'Black-Eyed Stella.' And 'Lollipop' Asiatic lilies have begun. When those are in full bloom, I'll post a picture, because that is quite a sight. I love this time of year, because each day when I go out to the garden for a walk-through, there is always something new blooming.

Ohhh...the Lily Pool

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 06:59:00 +0000

For some reason, from the first time I heard about Alfred Caldwell's Lily Pool, I wanted to see it. If I'd gone home from Spring Fling and didn't get there, I knew I'd regret it. I'm not sure why I was so hell-bent on getting to see this place that I knew nothing about, but whatever was drawing me to it couldn't be silenced.

Now I have seen it and I want to go back. I missed the waterfall.

Located just around the corner from the Lincoln Park Conservatory and the Lincoln Park Zoo, this treasure is tucked away behind its Prairie School style entrance and once you walk through, a sense of calm takes over.

Originally built in 1889 for raising water lilies, it was redesigned in the 1930s by Alfred Caldwell. It's meant to mimic the melting glacial waters cutting through stone to create a river. At the north end, there's a waterfall, I'm told, that represents the source of the water for the Lily Pool.

The layers of limestone used throughout the area are impressive, especially in the shelter house. Caldwell makes great use of them in staying with the Prairie School style of architecture, which originated in Chicago. Romie and I are big fans of Frank Lloyd Wright, a leader of the Prairie Style, and have visited many of his landmark structures, such as Fallingwater.

Mom and I took a quick walk through the biggest part of the trails that wind around the pool, accompanied by two of our fellow Spring Flingers, MrBrownThumb and garden girl. It was a nice way to spend some time with both of them, away from the hustle and bustle of the city and our energetic group.

The wildflowers were right at home here and with all the natural lush green growth, it was hard to imagine that we were in the middle of a major city. Once in awhile, we'd get a glimpse of the "outside world," though...

Before we had really properly explored all the trails surrounding the Lily Pool, it was time to return to the bus. The evening would once again be spent with our Spring Fling friends at a proper Chicago pizza place, Giordano's. Mmmmm...pizza!

Still to come - The Ginkgo Organic Garden and Garfield Park Conservatory.

Chicago's Lincoln Park Conservatory

gardengeek57@gmail.com (Kylee from Our Little Acre) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:29:00 +0000

Yes, I'm still blogging about Spring Fling. I know I'm a procrastinator extraordinaire, but the fact that I've still got a few posts to go before I'm finished reporting on Spring Fling should be evidence that we spent an action-packed three days in the Windy City. I think I'm still exhausted from it all, two weeks later!

Lincoln Park

Saturday was the busiest day, beginning with the Rick Bayless garden. The organizers of Spring Fling had chartered a bus to take us from one place to another, beginning at our hotel (Club Quarters Central Loop) and I can't thank them enough for doing that. Mom and I would have surely missed half of the planned stops if we'd had to go it on our own.

One of the destinations of the day was in Lincoln Park, where we had some time to explore the Lincoln Park Conservatory and surrounding area. Constructed between 1890 and 1895, the Conservatory was built at a time when the public had a general fascination with nature. It was designed to both showcase exotic plants as well as to provide a place for the city to grow plants it needed for landscaping the city parks.

The Conservatory consists of four rooms - Palm House, Fern Room, Orchid House, and Show House.

With apologies to those on dial-up, here are some views from the Conservatory:

Fabulous use of red as an accent.

Lots of graphic lines here!

I loved the fabric screen hanging across the room. The flowers are pieces of fabric sandwiched between the sheer white panels.

The tropical Crotons really know how to light up a room!

This ~~Clerodendron~~ ~~Clerodendrum~~ Rotheca always fascinates me with its delicate blooms of blue. (Why oh why do the taxonomists keep messing with us??)

The Fern Room

'City Lights' Water Lily (Nymphaea)

Look at the hanging Tahitian Bridal Veil (Gibasis geniculata)! It was at least seven feet long, top to bottom, if not more. I grew one of these way back when I was in college, but it never looked like this!

Beautiful Bromeliad

Wall of white Phalaenopsis

Bromeliad

Brassavola 'Jiminy Cricket'

Orchid

Bougainvillea is one of my favorite tropicals.

African Iris (Dietes iridioides)

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
When I say red is my favorite color, I mean this shade of red.

Bougainvillea silhouetted against the glass ceiling of the Conservatory

There's also a Conifer Garden on the west and south sides, outside the Conservatory, which somehow I missed. I think I was worried about not having enough time to visit the nearby Lily Pool, so once we left the Conservatory, Mom and I headed for that. But not until I'd popped into the adjacent Lincoln Park Zoo for some Dippin' Dots. Mmmmm!

Over to the Lily Pooh next...