The Clematises of Squirrelhaven

June is the best month for Clematis here at Squirrelhaven. The Early Large Flowered Hybrids (Type II Clematis) start the month off continuing their show from May, while the Late Large Flowered Hybrids and small flowered hybrids (all Type III) begin their show. We'll take the tour starting at the bed nearest the street, where my newest Clematis, a Raymond Evison hybrid, 'Evisix' (Petit Faucon) is set off quite nicely by Cotinus 'Ancot' (Golden Spirit).It is an Integrefolia hybrid, which means it doesn't twine, but tends to scramble a bit. It will eventually be growing through the Smokebush.

At the top of the driveway is one of my favorite Clematises, 'Viola,' a Late Large Flowering hybrid (Type III).It is hard to capture the beauty of this flower, as the petals have such a velvety texture and the color is such a dark purple. I have it climbing the Magnolia rather than on a trellis or obelisk.

Around the back, by the patio is the best performing Clematis at Squirrelhaven, the small flowering Type III 'Betty Corning.'According to most sources, 'Betty Corning' starts blooming in July, but it has started blooming around the beginning of June this year and last year. (I planted it in the fall of 2007.) It is the longest blooming of the Clematises here, from June 8 to August 30 last year. It has small but abundant blooms and, occasionally, when the weather is just right, I can detect a faint scent. 'Betty' is such an easy and undemanding Clematis. As shown above (blooming with a pink Aquilegia vulgaris), it's growing against a chimney in partial shade at the top of a slope. Two small trellises and a length of chickenwire support it. It doesn't get as much moisture at it probably wants, but it puts on a good show regardless.

Growing near it is my darkest blue Clematis, 'Rhapsody,' which sources can't agree on whether it is a Type II or a Type III large flowered hybrid.Unlike 'Betty Corning,' 'Rhapsody' is suffering from it's location at the bottom of the slope next to the chimney. I had thought it would be more moist there and a better location, but clearly this plant needs special coddling, as it is suffering from wilt again this year.

In the raised bed against the east wall are two Type II Clematises. 'Vyvyan Pennell' was rated highly in the Chicago Botanic Garden trials about 10 years ago, so I planted it two years ago. Thus far, I'm not impressed with its performance.Sure, it has lovely blue-lilac double flowers, but only three this year. Last year there was no rebloom in the fall. If there is none this fall either, 'Vyvyan' will be removed and stuffed into a less prominant location.

Blooming early, longer, in more shade and much more profusely is its companion in the raised bed, 'Natascha.' I didn't research this Clematis and plan its purchase. This was an impulse buy at the Boy Scouts plant sale two years ago. This year, 'Natascha' started blooming on May 23, and the petals fell from the last bloom yesterday. 'Natascha' gets to stay.

Another of my newer Clematises will hopefully cover a trellis screen at the front of the woodland garden. This is the Viticella 'Venosa Violacea.'It has larger blooms than most Viticellas.

Growing on an obelisk in shade in the woodland garden is another Evison Clematis, 'Evipo 023' (Cezanne). It is lightly fragrant. By that I mean you have to practically inhale pollen, but there is always a bit of a scent. It looked great for a long time, but the overabundance of rain has resulted in serious slug damage to the blooms, and the recent heat without rain has caused forming buds to shrivel. It generally reblooms in the fall.

The small blue Clematis on the arch is another Evison plant, Clematis 'Evipo 31' (Bonanza). There is a closeup of it further down. It has lots of smaller bluish blooms. This is its second year in the garden. On the opposite side of the arch are two Type III Clematises, the Viticella hybrid 'Madame Julia Correvon'

and the Late Large Flowering hybrid 'Comtesse de Bouchaud.'
They are also fairly new to the garden. Once they mature, I expect them to twine together.

On the way back trellis are two Clematises that got moved out of the prime position in the raised bed. 'Asao,' a Type II Clematis, got moved because it blooms for only a short time in late spring.
I'm starting to rethink my decision, however, as its foliage is chartreuse at bloom time. 'Asao' is the first Clematis to bloom at Squirrelhaven, starting around the middle of May. It is still trying to recover from it's moving experience three years ago. The other Clematis simply outgrew the available space and needed a bigger trellis. This is what I believe is 'Henryi,' which is also a Type II.
He was mismarked as 'Ramona,' which I still don't have and may never get now. 'Henryi' doesn't like growing in shade, throwing out only a few large blooms, but he's doing the job on the trellis of providing screening for my compost area.

Out of the shade and down the long border to an area that has become full sun only this year, is a neat little Clematis, 'Crystal Fairy.'It is a Type II Clematis, and reblooms well in fall. In my June Bloom Day post, I showed it in its "puffball" stage, when the tepals fall, leaving only the stamen-thingies. I have it on an obelisk, but I hope it will someday branch out into the Calycanthus floridus 'Athens' growing next to it. I think this might be the only Clematis that gets full sun, and it shows its appreciation with lots of blooms.

The last Clematis was another impulse purchase from the Boy Scout sale several years ago, but what a find it is.Clematis 'Silver Moon,' a Type II Clematis with very large flowers, blooms profusely in partial shade. This plant is virtually (and almost literally) smothered in blooms. (See top photo, in bud and in bloom.) I have it growing on a trellis on the northside of the fence. I'm going to have to limb up the Heptacodium miconiodes to provide a better view the Clematis, but not this year, as 'Silver Moon' has started climbing the tree. My only reservation about this plant is that it does not rebloom in fall as it is reported to do.
A few days ago, all my Clematises, save one ('Asao'), were in bloom. It only lasted for a day, so I was able to do a comparison, using a bloom from 'Betty Corning' as the standard.

It is often difficult to tell the size of a Clematis bloom from a photograph, so I hope this comparison helps. It also provides a useful color comparison.
Making this post of my Clematises, I realize that I truly don't have that many, and I definitely need some more. With so many great plants now, and new ones being introduced all the time, it's so hard to choose. The extreme heat must have gotten to my brain the other day, when I walked away from a new Clematis with navy blue blooms, 'Cleminov 51' (Saphyra Indigo). Who couldn't use a long-blooming, navy blue Clematis?

GBDW: Green Mustache Update & A Corner Front Garden

The last time Gardening Gone Wild chose to feature front gardens as part of Garden Bloggers' Design Workshop, I confessed to the world that my house had a Green Mustache. After much hard work, we've eliminated the Mustache, raised the level of the bed, and installed a retaining wall. The retaining wall isn't quite finished. After I add more gravel and more topsoil, I'll put on the top layer of recycled concrete. I've decided to reduce my anxiety level when work needs to be done on the house, such as painting the window frames, by designing a catwalk so that my plants will not get stepped on or broken by those focused on the task at hand. The catwalk is paved in gravel to slow down the flow of rainwater to allow the soil to absorb it all, as I learned to do from Marcus de la fleur's Pilot Project. The garden also needs more larger rocks for the top layer.

I think I'm going to install a few raingarden plants in this area, something that can be trampled a bit. The fountain has been installed, but we still have to put the pump in it. I placed it on a thing I found in the back corner of the back garden. I don't know what it is, but it feels like porcelain. We had to have an outlet installed on the front of the house, which was done this week.

I wish I could say I've drawn up a design or planting plan for this garden, but I'm really a "by the seat of my pants" designer. I need to see how things look. I like the Wisteria macrostachys 'Blue Moon,' which I'm training into a standard, in the center.I also like the Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey.' I'd like to add two more of those. It's turned out to be too shady for the Peonies, so they'll have to be moved.

The color scheme is ruby/chartreuse/purple. The plants installed so far are, in addition to the Hydrangea and Wisteria: Aquilegia 'Sunburst Ruby' seedlings, Viola 'Mars,' Heuchera 'Frosted Violet,' and for continuity from the garden across the walk, Phlox pilosa 'Eco Happy Traveler,' which has pink flowers, but they don't clash with the Aquilegia.

I don't know what to plant behind the fountain. There isn't room for a shrub. I'm thinking about moving the fountain towards the center of the garden to allow room for something larger to go on the left end, which is in full sun. The rest of the bed is in partial shade, with only a few hours of direct sunlight in the middle of the day. I'll be putting succulents into the retaining wall, and Callirhoe involucrata to spill over the edge. Beyond that, I have no clue what I'm going to do with it. I'm open to suggestions.

In the immortal words of Rocket J. Squirrel, "And now here's something we hope you'll really like." This is a garden in Barrington that Trudi Temple designed for her daughter's family, who have now moved to the East Coast.

As it is on a corner lot, it actually has two front gardens. I took these photos in May. Note the seating areas, the use of stone, and the interesting mix of conifers. Not your standard "Yew and a lawn" front yard.

There Will Be Mud

This is just a fraction of what was dug up and removed.

Some people are so lucky. When they go to plant something in the garden, they dig a hole and plant it. Others, such as Gail, Pam, or Layanee, are lucky, though they may not realize it. When they go to plant something, they encounter a chunk of limestone or granite. Lucky? you ask. How can that be lucky? Comparatively speaking they are. They could be digging up large chunks of concrete. I suspect the remains of a dairy barn were bulldozed and buried on my property.

A couple of weeks ago, it was a cloudy, cool morning with cloud cover forecasted for several days and then rain. Perfect weather for transplanting a Tricyrtis that wasn't happy and for dividing another one that was outgrowing its space. I thought how nice it would look to move them across the path, to an area that I had just cleared of Lamium maculatum. Here's the before shot. I started digging and heard that horrible thunk that signals a chunk of concrete lying beneath the surface like some horticultural land mine. It wasn't unexpected, as my brother-in-law and I had encountered quite a bit of concrete when he installed a small screen near the composting area, and I've been digging up sizable chunks of concrete for the past 15 years from all over the property. So I started digging. And digging. And digging. I had to keep digging because I realized that to remove the chunk that was where I wanted to put the plants, I had to remove several other chunks that were partially covering it. But to free those chunks, I had to remove even more chunks, and every time I pulled one out, I found three more. Call me Sisyphus.

I had to stop for the day, as it was time for dinner. Then I dug the next day. And the next. I ended up digging concrete by myself for three days, and one day with my Very Indulgent Spouse (VIS) helping me. Along the way, I sawed through major tree roots and moved concrete out front to create a retaining wall. Several recently planted things had to be dug up to get at a particularly large chunk of concrete. I could have entitled this post "There Will Be Blood," as VIS and I both ended up bleeding. (I also got a finger caught between two heavy chunks of concrete. It's still a bit tender.) Here are a couple of representative samples:

Finally, we decided that we needed to quit, as we could easily have dug up most of the back garden. The excavated area is about 10 feet by 4 feet across at the widest and about 3 feet in depth.

I bought topsoil to fill some of the hole. I would have liked to have allowed it time to settle completely, but several plants were sitting out on the ground and needed to be replanted as soon as possible. I'll have to dig them up again, put in more soil, and then replant them.

But at least I got this nifty retaining wall out of it. Did I mention that I have a new Geranium that I was going to plant?

A Rose in Three Moods

The Rose photography contest at Gardening Gone Wild has given me an excuse to talk about my one and only Rose.  I've told story behind my decision to plant a 'Carefree Beauty' Rose here.  In short, this Rose has it all:  cold hardiness, disease resistance, repeat bloom and a light fragrance.  The fragrance doesn't compare to that of the old French Roses, but it is much better than other cold hardy, disease resistant, repeat-blooming shrub Roses.  I highly recommend this easy to care for Rose, which received no protection other than snowcover when temperatures plummeted to -18F last winter.  There was minimal stem dieback this spring, and now it's a bloom machine.

All my photos are closeups, as the garden and the Rose were installed last year, and I'm not finished with it yet, so it doesn't look that good in long shots.
Here is a typical sample of the photos I've been taking of 'Carefree Beauty' this June.It's not backlit at all, nor are there shadows, because sunlight at dawn and near dusk has been a rare thing around here this June.  And yes, that's rain on the foliage.

I can't remember if this is dew or rain, but I'd bet on the latter.
Finally, and most surprisingly:it's backlit!

A Residential Green Roof and Raingarden

I would have liked to have had Spring Fling take a tour of the 168 Elm Ave. Pilot Project in Elmhurst to see a model green roof and raingarden. Marcus de la fleur installed the green roof and raingarden to demonstrate the feasibility of such sustainable techniques in a residential setting in the hope that homeowners will adopt them. As seen in the photo above, a green roof need not be large to be effective. This green roof is planted with low growing succulent and xeric plants which look attractive throughout the year. A properly installed green roof should outlast a convention roof.

I installed a rainbarrel this year, but I, like many other people, have discovered that one rainbarrel isn't enough, as it quickly fills up and discharges the excess in a heavy rain. Marcus recommends figuring out the square footage of the roof and installing a number of rainbarrels sufficient to handle the runoff. Even utilitarian rainbarrels need not be boring or ugly.The barrels are connected to each other to provide adequate water storage.While my rainbarrel isn't quite as functional as these, I learned that mine has a couple of necessary features that not all rainbarrels have. The faucet is lower down to allow access to more of the water, and it has a drainage hose connected to the bottom of the barrel to facilitate draining of the barrel for winter.
While installing a green roof system on my house lies in the future, I'm working on installing a raingarden right now, so I was very interested in seeing how it should be done. Here is the front corner of the house and the bioswale planted with native plants. The first thing I noticed was the gravel on the ground near the walk by the house.Marcus explained that to reduce runoff, water must be slowed down enough to be absorbed into the ground. A layer of small pebbles or gravel slows the water down before it hits the soil.The larger stones go on top of the smaller ones.

I had thought that my front walk, which is made up of pavers, was a permeable paving. I was disabused of that notion.The paving on the right looks like my front walk (except where it's sliding apart). That is not permeable. The paving on the left is permeable. My foot provides scale for the ideal distance between pavers.* I intend to replace my concrete slab patio with one made of permeable paving instead.The impermeable paving is angled into a V to channel water away from the house and into the main raingarden.Marcus burns the raingarden every spring, and by the end of May, it is lush and green, although it looks its best in midsummer and fall.
Penstemon species

Canada Anemone
This is an average sized suburban lot, but the only time Marcus has ever seen water standing in the raingarden was after the 8" deluge we got last September 13 and 14, and the puddle lasted only a half hour.This view shows not a traditional lawn, but gravel grass, which provides additional parking, but prevents soil compaction, which causes runoff.This is the most worn out spot, which is adjacent to the alley. Here can be seen the top of a deep layer of gravel which lies over the soil. The grass will fill in more over the course of the season. There is also a cistern, to collect rainwater.

As shown by the 168 Elm Ave. Pilot Project, sustainable landscapes can be done on even a small scale, and can be beautiful as well as functional. It's time we all started to think seriously about storm water management and preventing runoff, which pollutes our streams and rivers and our drinking supply. For more information, check out the Pilot Project's website.

*(edit. 6/18/09) I forgot to mention that permeable pavers are seated in gravel only, not in sand, as sand is not permeable.

We Now Resume Our Regularly Scheduled Blog: Bloom Day

That darling of Spring Fling, Geum triflorum (Prairie Smoke) is smoking at Squirrelhaven.

After living with Spring Fling for over a year, and having it take over my life for the last six months, I'm finally able to put it to bed, so to speak.  And now, I can concentrate on other things, such as Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, that monthly flower-a-rama started by Carol, of May Dreams Gardens.  June marks the beginning of summer here, and the spring ephemerals are giving the stage over to the stars of summer.  

I had thought this Geranium, which I found growing in the garden two years ago, was merely another Geranium macrorrhizum seedlingbut it must be some kind of hybrid of that plant, as its leaves are smaller, the bloom is more pink, and it blooms slightly later.
How's this for staying power:this Hellebore is still blooming and has a few more buds yet to unfurl.  That's two solid months of blooms.  I must confess, I'm impressed with it.  

I'm changing over the containers to summer bloomers; the bright pink Pelargonium jazzing up this container on the front porch is from Rose of Prairie Rose's Garden and Beckie of Dragonfly Corner.  Thanks, ladies!
Also added to the mix is an Oxalis and Salvia nemorosa 'Sensation Rose.'

It's Clematis time at Squirrelhaven.  Click on any photo to enlarge.
Above clockwise from left, Clematis 'Crystal Fountain' in its puff phase, Clematis 'Betty Corning,' and Clematis 'Silver Moon.'

Below top: Clematises 'Evipo023' (Cezanne), 'Vyvyan Pennell,' 'EviSix' (Petit Faucon).
Above bottom row: 'Evipo 31' (Bonanza), 'Natascha,' and 'Venosa Violacea' in bud

Below left, Dracocephalum 'Fuji Blue', Wisteria macrostachys 'Blue Moon'; center Iris siberica 'Orville Fay,' right Campanula persicifolia 'Telham Blue.'

The Lavender 'Hidcote' is about to bloom, while its companion, Rose 'Carefree Beauty' is in full bloom (top left). Top right: a Penstemon from Faire Garden that has opened now.  Thanks, Frances!Above, bottom left, this Astilbe 'Ilostthetaggia' is in bud, on right is a bad color representation of Peony 'Port Royale.'  It is actually crimson.

Below left, a self sown Campanula persicifolia 'Alba' blooms with Physocarpus opulifolia 'Monlo' (Diablo), center top, Polyganatum, right a seedling from Aquilegia vulgaris 'Woodside Strain.'Above, middle, a dark spathed Arisaema triphyllum, bottom center Astrantia 'Alba.'

Below, top left, the native Porteranthus trifoliatus a/k/a Gillenia trifoliata, a/k/a Bowman's Root, top right, a seedling Columbine.Above bottom left, Peony 'Vivid Rose, right Phlox pilosa 'Eco Happy Traveler' with Sporabolus heteroleptis (Prairie Dropseed) and Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima).

Below top left, Dicentra 'Bountiful,' right Campanula garganica 'Dickson's Gold' with Sedum kamtschaticum.
Above bottom left, Corydalis 'Blackberry Wine,' right Heuchera 'Rasberry Ice' with Campanula 'Sarastro.'

Below top left, Aquilegia 'Leprechaun Gold,' right who said Cotinus coggyria 'Ancot' (Golden Spirit) doesn't bloom and have "smoke"?
Above bottom left, Stylophorum diphyllum (Celadine Poppy) still blooming, but not as profusely as last month, right Alchemilla mollis.

Above from left, Aquilegia vulgaris 'Woodside Strain,' Aquilegia 'Sunburst Ruby' with reblooming Heucherella 'Burnished Bronze,' Thalictrum 'Thudercloud,' and Geranium nodosum 'Svelte Lilac.'

Below from left top: Geranium 'Rozanne,' bottom 'Calycanthus floridus 'Athens,' center Aquilegia seedling, top right Anemonella/Thalictrum thalictroides, bottom right Peony Monsieur Jules Elie'?
Last year, Heuchera 'Hollywood' was full of blooms. The winter was a hard one on it, and it has sat there like a plastic plant and done virtually nothing this year.  Similarly, Heuchera 'Lime Rickey' is also not blooming, but this is probably my fault, as it is being overrun by the Alchemilla mollis, and needs to be moved.  The Cornus kousa is not going to bloom this year.  I fear the winter was too cold for it, though it looks healthy enough otherwise.  Clematis 'Henryi' would have been in bloom already, had it's more mature stem not succumed to wilt.  The growth of plants has slowed down significantly with the cool temperatures we've been experiencing, with highs often only in the 60sF (upper teens C), normal highs are in the upper 70sF (mid to upper 20sC).  Fewer things are in bloom now than a year ago.

In bloom but not pictured: Campanula 'Samantha,' double Anemonella ('Cameo'?), Penstemon 'Husker's Red,' Tiarella 'Pink Brushes' (reblooming), purple seedling Aquilegia, Flowering Quince, Labrador Violet, Cotinus 'Nordine,' Brunnera 'Jack Frost,' and Dicentra 'King of Hearts.'

Searching for The Unique Angle

With 50 other people snapping photographs of the same scenes, it has become a challenge to post images from Spring Fling not seen previously on other other blogs.  Here is my attempt at a different twist to Spring Fling's Saturday events.  Our first stop was Rick Bayless's garden, in Bucktown.  It's been a very long time since I used to hang out around there while visiting a friend who was an urban pioneer in Wicker Park.  Ah, memories, the chickens in the neighbors' backyard, the gym shoes over the telephone lines in the intersection.  But I digress.

I know Layanee of Ledge & Gardens posted a similar photo to this one of Frances, but I just had to post it, as it was so fun.  I don't recall seeing any photos of these gorgeous containers, but it wouldn't surprise me if someone else admired them too.
I loved the repurposed plumbing pipes used as legs to support the potting bench.
There might be another photo of the Rodgersia, but this is probably the only chance I'll get to post a photo of one, as I could never grow it in my garden.  It is a moisture lover.
Is that Poison Ivy at the top of the wall under the Cotoneaster?
Kudos to Carolyn Gail of Sweet Home & Garden Chicago for arranging such a fantastic lunch at Andie's, my new favorite restaurant in Chicago.  I love Mediterranean food, and Andie's does it up deliciously.
Is it just me, or does that little pig washing dishes look a lot like Olivia?

After lunch, we all crowded into Carolyn Gail's small, charming urban garden.
I love this idea of hers -
using a rain chain as a fountain.  The rain chain hangs along the corner of an inviting little gazebo, where I managed to snap a photo of the elusive Elizabeth of Gardening While Intoxicated and Garden Rant, relaxing with Mary Ann the Idaho Gardener.
With so many people snapping photos, it was hard to get a good shot of anything in Carolyn Gail's garden, but I did manage to get a couple of good shots of her neighbor's blissfully empty garden.

I wanted to take a photo of her cute little dog, Jojo, but he was a little excited by all the people in his garden and wouldn't hold still.  I did manage to take a photo of Carolyn Gail's daughter's dog, resting in the shade.
At the community garden in Wrigleyville, I discovered how they protect their copper water faucet from disappearing:
The top photo is from one of the beds there.

I wish I had had the energy to visit the Lily Pool, as I haven't seen it since I photographed the black swans there in the 1980s.  (Can it really be 20 years?)  I must check out the renovations sometime soon.  At the Lincoln Park Conservatory, I found myself drawn to the window boxes on the outside.
I wish I could have snapped a couple of photos out of the window of the 151 Sheridan bus I road back to the hotel with Rose of Ramble on Rose.  The planters on Michigan Ave. were spectacular.  So was the girl with pink hair who looked like she stepped out of a Japanese Anime.

Well, that pretty much wraps it up for Spring Fling.  I have one more post in the works about the demonstration green roof and raingarden that a few of us visited on Sunday.  Part I of Spring Fling is here, Parts II and III are here and here, and Part IV is here.

A Solution for Floppy Peonies*

We interrupt coverage of the Spring Fling for this important public service announcement.
Are your Peonies floppy? Are they plagued by weak stems? Do you dread thunderstorms when your Peonies start to bloom? Are you tired of Peony stems that break on the edge of Peony cages and supports?Well, now you can go from this:

to this!

It's so easy with individual stem staking.
It's the new staking method that's sweeping the nation.Just insert a large stem stake into the ground before the Peonies start to bloom.Not too high, or the flowers will be squished, but not too low, or they will break on the edge.Then stand back and watch your Peonies laugh at the rain.

And now, a gratuitous shot of a Tree Peony, which does not require staking.Get your stakes today so you'll be ready for next year's Peony show.

*Author has not received any compensation or free products for this announcement. Author had to shell out hard cash just like everyone else. Author is not the originator of this idea, but cannot recall who advised individual stem staking. Author would like to thank that person, and sincerely wishes author could give credit for it.

An Extraordinary Garden, An Extraordinary Gardener

I have wanted to see Trudi Temple's Hinsdale, Illinois, garden for 20 years, ever since it graced the cover of Horticulture Magazine. So when the idea of a Chicago Spring Fling was first raised, I immediately thought of it. I wish I could have taken the entire Spring Fling to see it, but transportation was a problem. Instead, I drove just five Flingers out to Du Page County in the western suburbs on Sunday, Pam (Digging), Diana (Sharing Nature's Garden), and Cindy (From My Corner of Katy) from Texas and Mary Ann (Idaho Gardener) from Idaho. While I should have figured out ahead of time exactly where she lived (I, like Jazz music and Chicago comedy, am improvisational), it was impossible to miss it driving by. (I apologize for the quality of the photos, but we arrived in the middle of the day, the worst time for garden photography. Click on any photo to enlarge.)

Front lawns are vastly overrated.A careful examination of the two above photos reveals that Trudi and I share a design challenge common in the suburbs: power lines. I enjoy visiting gardens with power lines running along or through them to see how the gardener handles the challenge. The lesson - distract the eye downward.

It was almost surreal to see this giant, magnificent Hosta specimen growing in full sun.In partial shade closer to the house was this neat combination,Geranium platypetalum and Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola.' (Purple and chartreuse, one of my favorite color combinations.) A Peony flourishes in the good soil.
Trudi doesn't have a compost bin. She has her own method of composting. She digs a hole and fills it with compostable material. When it is full, she puts a stone over it. When the stone sinks down, the hole is ready for planting.

This "Trudi Hole" is in her front garden.

As if the front garden alone wasn't enough, we turned the corner and entered one of the most beautiful, yet comfortable gardens I have even seen.The little chair off to the right in the photo is Trudi's "good behaviour chair," where she sits one of her grandchildren with ice cream for a treat. There is lawn here, but it serves as path and as a foil for the exuberantly planted beds. No matter which way one turns, there is something to delight the eye.Peony with European Ginger (Asarum europaeum.)

Bearded Iris and Baptisia

Hakonechloa makes every plant near it look better.
This cute little Fern Trudi found as a a sport of a Japanese Painted Fern.Remember, you saw it here first.

Trudi has gardened here for 40 years. Seeing her majestic trees, I realize how young my garden is at only 15 years.
The two metal arches were custom made. One displays her bell collection.


The garden features a large pond with a waterfall and large stones.
Her Chionanthus virginicus is what mine wants to be when it grows up.

In addition to the large ornamental garden, Trudi grows vegetables.She uses wire shelf bins to protect tender young things from the rabbits, which boldly scamper through the garden.The antique, rusted iron baskets are much more aesthetically pleasing than the chickenwire I use. I'm going to have to start hitting the flea markets and garage sales.

One of the special things she's growing from seed is a climbing Lily,Gloriosa superba.

Trudi welcomed us into her garden, but before she showed us around, she had us sit in one of the many seating areas in the garden and talked with us.It was so relaxing after the hectic running around of the previous two days.

Trudi was born in Germany, and despite the hardships of World War II, she learned to love gardening from the age of 6. She married an American serviceman and emigrated to the United States in 1963, the same year Diana and her family emigrated here from Germany. Diana and Trudi enjoyed conversing in German. Mary Ann and Trudi also had something in common; Trudi's late husband was a commercial airline pilot, as is Mary Ann's husband. Trudi shared her wisdom with us, not just about gardening, but also about life. Her garden is never finished, and she doesn't bother to clean it up for guests. She was in the process of moving this Hosta when we arrived.She is dissatisfied with the narrowness of the seat cut into this log bench, so I tried to convert her to the Sisterhood of the Reciprocating Saw (see Kathy's post here) so she could fix it herself and not have to wait for her "muscle" to come do it. Trudi does all of the work in her garden, except for the seriously physically demanding work. She's such an inspiration, noting that when she feels stiff and sore, she just goes for a walk to loosen up. How could you not admire a gardener who keeps this as a centerpiece on her dining room table:It was simply the best afternoon I've had in a very long time. It was everything I'd hoped it would be, and more.

But Wait, There's More! The Chicago Botanic Garden Part II

As threatened, I mean promised in the last post, here's more on the Spring Fling visit to the Chicago Botanic Garden.  The statue of Linnaeus, which was the subject of the first photo of the last post, watches over the Heritage Garden, where plants are grown grouped in their genera.
I was particularly impressed with the Ranunculus in the troughs.
After lunch, my little group wandered over to the English Walled Garden, which was designed by John Brookes, who literally wrote "The Book of Garden Design."  Annaliese of Cobrahead Blog volunteered to provide a human scale of comparison for this massive Hosta.

I just love these big, purple Alliums.

Bloody Lupines! They always remind me of Monty Python's "Dennis Moore" sketch.


More Ranunculus with Weigela.  The overcast skies showed off the soft pink of the Weigela's blooms in the sunken garden.

Leaving the English Walled Garden, we encountered the sight which was probably the most photographed of the day, the hillside full of 'Champagne Bubbles' Poppies (Papaver nudicaule).

I just had to be different and take my photo of the Poppies growing on the other side of the path.

Just beyond the Poppies were more Alliums.
On the other side of the hill is one of my favorite areas of the garden, the Waterfall Garden.  The sound of the rushing water dominates, while the spray of the water refreshes on hot days.  (Friday was not one of them.)
I haven't been to the Botanic Garden in a couple of years because of the interminable road construction on Lake Cook Road.  There's always some on it somewhere, and it seems as if there's always some going on in Northbrook.  There have been some changes to the Botanic Garden in my absence, including the addition of this fellow.
What is he doing with his hand?  And why is he not properly dressed for gardening?  He should be wearing a hat at least!

I had to make a pilgrimage to the Native Plant Garden before heading home, to see all my favorite plants, including the Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon media) pictured below.
I must admit, I've never been fond of this statue, which used to be at the entrance to the garden.  It's not the style, it's the subject matter; why glorify overgrown, aquatic pigeons?

The weather turned windy, blowing storm clouds and rain to the garden.
Time to go, even though there was so much more I would have liked to have visited:  the Bulb Garden, the Junior Railroad, the Japanese Garden, the Plant Evaluation Garden, Spider Island, the Sensory Garden, and Ryerson Woods.  I'll have to go back to see them over the summer.

Part I of Spring Fling is here, Part II here, Part IV here, and Part V is here.