Midwest Groundcovers

I attended my second Garden Writers Association (GWA) event today. A tour of Midwest Groundcovers (MG), it proved to be not just educational but very engaging. This wholesale nursery just west of Chicago is a family run institution greatly respected since the 60s. I know it through the legendary Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennial Farm and Grace Koehler, not only the stellar MG sales manager, but a dynamic MELA board member. Here is an image of the wonderful prairie plant Eryngium yuccifolium (Rattlesnake Master) in a planting bed fronting the main building. If you've been to Millennium Park in Chicago you might recognize the designer's hand as Piet Oudolf's. We have much to thank Piet for re: not just rediscovering the genuine four-season beauty of many of our native plants, but for reclaiming the delight of texture, movement & change. And we should thank MG for supporting the installation of such a valuable teaching tool and beautiful garden. On that note, I also noticed a rain barrel in the area where MG has created a rain garden. Step by step...

Also, Midwest Groundcovers is in the process of developing a line of plants soon to be on the shelves of independent garden centers in our region. You can check out the national program at American Beauties. It's a great concept and I totally support the project. From what I can tell of the AB website (through National Wildlife Federation), however, the on-line plant lists appear national, so just like vitamins, you need a custom appraisal.....be careful to note your own garden conditions in terms of soil, pH, moisture, light etc. And remember, plant lists don't necessarily tell you about pests or invasiveness or lots of other considerations. If all this stuff were obvious, then eveybody's garden would look like Eden. And last I looked.....when that happens, I will be glad to find another vocation.

Check out Terrain.org

Zona Gardens (see Links) led us to this terrific on-line Journal of the "Built and Natural Environments." My past life as a poet/teacher and daughter of photographer & painter make reading Terrain.org a fully integrated experience. If you have read any of my website's commentary on the Guatemala community of Casaca & AFOPADI's work there http://www.jsiegeldesigns.com/places_far_guatemala.html (children's garden above), you might be interested in Terrain's latest issue w/ this essay on a sustainable Tibetan mountain community: http://www.terrain.org/essays/20/uschuk.htm

AIC infiltrates Michigan Ave. Planting

Meeting a client for a lecture on landscape architecture at the Arts Club provided a moment to check out the annual plantings along Michigan Ave. The Magnificent Mile has been transformed during recent years into an annual showcase. This wonderful sea-change began when Doug Hoerr, LA, first initiated parkway plantings for his client: Crate & Barrel. Other merchants followed suite and now we benefit from the competition. I love the effort but have mixed feelings about the results. The intent is to draw in more tourists so they will spend more dollars (my husband and I were discussing a time in the not-so-distant past when tourists did other things besides shop, and Disney and Nike stores weren't yet considered cultural destinations). To this end, it appears that there is no limit on what will be planted. The creativity thrills me, but, in my Midwest Ecological Landscaping Association (MELA) hat I am sometimes challenged but the lack of sustainability. Not that an annual planting would speak to that category, but I think there are better choices. This summer, I was heartened to see a combination featuring one of our native sedges, Palm (Carex muskingumensis). On the other hand, despite its aesthetic appeal, moss is not a good choice for our area. So, I worry that local gardeners will try to mimic the effect. On the east or NW coast where the soils are more acidic, Martha Stewart may be able to coax them with buttermilk, but in the harsh, high alkaline environment of Chicago one has to go to extreme measures to keep mosses going and it's rarely through winter. That being said, fun & fashionable sculpture from the Art Institute of Chicago School inhabits and enlivens these plantings making them a worthy destination.

Did I Say That?

Friends in the know say I must toot my own horn and so I refer you to current issue of HORTICULTURE magazine, August/September 2007. Check out Scott Calhoun's article on vertical plant combos. His seeing me quoted in a different rag and contacting me for ideas for this led to our current mutual admiration society.

Speaking of tall plants, we ran into this annual sunflower at Chicago Botanic Garden last week. Even though I can't resist orange, I also can't recall the cultivar...the joys of age.

Scott & Zoe Visit from Tucson

We finally meet our friends from Zona Gardens in person when they visit Chicago to photograph for Scott's upcoming book on garden designers' plant combos. He and his daughter are great company and welcome any time! His images and text are superb. I have been reading Scott's newest book: CHASING WILDFLOWERS: A Mad Search for Wild Gardens (Scott Calhoun, Rio Nuevo Press, Tucson, 2007). Scott's trademark passion for plants, enthusiasm for all layers of life (including fun food, history, science), his compassion and humor combine to make his book an addictive and highly satisfying read. Wonderful stories & meditative reflections on life mean this could be a gift for anyone slightly interested in plants...plus, you will learn a lot about Southwestern wildflowers: cheaper than travel.

Dad's Ghost Speaks Through My Canon G7

Fern Forest

All our clients are terrific...however, some are great gardeners that greatly enhance my knowledge and wonder. One such client, Steven in Hyde park, has fostered a most remarkable fern garden over time. ChicagoLand Gardening Magazine will shortly publish a feature that details many of his garden delights. Here, I present two you may not see in print: first: Steven positioning Resurrection ferns atop a Live Oak branch...both from South Carolina and not driven home. Second: Fabulous edging found in an alley: think outside the box!