LET THE GARDENING SEASON BEGIN

I started a succulent garden this summer and moved all the pots inside my sunny west facing dining room . My daughter, Cathy at Outside In, the indoor plant guru, however; advised me that I needed a grow light if they are to be kept alive. Cathy uses grow lights and has plants that bloom throughout the winter . She tends to over a hundred of them. Wonder where she got that green thumb :-)

Ninety dollars later ( ouch! ) I have an LED grow light that covers 5 feet of space and emits a rosy glow at night. It is energy efficient, burning only 15 watts and is said to last for 11 years so spread over that amount of time it is a bargain.


Plus, if the grow light keeps my two treasured rosemary trees alive it will be well worth the cost.The tag on the rosemary said the secret to keeping it alive is water. So I placed the rosemary in a tray and I check it for moisture daily.

I think I'll add some orchids and force some bulbs . This indoor gardening can be very intense. Being surrounded by plants certainly makes the winter more bearable.

NOVEMBER BLOOMS AT SWEET GARDEN CHICAGO

Click to enlarge

What's still in bloom and leaf ? Viburnums , oakleaf hydrangea, mums, dianthus, ornamental grasses, curly fox sedge , autumn joy sedum and the last rose of summer , the Knock Out which just keeps on going until winter rears her ugly head.

Pardon me, am I dreaming or is this November ? Days of sunshine and temperatures in the 60's and 70's have more than made up for a dreadful October. As you can see from the above collage there's still a lot going on in the garden.

A year ago the most beautiful flower came into our life -Lathyrus odoratus a.k.a. Sweetpea. Lea is celebrating her first birthday on GBBD and Granny is throwing her a little party. Never thought I'd find a hairless, toothless human that needed to be fed and diapered frequently so precious. Babies are just like seeds. They don't look like much at first sprout but then they soon grow into a beautiful flower.

I WILL REMEMBER YOU

To my first Irish ancestor who fought in the American revolution to my brother in the Korean war, and my cousins in WWII , my graditude to everyone who has served our great nation.

HEY AL : A WARMER WORLD IS A SAFER WORLD

From my kitchen window overlooking the garden :

Feb. '97 Blizzard

I've always felt that climate change was a natural occurrence and that warmer is actually better. Global warming? Ha ! Digging out of many Chicago blizzards I used to ask aloud , " Al, where's that global warming you've been promising us ?

Now comes Dennis Byrne, Chicago Tribune columnist, who says that the Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC) study by the climate alarmists is most likely manipulated for political reasons and is full of flaws. Chicago-based Heartland Institute has published the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change ( NIPCC ) Climate Change Reconsidered that checks the work of fellow scientists to see if it stands up to a rigorous review of available research, data and conclusions.

" What they found was stunning, " Byrne said. " For example, the IPCC claimed that " most of the observed increases in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely ( at least 90 percent certain) due to the increase in anthropogenic ( man-made) greenhouse gas concentrations ". Wrong; the opposite is true. Blame it on natural causes, the NIPCC said. Told you, Al !

And I like this one even better : " The IPCC claims that global warming will wreck humanity and the Earth. Wrong. The NIPCC concludes--using the data and science available - that a 'warmer world would be a safer and healthier world for humans and wildlife alike . '

Mr. Byrne concludes with " Beware of any "science" that claims to fully describe in single theory any phenomenon as complex as global climate change.

Thank you Mr. Byrne and the IPCC. I , too, believe that the global warming alarmist are politically and financially motivated . Must be nice to fly around in your own private jet, collect money and donations, appear in magazines and on television and make movies that bring in loads of money.

Click on the link below for the full column :

Beware the climate change alarmists -- chicagotribune.com

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An Outstanding Shrub for Spring, Summer and Fall Interest

Viburnum 'carlesii ' compactum

Viburnum ' carlesii ' , or Koreanspice, is a very popular seller in the tree department of the garden center where I work and while I sold many myself I didn't think I could find the space for my rather small city garden. Then along came a compact variety so this summer I purchased and planted one.

The Koreanspice has long season interest, beginning with its rather unique Spring blossoms which open pink and turn to white as they mature. The fragrance is similar to a spice cake or cloves and permeates the area so its ideal to plant nearby so you can enjoy its perfume. Expect many bees and butterflies to enjoy it as well.

The summer interest is the beautiful leaves which turn a gorgeous wine and scarlet in the Fall as you can see from the photo I snapped just yesterday. The Spring blossoms mature into red berries as well and add even more interest, especially for the birds.

Avoid watering the leaves of the Koreanspice as they can be prone to mildew and give it a lot of good air circulation. It does not like to be dry so a lot of humus when planting and a good mulching will help maintain moisture .

One of the Most Striking Trees in the Fall Landscape

Sorbus Altinifolia

I have the pleasure of frequently passing this Korean mountain ash in the parkway in our neighborhood and am always impressed by it's four seasons of interest. While it's foliage is beautiful all year , Fall brings out the best in it. The leaves haven't yet turned to yellow-orange because it hasn't been chilly enough yet but the beautiful cherry-red berries are striking.

In late Spring flat clusters of delicate white flowers appear and gradually turn into the beautiful berries. This is a medium to large tree, reaching 40 feet and has a 20 foot spread. While many Sorbus varieties are prone to root rot , pests and disease, the Korean mountain ash is very hardy and disease resistant.

The winter interest is its smooth gray elegant bark. The Moutain Ash provides food for our feathered friends and while the berries are edible, they are much to acidic to be eaten raw.

Green Tomato Time

This is what was left of the tomatoes

Good thing I made a photo because these are long gone.

Goodness gracious I never expected to see grits or fried green tomatoes go gourmet but they have. They've made the fried green tomatoes healthier by using olive or vegetable oil , That's where I draw the line. Gotta have that taste of bacon fat. Yum. And I add a little drop or two of tobasco sauce to pep up the flavor. I don't eat a lot of junk food so I guess this is one time of the year that I can indulge my quaint taste.

I didn't grow the regular or large tomatoes this year so I'm making little bite size tomato sliders. They look like something out of Martha Stewart's appetizer cookbook.

I miss the thick large slices of green tomatoes so I am already formulating my plans for a little veggie plot for next year.