Sweet Home and Garden Chicago

July 18, 2011

Farewell to Sweet Home and Garden Chicago

I never thought that this day would arrive but now that it has I am torn between joy and sorrow ; joy for a new chapter in my life, and sorrow on leaving my home and garden of over 40 years.

I've always said that it would take a lot to make me leave my home and garden but a 2 and 1/2 year old proved me wrong. It didn't take much for her to steal my heart with her winsome smile and " C'mon , gwanma, let's go ! "

The reason I've got " Carolina on my Mind "

Chicago winters also make me long for the shorter Southern ones I grew up with and the chance to garden almost year round.

I have enjoyed meeting so many fellow gardening lovers , bloggers and writers since I created my blog four years ago . It was great to welcome 50 bloggers from across the country into my garden two years ago during the SpringFling.

As I close the garden gate for the last time I will think of you and all the great exchanges we've had.

Its ironic that I am moving back to North Carolina, the state where my first Irish ancestor settled in the 1700's. It will take some time to get acclimated but I look forward to getting acquainted with this beautiful state and its people.

We don't say goodbye down South, instead it's " Y'all Come ! " And like Scarlett I " won't think about that right now. After all, tomorrow is another day. "

Written by Carolyngail at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago All rights reserved

July 15, 2011

Garden Blogger Bloom Day

July, the second month of summer in Chicago and it has been a very dry one. Despite it, the garden is flourishing. It's hard to believe but I still have pansies in bloom !

Here's what going on in the garden this bloom day :

Flowers too numerous to mention : Bellflower, Coreopsis, daylily, roses, annabelle hydrangea, blackeyed susan, marigold, and sedum.

And the veggies in the potager are in flower and fruit.

Tomatoes, tri-colored beans, cukes, salad greens, green onions, green peppers, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, and kale have finally started their flowers and fruit .

When I think of my friends in the South and Southwest who've had a brutally hot summer with little or no rain, I'm even more grateful .

Visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens and see what's blooming all across the country.

July 1, 2011

Garden Bloggers' Muse Day

July

I see you in the red rose

and the stately oak

I hear you in the song of the brook

and the birds melody at dawn

The wind sends your fragrance on the summer breeze

the sun warms my very soul

Jewel of summer
welcome to the garden.

-Carolyn

June 29, 2011

The Potager in June

Blueberries, kale, tomatoes,chard, beans and spinach, oh my.

This is the first season for my potager, and while it requires more maintenance, I have been enjoying its harvest. I sowed the seeds in early April and watched as the spinach, romaine, baby bok choy, chard and spring onion quickly grew and soon ended up on my table. There's nothing more delicious than a home grown vegetable to me.

The cucumbers, beans and tomatoes will take longer to mature and the blueberries are at last ripening. Two grapevines planted on the pergola are loaded with fruit as is the Asian pear.

The roses, dianthus, lilies , iris and blackeyed susans and lamb's ear look lovely among the veggies. Jojo and I are keeping a vigilant watch on that wraskily wabbit we saw munching on the plants last year. So far, other than a baby possum she caught, we've been lucky; fingers crossed, not to have any unwelcomed visitors to our June potager.

June 15, 2011

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day

The month is June, the subject is roses. I am going about the neighborhood to see how many roses I can capture.

This creamy yellow beauty is in my neighbor's garden

This rose greets me every morning.

It seems I'm not the only one who loves roses. I spied these on my walk around the neighborhood.

To see what's blooming around the country visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens .

June 9, 2011

Princess Di Graces the June Garden

Princess Di, short for Dianthus, has returned in regal splendor to my garden this June. Self-seeding readily, this annual seems more like a perennial. Commonly called Sweet William, Pinks, or Carnation, her name translates as " flower of the gods. "

For centuries Dianthus has been one of the sought after flowers because of its ease in growing and the palette of colors it comes in from bright solids of white, rose, red, lavender and pink as well as bi-colors with beautiful eyes. There are more than 300 species to chose from.

Dianathus has many design uses in the garden -here I've used dwarf and mat-forming varieties in my potager and it looks good next to my herbs, blueberry shrubs, boxwood, roses, beans and tomatoes. It also mixes well with grey colored perennials such as Lamb's Ear, or Sage.