VIEW FROM THE FRONT PORCH

Northern View from my Front Porch

Southern View from my Front Porch

In a dense urban area like Chicago your neighbor is very close, just a sidewalk length away, in most cases. I am fortunate to have wonderful views from both sides of my front porch, as shown above. I'm also lucky to live on a wonderful street with neighbors who know each other and share a common interest in preserving our historic neighborhood.

I especially love the view of the second photo where I can see almost to the end of the block because everyone has an open front porch and they're usually adorned with flower boxes , wicker furniture and houseplants spending summer outdoors.

Porches are so American , aren't they ? I can just image that in the old days people in the city actually used their front porches to sit and enjoy summer evenings, watching the world go by. Fences were almost non-existent then as well, open lawns being the rule. Now, however, they abound and the front porch is but a passageway .

Maybe its time to bring the front porch back ? Should I have a front porch party and invite the neighbors to sip ice tea and mint juleps in the summer eve ? Am I dreaming ?

THE GRAND DAME OF AZALEAS

Karen is the shrub on the right of the entrance

Close Up of What's Left of Karen's Blooms

Just missed the show by a week

I was a week late in visiting a client's garden in Evanston and missed the show of my favorite azalea 'Karen' , the focal point of her front entrance.

A Gable hybrid, Karen blooms around the middle of May in the Chicagoland area and is hardy to zone 4. Observe it's arching habit. The 'Karen' above is mature at 4 x 4 feet. It is absolutely breath-taking when in bloom.

Like myself. Robin over at Robins Nesting Place has a passion for Azaleas because they are so prolific in our home state Alabama. Folks in Chicago tell me that they have trouble growing Azaleas and Rhododendrons and that's when I tell them to try those like Karen which are hardy to Zone 4.

Robin, here's the azalea of your dreams ! You must get a Karen.

A DAY IN MY GARDEN

A Rare Day in May

'Tis a rare day in May when I am able to spend time in my own Sweet Garden Chicago. I have the beginnings of a nasty cold and all my energy is zapped, so I'm taking the day off .

My stone bunny is keeping watch near the front porch steps. On the left you'll see my annuals for this season - coleus which I love because it works well in either sun or shade and my East-facing garden is just that -sun and shade. The garden is a bit drab now that the tulips , daffodils and creeping phlox have finished blooming. But other perennials are lurking in the background, ready to show their stuff.

I spent this morning weeding and planting annuals. I was moaning the fact that most of my flowers were blue, but soon the yellow and purple Iris bloomed and the pink roses came out. My summer garden blooms will be a combination of yellow, blue and pink.

Soon the garden will come alive with the daylilies, blackeyed susans, hydrangeas, phlox and other perennials.

Today will be near 90 so maybe it will help clear up my cold and I'll be back to work in other people's gardens. But for today, I plan to just relax in my own little paradise.

CATCHING UP ON GARDENING QUESTIONS

Always include plants you love in the garden

Questions. I get Questions. " Ask Carolyn " has been a popular feature on my garden blog and I must admit that I'm behind in answering them. I thought I would devote today's post to some of my reader's questions.

Becky writes : I'm a new gardener with a typical small urban front and back yard. I want to do my own yard , but avoid the mistakes that most novices like myself make. Can you give me some advice ?

Where to start ? Impulse buying ( buying what you see without regard to where it'll go ), planting too close without regard of plant's ultimate size, planting without a plan, planting without regard to sun/shade conditions, planting without preparing the soil are the most common mistakes that new gardeners make.

Try breaking the process down into steps. Make a rough sketch of your garden, indicating measurements of planting areas. Draw from the perspective of looking down from above .

Step 1 : Observe the amount of sun and shade the area gets. Step 2 : Determine what kind of soil you have - sand, clay or loam and plan to improve it with amendments. Step 3 : Think of a focal point, such as a shrub or tree and where you want to place it. Visit the local garden center and talk to their specialists who are more than happy to assist you. Step 4 : Visit the library or book store and explore designs and plants that you like.

These are but a few ways you can pursue a successful garden design. Do not rush the process but take your time and enjoy it. It's important that you include plants that you love in your own garden.

Roger writes : I'm a plant hoarder. I buy a tree or shrub because I like it and always manage to find a space for it even in my tiny backyard. My garden is like a patchwork quilt. Do I need help with my addiction ?

Roger, Roger. I read somewhere that " Your garden doesn't have to be beautiful, you just have to think that it's paradise. " If that makes you happy who am I to say that it's wrong ? Of course, sooner or later, the plants themselves will let you know that they're not happy all smooshed together. I know designers that stuff plants in their garden just because they want one of a kind of everything. Like you, they collect plants.

MY HERO

Memorial to the Korean War Soldiers
Springfield, Illinois

I was but 6 , he 18. His name was Cecil. and he was my only brother. Tall, lanky and handsome in his uniform he reminded me a lot of Gary Cooper, a kind of " aw shucks, maam " polite young man. He'd never been out of town but soon he was on a ship crossing the Pacific ocean to Korea. It was 1950 and the Korean war was in full force. He hugged us goodbye in his quiet, shy way .
" I'll be back soon, " were his last words.

How we prayed every night for his safe return. We sent care packages and letters as often as we could. He never complained about the harsh conditions he faced. We didn't know until later that he almost lost his feet from frostbite in the coldest winter in Korean history. Once he went for supplies and when he returned his entire regiment was wiped out. He was one of the lucky ones.

He sent all his paychecks home and Dad saved every penny to buy a car for him when he came home. Three agonizing years later, one summer eve, we heard a car winding down our country road. Cecil rushed out yelling, " I'm home ! " We were overcome with joy to have him safe and sound. He was so proud of the car that he bought with his own money. It was the first car in our family.

Times were tough after the Korean war - high taxes, and unemployment. Cecil went to school on the GI bill and became a Civil Engineer working on the Great Mississippi. The American flag flying from my front porch is for you and all the fallen soldiers.


I thought he would live to be a ripe old age, as is the custom in our family, but he died at 65 from a lung disease he got from working in the coal mines as a young man in Alabama.

He was given a military funeral befitting a veteran of the war. I know he would have been proud. We three sisters selected the song " You are the Wind Beneath my Wings. " It was very fitting : " Did you ever know that you're my hero....?" Yes, he knew that he was the hero of his younger sisters. He protected us just as he fought to protect our nation's freedom.

Every memorial day I think of him, my brother, my hero.