GARDEN BLOGGERS' MUSE DAY

THE TREE



Oh to be free of myself,
With nothing left to remember,
To have my heart as bare
As a tree in December;

Resting, as a tree rests
After its leaves are gone,
Waiting no more for a rain at night
Nor for the red at dawn;

But still, oh so still
While the winds come and go,
With no more fear of the hard frost
Or the bright burden of snow;

And heedless, heedless
If anyone pass and see
On the white page of the sky
Its thin black tracery.


-Sara Teasdale

MY BLANK CANVAS CONTINUED

Now that the hardscape , pond and pergola are in place it's time to address the very important structure of the garden - the " bones ". Just as your bones play an important role in holding your body together so do the evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees in the garden.

I had decided on a patio garden ( that's when you surround the patio with plants ) and needed a great specimen for the very front. I fell in love with a Viburnum Plicatum 'Mariesii ' and she was my first purchase. I was a beginner back then and Marie as I like to call her was a itty bitty thing. I had no clue that she would grow so wide and tall ! Oops! Live and learn. After she blooms each year I have to prune her back. Even though deciduous, viburnums have a lovely framework that looks attractive when not in leaf.

My next purchase was an Olga Mezzitt rhododendron. I love it's cheerful pink blooms in April and the fact that it is very hardy for the Chicago winters.

I know a lot of people will disagree with me or say oh those evergreens ( Japanese yews ) are as common as spit. I HATE them. Well I love the particular cultivars that I have - Taxus x media 'densiforma.' It reaches about 4 feet in height and 6 in width unless you give it a haircut every now and then ( they grow slowly ). I don't mean shape it - I like mine to look very natural. And so I used two of them. I heard a lecture by an well-known English garden writer and he said that Americans don't know how to properly use Yews in their gardens and don't use them enough. I was the only one who begged to differ. The English love the Yew and use them liberally, not all pushed together and poodled to death.

Click to Enlarge

Notice that the placement of the shrubs next to the

pergola block the entire view of the garden and the pathway creates an inviting walk.

On the left is my Chinese Wisteria Standard next to the fence. Next to it are the Oakleaf and Limelight hydrangeas. I also have a Pink 'Knockout' rose in that area, as well as ornamental grasses near the pond.

In the narrow bed on the right I have a wonderful Forysthia, Dwarf Magnolia and Rose of Sharon.

All of the abovementioned plants provide year round interest and structure in my garden.

Next : The fillers.

MY BLANK CANVAS

Carol over at Maydreamsgardens did a post a few days ago and pondered about what to do with a blank canvas of a large suburban garden that could be seen " all at once. " No mystery or magic there was what she concluded.

Having such a large piece of land of my own would be my dream come true, but I have to face reality : I have a small urban garden and I'm not planning to go anywhere anytime soon. Unless I win the lottery and I'm not holding my breath. Besides, a small plot is more challenging to me.


SO, here is the blank canvas that I inherited when I bought my house :

NO, it didn't happen overnight, but here is how I've painted my canvas :

HARDSCAPE PLACEMENT
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The first priority on my list was how to enjoy my garden-a place to sit, eat , and relax. Must be close to the house for ease of bringing food in and out. Viola ! Showed plan to Mr. Engineer-in-residence and chief architect, hubby Simon who immediately started and finished the project of adding a ground-level cedar deck and a pergola ( note that there are NO major shade trees in my very hot Western exposure ) which provides much needed shade in the summer.

Next on my list was the soothing sound of water, for what is a garden without it ? I've always wanted a fish pond but don't like those contrived ones with rocks everywhere. Did you ever see a pond in nature look like that ? So, I dug a 4 x 4 ' square ( 3 feet deep ) and had Simon add a wood surround. It looks very simple and Asian inspired. We have 9 pets that have been happily living in the pond over many harsh Chicago winters. They must all be males or females because they've never produced babies, unless they did and maybe ate them before I noticed ?!

The next thing to follow was the pathway. A path should not only be natural and attractive but functional. In other words, it should take you somewhere. In my case it was to the most travelled places -the pond and the garage. I dug out the path and laid flagstone on top of pea gravel . A very natural looking path that I'm very pleased with .

The folks over at Gardeninggonewild are doing a great workshop on paths. Excuse the pun but the path I created in my own garden set me on the path to a career in garden design and was featured in the GLORIOUS GARDENS contest of the Chicago Tribune.

Stay tuned for the continued developments in the Sweet Home and Garden Chicago garden canvas.

A MOST UNIQUE GIFT FOR A GARDENER

Acer Rubrum ( Red Maple ) From George Washington's Mt. Vernon

For $39.95 you can plant a bit of history in your garden or give as a gift to a gardening friend or family member : Offsprings of trees from Graceland, the estate of Elvis Presley, George Washington's Mt. Vernon, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Pearl Buck, Walt Disney, Ray Charles and many other famous people. Trees that were here from our country's beginning and all the important events since then are a unique way to join our past and present.

You'll also be contributing to a good cause-American Forests is America's oldest nonprofit conservation group and the Famous and Historic Trees program " help people understand how trees benefit us both environnmentally, socially and economically, " according to their statement.

Visit www.historictrees.org and see their fascinating selection. The amazing Angel Oak in South Carolina, at 1,400 years old , is believed to be the oldest living thing east of the Mississippi.

FOR THE LOVE OF WISTERIA

Chinese Wisteria Standard

A few months ago I had to move my beloved Wisteria Standard ( a Wisteria vine grafted to a tree trunk ) so that my hubby could extend the porch. We had to hack the roots so much I was worried that it would survive the transplant.

It looked just pathetic for a long time -leaves turned brown , dropped off, etc. I kept on watering it faithfully.

At the end of the season at the garden center where I work, about 4 years ago, our Tree and Shrub manager announced that he had 5 Wisteria Standards that he was reducing from $500 to $100. I took all 5. Two I planted in my own garden - one pink in the front and one purple in the back and the other 3 in a client's garden.

The very first season after planting they bloomed. My neighbor was so taken with it that she made a photo that she keeps pinned to her bulletin board. My clients just adore the purple blooms of their trees each Spring.

A lot of people won't have a Wisteria Standard because it requires a lot of pruning to keep it from reverting back to a vine. I keep mine shaped like a tree but if I let it go for long it would be a really long vine and the flowers would also suffer as a consequence.

So today was balmy and I went outside to putzy around in the garden. I looked wistfully at the wisteria and low and behold I saw tiny buds staring back at me. It's alive ! Thank you , Jesus !
I can't wait until next year to see it bloom .

A $1,500 GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR GINA

Now that the gardening season is winding down, Gina at Myskinnygarden is busy scheming and dreaming. This time she wants suggestions for a new path in her frontyard. Knowing how thrifty ( cheap ?) she is and how she loves free stuff, May Day Garden Design ( that's moi ) is sending her a gift certificate worth $1,500 of free garden design.

Our frontyards are are pretty much alike, Gina as far as size and shape go . Here are my suggestions : A flagstone path to your front entrance would soften all that harsh concrete and it can be cemented right on top of your existing walk if it's in sound condition. I would suggest removing the strip of grass between you and your neighbor , if that's possible, and widen the walkway there . Flagstone on top of it to match your entry would add interest. I wouldn't add a path along the curved bed because I think less is more in small yards .

GINA I ( Left )
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Alternatives to flagstone would be : Stain your concrete walkway a natural earth tone ( brown perhaps ) to soften it . Is your porch concrete as well ? That could also be stained to tone down all that gray cement . The curved flower bed will break up that rectangular shape.

Notice that all the "Poodles" are gone and in their place I've created a background that is not too formal yet not wild and it is the bones that will provide year round interest ( Azalea and Magnolia blooms in the Spring and the Lilac in the Summer ; the Dwarf White Pine or a Mugo Pine is evergreen ) and structure with both deciduous and evergreen plant material ( I know you're a wild child but I think that a natural, serene setting at the entrance is important ! )

Since your frontyard is small, flat and rectangular, adding height , such as a berm or built-up flower bed ( 8-12 inches ) would give it immediate interest. Plus , plants grow faster and better in a raised garden. Yes, Gina, this means more topsoil to be ordered and delivered.

GINA II ( right )
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You'll note that I've gotten rid of the lawn ( groan, hard labor ! ) and replaced it with some choice round landscape rocks, decorative stones and low growing evergreen Japanese rockgarden cypress ( 1-2 ' tall and spreading ) . The clean lines and naturalistic style go well with the style of your house. Once established it's also pretty low maintenance.

Hope you like your Christmas present. Are you Scottish by any chance ?