IN MY BACKYARD

Mid-Autumn in the Sweet Home Chicago Garden 2006

Since my backyard is small I select perennials that will give me the longest bloom period. In the photo above are two of my favorites : Pink Coneflower in the center , yellow Blackeyed Susans rear, and white Phlox. Other easy to grow and long blooming perennials in my garden are 'Autumn Joy ' Sedum, Korean mums, Catmint, ornamental grasses, Ajuga, Plume Poppy, Korean Bellflowers, Bee Balm , lilies, and the repeat blooming Daylilies. With this combination, I have perennials in bloom from early Summer to late Fall. I mix in annuals to provide a continuous color.

The evergreen backbone of my garden is the Taxus x Media 'Densiforma', or the much-maligned Japanese Yew. I say much-maligned because a lot of people despise it as it is so common and is usually over-pruned or over-grown. There is a reason, however, that it is so popular and that is the fact that it is evergreen ,relatively easy to maintain, and thrives in a great deal of shade. The 'Densiforma' will only grow 4 feet high and 6 feet wide, but can be kept smaller by light pruning. When allowed to grow into its natural form it is a very lush, deep green shrub that will give you four seasons of interest.

The other evergreen shrub that I adore, a much more artistic, and therefore expensive one , is the Japanese Cypress. It needs no pruning and its erratic growth habit is very unusual.

Many people give up on Tulips because they have a tendency not to come back year after year. I've discovered, by trial and error, that its the species you select that is important. Darwin hybrids, single late Tulips and Lily-flowering Tulips work the best and have been returning in my garden for at least 5 years. A perennial Tulip selection is available from Dutchgardens.com.
Daffodils are another perennial that come back every year, and even colonize. I also love Siberian Squill for that reason - it spreads its blue beauty over a wide territory.

I planted the perennial vine 'Sweet Autumn ' Clematis at the base of my pergola and in one season it climbed to the top. The second season it spread across the roof of the pergola and its intense fragrance could be appreciated throughout the garden. I love this vine - it has thousands of star-like white flowers from early to late Autumn. It also covers the fence that I share with my neighbor and she loves it as well.

My garden's small space doesn't allow for many trees, so I had to chose carefully. The tree I had my heart set on was a Wisteria Standard and the price was dear : $500. Much to my surprise at the end of the season sale it was marked down to $100 so I grabbed it. The Wisteria standard is a graft and as most grafts tend to revert to their natural habit, it wants to be a vine, therefore it takes attention to keep it in check as a tree. It took two years after planting before it bloomed but it was well worth the wait. It's fragrance and beauty is a sight to behold.

My next tree purchase was an Asian Pear that had two different types of pears grafted into one tree - one side of the tree has an early fruiting pear and the other a later one. This tree is amazing-it's a dwarf and bore 17 pears in its second season. I love its shiny glossy green leaves, flowers and fruit.

For my last selection I chose another small ornamental tree that blooms for 3 months. Rose of Sharon ( Hibiscus Syriacus ) comes in a variety of colors : pink, blue, purple and white and is one of the longest flowering ornamentals in Zone 5. It is also the national flower of Korea, something my husband appreciates.

INSIDE THE SWEET HOME CHICAGO GARDEN

Viburnum Plicatum 'Mariesii '

My backyard is a typical Chicago- sized plot with a detached garage facing the alley. When we moved into our house it looked like WWII had taken place there. The former homeowners raised Afghan Hounds and the backyard was their play pen.

My kids were young then and I held a full-time day job, so gardening was the last thing on my mind. Besides that, I had spent my entire youth tending a labor-intensive vegetable garden and picking cotton, corn, peanuts and potato crops.

Once the children were a little older and I had more time on my hands, my old green thumb reappeared with a vengeance and I tackled the back 40. I knew from my days on the farm that the soil was the first priority and after leaving the red clay of Alabama behind I was shocked to find that I had gray Chicago clay covering the entire backyard. I knew right away that my work was cut out for me.

So I tackled what became a very big project involving a lot of back-breaking work - digging out a lot of the clay and incorporating compost and fine pine bark into it. Now it was time to plant.

My garden has gone through multiple changes over the years. One summer I went crazy and turned the entire backyard into a vegetable garden. What was I thinking ? That's a full-time job, and I already had one, no, make that two, thank you. My hubby Simon still smacks his lips to this day about the fresh leaf lettuce, squash and green onions.

Then I put in a lawn and curved beds around it. My German Shepherd Duke made short work of the lawn and garden. Back to the drawing board. I don't give up easily. I have that stubborn Taurus- Irish- Southern -determination .

I read an intriguing book on small gardens and was inspired by a plan that didn't allow a view of the garden all at once, which not only makes it appear larger, but more mysterious. I liked that.

So, I dug out the lawn and made a sitting area out of wooden patio blocks. I was now ready for my first major shrub purchase, which I wanted to use as a focal point right next to the sitting-out area. The eye would be drawn to it first and prevent viewing the garden all at once. I also created a sense of intrigue by putting in a natural stone path going from the wooden patio to the garage, which leads the eye to another vista .

I fell in love with a Viburnum Plicatum 'Mariesii ' and selected it as my first major shrub. and focal point. It was small at the time I planted it but several years later it came into it's full glory as you can see from the above photos. It's still my favorite to this day. It has four seasons of interest : In Spring it's beautifully- veined leaves emerge, Summer, beautiful white flowers that look like Hydrangea, in Fall, bronze purple leaf color and in winter it's horizontal Asian-like woody shape is beautiful. Who could ask for anything more , except maybe that it be evergreen .

More on my garden later.

THE KOREAN CONNECTION INSIDE SWEET HOME CHICAGO'S KITCHEN

A Korean Lunchbox
( Healthy and Yummy - No wonder Koreans
are so Slim. )

Confucius says in Chinese but in my house, its Simon Says in Korean. The proverb he penned above goes like this : Two friends are eating when one drops dead. The other doesn't take notice of his passing and continues to eat. Further explanation needed ? Now you know why the old adage " East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet " was coined. Believe it or not ( and it's hard to sometimes ) this is how a Korean might compliment the great food of his host or hostess. He is savoring the tasty food so much he notices little else.

Down South and other places in between this would be called a " left-handed compliment. " Koreans are quirky that way. I know, I'm married to one, and he has a lot of quirks. But then, so do I. He thought he knew English until he heard me say " Cut out the light. " And I never thought I'd marry someone whose people actually eat and drink Kudzu.

So in my kitchen you can find such dishes as Kimchee Chigae, Bibimbap, Bulgogi, Kalbi, Chicken and Dumplings, Brunswick Stew , Gumbo and by all means, Grits.

Speaking of Grits, I happened upon the blog of a displaced Southerner in South Korea one evening. His blog had a post on his craving for Grits , something he thought he'd never miss. He created a "fusion " recipe in which he combined grits with Korean condiments and labeled it Korean redneck Grits. Fusing Southern with Korean, now there's a recipe I've gotta try.

Most Americans are mystified by Korean food and think its a mixture of Chinese and Japanese. Couldn't be further from the truth. Korean food is very complex and tickles the taste buds with its pungent, sweet, hot, salty, bitter and sometimes nutty flavors. Next to downhome comfort foods, it's my fave and like Epicurious Magazine, I think it will soon get the long overdue attention it deserves.

But, I must say that I learned to make Korean food from the best - my mother-in-law who was a terrific cook. Didn't speak much English but sure knew how to gesture and demonstrate by doing . I was her only non-Korean daughter-in-law and she liked me best. Why ? For a good reason - most married women aren't going to listen to their mothers-in-law tell them how to cook, but, since I didn't know anything about Korean cuisine and was eager to learn , it was "monkey see, monkey do. " She'd pat me on the back in front of her Korean daughters-in-law and say "She so nice, she listen to me. " Didn't win me any favors with the sisters-in-law, but hey, we all knew who was in charge.

In addition to learning from the master ( she had no recipes, it was always a little of this or that ) having a good cookbook helps. My personal favorite is Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen by Hisoo Shin Hepinstall. Her book was named as one 2001's best by People Magazine and it is just a delight to read . It's not just a recipe cookbook but one that is filled with the writer's poignant memories of her childhood in Korea. My dear Korean friend and gourmand Mia tasted one of my Korean concoctions from Mrs. Hepinstall's book and was amazed because she had never had the dish before and she loved it.

Epicurious.com has a very interesting special on Korean food and cookbooks, one of which is the aforementioned.

One drawback about cooking so many good Korean dishes is that my Seoul mate no longer wants to go out to eat at Korean restaurants. I've created a monster. But when we do, it's usually to the one we consider the best in Chicago and it's been in business for nearly 30 years : Cho Sun Ok, 4200 N. Lincoln Ave. at Berteau. DO not go on the weekends because its jam packed, but if you must, parties of 3 will get in faster. It's not fancy but the food is terrific. You can have the famous Korean BBQ right at your table. Y-u-m-m-y ! Hey, there's another Southern connection -BBQ!

THE FIRST FLOWER OF SPRING

THE FIRST SIGN OF SPRING IN CHICAGO
GETHSEMANE GARDEN CENTER 'S
5TH ANNUAL SPRING OPEN HOUSE

It's just around the corner so I'm alerting you early on to be ready to attend the above event on Saturday, March 31st and Sunday, April 1st. There will be four special lectures :

10:00 a.m. - Begonia Care and Propogation
11:00 a.m. -Hellebores and General Gardening
1:00 p.m. - Hellebores and Lilies
2:30 p.m. -Herb Gardens for Small Spaces

The hellebores, also known as the Christmas or Lenten Rose, will be available for purchase that day, so if you don't have this delightful first flower of Spring, please consider adding it to your garden. It is so wonderful to see it poke its head up out of a late snow. Hellebores are among the easiest of plants to grow and will be a great addition to any garden.

SHE'S THE 'SUPERSTAR' OF ROSES, A REAL KNOCK OUT !

Since its introduction in 2000 the Knock Out Rose was hailed a "breakthrough shrub rose " by the All-American Rose Selections because of its exceptional disease resistance and hardiness. It was one of three roses that year to win the prestigious AARS award for outstanding garden performance.

I have been in love with the Knock Out rose since I discovered it growing in profusion in a client's garden. I could hardly believe my eyes because it was late October and the rose shrubs had a profusion of blooms in full flower. " That's nothing, " the resident gardener said, " It'll bloom right up until the hard freeze kills it. "


Texas A & M University conducted four years of research and found Knock Out to be one of the finest landscape roses that they had ever tested. No pesticides of any kind were used and it proved to be almost resistant to blackspot, the fungal disease that is the scourge of roses across much of the U.S. It is also resistant to powdery mildew and aphids and is cold-hardy and heat and drought-tolerate once established.

Knock Out was given the Texas Superstar designation by the horticultural experts at Texas A & M. "Only the best adapted, highest performing and most pest-resistant plant materials are designated Texas Superstars , " said Dr. Steve George , Texas Cooperative Extension horticulturist in Dallas A & M. He said they present that title to plants that have undergone rigorous field trial testing to demonstrate they add beauty to a landscape with minimal maintenance and maximum protection for the environment.

While most roses need 4-6 hours of sun a day, Knock Out can tolerate as little as 3 and thrive. Of course they will perform better when you give them more sun. And for the cold climate rose growers, Knock Out is hardy to -20 .

I have a Pink Knock Out in my garden, but it comes in shades of Light and deep pink, cherry red and there is a double specimen as well. A new introduction this year is called " Rainbow " and it has a mix of yellow and orange colors.

So for those who love roses and didn't think they had the time or expertise to grow them, Knock Outs are no-brainers.