Got outside and did a bit of spring cleaning this weekend. I wasn’t very diligent with fall clean up, so we still had a lot of old growth hanging around from last year. Things were looking quite drab and dead, however, underneath all of that old growth we have a variety of spring greens emerging. [Read more…]
In the midwest, January doesn’t always feel like a very lively month, at least not in the outdoor garden department. The fall leaves have dried out and plants from last season are sadly drooping under the cold and wet blanket of winter. We are in the thick of hibernation season, but that doesn’t mean that things have completely shut down in the plant world. In fact, this January has been unusually mild and rainy. When I stepped outside to capture these images, I was without a coat wearing sandals, comfortably enjoying the sun and observing the state of the yard. This is not the same January I have grown up to know in the midwest. It’s a little strange that we are seeing some very early signals from spring already, some colorful sites in a generally gray time of year. [Read more…]
August was a beautiful month, while the garden was still full of new growth, we also began to see signs of the end of summer. Flower buds started to seed as fall air moves in. I wasn’t able to spend a ton of time enjoying the garden or doing yard work this August, but I was lucky enough to be out working one morning when this extraordinary creature paid a visit. [Read more…]
July in Chicago is typically hot and humid mixed with a few good storms – that’s how this July went down. The yard has been at the peak of it’s growing season blooming full of flowers in every corner. Let’s take a look back and check out what’s been growing in my midwest urban garden this July. [Read more…]
June is the month where the yard starts feeling really full and lush. By the time May is over we start to see the end of the spring flowers as we make way for summer blooms and the hotter weather. Our Hostas are full grown and bursting with many flowers. Roses, Phlox, Sedum, and more are all out to play. [Read more…]