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| Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC Image Here |
Good morning! A bright shiny day with warm muggy weather has dawned. A little early for the humidity but I will take warm and sunny any day. Little signs of spring are literally popping up overnight, a bunch of daffodils, a tree completely covered in pink blossoms, little buds and of course bright green weeds in the beds.
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| Image Pinterest Design A Blade of Grass |
I follow many avid and talented gardeners on both Instagram and on their blogs and I see that they are pouring over seed catalogs and making plans for Spring So it has me curious, are you getting your seeds, bulbs, and plants ordered? Or perhaps you have started your plants from the leaves of last years plants?
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| Image Debra 5th and State |
I am not a gardener at all but I love walking in or looking at photos of beautiful gardens. Most of the beds at our house are filled with holly, azaleas, roses and other plants that are low maintenance. We have lots of potted hydrangeas, and the other pots and planters I fill each season with herbs and other low maintenance flowers. My problem is that almost everything is exposed to full-sun and although in the past I tried to find plants that can take the heat more often than not the poor things ended up dying.
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| Image 5th and State |
Now a days I typically I stick with ferns, geraniums, sweet potato vines, and herbs.
Gardening requires a lot of patience and honestly I do not have it. But I greatly admire those who do.
I would enjoy hearing about your garden, do you design your own or do you have help? Do you have a long-term plan for your garden or do you simply plant what you like each year? Do you stick to one color? Do you plant flowers and vegetables?
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| Tone on Tone Boxwood Garden |
A few of my favorite gardeners are Loi from Tone on Tone, although he is a designer he has created some stunning gardens at each of his homes.
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| Image Joe Valentine |
And Joe Valentine, of Notes from Juniper Hill, who not only is an extraordinary gardener along with his wife but a photographer as well. Joe’s stunning garden was featured on the cover and inside Traditional Home I believe in November. Both Loi and Joe are on Instagram as well as posting on their blogs.
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| 5th and State Debra’s Garden |
Debra from 5th and State who is not only a designer but a landscape designer as well. I have featured many of Debra’s containers on my blog in the past. If you live in the Chicago area and need help with your outdoor living area call Debra. Also make it a point to visit her stores they are filled with so many treasures. By the way, this post is filled with excellent advice on planting containers and window boxes and how to deal with and use boxwood which I love.
I would love to hear about your garden plans, and perhaps you have some advice for me a novice and not really close to a green thumb.
Have a great day!
Shopping:
Wednesday Wellness: The Season of New Beginnings
Saturday Meanderings and All Things Spring
Saturday Meanderings… Spring Ahead to Gardens and Still Lifes
Friday Favorites from Cafe Delites, Gimme Some Oven, Bon Appetit, and More
Gardens are like hairstyles: we love what we can't have. Curly folks want straight; straight want curls. With gardeners, the ones with heat and little rain/water want lush greenery (hmm, I am not sure anybody wants barren, but plenty of people like the look of Provence, which is very dry). All the photos here are gorgeous beyond words and totally inappropriate for the climate where I live. Sigh. Right now, my garden is very lush and green from rain, but the weeds are what is growing fastest. Another sigh.
I would be out of my depth trying to garden. I can manage cacti, and that's about it.
I think I can ANSWER YES to all your questions above!I have a GARDEN ……I do it myself.My colors are Yellow and white in the back and White and pink in the front!I only buy the plants that speak to me!!!!!!Which can be a few……….the GARDEN gives BACK SO MUCH!IT's a HAPPY place and constantly changing………..even in the DEAD of WINTER!