5 Things To Do in Your Lake Zurich Area Garden This Weekend

Written by on May 25, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Planting, Pruning and Planning Keep Your Garden Blooming

I’m really looking forward to Memorial Day weekend. We’ve planted pots of annuals, cleaned the outdoor furniture and polished up the grill. Well maintained gardens enhance our homes. If the weather cooperates with the first long weekend of summer, we’ll be doing a little work in our Long Grove yard. Here are five things that you can do in your Lake Zurich area garden this weekend:

1. Prune spring flowering shrubs: My lilacs have finished blooming so it’s time to prune. Prune your spring flowering shrubs and bushes shortly after blooming to ensure healthy blooms next year.

2. Feed and treat roses: I’m not very good with roses but I do have several Knock Out varieties. They bloom all season when I feed and treat them. I use Bayer 3 in 1 because it’s easy! One product fertilizes, controls insects (including nasty Japanese beetles!) and prevents disease.

3. Plant your tomatoes: Mmm, I can’t wait for the first home grown tomato! I’ll be stopping by Hawthorn Gardens in Hawthorn Woods. They have a big selection of tomato plants that have varying grow times. I’ll plant several varieties ranging from 52 to 80 days so I’ll have yummy tomatoes all season.

4. Bring your indoor plants outside: Tropicals love a summer vacation outdoors. Be sure to protect them from strong winds. Most articles that I read tell me to take them out gradually – an hour or two a day to start. That takes an awful lot of time so I don’t do it. Beware – If you don’t do this you risk losing some of them!

5. Visit the Chicago Botanic Garden: You’ve worked hard so take some time to enjoy one of our area treasures. Stroll through the Garden or take advantage of one of the scheduled events. This weekend the Garden hosts the Northshore Iris and Daylily Society show along with the Garden Chef Series.

The weekend won’t be all work for us! I’m already starting to plan my weekend barbeque menus, praying that the weather will be beautiful, and planning a trip to Chicago Botanic Garden.  I’m ready for summer!

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Gardening Events In and Around Lake Zurich IL

Written by on April 8, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Local Nurseries Offer Free Seminars and Workshops

Lake County Il GardensTemperatures will be in the 70’s this weekend! If thoughts of gardening haven’t already filled your head, the warm weather is sure to get you going. We’re lucky to live in the Lake Zurich area where three local nurseries are offering free seminars and workshops this weekend.

Hawthorn Gardens in Hawthorn Woods is offering “Cool Season Garden Containers” on Saturday, April 9th at 10 am. I’ve been known to fill my containers with pansies, but the experts at Hawthorn Gardens have bigger and better ideas! They’re happy to share them with us at this free seminar on Saturday morning.

If your landscaping is looking a little tired and overgrown, stop by Knuppers Nursery in Palatine on Saturday, April 9th. They’ll be helping us with their “Top Ten Landscaping Basics” at 9 am. Maybe you have a blank lawn. They can help with that, too!

Kinsch Village Florist and Greenhouse in Palatine is kicking off the season with a full day of ideas at their Spring Open House. It’s on Saturday, April 9th from 9 am to 4 pm. Included in the day’s events are container gardening, plant and flower trends for 2011 and spring clean up. There’s also fun for the kids. You can decorate a pot and plant it with your child.

Perhaps this is all just a little bit too much for you and you just want to add some “spring” to your home. If that’s the case, stop by Fresh Market in Kildeer. I saw beautiful tulips in a rainbow of colors there this week.  An added bonus is that they have an “Experience the Food” sampling event on Saturday from 11am to 1 pm.

If you know of other gardening events in the Lake Zurich area, please share them with us! However you spend the weekend, enjoy!

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5 Things to Do Now in Your Lake Zurich Area Garden

Written by on February 28, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Get Ready for Spring Blooms!

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I saw my first robin! Surely spring is almost here. I’m going to start getting ready for spring planting and the bounty of summer. Here are 5 things that you can do right now in your Lake Zurich area garden to help ensure that you have a fabulous summer garden.

1. Plant Seeds: If you’re ambitious, now is the time to start seeds indoors. You can plant cool weather veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. They’ll be ready to move outdoors in April. You can also start flowers such as alyssum, celosia, coleus and dahlia tubers. You’ll save a lot of money and it’s fun to see the sprouts!

2. Prune Shrubs: Now is the time to prune summer blooming shrubs, such as hydrangea, that bloom after June 15th. They need to be pruned now to ensure that you don’t remove buds later. Don’t prune spring bloomers or you won’t have any flowers this spring.

3. Trim Ornamental Grasses: Cut your ornamental grasses to about 4 to 6 inches before new growth starts. An easy way to do this is to tie the tall stems in to a bundle and lop them off. If you don’t have ornamental grasses, consider planting some this year. They provide year round interest in the garden.

4. Clean Up the Lawn: As the snow is melting, I’m seeing all kinds of things that don’t belong in the lawn. Remove twigs, rocks and trash that have collected over winter.

5. Attend the Chicago Flower and Garden Show: This year’s show opens on March 5th and runs through March 13th at Navy Pier. For more information, visit their website.

Just writing this is making me more excited! I can’t wait to visit my favorite nurseries like Knupper’s in Palatine and Hawthorn Gardens in Hawthorn Woods. Do you have a favorite nursery? If so, let me know. I’m always looking for new places to browse for ideas.

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Nervous About Being a Rose Gardener?

Written by on June 8, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Try Knock Out Roses!

Over the years I’ve planted many different types of roses with little to no success. Then, two years ago my son, Craig, gave me a Double Knock Out Rose as a Mother’s Day Gift. Success at last! That’s my beauty in the picture.

In the past I had trouble with black spot. Double Knock Out is disease resistant and I’ve never had a spot of black. They’re also pest resistant and are very low maintenance. Knock Out roses are repeat bloomers and will bloom from spring to first frost. To make them even better for our dry Lake Zurich area summers, they are drought tolerant.

To keep my rose bush looking beautiful, I use Bayer Advanced Rose and Flower Care. It is a 3 in 1 Systemic product that I apply every 5-6 weeks. It prevents disease, controls for insects and fertilizes the plant. Although it is drought tolerant, when it’s very dry I water deeply at the roots once a week.

Pick a sunny spot in your garden and plant a variety of Knock Out Rose. There’s a gorgeous yellow named The Sunny Knock Out that I think I’ll add to my garden this year!

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Kelly’s Lake Zurich Garden

Written by on June 3, 2010 · 2 Comments

New Homeowners Create a Peaceful Garden

Kelly, Andy, and their daughter Maggie moved to Lake Zurich last year from a condo in Arlington Heights. We looked at homes in several different communities before they decided on this home in Lake Zurich. The home was in beautiful condition but the yard needed some work! Kelly has a vision for her garden and in less than two gardening seasons she’s on her way to making it a reality.

I visited Kelly’s garden today. She and Andy have ripped out lots of overgrown shrubs and invasive plants. She’s replaced them with many perennials, spots of annuals and some new shrubs. She scored 100 hostas on Lake Zurich Freecycle! She’s been trading plants with others on the Freecycle site and I think it’s an awesome idea. For more information on Freecycle, check out freecycle.org.

Kelly gardens in mostly shade so she has some special challenges. She’s rising to the challenge by using plants with different shades, shapes and textures. One thing that really impressed me is that Kelly is planning her gardens for the future. She’s including walkways and hardscapes in her design plan. Many new gardeners (and some experienced ones!) don’t plan ahead and are often disappointed. Her next plan is for what she calls a “fairy garden” in her front yard. As she excitedly told me about it, I could see it in my mind’s eye and I’m looking forward to seeing it when it’s finished.

That’s Maggie in the picture standing in the dappled shade next to a raspberry bush. Maggie was delighted to show me the little sprouts from the seeds that she planted with her mom. It was a beautiful day for sitting in the garden with Maggie and Kelly and so peaceful that I didn’t want to leave! This family has created a tranquil, outdoor space that is lovely to look at but not so fussy that you can’t have fun. The most important thing is that they’ve done it together!

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May Tips for the Lake Zurich Garden

Written by on May 18, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Lake Zurich Garden Things to Do in May

The weather hasn’t been kind to us this May! Nevertheless, May is one of my favorite times in the garden. I begin to see all of my lovingly planted perennials come to life. It’s also the time when I notice that some beds have become overgrown. Whether you garden in Lake Zurich, Long Grove, Hawthorn Woods, or another town in Lake County, here are a few things that can be done in our gardens in May:

1. Pinch perennials such as mums and asters to promote a shorter, bushier growth.
2. Stake tall perennials.
3. Plant summer veggies. I’m going to try some heirloom tomatoes. Not only are they interesting to look at, they taste great!
4. Prune spring flowering shrubs after they bloom. Trim away spent blooms and trim branches to rejuvenate the plants.
5. Plant summer flowering bulbs such as dahlias. I planted “dinner plate” dahlias a few years ago and they put on quite a show! If you plant them, be sure to stake them because the flower heads are quite heavy.
6. Feed your roses if you haven’t done so yet. Try Bayer 2-in-1 Systemic Rose and Flower Care. It feeds and protects against insects.  I’ve had great results with it.
7. Plant a pot or two filled with annuals for your front entrance. Try to buy flowers not yet in full bloom for stronger plants.

The most important thing to do is take time to enjoy all of your hard work!  See the beautiful colors, hear the birds you’ve invited, smell the sweet scents, touch the velvety leaf textures, taste the herbs, vegetables, and edible flowers. The garden is a delight for all of our senses.

How is your garden growing? Take a moment and share your favorite plants and tips. I love reading them!

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Chicago Botanic Garden

Written by on April 21, 2010 · 1 Comment

Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois

This past week I had the opportunity to visit the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe. My friend, Mary, had never been to the garden. I’m surprised at how many people living in the Lake Zurich area have never taken advantage of the amazing garden. I received a membership as a gift, so I visit often.

At this time of the year, the daffodils were blooming everywhere. Later spring and summer flowers, obviously, were not yet in bloom. That afforded an opportunity to peruse the Japanese garden at length. This is something that I don’t often do when the senses are assaulted with all of the fragrances and colors of summer.

The Japanese garden is a spot of serenity and peace. The hardscapes are beautiful and the design is gorgeous. As Mary and I walked through, we gave in to the temptation to sit on a bench and take it all in. We especially loved the sign that was titled “The Beauty of Age”. We just knew that it was referring to us!

The Chicago Botanic Garden offers classes and workshops that may interest you. For more information, visit http://www.chicago-botanic.org/. I’ll be visiting again very soon.

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Gardens Coming to Life

Written by on April 14, 2010 · 3 Comments

Lake County Il GardensApril Gardening

What a difference a week makes! Last week there were just little sprouts coming from the ground and this week I see blooming daffodils everywhere. My garden is coming to life. The hyacinths look ready to bloom, irises are about 10 inches tall, and tulip leaves are all there. Thanks, Mother Nature, for the warm weather.

One of the highlights of my week was visiting a favorite nursery, Hawthorn Gardens in Hawthorn Woods. It’s a favorite of local gardeners from Lake Zurich, Kildeer, Hawthorn Woods and Long Grove. The gardener staff is friendly and always helpful. The nursery already has that great fragrance that gardeners love. Stop by to visit and breathe in a little spring!

Friends and family have been contacting me with questions about what they can plant now. I know it’s tempting to plant, but remember we’ll still be getting some cold weather. My advice is to put some pansies and violas in your containers. They’re cold-tolerant and will give you the color you’re craving. If you stop by Hawthorn Gardens, they’ll help you select other cold-tolerant plants.

Looking out my window I can see my fabulous forsythia. I cut some branches. They were gorgeous on my Easter table.

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