Wednesday, June 28, 2017


Good Morning Sunshine!

The middle two weeks of June brought our Chicagoland yard finally into summer in between 
massive amounts of rain.


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Pumpkins and Squash reside in what we call the 'back forty'. Tucked away behind the shed and between the compost pile is a 20 x 14 section we use for cooler crops. An OLD broken windmill is placed inside for vines. (The dirt pile is construction in my neighbors yard.)


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The plants from our greenhouse finally taking off. These are pie pumpkins. My mouth is watering just thinking about all the pies we make in Fall.


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We have kohlrabi, broccoli, squash, and pumpkins back here. 

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I started some Swiss Chard, but this is all it has done in over 3 weeks. Too cold, wet and rainy.

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Our main garden has been stripped of the overhead lattice. 
The new walkway has been put in. 
The new planters on the rail are still to be filled. 
Maybe next week, the budget for June has been blown.
The brown in the lower left is the tarp covering the sandbox. 
We do use mulch probably not a GREEN thing to do. But it is easier on our backs. Besides we are fighting an infestation of spearmint (33years of it) and Morning Glories. 


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The new 8x10x8' high greenhouse is up---and has been centered in the yard. 
We haven't moved in yet, but it will be wonderful to have room to work.


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This little patio in the garden holds the overflow of tomatoes and peppers. 
Once the old greenhouse is down there will be plenty of sun here and room for more pots.

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The center of the garden has our old box spring---for supporting pickles. The springs hold the vines.

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We had to turn the pump around on the trough pond for the new greenhouse. Um, hubby thinks rolled up hanging hoses are a decorating statement. Once the irrigation is hooked back up, they are gone.


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So far we haven't used the hammock, lol. Too busy getting everything planted and keeping up with the grass. We compost all the grass clippings.

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Our flowers are just really kicking off. One of my many frogs, gifted to me by my kids.
Some need freshening, that will be a great REDO project with the Grand.

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I'm VERY allergic to bees and wasps.
My patio pots---are full of lemongrass, citronella, and mint as well as flowers. 
These are all GREEN mosquito, bee and wasp repellants, 
and reduce the amount of chemical sprays we use.
I move the pots around depending on where we are on the patio and what we are doing.

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The viola pansies are lush with the cooler weather.

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We have lots of comfortable shade in the backyard in the afternoon.

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I use containers so I can move them around.

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Our patio is a miss-mosh. Hubby buys whatever appeals to him, so the cushions are totally un-coordinated. Next year, I plan on covering them in some sort of cohesive manner after I purchase fabric on sale the end of the season. 

Walmart has added fabrics again in the Chicago, due to the closing of JoAnn stores and HancockFabrics disappearing. Walmart has an inexpensive selection of 
Outdoor Fabrics.

The Grand's furniture and toys are everywhere. But that is what summer is for. Here she has lots of room to run around and pretend play.


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The new grill and grill patio have had a workout already this summer. 
The Grand's play set in front of the HE-Shed is in the background.

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The side of the house holds plant pot overflow. 

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It's crazy how many tomatoes and peppers we have started from seed. 
Harvesting and canning will start in a month, also very late this year.




But flowers are the keystone of what I like to do.
 I have many REDO's and stashes for the garden
 to work on this summer.

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This pond is still not hooked up---but, I have a new tray, to make shell tiers going down. 
The splatter on this pump has been difficult to direct. 
And I need to really trim back the bushes here. 
In my mind, I see two trays and then a large mosaic base eventually here.

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My fairy hides in all the greenery.



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Next problem. 
The 100-year rains we have every other week, puts seepage into the basement, again. 
We have multiple tarps draped along the NW side of the house. 
Short of spending 10K to have it all dug out and redone-we are extending the roof instead.
 MORE to follow on that project. 
PS---we are on a ridge, but the ground is clay and once water finds a path
to your foundation even two sump-pumps can't keep up.

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Galardia next to my Zinnias. 

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Planter box on the garden rail. 

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Meanwhile, Sweet Peas for a parting view 
from our Chicagoland garden.

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW? 


Thanks always for visiting. 
I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.
 Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 
Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!




Sandi



Sunday, June 25, 2017

Gardening in Chicagoland: June 2017

Front Yard: June 2017

We had two days last week to sneak out and catch sunlight--between storms.
The few days we have been able to work has been spent in the backyard 
reconstruction, planting pots, and basic clean up. 

Our season is way behind 
this year in Chicagoland from weather and specifically temperatures going from frost
 to 90's to cold to constant wet.

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The Creeping Sedum along our beams softens their edges and are blooming like crazy.
The white pole was a squirrel protection for a feeder, that has deteriorated, another REDO project.

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Creeping Sedum. I bought a flat of 12 plants maybe 6 years ago. 
I dig up and divide every year to edge the beams in the yard. 

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Scattered around are pots and planters, which are between lush from rain, 
or anemic from the lack of sun. 
My Geranium on there right, is not happy. A transplanting maybe in the works for it.


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Early morning light is always the most interesting for photographs.

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This was a Caladium I bought fully grown. My Caladium  bulbs froze when I planted them in early May, even in the greenhouse.


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I have three planters along the garage walkway--I added some new items along with the potato vine which does wonderful here. Note all the debris--from our storms.

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This green and white crawler---is some sort of succulent. I have lost the label. 
I will buy them again, it has tripled in size in two weeks


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I think this OLD chair takes Shabby to a new sad level. Another Redo on the horizon.

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And this poor OLD bench will bite the dust at the end of the summer. Particularly, the salt from winter---which we must put on this corner has eaten the legs. 
The bench has been hung on the wall, I have some OLD porch posts to REDO here. 
Meanwhile, color greets you at the front of the garage.

 Clean-up  has been hard to keep up with---with back to back storms.

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This clematis and frozen, it's early growth stopped in its tracks, but its coming back now.

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Along with the rain, we are now dealing with an excess of bugs everywhere. We use as many 
safe and organic products as possible. Soap water works the best on the pots.
We live in a lake community---where everything ends up in our lake, so it's a GREEN thing to do.

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I don't know if everything this pot will make it, but love the crazy giant frond things, 
I've used potato fine, bluebonnets, 12" Marigolds.  

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My pots are in various states of blossoming. Too much rain fills all the saucers, I finally removed them until the pots dry out. Dianthus, purple petunias and golden baby tears.

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 Golden baby tears, petunias, impatience and Coleus in this pot.
My pots should be lovely in a month. 

The front arbor is lush---
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The front arbor is lush---Climbing roses are crazy with blooms. This is after I clipped blooms off.
---for this is a 50% shade spot.

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Early in the morning, it's full sun here. Lilies and Tiger lilies are the next bloom. 

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Under the maple tree on the front walk, my Tea Roses from Mother's day last year.

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A giant variegated Hosta---All the Hostas are HUGE this year. 


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Under the maple tree are planters, Coral Bells, Tea Roses, a Mum, and Hostas. 
The hanging pot is new Impatiens I haven't seen before, almost a ruffle. We are sticking to 
peachy/orange tones. I use purple, red and limes as a loose color scheme.
The OLD urn is one that I bought last Fall in a thrift store for $3.00. I love it here. 


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Under the front windows of the house, 
The ornamental grasses have morphed and are out of control. 
I have Astilbe, Iris, Giant (red) Sedum and Marigolds in here. 
All my other perennials have froze out, sadly.
The bird houses are all in need of freshening. 
This area needs a major GREEN REDO.

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I want to make the mosaic ball the focus, some serious digging maybe required.

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On the porch we have four long planters with flowers/herbs/and lettuce mixed together. 
I'll share more once we get the gutters cleaned and the porch presentable. Sigh!

Well, I have to go spray for bugs and pull more weeds, and chop more overgrowth. 
OH, and DUMP saucers full of water, 
BLUB, BLUB, BLUB, from wet Chicagoland. 

Happy Gardening!


Thanks always for visiting. 
I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.
 Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 
Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!




Sandi