Comments on: Gardening Book Recommendations?

By: Shawna Stobaugh

Shawna Stobaugh — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:21:02 +0000

If you like Peonies, you might like peony poppies. They look similar. Fluffy and cute. They last all summer even into fall I think. You home looks adorable.

shawna

By: gail

gail — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:25:16 +0000

I drive past your house all the time on my way to dunkin donuts for coffee. My best friend grew up in that house so I think I was there about 5 days a week as a teenager. forget about the gardening….I think what you need to do is paint that fucker! that old cream and brown is so tired!

By: Amber

Amber — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:33:58 +0000

Definitely stick with native plants. Your library will have books about growing in your zone. Also Gardenweb.com has a wealth of info including regional and zone specific forums.

Another thing I will advise that no one has mentioned is try to grow organically and if possible plant compatibly. Example if one plant has problems with a certain pest or fungus scoot in a plant that will help rid the other plant of that pest. You and the rest of nature don’t have to worry about being around bad toxins and you’re not wasting time and money on them.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:42:54 +0000

I recently purchased a 1920s bungalow in chicago and the Bungalow Association offers landscaping workshops. We recently attended a workshop at a NW side library and it was fantastic! They gave great ideas and everyone there owned a bungalow so it was great networking as well. I have found that most bungalow owners have very similar challenges. I believe that you can participate in these seminars if you are in Chicago or suburbs.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:26:40 +0000

I enjoy gardening, but I can’t seem to get it to work like my mom. She can make anything grow just from looking at it!
I used to have her help me, but our tastes are different… So, I’m doing this all my own now! :D

So, I started out by going to a book store, looked through magazines on what would work in my climate. I’m in zone 5. Since we have full sun – south facing… I wanted to make sure that the flowers/plants are not going to die from the lack of shade. I picked out the colors that I wanted – we have a blue house, so I picked violet, bright pink, and yellow to be the main colors for the house… Then I drew the garden out — dimensioning the garden. Placing the plants the way it would be if it was in its’ full size.

THEN I went to the larger nursery around, showing them what kind of plants that I have picked out… This way, I have a general idea on what I like and what kind of flowers/plants I’d like — which helps the people at the nursery on my taste if they didn’t have something I had written down. When I went, they didn’t have a few of what I had drawn out, but the lady gave me recommendations that matches the size and color to the flowers that they didn’t have… The lady even told me that one of my plants wouldn’t work for full sun (despite of what the magazine said)…

I just planted everything last Saturday… :) It was a lot of work — since I went through and pulled all the weeds out first.

oh yes, make sure you have mulch to cover up when you’re done… Mulch is a good water retainer, and helps keep the weeds out — but doesn’t mean that they’re not going to try to plant themselves in there!

We water our plants at least every other day.

Good luck!!!! and Happy Planting! :)

By: kingking

kingking — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:35:29 +0000

I second the suggestions by Ileana and Jane, especially getting to know your neighbors. When we moved into our current home, I really admired the landscaping of a house two doors down. It turns out the lady of the house is a master gardener, works for the county extension office, and has been more helpful than any book could ever have been. Best of luck in your outside endeavor, I have no doubt it will be as warm and welcoming as your inside one. Go make it lovely.

By: jane

jane — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:39:36 +0000

Definitely take a walk through the Morton Arboretum and Chicago Botanic Gardens. Everything is marked and it’s helpful to a see a plant in a natural setting, rather than a picture in a book. Also, take the puppy for a walk around your neighborhood and look for landscaping you like and maybe catch the homeowner/gardener at work—they can give you helpful advice. Gethsemene (in Andersonville?) is a great garden center with helpful staff. Finally, the redbud tree would be great start! It is a wonderful small tree for the area. Also, don’t forget the library—you can bring a number of garden books home until you find the one that seems to work for you, and then purchase that one. I like “The Well-Tended Perennial Garden” because in includes maintenance info (pruning, dividing, mulching, etc) and Pam Duthie’s “Continuous Color”—with color by season, and she is a local gardener.

By: Lisa {milkshake}

Lisa {milkshake} — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:12:10 +0000

I agree with Wendy’s suggestion of “What Perennial Where”. We received that book as a gift when we bought our house almost 10 years ago. I still use it.

This website is a great resource, too: http://www.gardenweb.com/.

Careful – you will quickly become addicted to gardening!

By: mariah

mariah — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 02:09:29 +0000

i really like small garden by john brookes. has a great mix of planter ideas, reference as well as design tips for modern, traditional and city and english country designs.

house is still getting better and better. i continue to think that we are kind of style twins :)
love it and keep it up!!

By: Sue

Sue — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 19:57:34 +0000

Going with others re: You Grow Girl. Was near a Border’s earlier this week and was able to purchase the last one on the shelf. I LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!!!! Excellent ideas, instructions, pictures…fabulous! Enjoy!