Post Election

There are a lot of opinions floating around today post election on facebook, twitter, newspapers, bus stops, water coolers and possibly watering holes. 

I for one like to keep my opinions to myself unless I am talking to those who I know share my views or more importantly, can discuss the issues without becoming defensive or belligerent.  I am so grateful for the right to vote, the freedom to speak, but this year have found the politics almost unbearable...on both sides.

So to calm my throbbing head I am going to focus on the many tasks at hand here at our little landscape company, ILT Vignocchi...

People might find it hard to believe that there is so much to do November 7th in the landscape industry but there is...here is my short list...

Winter containers:  We design, build and install over 50 winter green displays annually.  That doesn't include the tens of thousands of square feet of evergreen boughs we will install.  Each winter green display is unique in its design.  It takes seven of us five days to complete them so they are ready to be installed the week of Thanksgiving.  The best part...it smells like Christmas in the shop!

Bulbs:  Getting tulip, daffodil, and other spring blooming bulbs installed prior to the ground freezing is a a chore in itself.  Most of our seasonal staff is ready to hang up their shovels by Thanksgiving (and who can blame them)!  This year we will go from Winter container and bough installation right into getting bulbs in the ground.  Each year I think to myself, "why didn't I think to wear just ONE more layer of clothing.  It is so cold out here!"

Snow removal:  It always amazes me that one day our trucks have no plows on them and seemingly the next...shizam!  They all have plows.  Most of it can be attributed to our wonderful shop manager Ricardo and his assistant Brian.  We are so blessed to have these guys.  We also maintain a 500 acre office park plus several other HOA's.  The planning and coordination of these efforts is paramount in making certain everything runs smoothly when snow starts falling.

As I said, this is my short list.  And the list has many contributors that make it a shared responsibility...but I'll leave that for my Thanksgiving blog!!

Fun Pumpkin Facts

pumpkins carved by Aaron and Sofia Zych

Total U.S. pumpkin production was valued at around $140 million equaling 1.1 billion lbs

496 million pounds of pumpkins were produced in Illinois.

The top pumpkin production states are Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.

Around 90 to 95% of the processed pumpkins in the United States are grown in Illinois.

Pumpkins originated in Central America.

In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.

The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.

The name pumpkin originated from "pepon" - the Greek word for "large melon."

Pumpkins are 90 percent water.

Pumpkins are a fruit.

Colonists sliced off pumpkin tops; removed seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and is the origin of pumpkin pie.

Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins, dried them and made mats.

How to chase the winter blues out of your garden

It is all too often the case that landscape and garden designers, out of a zealousness for flowers, overlook the beauty that can be carried through winter by selecting certain shrubs and perennials with long lasting pizazz.

Here are some of my favorites.

Colored-twig dogwoods (Cornus sericea) are also a fantastic choice for winter color. When they lose their leaves, they reveal bright red, yellow, or orange stems that show off well against a backdrop of dormant grasses or evergreen shrubs. And the display's not limited to outdoors, either, since the cut stems last a long time in a vase or a holiday wreath. Colored-twig dogwoods grow in full sun to part shade and reach about 4-10' tall and wide, depending on the variety.

Ornamental grasses are a great additions to a winter garden, and not only the evergreen varieties. Many grasses go dormant gracefully, leaving a fluffy mass of brown strands that look surprisingly at home among winter annuals and other color. Evergreen grasses include sedges like Carex 'Toffee Twist', variegated sweet flag (Acorus gramineus 'Variegata'), and silver spear (Astelia chathamica 'Silver Spear'), while fountain grass (Pennisetum) and dwarf varieties of maiden grass (Miscanthus) make a great show in dormancy.

Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster apiculata and 'Hessii') is a must if you have walls or walkways it can crawl upon.  The berries over the winter months add a little holiday spirit.

I find that homeowners are reluctant when we want to leave Annabelle Hydrangea up over the winter, but it looks so much better than an empty bed.  And the older the species, the more blooms and stalks, the better the winter show.

Top 10 Plants You Can't Kill

As gardeners, we're constantly faced with challenges: plants that won't bloom, flowers that die from a late frost, droughts that wipe out entire beds.

Gardening definitely has its fair share of difficulties, so every once in a while it's nice to have plants that require little maintenance. Even better-grow plants you can't kill!
Sure, spraying these all-stars with weed killer would probably lead to their demise. But for the most part, these are hardy, maintenance-free picks that work well in any North American backyard.

So are you ready to turn your black thumb into a green thumb? Get planting with these top picks.

Coneflower

(Echinacea, Zones 3 to 9)
Coneflowers have become a garden staple for their easygoing nature. Growing 2 to 5 feet high and 2 feet wide, they are the perfect companion plant in just about any garden. They require well-drained soil but will thrive in full sun as well as partial shade. Known for attracting birds, bees and butterflies, coneflowers also make lovely cut blooms.

Why I love it: The coneflower is the low-maintenance star of nature-friendly gardens. It comes in many colors, and it's easy to find one you will love.

Colors: purple, pink, crimson, white, yellow, orange and even green.

Cosmos

(Cosmos bipinnatus)
If big, beautiful flowers are one of your top requirements, cosmos is perfect for you. Though it's an annual, it often reseeds on its own. Blooming summer to frost and growing up to 6 feet high, this backyard favorite deserves a regular spot in your sunny garden.

Why I love it: It's easy to grow from seed. So for a couple of bucks, you'll have a gorgeous show in a single season.

Daylily

(Hemerocallis, Zones 3 to 10)
An excellent choice for a classic garden, daylilies can tolerate flooding, drought and salt and are often used for erosion control on steep hillsides. The pretty blooms come in every shade except blue and pure white; their distinctive trumpets may be triangular, circular, double, spidery or star-shaped. Daylilies grow 10 inches to 4 feet high and 1-1/2 to 4 feet wide and do best in full sun to partial shade.

Why I love it: Some cultivars attract hummingbirds and butterflies. A plant that is best divided every three to five years, the daylily is perfect to share with friends.

Hens and Chicks

(Sempervivum tectorum, Zones 3 to 8)
The only way to kill this succulent is by being too kind with overwatering. This perennial is perfect for rock gardens. It grows 3 to 6 inches tall and up to 20 inches wide and blooms in summer. For best results, plant in well-drained soil that gets full sun to light shade.

Why I love it: This low grower also works wonders in containers. Since it doesn't have a deep root system, you can plant it somewhere fun.

Yarrow

(Achillea, Zones 3 to 9)
These easy-care, long-lasting flowers come into their own once summer is on its way. They grow 6 inches to 4 feet tall and 18 to 24 inches wide, in yellow, white, red and pink. Well-suited to most growing conditions, yarrows provide a long season of bloom. They're a good cutting flower, too. Avoid seedy varieties that may require a bit of weeding to keep contained.

Why I love it: This plant is heat- and drought-tolerant and can survive on benign neglect.

Hosta

(Hosta, Zones 3 to 8)
Easy-to-grow hosta is a must for shade gardens. The beautiful foliage comes in a wealth of colors, textures, sizes and shapes, growing 4 inches to 3 feet high and 6 inches to 6 feet wide. In summer, hosta blooms in purple, white or lavender. Divide in spring or late summer to early fall. Hostas like moist ground, but be careful not to overwater.

Why I love it: The ultimate low-care shade plant, hosta comes in endless varieties and colors. It also can be easily divided-perfect for the budget-minded.

Sedum

(Sedum species, Zones 3 to 10)
Take a close look and you'll see this plant's star-shaped blooms, similar to a pentas. With yellow, orange, red, pink or white flowers, it grows from 2 inches up to 2 feet high and wide. You can grow some species as ground cover, while others make good border plants.

Why I love it: Hello, butterflies! If you want flying flowers in your yard, this plant is a slam dunk.

Zinnia

(Zinnia)
With new heat-, drought- and disease-resistant plants on the market, there's never been a better time to grow zinnias. This annual grows up to 3 feet high, with blooms that last until the first frost. For the newest varieties from seed, check your local nursery or favorite garden catalog.

Why I love it: You'll save tons of money growing these from seed. Start seeds indoors, or sow outdoors about 1/4 inch deep after the threat of frost has passed.

Petunia

(Petunia x hybrida)
Petunias have been around for decades, but the newer varieties have advanced in leaps and bounds. Days of deadheading and disease-prone plants are long gone. Nowadays, these beauties flourish in both full sun and partial shade without a lot of extra work. And you can find them in almost every color imaginable.

Why I love it: Even if you forget to water for a few days-it happens to everyone-these plants keep going.

Yucca

(Yucca filamentosa, Zones 4 to 11)
There's a good reason so many Southern gardeners use this as a backyard centerpiece. It's about as drought-tolerant as they come-and on top of that, it boasts beautiful white flowers amid its spiky leaves.

Why I love it: Both flowers and foliage come with this beauty. For a unique variety, look for the variegata cultivar. Its blue-green leaves with white edges are stunning.

Hydrangeas - the proper care

Those that know me well know that Hydrangea is really my favorite plant and flower.  I find nothing as elegant and understated.  I prefer the classic varieties and stay away from macrophyllas, because they just look fake to me.

Hydrangeas seem to be a plant where you just kind of let it go, but that is far from the truth.  My husband spends hours layer pruning our paniculatas so they push spring growth to his desired shape.  Pruning is a science as well as an art.  As is gardening really.

I had an interesting conversation with a master gardener yesterday who was asking my opinions on a plant I was installing at her friends house.  It was a gro-low sumac.  For me, a "landscaper," something I use all the time when I want a big pillow of greenery.  But to her, something less known.  It reminded me that although someone might be an expert, we are always still learning.  We are experts at what we are most comfortable with, what we prefer and what we are exposed to most often.

So I thought why not put out some tips for caring for my favorite plants.  To some it might be old information, a refresher and to some it may be completely new.  But at least I'm going to try to use this fantastic technology to continue to educate as often as I can.

Pruning hydrangeas
To know when to prune your hydrangea....here's a handy guide:

Hydrangea macrophylla (Blushing Bride, Endless Summer, Light-O-Day): Prune in late summer, as soon as the flowers fade, but never after September. Remove weaker stems from the base of the plant, being careful to retain several stems of old wood, which will produce buds for next year's flowers.

Hydrangea arborescens Grandiflora (Annabelle, Bella Anna, Incrediball): Cut to the ground in late winter or early spring.

Hydrangea paniculata Grandiflora (Tardive, Limelight, Pink Diamond, Unique): Simply remove spent flowers and thin or cut back last year's growth in late winter or early spring.

Hydrangea quercifolia (oakleaf hydrangea): Remove dead wood at the base of the plant in early spring.

Hydrangea anomala petiolaris (climbing hydrangea): Unruly vines can be shortened in summer. Otherwise, pruning is seldom necessary.

Downy Mildew...the new epidemic

I had a customer contact me a couple weeks ago saying they noticed thier imaptiens were tall and leggy with little or no blooms. I went out to inspect it and thought it looked like they were suffering their normal end of season blues two MONTHS too early.

Very concerned I contacted our very trusted supplier Mindy Clesen at Ron Clesen's Ornamental Plants Inc. and she informed me that last year we saw the beginning of what is turning out to be a very significant epidemic for impatiens.

She and a fellow employee, Rachel Prescott, have given me the following useful information.

• Downy mildew won’t occur until the conditions are perfect. Most people think since they haven’t seen it yet this summer that everything will be fine, however, the cold nights are really what trigger the disease to start taking its toll on plants
• Downy mildew is characterized with leaving only the stalks of the plants left in the bed: flowers and leaves will drop, and most of the time the leaves will be covered in white spores on the underside
• The best thing to do when you identify the disease is to remove ALL plants from the bed. The most important part of this step is to do it as soon as you can! The mistake I saw a lot of landscapers make last year was they waited a week until their crew was back at the house or jobsite to remove the plant material. There are two very important reasons why you should remove the material right away:
  • There are two types of spores that are produced by Downy Mildew. The oospores are the spores that overwinter in the soil, and can cause Downy Mildew in the bed year after year once they’ve settled in. By removing material right away you are trying to prevent the overwintering of these spores.
  • The other type of spores are airborne spores. These airborne spores will die if they do not find another host, and in this case they would have to find another impatiens to infect. The quicker you remove the infected material, the less likely the disease will spread to a neighboring bed.
• Unfortunately there is no data about if throwing infected material into your compost pile will affect the integrity of the compost. Ball has said to just throw the material away in the garbage if you can, that way you don’t have to worry about your compost being compromised.
• Downy mildew of impatiens only infects Impatiens walleriana, the standard impatiens. New Guinea impatiens, impatiens hawkerii are highly tolerant of the disease. No other plants are infected by this pathogen. So choosing a different species of annual in 2013 is a good idea.
• Plasmopara obducens produces tough survival spores called oospores that can overwinter in soil and plant debris. As a result if downy mildew was present in your garden last year, it is likely to show up again in 2013. Downy mildew can also move in on wind blown spores. Although it is not known how far the downy mildew pathogen can travel by wind, a close relative, downy mildew of cucurbits, has been shown to move over 600 miles in 48 hrs.

Tasteless Tomatoes...little know fact

It's not big news that many modern tomatoes don't have the flavor of older varieties, especially those that have been bred primarily for commercial production. But some new research published recently in the journal Science may have at least a partial explanation as to why that's the case.

It turns out that selective breeding done to make it easier for commercial growers to judge when mature green tomatoes in the field are ready to be picked and shipped had some unexpected consequences. Growers knew that if uniformly light green tomatoes were picked and shipped to distant markets, by the time they arrived on store shelves, they would be the even red that customers look for. But many older tomato varieties have "green shoulders," areas at the top of the fruit remain a darker green. This uneven coloration made it hard for growers to know if a tomato had reached the "pickable" stage. So over the past seventy years or so, breeders have selected for varieties that develop a uniform green color when they are mature enough to harvest.

Unfortunately for consumers, however, it turns out that getting rid of the green shoulders also got rid of a gene called SIGLK2, whose function is to boost the level of sugars and other flavor compounds in the fruit as it ripens. Another recent study by Harry Klee of the University of Florida showed that the loss of this gene also diminished the volatile compounds a tomato gives off, aromatic compounds that contribute to our enjoyment of tomato taste through our sense of smell.

The loss of SIGLK2 gene and the green shoulders trait it codes for is not the only reason that modern tomatoes are short on flavor, but it is a piece of the puzzle. And for the best flavor among modern tomatoes? He suggests cherry tomatoes. These little varieties came late to the breeding party and he says, "Breeders haven't had as much time to mess them up."

When you forget to water your Hanging Basket

Oh, it’s happened to all of us. You come home from work to find your hanging baskets sadly wilting, seemlingly haning on for dear life. It’s easily done when containers are full to bursting point with lush summer annuals and you weren’t there to water them just when they needed it.

A quick drink is often all it takes to restore plants, but if the compost is very dry, water tends to "run off," so give small amounts and let each dose soak in before repeating the process. It also helps to spray wilting plants over with water, as a quick reviver. They’ll usually be back to normal the following morning.

But more drastic treatment is called for when a hanging basket has dried out so badly that the soil shrinks away from the sides of the container and the plants are almost on their last legs. The best remedy in cases like this is to lift the basket down, move it into the shade, and stand it in a bowl of water for five or six hours – overnight if it’s easier – while the compost re-hydrates thoroughly. But those plants will inevitably have suffered some damage.

When soil turns bone-dry it shrinks, stripping away a lot of tiny root hairs; since those are the ones that take up water, affected plants need intensive care while they recover. The trick is to reduce the leafy area of the plant by about a third, so it doesn’t lose as much moisture from transpiration as usual – simply prune any stems that are clearly past saving plus any that will tidy up the shape of the plant.

That done, treat your plant to a few days of light regular watering – still in the shade – while they replace lost roots, then give them a foliar feed. (Use liquid seaweed extract or one of the foliar feeds from a garden center; since the nutrients are taken in through the leaves, the plant still benefits even if the roots are a tad frail).

After two or three weeks an affected basket will look nearly as good as new. But you’ll need to take special care over deadheading from then on to prevent plants running to seed prematurely – it’s their natural reaction to a sudden drought, since they are trying to reproduce themselves before they die.

Chinch Bugs

The recent prevalence of chinch bugs in the Chicagoland area prompts me to share more information about this insect and its effects.

The drought has created conditions conducive to the appearance of chinch bug damage in turf. Chinch bugs are typically not much of a turf problem in Illinois, being more of a pest problem in the Great Plains region.

One reason chinch bug doesn't typically thrive in our region is that it is attacked by a naturally occurring fungal pathogen, Beauvaria bassiana. This causes all stages (eggs, nymphs, and adults) to be killed and covered with fine white fungal strands.  Most fungi do better under cool, moist conditions. In Illinois, we typically get enough rainfall throughout the season that the fungus controls the chinch bugs for us.  With the recent drought conditions and higher than normal temperatures, this naturally occurring deterrent isn't working.

Another reason chinch bugs attack turf grasses is the abundance of nitrogen from fertilizer applications. Chinch bugs,like many insects, reproduce more on plants containing high levels of nitrogen.

Being cold-blooded animals, chinch bugs also grow faster and reproduce more at higher temperatures, particularly those in the 80 degree Fahrenheit range.  Think about how many days we have had over 80 degrees lately!

How to identify it?  Chinch bug damage is usually first detected when irregular patches of turf begin to turn yellow then straw colored. The straw colored areas may be completely dead. These patches continue to become larger in spite of watering.

Feeding by chinch bugs blocks the water and food conducting vessels of grass stems. By blocking the water, the leaves wither as in drought and the manufactured food doesn't get to the roots. The result is plant death.

Our concern right now is that many municipalities have instituted watering bans, resulting in dormant areas of turf in lawns that are not getting enough water.  As summer progresses there may be areas of lawn that are infested with chinch bugs that might be perceived as just dormant grass.

Our crew leaders and superintendents will be on the look out for areas of concern and performing tests to locate potential infestations, but be on the look out yourself.  Are straw like areas "growing?"  Are they staying brown even after diligent watering?  If either of these questions are yes, contact your landscape professional immediately.

Last year I lost 70,000 sf of turf in a month due to the severity of a chinch bug infestation that went unnoticed.  I'm very sensitive to making certain that does not happen again.

Japanese Beetles

So I am outside last night making certain the vegetable garden is getting enough water while harvesting Italian Sweet Peppers for dinner...normal night for me really.

As I'm inspecting the tomato progress I notice that the one rose I have decided to plant on my entire property (a climber...Rosa 'Brite Eyes') has a number of buds that look promising after my last deadheading.  One however seemed to be moving.  Oh, great.

I am not a bug lover.  I greatly appreciate their value to the overall ecosystem, but that being said...I do not nor will I ever see any redeeming value in a Japanese beetle.

They are difficult to control, do a lot of damage to roses and other standard varietals.  Actually that is why I only have one rose.  Only one, because I didn't want to invite them or their larval form, the grub, into my lovely little landscape.

That being said, here are some recommendations for getting rid of them, should you see them.  In the meantime, I might just dig up that rose...

Hand Picking

If Japanese beetle infestations are light, the safest and most inexpensive route to killing the beetles is to pick them off the plants by hand and drop them into a bucket of soapy water (or my family in Indiana used gasoine).

Pesticides
A number of pesticides are available against Japanese beetles. Some ingredients to look for on pesticide packaging include carbaryl, acephate, and permethrin.

Organic, neem-based pesticides can also provide good control, as can insecticidal soaps.

Note: Insecticidal soaps will kill the beetles, but don't provide any ongoing protection to your plants.

 

Get Rid of Grubs

While it's the adult Japanese beetles that cause the most damage, their larval form -- grubs -- can also cause lawn problems. If your lawn has a grub infestation, treating for the grubs will kill most of them before they can emerge as adult beetles.

A number of grub-killing products are quite effective. There are also organic options including beneficial nematodes.

Kill Them Quickly

The beetles release chemicals called pheromones into the air. These pheromones attract other beetles. So if you see a few of the bugs, they'll probably attract more. Get rid of Japanese beetles early, before they can invite more of their friends to feed on your plants.

Avoid Traps

University research indicates that using Japanese beetle traps can actually make problems worse. The traps are intended to trap and kill the beetles in your yard. However, they use pheromones to attract the beetles to the traps. And these pheromones bring more beetles into your yard than the traps can catch.

Timing

Japanese beetles tend to be most active when temperatures are over 85 degrees Fahrenheit and the air is relatively still. Be especially watchful for new beetles coming into your yard during these conditions.

Two of my favorite annuals

Dragonwing Begonia

Arguably my favorite annual. Reaching 20-24" in height and 12" wide, this dramatic begonia's unique features are its arching stems and thick leaves holding up dangling clusters of pink and red flowers. It is a great focal point, but is also very effective in beds. They will take both sun and shady conditions and pair beautifully with towering tropicals or trailing annuals.











Calibrachoa

This little beauty comes in every color. It looks like a miniature petunia, but requires no pinching or deadheading, just constant effortless blooms! It is a trailing annual up to 18" and prefers sun and part sun. Calibrachoa is the perfect partner whenever you want to add a pop of color.

My 3 favorite shrubs

They say that a parent has no favorites when it comes to their children, and really when you are a landscape designer, horticulturist or gardener your plants are kind of like your kids. 

You patiently nurture them to help them reach their own pinnacle of performance and potential.  Like parenting, sometimes the road is challenging and frustrating, but ultimately all of the effort is worth it when you achieve your end result.

The difference is though...you can choose your plants. 

I have three shrubs that I adore, covet and try to use whenever I have the application.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva'
There are a lot of great paniculata varieties, but I'll stick with this avid performer that does well in both full sun and light shade.  It has very showy white flowers that turn pinkish in August.  Its structure is upright which makes it perfect for hedges or as a structure piece in a perennial garden.  My experience is that it is much more drought tolerant than its arborescens and macrophylla cousins.  Plus you can use the flowers in arrangements, fresh or dried.

Rhus 'Gro-Low'
A lot less sexy than Tardiva, Gro-Low Sumac is my go to plant when you are looking to create a fluffy pillow of green in hard to grow areas.  It is extremely drought and salt tolerant.  But utility isn't its only attribute.  As most Sumac its fall display of red is spectacular and not to be missed.

Viburnum prunifolium

I have a long list of viburnums that are battling to be in my top three list, doublefile, koreanspice, judd, but there is something so elegant about the vase-like structured blackhaw viburnum.  They provide this great filtered quality.  And the flowers are almost a layered look.  We used them as screening in our yard underneath a Honeylocust and we have not pruned them in 4 years because we love their natural form, they are perfection.

CHANGE OF SEASON

Yesterday I went out to the vegetable garden to see what was prime for picking and ready to become our dinner.  To my surprise, there was very little.  A few gems hung desperately to dead and declining stems, but mostly...it was barren.  It made me sad.

Then as I was leaving this morning I noticed my impatiens, which I swear were full of life and promise only yesterday, were beginning to yellow and wilt. 

Now I was depressed. 

Thank goodness I was going shopping.  No not for the normal retail therapy of shoes and handbags (although I thought about it).  I was heading to The Branch in Highland Park to shop for a few special items to add to my customer's fall arrangements which we will be installing tomorrow. 

As I  perused the offerings of ornamental peppers, swiss chard and of course mums, I felt a bubbling of excitement.  Doing container plantings is one of the most fun and rewarding parts of my job.  And this year I'm trying something a little different.

Instead of being a slave to kale, cabbage and mums, I've decided to incorporate more perennials into my arrangements.  There are several species that lend themselves to a fall palette...Here are some of my favorites:

Grasses
Carex 'Silver Scepter': a great variegated grass which comes on late in spring so it stays nice through fall.
Carex 'Prairie Fire': really nice yellow burgundy hues on fine leaves.
Perennials
Sedum 'Mr. Goodbud': a new one in our nursery.  the color is to die for as is the height.  this is NOT autumn joy sedum, thank goodness.
Heuchera 'Plum Pudding': a favorite in the garden as well.  this purple coral bell has a real punch of color.
Heuchera 'Caramel': this coral bell is difficult to cultivate in beds because it doesn't overwinter well, but it was made for fall containers with its rainbow of caramel colors.
Ferns
Athyrium 'Lady in Red': i love this fern with its blood red stem, there is nothing else like it.
Groundcover
Ajuga 'Black Scallop': this groundcover is covered with gorgeous blue flowers in spring, but it holds onto its slick burgundy leaves through fall.

Add to the above ornamental peppers, little mums in 4.5" pots and ivy and you have the makings of a unique fall arrangement that can hold up to cabbage and kale any day!

My inspiration:

If I could just leave it alone!

My family tells me I have a bit of a problem when it comes to organizing. Don't get me wrong...I don't miss appointments, forget to pay bills or have piles of clutter all over the house.

I'm the opposite. I'm obsessed with finding the most efficient way to do things (who wants something to be harder than it has to) and the perfect place to put things. I consider it an art.

It is an art that I tends to spill outside into my garden. I spend entirely too much time analyzing my planting beds from different angles. When I do so I end up with these crazy questions running through my head...

"shouldn't there be something to break up the texture between the Kalimeris and Delphinium...hosta or brunnera?"

"maybe i should transplant some of the anemone sylvestris to the side yard so I have more spring bloomers in that area."

"I need more stuff in the vegetable garden to soften the raised planters and make it look more natural...sedum, ajuga, maybe even mazus?"

"I'm definitely getting rid of the phlox...love them but I'm so sick of the mildew...what about more Delphinum there?"

And this goes on and on...my husband said the other day. "Just leave it be, give something more than a year. Perennials do nothing exciting the first two years!" I immediately dismissed this advice out of sheer stubbornness...he's my husband and although he's a landscape architect and a certified arborist he can't be right.

Last night after I put my daughter to bed I took a moment to walk around the yard, slowly planning what plants would be victims Saturday morning. As I was plotting I realized that I only have one area that I'm not really happy with.

The area of contention is actually not that bad, but it's the area I keep moving things around the most...instead of having patience and letting things grow. At that point I made a conscience decision.

First, that I'm going to leave the shovel in the garage...for now...and second, that my husband might just have a point. Dear lord, I hope he doesn't read this!

There are perks to rainy weather

A few nights ago as I was cleaning up after another fabulous homemade dinner (I had to sneak that in there), one of the many April showers we've had was rolling in. Suddenly the sky went from grey to almost black and our entire landscape fell into shadow...except for two things...a small Dr. Merrill Magnolia right off our deck and the Marieke Daffodils planted underneath.

Now I know from an unofficial poll of friends, family and customers that Magnolias are either a plant you love or hate. I have heard the "why would you ever want something that blooms for like five minutes" from my own mother, who is a lover of all things that are green and grow in soil.

I sit on the other side of the fence. I adore Magnolias of all shapes and colors. And the reason you want one is for instances like the one I had a few nights ago.

In that moment I was captivated. I would post a photo, but it could never convey how surreal it was.

It was as if the white magnolia pedals were glowing and the yellow of the daffodils were being hit by rays of sun that weren't there. There was a light wind that made the objects of my attention gently flutter, like they were dancing. It was like something you would see in a movie that cost $1.5 million to create, but it was happening right outside my window for free.

Occasionally I have these stages where I get tired of gardening and landscaping in general because it's my life's work. All of us in this industry that fiercely love what we do go through these spells where you never want to see another plant!

And then there are moments like I've just described...and the lover affair starts anew.

AFTER HOLIDAY THOUGHTS

On this freezing afternoon just three days into the new year, I'm settling in to the fact that the holidays are over. I have safety tucked my holiday decorations into the basement where they await next year's festivities and I'm left with the post holiday blahs.

I'm sure a lot of you can identify with the feeling I'm having...it's like your heart and mind have been filled with the spirit of the season as well as all the hustle and bustle that goes with it and then it's January 1st and someone seemingly flipped the switch to off. People aren't even wishing you "happies" or "healthies" at every turn, which means life has gone back to normal.

Pondering this, I peer out the window into our sleeping garden covered with a cozy blanket of snow. There I see our raised vegetable beds. My husband is already fervently planning his crops and eventual harvest, Burpee catalog in hand. My baby Magnolia has buds that are preludes to a gorgeous spring. And my favorite part right now...a winter green arrangement my husband made for me. It was made from leftover clippings and berries, but I think it is so beautiful. A little taste of the season still hanging out on our deck.

So I'll gaze out the window at my little bit of the holidays to remind me of the spirit I so dearly covet and wait for my next favorite event ...the first crocus that peeks through a late March snow.