[ad_1]
Today’s presentation is from Bill Marvin, a landscape designer living in Skokie, Illinois.
My background is graphic design, and I don’t consider myself a master gardener. I think I have just scratched the surface of what there is to know about plants. The landscape design for my yard was never done. It has evolved over just 25 years between needing a garden and bringing home struggling orphans from my projects. The color of the flowering plants still amazes me.
Daffodils (Narcissus hybrids, zones 3-9), hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis, Zones 4–8) and azaleas (Rhododendron hybrids, zones 5-10) brighten up the spring front yard.
This is a summer view from my studio. Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 3–8) and ‘Pink Diamond’ hydrangeas (Hydrangea punculata ‘Pink Diamond’, zones 3–8) and Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus, Zones 5-8) get ready to open.
This ‘PJM’ rhododendron (Rhododendron ‘PJM’, zones 4–8) are delightful under my studio window.
This flower is a blue chiffon rose of Sharon and one of my favorites.
I’ve turned the backyard into a wildlife habitat, and an essential feature is running water. Birds large and small that visit the feeder love to bathe in the stream.
Lots of hosts (the host hybrids, zones 3–9), ‘My Monet’ and ‘Wine and Roses’ with a background of weigela. (Weigela florida, zones 4-8).
I replaced some dying white pines (Pence strobes, Zones 3–8) with a ‘baby blue’ blue spruce (Picea pungens ‘Baby Blue’, zones 2–7) and ‘Fat Albert’ spruce (Picea pungens ‘Fat Albert’, zones 2-7). They are both now over 15 feet tall and are a joy to watch grow and change each year. ‘Cairns’ Azalea. (Rhododendron ‘Cairns’, Zones 5-8) produces brilliant color every spring in front.
These young mallards were incubated at home before being released into the yard. They were very friendly with my dog and cat. I released them in the wild after three months.
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a special collection of your favorite plants, or a wonderful garden you’ve had the chance to see!
To submit, send 5-10 photos. [email protected] Along with some information about the plants in the photos and where you took the photos. We’d love to know where you’re located, how long you’ve been gardening, accomplishments you’re proud of, failures you’ve learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or your garden quirks. funny stories
Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos. Facebook, Instagram or Twitter With #FineGardening!
Have you received the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.
[ad_2]