Bill’s Illinois Garden

A garden evolving over 25 years

Today ’s offer is from Bill Marvin , a landscape painting designer endure in Skokie , Illinois .

My desktop is in writing designing , and I do n’t consider myself a master nurseryman . I think I ’ve just scratched the airfoil of what there is to know about plants . The landscape gardening for my yard was never designed . It just develop over 25 years between needing a garden and bringing home struggling orphan from my projects . The vividness from bloom plants still amaze me .

Daffodils(Narcissushybrids , Zones 3–9 ) , hyacinths(Hyacinthus orientalis , Zones 4–8 ) , and azaleas(Rhododendronhybrids , Zones 5–10 ) light up the springtime front yard .

This is a summertime aspect from my studio apartment . Purple coneflowers(Echinacea purpurea , Zones 3–8 ) and ‘ Pink Diamond’hydrangeas(Hydrangea paniculata‘Pink Diamond ’ , Zones 3–8 ) , androse of Sharon(Hibiscus syriacus , Zones 5–8 ) get ready to bloom .

These ‘ PJM’rhododendrons(Rhododendron‘PJM ’ , Zones 4–8 ) are delicious under my studio windowpane .

This blossom is a Blue Chiffon rose of Sharon and one of my favorites .

I have turned the backyard into a wildlife habitat , and one of the essential features is running water . The declamatory and small birdie that come to the birdfeeder get it on ask bath in the stream .

Lots ofhostas(Hostahybrids , Zones 3–9 ) , with a backcloth of ‘ My Claude Monet ’ and ‘ Wine and Roses ’ weigela(Weigelaflorida , Zones 4–8 )

I replace some dying white pines(Pinusstrobus , Zones 3–8 ) with a ‘ Baby Blue ’ blue spruce(Piceapungens‘Baby Blue ’ , Zone 2–7 ) and a ‘ Fat Albert ’ spruce(Picea pungens‘Fat Albert ’ , Zones 2–7 ) . They are both over 15 feet tall now and a pleasure to watch get and exchange every year . The ‘ Karens ’ azalea(Rhododendron‘Karens ’ , Zones 5–8 ) in front adds striking colour every spring .

These young mallards were hatched and incubated at home before being free in the railway yard . They were very favorable with my dog and cat . I released them into the wilderness after three months .

Have exposure to share ? We ’d love to see your garden , a particular solicitation of plants you love , or a tremendous garden you had the chance to chat !

To posit , send 5 - 10 photos to[email protected]along with some entropy about the plant in the mental picture and where you take the photos . We ’d love to find out where you are place , how long you ’ve been gardening , successes you are lofty of , failures you learned from , hopes for the future , favorite plants , or amusing stories from your garden .

Have a mobile phone ? Tag your photos onFacebook , InstagramorTwitterwith # FineGardening !

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet?Sign up here .

Fine Gardening urge Products

Pruning simplify : A Step - by - pace Guide to 50 Popular Trees and Shrubs

Fine horticulture receives a military commission for items purchased through link on this site , include Amazon Associates and other affiliate publicizing program .

Niteangel Natural Wooden Insect Hotel , Garden Insect House for Ladybugs , lacewings , Butterfly , Bee , Bug

A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo

Get our latest crown , how - to article , and instructional videos sent to your inbox .

bless you up …

Anita’s Illinois Garden

Rachel’s Illinois Garden

Garden Party at Bill’s

Vicki’s Illinois Garden

link up okay horticulture for a free engaging springy webinar feature Dr. Janna Beckerman , a famed flora pathologist as well as professor emerita at Purdue University and the ornamentals technical manager …

When I spotted a particular guts clam cactus ( Astrophytum asterias ) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few month ago , I knew I was in trouble . With a delightful colour blueprint …

When we only prioritize plants we want over plants our landscape needs , each season is fill with a never - end list of chores : pruning , hook , watering , treating , amending , and fertilizing , with …

wide view of the garden with pink flowering shrub in the foreground

Video

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be heedful when you go in the backyard of garden designer Jeff Epping — not because you ’re potential to activate on something , but because you might be dive - bombed by a pair …