Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Looking Up In The Garden

I guess if there was one last trend to highlight from the Chicago Flower And Garden Show it would be VERTICAL INTEGRATED GARDENING (not as complicated as it sounds).

 

Those of us with smaller properties have been gardening vertically for years but never on the scale that I saw displayed at the show.

Integration of herbs, veggies, wheat grass lettuces and flowers



The beds are actually mounded in an upside down "v" shape with plantings on the top and sides.

As you can see, there is a blending of flowers, herbs, spring bulbs, ivy and succulents.  This is an imaginary garden to stimulate your own ideas.  I don't think many of us would be planting rows of cyclamen out in our summer gardens.


There are plantings everywhere on this tepee shaped trellis, plants in pockets of moss, plants around and underneath.


Even the window boxes have taken on a more vertical effect.

The evergreens and sculptures keep us looking up in the garden.






Juniper Nana



Smith and Hawken Potting Bench

I know, this bench has nothing to do with vertical gardening, except it will certainly assist in your gardening life.  I just had to show it to you.

A garden show is not a recipe but an inspiration!

20 comments:

  1. Well it certainly was an inspiration and so many new ideas. I liked the TeePee most I think. Very cool.

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  2. It is amazing what an artist can chisel from stone. Some very interesting vertical ideas for gardening too.That is a very nice potting table Eileen. Knowing myself I would be afraid of getting it wet or dirty.LOL! Isn't that awful? Maybe that is why I made my own table from old doors. LOL! I am enjoying your tours of the garden show. These shows really get your mind to working on what you can do with your own gardens.

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  3. Hi RG,

    The tepee effect is really unusual but the one they had was huge not garden size unless you have a lot of land.

    Eileen

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  4. Lona, I felt the same way when I looked at that potting table, hate to see the dirt and rain on it!

    I don't have room for it, believe me I looked around the yard to see where it would fit - nowhere.

    Eileen

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  5. I love the tiered garden with the paths. Would make a wonderful hillside vegetable garden as well.

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  6. Eileen, the vertical gardening is very interesting, something I haven't given much thought to until now. I too love the potting bench, and like others have mentioned, would be petrified to get it dirty!

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  7. Cher, the tier effect is very unusual and I wonder how well it stands up to heavy rain. A professor from the University of Illinois stated that he has large mounds and plants on all three sides and has not had a problem.

    Eileen

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  8. Karen, you have such a large property that adding vertical gardening would only be for interest.

    Eileen

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  9. Great pics. it looked like a wonderful show. The verticle garden is cool. You know, that potting bench is calling to me. Have fun at the Wannamakers show. it was one of our goto places when we lived in Downers.

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  10. I like the idea of growing up a tee pee...hmmmmm. I wonder if I could use the two narrow closet doors I saved from the remodel and turn them into a tee pee...I could grow my blue morning glories up them....I shall have to let this idea fester a bit.

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  11. Thanks Jim,

    I would love to have a bench like this but not enough room.

    Eileen

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  12. Zoey, you could use the doors as a tepee by just stapling some plastic mesh or strings to each side for the vines to crawl on.

    I am pretty sure they sell stakes that you can screw on to the sides of each door. This would really look neat, especially if they were painted some tropical color!

    Eileen

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  13. I like the window box! The corkscrew willow with the ornamental cabbage that has bolted is a combo I have never seen before! Awesome!

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  14. It even looks like they painted that willow.

    Eileen

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  15. Hi Eileen, This is another interesting trend that you noted at the show. I want one of those potting benches- that is my kind of vertical gardening!

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  16. Hi Eileen, Interesting verticality at the show. I like the S&H bench. It kind of has a vertical look to it too. Fun.

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  17. Hi Jennifer,

    That potting bench would be awesome but I do not have room for it.

    Eileen

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  18. Hi Grace,

    Not sure we could copy these vertical feats in our gardens, but some ideas would work on a smaller scale.

    Eileen

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  19. Hi Eileen, What amazingly beautiful displays at the flower and garde show! Love your header photo too as it sings "spring"!
    Blessings, Beth

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  20. Hi Beth,

    The header is a display from the garden show.

    Eileen

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