Behind The Scenes

I was invited again this year to the Proven Winners Choice Luncheon at the Mid-America Horticultural Show in Chicago.  It was a bitter cold day and I thought to myself this better be worth it!

Lake Michigan looks foreboding but it is still a beautiful sight even on a cold winter day.

I loved this Golden Spruce, grows only fifteen feet tall and has yellow needles on the surface.

The smaller conifers were very interesting to me especially with the small garden that I have.

Heuchera Green Spice

Hakonechloa All Gold and Fubuki

Solomon's Seal Prince Charming

A low growing variety 12"

Meadowbrite Fireworks Coneflower

Developed at the Chicago Botanic Gardens 18" tall

Darcey Bussell Rose

Considered one of David Austin's best red roses, named after Darcey Bussell an English ballerina.

Endless Summer is still a big display item even though many of us have issues with this hydrangea.

After touring the show we met for a working lunch with the renowned breeder Dr. Roderick Woods of Cambridge, England.  He began his career as a renowned physiologist, scholar and researcher at Cambridge University. 

Dr. Woods had a fascinating career before he became a well known plant breeder, a charming man and totally obsessed with the hibiscus plant.  If you would like to know more about Dr. Woods check him out on the internet.  There was a great article written by Tim Wood of Spring Meadow Nursery on his blog Plant Quest, in 2008, but the link would not transfer over.

Dr. Roderick Woods

The Chiffon series is the hibiscus that has been bred in a few colors with many more to come in the future.  His most loved Pink Chiffon is now being grown by Spring Meadow Nursery in small pots for release to the public in 2013.

Lavender Chiffon

White Chiffon

Hibiscus Blue Chiffon

I think you can see by the form that they are not like other Hibiscus plants from the past.  They are full, can be cut to the ground, can be controlled to be under the maximum twelve foot height, like to be fertilized, enjoy full sun and are one of the last shrubs to bloom in late summer and fall.

 Hibiscus Pink Chiffon

I have to say the day was worth it, the train ride, the walking and the bus rides to and from the train station, the walking through the icy sidewalks to and fro (I did use my trex attachments to my boots - they are great).

A Family Affair

I kind of went back in time, to my childhood and then to my young adulthood.  After attending my Garden Study Group luncheon we were transported over to the ultimate in the neighborhood flower shop, the Phillip Flower Shop Warehouse.

Cooling lockers for all of the arrangements that are ready to be delivered.

Buckets of fresh flowers just waiting for the designer.

Flowers come into the warehouse from all over the world.

When I was a little girl I used to watch the Lee Phillip show on Chicago television, but what I didn't know is that her family owned a flower shop.  She began this show because of flowers in 1952, won sixteen Emmy Awards and moved to California in the late 1980's and into a home that was once owned by Cary Grant.  She and her husband William Bell began writing Emmy Award winning soap operas like the Guiding Light, As The World Turns, Another World, The Young And The Restless and The Bold And The Beautiful.

Glitter and crystals are really in this year in the florist business!

This little arrangement is going to one of the retail stores, price $75.00.

Boxes of Christmas decor to add to arrangements.

Orchids are another popular plant for inclusion in arrangements

The little flower shop remained run by her brother and now run by her very extended family of children and grandchildren.  It is no longer the little shop around the corner but a huge  conglomerate of suburban shops and designer warehouses located in Chicago and the suburbs.

Weddings are a big part of the business with samples made for the wedding parties to preview before ordering.

I think it is wonderful that the bride and groom can actually see what the bouquets are going to look like.  I picked my flowers out of a book of photos!

Most of the wedding bouquets are held like posies but there are still some old-fashioned cascading bouquets.

The fun part of the day was getting to choose flowers and greenery to make our own arrangements.

We all got to make our own arrangements.

This is my arrangement, looking at all kinds of things I could have done differently, but it is lovely sitting on my coffee table!

Color In The Winter Garden

Color and interest in the winter garden is a challenge.  I have been working on this for the past few years and realize that it is still a work in progress.

The Rhododendrons are a wonderful reddish brown color with pinkish buds.  They like being protected during the winter and summer, mine are behind a stone wall up close to the foundation of my home.

Azalea Karen keeps its reddish leaves all winter.  It is hardier than the rhodies and can do very well in an exposed border.

Boxwood Chicagoland adds consistent green to the winter border.

Miscanthus Little Kitten

It is small enough that it doesn't fall over.  I will see if it can be left up until the spring as recommended.

Panicum Northwind makes a nice backdrop for the Boxwoods and the Miscanthus.

I am not sure why the Euphorbia Blackbird stayed around or if it would still be here if it was much colder with snow?

Myrtle Blue Dart

I am really appreciating the groundcovers this year because I can see them and they add so much to the color of a winter garden.

Even Viburnum Carlesi Compactum is interesting with its buds already formed.

Heuchera Plum Pudding has never been great in my garden, but I certainly do appreciate its winter color.

Even a few garden art items help keep the interest over those dreary winter months.

Limelight Hydrangea is not like many other hydrangeas.  It holds its dried flowers all through the winter.

The Molina grasses are delicate, but as they mature become very interesting in the winter garden.

Penstemon Hamlin

Monte Casino Aster

Eupatorium Chocolate

I have never left this for the winter but it definitely stays interesting with the dried flower heads.

It is nice to have the holiday arrangements that will last until spring, bows put away, previously sprayed with Wilt Pruf so it will be March before I take these out.

Green Sheen Pachysandra remains green all winter and when there is not any snow it is lovely!

The front border with Heuchera Southern Comfort and the myrtle groundcover.

In Search Of Spring

I have often wondered what it would be like to live in a more temperate climate where winter was fleeting and the lines were blurred between the seasons.  Well, this year in the Chicago area so far it is the winter that isn't, virtually no snow, above average temperatures and crunchy dirt but not a hard freeze.

My Pink Meidiland roses and the grass have stayed green.

Uncovered Italian Parsley

The Carex Ice Mountains is sprouting on the north side.

I am really getting excited that this might be spring coming early.  However, getting back to reality I know that winter has barely begun.  We were told early on that the worst winter, blizzards, etc., was expected.  It is January and we are in the fifties!!!

This hellebore doesn't know any better and it is slowly poking through the soil.

My Dinosaur Fern, also on the north side, had laid down for a rest but it is still green and has not disappeared as it usually does.

The Autumn Fern has been fooled into thinking it is still autumn.

Euphorbia Blackbeard

Becky Shasta Daisy

Geranium Karmina

I am really liking this green winter so much life visible even though I know the season has changed.  It wouldn't be hard for me to get used to this type of climate!  I recently read that our zones are changing with mine going from a solid zone five to a five/six zone for the Chicago area with the five designation for the northern areas.  This change has been tracked from 1990 up until 2010 and just think of all the additional plants I can grow in zone 6.

I know this is a warmer zone on the south side of my house, daffodils up with buds showing.

Muscari never did die back this year on the south side.

Snapdragons manytimes come back after a cold winter, but these have never left!

Usually my Miscanthus Udine is under the snow by now, glad I did not cut it down this year!

This could all be under the snow in the near future but it has been great to experience living in another zone even if just for a little while.