Much of the country has been having their share of big winter snowstorms and we here in Chicago got ours this past weekend. The snow started Saturday late afternoon, and didn't end until the lake effect finale finally moved on around 6 am Monday morning. All total, this end up the as the 5th biggest … Continue reading Superbowl Snowstorm
Author: Stephi
Taming my Tomatoes with a Florida Weave
I keep searching for just the right way to tame my tomatoes. I've tried different trellising methods, but they just seem to grow crazy and become totally unwieldy by late summer. That's also why they are banished out of view to the side garden. Of course it would help if I pruned them like I should, but … Continue reading Taming my Tomatoes with a Florida Weave
So Long Beautiful Maple Tree
One of the major casualties in my garden this year was an 18 year old branched Freeman Maple that was one of the anchors of the backyard. When we moved in about 20 years ago, along the side property line was a row of very scraggly Siberian Elms that were nearing the end of their life … Continue reading So Long Beautiful Maple Tree
Making My Own Pumpkin at the Pumpkin Patch
During the Morton Arboretum Pumpkin Patch this year, my friend Susan and I signed up for a Glass Pumpkin Workshop where we would learn to make our own pumpkin paperweight. So on a drizzly, cold October morning, six of us gathered by the demonstration tent to learn how to work with molten glass to create our own … Continue reading Making My Own Pumpkin at the Pumpkin Patch
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year and best wishes for 2015! As many of you have noticed, I had to take a little break this fall. Sometimes, life just gets busy and something needs to give. I've been taking lots of pictures and notes, so I'm looking forward to catching up over the next few weeks. In the … Continue reading Happy New Year!
Visiting the Pumpkin Patch 2014
A couple of weeks ago, it was time to visit the Glass Pumpkin Patch at the Morton Arboretum again. This has become one of my favorite fall things to do. The weather wasn't great, but at least on the day I went it wasn't raining. I also had the chance to make my own glass … Continue reading Visiting the Pumpkin Patch 2014
Final Harvest
It's getting to be that time of year when the vegetable garden is waning. I've pulled some things already (beans, roma tomatoes, sunflowers, summer squash, cucumbers), but others are still producing. We've been lucky to not have had a hard freeze yet. So even though I thought I had picked my last harvest last week … Continue reading Final Harvest
This Birthday Was For The Birds
Every year, my husband asks me what I want for my birthday. I'm usually not very helpful, but this year I knew just what I wanted! Last fall, I decided a little late I was going to get back in the bird feeding business. It had been a while, as evidenced by one of my … Continue reading This Birthday Was For The Birds
Planting Garlic
I decided to try something new in the garden this fall--garlic.I've been reading about how to grow it, and it seems pretty straightforward. Hope so! It should be planted in the fall, 6-8 weeks before a hard frost is likely. Unfortunately, that means I'm probably a couple of weeks late when I looked the date … Continue reading Planting Garlic
Seniors, School Boards and Sunflowers
Well that title certainly should catch your attention. What could they possibly have to do with one another? Nothing much except the first two has been needing my attention a lot lately, keeping me out of the garden. The "seniors" refer to my twin boys who are seniors in high school this year. With that … Continue reading Seniors, School Boards and Sunflowers