Gardening for a Friend

Turning a little space into a garden

Hello , this is Cindy in Chicago . A well friend was await her first infant this retiring springtime . I sleep together she would be busy with an babe , so I volunteered to aid her acquire some of her preferent industrial plant — sunflowers(Helianthusannuus , annual ) .

Three years ago , we started a outflow cleanup tradition of pull weeds and amending dirt in the long , slender border contiguous to the three - family brick edifice in Chicago ( zone 5b and 6a ) . This class I desire to partake in this region next to the house with you as an good example of a simple and low - budget garden with a mix of perennials and annuals . The previous fall , I checked with the other residents to see if they wanted space to garden ; they did not , and the landlord was amenable to having someone else do someweedingandpruning .

Last fall , I lead off pruning — by about one - third — the two unrulyrose plantsa late tenant had selected . The spine were some of the shrewd I have ever come across , and the stems sometimes lashed out over the narrow sidewalk during windy weather condition . By moving two unused metal trellises from the garden bed in front of the garage , I attach stems with string in curve shapes parallel with the wall and away from the front gate . I had never see the ruby-red roses in flower and had no information on the variety . Thehostashad been there for years , and three years ago the phlox was add — probablyPhloxpaniculata‘Ultraviolet ’ . Finally , Idividedand transpose an nameless salvia from the back garden into this border .

Along with green leave of different shapes , there was a sequence of color in this border during the summertime — cherry , purple , magenta , and last yellow . So far there has been colour fromJunethrough earlyOctober .

This spring when gear up the footing for the helianthus seeds , I incorporated some bagged cowmanureand surface soil into the orbit — which half a shovel length down is a mash - up of hard soil and debris of all sorts , let in metallic element and glass . Early in the time of year , a lot of sunflower seedlings were run through or trampled by wildlife , so I had to protrude again several meter . Spraying a foul - smell brute repellent was helpful in getting some plant to maturity .

Here are some of the good of the springtime and summer photos , including my friend ’s favorite : Helianthus annuus‘Russian Mammoth ’ .

It was a pleasure to work out a dim-witted design , observe theurbanwildlife that was attracted , and even try history about what was detect by the family unit in the building and neighbor as well ! By the way , the new baby boy was sometimes my gardening supporter this summer , napping peacefully in the shade while I did some watering .

The border let in tall ‘ Mammoth ’ and dwarf ‘ Teddy Bear’sunflowers , and potted gnome ‘ unbelievable ’ sunflower paired with unaccented purpleAgeratumhoustonianum(annual ) . In this picture shoot in early September , I have already dissever the scorched hostas that were growing over the pavement and the salvia that has flopped over .

The rose bush in June . There were a mess of blooms , but the show was unretentive .

In June the border looked full and salubrious .

The salvia(Salvianemorosa , Zones 4–8 ) looked its best in early June .

Hosta blooms in the beginning ofAugust

‘ Teddy Bear ’ sunflower with the long root word of the rose

Pink phlox(Phlox paniculata , Zones 4–8 ) in early September

The beautiful patterns in the blooms of ‘ gigantic ’ sunflower in former September

Three ‘ Mammoth ’ sunflowers in mid - September . These were plant late and so grow a trivial short and less vigorously than the earliest sowings .

Ripening seeds on the ‘ Mammoth ’ helianthus heads .

Have photos to share ? We ’d love to see your garden , a particular accumulation of plants you love , or a wonderful garden you had the prospect to jaw !

To pass on , send 5 - 10 photograph to[email protected]along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the picture . We ’d sleep with to hear where you are located , how long you ’ve been gardening , successes you are proud of , failures you take from , hopes for the future , preferred plant , or funny news report from your garden .

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

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

hunky-dory Gardening commend Products

Buffalo - Style Gardens : make a Quirky , One - of - a - Kind individual Garden with Eye - Catching Designs

close up of hosta with pink flowers

okay Gardening welcome a commission for items purchase through inter-group communication on this site , including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs .

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

Water Right PSH-100 - MG-1PKRS 400 Series , 100 - pes , Olive Green

narrow garden bed along a sidewalk with sunflowers

Get our latest tip , how - to articles , and instructional telecasting sent to your inbox .

sign you up …

Gardening With Groundhogs in Massachusetts

GPOD in the Road: Mendenhall Gardens

Katie’s Indiana Garden

Phillip’s Missouri Garden

Join Fine Gardening for a complimentary engaging unrecorded webinar sport Dr. Janna Beckerman , a renowned plant diagnostician as well as professor emerita at Purdue University and the ornamentals technical manager …

When I spotted a particular sand dollar cactus ( Astrophytum asterias ) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few months ago , I knew I was in trouble . With a delicious colour pattern …

When we only prioritize plants we need over plant our landscape needs , each time of year is filled with a never - end leaning of task : pruning , pinching , watering , treating , amending , and fertilizing , with …

Video

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be careful when you enter the backyard of garden designer Jeff Epping — not because you ’re potential to trip on something , but because you might be dive - bombard by a pair …