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made2_gw

Newbie at gardening

made2
9 years ago

Moving from a condo to a single family home with my own yard. Yay! Super excited and ready to pretty my front and back yard. What are some great foliage that is easy to maintain and can stay planted outdoors all year long during our harsh chicago winters ? Also looking for bushes that bloom or turn red during fall. Ill take any advice on perrenials that will bloom every year? Please help im a total newbie but am committed to making my new garden beautiful. I loves reds n lots of color, anything to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Also small trees. Im open and ready. What can i plant this year that will be great for fall and next year since im moving in so late in the summer season...Thanks bunches.

Comments (2)

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Congratulations on your new home! Midsummer is the most stressful time to plant (both for you and the plants) due to the heat, so I would wait until the fall or next spring to do your planting. Also, with the information you've given, it's difficult to make helpful suggestions on what to plant in your yard. For now, I'd advise getting some nice large planters and good potting soil, and plant them to satisfy your urge for something pretty while you learn about your yard and think about how you will use it.

    Before planting your gardens, you will want to do some planning and background work. Start with checking out the soil and the sun/shade conditions in your yard, both now and as the season changes.
    Sun/shade:
    The day length and sun angle vary with the seasons. For instance, I have beds on the north side of my house that get a very few hours of sun for a few weeks in the summer but get no direct sun from mid-August through some time in May. I can grow plants there that wouldn't be happy with lots of sun. Some spots in my yard have very low light because they are in shade from buildings and trees all day year round. Some plants want morning sun only and others want all day sun. Trees and buildings on your lot and the neighbors' will influence the sun and shade available for your plants. Watch and take note of where you have sun and shade and for how long at different times of the year.
    Soil:
    There are a few things you want to check out about your soil. One is pH (how acid or alkaline it is) Another is texture (how sandy or clay-y it is.) Those two factors will also influence what will grow for you. Look into getting a soil test done to see what the soil is like in your yard. If your home is new construction, often the soil will be former subsoil and will need some work before many plants will be happy. If it is an older home, you may want to see if there were gardens already that have nicer soil. Regardless, almost any soil will benefit from added organic matter, so you can find out if there are free or inexpensive sources of organic matter near you such as a town composting program, a riding stable with a pile of old manure, a restaurant that will save old coffee grounds if you pick them up on a regular schedule. Alternatively, you may find there are garden centers that will deliver a large truckload of compost (or later on after you have plants in the ground, a large truckload of mulch) less expensively than buying it by the bag from a garden center or big box store. Once you figure out where you want to plant, you can start adding organic matter to the soil to help your plants. It will improve drainage and water movement through clay soils and slow drainage in sandy soil, and provide nutrients as it breaks down.

    Next walk around your yard, and take photos. You can make copies of your plot plan or the on-line aerial photos on Google maps (use screen capture on your computer.) Think about what you want in your yard (grass for badminton or touch football, a veggie garden, a swing set, a place for a compost pile or to park vehicles or to store your trash cans out of sight, etc, etc.) Will you want a patio or a grilling spot, and do you want it near the house or in a sun or shade spot? Will you want a pool in the future? Figure out how you will move around your yard - you may not want to put a large shrub where you have to walk around it to get to the back of the house, for instance. You can draw ideas on the copies of the plan or aerial.

    What is already in your yard? Are there plantings now or places where there were former garden beds? If there are plants, are they healthy? Do you like them? It may take some time to decide if they fit your tastes, so I suggest that you don't remove any healthy plants for the first year. There may be plants such as bulbs and some other spring blooming plants that have died back at this time of year, so you will need to wait until next spring to know for sure unless this is new construction.

    Visit neighborhoods with nice plantings or if there is an arboretum, botanic garden (if you are nearby, there are some wonderful places in Chicago to learn about gardens and plants) or even a garden center with a demonstration garden, go visit and see what you like as far as planting style and plants. Take clear photos of plants you like (often one close-up and one of the whole plant will be useful) and post them on the Name that Plant forum for ID if they don't have tags. Also take photos of whole beds you like. You can get books out of the library and look at the photos here on garden web or in blogs (I've given a link to one I like below) for ideas of style, though not all specific plants will work in your area.

    It seems like a lot to do, but doing all this first will help you plant a garden that fits your needs and is successful.

    For container plants with nice foliage, go to a nearby garden center and see what they have available for the light conditions where you want to put them, and then put pots near each other to find combinations you like. Here's a link to a Detroit garden designer, Deborah Silver, who does beautiful containers that may give you some ideas. Note that almost all her containers are large - easier to care for and more effective.
    http://www.deborahsilver.com/blog/category/container-planting/

    Good luck and enjoy the process! Ask more questions as they come up and you have more information. You may find the Midwest or Great Lakes will be helpful. I don't know how active they are. There is also a new gardener's forum.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Name that Plant

  • made2
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you so much for the very helpful info. The home is a older home and does have some curb appeal going on however the home has not been lived in for 2 yrs so needs very much needed pruning and tlc mainly in the front. There are some small bushes though very overgrown very pretty and think i will keep those in out front. There are lots of overgrown weeds growing around them and can see that once cleaned up will provide room for some flowers so i will definalty take your advice and just do lots of observing and check that soil as well.
    As for a tree im only interested in one also out front. There is a huge pine tree off to the side of my house and although beautiful it has grown in a very dangerous slant( like extremely slanted) Its huge and very close to the house. I would like to maybe replace it with a smaller tree maybe friut like green apples or peaches.My father has these growing in his yard and my kids just love climbing and eating the fruit. Ive also seen some of the neighbors have apple trees so polination shouldnt be a problem.
    My back yard is just a great open space .kinda has an L shape to it so i do plan on that swing set. There is already a patio section to grill with built in firepit and there is still tons of room for flowers and a veggie garden so again i will definatly take my time to observe during different times of the day. Thanks so much for all your great advice.

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