Gardening

I know it might be a little late, but the weather hasn't been that cooperative to work outdoors, and after the winter that we just had, my yard needs a lot of help. But where to start?  So I turned to several magazines to get ideas on what to do, what to plant, how to solve problems.

I particularly like Chicagoland Gardening because it is geared specifically for our area, so plants they suggest will be appropriate for us. I found several useful articles in the May/June issue: of these is what to do in the garden now, such as deep watering your flower gardens once a week, mowing your lawn regularly at no less than about 2 inches in height and applying weed control.  Also of interest is their Calendar of Garden Walks.

In the June issue of Garden Gate, there are suggestions on what kind of plants to buy for big spaces, such as ground covers and raised beds; for smaller spaces such as window boxes, hanging baskets, and containers. They also list their 11 top perennials. I was especially interested in a perennial called geum or avens because of its colorful flowers, and which I might add to my garden.

 Fine Gardening is another great magazine. The August issue offers suggestions on what kind of edible plants to grow and how to deal with pests. There is also an in-depth article on phlox.

So wish me good-luck!