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Hello , fellow gardeners ! I wish I could tell you that I ’m a seasoned Master Gardener , an realised author of dozens of Word of God on gardening , or that I ’ve tour some of the most acclaimed gardens from around the mankind . But the fact is , I ’m just like many of you — someone who loves to putter around in the garden and learn by doing , which is what I ’ve been devoting my spare time to for the last 30 year in my small backyard garden in northern Illinois . I ’ve somehow been able to reverse my passion into a profession and have had the great destiny to write for GardenDesign.com for nigh 10 years now and share what I ’ve learned with all of you .
Gardens are often born out of necessary , and mine began as a mission to transform a scraggly , overgrown landscape left to me by the previous householder into my own little paradise . I translate every horticulture book of account I could get my hands on ( my go - to is theIllinois Gardeners Guideby Jim Fizzell ) and spent countless hours shop through flora and seed catalog and rove through local nurseries and botanic garden .
You ca n’t underrate the economic value of first - hand experience in the garden , observing how plant life react to unlike photo conditions and marvel at their resilience even when you do everything awry . And it ’s really the only way to come upon your own gardening style ( mine is definitely cottage garden , with a touch of flightiness ) as you see which plants transport your senses , play well together , and thrive in your yard ’s microclimate .
As Fizzell enounce in his Word of God , “ We make our mistake , and we have our achiever . We redress our mistakes and go on . ” Often horticulture is more about perseverance and patience than noesis . Simply put , a true gardener never give up .
" Pathways are a marvelous room to beckon mass into a garden and invite exploration . Here , my narrow side yard was transform by an arbor ( covered by Dr. Ruppel clematis ) and stepping Stone that lead to the backyard . "
" I ’ve consecrate a small patch of land to plant have sex by pollinators , such as violet coneflower . It ’s turn up in a sunny smirch near my backyard deck , so I can take note the parade of visitors at stuffy range . "
" I love perennials that have beautiful flowers and foliation because they provide pastime all season , even when not in bloom . One of my favorite is lungwort ( Pulmonariaspp . ) , which has gorgeous atomic number 47 - speckle leaves lead by clusters of delicate bell shape - shaped flowers in outflow . "
" My cottage - mode tad garden is a pastel coloring pallet of pantywaist , impatiens , fern - leaved hemorrhage inwardness , Hosta , lady ’s mantle , ' Palace Purple ' heuchera , and lungwort . It ’s a peaceful position for birds and Angel Falls alike . "
" The cheery faces of violas are virtuous heaven after a long wintertime in my northern Illinois clime ( USDA Zone 5a/5b ) . They are by far my favorite spring flower , and if I could , I ’d plant them in every color . "
Some of Anne ’s most popular articles on GardenDesign.com :
