Chicago Botanic Garden: Of waterfall and waterfowl
I watched the last of summer slip serenely into the recent past while transplanted and transfixed at the .
As in my Iowa garden, this Illinois landscape was quiet in its presentation at this time of the year, so late in the growing season.
The last lotus of summer, the flowering heads of ornamental grasses, the still-ripening fruit, expanses of wildflowers, the elegance of visiting waterfowl 鈥� these were the highlights of late-season Illinois. And, again, the structural power of hardscaping 鈥� especially of the Chicago Botanic Garden's dramatic water features 鈥� hammered the lesson home: Work on your bones.
Chicago鈥檚 climate is milder than my own (not as hot in summer, not as cold in winter), so
My eye was especially entertained by a new-to-me mum 鈥� Megumi. This diminutive cascading Japanese chrysanthemum is a yellow anemone style, vibrantly handsome. Alas, it is a florist type and is in no way winter-hardy hereabouts. Then again, very few mums are. Hard to believe, I know.
I also got a sneak peek at the new Plant Conservation Science Center, which opens Sept. 23. Exceedingly cool. Check out my earlier blog post on the opening of the center.
What else I鈥檓 into this week: .
Editor鈥檚 note: Look for more blog posts by The Transplanted Gardener, Craig Summers Black, at our . For more Monitor gardening, see our main gardening page and our .
You may also want to visit . Take part in and get answers to your gardening questions. If you join the group (it鈥檚 free), you can upload your garden photos and enter our next contest. We鈥檒l be looking for photographs of fruits. So find your best shots of summer鈥檚 blueberries, peaches, plums, etc., and get out your camera to take some stunning shots of early fall apples. Post them before Sept. 30, 2009, and you could be the next winner.
