naturesperspective.com

A Garden to Inspire You: English Garden Rooms

The English Walled Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden features six different garden “rooms”, paying homage to the contributions of English gardens over the centuries. English gardens mix annuals with perennials and appeal to the senses, and the sound of water plays an important role. This concept of garden rooms inspired our clients, who came to us to create a similar outdoor setting to enjoy at the home in which they have lived many years.

The current backyard consisted of a three-foot high, raised timber retaining wall along one side facing the street, planted with a tall, unsightly hedge. The yard was mostly an expanse of lawn, with some shrubs and perennials. Our clients no longer wanted the old deck against the house, but wanted to keep a large shed, and needed an inconspicuous dog run for the four-legged member of their family. They also wanted a new picket fence along the side facing the street, and a tall white privacy fence for the remaining two sides of the backyard.

Nature’s Perspective removed the timber wall and the old deck, and moved the shed to a corner of the property by the gate leading to the alley. The fenced dog run was placed in the side, back corner of the house, between their house and the neighbor’s fence, away from view. We designed three different “rooms” in the garden using natural clay pavers and natural bluestone, connecting them with a clay paver walk. The Pergola Room will house a lounging area and have an outdoor chandelier. The Dining Room seats a table for six, and also has a seat wall for additional seating. The Multi-Use Room is off to the side of the Dining Room, accommodating the grill and providing room for larger gatherings.

The Pergola Room is surrounded with boxwoods, and wisteria and clematis vines will climb up and bloom over the pergola. The Dining Room is screened from the street with tall yews,  and hydrangeas will bloom here on summer dining occasions. Elsewhere, weeping crabapples, river birches, a tree lilac, shrub roses, and lilacs were installed, bringing texture and seasonal interest. Finally, a palette of 150 perennials and over 300 spring-flowering bulbs will emerge each year, eventually covering the space with delightful blooms from spring to frost.

A three-foot basalt column water feature adds the lovely sound of water. Colorful perennials planted outside the new white fence serve to delight passersby, heightening the charm of this pleasure-filled English garden.

Click on the layout above to enlarge.

A Place to Grow: Lydia Home’s Garden

On a recent Saturday, three Nature’s Perspective staffers, led by John Ciesielski, headed out to Lydia Home, a children and family services organization located in the northwest side of Chicago, to donate materials and work on their fenced 50′ x 50′ vegetable and flower garden. The group joined forces with Lydia’s garden coordinator Imelda “Mel” Gonzales and two of its young and enthusiastic residents to install a wood chip path, add compost to the beds and lay stepstones. The 32-degree weather and frozen ground did not deter the crew, who completed the work just before the first big snowfall arrived two days later. “This will give them a headstart next spring,” said John.

Nature’s Perspective’s design team donated the design last winter, and developed the Lydia garden to showcase its recently installed koi pond. The new garden will feature sitting areas, an ornamental wrought iron grape arbor, a gazing ball, pole bean teepees and ornamental trees at the corners for visual interest.

The various beds will contain vegetables, herbs, fruit, raspberries and cut flowers which Lydia residents hope to sell next year at the local farmer’s market, helping them gain valuable skills and developing their love of gardening.

Donations are welcome to help bring this garden to fruition. Keep checking our blog to view the evolution of this very special garden!

ABOUT LYDIA HOME ASSOCIATION

Founded as an orphanage in 1916, Lydia has become a successful alternative to state-run foster care and family assistance agencies. Based in Chicago, this organization serves children and families in need, providing a diverse range of programs, from residential treatment to foster care, counseling to parenting classes. Most of its services are supported entirely by private contributions, and volunteers play a vital role in keeping its ministry strong. For more information, visit www.lydiahome.org.

SWEET DREAMS

Preparing your garden for winter

As the season draws to a close there are a few basic things that we recommend be done prior to “putting your garden to bed”  for the winter. 

1. It is important to clear the leaves from your lawn.  Leaving the leaves on your lawn can smother the turf and encourage disease.
2. Cut down perennials after they have turned brown and died for the season.  Like the leaves on the lawn, leaving dead perennials standing could harbor disease. When they have been turned brown and killed by frost, cut them back and remove the debris. This gives them a fresh start in the spring.
3. Cover your perennial beds with a 2” layer of compost.  Hybrid roses and blue hydrangeas should also have a compost mound at their base.  This covering will protect them from a harsh winter.
4. Put your hoses and pots into your garage, shed or basement.  This will protect them from freezing and cracking over the winter season.
5. Make sure all your outdoor spigots are turned off ,and if possible, the water to the spigot is turned off inside the house. 
6. If you have an irrigation system, be sure to have it properly shut down and drained.
7. Water features, if not heated, should be drained, and the pump removed and stored where it won’t freeze.  If you have any outdoor landscape features that you can’t remove, cover them with a tarp.
8. Cover your outdoor grills and furniture if needed.
9. Clean your gutters.  Leaving leaves and debris in your gutters can lead to ice damming and damage to your roof.  Check that your downspouts are clear and working properly.  If you have debris filters for your downspout, be sure the are also cleared of any debris.

Bring The Essence of Nature into Your Living Space

Nature’s Perspective is proud to be the official distributor of Flux Designs Organic line of custom furniture and outdoor sculptures. Each product is meticulously hand crafted by skilled artisans in Wisconsin. This Organic furniture will add grace and dimension to your outdoor environment, or as an indoor piece, bring the peaceful essence of nature into your living space.

Styles are limitless and can be incorporated into many functional items: Some examples are trellises, garden, arbors, gates, fences, deck handrails, plant holders, green wall structures, bird baths, gazebos, fire pits, tables, candelabras, fireplace screens, wine racks, counter brackets, cabinet and door pulls, window grates and light fixtures. Truly, whatever you can dream up. Custom orders are welcome. Stop by our showroom, we have trellises and tables in stock.

Large Coffee Table. 24”x 48” Top. 18” Tall. $1650 each   

Medium Coffee Table. 36” Dia. Top. 18” Tall. $1000 each

Outdoor Concrete Side Table. 18” Dia. Top. 28” Tall. $400 each

Small Trellis. 24”wide. 36” long. $225 each  

 Large Trellis. 36″w x 90″l. $750 each

Arbor. 7’6” Tall. 36” Wide. $2000 each

An ILCA Member for 25 Years… and Counting

President Tom Klitzkie and Vice-President Barbara Schwarz attended the 50th anniversary celebration of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association on October 23 at the Marriott O’Hare in Chicago. Their company, Nature’s Perspective Landscaping, received a special award for 25 years of continuous membership in the ILCA. They are proud to be a member of an organization that strives to promote excellence in landscaping.

ABOUT ILCA

Since 1959, the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association has enhanced the professionalism and capabilities of its landscape contractor members by providing leadership, education and valued services while promoting environmental awareness within the landscape industry.  The association serves as a forum for the free exchange of ideas among landscape contractors, their suppliers and the government, working together to create a greener, more beautiful Illinois. More information can be found on their website, www.ilca.net.

Late Season Drama

A well-planned landscape provides continuous, colorful inspiration as the seasons change. Autumn brings dramatic sweeps of brilliant color that last. As autumn colors fade, landscape plantings contrast starkly against winter whiteness to create a striking display of tree silhouettes, distinctive bark, colorful berries on shrubs and snow-dusted perennials rustling in the wind.

You can add late season drama to your landscape with the following perennials, shrubs, and trees that are proven performers in our area.

Perennials

Snowbank Boltonia

Some of our late-blooming favorites provide a refreshing difference to the reds and golds commonly seen in autumn. For example, the tiny white flowers of Boltonia B. asteroids ‘Snowbank’ (4’) are reminiscent of spring daisies and have cheery yellow-green centers. This plant’s tall and sturdy growth makes it ideal for the back of the perennial bed, blooming September through October.

Purple Dome Aster

Glowing pinks and vibrant purples come from various cultivars of Aster. ‘Purple Dome’ or ‘Woods Purple’ (18”) which bloom with dramatic displays of purple with yellow centers. Asters start blooming in September and are suitable in the middle ground of a flower bed, to disguise their fading lower leaves.

Shrubs

Burning Bush

The fiery red autumn leaves of Dwarf Burning Bush Euonymus alatus ‘compacta’ (5-6’) are truly dazzling on a sunny fall day. Its corky winged branches provide winter interest after the leaves have fallen.

Fothergilla

Another fall favorite, the Dwarf Fothergilla Fothergilla gardenia (3’) radiates a warm fall glow as each and every leaf becomes a collage of yellow, red and orange. It tolerates shade nicely and, in spring, fragrant bottlebrush shaped white flowers appear.

Blackhaw Viburnum

The Viburnum is a widely adaptable, shade tolerant shrub which offers spring flowers, full summer foliage and terrific fall color. ‘Blackhaw’ (12-15’) is a native viburnum that blooms with white flower clusters in spring. Leaves turn bronze to brilliant burgundy in autumn. Its showy, bluish-black berries offer birds food in winter. ‘Koreanspice’ Viburnum (5’) has spicy, sweet fragrant flowers blooming from late April through early May, with red to burgundy colored leaves in the fall. ‘Autumn Jazz’ Viburnum (8-10’) has shiny green leaves with creamy white flowers in late spring. Blue-black fruit follows in late summer. Fall foliage colors range from yellow to orange.

Ornamental Trees

A tree bares its soul in winter, as falling leaves expose its silhouette. Some tree species are especially dramatic, as their trunk bark exfoliates in curls and shreds that reveal subtle colors and textures. The following trees are outstanding exfoliating specimens in the landscape.

Heritage River Birch

The bark of Heritage River Birch Betula nigra ‘Heritage’ (35-40’), peels off in delicate curls, revealing a colorful inner bark that is almost a peach color. Resistant to the birch borer, which can attack other birches, it thrives in damp areas. Pretty yellow foliages appear in the fall and its delicate dark cinnamon-colored branches taper out to accentuate its vase shape.

Paperbark Maple

As its name implies, the exfoliating reddish-brown bark of Paperbark Maple Acer griseum (15’) is an attractive feature. The bark begins peeling on two or three year-old branches. Upright and spreading, with a rounded crown, the leaves turn scarlet in autumn.

Why Do Leaves Changes Color in the Fall?

We all enjoy the colors of autumn leaves, delighting in their ephemeral beauty, knowing that all too soon their leaves will drop and winter will be here. Have you ever wondered why leaves change color?

Plant leaves contain pigments that give them their color. The three primary pigments in a plant leaf are chlorophyll (which gives leaves their green color), carotenoids (which provide yellows, oranges and browns) and anthocyanins (responsible for purples and reds). During the growing season, the dominant pigment in most plant leaves is chlorophyll. Plants use chlorophyll in the photosynthesis process. In this amazing process, plants take carbon dioxide from the air, water from their roots, and combine them with sunlight taken in through their leaves to produce glucose (sugar). This is what they do to make their own food.

As summer ends, and sunlight lessens as days begin to get shorter, chlorophyll production slows and eventually stops as plants prepare for winter. When the chlorophyll breaks down, the other colors that have been there all along become visible, and we start to see the change of color. The amount of the various pigments in a leaf are specific to each species of plants, and will also vary from plant to plant within a species. That’s why plants have different colored leaves, and some plants, even of the same kind, are more colorful than others.

Fall color is also influenced by the weather. Temperature and soil moisture are the two main factors. Warm sunny days, followed by cool but not freezing nights, bring out the best color. Too wet or too dry conditions will often result in less dramatic fall color.

Every autumn is different, every autumn is to be appreciated. It has been said that if a person lives 80 years old, they have only had 80 Octobers to appreciate the beauty of the autumn leaves. Take the time to appreciate this special phenomenon.

Just a few of our favorites with spectacular fall color are Triflorum Maple, Paperbark Maple, Serviceberry, Burning Bush, Fothergilla, Itea and Oakleaf Hydrangea.

Light Up Your Landscape

An under coping light illuminates an address. Deck lighting makes evening entertaining possible.

Low voltage landscape lighting is a safe and energy-efficient way to beautify your garden and increase the time you can enjoy it. With a wide selection of eye-catching fixtures and numerous lighting techniques, the system will add value, safety and security to your home.

Landscape lighting emphasizes your property’s best features, adds mood and extends your outdoor living space well into the evening. A properly lit patio can provide just the right mix of mood and light to entertain guests, or to simply relax with your family. Going beyond your patio and selectively illuminating your garden will enhance your yard and extend the nighttime beauty your landscaping has to offer.

Another advantage of outdoor lighting is safety and security. Defining your walkway or lighting uneven areas, such as natural elevation changes or steps, will help minimize the risk of trips and falls. Illuminating poorly lit areas near back gates, alleys or alcoves will also add a level of security around your home.

Landscape lighting can be as simple as installing lights along a pathway, or as complex as lighting an entire property. Whatever the goal, outdoor lighting has come a long way from the harsh glare of flood lighting. Today’s systems use a transformer to reduce your 120 volt electric house current to a safe, efficient, easy to manage 12-volt system that can easily grow or change along with your desires and your yard’s needs. An advantage of a low voltage system is that it can be installed when planting a new garden, or easily added to your current landscaping.

Wall wash lighting increases a garden's evening ambience.

Homeowners can choose among many uniquely designed fixtures for pathway lighting. Accent lights can be used for steps, posts and pillars. More extensive lighting designs can include atmospheric area lighting; moonlighting; downlighting that filter light down from tree branches; backlighting to create silhouettes; wall wash lighting to accent wide areas; spot lighting to accent a particular feature; or water lighting to focus on waterfalls, ponds or fountains.

 A well-designed lighting system heightens curb appeal and distinguishes your property from your neighbors by highlighting a home’s special architectural features and exceptional landscape plant specimens A well planned lighted landscape will provide delightful views of your garden, from your patio, from the street and form the inside of your home, while creating an attractive, safe and secure nighttime environment.

It’s time to Plant Spring-Flowering Bulbs

Celebrate this coming spring with a fall installation of flowering bulbs.

Nature’s Perspective offers a distinctive assortment of quality Tulips, Daffodils, Alliums and minor bulbs, professionally installed for natural appearance and visual impact. You may choose from our updated 2009 Bulb Selection Form, viewable online at www.naturesperspective.com. Or, your salesperson can also recommend a bulb arrangement that would compliment your existing plantings and home’s architecture.

Substitutions are made based on availability, so place your order before October 1 for the best selection.

 Call us at 847-475-7917 and we can send you an order form or print one directly form our website by clicking here. 

Plant Minor Bulbs for Spring Color, Deer/Rabbit Resistance

The most commonly used spring flowering bulbs are the ‘major bulbs’ such as daffodils, tulips and hyacinths. However, there is a whole group of ‘minor bulbs’ that provide such reliable color that most gardens would benefit from including them when planning for early spring color. The bulbs are tiny and the plants are small, rarely more than six inches in height, so a large number of bulbs are needed in order to make a visual impact.

The term ‘bulb’ includes a variety of plants with a large storage root (or stem) from which the plant grows every year. These little wonders of nature require only moisture and rising temperatures to end their dormancy and begin to grow. This means that bulbs are generally an easy and fool-proof garden plant. Minor bulbs also tend to be very resistant to deer and rabbit damage.

Minor bulbs should be planted during the fall, in drifts or masses, about 3”-4” deep. They can be planted in flower beds or shrub beds where they’ll emerge and bloom before the perennials get started and before deciduous plants leaf out.

Some of the prettiest minor bulbs, listed in order of the appearance in a garden, are:

Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) Snowdrops do well in our area and emerge very early. The small three-segmented, drooping white flowers are 5” tall and stand out dramatically above their silver-green foliage. (March)

Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) is another early bloomer. The solitary, yellow buttercup-shaped flowers grow 6” tall and are surrounded by bright green bracts that look like a collar around the blossom. (March)

Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxas) are low growing plants, reaching 4-6” high with grass-like leaves that appear the same time as the flowers. The blue star shaped flowers face upwards and has a central white eye, lasting two weeks or more. (March/April)

Crocus (Crocus) naturalize exceptionally well, creating an expanding carpet of bright colors as the years go by. Their purples, lavenders, whites and yellows are a clear signal that spring in on its way. These are the only minor bulbs that we’ve listed that the rabbits eat. (March/April)

Scilla (Scilla siberica), also called ‘Squill’, this vivid blue flower is about 5” tall. You can see some strikingly beautiful and very large drifts in many North Shore gardens where they have been naturalizing for many years. Some varieties are available in pink and white, but the blues are spring time knock-outs. (April)

Windflower (Anemone) is a charming border plant with daisy-like flowers that comes in a variety of blues, pinks, violets and white. The foliage resembles parsley and the plant stands about 6” tall. (April)

Grape Hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) is the largest of the minor bulbs with tiny deep blue flowers densely clustered like miniature grapes on a firm stalk. The flower cluster is about 5” long and the plant grows to 7” or 8”. They are long lasting and produce a striking effect when planted in drifts. (April-May)