OZ Park

There is a park in Chicago dedicated to the Wizard of Oz. Yellow bricks from park donors line the ground in front of statues of Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Lion. There is also a community garden called Emerald City Gardens. This is truly one of the cities gems...

Green City Market in Chicago

My daughter and I went to the Green City Farmer's Market in Lincoln Park during my visit. Snagged a lot of yummy greens and veggies for snacks and dinner. 

 Pea sprouts...

 Purple Baby Asparagus

 Baby Radishes

The mushroom tent was amazing. Bought a bag of "mushroom medley" to saute for dinner along with a jarred can of mushroom salad (contains mushrooms, bell peppers, onion, garlic, olive oil and white balsamic vinegar) to pour over pasta, or greens. 

Our purchases...fresh green onion, garlic, tai basil, pea sprouts, swiss chard, arugula, mushrooms, purple asparagus and radishes

 For dinner we sauteed onion, garlic, mushrooms, basil and swiss chard and topped it off with some goat cheese and fresh french bread from my daughter's landlord (he owns the French Pastry School of Chicago)

Yummy Healthy Dinner! 

Chicago Street Art

This is my daughter's favorite street artist, Shepard Fairey's work. He was recently in the city for Art Chicago and left his mark on the side of a building under the El train downtown. 

Chicago in Bloom!

I went to Chicago a few weeks ago and all the tulips and flowers were in full bloom. 

Lots of April showers bringing May flowers! 

Downtown Chicago 

Near the Lincoln Park Zoo Entrance

Beautiful window planters, full of hydrangeas in the Lincoln Park neighborhood

New Vegetable Garden

A wasted side yard was transformed into a useful garden.

The grass and weeds were removed and the ground leveled a bit more than it had been. A

 12' x 5' x 12"garden box was built.

A compost bin is tucked between two pineapple guava shrubs. 

Existing sprinklers from the side yard were capped off and  drip line was added. Multi drip line heads were put in the garden box with drip line added to a 24" container and a 15 gallon container.

Weed cloth was put down under the box and spread on either side to help keep weeds and grass from growing. 

 A mixture of sand, perlite and compost from Singh Farms was used for the planting medium.  

Good Stuff!! (ph level is at 6.5)

Singh Farms is located at Thomas Rd and the 101. A working farm with fresh produce and owner Ken Singh makes the compost. Well worth a visit!

Vegetables planted were zucchini squash, bunching onions, bush beans, kale, jalapeno, serrano and ancho chiles, corn, radishes, baby carrots and a tomato plant. Cucumbers were planted in a 24" container and snap peas in the 15 gallon container.  A Goldkist Apricot tree was planted at the entrance to give some added afternoon shade when mature. A shade structure will most likely need to  be added for summer. Small bark was spread over the ground for a finished look and a cushioned walk. It will also  help keep the weeds and grass from growing. What does grow can be minimally treated without harming the growing plants.

How to Grow Your Own Strawberries

Grow a Treat in Your Garden

via Scotts- Miracle Grow. www.Scotts.com
 Nothing is quite so delicious as a handful of freshly picked, ripe strawberries. If you want to encourage someone to eat well and become hooked on gardening, suggest planting a patch, or pot, of strawberries. Strawberries are among the easiest and most rewarding plants gardeners grow.

by Finding Your Site

Strawberries require at least 8 hours of full sun, and rich, well-drained soil. You don't need a vegetable garden to provide these conditions. You might find the needed sunlight on your deck or patio. Plant your strawberry patch in a half-barrel or other large container on the deck. Strawberries play well with others and can be incorporated into a flower bed as a ground cover or edging plant.

Keep Strawberries Hanging Around

Short on space? Produce a nice crop of strawberries in a few hanging baskets or in "strawberry pots" with wide pockets. The benefits of growing strawberries in these types of containers are that the berries stay cleaner, and smaller containers are child-sized for young gardeners-in-training. Be advised: strawberries like to stay evenly moist and smaller containers will require frequent watering. When growing strawberries in containers, use a well-drained potting mix, such as Miracle-Gro® Moisture Control® Potting Mix. Moisture-releasing crystals will reduce trips to the garden hose during dry periods.

Check Your Garden Soil

Strawberries like well-drained, slightly acid soil enriched with lots of organic matter, such as Miracle-Gro® Organic Choice® Garden Soil. When planting in the ground, dig the soil and work in 3 to 4 inches of compost, composted manure or other organic matter. Strawberries can grow in clay or poorly drained soils with a little help. Work several inches of organic matter into the soil, then form the soil into mounds or hills. Another good alternative for poorly drained soils is to plant in raised beds.

Varieties that Work Well in the Home Garden

You will find 3 fruiting types of strawberries. 'Ozark Beauty', 'Quinault', and 'Sequoia' are considered "everbearing". These plants produce a large flush of fruit from their spring flowering, rest during the long days of summer, and produce another, smaller crop in fall. "June-bearing" cultivars, like 'Tennessee Beauty', produce their entire crop in a 3-week period about 30 days after flowering. In locations with mild winters, look for 'Camarosa' and 'Sweet Charlie'. Day-neutral plants will produce fruit throughout the growing season.

When to Plant Your Strawberry Plants

Early spring planting is best in Zone 6 northward; fall planting is preferable from Zone 7 south. In the South, strawberries can begin producing as early as February, and, further north, as late as June.

How to Plant Strawberry Plants

Dig a hole wide and deep enough that the roots can be planted vertically. The crown of the plant should remain well above the soil line. Make sure to cover the roots completely with soil and press down gently but firmly. Space plants 12-18 inches apart. Then add a layer of mulch to retain moisture, reduce competition from weeds, and keep berries clean. If slugs are a problem in your area, consider using a plastic mulch rather than newspaper or hay.

Caring for Strawberry Plants

Strawberries require consistent moisture but should never stay soggy. Apply supplementary water when there has been less than 1 inch of rain during the week. Strawberries produce lots of off-shoots. Plants will produce larger berries if all but 3 off-shoots are removed from the parent plant. Use the new plants to build a new bed or pass them on to another gardener. In the lower south, using the young plants to replace the parent plant each year helps reduce problems with disease.

Strawberries and Birds

Birds love strawberries as much as we do and will devour the ripest spot on the berry. Prevent birds from sharing your harvest with a drape of bird netting.

Wild Bird Feeders

Mesh feeder from Songbird Garden

Via DesignSponge, a blog about Wild Bird Feeders from Ashley: When you or I learn that a storm is on they way, we fortify our pantries with provisions, make sure extra blankets and batteries are on hand, and stock up on candles and bottled water. We tune in to the Weather Channel, hang on to the words of local meteorologists, and know, for the most part, what’s coming and when it’s slated to arrive. In terms of preparedness, then, we humans have really got it easy. Not so for the winged creatures we share the airspace with.

Wild birds have a bit of a rough go of it in winter. Food supplies are already scarce, and when back-to-back harrowing storms are added to the mix, they struggle not just to eat but also to stay alive. Wild birds are absolutely gorgeous to gaze upon and marvel at. I can’t tell you how much time Hubs and I spend watching the neighborhood frenzy that occurs all winter long on the three feeders positioned outside our kitchen windows. If you’ve ever wondered which birds exist in your area, simply hang up a feeder and see who comes calling.

Their beauty, however, isn’t the main reason for looking after them. Wild birds are a fabulous low-fi means of insect control. If you’ve got a garden, you want birds on hand. They’ll tend to the business of picking off interlopers all summer, saving you a bundle of back-breaking work in the process (not to mention helping to steer clear of the use of harmful insecticides). Come winter, it’s time to return the favor. Severe weather, coupled with increasing development, produces a scarcity of food sources for wild birds in cold weather. A strategically positioned feeder helps them survive and thrive.

When considering a feeder, you have a number of options. Consider the pros and cons of each style, then make the selection that best fits you and your local flock’s needs. 

Tube feeder from Wild Bird Habitat

Bird Feeder Styles

• Hopper Feeders: This style consists of a large, typically rounded vessel that holds the feed. Either a tray on the bottom or openings on the sides allow birds to gain access. Hopper feeders usually attract a wide variety of birds, so you’ll be able to get a real sense of who’s feathering their nest in your ‘hood. A disadvantage of the hopper feeder is the feed’s constant exposure to the elements. It can also be accessed by marauding squirrels.

• Tube Feeders: A long, hollow tube with perches of varying heights characterizes the tube-style feeder. Models are available for attracting a variety of small birds or for specializing in one specific type, such as finches. Tube feeders are good at deterring squirrels, as the seed resides inside the tube itself.

• Platform Feeders: Exactly what they sound like, this feeder style is a flat, fully accessible stand. Some models have roofs or drainage areas while others don’t. The upside to platform feeders is that a great number and variety of birds can access them simultaneously. Additionally, its surface allows for all sizes of food to be offered, from nuts and seeds to larger items, such as whole fruits. The obvious downside is that its openness permits it to be accessed by other creatures and the elements.

• Suet Feeders: This type of feeder resembles a rectangular wire cage. As its name implies, the feeder is intended to hold suet, which is rendered beef fat. Mixed with seeds, suet cakes solidify at room temperature. They can be picked up from pet supply stores or made at home. Here’s an easy tutorial. The downside, at least from my perspective, is that they can attract unwanted creatures (like bears, if you live in a forest like I do), as well.

• Mesh Feeders: Made of wire, plastic or fabric, this feeder style is accessed by pulling seed through openings in the mesh. A variety of sizes are available, including those intended to be filled with peanuts. On a completely personal note, I find mesh feeders to be the most attractive style feeder, especially the all-metal “No/No” (that’s “no wood, no plastic”) models.

Edible bird house/feeder from Terrain

Siting Tips

Once you’ve selected your feeder, the next step is to site it in an ideal location. Consider these tips when seeking out a spot:

• Look for a protected area already housing birds, such as a bush or hedgerow. If you’re lacking such a landscape feature, make a brush pile with fallen branches.

• The south-side of your house is the most ideal spot for siting the feeder, as it provides a barricade against harsh winds. The sun’s warm rays coupled with a ready supply of food will serve as a siren song to local birds.

• Be mindful of areas frequented by cats, and hang your feeders high enough to keep birds safe.

• Since it’s up to you to keep the feeder filled, hang it somewhere easily accessible. If that’s right outside your kitchen window, great. If it’s on your porch, superb. Make it easy and make it visible, and you’re that much more likely to stay on top of keeping it filled and clean.

• Site your feeder no less than 3 feet from the nearest window (and preferably those with windowpanes). The reflection from the windows helps prevent birds from flying into them. Additionally, you might consider hanging a decal or sticker on a window lacking panels, to serve as a deterrent.

Feeder Care

Now that you’ve chosen a style and sited it properly, you’ll need to be vigilant about its care. Here are some suggestions for helping make your feeder the busiest on the block:

• Clean it once monthly. Take it down, remove any contents and wash it with a mild non-chlorine bleach and dish soap mixture. Dry thoroughly before refilling.

• Toss out any feed that is visibly moldy or wet on a daily basis. If left unattended, this matter invites bacterial growth, which could sicken birds.

• Rake up and remove seed hulls and bird poop left under the feeder. If there’s too much snow on the ground to do this in winter, it’s fine to wait until a thaw.

Some great resources for wild bird information and feeders can be found on these sites:

• Bird Source
• Wild Birds Unlimited
• Droll Yankees

I also love these roundups of modern bird feeders:

• Contemporist
• Apartment Therapy

Read more at Design*Sponge http://www.designspongeonline.com/2011/02/small-measures-winter-wild-bird-care.html#ixzz1FvQrYBFQ