Max's Greener Places

Ornamental trees in your landscape: Kousa Dogwood

MAX — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:22:17 +0000

Consider an ornamental specimen for your property such as a Kousa Dogwood (Cornus Kousa). Ornamental trees may have nice blooms, fruit, and fall colors, and normally have a smaller stature at maturity, not overpowering a normal sized property.

Seen here in a mature Hinsdale garden- the white blooms in a green garden!

Whats in bloom: Camassia (Indian Hyacinth) in May

MAX — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:03:44 +0000

Camassia, can’t say enough about this bulbous beauty! Blooms for weeks, with the great steel-blue spikes. Will multiply well. Native to prairies and the Pac. NW. Seen here in a Glen Ellyn wildflower garden.

Steel blue Camassias

Timeless beauty in natural stone

MAX — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:51:56 +0000

Seen here is a natural (Galena limestone) stone wall w/ dyed mortar. Quite a project to put this garden wall together – in the cottage garden style, seen here in a West Chicago native prairie & production garden , which will produce loads of veggies.

Natural stone is a thing of timeless beauty!

Bellwort (Uvularia)- another woodland beauty (and native)

MAX — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:59:01 +0000

Often seen in high quality woodlands (like Starved Rock IL) and in shade gardens around the midwest (seen here in a lovely garden in Wheaton Il). Beguiling yellow blooms in late spring, dangling 12″ above the soil, thrives in moist , shaded areas.

Native bellwort, once establish, will thrive in woodlands and shaded landscapes

Whats in Bloom (what an early appearance!) Native Trillium

MAX — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:02:15 +0000

Trillium; the true native beauty of Chicago woodlands (here in Naperville shade gardens)

Browsing by deer diminish this species in our woodlands

Pure white blooms in mid spring.

Landscaping and stone work in Oak Park/ River Forest, Il.

MAX — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:44:53 +0000

New landscape to follow

Install begins

Seen a year later, with native grasses filling in, boxwood for nice winter cover

Specie tulips – blooms for April

MAX — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:18:48 +0000

Keep in mind that most tulips in our midwestern climate slowly decline,blooming sporadically – if at all after a few year. But NOT specie tulips, small in stature, and wonderful en masse, they will multiply over the years, and can be very reliable!

Tulip 'tardiva', multplies over time to create small masses from a single bulb

Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virg.) a true native (Glen Ellyn, IL)

MAX — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:22:56 +0000

Again, in bloom in late March- wow!

Wooded areas, shade gardens will appreciate this spring native

Bloodroot (Sanguineria can.) in bloom – mid March 2012 !

MAX — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 23:21:33 +0000

A rare sight in most woodlands today, but are superstar when in bloom for few precious days….

The root was once used in medicinal care by native Americans, as well as in dyes – the juice is an amazing orange-red color. Seen along roadsides in my area of West Chicago Il.

A native of our northern hardwoods, bloom seen here in mid March 2012, unusually early!

Woodlands/forest restorations

MAX — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 02:35:47 +0000

Nothing for us is more fulfilling (and FUN) than pulling/cutting, and burning non-native, and invasive growth such as buckthorn, multi-flora rose, and asian honeysuckle. When a natural area is culled of the nasty alien species, you can then begin to ‘see the forest through the trees!’ Below is a good burn in St. Charles Geneva area in Il.

A good cut and burn in woods allowing light in to aid in better quality plants to flourish.