 Good enough
to eat
Nothing
says summer like fruits and vegetables freshly picked from the garden.
Whether your yard is big or small, anyone can grow a kitchen garden,
and it’s easier than you think.
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Fresh from
the garden
For
fresh bouquets all summer long, plant a cutting garden and reap the
rewards well into the fall. Gilbert Yerke of Yerke’s Frog Alley
Greenhouse, Mukwonago, says a wide variety of blooms perfect for
flower arranging are easy to grow in Wisconsin’s climate.
"Zinnias are a great cut flower," Yerke says, "and most
of the time, they can be started from seed right in the garden."
|
 Sweet oasis
A
small piece of paradise is perched in the middle of Elm Grove on
Marjorie Clark Takton’s property. The 5-acre parcel has been in her
family for decades and is the location of her childhood home. Takton
tore down the original house and built a new home for her extended
family to enjoy.
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Going up
Vertical gardening is getting a lot of
buzz as the "next big thing," but Lisa Neske, horticultural
consultant at Bayside Garden Center, says the technique is really as
old as the hills. "People have done it forever, but it’s
getting trendy now because of limited space," Neske says.
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Serenity now
A
partial ravine in the backyard of Maureen and Chris Greene has been
transformed from eyesore to eco-friendly eye candy, thanks to a rain
garden grant from the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District,
Maureen’s diligense and the expertise of her landscaping team.
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What's your
garden personality?
Our
personalities define us, shaping our wardrobes, our homes and even our
landscapes. A home can tell a visitor a great deal about its owner,
but so too can what is found outside of its doors, making a garden a
creative way to express yourself.
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Toxic
outdoors
A
garden is filled with enticing sights and smells, but it can be a
potentially dangerous place for people and pets. Young children are
especially vulnerable. "
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Season your
garden
There is nothing like stepping out your back door in the summer and
picking fresh herbs for dinner. Growing herbs is easy and certainly
has its perks of adding fragrance to your yard and taste to your food.
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An artist's
palette
When Peggy Ann looked at her property in the town of Mukwonago, she
envisioned paths wandering through her woods and how the mowed
landscape would abut and blend with the natural grass in the meadows.
"I started planting the wildflowers before I started building the
house," she says.
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Functional
art
Pergolas
have been around for centuries, yet people still don’t understand
the purpose of having a roof with holes in it. This is especially true
in the Midwest, where the weather can turn on a dime and, frankly, we’re
just a tad more practical when it comes to our structures.
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Coming up
roses
"You can’t plant roses and forget about them, because they’ll
pop up and say, ‘Here I am, look how beautiful I am," jokes
Chuck Steele, long-time garden enthusiast and rose expert.
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Find your
path
The
best way to enjoy a well-landscaped yard is to get outside and savor
it. Homeowners can make it an even more unique experience by custom
designing a pathway with stepping stones.
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Add some
texture
The key to transforming a garden from beautiful to extraordinary is
texture. "Texture is created from lots of different plant
characteristics such as leaf shapes and sizes, colors, heights,
flowers, and the forms the plants create as they grow," explains
Nan Zivney of Treetops Landscape Design in Grafton.
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Eco stylings
As
a little girl growing up in Shanghai, Anna Tsai never dreamed of
having her own garden. "I was always crazy about flowers and
stopped by a nursery every day on my way home from school," the
Bayside resident says.
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A private
enclave
Renovating the exterior of a 1953 contemporary house opened up a
multitude of landscape and gardening possibilities for Joe Kresl and
his wife, Jennifer.
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Urban oasis
Only the occasional traffic noises from nearby Silver Spring Drive
remind Patty Tagliapietra that she is in the city. The Glendale
interior designer has transformed the backyard of her city-sized lot
into a lush urban retreat. "It is super romantic and feels so
secluded," she says.
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Symphony of
color
Garden tours provide plant lovers with
inexpensive inspiration. Wondering what to do with that sunny area of
your yard? Take a look at what gardeners featured on this year’s
Waukesha Symphony Orchestra League Garden Tour have done in a similar
space.
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Fragrant
beauty
With over 200 species of irises, how
does the amateur gardener know which ones are the best to grow?
Durability and easy maintenance make the tall bearded irises some of
the easiest to grow.
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Plant man
personified
Ed
Hasselkus willingly admits that the seed for his life’s work was
planted while growing up on a farm two miles south of Dousman.
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A taste of
India comes to Elm Grove
In many ways, Vinod and Anjani Shidham
are just like any other gardeners in the area. They grow flowers,
fruits and vegetables as well as perennials and annuals in their Elm
Grove garden.
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Leveraged
space
Peter Van Ommeren’s backyard proves the point that small can be
beautiful. Not letting size reduce his vision, over the past 15 years,
this Wauwatosa homeowner has planted 18 trees in his postage-stamp
size space while leaving room for both a significant selection of
perennials and a bit of grassy lawn.
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Outdoor
rehab
As people spend more time at home, they naturally want to make
their surroundings more livable — and that includes the outdoors. In
fact, landscaping is now one of the top discretionary projects for
today’s homeowners.
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Spring
training
With plenty of varieties of daffodils to choose from, even veteran
gardeners have a hard time picking which ones to put in their yard.
Next spring, take your garden to the next level with the advice of UW
master gardener Ann Weid and Tom Kulich of Prairie Gardens in
Cedarburg. All six varieties will grow in Wisconsin.
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Lush
symbolism
East has definitely met West in the gardens of Wauwatosa residents
Tom and Patti Krause. An Asian influence is reflected through plant
selections, hardscapes and design that was inspired by visits to major
botanical gardens.
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Environmental
factors
The
key to enjoying the great outdoors just outside one’s back door is
creating the right environment. Just ask John D’Agostino and John
Borchardt, who last year worked with local landscape design firms to
carve out the perfect niche for their respective suburban and urban
lifestyles.
|
In
moderation
Homeowners
know maintaining a healthy landscape often takes a lot of work, from
proper design and planting to maintenance. Those lush gardens and
velvet lawns require a lot of sweat equity.
|
Terrace
transformed
Lush
gardens are no longer possible only on solid ground. Balconies and
terraces are being transformed into a new kind of backyard for
millions of apartment, condominium and townhouse dwellers across the
country, and the Milwaukee area is no exception.
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Go organic
When
you’re green you’re growing … when you’re ripe, you rot."
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Nature's
best
Mary
Braunreiter hopes her wildlife-friendly Wauwatosa yard will inspire
others to discover the delights of inviting birds, bees, butterflies
and all manner of critters to share their properties.
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Greener
pastures
"Greener
gardens" is not a redundancy. Planting your little corner of the
world in grass or flowers or vegetables is great, but there are better
or worse ways to benefit the air, the soil and your own health. For a
more ecologically healthy garden, consider the following ...
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Layered look
When Paul Mandracchia was a child growing up in the Southwest
United States, he dreamed of owning a lush, green garden that would
inspire and interest him through each season. Considered a work in
progress, the landscape at his Fox Point home is a fulfillment of that
childhood dream.
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A
never-ending canvas of color
What
happens when two artists collaborate on their home’s landscape? In
Cindy and Alan Vogt’s case, the results are a garden that’s artful—and
art-full.
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A passion
for plants
If "flowers make our hearts smile" as Dousman gardener
Lark Kulikowski maintains, then this petite fireball’s heart must be
grinning all the time.
|
Floral
obsession
Mary
Zvara’s garden has as many memories as flowers.
|
Yard art
Think
beyond flamingos and gnomes for a modern approach to exterior
decoration.
|
Gardens of
earthy delights
Put on your walking shoes and bring
your green thumb to "A Symphony of Sunset Gardens." On June
22-24, the Waukesha Symphony is hosting a chance to peruse a diverse
mixture of six area Brookfield and Elm Grove gardens. This tour
features landscapes ranging from an exotic vegetable garden to a
professionally-maintained estate. Here is a glimpse of what you can
expect to see.
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Lakeside
retreat
With
Lac La Belle shimmering before her and the Lac La Belle Golf Club
beckoning at her back door, it’s a wonder Karen Evans has any time
for gardening. Yet from the moment you spy her charming yellow
Victorian, it’s clear someone with a green thumb lives here.
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Streaming
tranquility
Water
is a sight to behold and music to the ears of the happy homeowners who
have discovered the simple pleasures of pond gardens. While the
popularity of gardening continues unabated, the water landscape
business is adding new depths of creativity and fun to backyard
beautification.
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Flower power
Everything’s
coming up roses, daffodils and thousands of other flowers for
Mukwonago floral designer Kevin Ylvisaker. And no matter what bloom,
blossom, ornamental grass or seed pod he has to work with, the final
arrangement is sure to leave the viewer breathless from the beauty.
|
Grass-free
zone
Hartland resident Betty Kleimenhagen and her daughter Louisa have
done the nearly unthinkable: Created a subdivision landscape that
doesn’t include a blade of grass.
|
Yard art
1
Joeann Genetti-Teeple Abra in green and blue, $225 and up. Call (920)
474-4769 or (262) 443-3282 for buying information.
|
Annual
forecast
Annual
flowers can provide limitless opportunities for the garden lover
because they offer vibrant color to every garden no matter where that
garden may be.
|
Earth, stone
& fire
Peter White gave his landscape architect free expression in
designing an outdoor living area for his Whitefish Bay home, with a
few stipulations.
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Contain
yourself
The
key to successful container gardening is pairing like things together,
says Prairie Gardens manager Paul Grulke. Factors to consider are
soil, sun and water requirements. Once you have matched shade-loving
or sun-loving plants together, have some fun and experiment with
different combinations. We’ve asked local flower experts to pair
some of their favorites.
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For the
birds
Want
to make your yard a premiere destination on the avian fly-over map?
With the right materials and a little know-how, you can provide a five
diamond, year-round resort for all of your fine feathered friends.
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Bloomin'
great
There’s a bit of England tucked
behind a thoroughly Midwestern Lannon stone tri-level home in Elm
Grove.
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Poolside
paradise
There’s
no better combination than hot weather and water where friends and
family build lasting memories under the summer sun.
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Garden
living
When the Dowdles decided to build a
1,000-square-foot addition to their Washington Highlands home in 2004,
it proved an opportune time to redo their garden as well. The Dowdles,
who have lived in the 1952 home for 11 years, added a great room and a
master suite with library, laundry room, dressing room and bath; they
also converted their one-car garage to a two-car.
|
Empire
builder
When
Sally Edgett’s home was a stop on the American Association of
University Women’s garden club tour, her diverse, well-kept
perennial beds typically attracted, well, women.
|
En plein
air, Wisconsin style
Set in the Cedarburg countryside, the
backyard of the Tice family residence was designed to be a backyard
vacation spot. And that’s pretty much what it has become for Tom and
Judy Tice, their children and friends. "When my children say they
want to have a couple of kids over, I look out and there are 30,"
Judy Tice says. "It rocks."
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Carefree
habitat
Cheri
Mastel enjoys the calmness of curves and it’s apparent in her yard. Curves are found throughout all the
spaces from the "carefree" border gardens, to the small rain
garden and even in the children’s garden created especially for the
Mastels’ 9-year-old daughter, Melinda. There are no sharp angles.
The gardens also include "small gradual berms and shallow swails,
accented with fieldstone," says Mastel.
|
Trash to
treasure
Not everyone hates change. In fact,
Wauwatosa gardener Gail Morgan actually thrives on it. Unlike the gardeners who like the
predictability of perennials, the gardens on Morgan’s half-acre lot
contain many varieties of annuals. "Some people shy away from
annuals because of their cost and upkeep," she says. "But I
like to change."
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Eye
candy
Life
moves fast along Lake Drive. A few twists and turns try to slow down
the hustle and bustle of the city and suburb dwellers, and though many
speed by, overlooking the natural beauty of the area’s landscape,
few have missed a pink-trimmed 1928 Italian style home.
|
Trash to
treasure
Not everyone hates change. In fact, Wauwatosa gardener Gail Morgan
actually thrives on it. Unlike the gardeners who like the predictability of perennials, the
gardens on Morgan’s half-acre lot contain many varieties of annuals.
|
Backyard
retreat
Lori
Sommervold never claimed to have a green thumb, but her backyard
garden in the Enderis Park area of Milwaukee is breathtaking all the
same.
|
Cottage
gardening
Barbara Nickel’s husband, Duane,
generally has a few extra hours in his weekend each week. That’s
because unlike many homeowners, he doesn’t have to mow his lawn. His
wife’s plants cover nearly every inch of their city of Waukesha lot.
|
A
synergistic setting
It’s the plants that smell good that
Pewaukee resident Dianne Henke wants blooming in her gardens. Roses,
peonies and lilacs all contribute both their fragrance and color to
Henke’s desire to make the world a beautiful place. "I’m a
sucker for roses," she admits.
|
Soaking it
up
For crossword puzzle lovers, it’s
Suduko; the health-conscious are taking their cues from "Dancing
with the Stars." And in gardening circles, the hottest trend is
rain gardens.
|
Let it rain
We’ve all heard the children’s song
"rain, rain, go away," but to where? Rain falls on roofs,
driveways and roads — areas where it can’t soak in. The water
rushes off in heavy volumes, sweeping pollution like oil and debris
into storm sewers and causing overflows. Polluted water runs into
small creeks with a destructive force.
|
In full
bloom
Mary
Moritz shares credit for her spectacular garden with Mother Nature ...
and her own mom. That’s because Moritz lives in the home she grew up
in. And her mother’s green thumb gave birth to the garden Moritz now
tends. "Even when I was a kid, my mom had a garden," she
remembers. "But I sort of enlarged it."
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Damage
control
If you have ventured out into your yard
and are shocked by what the elements have done to your landscaping
this winter, don’t worry, all is not lost. These area landscaping
pros offer solutions for some of the most common cold-weather damage.
|
My
prerogative
When it comes to gardening, not everyone has the skill, time or
interest in covering new ground.
|
Stone crop
A rolling stone gathers no moss, but
rock gardeners prefer their stones full of it and strategically
placed.
|
Gardening
CEO
Kitty Larkin’s love for gardening has
led her to a place no one from Wisconsin has ever been. She is the
39th president of the National Garden Clubs Inc., an organization of
7,200 clubs across the United States with more than 209,000 members.
And, she is the first president ever to come from the Badger State.
|
A
bee-utiful
garden
Blame it on the bees. If Elizabeth
Waldron’s gardens look better than those of her neighbors, she can
thank the several hives of honeybees that she’s allowing beekeeper
Andy Hemken to keep on her Sussex property.
|
Living
outside the box
The
great outdoors is getting better as more and more people find that
getting away from it all can be as close as their own back yard.
|
Flames but
no fire hazard
Annette Miller of Sussex loves the cozy
nature of an indoor fireplace, but she also enjoys an occasional fire
outdoors.
|
More gardening tips ...
|
|
|
|
Voles
a menace for some gardeners 08-30-2010
Orange
cosmos absolutely sizzling 08-30-2010
Diggin'
in: Sunflowers are a natural mood lifter 08-30-2010
Fresh
cilantro unmatched in flavor 08-23-2010
Diggin' in: Try the BirdsEye Lite,
designed for beginning birders 08-23-2010
Gilding
the Lilium: Greater variety of
lilies available from Dutch tulip breeders 08-09-2010
Diggin' in: Water trees, shrubs in
drought, but let lawn go dormant 08-09-2010
Meet
the new grafted tomatoes 08-09-2010
Limelight
will have you doing the four-o'-clock rock 08-09-2010
Diggin'
in: It's butterfly month 08-09-2010
Alonia
Angelonia offers colorful spikes of blooms 08-02-2010
Diggin' in: From plastic tote to
self-watering container garden in a jiffy 08-02-2010
Japanese beetles, grubs can chew
their way through plants, turf 08-02-2010
Despite
the heat, rudbeckias give black-eyed winks 07-27-2010
Pazazz
portulaca simply irresistible 07-27-2010
Diggin' in: Try 'Tough' tape for stick-to-itiveness 07-27-2010
Cherry
Brandy and Spotlight bring innovation to rudbeckias 07-19-2010
Fabrics are a natural for controlling weeds in the garden 07-19-2010
Diggin'
in: Say it with stone 07-19-2010
Mumsy
marigolds thrill with unique look 07-12-2010
Diggin' in: Discards can become garden delights 07-12-2010
South
American verbena offers rare
rugged beauty and performance 07-06-2010
Fungus blight kills tomato plants 07-06-2010
Diggin'
In: Want an easy perennial? Try white clintonia 06-27-2010
|
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