 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.
|
 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.
|
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 ...
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
Bloomin'
great
There’s a bit of England tucked
behind a thoroughly Midwestern Lannon stone tri-level home in Elm
Grove.
|
Poolside
paradise
There’s
no better combination than hot weather and water where friends and
family build lasting memories under the summer sun.
|
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."
|
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."
|
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."
|
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 ...
|
|
|
|
Unearth
black gold from yard compost 11-27-2008
Tired
of high water bills? Harvest the rain to water your yard 11-27-2008
Amazon
dianthus rocks garden world 11-27-2008
Nature
pansies are durably beautiful 11-14-2008
Ready
your tropicals for winter indoors 11-03-2008
Mums
treated as annuals can spruce up your fall garden 10-27-2008
Muhly
grasses offer dazzling fall display 10-27-2008
Scarecrows
still have a place beyond the farm fields 10-27-2008
Sunflowers
sizzle in the fall garden 10-18-2008
The
joys of a fall garden 10-18-2008
Trailing
violas will add pizzazz in fall 10-02-2008
No
new bloom, but once-stinky Bella has been busy 09-22-2008
Mum's
the word for every landscape 09-22-2008
Sedges
give texture, beauty to landscape 09-09-2008
Flower
Camp brings bouquet-lovers back to nature 09-09-2008
Cordylines’
dagger-like look soars in popularity 09-09-2008
Teen
designs, builds water garden 08-28-2008
Begonia,
sweet potato thrive in summer heat 08-28-2008
Veteran
vegetable gardener
shares clever homemade solutions 08-28-2008
Adirondack
chairs promise relaxation 08-16-2008
Cathedral
Windows hosta not soon forgotten 08-08-2008
Push
is on to green up the gardening industry 08-08-2008
Bring
the five senses into your garden 08-08-2008
Researcher
has ideas on how your
garden can give a boost to wild bees 08-08-2008
Choose
bamboo carefully before
planting to avoid a runaway forest 08-08-2008
|
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