As you travel through Naperville, I encourage you to take a look at the landscape as it changes throughout the seasons. Spring is over; summer will give way to fall and then fall to winter.
Every season has different kinds of beauty. As with taste in art (Is Monet better than Picasso?), our residents’ style of landscaping has a wide range. You don’t have to spend a lot of time to be a gardener and a participant in the seasonal changes.
For instance, buy a pack of annuals and plant them in an empty spot for a splash of color. In the fall, remove them and insert some fall mums or pansies. There’s always room for a plant or two by the mailbox or put a planter filled with annuals within your landscaped bed and that can be your color feature.
The Wave® petunia, developed at nearby Ball Horticultural Company in West Chicago, is available this year in amazing new colors. Look for the Easy Wave® Velours- Burgundy Velour, Red Velour and Berry Velour. Best for baskets and planters are the Shock Wave® (eight colors) and Easy Wave® (sixteen colors) petunias.
Then there’s the Tidal Wave® petunia that comes in four colors-silver, hot pink, cherry and purple- that will completely engulf the planter and look like a blooming shrub on steroids! Many petunias will attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Some require weekly fertilization.
I fill a milk jug with a teaspoon of Miracle-Gro and water weekly or as needed. If you want to avoid that, sprinkle some Osmocote when you plant and your flowers will be fertilized every time it rains or you water.
Once a week or so, step out to admire what you have planted. Bring a small bag and a pair of scissors with you and remove any spent blooms. Read the tag that is in with the flowers for any additional information.
Everyone can be a gardener!
