Definitely not ideal late season planting conditions. Stuck dragging out hose to keep newish plants happy as rain barrels are running dry. Takes forever even in small city garden & if you don’t think so, you aren’t watering deeply enough. #UrbsInHorto #Chicago #gardening

Ohh, mystery salvia seems to be reproducing itself quite happily. Not sure which one it is until it flowers. You can see it in the blue pot where I killed another Agapanthus & potato bag & edge of raised bed too. All placed fresh in Spring so not from previous year’s seed. 🤔

Not every #pollinator follows the rules. Some are simply ungovernable and that’s okay! #FlowersOnFriday #NativePlants #ecosystem #GimmeTheLoot

Even if you have a small garden, don’t be afraid of tall plants. They add so much beauty, dimension, & best of all privacy—check out these magic secret garden vibes! It took me a while to get brave but it was totally worth it. #FlowersOnFriday #GardeningTips #gardening

Throwing 2 more trays of #homegrown tomatoes & peppers in oven to roast/purée. I cooked some heirloom Ayocote Morado beans yesterday & have some pork butt thawed so I am thinking chunky cowboy chili is in order. Be better if the weather were cooler though. #NotFall #KitchenGarden

After 1 day to soak beans, 1 day to cook them separately, & a full afternoon in the kitchen roasting veggies and cooking everything else—tada, 7 beautiful quarts of chili! Dinner tonight and tomorrow plus meals to freeze for the future. #KitchenGarden #Garden2Table #GYO

There is a whole tiny soap opera happening outside in your garden if you avoid pesticides & herbicides and spend a little time taking in its quiet marvels. #ecosystem #NatureLover #gardening

Check out this stunning plant which has been singing its siren song to Monarch visitors every day for over a week. There’s even one hiding in pic but urban #MonarchButterflies are even less paparazzi-friendly than most. #pollinators #ecosystem #UrbsInHorto #Chicago #CreateHabitat

Plant a front yard prairie and you get to watch life unfold every season.

Finally dragged our butts to get the last set of 7 pavers (63 pounds each according to the catalog) to place the platform for the 4th rain barrel. And all without cracking Mr. CMG’s tiny car axle. Boring (and muscle-straining) but essential #gardening business. #FreeSkyWater

I work hard to make sure we have flowers for #pollinators from early start to bitterest frost. Here is potential yet to be realized with late season Aster novae-angliae & Helianthus salicifolius just kicking off plus tons of buds to come. #NativePlants #ecosystem #SundayYellow

Now we know—Salvia ‘Brenthurst Pink’. Impressive that it grew so fast from seed-grown starts planted mid May, started blooming mid June (still blooming), seeded itself, & has 2nd gen blooming all in one season. Harvested seed from the original plants today for next year’s sowing.

For those of you who don’t enjoy playing “Where’s Waldo”, I’m getting closer to snapping a beauty shot of recent our daily #MonarchButterflies visitor(s?). Haven’t gotten close enough to ID most but this one is a girl. #lepidoptera #SaveMonarchButterflies #ecosystem #pollinators

Oops, my poor neighbor! Mr. CMG & I spent yesterday taming Clematis ‘Paul Farges’, surprisingly successful annual Hibiscus sabdariffa for tea, & escapee summer squash hiding dinosaur eggs from her side of our chainlink fence where plants love her sunlight & lack of competition.😬

#MagentaMonday in the background and lighter shades up front but certainly a party of pinks happening right now! #FlowerPower #RoseLover #Joy

Not best picture because it was way in center of train yard but Mr. CMG & I spotted Kestrel that likely dropped a feather last week perching high on a light pole/antenna cruising for breakfast as we took out the trash this morning. #UrbsInHorto #Chicago #ecosystem #NatureLover

FYI…Australian Cattle Dogs are experts at hiding. Definitely *zero* dogs to see here so please go about your business. #WeAreAllZoey #GardenDogs #ACDLife

Perennial Mums and a baby Vernonia just planted Mid June that is already blooming—a very satisfying late season color pairing, especially with the very dark purple Weigela foliage peeking in from the bottom corner. #Harmony #Purple #gardening #Joy

Have been doing some shopping and I think this family is now adequately prepared to celebrate #PloverAppreciationDay in style. #UrbsInHorto #Chicago #NatureLover #Birds

Architectural Anemone. 🌸